Why do a Series?

My high school art teacher, Harold Petersen, taught us that the first 10 ideas we thumbnailed would be predictable, commonplace. To stretch ourselves, he would encourage us to sketch out at least 20 ideas, before picking one to finish.

Brother Bennion, my ceramic teacher at BYU, assigned us to throw 100 mugs on the wheel, and then had us smash them. He said the 101st might be worth firing, glazing, keeping. Then we had to make 50 worth keeping.

I think there is power in series. The first tries warm you up. Then new ideas filter through. Pushing for something different, creative, and inspiring takes work, rough drafts, practice, experimenting.

I am thankful for a husband who listens to my ideas. He is brave and willing, always trying to make me happy.

I have not yet taken 100 pictures of us. It's been 4 full weeks. I hope we are employed full-time before another 70 days go by...but if not, maybe by picture #101 we will create an incredible photo?

(It would have been an interesting series experiment to stand in the same place every day and take a portrait photo. Flip through them quickly like a movie. See wrinkles emerge. Shadows under the eyes. Hair get longer or shorter.)

Someone asked me if I will keep taking photos of us as a couple after John gets a new job? It has been mostly fun. Some days it is hard. But a reason to celebrate, feel united, show our solidarity. Maybe we will keep doing it at least once a week? Watch us get greyer together?

And HANDS! This is another idea from looking at photography blogs and seeing couples holding hands. What does it say about the couple? Can you even tell which hands are mine, which ones are John's? Fascinating to me to see grey paint on his nails--usually it is me with paint smears! Our neighbor across the street is a contractor and hired John for a day job, painting a 350 year old historic basement.