Mottled by Chipka
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Dusk carries the scent of smoke: an acrid waft of mingled exhalations from countless fireplaces. The woods that burn carry their own distinct signatures, revealed only in the long moments of immolation. There are other scents as well. The scent of moisture. The scent of mold. Near the castle grounds, on a wedge of land footing the hulking, ancient ramparts, there is a complex olfactory brew of sweetness and something less easily defined.
There is a smell of decadence as well: sweetness and fermentation.
Follow the smell and you will find the trees. They are gnarled and clumped together, as if for protection. Though trees have stood taller with wider trunks, there is no doubt that these are old, and that they draw harder nutrients from the soil in which they grow. It is not the trees, however, that deliver the scent of cloying sweetness. It is the apples they have shed:a whole carpet of tight, misshapen globes in all of the colors of autumn.
It is cold. Each day begins with mist, and so the town's wasps have retreated into their papery nests. Others feed on the carpet of fruits: worms and insects of diminutive and prehistoric pedigree—they are strange creatures, scarcely imagined in younger countries. Some are black, sleek things with tweezer-like jaws, and elongated, half-worm bodies. Some bear wings. Still others are beetles in garish metallic shades of phthalo green and eye-searing blue.
There are fungi as well: gray/black mottles that coat the skins of any fallen fruit.
It is easy to ignore the apples, however, and the simmering brew of life that they support. Their trees stand upon castle grounds, and the enormous ramble of stone at the heart of Český Krumlov is what draws the eye and the admiration of tourists who photograph themselves before the ornate walls and the waterless moat inhabited by bears. They ignore the apples, the worms, and the molds, and where the apples grow, only locals are prone to wander. Sometimes alone, though most often in the company of friends, or dogs.
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As always, thank you for viewing and reading and commenting on this and on my past photos and other stuff. And hopefully everyone is having a pleasant week.
Comments (34)
Only you could take this bunch of apples and give them life, such meaning. This really rings a bell with me; I have a dozen apple trees in my yard. I'll look at them quite differently from now on!!
Painting like quality, meaningful story.
Awsome composition Chip... I adore!
A fresh perspective on fallen fruit! Excellent work Chip. :)
Ooooh, I just discover that you also upload and appreciate apples... A great image and I especially enjoy your long and interesting comment !
great work and the photo is so surreal.
BEAUTIFUL WORK & IMAGE :)
yeah.. true.. every days begins with mist indeed i saw it here this morning.. and i loved it.. i love this image too.. great mood and colors
wonderful "nature morte " !
Excellent post...very well done.
Great comment about pollution and acid rains !!! Your "nature dead" is EXCELLENT !!!
Very well done. 5+.
Excellent story with a wonderful photograph to go with it. Makes you stop and think.
Great narrative with a fabulous photo! I love that the apples are past their prime, too many times pictures are "too perfect" and this steps out and is bold in saying, this is "life" I love it! Nice piece of work! ;)
"...tight, misshapen globes in all of the colors of autumn"... can't say better!!! Excellent!
Lovely work!
Very nice work :)
What a great country flavor to this. I think your lighting is excellent - it highlights the subject but not the flaws, yet gives both the attention to make an appealing shot.
Apples what a great idea, we have a lot of apples here 90% exported in USA :)
Waaaah! Sorry but they look so good and I can't eat apples anymore, allergy thingy.
This image looks like an Old Masters painting; warm, rich and holding its own story. And as always, your narrative piques my interest and makes me think...very well done, Chip!
You paint such a wonderful picture with your words.
You never cease to amaze me, my friend. Your narrative and beautiful photograph enhance each other in ways that make the whole greater than its parts. Gorgeous work!
I agree with comments above- particularly the 'Old Masters painting similarity. Excellent in every way, Chip!.
Cool image!
Don't know what you did to this photo, but it's awesome....loved the intro too ! *** H u g s ***
Beautiful photo and the narrative is rich in details that are very apt for this season. I like your description of the scent of the place and the important function these apples play in the cycle of life even at this time of year.
You did it again, Chip! A few words, some apples in a photograph and I am there... Perfect!
'There is a smell of decadence as well: sweetness and fermentation.' Such marvelous writing and how I enjoyed my adventure to the apple orchard with you. Such a sweet indulgence. And rich earthy picture to enhance the experience. CC
Une magnifique nature morte, photographiée avec brio, Bravo!! Excellent composition that reminds me of a painting...