Whenever I feel proud of a series of flower postcards or a mini-travelogue or informal portraits of my grandchildren, I’m jolted into reality by the galleries of some of my fellow image-makers. While my goal is to make some pleasing pictures, theirs seems to be to make every ordinary thing beautiful.

One such compilation of photographs is contained in the pBase galleries of Marisa D. L. found at http://www.pbase.com/mardoli . Where to start, to explain what the attraction is? It may be the slightly exotic-fairytale setting of many of photographs (she lives in Switzerland and appears to travel a lot), as in http://www.pbase.com/mardoli/yvoire . Or is it the concept-based collections, several in A-Z format, such as http://www.pbase.com/mardoli/choco_and_chips and http://www.pbase.com/mardoli/postcards_ ? Every gallery exudes inspiration and I vow once again to just go out and look closely at what’s around me. At first I may try to imitate artists like Marisa, not trusting myself to be original enough. Someday, I’ll have a breakthrough, producing images others will seek out and admire.

Oh, and she has the flowers under control, too ( http://www.pbase.com/mardoli/flora )!

Image from Marisa D.L.'s gallery The Other Side of Paradise