Posted on February 29, 2016February 17, 2023 by Ashley Davidoff

Anatomy of Winter Water

February 2016 in Boston Massachusetts – Ashley Davidoff MD

Winter Water changes its size, shape, position and character depending on the temperature, gravity, time and surrounding confines.

Snow Outside in Boston

The winter of 2016 in Boston had not been too bad compared to the unforgettable winter of 2015. We got 8-12 inches on the day this image was taken just a few days before Valentine’s day. As always the snow left a trail of beauty particularly when viewed from the inside of a warm house. Though truthfully, a walk in freshly fallen snow among the trees is also a magical experience. The view from our kitchen window is shown above.

On Valentine’s day 2016, 2 or 3 days after the snowstorm, the lowest temp reached -9 degrees F. This was the coldest Valentine’s day since 1957. It was zero degrees Fahrenheit when the photograph was taken.

Frost and Ice on the Window Pane

4 basic layers evolved on the kitchen window. This is explained diagrammatically in the next image. The real beauty was at the the bottom of the window pane there was a whole bevy of magnificent gems of the winter, hanging on the outside of a double paned kitchen window. The crystals were attached to a large ice droplet. The result of nature’s work was more beautiful than any man made piece of jewelry.

Frost and Ice on the Window Pane Explained

The relatively warm top part of the window showed a few ice crystals of collected fallen snow (layer 1) which quickly melted to form small droplets of water (layer 2). Gravity caused these water bubbles to flow downward and get a little larger as they accumulated smaller droplets to form the bigger drops in the frosted background (layer 3). When they reached the bottom part of the pane the temperature was lowest resulting in crystallization and formation of beautiful gem-like structures .

Gems of Ice Crystal at the Bottom of the Window Pane

Under given conditions in the winter, snow is formed from the water in the clouds and the water gets transformed into a wide variety of sizes, shapes and character. The result was breathtaking!

Melted Frost and Ice Gems

The following day, the temperatures rose and the beautiful forms of crystallized ice, melted into a few nondescript water droplets, still beautiful but in a very rustic way.

In the Meantime on the Outside Winter Water Creates Miracle Art

As the temperatures rose, I took the dog for a walk in the local park and was greeted by an infinite variety of microcosmic ice formations caused by the rising temperatures. The puddles of frozen water started to crack, revealing magnificent shapes and a variety of ice and crystal formations in various stages between the solid and liquid form of water. Within a span of 30 minutes, I took over 200 images and here follows the result of the short photographic excursion with my macro lens.

Ice Crystals on Columns of Thin Ice

The shapes in this small ice pond took the form of columns of thin transparent ice with horizontal needle-like crystals projecting off the columns.

Picasso Flying on Thin Ice

The art piece discovered in an ice pond by a macro lens revealed Picasso the eternal artist of yesteryear from the perspective of winter water. The Picasso-like face in a boot with wings was perceived by the artist. The formation of ice crystals require special winter conditions. In this case ice bubbles formed around a structure reminiscent of a face with a peaked hat. Waves of water in the ice form the wing-like structures

Mirror Mirror on The Wall – What Do you See?

The art piece was discovered in an ice pond by a macro lens and reveals an abstraction of shapes. MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL..I see an evil queen – What do you see? The formation of ice crystals and shapes in the thin ice require special winter conditions. In this case sharp white lines form a variety of shapes. Waves of water in the ice form the corrugated structures.

I See an Evil Witch in the Mirror

What do you see? The artist’s perception is overlaid in color. The face of the evil witch in the mirror (left) consists the face with red lips, blue eyes, and a hooked nose. To the right is a person with a light green shirt and purple head.

Images of the Architecture of our Ancient Civilization

Tower of Babel ce Bubbles and Wood Chips

In this art piece crystalised bubbles project off pieces of wood chips. The artist saw the an ill formed Tower of Babel crowned by a beautiful formation of ice bubbles

Images of the Architecture of Our Current Civilization

One World Trade Center and Ground Zero in Ice

The art piece is centered on a vertical skyscraper representing One World Trade Center. This art piece is a dedication to the great city of New York from the tiny ice ponds of a Boston park. One World Trade Center is clustered with other skyscrapers in the center surrounding one of the main avenues traversing the city. At the base of the skyscrapers, the foundation soil that shines through the ice water reflects the ground zero earth on which this magnificent building with its deep seated history, was built. The iced up East river surrounds Manhattan. To the left there is a structure that represents the Brooklyn bridge and the wave like ice formation is a continuation of the bridge as it is seen lit up at night that extends from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The whole scene reflects a nighttime scene with city lights that abound.

One World Trade Center The Brooklyn Bridge and the East River

Lessons of Biology

Images of the Natural World

Birds

pelican, log fish, winter, ice, cold, crystals, ice crystals, temperature, freezing, shapes, ice crystals, frost, temperature, gravity, science, water

Pelican Catching a Log Fish in ice Water

The art piece was discovered in an ice pond using a macro lens and reveals an abstract appreciation of the shapes. To the photographer and artist, a pelican is seen to the left of the image with a wide open beak pursuing one of the two fish swimming in the water. The shapes of the fish look more like logs. The small ice ponds in the local park were the source of this photograph. The macro lens allows the capture of the minute detail, otherwise not appreciated fully by the naked eye. There has been no electronic alteration to the art of natural form.

Trees and Plants

Winter Trees of Ice Crystals

A walk in the cold of Boston with a macro lens exposed a tiny forest of winter trees beside a big pond under the warming winter sun. Crystals of ice lined along a horizontal line reminiscent of a small forest, surrounded by the frozen water. The surrounding ice pond has its own innate and naturally beautiful shapes. Above the left side of the forest, the bundle of orange vegetation, likely debris from the previous fall, represents a ball of warming sun to complete the scene.

The scene reminded me of the photograph of the Grove of Cone Shaped Trees below

Cone Shaped Grove of Trees

The other images below of the ice crystals on the kitchen window and the similar morphology in the botanical world

Boston Winter Mediterranean Summer

Ice Crystals and Arborvitae

Feather Shaped Ice Crystals Grasses and Flowers

Lessons of Biology

The Marvelous Macrophage – Soldier of the Body

The artist found this brave young macrophage lady in the ice pond of a Boston winter bravely fighting off pathogenic bacteria. AiA applies the concept of multiple cyst like ice structures to the anatomy of the body, and in this instance to the lysosomes and other organelles in the cell. The pseudopods of the dendritic cell are presented as the spiculated ice formations emanating from the edge of the white cell.

Human Biology Romance and Reproduction in Ice

Adam, Eve and the Snake

A Female Torso of Ice Floating On a Film of Cold Water

Woman Looking at Black Ice

In this art piece a woman is portrayed. She admires the black ice through the cleft of her breasts. The solid thick ice has assumed the rounded shapes of a woman’s breasts. The sheets of black ice is seen in contrast to the white ice that dominate the image.

Abstract of Male Organs and Reproductive Cells

The testes are in the bottom right hand corner filled with reproductive cells (sperm). At the appropriate time during ejaculation they take a trip via the vas deferentia. The vasa deferentia are depicted as tubular structures travelling from the testes to the base of the penis down the prostatic urethra where they collect the prostatic secretion. They then travel down the urethra and out into the female geniutal tract. The race is on as they all seek to win the hand of the queen – the ovum de jour.

Single Celled Flagellated Cells Looking for a Single Celled Partner

The shapes that manifest in this instance were small microbubbles with waves of icy water. The small bubbles are reminiscent of sperm cells and the waves of transparent ice reminiscent of the tail of the sperm. The race is on!

Ovary and Follicles in Ice

AiA applies the concept of multiple cyst like ice structures to the anatomy of the body and in this instance to the ovary. Ice bubbles form around air and other small structures of the earth and create follicular shaped structures of varying size on the ovarian like structure. The formation of ice crystals requires special winter conditions. Freezing cold and water are basic ingredients.

Pregnancy in Ice

In this art piece a pregnancy is portrayed. The cracked thin ice has assumed the rounded shapes of a woman with a rotund abdomen reminiscent of pregnancy. The grass of the earth is magnified and illuminated in the pregnant abdomen, and a fetal structure is suggested in the expected location of the uterus.

Lessons of Life

Time, Natural Disaster, Religion, Love, Sorrow, Fulfillment

Time

Time Passes – A Cold Reality

The AiA rendering shows a fallen dead life still with beautiful colors of a Fall and a time gone by, trapped by the ice and cold of the present tense. The message pertains to a yearning for the warmer, richer and mellow days of the autumn. These are but sweet memories which are confronted by the harsh reality of the present and a cold, and sometimes unforgiving winter. Though sweet memories are always sweet, one has to be realistic and deal with the present, knowing full well that the future will spring new realities. Below the ice you may sense just a hint of green of the grass which will be part of the future of this vista. The life lesson – time passes.

Natural Disaster,

winter, ice, cold, crystals, ice crystals, temperature, freezing, shapes, ice crystals, frost, temperature, gravity, science, water, snow, cracked

Snowquake

A natural disaster

Sorrow and Winter Water

Black Eyes, A Shiny Nose and Odd Looking Tears

The art piece reveals a different perspective of ice on the grate of a manhole cover in a Boston winter. Two square black holes represent the two dark eyes, while the ice on the vertical limb with cracked ice of the manhole cover represents the shiny nose. Two drops of water on the eyes in odd positions represent the odd looking tears providing the intrigue of the art piece. What does the artist infer regarding the sadness in the eyes – that is up to you to think about! Hidden messages abound

Pursuit of Fulfillment with Winter Water

Said the Ice Bird to the Triangle

In this art piece a bird who appears fulfilled in every beautiful way and is trying in a motherly way to teach the triangle a life lesson. She pleads with the triangle not to lose its roots and foundation, because without the foundation it loses its identity as a triangle. She then pleads with the triangle to remain true to itself and in that way it will grow and become something more profound – and in this case the artist draws attention to the triangular shape of the bird’s beak that plays a highly important function in the bird’s life. Finally she tells the degenerating triangle that “..if you don’t pull yourself together, you will end up like all the other sticks in my nest!”

Religion Love, Broken Love, Sorrow and Winter Water

Broken Heart at the Crux of the Cross

taken in the local park after the Boston Valentine’s day freeze.A teardrop is seen at bottom right. The image has a religious feel of course and I also love the way the heart of ice illuminates the oxidized green on the steel grate of the manhole cover. Hidden messages abound.

And that is Boston February 2016 folks- and fun with anatomy of the winter ice water

References for Winter Water

Water Wiki

Window Frost Wiki

Frost Wiki

Formation of Ice Crystals and Snow 5 star

Guide to Frost

Posted on December 21, 2015February 17, 2023 by Ashley Davidoff

Anatomy of the Hands in December

Anatomy of the Hands in Black and White of December

The hands have a story to tell of December! Here in the Northern hemisphere, winter has started to set in and it brings a sense of doom, darkness, and cold.

In its naked form, the doom translates into two opposing colors in their extreme: black and white. Nights are long and days are frequently adorned with the white of snow. The vista is bleak.

“Colors of Winter”

is a minimalist portrayal of the season. The black reflects the long dark nights and the white reflects the snow. Artistic portrayal of the season is in its most basic form. Black has many attributes, and in this context, reflects loneliness, quiet, mystery, but also intimidation. The absence of light prevents us from seeing things, and the inability to see things makes us nervous. At its most extreme it reflects death. On the other hand, black is a color of authority and power. Night is the end of the day, but as soon as light appears, a new day awakens. White also has many characteristics and is the confluence of all color, resulting in no color at all. At its best it signifies purity. On a cold winter morning after a snowfall there is a white silence as if the world is asleep.

“Reality of Black and White in Winter”

Spring colors are long gone. The greens of summer and the yellows of fall have disappeared. Skeletons of the large deciduous trees stand naked in the cold.

We have lived with the bleak and cold winters for centuries. As a result, we have devised ways to counter this barren vista. Using our heads and hands, we have learned to bring light, color, and warmth to December.

Festivals of light have been created through both ancient and modern cultures including Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi day, Malh festival, Mōdraniht, Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, Yule, Yolda, Sadeh, and Chahar Shanbeh Suri. Universal among these cultural celebrations is the need to bring joy, warmth, and light to offset the dark’s gloom.

Hands play a large part in the December season. In a literal sense, they reach out to friends and family, light candles and fires, and extend uplifting gestures by providing food, gifts, and hugs. In a spiritual way, they extend in hope and prayer.

This post tells the story of the hands in December in symbolic and abstract ways by combining photography, radiology, and painting.

In this extreme rendering of the middle of a cold winter night, the heavens are black and the earth is white with snow. Only the stars of the heaven provide glimpses of warmth and light.

“Cold Hands Looking for Light and Warmth”

shows x-rays of cold, skeletal hands in the adverse conditions of freezing winter among naked branches, in a field of snow. The nighttime scene with a full moon adds a mysterious and eerie ambience. The art piece expresses a desperation of a group of people when they are suffering and searching for light and warmth. The open hands are chilled to the bone, pleading for special empathy. The moon provides neither warmth nor light, but offers a glimmer of hope, however small. The X-rays are used to strip the flesh down to the bones and the common suffering of a community is rendered real and deeply palpable. This piece has a surreal character, since the x-rays are taken out of context and placed into snow white fields. The hands have been brought together to look like a tree.

The limited warmth and light provided by the moon is temporary. Since the cycle of time brings a new day and new vista, there is an honored promise for a new beginning, accompanied by the sun which is brighter and warmer than the moon.

“Cold Hands – Warmth and Light with Tincture of Time ”

shows x-rays of the skeleton of hands warmed by the light and heat of sunrise. The hands greet the sun with open arms. In this early morning scene, the whole tree of hands lays open like a flower to the newfound warmth. The piece expresses relief after an arduous night, and a promise by the light of the moon of better things to come.

“Giving Hands in the Snow”

shows x-rays of hands in the adverse conditions of the cold winter among naked branches of the trees, in a field of snow. With the warmth of the sun, the hands are bold enough to face the winter. The foreground (recent past) is shaded and dark while the future is bright, light, and blue. The hands are chilled to the bone but their upward and upright position reflect strength, a “high 5”, a wave, or a handshake. As the hands assume boldness, light emerges and projects into the future.

During the cold month of December hands also reach out to others.

“You Get What You Give”

shows hands that give and receive. This gesture relates to moral justice. There is a balance in our actions. This balance is not always evident nor provided in material currency. The teacher receives this satisfaction from a look in the eye of a student who suddenly understands. The policeman or fireman receives the same grateful look that words cannot replace. It is given and received in love and compassion and is the essence of bonding. This feeling occurs between both people and animals. The art piece shows “giving” hands and “receiving” hands. The receiving hands are tipped to both receive and to give in the continuing cycle. The X-rays are used to strip the flesh down to the bones and make the charity tangible. The candle is the light and warmth that results from the the interaction of giving and receiving. The message is particularly poignant in the winter season when we are driven indoors in dark, cold and often lonely days. We need the light and the bonds to help us survive the dark days.

Festivals of light including Chanukah and Christmas are festivals when light and human bonds are needed and are abundant.

“Hand Lighting Chanukah Candles”

shows a hand warmed by the light and heat created with the lighting of the Chanukah candles. The nighttime scene adds an ambience of spirituality. The art piece expresses hope of enlightenment for the world. In the candle lighting ritual, the primary candle is called the Shamash and it is lit first, and is then used to light the others starting from left to right. Shamash was also the Sun God in Mesopotamia, the god of justice in Babylonia and Assyria and shemesh means sun in Hebrew. All of these historical associations involve the casting of light and warmth, both physical and spiritual. The candles are based in a simple chanukiah of stone and clay.

“Birth of Jesus – Welcoming Hands ”

Christmas is the season of welcoming the birth of Jesus Christ to the world. As the progenitor of the Christian faith he brought and continues to bring tolerance, compassion, and respect for life to the world. Artistic portrayal of the event shows welcoming hands of the future Christian world. Darkness for many was illuminated by the event. In this art piece, the bright moon (almost as bright as any sun) lights up the black of the night. The star of Bethlehem has a mysterious and unique blue hue directing the 3 kings or wise men to the event. Black and white are used liberally in this work. Though opposites in many ways, they also compliment and need each other to reflect the contrast of moods.

Acknowledgement: The central component of “Birth of Jesus – Welcoming Hands” depicting Jesus and Mary was adapted from the public domain work of Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656) entitled “Adoration of the Shepherds.”

Diverse Hands of Spirituality

shows hands progressing to a bonding position in prayer and contemplation. At the pinnacle, a light is created and reflects on the water. X-rays are used to project a feeling that goes deep into the bones. The colors express our outside differences, but we are all made of the same flesh and bones. A triangle with the apex reflects a direction and an upward focus to a heightened physical and spiritual position. This art piece is created for Christmas 2015 with a hope of mutual respect among all faiths.

During this season there should be time for contemplation.

“Cold Hands Warmed by Fireside Chat”

shows x-rays of skeletal hands warmed by the light and heat of the fire. This piece expresses relief after a trudge through the cold snowy night to find light and warmth. The hands hold the warm fire at a distance but seem tender in the way they cherish the comfort and the fire, freeing the body from physical discomfort and allowing time for introspection.

And as a world … what do we see?

The year of 2015 has turned humanity on its head, particularly concerning is the rise of extreme Muslim ideologies in which belief and faith are placed above human life. The rise of antisemitism is palpable. The immorality of double standards where political and economical bias reigns above the truth is shameful.

The next art piece is an appeal to our leaders to talk and put life and truth above all.

Bones of Many Hands Speaking to Each Other

“How can we hold each other rather than kill each other?”
they asked.
“We all seem to be made of the same stuff” they said as they looked inside themselves.

The AiA rendering is a collection of the diagnostic X-rays of many hands of people of various ages, in various positions of giving and taking and in health and disease. The hand with the watch epitomizes the concept of time. Cultural aspects are also suggested. The hand with a wedding band provides a sense of trust and faith and the hand with the Claddagh ring represents love loyalty and friendship. The hands are oriented to give the sense that they are communicating with each other.

Since December also brings in the New Year, it is time to try and make changes for a brighter 2016. We cannot predict, but we can hope:

“Hands of Hope for a Better New Year”

shows hands held together with hope, warmed by the dim light and heat of the moonlight. 2015 was not an easy year and created a heavy heart for many who witnessed and experienced senseless killing. The nighttime scene lends a sense of spirituality but also of uncertainty. The piece above shows hands scarred by the year’s events. They are held not in prayer but in a gentle pose that reflects hope for the New Year of 2016. We hope that sanity and not hatred rules. We pray for leadership that is free from double standards, and that is committed to common decency.

Hope is passive; the initiation of action should be a simple first step. The honest handshake between trusting partners is the least we should expect.

The Handshake

Let us agree that the right to live is above all other rights!

“In joined hands there is still some token of hope, in the clinched fist none.”
― Victor Hugo, The Toilers of the Sea

“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.”
― Indira Gandhi

ART IN ANATOMY

Tag: Winter

Anatomy of Winter Water