Photography has become both a means of artistic expression and a way for me to relate to the natural world that I love deeply. I find a peace behind the camera that I find no place else. Most of my photography deals with the natural world or our relationship with it. I believe that if we can see the beauty around us, we will be more likely to protect it.
Photography is my third career. Although I have loved photography all my life, I started my adult life as an economist and then spent over twenty years as a Certified Public Accountant. My soul finally spoke louder than my wallet, and I began pursuing fine art photography. I do not think anyone’s last words have ever been “I wish I had done more tax returns.”
My journey in photography began as something I was doing for myself. I did not intend for it to be a career. However, I discovered that it is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I am passionate about my photography and enjoy sharing that passion with others. I initially chose photography because I wanted to do something in the fine arts, and I did not have the self-confidence to attempt a more tactile art form, like painting or sculpting. Having spent most of my life behind a computer, working with a mechanical device (a camera) and computer software (Photoshop and the myriad of plug-ins available to photographic artists) was something I felt comfortable exploring. However, as I have continued my journey in photography, I have discovered that using only a camera and a computer is not sufficient to satisfy my artistic need for self-expression.
I tend to gravitate toward work that allows me to have a more tactile experience with the creation of my art. I have reveled in the development of my presentation of water colors on silks. I delight in techniques that allow me to become physically involved in my art. Encaustic, printing on metal sheets, working with metal leaf, image transfers, and alternative processes such as Van Dyke Brown and Cyanotype allow me to add something more to the “mechanical” processes I initially found less threatening. I have begun exploring the creation of handmade books to display my photography. I plan to continue experimenting and learning as long as I live.
