The light is unbearable. I woke up here with no recollection of how I arrived or even where I am. The land and sky merge in what feels like a convergence of nothingness. Reaching out my hand returns an absence of sensation. Looking down, my shoes are missing. If that wasn’t strange enough, what appears to be snow returns no feeling of cold. Surveying my position reveals seams to be a pointless task. There is no reference of where, no markers in the sky which is obscured. The ground gives no meaningful indications. And all I hear is silence. Well, what I think is silence. There is a low deep pressurized tone, but that feels closer to an experience inside a sensory testing room may result.

A sinking feeling takes over. Panic is setting in. This is when strange and reality met. The landscape of nothing was just a manifestation of the isolation felt. The room is a buzz with chatter and laughter as patrons of this party are shoulder to shoulder. Yet, I feel disconnected and isolated; alone even. Rather than relief, the feeling of isolation grows in the midst of the opposite.

There is a helplessness when one cannot find the exit to ones own thoughts. Alone to your thoughts, it eats slowly at sanity and logic. It blinds decisions. Shot on an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Circa 2022. 1/1 Original.

TAKE 5: It's quiet up here. The morning mocha rests quietly on the table in front of me; tasty bubbles gently illuminated by the morning sun. Yet, even they are silent. They know their destiny in this ritual of silence during their few moments of existence. Brought to life by the barista, they have known no other mentors. Their first experience into this world is the steam of hot milk frothing, voices, and that unmistakable sound of the cermaic cup sliding along the quartz counter as I take ownership and governance of these precious jewels…

I think I lost track of time. I didn’t mean to cut their time short, but I received the call to leave this sanctuary. As I finish the last one, I feel a warmth that is comforting. I am not alone.

Sitting down for some solitude after failing to find inspiration one morning, I looked down to see that light and knew art had been born. I didn’t have my camera, so my phone was the tool. Shot on an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Circa 2024. 2250x3000. Single Edition.