~ It's All About The Chickens ...: Put in my place

I liked to think that I was fairly good about composing my collections, my photos. I understand a bit about the Science of Color. Hey, I read the Pantone emails.

But I see now that there is much more to the Art of Curating than simply understanding the basic concepts of a color wheel. I've been taken to school by Lee Ann of CrownOfRue.

Her taste is impeccable and her ability to weave a feeling, a story, a mood, while using only 12-16 diverse photographs from 12-16 completely unrelated shops ... well, her ability is without compare.

These are just a few of her latest creations via the newly opened Etsy 'Treasure East'. I've been a fan of the new Treasury format since it opened: It's brighter, with a wider profile, more open and less cramped ... TE has everything going for it but for one thing: I'd like to see the Treasuries more obviously linked to the Curator. Perhaps as a tab on the Profile page. A beautifully created Treasury is no less an artistic expression than a blog post or a photograph. When done well, a treasury conveys emotion and mood with style and beauty. Treasury curating, done well, is Art.

And Lee Ann's are done well. "Done well" to the point where I come to believe, when viewing her Treasuries, that sure! I could make something like this!

Hers flow so effortlessly, one photo to the next; the blending of theme, color and purpose ... I come to believe that my Treasuries will be this way, too!

And I keep right on believing up until I place that last photograph in that last Treasury slot and step back to look ... and I see that Lee Ann has lied to me. Treasury making isn't as simple as she's made it appear.

My 16 beautiful items, and they are indeed beautiful each and every one, my 16 beautiful items haven't come together to form the 17th unifying one: A Treasury. Not like Lee Ann's Treasuries do.

Each. and. every. one.