A Reflection

            As an artist myself, I create art because I feel a strong need to. I do not create because I want to express a specific idea or opinion to my audience. However, I have learned that although not always intended, my work usually does have a message, and viewers do have an emotional response to my images. More recently, I have tried to tune into my concepts and emotions, and tried to be more concise as to how I’d like my audience to respond to my work. Although, there are times where I want my work to have a wider range open for interpretation.

            As I have looked back on my work, and looked towards what I would like to create, I have noticed that a lot of my photography has themes of childhood and growth. This makes sense, as a lot of my inspiration comes from my past as a young girl. I grew up in Northern California and the Bay Area, and I was homeschooled, so I spent a lot of time outside, while other kids were in their classrooms. I feel lucky to have had so much time to have dreamed and imagined as a young girl. As I grew up, I felt like I could do anything and achieve anything. I feel that I have achieved a lot of my goals, and I am happy with how my art has grown. I believe this is reflected in my work, and this is why there are so many images of growth and childhood in my photos.

            I do a lot of composite photography, which gives my work an intentional other worldly look. I do this because I believe that we all have been given the great gift of imagination, and I believe God intends us to use it. I like to think that I am exercising my mind and my soul when I create dreamy fantasy moods. I also think that this act of imagination keeps me pure and alive in this world of darkness and despair. I feel that it keeps me feeling young, and untouchable to society. I hope that others will be inspired to imagine when they see my photos, and perhaps even inspired to create something themselves.  

            I like to only use my own photography when I create my pieces. I do not create collages with other peoples’ work. Sometimes I even struggle with using special brushes on Photoshop. I want my work to be completely organic and full of things that I can see and touch. I want to be able to say, “Yes, I made all of that.” I get a lot of inspiration from artists like Jerry Uelsmann, Mann Ray, Salvador Dali, Annie Leibovitz, and Brooke Shaden. These artists also do composite photography and surreal art, and they help me to have trust in my tools and my technique.  I of course get inspiration from other things like nature and spiritual and emotional feelings.

            Lately, I have been inspired to do images relating to female strength and growth. I am growing as a woman, and I am learning more about how society views me, and other young girls. This is one of the first times in my life that I have felt very strongly about my concept. I am beginning to have a more surreal look to my work, and I am starting to study surreal artists like Dali more closely.

            Normally I make art with my digital camera, and Photoshop. I stitch together people, places, and other objects to create my scenes. Sometimes it is just two photos, and sometimes it is twenty. Sometimes it is just an obvious double exposure, and sometimes it is an other-worldly situation like a woman with feathers on her face and head, or a girl floating on a cloud in a church. More recently I have played with film double exposures and composites like Jerry Uelsmann’s work. Although I hate dragging out the 4x5 camera, and I hate the long hours in the darkroom, I do love the work that I create with film. The fact that it is hard to recreate a print exactly is something so frustrating, yet exciting.

            Inspiration, experience, and introspection seem to be the most important tools I have to create my work. If I do not have these things, there is nothing within me to give to the world. When I feel empty, my work is empty, and I get no response. What then is the point of creating, if it becomes nothing? There are times when I do not make art, and my mind fills with ideas and dreams and possibilities, and when the time is right I create.