This is what happens when an ice breathing dragon is trapped between 2 pieces of glass; your windows frost up and the temperature plummets.
Technically, this window has failed; there should not be moisture, frost, or dragons(!) trapped between the sealed panes, but I like to think of it as a literal ‘silver’ lining. Technical failure can lead to interesting things…
Happy New Year!
[These window frost photographs were made today – I have posted similar frost a few times last winter but it is always reinventing itself]
© Karen McRae, 2013
draw and shoot 
Stunning like creatures in flight or calligraphy or brushstrokes in a miniature. Your eye collaborating, capturing an essence. Very beautiful.
The intricacy and shapes always surprise me. Love your response, Steven, thank you!
Happy New Year frost dragons! They hold promises of marvelous days to come. Wishing you the brightest moments of every one of those days!
Best wishes to you for the coming year, Elena! Thanks for your friendship and inspiration. xx
: )
I have no words to describe the beauty of your images … ,
thanks for sharing.
Natures amazing work! Thank you.
crazy beautiful… stay warm Happy New Year to YOU too
Thanks, Anthony. Yes, crazy beautiful nature.
Happy New Year!
Thanks! : )
I would love to capture such dragons . . . may they bring good tidings for the New Year.
Thanks, Emilio. Yes, those dragons are a bit elusive, but you never know…
Karen, these are lovely, even if they ARE a result of a window-seal failure!
So far it’s not too bad so I think the window can wait a little while.
Thanks, Melinda!
It’s what I like to refer to as being a “happy accident” 😉
Yes, that it is!
Failure is just another word for opportunity, then, right? I like it!
Absolutely, Scilla! : )
These are amazingly beautiful and intricate. Did you add the color in post?
Thank you, I always find these formations fascinating – I have a few more to post.
I have added colour to the last 2 (blue ones) only. The ones in the middle were made looking in the window from the outside and the colour is from things on the other side of the window. these has a little less dimension. The others were taken looking out.
Wonderful, Karen! Best wishes for 2014.
Thank you, Harrie. Best wishes to you too!
Your winter habitant showed up !
Best wishes for your 2014.
Yes, for a little while.
Best wishes to you also, Yoshizen! : )
No words just awe…………… Happy New Year.
Thank you, KC!
I love these (and remember them from last year). The patterns are amazing.
The patterns amaze me every time!
These are glorious Karen – a magical story in each one!
Thanks, Anna!
Love these beautiful images, especially the first……and the last of the dragon shape. Now isn’t that ‘dragon’ shape spectacular. Of course, I never see this sort of thing in Melbourne, Aust. so find these lovely formations all the more interesting.
Hope you have a Happy New Year and all the best in 2014.
The delicate intricacy of these photographs leaves me in awe of nature. I’m loving the first image in particular.
Happy New Year Karen. Such a pleasure to see your work as it develops during the year, and again next year I am sure. These frost pictures are yet another example of how you take things to the next level. These are not just any old frost pictures, these are glorious.
Thank God for all the flaws in the world, including a failed sealed window, so much a boon to artmaking. All the best in the New Year and best wishes for creating lots of more fantastic artwork. I’m always happy to see your posts. Stay warm!
fabelhaft
marvelous imperfection! Happy new year!
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos ! Some delightful winter events . I can’t see that in Paris. Happy New Year !
Magnifique, i remember those you posted last year, love it. Thank you Karen and Belle année photographique en 2014
Bonjour Karen ,
Hors d’une même veine , en la matière ,
tes dragons d’airs , à la surface ,
sous formes de glace , sont flammes d’éthers ,
ton univers , conte feu l’ancienne .
~
NéO~
~
Becs Légendaires
These are amazing Karen. Happy new year!
Beautiful patterns, Karen – my favourite is the last one – it reminds me of a galloping horse or then again dragon, going right, with it large, powerful haunches and tail on the left, and its upraised head and foreleg at the right end. Happy New Year! Adrian
Spectacular natural patterns, beautifully captured and presented. Quite magical. A Happy New Year Karen.
…such a good start…promises of beauty. Thank you, Karen
…and let´s hope for the best!! (…smiling…)
Breath taking indeed, how fab they would look printed large or small!
Nice. Wishing you a warm New Year, Karen!
Such lovely spiky tracery !
Beautiful images. Happy new year !
Beautiful. They remind me of aerial maps. 😉
Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2013 22:39:25 +0000 To: cynthiastaples@hotmail.com
Hi Karen
Happy new year to you and yours 🙂
Thank you for the gifts of your wonderland, the birds, ice, water, sky, oh so much. I am so lucky to be a part of your world. Thank you so much for supporting me on this adventure we are taking with wordpress. It’s fun. Big hugs to you.
Carla
Oh my goodness, so beautiful! It’s the impermanence that makes capturing something like this so special. Happy New Year Karen.
Happy New Year, my dear Karen!! 🙂
Wonderful art of nature.
Happy New Year.
Exquisite and elegant – an accident of non performing windows – but still beautiful. Virginia
WOW! … these are so delicate and beautiful! I love your duotone-like processing. I wonder what lens you use for these?
Thanks very much, Denise. I use a Nikon camera, so the lens is an AF Micro Nikkor 60mm, 1:2.8 D.
outstanding and wonderful!
Happy New Year!
So elegant. Happy New Year, Karen, looking forward to your work in 2014!
Pleased to see the ice breathing dragon is here again. Happy New Year, Karen.
Great shapes!
I just love these frost shots. 🙂 I wish you a happy new year and I look forward to seeing more of your fabulous photography in 2014 🙂
Your ability to capture the delicate is extraordinary, Karen. Thank you so much for sharing your work. I’m inspired every time. Happy New Year! Meredith
Beautiful fairytales..I love how they float in to you in the winter! Happy New Year Karen!
I love these so much on so many levels. Beautiful Karen!
So beautiful, like fine etchings. Have a very happy and fulfilling 2014, Karen!
Extraordinary images.
I agree – extraordinary
Happy New Year and those beyond too, Karen. Looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful work. x x
Oh my! That first one looks like two Samuris! Amazing Karen! Gosh it’s hard to comment using the IPad … 😦 But I made it! Or it did! 🙂
These are lovely imAGES
Again and again! Every time I come here i am stunned! You are the queen of every dreamers!
So beautiful. We replace our failed windows just after we moved in. Perhaps I should have waited! Happy New Year!
Excellent.
Gorgeous! I don’t envy you the cold that creates this (since moving to N. Texas I’m even less cold-tolerant than I used to be, and now that it’s in the 20s F here I have to laugh at how bundled up I get just to go outside. So I’m doubly glad you recorded your frost art for those of us who’d rather experience it vicariously most of the time. Silver linings indeed!
A Happy accident to take advantage of 🙂
Breathtaking. I am in awe.
Thank you, Lesley!
Beautiful! I’d like to 3d model sg like this, these branching structures are awesome! I can picture myself some 3d printed ornaments…
My god, these are spectacular. I had to zoom in to see them fully. I want to keep zooming. They feel loose and tight at once, natural and somehow artificial. That last one is moving. Being from a warm place, I’ve never seen anything like this before and did not know they had a name. Dragons? Love them. (Happy new year, Karen! Thank you for always treating my eyes to something wondrous. xoox)
Magical impressions, makes my jaw drop!
Best wishes for 2014, Karen!
Dina
Fantastic– and you made lemonade out of lemons.
So beautiful!
Cheers,Laura
whims of the winter: ice can do remarkable things like these filigree and delicate ice-flower-laces. just gorgeous images! thank you.