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Top SHOP Image Flowers Gallery Collections \ Gardens of Life \ Flowers \ Blue Hydrangea Blue Hydrangea Curated for You - Open Edition Prints Available Click the image to view in full screen. Bathed in the soft light of a summer day, these blue hydrangea flowers seem to dance playfully in the breeze. Their delicate sepals, in hues ranging from deep sapphire to gentle lavender, form a mesmerizing cascade of color. The hint of green foliage provides a refreshing contrast, with the backdrop of my Westerly Rhode Island garden adding a touch of rustic charm. This image is a tranquil escape, inviting you to immerse yourselves in the beauty of nature's simple wonders. Scroll down to see purchasing options. SHOP SHOP Discover Your Perfect Piece SHOP NOW Wall Art Adorn your walls, click the button above to go to our shop to make your purchase. Fulfilled by Fine Art America. work-98842402-leggings.jpg BH-98842402-leggings.jpg work-98842402-sleeveless-top.jpg work-98842402-leggings.jpg 1/14 VISIT SHOP Artful Attire Purchase wearable art, click the button above to go to our shop to make your purchase. Fulfilled by RedBubble EXPLORE PRODUCTS Home Décor Purchase bespoke Home Décor, accessories, and apparel, click the button above to go to our shop. Fulfilled by RedBubble Colors : blue, white, beige, green < Previous Next >

Top SHOP Image Black & White Gallery Collections \ Horizons \ Black & White \ Navajo Bridge Navajo Bridge Curated for You - Open Edition Prints Available Click the image to view in full screen. Crossing the Colorado River on Highway 89A between Bitter Springs and Jacob Lake, AZ in Marble Canyon on the Navajo Reservation are two Navajo bridges, the original built in 1927 was an engineering marvel and the highest steel suspension bridge in the world at that time. This bridge is the newer one built in 1995 to replace the aging bridge. It is wider and can accommodate heavier traffic. It is one of only seven land crossings over the Colorado River for 750 miles. Photo taken on the Navajo Reservation, June 18, 2007 Scroll down to see purchasing options. SHOP SHOP Discover Your Perfect Piece SHOP NOW Wall Art Transform your space, click the button above to go to our shop to make your purchase. Fulfilled by Fine Art America. work-157585087-leggings4.jpg work-157585087-leggings5.jpg work-157585087-kids-mask.jpg work-157585087-leggings4.jpg 1/12 VISIT STORE Artful Attire Purchase wearable art, click the button above to go to our shop to make your purchase. Fulfilled by RedBubble EXPLORE PRODUCTS Home Décor Purchase bespoke Home Décor, accessories, and apparel, click the button above to go to our shop. Fulfilled by RedBubble Colors : silver black, white < Previous Next >

Top SHOP Image Trees & Foliage Gallery Collections \ Gardens of Life \ Trees & Foliage \ Twist Twist Image Curated for You - Open Edition Prints Available Click the image to view in full screen. To the sky, upwards and blue. This large ponderosa pine tree, with a gnarled and weathered grey-brown tree trunk, is reaching upwards to a stunning view of the blue sky with white fluffy clouds. The ponderosa pine tree's aged and weathered appearance indicates it has been standing for many years. Indeed, weathering the intense winds and temperature extremes on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Photo taken from the Mather Point, which is one of the most popular viewpoints on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Scroll down to see purchasing options. SHOP SHOP Discover Your Perfect Piece SHOP NOW Wall Art Transform your space, click the button above to go to our shop to make your purchase. Fulfilled by Fine Art America. work-155994729-graphic-t-shirt-dress.jpg work-155994729-scarf.jpg work-155994729-graphic-t-shirt.jpg work-155994729-graphic-t-shirt-dress.jpg 1/11 VISIT SHOP Artful Attire Purchase wearable art, click the button above to go to our shop to make your purchase. Fulfilled by RedBubble EXPLORE PRODUCTS Home Décor Purchase bespoke Home Décor, accessories, and apparel, click the button above to go to our shop. Fulfilled by RedBubble Colors : blue, brown, green < Previous Next >

I started birding with a senior birding group in NW Harris County a year ago, October 2022. On my 2nd trip with them, late November 2022, some of the birders remarked they were surprised they didn't see me on the earlier November trip. I explained that the trip was full when I went to register. They described these majestic birds that stood at 5 feet tall, they sounded like giants to me and the more they described the trip, the more I wished I was able to attend. However, not too long into their discussions of the trip a flock of endangered Whooping Cranes flew overhead. That day we were on the Katy Prairie looking for Soras, who tend to hang out in rice fields. So, we were at a rice field that was being harvested when the flock flew over. I said to the gang, I didn't get a good look, they'll fly back again. And lo and behold, the flock of endangered Whooping Cranes flew over again. Though most of these endangered birds who over winter in Texas, hang out around Port Aransas on the Gulf Coast, some also like the marshes in the Katy Prairie and all of the food available to eat. The problem with that was it is hunting season and Sandhill Cranes can be hunted. I think that is totally stupid, because no one eats Sandhill Cranes, these people are just murdery (yeah, I made that word up) and kill animals for sport. Those blood lust bastards. So, hunters often mistake Whooping Cranes for Sandhill Cranes. Honestly, Texas should just ban all bird hunting and only give licenses to hunt certain species that are harvested for food. None of those species should be America's tallest birds! Honestly, after conversations with many birders on the SE Texas birding trips, I discovered that they are not 100% animal lovers. They loved watching birds but have no qualms with killing sparrows because they aren't native; but love to look at the Peacocks and Parrots that aren't native. So, some non-native species should be murdered, but others protected. Rubbish. If you are hatched here you are native, just like people born here are natives. So, let's get to today's blog. Because I finally did get to see some Whooping Cranes. It was dicey though. The birding trips changed, instead of buses they use two vans, which means less people can go. Also, instead of eMailing their newsletters to people, you have to go to their website and hunt around looking for registration and by the time I found it, it was full. Mind you, I was on the waiting list, but they eMailed me while they called other people - Imma leave that alone. Needless to say, I made the trip on November 17, 2023, and actually brought my camera gear with me. We were on a country road peering into a farm, and so the birds were quite a distance away. Farmers put corn out for their cattle and for the birds. So, the Whooping Cranes are attracted to land with the corn. I brought my camera gear with me, including my Cotton Carrier, which makes walking around with a long lens on your camera body easier. I had an 800mm lens, actually it was 400mm with a 2x extender, which I hoped would be good enough. Sadly, I discovered that my auto-focus didn't work with the 2x Extender, and I did quite a lousy job focusing on the birds and trying to keep them in focus while the birds suddenly flew away. Whew drama! But I'm still glad I was able to see and attempt to photograph these majestic statuesque birds. The one time I would've gladly loved to spend a couple of hours watching these birds, the trip leader wanted to move away quickly. I learned from two solo birders, the ladies weren't on our trip, that the Whooping Cranes had a colt with them, that is a juvenile bird. So, I earnestly wanted to see the colt and opined about it, but the trip leader said no and moved on. And while we got to see seven cranes, we sadly didn't get to see the colt. After we left, one of the birders on my trip learned that the parents and the colt arrived. I was annoyed, but not too much, because I plan to go back in December or January, when more of the flocks have finished migrating and the numbers are much larger. It wasn't all bad though, because we ended up going to Corpus Christi to see a rare bird, a Cattle Tyrant. This bird has never been seen in the United States and its range only goes as far north as Panama and as far south as Brazil. I didn't get a great shot of the bird as I grabbed my lens that went up to 135mm instead of the 70-200mm (rookie mistake man!). I'll blog about that part of the trip another time. But here is a shot I took through the scope. Back to the cranes, I am trying to find an active group of folks who have sighted the birds so I can plan a trip to go see the Sandhill Cranes around Galveston and photograph them, and perhaps rent a longer lens so I can obtain better quality shots of the Whooping Cranes in Aransas or better yet, closer to home in the Katy Prairie. But it would Ideally be great if I knew someone with a boat, so I could drive down to Galveston and then we could look for birds via boat, which gets you closer to birds in the marshes. Also, the evening of December 6th, when I popped over to the lake to see what types of birds were on it, I couldn't tell all of the species because I didn't have my binoculars, but I did see 10 White Ibis' and one of them was a juvenile! And while I was marveling about the Ibis' a bunch of Whistling Ducks flew by and then two groups of, yeah you know where I am going with this, Whooping Cranes flew by going Southeast! It was about 10 - 20 birds. They were moving and I was wondering where they were going. I wondered if they were the flocks that feed on the Katy Prairie and wonder if they go to roost in Addicks Reservoir, because that is SE of me. Alas, I wasn't camera ready. I didn't have my camera with me, not even my camera phone as it was a last minute decision to go to the lake on my way home from getting dinner. But I am so fired up. The week before Christmas, 2023 I went birding locally, at two small lakes in my community and saw so many species of birds. I will blog about them later and post links to images you can purchase as prints or other products in my online stores. Til then, thanks for going with me for a trip Behind the Lens.

Despise not the days of small beginnings. I remember that phrase based on a Scripture from the Old Testament, Zechariah 4:10. I recall as a young adult in college, I was home during a break and heard a man, whose name I have long forgotten, preach on that passage. He said, "If you thank God for a toothpick, he will give you a lumber yard." The gist of the message was to be grateful for every stage of life you are in. When starting a business, it may be small. Don't be in a rush to make it large, cherish each step of its growth. And that my friend is where I am today. I remember when I watched the show Project Runway and during the challenge the designers had to make their own fabric. I recall one of the designers saying I love making my own patterns. And I sat there perplexed wondering how they did that. Now look at me today, creating entire clothing lines based on my art, making my own patterns. And I am celebrating each garment I design and the opening of each online store and marketplace carrying my art. I am celebrating my vision of apparel, accessories, and home decor that I hope will bring you as much joy and serenity as it brought me when I was in the field capturing photographs or in my digital darkroom creating images. Holding Fast to Your Vision I admit it though, that some people will not understand your vision, or why it takes so long to develop a product line, build a website, run an online store(s). They will wonder how come you aren't making sales or have a large following. And I peter all of that with grace, because I know they are well intentioned. However, because this isn't their vocation, they aren't aware of the herculean efforts going on behind the scenes. I've spent years researching, looking at how other professional fine art photographers were making a living. And to be honest, it is tough for an artist to make a living solely off their art. Couple that with everyone having access to a plethora of cameras and online stores offering them the opportunity to print their photos on canvases to hang in their homes or wear on a t-shirt, have as a comforter or pillow on their bed. Looking at those statistics I stopped and stalled and almost gave up numerous times. But a small fire, a kindle of hope would always flicker in me compelling me to go forward. And when I would step forward it would blaze like a roaring forest fire. That my friend is passion; it is life force. As one writer in the Scripture said, "it is like fire shut up in my bones." Jeremiah 20:9 He goes on to say: "I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!" And that is how I felt. I felt weary for not working on my art, not putting it out there. If I do nothing I fail. But if I try, put forth my best effort and fail, at least I can say I tried. History When I first launched my website in 2009 I got lots of accolades on my art, especially after I went to China in 2012 and more eyes were on my website. Then in 2013 I was knocked on my back with a major illness that became increasingly worse in 2015, almost to the point of death. And I have spent the last decade just clawing myself back to some semblance of normalcy. Art, photography has always been my solace. From my toddler's days of being amazed at the images developing before my eyes when my mother clicked that black thingamajig she pointed in my face (she had a Polaroid 215 landing camera) To my youthful days: I received my first camera when I was six years old. And in 5th/6th grade I received my 2nd camera and learned how to make a pin camera from a quaker oats box, develop the film and make prints. I loved telling stories with the lens. So, it is with great joy, that I am launching a major refresh of my website along with online shops where you can purchase art prints, wall art, apparel, accessories, and home decor all with my art on it. Art isn't just for the walls anymore. Also, I wholeheartedly believe that art should be accessible to everyone at every price point. Heck, the first piece of art I purchased was from my college bookstore when I was a freshman in college. Ok, it was a poster of a dog saying something about any place is home, because I was so home sick. But it was art nonetheless. And it did the trick, it brought me peace, joy and solace. I hope that my art will do the same for you. Bring some of the whimsy I experienced as I captured the images. Or as I sat creating composites or drawing on my tablet. Just like Jeremiah could not stop speaking, he couldn't just say, you know what later for it, I am not going to preach or prophesy any more. He couldn't, because it was like a fire in him, he had to continue in his vocation. I too have this fire inside of me, I am brimming with art and yearning to share it with you. Relaunching my Website & Opening Online Stores As I was looking through my catalog of thousands of images and wondering where I should start, I started working on my flowers collection in 2021. I admit it, when I started, I was a bit naïve in my endeavor. I wanted to go through my entire collection, cull the flowers, work on the best images and then upload all of them when I was ready. And I worked on it slowly as I managed my chronic condition, navigated through a global pandemic and frankly taught myself a ton of new software as well as taking a deep dive in eCommerce. It was a humbling and scary experience. I did make some great progress in 2021, and actually uploaded some images to Fine Art America (all of the purple flowers) and to Redbubble. But I got discouraged when I realized that posting on social media, and blogging wasn't going to cut it. I would need to do some serious marketing and make a significant financial investment to get any sales due to the stiff competition out there and the sheer number of artists who already had a strong following. It takes money to make money. Couple that with the host of my website not being able to do the things I needed. My website had been online for 12 years at that point and I was not coming up in any web searches, regardless of the combination of keywords I used. The only way you found me is if you typed in my name. I was getting discouraged and that's when I just quit and said I'm not gonna make it. I left my web host Zenfolio (who really is more geared to wedding, event, and portrait photography aka client based photography). As an art photographer focused on nature, landscapes, wildlife and travel, I was finding it impossible to find a turnkey solution at any of the hosts targeted to photographers. And I wrestled with the effort it would take to run an online store AND go out and get new shots, work in the digital darkroom, write, etc etc etc. It was overwhelming. That's when I decided that I need to use that Project Management certification I have and plan this thing out in phases. Phase one: secure a new host for my website, build a website that showcases my art and a strong blog that goes Behind the Lens and discusses the process that goes into making my art. Both geared to building a following, a community of people who admire my art and are interested in purchasing it. In this phase I will also make my art available for purchase, but not on my main website. That is why you see links to external websites, they are mine, but all of the technical and customer support is managed by the fulfilment companies: Fine Art America, Pixels, Redbubble, Spreadshirt, Threadless and Spring. This frees me to focus on the art and also provide stellar buying experiences. Wonderful Smile - Golden Ragwort Whew, that was a lot. I'll give you a moment to process it, and if you are still here, let's talk about Wonderful Smile - Golden Ragwort. This image, photographed in 2012 at the Shanghai Botanic Gardens, reminds me of my maternal grandmother and the 1970s. My grandmother passed away when I was 5 years old. And to be honest, I don't think she ever took me to a wildflower meadow. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY, where there was more concrete and tar than grass and flowers. Yet this image evokes so much joy and such a warm and profound memory of my grandmother. As I was working on products and I flipped the image to create a cohesive pattern, it just took me back to the patterns I recall from the 1970s and the clothing my mother and aunts wore. Fine Art aka Wall Art & More Presently you can purchase wall art, accessories, and home decor featuring Wonderful Smile - Golden Ragwort on my shop: https://tanyaowens.shop/featured/wonderful-smile-golden-ragwort-tanya-owens.html. Wall art fulfillment is done by Fine Art America and accessories & home decor are fulfilled by Pixels. They are both the same company with two different brands. Artful Attire I launched Artful Attire this year, 2024. It came about as I was working on t-shirts on Redbubble and Fine Art America and decided that wasn't the direction I wanted to go in for phase one. All over prints is what I will be focusing on for the near future, and Spring by Amaze, has a wide selection of Cut and Sew attire that I will be offering: Leggings, Sports Bras, Bike Shorts, Joggers, Sweatshirts, Hoodies, Graphic Tees, Men's Swim Trunks, Sliders and Watchbands to start. What I love about these products is that they aren't printed on blanks like cotton t-shirts. These items are printed, then the fabric is dye sublimated, then cut, or the fabric is cut and then dye sublimated, and lastly sewn, packaged and shipped. Although I am not using this company the process is the same. Purchase Wonderful Smile - Golden Ragwort at attire.tanyaowens.com today. I have additional Artful Attire on my shop and will be adding more items throughtout the year:

Nature is healing. And if you listen it speaks and will unfurl the book of life. I'm a late bloomer and didn't start traveling until my mid 30s. And almost a decade after I started traveling, I was laid on my back with a major illness that became life threatening. Nature was my solace. It was healing. I put up bird feeders in my back yard, in Westerly, RI and started photographing the birds and squirrels that came to the feeders. I was amazed with all of the family groups, and the parents so dedicated to the survival of their young, it made me want to survive. There were wild turkeys, cardinals, titmice, robins, hummingbirds and so many different species of songbirds. It was a marvel to see and more healing to my soul than the medication my doctor prescribed. Just over 6 months later I relocated to Houston, TX and thought I was making a recovery only to get sicker to the point of death. My health was an uphill battle and this time I couldn't focus on my art. My writing and photography languished. I wasn't going through the thousands of images I took during my travels nor talking about the inspiring cultures, vistas and wildlife that moved my heart. I was dying inside to the point where I lost the will to live. Slowly over many agonizing years I started to take interest in the wildlife around me, especially since the beautiful countryside I purchased my house near, was gobbled up by subdivisions and roads. And sadly, the large Hares disappeared, the yelping coyotes became silent, the voluminous number of birds petered down and I never caught sight of the elusive deer and bob cats. The wildlife around me was literally dying and I felt helpless to do anything about it. To jump start my interest in art again, I started working on scrapbooks of my travels. And it worked, it piqued my interest in my art again. So, I went back to the website I had published in 2009 and I discovered the world had changed, for the better as far as artists having many avenues to share and sell their art. And for the worse, because competition was stiffer. Explore My Collection of Fine Art Nature Photography Through some hills and valleys, I'm here today with a refreshed website, branded online shops and marketplaces with a small curated cross section of my art. This is only the beginning. I have a large catalog of images and lots of ideas for digital art that I will be sharing throughout the year. I believe that art should be accessible to everyone. So, I ask you to be patient with me, and to encourage me to progress forward. I have a chronic condition that may be with me the rest of my life (I'm an optimist and still am waiting on my healing). But I am excited to share my whimsical art with you and I hope it touches your heart, inspires your muse, and opens your wallets.