Fishing Pole – Wyeth Walk #15

Andrew Wyeth said

“If you can combine realism with abstraction you’ve got something terrific”.

This teardrop-shaped icicle with grass streaming out its tail, hanging by a thread from this crooked stick looked EXACTLY like a tadpole on a fishing line.  I took snapshot after snapshot trying to capture the image of the fishing pole… and then some more photos… none of them saying what I was seeing.  And then, finally, the icicle dipped beneath the water and I got it from this angle where the grass tail wasn’t so obvious and the pole turned into a structure instead of a fishing pole. and by changing that viewing angle I think I got the essence of the image, you can still imagine the pole, but it’s now being created by your mind instead of laid out before you.  And… could be something else if you like.  By not being so literal the photo came alive (I hope!)

Brrrrrr super cold today, had to do a few laps to get my blood pumping before I could venture to pull my fingers out of their warm gloves to snap photos.

Feb 3, Chester County PA, temp 20F