This week the Personal Art Challenge on Fine Art America is all about reflections.  The goal is to post new artwork each day and the art has to have a reflection showing in the image.

The whole object of these challenges is to stretch our creativity, discipline and skill.  Last year’s 365 Challenge stretched my creativity and discipline to produce and post new work every single day of the year.  I’m using these shorter challenges to stretch my creativity and skill. 

Photographers are allowed to use photographs that were taken at an earlier time as long as all of the processing work is done on the challenge day.  In past challenges I have used a combination of older photographs that I had never processed (straight out of the camera, not cropped, not cloned to clean up dust, etc.) and some new photographs that were taken specifically for the challenge.

For the Reflection Challenge this week I decided to that I would be taking new photographs each day showing some type of reflection.  Because of the poor lighting in the apartment that we live in, getting good results has been the challenge for me.

So far I have taken hundreds of pictures to get three “good” ones.  I have taken pictures looking into a mirror, laying jewelry on top of a mirror and propping up a small mirror with my subject in front of it. 

I’ve used all types of lighting available to me including the flash on the camera, overhead lighting and placing my subjects directly in front of north facing windows, the largest and most accessible ones here.

During these last three days I have not only been taking, processing and posting images with physical reflections but I have also been “reflecting” on life challenges that I have and am facing. 

As I am writing and posting this week’s blog I face two more days to complete this present art challenge.  Who knows how many more days I face to complete all the life challenges before me.

Reflecting  on past victories over life’s challenges, I am sure to meet new ones, in my artwork and life in general.  

However, it is time to stop reflecting and meet life’s challenges head-on!

You are encouraged to share your thoughts on any challenges you may be facing.  Your comments are always welcomed.

You can view all of my reflection images, including previously posted ones here: