Wabi Sabi Opens Tomorrow

The last few weeks really have been a whirlwind! And today, finally, it all came together... My mother came to help me transport all the pieces to the gallery at 2:30pm. We arranged all the pieces from 4-5pm. Then I raced into town for my weekly shoot at Petals of the flowers that have just arrived at the shop. I flew home at 6pm with a bucket full of beautiful blooms and was on the beach at 6:30pm for a family portrait session. Now I am going to bed...

The opening is tomorrow from 5:30pm - 7:30pm, I do hope you can come. If not, the work will be on display at Masterworks through 17 July.

The Pear - 58x48 cedar, casuarina and bay grape driftwood

Morillo's Bottle - 36-48 mixed media on canvas

Wabi Sabi - 12x12 archival digital photograph on textured, silver leafed canvas

Exhibition at Masterworks

My solo exhibition at Masterworks opens in a week!
For the last ten months I have been shooting, painting, getting messy and getting injured and my house is a total disaster. Every surface is covered with canvases, sheet metal, paint, gold and silver leaf, pots of this and that, sandpaper, corrosives and power tools. But it has been wonderful, absolutely wonderful. I have loved every minute of the experimenting with various techniques and seeing my photographs in an entirely new way.
Each piece is an original as the canvases and the metal are treated prior to the image being printed. Then they are all covered with a UV protective coating.
There are about 30 pieces in the show ranging from 8x8 to 30x40. here are a few photos of the preparation process and some of the small finished pieces...

 Lost and Found 10x10

 I am not fond of the uniform texture of canvas. Above is the first layer with random detail on the surface. And below, the second layer - they are painted to add some colour and a bit of sparkle.

 Once the base layers have completely dried, an adhesive is applied which is left to dry for 30 minutes.

Then the silver or gold leaf is applied. This is a trying task as the 5"x5" sheets are so thin and incredibly fragile. They weigh almost nothing so they are extremely difficult to control.

Fortunately, it is the wrinkles and gaps that appeal to me. I want the surface to be raw and varied.

 The canvas before printing. They are all different; the one above is pretty rough with considerable spaces to reveal the paint. The canvas below is a little smoother.

 With this 24x36 canvas, I left about six inches at one end and applied the leaf very roughly.

 Above and below: I asked Petals to bring in some poppy pods for me. I shot about 800 photos of them. A crazy amount I know, but, one, I was having a terrific time shooting, and two, as they would only last for a few days, I needed to be sure I captured what I needed.

Many of the pieces are multi dimensional in that I am using the metal in multiple stages of the process. Some plates are treated with corrosives which I then use as a background for a photograph. It is later printed either on a canvas, or another sheet of metal. With the piece below, I used brass sheets both as a background and as a reflector to light up the pod's stem.

The exhibition opening is on 27th June at 5:30pm and the show runs through 17th July. I do hope you get a chance to stop by and see what I have been up to...

Concepts In Motion

In May I photographed a few of the In Motion Showcase dress rehearsals and was backstage for the finale. Each year we also spend an afternoon with the senior dancers doing a shoot where we have time to play. I can move about the stage more freely and we can capture their fabulous jumps and turns. 

This year we decided to include a few of the younger girls too, who were so excited to be a part of it all. Thank you all for always being so patient... it was another fabulous show!!!

They have another show coming up on June 21st and 22nd at 8pm - Concepts In Motion at Ruth Seaton James theatre.  The  show will feature professional dancers and choreographers performing new works by local and international choreographers.
Tickets are available at bdatix.bm or inmotion.bm.

Patricia & Andrew: Bermuda Wedding

Patricia and Andrew met when she was 12 and he was 14 and they had their first kiss in the garden where their reception was held. They went their separate ways but were always fond of each other, so when they were both back in Bermuda, they reconnected and their relationship bloomed.

On the wedding day the rings went missing. For the ceremony they borrowed some from family, but as soon as they returned home Patricia found them literally as she walked in the door and they both burst into laughter. Andrew had asked everyone to hunt for a red box, but they were actually in a white box. So I thought it would be fitting to shoot Patricia's engagement ring on the compass I found in the room.

It was the most spectacular day, and an even more beautiful evening. They had chosen the date a couple days before the full moon which lit up the garden perfectly.

Thank you both for wonderful afternoon; it was a true pleasure to capture your joy, your beautiful smiles and tender kisses.