Saturday, March 31, 2018

Flora as Fashion: Kirsten Andersen Thomas


Flora as Fashion: Kirsten Andersen Thomas


I've been thinking a lot about the surface of images this week. As I try to break free of the two dimensionality of photography by stitching into the photographic paper, the fact of the matter is - it still remains a surface when I once again photograph it to show you for this blog.

You need to see them in person. The fiber of the string creates the texture and depth that I've been striving for. Hopefully I can find a gallery or space to show these pieces so that you can indeed see them first hand.

Today's image for my new Flora as Fashion series was a labor of love. I spent every spare moment I had stitching this piece together. I quickly realized that the skirt needed to be extended to fit the agave in front of Kirsten. The scale needed to be adjusted to the proportions of the vegetation. I ended up with what I think is one of my finest pieces yet.

I've been excited by the challenge to interpret flora as a garment on my subjects. Unlike the confines of the structural architecture in my Home as Hat series, the organic nature of the greenery we are working with now is limitless! My subjects have willing to sit, stand and wrap themselves in plant life and I am grateful for their patience and enthusiasm.

Julie Green
March 31, 2018

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Flora as Fashion: Edith Ann

"Flora as Fashion: Edith Ann" 

Cute as a daisy, Edith Ann is wearing a custom made ballgown inspired by the flowers she posed in. Seeing dress patterns in flora is of course a lot more organic than the framed hat structures of a roof and lot more difficult to interpret. But it also allows me a lot more visual freedom.

My desire to work with fiber on photographs takes the craft out of embroidery. I want to elevate the common thread from a traditionally female domestic craft to a visual work of art. The exploration of feminism in the history of this craft was first introduced to me in The Feminist Art History Collective's founding member Rozsika Parker's 1984 groundbreaking publication "The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine".

Getting back to making something by hand is rewarding and contemplative. It takes me away from the constant use of technology back to a place where creating takes time and allows for introspection.

Julie Green
March 24, 2018

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Flora as Fashion: Stacy Ellen Rich

Flora as Fashion: Stacy Ellen Rich

Throughout 2016 and 2017, I crafted 16 images in a series that I called "Home as Hat". These images where inspired by an image I shot while I was photographing Kim Shattuck from The Muffs for my "Day in the Life of a Rock 'n' Roller" series.  As we walking around her neighborhood, I had her stand in front of a lovely gabled home. I quickly saw through my lens the shape of a hat emerging from the pointed roof behind her and I excitedly snapped the shutter to capture her in front of it. It became clear in that instant that there was a new body of work waiting to be created.

I've just started to embark on a new angle to this series inspired by the wildly talented Costume designer Stacy Ellen Rich. The photograph above was taken with the intention of adding it to my Hat series but I quickly realized that the vegetation around her could be repurposed into a colorful skirt and adjusted my perspective to concentrate on what was happening below.

My desire to alter the two dimensional constraints of photography has always pushed me to expand my images into a three dimensional form. From  rephotographing portraits surrounded by ephemera as you can see in "Modern Merry Pranksters" to weaving portraits of Authors, Angles, and Apples.

I love stitching paper and I love the fashionable ladies who graciously allow me to take their portrait. I'm honored to call them my friends - they inspire me to create. Each person I encounter contains a distinctive spark I see inside that I hope to reveal to the viewer in these embroidered paper portraits.


Julie Green
March 17, 2018


Saturday, March 10, 2018

4th Annual Bob Baker Day


"4th Annual Bob Baker Day No. 1" 2018


My fascination with carnivals, puppets and handmade continue in documenting the festivities annual held in honor of Los Angeles's favorite puppet master Bob Baker. As always, crowds gathered in front of his famed Marionette Theater on 1st Street to celebrate the memory of a man who gave so much to the children of Southern California.

I was honored to get to know Bob before he passed away 4 years ago, and documented him in several blog entries for Patterns and Tones. In "Bob Baker and His Magical Marionettes", I talked with Bob about the evolution of his amazing puppets and the space he ran for over 54 years. Then he gave me a tour of his incredible warehouse as well as gave me a demonstration of how to make a puppet breath in "Bob Baker: The Making of His Magical Marionettes".

Now I too celebrate this wonderful artist by documenting his yearly birthday celebration! I was happy to see Bob's marionettes mingling with clowns, mimes, and stilt walkers this year accented with amazing musical entertainment.

I'm happy to see Bob's passion for entertaining the child in all of us preserved and honored.

Julie Green
March 10, 2018


"4th Annual Bob Baker Day No. 2" 2018




"4th Annual Bob Baker Day No. 3" 2018




"4th Annual Bob Baker Day No. 4" 2018




"4th Annual Bob Baker Day No. 5" 2018


Saturday, March 3, 2018

Patterns and Tones Turns 5!



Five years ago on February 4th I started my weekly blog Patterns and Tones because I was stuck. I needed a self imposed deadline that would drive me to create work, as a way to push myself to perpetually create. It's been an inspirating platform for me to explore ideas and create visual narratives that I want to share with others. This year I thought I would explore my passion for painting but quickly realized that it takes large swaths of time and that is one luxury I do not have much of these days.I also missed shooting and thinking about the photographic processes. So back to the darkroom I go and hope you continue to visit and enjoy my weekly blog.

Every anniversary I like to look back at the top 10 most visited posts in the Patterns and Tones departments. I'm very happy to see that the Tone of the year went to punk rock legend and all around great guy Frank Portman in "A Rock 'n' Roll Checkup with Dr. Frank". This blog post saw more than 13,500 hits and they keep visiting him daily.

And for the most viewed Pattern of the year, "Home as Hat: Sue Davis" was viewed more than 6,000 times! Not only is DJ Sue one of the coolest chicks out there, she makes a mean chaschew cheese and is the owner of Austin's finest vegan restaurant "Counter Culture". Perhaps that's why so many of you want to check in to see what Sue was up to in my my Home as Hat series.

Scroll below to see all the top 10 Patterns and top 10 Tones from 2017.

If you would like to subscribe to Patterns and Tones, please email me at  julievox@sbcglobal.net and I'll put you on the list to receive my weekly newsletter.

From my eyes to your heart,

Julie Green
March 3, 2018

TOP 10 PATTERNS OF 2017















#2   APRIL FOOL










TOP 10 TONES OF 2017