Monotype Technique
(Photo by Mark McD Photos)
My still life’s are created using mostly objects from nature, photographing the pieces, then returning the detritus back to nature. The period in time where a plant is between life and death, is when nature is at a point of departure. So, this series of photographs, “Beautiful Decay” was created.
A flower’s bloom is always considered nature at its finest. But there is beauty in its decay as well, not just in the flower’s blooms, but within the whole botanical structure; the wilting blooms, the seeds, pods, and leaves all in their unique stages of decomposition. Without the decay of one year, there would be no fresh beauty in the next. I try to bring out the essence of nature’s life cycle in my photography.
I use a painterly palate of tones, textures and colors in my photography to bring out the essence in a plant’s life cycle. Each still life is carefully arranged in natural sunlight, using rotting boards and rusting metals as a backdrop, then photographing, rearranging, and photographing again many times until just the right essence of nature’s character is captured. And then it is sent back to the earth to feed the insects, birds and next year’s growth.
2023 Guest speaker at Moravian Academy - Bethlehem, PA
2023 Book cover for MaryAnn Miller "Falling Into The Diaspora"
2019 Banana Factory Resident Artist
2018 Permanent Collection - City Center Allentown
2017 InVision2017 - Instagram Photo Contest - 1st place
2017 Artist of the Year - Arts Community of Easton
2016 Juxtapose Dream Big Competition - 2nd place winner out of 1800 artists
2016 Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center - Inaugural Artist for grand opening
2003 Permanent Collection - Tom of Finland Foundation