Women In-Spirit

     I am a walker by nature. To immerse myself in the landscape, rather than merely viewing it from afar, is to experience a real connection to the land, a kinship.      Perhaps it is my creative eye that constantly seeks out the details of the wonders that hide within the tall grasses and wildflowers, on the woodland floor, or even in a city park; to catch the sparkle of reflected light from the wing of a dragonfly; to trace with my fingers the imprint of a deer's hoof left in the mud of a creek bank; to hear the hollow drum sound of a woodpecker rhythmically tapping against a dead tree trunk; or watching as a hawk drops from the sky, talons first, as he hunts his dinner....all of these things speak to me intimately. Bit more importantly,  being in nature fills my heart to overflowing.      This earth, I believe, is more than a place that we are merely living upon, separated in our existence from everything else, but r...

Masha Ericksen Arms had a unique way of looking at life. She looked at life with the eye of an artist and the heart of an explorer and seeker. She was ahead of her time in many ways; pioneering photography as a career for women  in the 1930's; being an advocate for land conservation in the 1950's and even learning transcendental meditation in the 1970's and it was not a surprise to see her as an active and vital woman and artist well into her 90's. She was kind, generous of spirit, and always curious. A natural born teacher.    She was born Clara Harriet Ericksen Oct.4, 1908 in Fitchburg, MA. A direct descendant of Leif Ericksen. Her parents Andrew and Clara were Norwegian immigrants. Masha planned to become an art teacher and went to New York to study. She studied dance and became a model. Sometime in the 30's she picked up a Leica Model G 35mm camera and her first photo's were of vaudeville acts and circus performers. She started doing fashio...