Painting and Photography with Ashley

Ashley Elizabeth is quite a gal. She's one of my favorite teenagers and an interesting human being to boot. She must have some unfavorable traits, everyone does, but I guess I don't see them or know what they are. When I see Ashley, she always has a big smile, super friendly, chatty, and just down right charming. Plus, she acts like she likes me and I like that, which makes me like her even more.

We've got a few things in common. We both like photography, and she's pretty good at it. She has a natural talent in my view. Ashley pays attention to composition, lighting, color, angles, and creative in her editing as well. She even says she might study Mass Communications in college, which was my major. (I have a BS from BSU which don't hurt when one is in my business.) She's into music, and dancing. She'll sing a song or play the electric piano at the drop of a hat. She's an actress and has performed on stage at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse. Photography, music, dancing, acting. These are some of my favorite things, and so no wonder, Ashley one of my favorite people.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things

But it's not all roses and kittens. Ashley's a worker...unlike this Lazy Boy. In fact sometimes she's a work instigator. One Saturday in February 2010, she got up and told her folks that the living room needed painting. Well dad and mom just happen to be impulsive types and have trouble saying no to this only daughter. And so they did, and for some reason I dropped by. Don't ask, I don't know why.

Always a smile, Ashley demonstrates how to use a paint roller. Dad did high up, mom did trim, and Ashley did the rollin'. I did the rockin'.
Ashley framed. Pretty as a picture.
Note dad behind the couch in the corner. He was given a "time out" for painting low. Me? I'm trying to explain to mom why I'm a lousy painter and should not help.
But I've been double teamed, quickly turning to my left I explain to Ashley that I'm color blind, a peculiarity to men only so I couldn't expect her to understand. In fact she should take pity on me, for goodness sake, what must I be missing by being blind of color? Painting for one. Ah shucks. Darn.

I see a red door and I want it painted black

No colors anymore I want them to turn black

I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes

I have to turn my head until my darkness goes ~ Jagger/Richards

More to my liking. Sittin' down and lookin' at pictures. The walls coated, Ashley decides to show me her most recent photos.
Here she is showing me the strange places her puppy Cinnamon chooses to nap.
Naturally, I must query her from time to time on composition. She loves to take micro close-ups of flowers and other things that would never cross my mind.
Here Ashley shows me photos of her mother, which is alway good for a laugh it seems. She says it's impossible to get a good photo of mom, that she's not photogenic, because she insists on making "fake smiles". I disagree, but I don't let on.
Ashley and the mother whom Ashley says a good photo cannot be taken. But c'mon, look at mom, straight out of Vogue or Elle, don't you agree?
Waiting for the paint to dry, Ashley takes a photo of me taking a photo of her. End of a long day and pretty cozy.
The job done. Cinnamon takes her place on the couch to watch for marauding college kids out the front window. Mom and Dad are happy with Ashley's Saturday morning idea. And me? I don't know the difference. But I got to spend some time with the next Annie Leibovitz, almost sounds like Ashley Elizabeth.

I couldn't quote you no Dickens, Shelley or Keats

'cause it's all been said before

Make the best out of the bad just laugh it off

You don't have to go there anyway

So remember, every picture tells a story don't it ~ Stewart/Wood