In am an inveterate artist. When I see a scene I like, I’m drawn to it as I was this sunset and beautiful beach with interesting waves and structures.  I shot for quite a while.  When I read Rachael Carson’s poem it was an instant connection.  They each worked together to make a wonderful and beautiful statement.  

My latest film project is a very short piece featuring Crater Lake, Oregon.
One of my favorite places in the world. Not just because of its natural beauty and amazingly blue (indigo) water, but because of its history too.
You see, when Mount Mazama blew its top, about 8000 years ago the Northwest was covered with ash. Lava flowed for miles, wiping out forests and prairies. The devastation was immense.
From that devastation comes this Amazingly beautiful Lake. Much like the story of some people, myself included, that have had devastating events happen only to grow into some of the most beautiful parts of our lives.
I feel a kindred spirit at that Lake and in my new short film, we visit that for just 4 minuets.

The Gift of Crater Lake
A film by Greeley Wells    –    Edited by Don Macken

The Lifetime of Humanity

My love for the night sky that came to me as a child from a grandmother figure, Donna McCutcheon, is deeply ingrained in me. I find the night sky endlessly interesting. Now that I’ve taken up video work, I’m capturing movies of the moon, clouds, trees, sometimes a star or planet, sunsets, and other sky-related images. I’m almost always noticing things and suddenly run outside in the day or even the middle of the night with the camera and tripod, in order not to miss some colorful dance the moon is doing.

It’s what the unaided eye sees that fascinates and intrigues me, and that’s what I try to capture in my video images. When I look at the night sky, a strong feeling sweeps through me as I realize that what I am looking at, the whole human race has been looking at during its entire existence. It’s hard to explain just how connected I can feel with that sense of history. Hard for me to be out in the night without looking up and feeling it. Hard to find words to express that connection with my fellow man and woman across time, place, and culture. Looking up at the sky, I am sharing the lifetime of humanity. In those feelings is a warm connection for me, a feeling of fellowship and commonality with humanity that gives me great joy and peace.

Written by Greeley Wells for part of his Starry Sky Summer ’17 article in the Applegater Newspaper.

This is the second installment of our new series:  Quote Films

This one is from William Shakespeare as you’ll see.

It was a joy and an honor to be involved with the Siskiyou Crest Festival that was just held in Williams, Or. The wonderful people that organized the event are my neighbors and friends that love this region as much as I do! And that says alot!
The event was designed to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of this region. I have been creating Art here for decades, and so I was able to submit several different types of art and I am proud to say, I was Accepted for three different categories:

Oil Painting

I got to display a painting titled: “Clearing on the Siskiyou Crest, Rogue Siskiyou National Forest”

More of my older art is available at Greeley.me

Poetry

I read several poems about the Siskiyou Crest area.  All of which are included in my new book “I am only the paper”- available HERE.

Film We created a 17 minute film 

“Saving Wellington” to support a project to save some local Wildlands, here in the Siskiyou Crest area. You can watch that film HERE.

Here is a LINK to the article I wrote about next years Total Solar Eclipse: http://www.applegater.org/pdf/2016/v09n03/v09n03p07.pdf

When you read it, you will see that it sort of fleshes out my excitement a bit more.      Below are some ideas for those who might like to join this project.

.                            Map of the Path of Totality – Solar Eclipse Aug 21, 2017
The shadow travels across the Pacific ocean and hits land on the Oregon coast and then moves across the whole USA heading out to sea over the Atlantic ocean past South Carolina. There will most likely NOT be another eclipse in our life time so close and so perfect.  I went to Guadalajara, Mexico in 1991 to see one and it was well worth the trip.   I am going up to see this one too, especially because it is so in reach.  It is being said that this will be the most observed celestial event in all known history.   This experience is next to none other you can imagine.  It will effect and amaze you.  There’s something inexplicable about being in a 90 mile diameter black shadow of our moon at 10ish in the morning that is racing by at over 1000 miles per hour. It will give you an almost perfect night with planets and stars for about 2 minutes [depending on your exact location] and then leaving as fast as it came.  Your sense of our solar system, those huge orbs in space, will never be quite the same.  Go google: 2017 total solar eclipse and get many details, millions of connections and more than you need are there to get started.  I can’t speak highly enough of this stupendous experience.  Share it with your partners and kids and friends: none of you will ever forget it.  It’s a once in a lifetime experience!

A very good reference is: http://www.eclipse2017.org

We are inviting creative people to join us in a film project.
Some people have already said “Yes” and are moving forward in planning.
Below are some ideas to get you started thinking. We hope you may find some inspiration here or come up with a new idea or take up any one that you’d like to do:

•My project:   a landscape concentration  – coming and going of the shadow from a high mountain perspective from within the eclipse.  I’m thinking of having a candle in a jar [to protect from wind] as a well known light level to give a perspective to the quality of the dark during full darkness.

• River idea, from canoe, boat, kayak, etc.  reflections, straight up, from underwater, from a river in a valley or flat plain, or deep canyon, etc.

• Holes in a surface casting images of the sun: natural: between leaves, human made: sculpture that plays with different holes with the light coming from the  sun, etc.

• sculpture, still photo’s, paintings, drawings, Film, timelapse,  etc. inspired by the eclipse.

• expose for the night sky so planets and stars show up, photo/film/art….

• Interview people of all sorts:

hearing stories
watching, listening
asking questions – stimulating or interesting questions
reactions before and after
crowd films faces, sounds, etc.
time-lapse crowds?
crowd sounds and views, the ahh….  etc.   Everyone focused

• record any and all personal reactions including you’re own, reactions or even hopes and thoughts about it before.

• We hoping one person may like to take a movie of the eclipse looking north from the North Sister Mountain, which is outside the eclipse path, and watch the eclipse go by in the distance to give that perspective.   It will have Mount Hood staying in the light in the distance of that view also.  Sounds very cool.

• A friend, Grant, is thinking about a set of glass jars with different colored  water in them and film them before, during and after the eclipse to see what changes go on.

We welcome your feedback, ideas and additions.   And freely use any of these that appeal to you.

Feel welcome to join in the fun and creativity,

greeley

We found this great interactive way to move along the whole moon’s shadow path with a full color satellite image of the land below.   You’ll love it!

Follow the shadow of the moon as it completely blocks out the sun on Aug. 21, moving along a 3,000-mile path from Oregon’s Pacific coast to the eastern shore of South Carolina.

JUST CLICK HERE or on the image below and have the trip at your speed: