Light and Color…that is what it is all about for me.
In joining the ranks of painters who added photography to the palette, it
was inevitable that a focus on light and color, prominent in my still life
paintings, continue in the photographs. For subject matter, I found the Honey
Jar an ideal vehicle. Cezanne’s repeated use of Mont Sainte-Victoire as a
subject to investigate is my role model. The Honey Jar is my mountain of
possibilities.
Pouring light through honey jars in simple still life set-ups has offered the
opportunity to mix honey-colored ambers, reds, and yellows with various
colored textiles, ribbons, and printed papers. The resulting unpredictable
shadows and reflections produce surprises that keep the work fresh and
alive. A willingness to take risks and fail is part of the process.
Another good match was found in the discovery of metal prints. The
combination of the glossy metal surface with the honey jar, and the elimination
of paper, glass, and frame produced photographs that are objects in their own
right. There is nothing between the image and the viewer.
Being a still life photographer is a fulfilling commitment…I get to set up the
environment that I want to work with, and I don’t have to trek beyond my
studio. If one set-up doesn’t work I dismantle it and build another. Being willing
to “stand at the edge of a cliff” taking risks, no bones are broken, only good or
bad photographs are made. It is gratifying to work in a studio packed with
adrenalin every day.
HONEY JAR SERIES