Returning Home
After eight years in Arizona, I decided it was time to return home to Florida to be close to family. After receiving a book on the work of Julia Margaret Cameron for Christmas, who has been an inspiration of mine since college, my passion for photography and alternative photo processes was reignited. I first explored cyanotypes in college and loved the simplicity and the unpredictability of the process. Combining multiple techniques – digital photography and Photoshop used to create calotype-inspired paper negatives – I set to work first on a series of family portraits (above) then translated my travel photos into something more than pics on my phone (below).
The Creativity You’ll Create
I’ve been asked why I don’t sell my work or pursue it full time; I still show on occasion. When I lived in New York I went to galleries and magazines to show my portfolio and got good responses but the feedback I received was about conforming to trends and what’s sellable – combined with the oversaturation of artists trying to “make it”, that’s when I became disillusioned with the art world. For me it’s a personal journey and I have no desire to bend to the pressures and influences of what’s trendy.
For me the pursuit of creativity is an adventure in discovery, a lifelong endeavor and I look forward to what I’ve yet to create – this journey is far from over!
Image: Self-portrait, Cyanotype with chalk highlights on watercolor paper, 2023
Paper Cut-Outs of Matisse 