I am drawn to the beauty of natural landscapes,
and the aesthetics of architectural elements.
The energy of an environment calls for the essence of experience to be captured.
LOOK TO SEE TO REMEMBER
My path as an artist began when my first grade teacher “hired me” to illustrate a project she was working on for what I assume to have been her Masters. Several mornings a week during that summer, I'd sit next to Mrs. Weddell at a large desk in her cozy den and simply draw pictures.
In fifth grade, I was awarded a scholarship to participate in the Tam O’ Shanter Art Program associated with the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History in Pittsburgh (Oakland), PA. Taught by legendary instructor, Joseph Fitzpatrick, this same art program was attended by Andy Warhol, Annie Dillard and Jeff Goldblum while growing up in Pittsburgh.
For the next five years, my Saturday mornings were spent in the grand halls of the Carnegie Museum where I imagined traveling to distant lands while sketching dioramas of ancient and foreign cultures. We ventured to Phipps Conservatory where we strolled through magical gardens that sprawled beneath the domed glass enclosures. I took note of the play between light and shadow, perspective and balance, color and texture and used these elements to capture the energy of the subjects I sketched and painted.
I was taught to view the world through the eyes of an observer. Each week the class was required to write the mantra, LOOK TO SEE TO REMEMBER, TO ENJOY, in block print at the top of the manila paper that was handed out to record notes. For me, Look to See to Remember, was about learning how to slow down and fully experience each moment in life. It was not enough for me to merely look, I chose to listen, touch, smell and taste to remember.
Years later while taking a postgraduate course when working toward an M.A. in Communications, I discovered photography. In 1980, this involved a deep understanding of the element of light as a means of image creation since “back then” not only did I use good old fashioned film, but I learned to develop it in a dark room. In doing so, I was exposed to techniques that helped me understand the artistic elements that would one day help me capture and improve images using a digital camera. I appreciate photography for its element of instant gratification and ability to capture an Experience to Remember…and Enjoy.
Over the years, I've learned to view life as if I were looking through the lens of a camera. This has allowed me to capture moments of life and store them in my visceral memory. When I began to focus on writing to record experiences of my life in words, all the years of living the mantra of Look to See to Remember created has provided me with an infinite palate of memories.
These are just a sample of photos taken during travel adventures
through England, Ireland, and Sweden as well as several trips exploring the United States.