Susan Maxwell Schmidt Archives

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 22 March 2020

2020-03-22 by Joanne Carter

22 March 2020, Mother’s Day, England, “fear educates our care for each other – we fear a sick person might be made sicker, or that a person’s life might be made even more miserable and we do whatever we can to protect them because we have a fear a version of human life in which everyone lives only for themselves. I am not the least bit afraidd of this fear, for fear is a vital and necessary part of life“, observed poet Anne Boyer. This week, like many of us, I’ve immersed myself in art, both written and visual. I found myself, once more, drawn to Bleak House by Charles Dickens, throughout the novel many illnesses are depicted, none more so, or more profound than smallpox. Dickens demonstrated an exceptional grasp of disease, he demonstrated the unique ability to offer fear as a motivator, in order to convince people to change their ways of living. In the novel one of the characters contracts the disease in a graveyard and passes it on to two others, one who nearly dies and the other who is scarred for life. But it was clear that avoidance of graveyards was not enough to prevent the spread of this disease. Other factors played a part, miasma – bad air – or poisonous gas from rotting organic matter was suspected. However, what was very clear was the disease spread from person to person. Self-imposed quarantine became a theme of two of the characters, “keep her out, Charley, if you love me truly, to the last! Charley, if you let her in but once, only to look upon me for one moment, as I lie here, I shall die“. Quarantine is emphasised repeatedly during the characters illness, to which she refers to it as ‘contagion’. There’s a juxtaposition between art and medicine throughout the book, this is deliberate, Dickens knew that the art we create offers far more than respite, it is a tool enabling us to physically and mentally gain perspective not only in troubling times but throughout our lives. Stay safe and love your mothers from afar today.

Thank you to all the talented artists for submitting your works to our showcase this week. If you would like your work to be considered for entry in to our weekly Mobile Photography and Art Flickr Group, please submit it to our dedicated group, here. You can also submit images to our Instagram tag for this section #mobilephotographyandimagery.

Michael Beresin, Vadim Demjianov, Jun Yamaguchi, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Jill Lian, Kat McClelland, Lorenka Campos, Lindy Ginn, Oola Cristina, Meri Walker – @TheiPhoneArtGirl, Cathrine Halsor, Susan Detroy, Catherine Caddigan, Gianluca Ricoveri, Tomaso Belloni, Peter Wilkin, Judy Wahlberg, Jennifer Bracewell, Jane Schultz, p.a. hamel, Clint Cline, Susan Rennie, Deborah McMillion, soul_engine, Susan Latty – @pause.and.breathe, @aquamirena, @rejanerubin, Dina Alfasi, @iphonefineartphotography, Deborah Morbeto, Jean Hutter, Guido Colla – effe5, le_brab – Pascal, Jenny Pieters – jenivoigt, ja_graham, wphotonick, Eliza Badoiu, Lee Atwell, klimtt – M. Cecilia Sao Thiago.

Music this week is ‘Breath of Life’ by Florence and the Machine

Mobile Photography & Art Showcase – 23 February 2020

2020-02-232020-02-23 by Joanne Carter

Sally Brampton (founding editor of Elle magazine, UK – who killed herself after health professionals ‘missed opportunities to offer her help’, in 2016) said in her memoir on depression: “We are simply defeated by the long, hard struggle to stay alive. When somebody dies after a long illness, people are apt to say, with a note of approval: ‘He fought so hard.’ And they are inclined to think, about a suicide, that no fight was involved, that somebody simply gave up. This is quite wrong.” And so, this week, my thoughts have been with the local family of a 15 year old boy from my daughters school who killed himself. Of course, a well known British celebritiy also did this last Saturday, even with the same method. Except I’m not ‘allowed‘ to discuss the method as The Smaritans warn of the dangers of ‘imitational sucicidal behaviour‘ and request that there’s no placement regarding actual methods. But if we don’t talk about it, aren’t we ignoring mental illness and that’s become so ‘popular‘ to talk about right now? There are more suicides, certainly for poeple under 35 and more so males, than there are road deaths currently per year. Artists are also one of the leading groups of whom suicide is common. ‘Tortured Geniuses’ are most likely to commit sucide, the first-ever study of suicide by professionals from the ONS, which covered England in the years from 2011 to 2015, showed that people who work in arts-related jobs are up to four times more likely to commit suicide. People, are so ashamed, hurt, overwhelmed for so many reasons, that they’d rather end their lives, than seek help. It was reported this week, that Caroline Flack, the celebrity I mentioned above, did reach out to a friend but her friend told her it was too much for her. If we don’t talk about it, when someone approaches us, if we don’t soothe them, offer support, listen, then aren’t we ignoring the obvious, of what will inevitably come? They already feel ignored and unsupported. Isn’t that why people confide? We must continue to talk, we must support, mentor and above all, care… isn’t that why we’re here?

In the UK the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

If you would like your work to be considered for entry in to our weekly Mobile Photography and Art Flickr Group, please submit it to our dedicated group, here. You can also submit images to our Instagram tag for this section #theappwhisperer.

Many congratulations to the following featured artists this week including:

Enio Godoy, Deborah McMillion, Rita Colantonio, Jun Yamaguchi, Milly M, Candice Railton, Jean Hutter, Jill Lian, Jon Arne Foss, Gianluca Ricoveri, Catherine Caddigan, p.a. hamel, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Lee Atwell, j.a. Graham, @deborahmorbetoffinear, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, @berleyart – Kim Clayton, Linda Hollier, Rejane Rubino, @sunflowerof21_365 – Elaine Taylor, Michael Vaile Garner, Janis Brandenburg, @remintrusions – Damian De Souza, @Badgrowshop, Brendan O Se, @marshadraws – Marsha Estes, @ange_ombre, @jormain, Eliza Badoiu, Alisa Smith Williams, Jane Schultz.

Music this week is ‘The Other Side’ by Ruelle

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 26 January 2020

2020-01-26 by Joanne Carter

“Genuinely, I couldn’t give a damn about wrinkles, or middle age or putting on weight or my first grey hairs or reading specs – these are reasons to celebrate”, said Dr Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor in her new moving memoir entitled ‘Dear Life’. These are very similar words that I heard from our dear friend and artist Carolyn Hall Young, who stayed with all of us until her passing. Books by doctors have become extremely popular over the past few years, they bring the reader closer to worlds they may have indeed been a part of but on the other side of the fence. My eldest son Jake, when he wishes to buy me a present and he’s the sweetest, knows that a good Dr book will keep me willingly distracted and rested until I’ve devoured it in its entirety, which doesn’t take long. Although, I do find myself, still annoyingly, being frustrated about wrinkles, middle age, reading specs and in my case weight loss, there’s a depth to my annoyance which more than covers my gratitude to still actually being here, with you all. In the UK we have a belief that we call and provide ‘cradle to grave care’ sadly due to NHS underfunding, this has become a fallacy. And I could give you all sorts of depressing statics about it but really, we don’t actually need to know. What we do here and now, with every immensely precious moment that we have together, is what really matters. What you all do best is to create the most stunning mobile photography and art, the greatest actually and with each creation an artist makes within our community, each one I view, I silently call a MasterPeace. In light of this, I have created a new style of interview entitled Mobile MasterPeace and intend to publish those in the coming weeks, for now though, bask with us in this weeks absolute glory of a showcase of Mobile MasterPeace.

I hope you all love this weeks mobile photography and art showcase as much as I do. Thank you to all the talented artists for submitting your works to our showcase this week. If you would like your work to be considered for entry in to our weekly Mobile Photography and Art Flickr Group, please submit it to our dedicated group, here. You can also submit images to our Instagram tag for this section #theappwhisperer.

Many congratulations to the following featured artists this week including:

@wemarriage_goddess, @marshadraws, @ja_graham, @cardinphotography, @before.1st.light – Jane Schultz, Diane Neubauer, Paul Suicu, Janis Brandenburg, Dina Alfai, Eliza Badoiu, Nico Brons, Christine Mignon, @sodium_light22 – Jenny Pieters, Laila Bakker, @klimtt – M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Mimi Svanberg, @pause.and.breathe – Susan Latty, Rita Colantonio, Juta Jazz, Jennifer Bracewell, Hanni K, Jeremy Cassell, Lorenka Campos, P.A. Hamel, Clint Cline, Debara Splendorio, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Oola Cristina, Gianluca Ricoveri, Milly M, Deborah McMillion, Jill Lian, Manfred Majer.

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 6 October 2019

2019-10-182019-10-06 by Joanne Carter

One of the treatments I have commenced at hospital this week, is to take part in a six week course of Chi Kung and I’ve been practising it at home ever since, much to the amusement of those who I share my life with. Chi is considered to be the flow of energy through the universe. It is said to flow through channels in the human body and if blocked can lead to poor health. Chi kung involves performing movements that stimulate the flow of chi through the body. As such, it is often referred to as “meditation in motion”. You don’t need to be fit or athletic to do it, it can be adapted to your physical prowess. Chi Kung is very gentle on the body and arguably the most important thing to do when practising this ancient Chinese art is to relax, physically and mentally. To relax, you need to hold a position and take some deep breaths through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. In today’s society where we check our phones every 12 minutes, the lost art of concentration and relaxation is a concern. We need to switch off, as creatives, in order to create, make love, at least I do. When overwhelmed with mental stimulation, I have a few techniques up my sleeve, that I can call upon, these include, music – especially the music of Sade and I have included one of her tracks in this weeks showcase, this song speaks for me, another is photography, of course, I also read avidly, and particularly, when overwhelmed with physical pain, I love to descend into a very warm solitary bath and now I also have Chi Kung.

Whilst creating this weeks showcase, I have viewed all of the art through a Chi Kung lens and with each and every inspiring image, I have created a meditation, of your art. Feel the rhythm, the surging uplift, as we fall into mutual devoted freedom….

@pause.and.breathe – Susan Latty, Eliza Eliza Tsitsimeaua-Badoiu, clau_clara, Nicole Christophe, @mitrydate, Kerry Mitchell, @dunga_brook, @rejanerubino, @sandralbmartins – Violet Martins, @impro_visions, sunflowerof21_365 – Elaine Taylor, @patragraphy, @marymodale – Dale Bradshaw Botha, @marianne.rieter Marianne Rieter, Jane Schultz, @marian.rubin – Marian Said Marian Seid Rubin, @ilemusi – Ile Mont, @janisbrandenburg Janis Brandenburg Lee, accidental_artist3 – Ransom Candice, @fichristian – Fiona Christian, @clarisse_debout – Clarisse Debout, @schwitter.li – Liliana Schwitter, @ange_ombre – Ro Lannes, @klimtt – M. Cecilia Sao M. Cecilia São Thiago, ja_graham – Jennifer Graham, @peterwilkin1 – Peter Wilkin, @remintrusions – Damian De Souza, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Jill Lian, Karen Axelrad, Yasuo Furue, Rita Colantonio, Gianluca Ricoveri, Catherine Catherine Schell Caddigan, Clint Cline, p.a.hamel, Susan Rennie, TheiPhoneArtGirl – Meri Walker, Lorenka Campos, Rob Pearson-Wright, Paul Yan, Mark Walton1.

Music this week, another of my favourites – Sade with ‘Somebody already broke my heart’ (lovers live)

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 11 August 2019

2019-08-152019-08-11 by Joanne Carter

This weeks climactic mobile photography and art showcase is an irresistible blend of portraiture, street, still life, landscape and more, guaranteeing a sugar rush of delirious enjoyment.

sunflowerof21_365 – Elaine Taylor, Lydia Cassatt, Eliza Badoiu, @elisrealize – Elis, @bonobostonecreations – Bonobo Stone, @after.1st.illumination – Jane Schultz, Anca Balaj, @vadqcooper – Vicki Cooper, @marymodale – Dale Botha, @elengemlux – Eleni Gemeni, Oola Cristina, Clint Cline, Barbara Braman, Juta Jazz, Jennifer Bracewell, Rita Colantonio, Benedetta Falugi, Saif Hassan, Vadim Demjianov, Jun Yamaguchi, Ioannis Sidiropoulos, soul_engine, Peter Wilkin, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, ArrRT eDUarD, aka Tman, David DeNagel, Lorenka Campos, Allyson Marie, Sherrianne100, jilllian2 – Jill Lian, Tomaso Belloni, G. Billon, Gianluca Ricoveri, Migle Sirvydyte, Susan Rennie, Laila, p.a. hamel, Andy Alexandre, I Rome, Deborah McMillion.

Music this week ‘At Last’ Etta James

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 4 August 2019

2019-08-042019-08-04 by Joanne Carter

Sleepy, exhilarated and refreshed, having spent time with talented mobile artist and dear friend, Linda Toki from the United States in Kew Gardens yesterday. What joy! To me, there’s nothing quite like ‘sealing the deal‘ of a ‘social media‘ friendship, with meeting in person. Our intellectual circles overlap, our mutual interests conincide and our views of the world chime together. Supple, incisive with infectious warmth and humour, what a gift of intuitive turns and juxtapositions yesterday turned out to be. My body felt so stuffed with good luck, I almost woke up this morning choking on it. My advice, to anyone who doubts the relevance of true online friendship, is stay open because life only gets richer as it unfolds.

This weeks searing showcase of kaleidoscopic mobile photography and art is a masterclass in tempo, tone and character. Apoplexy ebbs to stunned disbelief, as you contemplate each one of these images has been created from artists throughout the world on their mobile phones. Enjoy!

Meri Walker, Rita Colantonio, Vadim Demjianov, Jun Yamaguchi, Fleur Schim, Karen Axelrad, Kat McClelland, Paul Toussaint, Hanni K, woltarise, Jeremy Cassell, Russ Merz, Linda Hollier, Susan Blase, Klaudi Cechini, Kathy Clay, jillian2 – Jill Lian, Yasuo Furue, Peter Wilkin, Barbara Braman, aka Tman, Catherine Caddigan, Rob Pearson-Wright, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Marina Sergeevna, Gianluca Ricoveri, Judy Wahlberg, before.1st.night – Jane Schultz, David DeNagel, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Susan Rennie, Clint Cline, Dina Alfasi, titika.vision, rain.is.poetry – Paul Suciu, j.a.graham, theartofmayte, effe5, Sandra B Martins, Anca Balja, Edith Meier, mazetman, reneviolence – Rene Valencia, Diane Neubauer, Nicole Christophe, rklika, Fiona Christian, Eliza Badoiu.

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 28 July 2019

2019-07-282019-07-28 by Joanne Carter

‘Would you like a cappuccino?‘ the early morning shadow, prickly with dark stubble, leans over, breathes into my ear bushing my lips. I am asked the same question in the same way, every single morning and still I tingle. The answer is always the same, ‘yes, please, x 3‘ . And so the narrative begins, bringing together two lives, in an emotional and intense drama. We have been in love for many years and each day we develop new neural pathways to ensure we keep meandering along in the present, not only with passion and compassion but also with love and humanity. We are promiscuous observers of photography and art, there’s not a day that goes by without our minds deeply conjoined within imagery. I think in pictures and when I play back yesterday, before rising, sometimes I am insouciant but the relief of being loved so intensely is ultimately fulfilling, what’s not to love about passionate love? Fortunately, love is abundant and grows and extends to others. When I view the stunning mobile photography and art that has been contributed to our Flickr and Instagram groups my heart grows. Take a look this weeks showcase, yours will too. Enjoy.

jagraham, Laurence Bouchard, Eliza Badoiu, Marshadraws- Marsha Estes, Oola Cristina, ilemusi – Ile Mont, Fleur Schim, Fichristian – Fiona Christian, wmson2000_art – J Williamson, @badgrowshop, @lorenka – Lorenka Campos, @jormain – Jormain Cady, @vadqcooper – Vicki Cooper, @hipstanitaelle – Anita Ellis, @rejanerubino – Rejane Rubino, @ricardas.jarmalavicius – Ricardas Jarmalavicius, @elizabadoiu – Eliza Badoiu, Jane Schultz – before.1st.light, Susan Rennie, Paul Toussaint, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Tomaso Belloni, Jill Lian – jilllian2, Karen Axelrad, Jon Arne Foss, Laila, Catherine Caddigan, Clint Cline, Robi Gallardo, Qingxian Guo, Rita Colantonio, Sergiy Beliayev, Mark Walton1, Rita Colantonio, Kathy Clay, Erik Viggh, Larry Lefever, David DeNagel, Deborah McMillion, Anandamoy Chatterji, la Takalandze, Joseph Cyr, Jun Yamaguchi, p.a. hamel, Gianluca Ricoveri, Giancarlo Beltrame.

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 23 June 2019

2019-06-23 by Joanne Carter

This weeks thrilling and thoughtful Mobile Photography and Art showcase projects a sense of artists maintaining their fidelity to the human race, whilst all around many are losing faith, it is at the heart of everything. Each work of art chosen here has a stake in our world. There are counterweights and balances as joy emerges in the work here. This storytelling is far more alive to the possibility of hope, of relationships, uncomplicated love and connections, each representing the intimacy of the long years of support that our community brings to one another. Enjoy.

Anca Balaj, Candice Ransom – @accidental_artist3, Deborah Field, p.a. hamel, Oola Cristina, Fleur Schim, jilllian2 – Jill Lian, Gianluca Ricoveri, Tomaso Belloni, Marina Sergeevna, Kerry Mitchell, Sergiy Beliayev, Jun Yamaguchi, Laila, Deborah McMillion, Karen Axelrad, Poetic Medium, Jeremy Cassell, Beate, Juta Jazz, Enio Godoy, ArrrRT eDUarD, Paul Yan, irene Oleksiuk, Lorenka Campos, Susan Rennie, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Clint Cline, Judy Wahlberg, @ange_ombre – Ro Lannes, @raulbar – Raul Barrios, Lydia Cassatt, @one.fine.eye.phone – Kate Zari Roberts, @raveninnyc – Lori, Clarisse Debout, @mariatbellotti – Mariateresa Bellotti, Sarah Bichachi,

Music this week is ‘China Moon’ (instrumental) – Angels of Venice

Mobile Photography & Art – Tickle Your Fancy #64

2019-06-222019-06-22 by Joanne Carter

Welcome back to our sixty fourth post in our Tickle Your Fancy section. Tickle Your Fancy includes a round-up of between ten to twelve key links to articles from around TheAppWhisperer over the past few two weeks, ones you may, by chance, have missed.

Just to explain the title for this section Tickle Your Fancy is an English idiom and essentially means that something appeals to you and perhaps stimulates your imagination in an enthusiastic way, we felt it would make a great title for this new section of the site.

Artists cited include: Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Clarisse Debout, Oola Cristina, Deborah Field, Deborah McMillion, Yariv Weinberg, Karen Axelrad, Kathy Clay, Sergiy Beliayev, Catherine Caddigan, Gianluca Ricoveri, Susan Rennie, Lorenka Campos, Damian De Souza, Jun Yamaguchi, borisbschulz2009, Catherine Caddigan, Arko Rayhan, Susan Detroy, Peter Wilkin, Laila, Paul Yan, Dragan Fly, before.1st.light – Jane Schultz, Clint Cline, Enio Godoy, Lydia Cassatt, Rita Colantonio, Kate Zari Roberts, Sheldon Serkin, Nick Kenrick, Tomaso Belloni, Eleni Gemeni, Jormain Cady, Elaine Taylor, Shelley Benjamin, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Dr Christophe Christ, Sandra B Martins – Violet Martins, Rita Colantonio, Deborah McMillion, Lisa Mitchell, Dale Botha, Catherine Caddigan.

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 16 June 2019

2019-06-16 by Joanne Carter

“To be excellent at anything, it must cost you something“, a direct quote from ‘In Pieces’ by Sally Field. A book that she spent seven years writing, without ghost writers, unusual for her circle. This book made me weep this week. It’s a beautifully written intimate memoir as well as a gut wrenching self portrait, bordering on a personal investigation. Now at 71, Field felt the compelling need to assemble her fragmented past. Contrast that with ‘Normal People’ by Sally Rooney, another book I have been reading, a future classic by all accounts and a book the BBC are working on for a new tv drama. It’s a story written in less than one year, showing what it is to be young and in love at any time. It too bought me to tears. I’m always quite close, the price we pay… Whilst putting together this weeks mobile photography and art showcase, each carefully chosen image is so fascinating, assuming and expressing the status of work of art. I like to think of these images as characters I compose with and elevate them to stage, with a realist meticulousness and luscious concern for detail, invoking a narrative of uncommon richness and intensity with a radical reframing of the purpose. Enjoy.

Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Clarisse Debout, Oola Cristina, Deborah Field, Deborah McMillion, Yariv Weinberg, Karen Axelrad, Kathy Clay, Sergiy Beliayev, Catherine Caddigan, Gianluca Ricoveri, Susan Rennie, Lorenka Campos, Damian De Souza, Jun Yamaguchi, borisbschulz2009, Catherine Caddigan, Arko Rayhan, Susan Detroy, Peter Wilkin, Laila, Paul Yan, Dragan Fly, before.1st.light – Jane Schultz, Clint Cline, Enio Godoy, Lydia Cassatt, Rita Colantonio, Kate Zari Roberts, Sheldon Serkin, Nick Kenrick, Tomaso Belloni, Eleni Gemeni, Jormain Cady, Elaine Taylor, Shelley Benjamin, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Dr Christophe Christ, Sandra B Martins – Violet Martins.