Amy Lilley Designs: marina

Friday, March 2, 2018

A Joyful Announcement!!

I received an Instagram message around mid-December from The Marina at Cherry Creek saying that they loved my photos, the Pelicans, to be specific, and that they would like to hang some of the pics in the Lake House event center. Well, earlier this week, I met with Erik Dyce, the CEO of Vencore Marine Group, and we have agreed to partner up. I am excited about this new adventure/venture and to see my photography being displayed (and sold) in such a beautiful venue.

A statement from Erik:

'Pelican Bay at Cherry Creek in Cherry Creek State Park is delighted to partner with Amy Lilley – renowned photographer who has brought her unique talents to Colorado. Her intimate relationship with the White Pelican, native to Cherry Creek Reservoir, is a stunning study in art and the science of this unique bird. Pelican Bay is named for these magnificent creatures who feature wing spans up to six feet. At any given time you may see well over 100 Pelicans at The Marina at Pelican Bay, perched on the breakwater around the Marina, or out in the Stump Area on the South side of the Reservoir. Their sweet group behavior is something to witness.

Amy’s photos will be featured in and around Pelican Bay at Cherry Creek as well as for sale at certain select events. We welcome these treasures and so should you!'

The Lake House and Marina...from the park side.

The Lake House from the kayak..

And from waaaay across the far side of the lake, looking toward the Rockies and the Marina...

Another shot from the park side..

Up close at The Marina..

Although it looks different now, this is where it all started for me, with a simple kayak rental..

Late December, The Marina..

Last Winter as a storm was getting ready to blow in..

The lovely entrance to The Lake House...taken today..

What is so amazing to me is that from a simple kayak rental 3 summers ago, to purchasing my own Pelican kayak and spending so much time on the lake, doing what I love to do...not just taking pics of the Pelicans, Herons, the turtles, fish and other wildlife, but spending all that quiet time on the lake, the activity of paddling when the lake was smooth as glass or in some very challenging weather situations, to creating the Pelican calendar, and then having Erik look at me and say, 'I have never seen anything like your work before.' Is this not what, as artists (all inclusive, writers, poets, actors, dancers, etc.,) we dream of? I acknowledged that this is a gift, the eye which has been given to me. So, this is my joyful announcement. I look forward to sharing with all of you, over the next few months, as the Pelicans find their rightful place all over The Lake House!!

The morning after I met with Erik, I woke up, and the only thing I could think of was how much I wanted to call Mom, and I cried...

'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.'

James 1:17

Click here to link to The Marina at Pelican Bay

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Summer Skies and Stuffs..

May 31

Late Spring. Summer into Autumn are the best times of the year for me. I have planted my garden, which is flourishing, I have built 4 Adirondack chairs, which now sit in the front of the house. I also built a new desk! I bought 4 chairs which had to be built from a kit we found at Home Depot. It took some figuring out with the first one as the instructions were hard to follow, but, I got it, and the next 3 chairs took about 1/3 of the time. Two coats of polyurethane on the natural wood, along with some felt pads on the bottoms of each leg finished them off really well. Thrilled, and, they're comfortable. They are not perfect, but, that works for me. I have been using our old dining room table as a desk since 2005 and I had been searching for a real desk for many months, it seems. We saw this one at The World Market, very utilitarian, I thought, it has drawers and some shelves. That might work. So, finally after much looking around, I decided to buy it, but, it too, had to be built. It weighed a ton and most thankfully, the Boys did the heavy lifting. After making the chairs, the desk was easy. Thrilled with the desk too, and yes, it is totally utilitarian!! The garden was planted the week after we said our goodbye's to The Girl, and it has really been so therapeutic, just to be able to take care of 'something', (still toying with fostering...) along with the great hope of watching it grow and having food with no question from whence it came. It has already exceeded my expectations! Cabbage, strawberries, curly kale, butternut squash, sweet peppers, eggplant and 4 or 5 varieties of tomatoes, along with (not shown) 5 varieties of basil, flat leaf parsley, cilantro, 3 varieties of thyme and lavender are growing beautifully as well! There will be a freezer full of pesto come harvest time, and I will share along the way! Swimming and kayaking are all on the table as well. These are all things I love doing, along with taking pics of the gorgeous Spring/Summer (for now) skies. So, again, for those of you not on social media, here is a snippet of my summer in Colorado, (not chronological...but, close enough!), and it's only July 13th!! The sun sets behind the 2 trees in Cherry Creek State Park, so, they are the subject of many of the summer pics!