Category: My Mind’s Eye

A Peek Into The Night

My Mind's Eye

The photo from which this “MyMindsEye” artsy was made was taken on Christmas Eve 2008 at the Chicago Navy Pier. Since we are “elder orphans” we are on our own for most holidays and such so we spent an enjoyable few days just pampering ourselves

If you haven’t figured it out yet, it is a very artsy streetlight on the pier.

Another World

My Mind's Eye

I have decided to do primarily create “MyMindsEye” images here at MyArtsySide for 2026. If you haven’t guessed already this one is of a couple of the remaining pieces to be placed in a picture puzzle I just completed. I love taking images and making them abstracts. It adds a little mystery to the image.

There is just something about working picture puzzles that calm my mind.

Post-Impressionism

My Mind's Eye

This current sideline of the 2026 project is to learn about the Post-Impressionism art movement.

Post-Impressionism is a predominantly French art movement (c. 1886-1905) reacting against Impressionism, where artists like Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Seurat used vivid colors, thick paint, and distorted forms to express emotions and ideas, moving towards abstraction with symbolic meaning rather than just capturing fleeting light and naturalism.

I became familiar with Van Gogh in my pre-teen years in the mid-1950s and have had his painting “Starry Night” on my walls ever since. There is just something about the vivid colors and distorted forms that drew me in. I am already in the middle of two thick books on this short-lived art movement and eventually hope to mimic it in my own style of artsy.

One of the many stories about Van Gogh is that he suffered from tinnitus and cut his ear off to stop the constant ringing. Of course, it didn’t help. I, too, have suffered from “ringing ears” for most of my life. That gave me the first commonality with this troubled artist. As I learned more about him, many more would follow.

This is the first Artsy post that is doing something besides images. I am learning a lot about artsy and just feel that I have to bring you along for the ride. So, some posts here will go into the “teacher” mode. I hope you don’t mind and maybe even enjoy the ride.

MME51 – Greenfield Village Facade

My Mind's Eye

If you have any interest in the history of the U.S., you must visit Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village in Dearborn Michigan. There are hundreds of buildings that Ford kidnapped from across the country depicting our early days including the original Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop.

For some reason I have chosen the original image that was used for the picture above as the essence of those times. It simply draws me in.

MME63 – Red Beauty

My Mind's Eye
MME63 – Mountains Majesty

“My Mind’s Eye” is primarily made up of two distinct things. They are pictures of things we see in daily life but don’t draw our attention. The second category is pictures that were taken and then modified is various ways. Sometimes it is one or the other, and others it is a combination of both.

The picture above is of the 2nd category. It was a majestic picture of the Rocky Mountains that has been changed to show it in a more artistic fashion. I kinda like the effects.

MME74 – Oh, The Rocky Mountains…

My Mind's Eye
CLA74 – photo enhanced through digital means

The image from which this enhanced picture was taken was in a rural California community on the west side of the Rocky Mountains. It reminded me of the fact that most fires in rural areas result in total loss due to the delayed response of all volunteers fire departments. Most often, by the time the fire fighters get there the building is fully engaged.

But that did take away from the beauty of the area but only for a few hours.

MME70 – I Miss My Critters

My Mind's Eye

I am in a reminiscing mood today, especially about all the critters I have had in my life. When we lived in the homestead surrounded by forests for 21 years, there were countless critters who constantly showed up at our backdoor. Before I go any more forward I need to tell you a little story.

I think if she had to decide between me and one of her critters, it would likely have been me who was shown the door. She regularly fed possums, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs. No body was left hungry, even as uninvited guests.

Let’s get back to this image above. Sophie, like many others before and after her suddenly showed up. She was not feral, but she was quite young. I left all the “critter” business up to my wife, so I don’t really know how she housebroke Sophie. But there were times when Sophie made an Oops as we called it, and it was my job to clean it up. This was one of those times.

Of course, being a female cat, she had to jump on my back to make sure I was doing a good job cleaning up her “Oops”. I have been without a critter for 4+ years now in my RetCom home. Sometimes I think I miss them more than I do my wife. 😁🥴😆.

MME58 – RetCom Drums

My Mind's Eye

Being deaf for 35 years now, I usually don’t pay much attention to musical presentations here at my RetCom (retirement community). But this last April there was one that I attended. 

It was an African Drums Presentation.

Drums are one thing that I sorta can “hear” by vibrations on my chest. I also definitely enjoyed the colorful outfits too.

MME10 – Creative Lighting

My Mind's Eye

In the last 15 years I have probably been to at least 40 museums. Some were locals that were usually in a once abandoned building. Others were the million dollar version, where each room proudly displayed the name of a major benefactor. I will let you in on a little secret, all of those in the latter category above were pretty much the same.

The ones I found to be the most creative were the ones sponsored by the city or college in which it resided. None of those that I visited had a Renoir or a Picasso collection that I know of, but they did highlight the regional artists.

I think I am right, but I could be wrong that the image above is from the Ft.Wayne Museum in Indiana. To me, the way that art is presented is as critical as the art itself.

MME8 – The Brew House

My Mind's Eye
CLA8

As you can see, I am still experimenting with various techniques and colors to find my personal version of artsy. This one might be too artsy, but it was just how I felt when I made it. Maybe my unpredictability is my style? It does kinda fit my overall persona,

The source of this image was taken in 2007 at the Budweiser Headquarters in St. Louis Missouri, USA

MME45 – The Switchboard

My Mind's Eye

In the early 1960s I lived in a small rural town that actually had one of these switchboards. I remember sitting in the operator’s office to eat during a high school lunch break. For the most part, she just sat there waiting for someone to ring her up. I guess she got kinda lonely, so she welcomed our company.

The switchboard, for all practical purposes, resided in her front room. But, within a year or so she was out of a job, as next door they built a 40 × 40 ft windowless building and filled it with very noisy switching equipment. She was thrown out of a job due to automation. I suspect she felt much like people today who are losing their jobs to AI, they dream of the good-old days when your telephone was tied to a wall.

MME23 – Icy Spring Storm

My Mind's Eye

I never get tired of looking at all my lamp post shots from the homestead. This one was taken in 2011 in an early spring ice storm. I have been in my RetCom for almost 4 years now and really miss the beauty of the place. My outdoor view now is a three-story wall of the assisted living units thirty feet away. I don’t know what the architect thought he was doing putting the two wings so close together when there is so much beauty outside this area.

MME30 – Losing My Marbles

My Mind's Eye

One of the most unique museums I have been to is the Prairie Museum in Colby, Kansas. It is mostly made up of one local family’s contributions. Yes, this was just a pile of marbles, but it, like many other exhibits in the museum, said a lot to me. I’m sure other photos from this trip will find themselves in this “Clothesline Art” category

Artsy Dry Spell

My Mind's Eye

CLA – 27

I have been away from RJsCorner for much of the last 4 weeks with some health issues. Nothing life-threatening but very annoying. I am pretty much recovered but still not back to 100%.

I really missed my artsy time and your visits here. Looking at the bright side, episodes like these make me appreciate the time I have left on this earth. 🙂

The picture from which this image was made is from my July 2022 visit to my brother. He died two months after my visit. I am so glad I had that time with him.