PATTERNS AND TONES

"New York Individuals No. 1" 2018 On a recent trip to Manhattan I carved out some time to photograph New Yorkers at the  MCC 2nd Avenue Street Festival. There were over 800 local craft artists, merchants and restaurants who set up their stalls the length of 20 blocks. The street festival provided locals with a chance to relax and enjoy a pedestrian stroll down 2nd Avenue. The Manhattan skyline is not subtle nor organic.  The towering buildings made for an interesting backdrop and became a looming presence behind my subjects. Being a Californian, I'm used to open vistas and single storey buildings. I was challenged by t he angles of the buildings and their doors and windows. I began to consciously incorporate their imposing elements with my human subjects below. It was delightful to interact with random New Yorkers. I forgot how talkative and engaging people are here. I suppose I have also become removed from random interactions with...

“Flora as Fashion: Ameliana Kamstra” 2018 It seems frivolous to create images that aren't addressing social injustices right now while our American society is crumbling right before my eyes. But it is precisely through this project that I have been able to process the tension our daily world is producing. Stitching  has been a way for me to personally keep it all together.   The transformation of emotional experiences into recognizable form is a vehicle most artists employ. Picturing a song, a gesture, or a phrase leads us on a journey of self discovery and expression. The normal structures of our society, which feels like it is hanging by a thread, is overwhelming. Fear of letting life unravel, keeps me stitching. I’m stitching to reduce the stress levels I have about the onslaught of daily high school shootings, homelessness, our diminishing civil liberties, and grotesque consumerism. It allows me to transform my anxiety into something beautiful - a ...

"Hula-Hoop" 2018 20 x 16" Acrylic Well, I couldn't keep myself away from the paints... There is something so enjoyable about applying paint. I dive deeper into shapes and forms. Expressing my creativity through this medium has always been something I come back to time and again. It fulfills a need that isn't met in my photography. I was given a piece of advice a very long time ago that I still adhere to. "If you create an image that really resonates with you, reproduce it in may different mediums." Time has kept me from producing a large body of work. Painting takes time. It's not a snap shot. It requires hours of looking, adjusting, applying and contemplation. It is a meditation onto itself. With a very packed schedule already, I couldn't imagine where I was going to be able to carve out a chunk of time to do the work. But then I thought of Ruth Asawa , who with six kids wove her wonderful sculptures after everyone went to bed. I thought ...