Moment Of Illumination

Artist: Arla M. Ruggles
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Card: US$3.99
Print: from US$17.10

Moment Of Illumination

Placed Top Ten in Time Challenge on Odd One Out
(2009.AUG.30)

Featured on
Too Bright
(2009.DEC.06)
Rural Around The Globe
(2009.SEP.01)
The Wild West Show
(2009.MAR.05)
Image Writing
(2008.MAR.03)
Live, Love, Dream
(2008.MAR.03)

RedBubble Album: Rusticana

I nearly got frostbitten – literally!—while trying to capture the sunrise in the my mother’s treasured old hurricane lamp. It was -20F, and I had to lie in the snow, waiting for that instant.

It lasted … a few seconds … and then … it was over.

After all that suffering, I was suddenly stricken by the realization that carrying the now-frozen lamp back into the warm house would put at terrible risk of breaking …. my departed mother’s hundred-year-old lamp!

Oh, sure! A rational person would have just PhotoShopped something. But NO! I wanted my vision to be authentic …. yet …. eventually conceded to add the foreground grass. I was not about to go back out and try it again.
(Maybe come summer. ;p)

Graveyard Jewel

*
Canon 350D EOS
Canon 18/55mm

JASC Paintshop Pro x7 and PhotoImpact x3

Sales: 3+ Gallery Prints
Views: +373 (2009.NOV.30)

Moment Of Illumination belongs to the following groups:

Complex Simplicity of Art, ! 100% !, " ' Too Bright ' ", **FOCUS and LIGHTING**, 4 Winners Only, All Around the Styles, All the Colors of the Rainbow, All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, American Southwest , Americas ~ Rural, Urban, Wild, Free, Art For The World, Art Inspired by Dreams, Backyard Photography (NO MACROS, DOGS, CATS, INSECTS, SKYSCAPES), Beautiful ~ 1 submission per 24 hours, Blast from the Past, Colors of the Wind, Cottage Style, Country Bumpkin, Creative, Talented, and Unknown, Descriptions, Digital Photography, Everyday Life, Feminine Intent (LIMIT TWO IMAGES PER DAY), First Things, Flotsam & Jetsam, For the love of Canon - 2 Images per day with type of Canon camera used, Freedom In Words & Art, Gateways, High Desert Life, Human and Nature, Images & Ideas, in-between, JPG Cast-Offs, Landscape and Abstract Photography, Landscape Photography, LEFT WING VALUES AND POSITIVE GLOBAL AWARENESS, Lifeline, Light In The Darkness, Live, Love, Dream: , Mood & Ambience - Strictly Photos, Mysteries of the Common(2 per day), Old farts of redbubble, Out of the Past, Outsiders, Passionate About Vintage, PEACE, LOVE & TRANQUILITY, Personal Meaning Photography, Perspectives, Put Out! or Get Out!!!, Rural Around The Globe, Rustic, Scenery, Shameless Self-Promotion, Sold! , Speaking Photos (Storytelling) - 2 per day -, Spiritual Art, Style! Class! Elegance! Excellence!, Sunrise, Sunset, Technical Photography, The 100 - 499 VIEWINGS GROUP, The Addicted Photographer►2 Per Day◄, The Healing Journey, The Patchwork , The Scavenger Hunt, THE SISTERHOOD, The true beauty, The Wild West Show, UN!TY , Universal Innovation, Unlimited Quality, Vibrant and Vivid Color, Vibration in Art and Verse - VAVoom!, Victorian Viewfinders, Western United States Artists and Photographers, Who are YOU to Judge? and Your Magic Place (PLACES only!!) Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints

Moment Of Illumination by Arla M. Ruggles

Vanessa Anderberg

Great story and capture…..frostbite is no fun…but well worth the risk here..!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

You know, once I started worrying about that glass, my hands were hardly even cold anymore.

Thanks for the comment, Vanessa!
Vanessa Anderberg

You are welcome. Frostbite is bad news!(it is -15 here now) so take care!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

It’s an older image—we are well into the 40’s today. YaY!!
Martina Fagan

great picture and story
lovely job:)
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thank you, Tina!
Clare Colins

Congratulations…a lovely image :)
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks so much, Clare!

I’m glad you like it.
Appel

I hope you thought it all worthwhile, I sure do from this side!! (easy for me to say – no frostbite here) It’s beautiful!!! I’ve always loved these hurricane lamps, this one is very pretty with the colored glass on the bottom. :-)
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks, Appel!!

The glass is colored by age and sunlight. My mother found it among the remains of a wooden wagon out in the desert, more than 50 years ago. It was pale purple then, and the color has continued to deepen over the years.

As far as my family is concerned, this lamp is priceless. ;-)
Isa Rodriguez
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Oh! This is exciting!!

Thank you, Isa—and Live Love Dream!
Mary Ann Reilly

Arla, I am breathless looking at this image. The sensibility to set the scene as you do and the patience to wait for the moment of light most registered in the glass of your mother is beauty defined.
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks, Mary Ann – that means so much coming from you!
Susan Bergstrom

Visionary….my friend.
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks, Susan!
Dave Corn

Definatley Excellent…...............OVER THE TOP!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks so much, Dave!
I’m glad you like it.
arvyart

Brilliant idea, nice description, excellent result!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks so much, my friend!
Sally Omar

Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxxo
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks a lot, Sally! I appreciate it.
Vicki Ferrari

Wonderful work and narrative Arla! You had me grinning, imagining you working very carefully back to your house with frozen limbs!!!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thank you, Vicki!

Really – between worrying about the lamp and my dear Canon – numb fingers, nose, and toes were a relatively minor concern.
;-]
Alan Findlater

excellent work well done
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thank you, Alan!
Orla Cahill

Excellent shot Arla. Beautiful composition. :)
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks for your kind comment, Orla!
Jared D White

This is an excellent image.
Great to stare at :)
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Be careful! You could put an eye out!!

Thanks very much, Jared!!
janetlee

Wonderful concept, excellent execution and stunning result!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Gosh! Thanks, janetlee!
Antanas

great job, lovely comp
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks very much, Antanas!
kevinmawson

Fabulous ,what a magical lamp you have.great concept!
km
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks much, Kevin. :D
i l d i l a z...

Beautiful work!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thank you, ildilazar!
Ellen Price
walela

Wonderful!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks!
Pip Gerard

wow… very special… your pain was worth it :D
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thanks a lot, Pip!
Jody Johnson

great idea…worth the effort!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thank you, Jody!!
David Hibberd

Don’t know where the idea for this shot born but I’m glad it was.
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thank you, David!

It was for a (Non-RB) blind vote themed competiton: “Time“

Bombed in that ~~- my abstract interpretations usually do -~~ but the sales have been some consolation. :D)))
sstarlightss

Gorgeous and very well composed!
Strolch

Gorgeous work!
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thank you, Strotch!!!
Dayonda

Now, this is an interesting concept. It’s very beautiful, and I’d suggest sending it to Colours Outside the Lines (a compliment). The grass in the foreground shows a different light source, from another direction than from the sun. In this instance, I think it makes it even more interesting, and “outside the lines”.
(I see rabbit brush and sage… You’re in desert courntry, high desert, aren’t you? . . .
Arla M. Ruggles replied

Thank you, Lady – you know the coolest groups!!
And yes, my expatriate friend: eastern Nevada. ;)
BigD
CheyAnne Sexton 11 days ago

that is so sweet and the lamp in cool with all those purples to match the sunrise
Arla M. Ruggles replied 11 days ago

Thank you, CheyAnne!
T. Wall ~Throu... 11 days ago

Beautiful & Well Deserved!
Bill Marsh 2 days ago

Great image & wonderful story :

We do have some old oil lamps around certainly none the color of the the one in the photo, it is beautiful. Congratulations on your feature.

Take Care.

Bill.
Arla M. Ruggles replied 2 days ago

Thanks very much, Bill! I’m glad you like it.