When I was a child, my parents gave me a Kodak camera. I took pictures of our cat, our family, the outdoors and always brought the camera along on road trips my parents used to take on the spur of the moment. I eventually graduated to a SLR camera and then to a 2 1/4 size camera. But learning to develop and print my own black and white and color images took my love of photography to a new level where I was able to develop my vision and aesthetic creativity. Making, developing, and printing black and white and color film became the foundation for my transition to working with digital cameras and reluctantly abandoning the darkroom for a computer.
My photographic areas of interest include nature, cityscapes, street photography, travel photography, and abstract. I explore how I, as the photographer/observer, inform the subject I capture through my lens. I strive to focus on details, patterns, colors, emotions, and possibilities that can be communicated through this ever changing and powerful medium.
I would also like to mention the person who most influenced my personal development in the area of art and photography: my mother. My mother started out sketching portraits of Hollywood movie stars. She then took a correspondence course in oil painting. I remember her in the dining room that turned into an art studio as she painted watercolor or oil landscapes, still lifes or portraits; and yes, she used me as a model quite a bit! As a child I remember we used to do paint by number paintings together and she introduced me to abstract art by scribbling on paper and then coloring in the sections. Though I believe that painting, in part for her, was an escape from some of the difficulties she had in her life, I know she was aware of the impact it had on my personal development and confidence to pursue the passion to create that she passed on to me. Now my supportive husband and daughter, who is a photographer and artist in her own right, are both behind the scenes critiquing, encouraging and helping me share my artwork.
Our abstract line drawing