Pompei Bakery

2,000 years ago they had a commercial bakery in Pompei.  That's right.  Want some bread?  Just send the kids to the town bakery to pick up a loaf.  It would be fascinating to see what type of products they created in these ovens.


"Pompei Bakery"         © Kathy Dunham 2010

Wolf Moon

They say this is the closest the moon will be to the earth during it's routine rotation causing the moon to look larger than normal.  Hence, the name, Wolf Moon.  It was beautiful coming up tonight.  And viewing it through the naked branches of a tree gave it an erie feeling.


"Wolf Moon"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Red Sky in the Morning

The sunrise this morning was pretty awesome.  I'm normally not an early riser but today was an exception and I was rewarded with this great scene.

"Red Sky in the Morning"   © Kathy Dunham 2010

Grand Canal

Venice is my favorite city and the Grand Canal is the "freeway" of this spectacular water bound metropolis.  No cars or trucks.  Just lots of boats to move from one point to another, unless you like to walk a lot.

"Grand Canal"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Fuzzy Center

This time of year we have lots of Iceland Poppies in bloom.  They are one of my favorite garden flowers.  Bright colors and lots of drama in the wrinkled petals as the early morning sun skips across their ridges always delight my artistic eye.


"Fuzzy Centers"      © Kathy Dunham 2010

Bumpy Tomatoes

I spotted these neat looking tomatoes at a street market in Italy.  They have natural sections that would make it easy to cut them into wedges.  Great for salads!

"Bumpy Tomatoes"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Cafe de Pays

From the looks of the sign, wine, music and fun are what you can expect in the "Cafe de Pays".  We were too early to check it out but I discovered lots of signs created in this manor in the Dordogne region of Southwest France.  Whether it was the baker, artist or cafe, they all had unique signs of their trade.


"Cafe de Pays"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Image on the Floor

I love how light passing through transparent objects creates fascinating patterns.  I spotted this one while in an art gallery in Sarlat, France.  I quickly pulled out my camera to capture it when I noticed the gallery rep glaring at me.  I made sure she knew I was only going to take a picture of the light patterns on the floor, not the paintings on the wall. 

"Image on the Floor"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

I Wish It Was Spring

The storm has passed, the sun is out and in another month the wildflowers should be blooming.  But the daffodils are showing up in the flower shops so it must be getting close to spring.

"I Wish It Was Spring"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Winter Storm

Another cold day and rain.  We had some sun in the morning but there was snow on the hill tops and you could see the next storm front coming in.  One more day and we should get some relief.

"Winter Storm"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Hills of Gold

We've had a lot of rain the past few days but the silver lining in all this is the potential we have for a great wildflower season.  Good rains in the fall followed by good rains this time of year should provide us with a banner year.  This shot was taken 2 years ago at the California Poppy Preserve near Lancaster.  Well worth the trip to see the hills covered with California Gold.

"Hills of Gold"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Heart of a Sago

One of the few plants that have pre-historic roots, the Sago Palm is a popular landscape plant.  Native to the islands of Southern Japan, this slow grower, is one of the most primitive living seed plants.  Its origins can be traced to the ancient flora of the early Mesozoic era.  Often called "Living Fossils", the Sago has changed very little in 200 million years.

"Heart of a Sego"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Morning Fog

Fog is not a weather phenomenon that we see in the desert.  Let's face it, no humidity.  But it rained all day yesterday, another phenomenon we normally don't see.  And this morning the valley was covered with a thick blanket of fog.  At first I couldn't believe my eyes.  And by the time I grabbed my camera it had lifted partially but I was able to capture the sunrise through the trees and fog.

"Morning Fog"     © Kathy Dunham 2010

Girl with a Pink Ribbon

It's fun taking pictures of children when they aren't looking at you. Catching them in a candid shot can yield some spectacular photos.  I don't know who this little tyke is but with the messy face and innocent expression I just couldn't resist.

"Girl with a Pink Ribbon"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

A Warm Bahama Beach

It started sprinkling tonight and the weather report for the next week doesn't look good.  Heavy rains and winds are predicted to make a big mess and for the golfers, make for miserable play in the Bob Hope golf tournament.  We need the rain but not a deluge in a short period of time.  So this gorgeous beach scene with white sand beaches and turquoise water makes me feel warmer.

"A Warm Bahama Beach"     © Kathy Dunham 2010

Gothic Quarter

Barri Gotic, or Gothic Quarter, is the true heart and oldset part of Barcelona.  Chosed by the Romans during the reign of Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD) it has been the location of the city's adminsitartive buildings ever since.  Located in this area is the royal palace where Columbus was received by Fernando and Isabel on his return form the New World in 1492.  Now that's some history!!

"Gothic Quarter"     © Kathy Dunham 2010

Knock on My Door

I've taken an interest in Eurpoean door knockers.  I was amazed at the variety, size and subject matter.  Even though they have door bells like we do, door knockers are part of the door decor on must European homes.

"Knock on My Door"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Daffodil Hill

Near here in the mountains, on the way to Big Bear, is a place called Daffodil Hill.  It was started many years ago by a lady who started planting daffodils.  And each year she kept adding more bulbs.  Then she planted tuplips and hyacynths in oak barrels, created paths, added benches and now she has over 3,000 bulbs planted.  When they bloom it's fantastic.  A blaze of different yellows and all the colors daffodils come in. I don'tknow how many varieties she has but there's probably over 15, at least. 

"Daffodil Hill"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Colorado State Flower

I am always amazed at nature's palette.  How does she do it?  And do it so well.  The other thing that is so cool about plants is the variety of unique shapes.  Look at the the long purple extensions and the deep "wells" on each petal. 

"Colorado State Flower"   © Kathy Dunham 2010

Tahitian Sunset

The colors of this flower remind me of the colors I've seen at sunset in Tahiti.  Rich and warm.  Over a tropical blue ocean.  Ahhhhh..... to be sitting on the beach now with a cool drink in my hand. 

"Tahitian Sunset"   © Kathy Dunham 2010

It's All About the Greens

As an artist, greens are challenging colors to re-create.  Mother Nature has given us such a huge array of them that many painters become overwhelmed.  But then that's the beauty of painting the out of doors. 

"It's All About the Greens"   © Kathy Dunham 2010

Joshua Tree Blossoms

Just north of here is Joshua Tree National Park.  Named after the unique plant that is indigenous to this region, the park is popular with rock climbers. But in the spring, after good rains, the joshua tree unveils huge stalks of blossoms.  I've never seen any of these open any further than you see here.  But these giant spikes of flowers are an added sight to an otherwise stark desert.

"Joshua Tree Blossoms"   © Kathy Dunham 2010

Think Spring

Most of the U.S. is pretty darned cold. Not here!  The National Weather report said it's warmest where I live.  Aaahh..... warm sunny days around the pool or on the golf course.  And in a month or so there'll be rhododendrons blooming.

"Think Spring"     © Kathy Dunham 2010

This is Retirement!!!

It's a must for me to carry a camera at all times.  You just never know when a photo op presents itself.  And sometimes it's just too good to pass up.  As was this shot.  I was giving a presentation this morning and when I entered the facility I discovered this gentleman taking a cat nap.  And I couldn't resist the shot. 

"This is Retirement!!!"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Pow Wow Feathers

I enjoy going to Native American Pow Wows.  The excitement, the rhythm of the drums and the regalia, the spectacular regalia.  Feathers, beads, frings and jingle bells.  The creativity in the design of each dancer's outfit is amazing.  And a photographer's delight. 

"Pow Wow Feathers"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Delicate Shadows

This time of year Iceland Poppies are common landscape flowers in the desert.  They range in color from pale yellows and pinks to vibrant red-oranges.  They've always attracted my interest due to the "krinkled" nature of their petals which provides lots of texture.

"Delicate Shadows"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Happy Accident

We have a saying in the artistic world, "Happy Accidents".  That's when something unplanned and often times destructive happens to a work in progress and turns out to be a cool thing.  Today I spotted a group of Ranunuculus in a planter bed.  I grabbed my camera and looked for a good shot.  When I checked my image it was blurred.  I thought it was out of focus due to being too close to the subject.  I took another shot from farther away and it was still blurred.  Boy was I bummed.  Then I looked at the lense and discovered a greasy fingerprint right in the middle.  But when I looked closely at the photo I liked the soft edges created by the dirty lense.  You just never know when something will happen that works out.

"Happy Accident"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Sorrento Sunset

The hillside farms in Sorrento are small and terraced.  Many are no more than four acres with some as large as 10 acres.  I know that doesn't sound like a lot of property for a farm but this works quite nicely in this hilly landscape.  They grow lemons, olives, tomatoes and other row crops in addition to having farm animals like pigs, chickens and goats.  Being a farm girl myself, I appreciated the opportunity to visit one of these farms where I was able to capture this colorful sunset.


"Sorrento Sunset"     © Kathy Dunham 2010

Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is very similar the the rugged coast of Central/Northern California, only warmer.  The sheer drops of rugged rock, straight down to the water offer spectacular sights around every bend.  This shot was taken early in the morning before the haze burned off.  The rest of the day was vibrantly clear and colorful.

"Amalfi Coast"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Colors of the Sunset

Nature's palette comes fully loaded.  This hibiscus, beautifully tinged with coral around a vibrant pink, is just a sampling of the wide range of colors to be found.  I couldn't have painted it better if I tried. That's what's so intriguing about using flowers as my primary subject.  They always inspire me.


"Colors of the Sunset"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Winter Color

Mother Nature is amazing.  These beautiful flowers would not look as spectacular when the Coral Tree is covered with leaves.  But on bare branches they make a bold statment against a blue winter sky.

"Winter Color"    © Kathy Dunham 2010