of viento, chile colorado, Sangre de Cristo, and Brazos cliffs

February 02, 2025  •  8 Comments

I committed the original sin of photographers and writers this week.  Actually, I have been for some time.  In the digital age, any photographer or writer's mantra should be "Save, backup, save, backup."  A task that, for some reason, has escaped my attention in the last couple of years.  It caught up with me last week.  Not in the photography side of my work because my photographs are in many different places, but on the writing side.

Some of you may know that on 21 March 2020, I began a journal on the computer documenting life during the COVID pandemic.  It became much more than that as politics morphed into something we had never seen in America.  It was approaching 600 pages in length, as I wrote about everything from the mundane to COVID, natural disasters, and frequently, politics.  I can't say that the writing was brilliant (not being Shakespeare), but it did have its moments.  Most of all it was meant to jog my own and others' collective memory of the years in which we found ourselves.  My parents nor anyone I knew in their generation ever spoke of the flu pandemic that lasted from 1918-1920 and I would like to have known more.  Thus, my journal.  But due to my enthusiasm for clearing things from our iPhone and not really knowing that it was totally synced to our computer, I seem to have eliminated the most recent version of my journal.  It was like losing a part of me.  When I tried to add to the journal one day and was unable to locate the latest iteration, I spent a good part of the next three days searching the innards of the computer trying to find it.  After working through file after file and searching iCloud, where I suspected it was hidden, I used  a free data recovery program and did not manage to locate it (despite searching through roughly 50,000 listings.  I made the decision to try to reconstruct things via by blog, photographs, emails, and texts.  It is important enough for me to do that.  Lessons learned!

What does my sob story have to do with today's blog?  Not much except that part of what I blog every week shows how I spend my professional time.  Fortunately, I back up my husband, Fred's, portfolio of rugs every time I shoot an image.  They are in several different places including two different stand-alone hard drives.  His designs and use of color has been particularly brilliant this winter.

First is Rug 415.  Truly for the red lover in you, the rug is comprised of different dye lots of chile Colorado, and Sangre de Cristo.  It is Navajo-Churro wool dyed at Tierra Wools.  

  Rug 415Rug 415

 

Below is a detail of the rug under construction.

Rug 415 in progress 3  2024Rug 415 in progress 3 2024

 

 

A very "western" feel flows through Rug 416, in which both dyed and natural white, natural medium grey/brown, and natural grey wool are used.

Rug 416 half detailRug 416 half detail

 

 

Finally, Fred utilized a technique called pick and pick in Rug 417.  It is a bit complicated to present here, but the resulting weaving produces lines that run vertically with the warp rather than horizontally.  In this detail shot, you can see the variations of turquoise and viento, along with a beautiful natural black from Cedar Mesa Ranch in Colorado.  The red is Sangre de Cristo.  

Rug 417 detailRug 417 detail

Rug 417Rug 417

Thanks to Fred who continues to amaze, and to Ingrid, Jean & Sam, Steve, Marilyn G., and Barbara F. R. for checking in this week.  As we enter February and slight warming trend in the Rocky Mountain west, I hope you are able to head outside with cameras in hand to capture natural and other offerings wherever you are!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image©

  

    


Comments

Fred Barraza(non-registered)
I'm sorry to hear that you have lost the journal. I know that has to suck. All the thought and work and insight that you put into it.

Freds work is always so excellent and fantastic. I enjoy your work and his.
Heather Herd(non-registered)
Dear Daryl! I am sorry to have been An absent reader for so long. The photos of Fred’s rugs have brought tears to my eyes. They are magnificent! And hearing about the loss of all of your writings had a profound effect on me, as well. I can just feel your sense of loss from this! Sending you both very much love!!
Claudia(non-registered)
Oh Daryl! So sorry about your journal and not being able to recover it. As always, Fred’s rugs are beautiful! You are both so talented.
TTT(non-registered)
Oh my!! Good on you for soldiering on, foiling the cybergods' plot to crush your spirit. Much appreciated Emeritus's colors and hope Victoria is on to something and your file is just napping.
Mary Pat Kraemer(non-registered)
Outstanding as usual - both the blog and Fred’s art. I am sickened by the thought of the loss of your journaling, however…
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