"Fiddle head Heart" © Hank Erdmann

Mink River Nature Conservancy, Door County, Wisconsin

I leave this image in the newsletter for this issue to represent loss and at the same time

rebirth, nature's natural cycle of life and that we should celebrate life at all stages.

Blog #10, April 15, 2014

"Life, Loss, Celebration and Nature"

Food for Thought:

"The road to wisdom? Well, it's plain and simple to express: Err, And Err, And Err

Again, But less, And less, And less." - Piet Hein (Danish Poet 1905 - 1996)

"Whoever knocks persistently, ends by entering"

- Ali (Arabian caliph 600-661)

"Our physical body and the see-and-touch world are not life, but only one step on our

spirit's journey." - Paul Pearsall (20th Century American Educator)

"Mayapple Drops" © Hank Erdmann Messenger Woods Forest Preserve, Will County, Illinois

Life, Loss, Celebration and Nature...

Occasionally we get reminders of the cycle and process of life, it's not always happy and at times

it is downright sad. Nature has always been a source of solace for me, and that has been

needed in recent months. But after absorbing the news, we have a choice. We can be shaken

and saddened, and then complete overtaken by loss to the point it affects our own lives, or we

can go on after the initial shock, and celebrate a a great life now past.

Remembering those no longer with us can be painful certainly but I can't imagine many folks

having left this life would want those of us who knew them, mourning beyond remembrance of

the times we shared, the times we laughed, the times we enjoyed, and those things like art and

nature and the friendships, both current or past, that make life worth living. Those who would

wish others to mourn unending, likely would be disappointed!

I choose to celebrate life, family, friends, my own, other lives, known and unknown who inspire

us, and those who in passing, leave us temporarily sad but at the same time happy and smiling

at their remembrance, and having been made for knowing them at all. Nature makes all well

and whole.

"Spring Creek" © Hank Erdmann Spring Creek in Spring, Messenger Woods Forest Preserve, Will County, Illinois

Back in early March I received word that one of the finest photographers and co-workers I had

ever had the privilege to work with (at McDonald's), Bill Parrish, had passed suddenly. More

importantly, Bill was one of the finest individuals I had the pleasure of knowing. It was a real

shock because it was unexpected and sudden. It was also a bit harder to accept as I had failed

to stay in touch with Bill except for very occasional snippets here and there. That was my fault,

keeping in touch with those who you call family, friends and past acquaintances is always your

own responsibility, and I think at this moment of a number of those folks who I should call and

catch up and that catching up is more important that the triviality of day to day "stuff we think

we have to do". Bill knew the value of community and was very involved with his, definitely a

lesson to remember and take to heart with regards to his remembrance. We all should be so

involved. Bill, you ARE missed, but even your memory makes us better people.

"Mushroom Moss" © Hank Erdmann

Camp David (Kowalewski), Columbia County, Pennsylvania

This past Saturday morning, I as many of you readers did, received the sad news of the passing

of Steven Mayer. I have often talked about the wonder and power of "my inner voice" or spirit

guides as Will Clay calls them, or more often just the concept of intuition in seeking

compositions and subject matter. That intuition however, guides me in far more things and

places than just my artistic endeavors.

Saturday morning I had my current Intro

class at the Morton Arboretum in the field

at the Arb. One of the few things that

really "bugs" me is people who disturb

others especially in the field (in a natural

environment whether I'm photographing

or not) and being taken from my reverie

with nature or in a restaurant while

enjoying dinner and not being taken from

my food reverie with some ignoramus

blabbing on with a conversation that

should wait and shouldn't be impossible to

overhear by others. So I purposefully do

not use my phone in those situations other

than to discretely check a message on

occasion. The phone is always silenced

and often not even on. But the phone has

replaced a wrist watch since film days and

I sensed our session was drawing to a

close so i checked the time. On checking the time, I noticed a call and

voice mail had popped up from a unfamiliar

number which 99.99% of the time I would

ignore at least until the class was over and I

"Spring Knees" © Hank Erdmann Herron Pond/Little Black Slough Nature Preserve, Johnson County, Illinois

was in the car not around others in the field. There was that intuition, maybe not a inner voice,

but certainly a feeling that said; check this message. So right there, with my class scattered, I

walked a few feet where I wouldn't be interrupting others in their image making, and I listened

to the message. It was Greg Blue from MAPS (the Morton Arboretum Photographic Society)

with a message to call him and that it was somewhat urgent.

Knowing that I was speaking at the MAPS meeting the following Monday I guessed that it

concerned the program. But then I thought Greg wouldn't be calling it urgent if all it concerned

was a presentation, something told me I shouldn't wait. I walked a bit further away from the

group and hit the call back button. Standing there outside in the middle of the Arboretum I

learned of Steven's passing. More stunned than anything at that moment I sort of wandering a

bit in circles before I rejoined the class and explained to a few that probably witnessed some

odd behavior what had happened. Fortunately class was about over and within thirty minutes I

was headed back to the car and thinking about things.

One of those things was what MAPS was going to do with concerns to the meeting coming up in

just two days. One of Greg's reasons in calling was to ask how I felt about going on with my

presentation. Trying to think quickly and rightly I said I could certainly go on with the program

and I thought folks would want to and that I'd go along with whatever the group decided. I also

said Steven would want us to go on with it, he wouldn't want us not too. And I knew that, it was

not just the thought that we guessed he would, I knew he would. And sure enough, later that

day we got an email confirming the meeting would be run and would be a tribute and

celebration of Steven's life and his art, both his culinary art and his photographic art. And it was.

Another of those things I thought

about on my ride home was why I had

checked that message at all, and even

more so, what had prompted me to

answer it and call back right there in

the field, at the Arb, and in the middle

of a class. It stuck me that if I had to

receive that news, I could not select a

better place to not only hear it, but to

initially process and absorb the

shock. A place of nature, with healing

properties, a place we both loved and

spent a considerable amount of time

at.

The Arb is a place that immediately

started the healing, the acceptance

and later a celebration of Steven's

being as we had come to know him; a

fine photographer, a fine chef, and a

most wonderful person and friend.

Looking back now, just a few days

past, I realize that call and the process

that followed was no accident, it was

no weird anomaly, it was a gift from

Steven to a number of us who got the

call while there. It was Steven saying;

it's ok, I'm ok and I'm in a better

"Spring Run" © Hank Erdmann Illinois Canyon, Starved Rock State Park, LaSalle County, Illinois

place; remember me, and mostly remember what we all care about, nature, art and

relationships. Upon arriving home, these thoughts still swirling through my mind, I entered the

house through the garage and the side entry of the house into a room with the laundry and coat

rack, the mud room so to speak.

Being an artist I believe that no room, no

space should be devoid of art and indeed

even in our laundry room art hangs on the

wall. Recently repainted a warm yellow, the

color of sunflowers, hangs a watercolor print

of a sunflower from Door County painter Ed

Fenendael and next to it hangs a piece from

Steven. Rows of summer flowers in a late

afternoon light, with yellows that screamed to

me as it hung in Steve's show last year at

Gallery 7,the piece screamed that it belonged

in my mud room greeting me every time I

walked in the Door.

It was Steven again smiling at me through the

warm light in his image, greeting me as I

walked in saying I'm ok and you are too. The

old saying, I'm not sure there's a heaven, but I

know there's a hell came to mind. The hell

may be the occasional sad times in life, and

while I'm not sure about the heaven part,

there must be another side we'll arrive at.

And when that happens I'm sure I'll see

Steven welcoming us to a fine dinner, seated

"Reflections of Pink" © Hank Erdmann

Morton Arboretum, Du Page County, Illinois

at a real long table will be Ansel, Eliot and thousands of friends, acquaintances, other artists;

chefs, painters, photographers, sculpters, writers, musicians and people we've always admired,

known, or wanted to know. It will be a rekindling or a start of great relationships. I'll bring the

wine!

Thanks Steven, for making it okay, you will be missed my friend, but you will be remembered

and celebrated and at least I get to say hi every time I walk into the house!

Next Blog: Macro and Close-Up Photography

Here's to spring, get out make an image, bring it up on your LCD, turn it to the heavens

and share it with Bill and Steven!

Allbest, Hank

"Trillium Forest" © Hank Erdmann

Aman Woods Park, Ottawa County, Michigan

"What fates impose, that men must needs abide; It boots not to resist both wind and

tide." - William Shakespeare (English playwright and Poet 1564 - 1616)

"Although the world is very full of suffering, it's also full of the overcoming of it"

- Helen Keller (American writer and lecturer - 1880-1968)

"This is a record of your time. This is your movie. Live out your dreams and fantasies.

Whisper quotations to the Spinx at night. Sit for hours at sidewalk cafes and drink with your

heroes. Make pilgrimages to Mugins and Abiquiu. Look up and down. Believe in the unknown

for it is there. Live in many places. Live with flowers and music and books and paintings and

sculpture. Keep a record of your time. Learn to read well. Learn to listen and speak well.

Know your country, know your world, know your history, know yourself. Take care of yourself

physically and mentally. You owe it to yourself. Be good to those around you. And do all

these things with passion. Give all that you can. Remember, Life is short and Death is long." -

Fritz Scholder (Native American artist - b. 1937)

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