Boston Changed Everything

I was lucky enough to be able to go to Boston for the Photoshop World conference in Spring 2009. I had never been to Boston before and I couldn't wait to take it all in. Once we got to our hotel room I noticed this building outside of our hotel window. It was highly reflective and I love the way it caught the light. I took one picture in the late afternoon and the other just after dusk.

The Photoshop Conference was amazing and I learned so much. But the most surprising source of inspiration came from a photographer named Jay Maisel.

The Photoshop conference has multiple class going on at the same time. At that specific time there were no classes pertaining to design so I wondered into Jay Maisel's class. I wasn't expecting to get much out of it because at the time I was not especially interested in photography.

Mr. Maisel went up to give his presentation and I was blown away. He did one segment relating to 9/11. He went to photograph ground zero but he was told he not allowed. Instead he photographed the faces of the people as they walked past where the twin towers once stood. The people were unaware they were being photographed and he ended up with some very raw and emotional portraits.

He then showed a series of photographs he had taken over the years. They were full of interesting perspectives, unusual light, bold color, and expressive gestures. His photographs reminded me of how I see the world. I always end up noticing these interesting and unique things but I never take pictures of them because I though no one would ever find them as interesting as I did. Jay was taking the pictures that I was too shy to take. I left that class and saw the world in a whole new way.

I decided to stop taking pictures like a tourist and and start taking pictures like an artist.

This was a piece of Iranian art from the Boston Museum. Rather than getting a "perfect shot" I captured the reflection of the window because it was made to fit the style of the art work in the room. 

Instead of trying to get the entire statue in one shot I focus on what drew me to look at it in the first place.  I loved the serenity in their faces and the subtle colors in the background. 

One of my favorites! Instead of only filling the photo with the statue, I stood back and gave him a setting. 

I loved the simple elegance and the quiet reflection of their face along with their juxtaposition against the wall.

The Boston sky at dusk.

Instead of taking this shot at eye level I crouched down next to the statue and pointed the camera up towards the ceiling. I think the dynamic angle really makes the shot. I love how it looks like she is reaching up for the light. 

This piece of art was in a room filled with artifacts that related to the afterlife. I have no idea whether it was intentional or not, but this was placed over and exit sign and I thought it was hilarious. 

Once again, rather than taking a picture of the entire statue I decided to focus on what I was most attracted to. The face, the gesture, and the reflection of the window made this image memorable.

This was a practice cast of a bust. This was something that never would have been on display in ancient Egypt, it was only meant for the sculptor  to use as a reference. Simple objects like these tend to make me think more about the individual artist who created them. Almost like you are so close to being able to look back in time because you are so close to an object they have touched. That is why I took a picture that included the objects reflection.

This particular statue was enormous. When in front of it you were forced to look up towards the ceiling. It happened to be raining outside and I wanted to capture the beauty of the statue's face as well as the rain cascading down the skylight. 

I love the way this historic church is surrounded by all of these modern sky scrappers that vanish into the fog. Only the light from the windows lets you know how far up the building rises.

A statue of an angel with outstretched arms in the Boston rain.

This was taken the morning I was leaving to go back to Orlando. It was raining but still wanted to see as much of the city as I possibly could. I'm so glad I went out that morning.

There is still beauty in a cloudy day.

The Break

In 2007 I was enrolled in an Advanced Drawing class. All of our projects were centered around human anatomy. The teacher left the students to decide the context of the imagery. My boyfriend and I were going through a break up and I decided to let the inner workings of the human body become a metaphor for my inner conflict.

We were both grounded on the floor to symbolize how hurt we were. I gave him the musculature and an upright position as a reference to my hope that he would take charge of the situation and be stronger. His hopeless downward gaze and his back being turn to the viewer was meant to represent his detachment and lack of resolve. He extends his feet rather than his arms to signify a disrespect for my feelings. 

I lay across from him with my entire body on the floor and bone structure visible to represent the depth of the hurt I was feeling. My body is more open to the viewer to symbolize my willingness to face the problem. My left arm wraps around my legs to show my desire to save myself. My right arm reaches out to him and I am looking up waiting for him to move. He continues to stare at the floor. 

This is a large multi-panel piece. It starts of with a large portrait of myself lost in thought. The rest of the panels are manifestations of my thoughts. The smaller picture of my ex and I is a reference to the previous two panel piece. However, in this image I am completely turned away from him. I am moving in the opposite direction toward a steep drop.  This is my acknowledgment of the difficult road ahead but also knowing that it is the only way out. The image of myself in the background drawing on the easel was meant to symbolize my change in perspective and willingness to embrace the future. The image of myself sitting in front of the skeleton was my way of expressing a desire to be true to my inner self. 

Nude Study

This was a study of a live nude model I did in junior college. A few years later, with the encouragement of an instructor, I photographed the image, reprinted it on arches paper and drew the musculature over the original. 

Pasta Dish

This was an illustration I made for a recipe card. I don't normally draw food so this ended up being quite a challenge. It took several hours but I love the way it came out. My eyes enjoy the deep contrast between the warm, earthy colors of the plate and the cool, rich colors in the background. 

Self Portrait with Bone Structure

Since I gravitate towards figure drawing, anatomy is a very important part of the artwork I make. I'm blessed with a good eye for proportions, however, getting the figure and the skeleton to look right independent of each other is very different from getting them to match up together. It it a difficult way to approach anatomy but it it is ultimately worthwhile.

The hardest part of these drawings is that you have to take the skeleton that is available and adjust it to fit your own anatomy. You end up learning more about yourself without even realizing it. 

Of the three, this one is my favorite. I think it is the best self portrait but I also love the composition of the background. I ended up positioning myself between two huge mirrors and was able to capture the ongoing reflection of the frames. 

Froggies

I don't even remember what this assignment was for. All I know is that it makes me smile. 

Collage

This was a collage project. We had to carve out simple shapes on to a rubber stamp, print them on paper, and make a larger pattern with them. For some reason I found the repetitiveness of the project cathartic. I ended up making several rubber stamps with variations of the pattern as well as printing them in many different colors and on multiple sheet of tissue paper. I ended up having the largest and most complex pattern in the class.