It has been a while since I created a blog post but I thought I would start again with the plan to post monthly. I have also been MIA on Instagram and Facebook, but none of this is unusual for me. I find it difficult to use what free time I have on a screen. This is especially true when I am working full-time with my computer as a constant companion. At these times, even the sight of my computer makes me cringe.
A Year in Review (Almost)
New projects, new home.
This concept behind this collection of photographs was circling my mind for many years, and with the recent pandemic, the last pieces fell into place.
Ultimately, I began photographing this series as a way to blend reality with fantasy. I wanted to walk that fine line between our need to dream of the future, and our need to face the present.
We are all feeling the weight of climate change and of social and political strife around the world, all now exasperated by a global pandemic. We are so bombarded by these global, seemingly insurmountable challenges, that we lose our sense of power and face a deep sense of hopelessness and guilt. From these feelings the need to escape grows, and in recent decades one form of escape can be seen in our rediscovered obsession with space. In space travel, we see a future of endless possibility, of second chances, of technology that can save us, but in focusing on this future we neglect to face the issues that lie directly before us.
The photographs in this series focus on local wetlands as the subject that mirrors this balance between present and future, action and dreaming. The plants in the photographs lie on the surface of the water, merging with the reflections of sky and forest above to create images that call to mind distant worlds and hopeful futures.
With this series I hope to bring to light the beauty and wonder that can be found in those places we take for granted. I hope to show that we can be empowered even in these most difficult times, not by overwhelming ourselves with global catastrophe, but by looking to the needs our local communities. These are the places where we can make a tangible difference and with that difference, regain a our much-needed hope and empowerment.
Other Projects
Painting: my painting practice continues with education through books, podcasts, and online workshops and classes. My photography plays heavily into my painting with respect to composition, and my background in drawing has given me a strong base. My recent studies have focused on colour theory and using colour to create mood and interest in a painting.
Photography: So much going on offline...
I am currently working on several photography collections, some of them years in the making.
Order and Chaos: Over the past several years I have been drawn to scenes of chaos as scenes that naturally push away the eye and defy compositional standards. I spend hours in a single location observing scenes that, at first, overwhelm me with information. Scenes that are so rich in colour, texture, value, line, shape, that my eye has trouble seeing anything and I am instinctively pushed to look away. In these moments, I force myself to look closer, to take in each piece of information, to seek out and find hidden patterns that can help me understand the story that exists in these complex places. This exploration has inspired many photography collections that I am slowly starting to organize. Suffice to say, my passion in finding order in chaos does not extend to organizing the monolith of photographs I have taken over the years.
I am working through my winter photos from this year as well, and have started to post again to Instagram! Unfortunately my winter adventure stories will have to wait until the next post. Sneak Peek: there will be owls.