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| The Appilachicola River |
I love my North Georgia Mountains but I am a child of old Florida, and by this I mean pre-Disney Florida. Pre-SeaWorld and huge hotel and entertainment complexes. I remember when Gatorland and Silver Springs were a big deal; back then, the majesty of the environment and her creatures was enough. Who knew that one day, animatronic figures and faux everything would hold more fascination than living things?
When I was a little girl, my Dad woke me up early and we drove out to this swamp about 30 minutes from our house. We sat there watching the sun through the diffused fog and as it lifted you could see the big cypress trees and oaks dark against the sky. "This is all going away" he said, and added nothing more. We sat in silence for the longest time; then he turned the key, the engine fired and we drove away. That swamp is now the Bay Hill Country Club.
Old Florida is beautifully presented by photographer
Clyde Butcher:
"Wilderness, to me, is a spiritual necessity. When my son was killed by a drunk driver it was to the wilderness that I fled in hopes of regaining my serenity and equilibrium. The mysterious spiritual experience of being close to nature helped restore my soul. It was during that time, I discovered the intimate beauty of the environment.
My experience reinforced my sense of dedication to use my art form of photography as an inspiration for others to work together to save nature's places of spiritual sanctuary for future generations."
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| The Fakahatchee Prairie |
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| Ghost Orchid |
(The Ghost orchid is the elusive plant that the movie "Adaptation" revolves around. If you have not seen this movie, you should. It is incredible on about a thousand different levels. )
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| Indian Key |
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| Fisheating Creek in Central Florida where I am from |
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| Moonrise |
There are no clouds in the world like Florida clouds. I have lots of Florida cloud photographs and have yet to paint them successfully. Its an untamed big sky landscape that still has a vibe of mystery to it. The last five years or so, my trips to Florida were all about seeing my Mom and never having time to look around. I plan to take a trip this winter back home to look at this landscape in solitude and quiet and hopefully I can get a few decent photos of my own. I have a sense of urgency about it, too.
I cannot look at this amazing work and not see my own bare feet standing on a dirt road, surrounded by live oaks dripping with spanish moss. The power of Clyde Butcher's art is to tug at my heart's memory and evoke a sense of longing to return to a time when the world seemed untouchable by greed and indifference.
I highly recommend a visit to
Clyde Butcher's Website to see the full portfolio. It will not disappoint.