One of my current projects is to create abstract photographs of my hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. With abstract photographs, we try to reflect the mood or emotions or qualities of a place. Each Tuesday, I’ll present a new image from the project.
Stone – one of the things I love most about Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The ground beneath our feet here is strong, made of ancient rock – sandstone, shale, dolostone, and limestone – formed from an ancient sea. This stone has many practical uses – for roads, sidewalks, buildings, and bridges. It symbolizes strength, endurance, protection, and perseverance.
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, conserving heritage is a high priority. Nearby, there is a school called Willowbank, where they teach restoration arts, with an emphasis on an ecological approach to heritage conservation. One of the arts they teach is dry stone walling, shown in the image above. This wall borders a large estate on the edge of town (for protection and beauty?) and is a constant source of abstract images for me.
Read: An Obsession with Rocks
It has a world class theatre series called the Shaw Festival, which draws thousands from April through November.
This town was the first capital of Canada and one of the major battlegrounds for the War of 1812. You can see re-enactments at Fort George. The U.S. counterpart, Fort Niagara, can be seen across the river.
This is one of the best agricultural areas in all of Canada, known for its fruit – grapes especially, and is now home to more than 100 wineries.
Wonderful…once again…loving this series…photos and your words!