Hudson Valley Art Studio Views Tour Labor Day Weekend

Are you staying home this Labor Day and looking for cool stuff to do? The annual Art Studio Views Tour will be Saturday and Sunday September 5 & 6 from 11am to 5pm. I’m stop #1 (sometimes it pays to have a last name that begins with ‘A’!). Come on by and see what photography I’ve been up to. There are 22 other talented artists on the tour, so make sure to leave time to visit other studios. You can download a map and artist details at artsnortherndutchess.org/asv to plan your route. My friend and fellow Hudson Valley 7 member, Joanne Klein lives just around the corner from me.

I’m going to have all kinds of photographs for sale—Dutchess County Fair, Cowgirls, Truths, Lies and Legends, New York City, Ominous Skies and more. I’ve got to clean out the barn so prices will be discounted at least 50%.

As an extra bonus, I designed the ASV brand this year—from logo to website to brochure and more. So when you go the ASV website, know that it was a Full Deck Design project. I can’t wait to see the logo plastered all over Northern Dutchess!

Insider's Look: Jumper

My Photo Stories
Swimming in the crystal-clear lake was strictly forbidden, but after a 5-mile run Anna didn’t care.
Or…
After losing his job and then his wife all in one day, Alexander wondered if a belly flop off the 60-foot drop would put him out of his misery.
Or…
Upon awakening from a sun nap on the warm October rocks, Sally saw the line of fire ants marching into her shirt.
Or…what are your story ideas?

Behind the Photo
The water in the lake at Minnewaska State Park is crystal clear. Some strange chemical combination prevents any life from enjoying its beauty. Once, I took a photograph half below the water here and half above for the cover of a publication printed by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

Be the first to buy a Jumper print and get a 50% discount on the size of your choice. This is my August 2009 home page photo, part of my Truths, Lies and Legends collection.

Barnes & Noble Artist of the Month

The Kingston, NY Barnes & Noble has invited me to be artist of the month for August. I'm very excited about showing 10 pieces from my Truths, Lies and Legends collection. [One of the pieces—Aluminum Foiled—is on loan from the collector.] The common thread throughout all of my work as photographer is that I consider myself a storyteller. Until now, I have used a journalistic approach where multiple images seen together tell one complete story. With The Truths, Lies and Legends images, each image tells a story of its own. I choose a spectacular natural setting and place something in the frame—a card with crayon-colored boxes, a bicycle, flowers—that transforms the scene from a landscape into a stageset. Then, I write stories to possibly explain the scene. Those stories frame each image as you can see in the above image. Come on out to see what it's all about!

Insider's Look: Frosted Pumpkin

My Photo Stories
His father made fun of him for being afraid of the family jack-o-lantern, but Teddie had a plan to get rid of it.
Or…Sick and tired of green goose poop littering his cornfields, his tractor tires and his boots, Farmer O’Leary took to scaring them off with lit jack-o-lanterns.
Or…Ned just missed seeing little Jack Frost powder the corn stalks with the season’s first frost, the breath from his tiny horse forming large clouds of white smoke.
Or…what are your story ideas?

Buy a Frosted Pumpkin Photo
Be the first to buy a Frosted Pumpkin print online and get a 50% discount on the size of your choice. This is my July 2009 home page photo, part of my Truths, Lies and Legends collection.

Bounty Show Big Success

The weather was dismal, but the G.A.S. gallery was packed. The first group show of the Hudson Valley 7 was a major success. For the first time, I showed work from my Truths, Lies and Legends collection—a combination of my written storytelling and my photography. I was a little nervous about what people might think, but was delighted to hear giggles and words of praise as people read the stories. I even sold one! Thanks to everyone for coming. Thanks to Jen for snapping my picture!

BOUNTY: A Show by the Hudson Valley 7

About once a month, I get together with 6 other artists to talk about art, motivate each other and enjoy each other's home cooking. We call ourselves the Hudson Valley 7 and we're about to have a group show at the G.A.S. gallery at 196 Main Street in Poughkeepsie. I'm going to be showing work from my new collection, Truth, Lies and Legends. The opening reception is sure to be as lively as the art. Join us June 20 from 6-9 pm.

Jennifer Axinn-Weiss is a mixed media artist who has exhibited for over 25 years. Jennifer creates textured, often figurative works, at times blurring the boundary between painting and collage. She currently employs vintage imagery of Geisha and Victorian women evoking both romance and contemplation.

Susan Hoffman, a pioneering contemporary quilt maker for over 35 years, thinks like a painter. Fabric is her palette and stitches are her pencil. Using traditional piecework and quilting techniques, she is inspired by the environment we share and the warmth quilts generate— both literally and metaphorically.

Joanne Klein creates minimalist color field paintings in which color relationships and linear planes are fundamental to the articulation of emotive content. Her work is both controlled and exuberant.

E. Elizabeth Peters is a multidisciplinary artist whose recent work explores the history of 17th century Dutch still life painting and the continuing impact of global trade and post colonialism in contemporary art and culture.

Helen Suter incorporates diverse, reused materials in her large-scale steel constructions, small objects and works on paper. Her current body of work reflects her opposition to all wars, an idea to use fabric and her confidence in communicating perceptions, feelings and concepts through purely visual means.

Elizabeth Watt is a photographer whose lush 20x24 polaroid Botanical studies are reminiscent of Dutch still life paintings. Elizabeth draws her inspiration from painting, collage, sculpture and nature. Her photographs are characterized by a painterly sensibility, classical composition and exquisite light.

Insider's Look: Sunflower Portrait

My Photo Stories
Infused with the spirit of her work, Doris brought her class of terminally ill students to a field
of sunflowers.
Or…
Vincent’s obsessions were all born from his fervent belief in God.
Or…
Mothers think the world of their children, but Cassandra took it to a whole new level when it came to her son Chad.
Or…what are your story ideas?

Behind the Photo
Every year I admire this field of sunflowers just outside of New Paltz. I persuaded my son to paint a portrait for this Truth, Lies and Legends image. His then eight-year old eye captured their sunny, happy feel brilliantly. (Proud mama.) He came along when I shot the actual photo and was more interested in playing in the dirt than helping.

Be the first to buy a Sunflower Portrait print and get a 50% discount on the size of your choice. This is my April/May 2009 home page photo, part of my Truths, Lies and Legends collection.

Insider's Look: New Beginnings

My Photo Stories
Richard chased Susannah laughing through the field below the orchard; unable to wait, he ripped off her dress.
Or…
She thought of him leaving with that young woman as she angrily threw every object in the house reminding her of their 30-year marriage into the back field.
Or…
After her last daughter chose not to wear the silk wedding gown she’d so lovingly saved, Esther gave it to her granddaughter to wear around the house.Or…what are your story ideas?

Behind the Photo
My friend Nadine Robbins loaned me her wedding dress for this shot. The orchard is very close to my home and I always enjoy the burst of flowering trees early in the spring. They should be blooming soon!

Be the first to buy a New Beginnings print and get a 50% discount on the size of your choice. This is my March 2009 home page photo, part of my Truths, Lies and Legends collection.

Insider's Look: Prayer for Minnewaska

My Photo Stories
The sky, gray in sympathy, looked on as Indian maiden Minnewaska laid down mountain laurel in memory of her lost child.
Or…
As part of a full moon, equinox ceremony, the group of seven witches conducted a purification spell to purge the land of negative energy.
Or…
His first day on the job, Park Ranger Rob Gaston was horrified to see flames consuming the trees like matchsticks.
Or…what are your story ideas?

Behind the Photo
Last April a brush fire burned more than 3000 acres of forest in Minnewaska State Park. It has been one of my favorite places to hike and photograph since moving to this area. I was greatly saddened to see the charred remains of old growth forest.

Be the first to buy a Prayer for Minnewaska print and get a 50% discount on the size of your choice. This is my February 2009 home page photo, part of my Truths, Lies and Legends collection.

Insider's Look: Table for One—Steak Anybody?

Readers of my blog get the first look at my new home page photo every month. This photo is part of my Truths, Lies and Legends collection. I begin with a spectacular natural setting. Then, I interfere. I place something in the frame giving the impression that a person has been there recently. My interfering in this way transforms a photographic landscape into the set of an unfolding story. My intention is to involve the viewer as storyteller. To get ideas flowing, I offer a few storylines of my own.

My Story Offerings:
Upon reading of how the cow, Emily (the Vegetarian Activist), escaped from a slaughterhouse, Marissa set up a roadside display to make passersby think twice about steak for dinner.
Or…
A line of curious Angus proved their true nature to be carnivorous as they strained their necks through the fence to taste the raw meat.
Or…
After retirement, Bob developed an odd friendship with his neighbor’s cow Bessie.
Or…what are your story ideas?

Story Behind the Shot
The craziest thing happened while I was doing this shot. I live across from this farm where they raise both Angus cattle (beef) and dairy cows. At least 3 times a week I walk by both kinds of cows and have noticed that the dairy cows are always curious about people and the Angus flee as soon as you approach. Who says cows are dumb? Anyway, when I set up the table with the steak, the Angus cows overcame their fear. They formed a tentative line (that you see in the photo) and then slowly and carefully walked right up to the fence—with me standing right there—and tried to eat that steak!

Be the first to buy a Table for One print and get a 50% discount on the size of your choice.

Thanks for Hopping By

What a weekend. Nadine and I had close to 100 people come through our studio. Many people were interested in the new work I had on display from Truths, Lies and Legends which was invaluable to me. I was nervous about the story component since it’s very untraditional, but people liked the idea a lot. One woman suggested I have a vote after collecting everyone’s stories to decide on the best one. “People love to vote,” she said. A writer told me she’d come up with some story ideas and send them along. Another woman brainstormed ideas with me over how to present the stories for the final show—hand write them? Display on computers? One woman told me that I’d inspired her to get back to photography herself. She bought a cowgirl print from me.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by. Your words of encouragement will keep me going. All the artists on the tour had a great experience, so look for it to become an annual tradition—sharing Fall color and art.

Ryley—The Next Coppola?

At long last, here is the directorial debut of Ryley Robinson. For the subject of his first film, he chose to document his mom taking her Fried Eggs photo (part of the Truths, Lies and Legends collection). At times serious journalist, at other times comedian, Ryley’s created a gem his children will treasure. My husband, the sound engineer, will no doubt cringe when he hears the audio. But, it would have been cheating to consult a professional.

How Did We Create the QuickTime Movie?
Our dear friends Stephen and Sandy gave us a video camera when Ryley was born. It films onto a tape, but has a cable that you can hook directly to the computer. On a Mac, when you plug up a video camera, iMovie automatically starts up. From there, you simply hit the import video button. iMovie is pretty easy to use. You kind of pick up and drop stuff into a timeline. You can split video into scenes and place transitions between them. The title slides are canned. I wish we could have custom made them, because the one thing we couldn’t include are the stories that actually accompany the Fried Eggs photo. The thing that gave us the most trouble was including the song. You’ve got to be sure to include an aiff file or an mp3 file that isn’t in your iTunes purchased library.

Please let me know if this doesn't play on your computer.

I’m going to figure out how to upload the movie onto YouTube for my next challenge…stay tuned.

Insider's Look: Aluminum Foiled

Readers of my blog get the first look at my new home page photo every month. This photo is part of my Truths, Lies and Legends collection. I begin with a spectacular natural setting. Then, I interfere. I place something in the frame giving the impression that a person has been there recently. My interfering in this way transforms a photographic landscape into the set of an unfolding story. My intention is to involve the viewer as storyteller. To get ideas flowing, I offer a few storylines of my own.

When Frank Goldberg was a young boy he created vast futuristic cities made of aluminum foil.

Or…

As he toiled to push the shopping cart full of precious recyclables, a ball of foil popped out
unnoticed.

Or…

After reading a viral email that aluminum foil causes alzheimer’s disease, Frank took it upon himself to alert the American public.

Be the first to buy an Aluminum Foiled print and get a 50% discount on the size of your choice.

Truth, Lies and Legends

I’ve had second thoughts about the title of my latest collection. Last week I released, Fried Eggs, the first in that series. The working title I’d been using, Absence or Presence? Just doesn’t describe the project or enhance it in any way. As readers of my blog, you get to witness all my successes—and my missteps. So, I’ve renamed the collection “Truths, Lies and Legends.”

My intention has always been to make the viewer an active part of these images. To get them started, each photograph will be accompanied by a few storylines I invent. Paper and pencils will be available for people to write their own storyline ideas, constantly enhancing the exhibit. Why is a bicycle in the middle of a country road with its wheel spinning under a threatening sky? Little Stevie was riding up and down his driveway one crisp, Autumn Saturday morning, and carelessly abandoned his bike when a huge snapping turtle began crossing the road. Or, 5-year-old Susie was hit by her license-free, 16-year-old neighbor, Cal, who had taken his father’s old truck out for a joy ride. Or, a tornado came through whirling and spinning the little red bike thousands of feet into the air and dropped it harshly onto the pavement five miles away.

Love to hear feedback on this. What do you guys think?

Insider's Look: Fried Eggs

Readers of my blog get the first look at my new home page photo every month. This is the first photo to be released from my Truths, Lies and Legends Collection. II begin with a spectacular natural setting. Then, I interfere. I place something in the frame giving the impression that a person has been there recently. My interfering in this way transforms a photographic landscape into the set of an unfolding story. My intention is to involve the viewer as storyteller. To get ideas flowing, I offer a few storylines of my own.

Tom lived a decidedly 18th century kind of life inside a one-room cabin in the woods venturing out only to satisfy his bizarre mind’s affliction to slay eggs.

Or…

Sweat dripped from her forehead onto the spreading yokes as she dropped the eggs onto the
asphalt in an attempt to test the theory of whether blacktop gets hot enough to fry eggs.

Or…

Anna forgot to latch the door to the chicken coop.


Be the first to buy a Fried Eggs print and get a 50% discount on the size of your choice.