My First One Woman Show!

My first two shows as a featured artist happened this spring!  They were entitled "Landscapes" in memory of my mother who passed away this March.
In an earlier blog I wrote about the book of poetry and short stories I helped my mother publish using Blurb.  She named the book "Landscapes" and used my photographs as illustrations.  My mom was an ardent supporter of my photography journey and for that I am grateful.



A word about art shows: work!  I chose 20 of what I felt were my best photographs.  I decided how to print, mat and frame them.  I hung them in a sequence that flowed and made sense.  I advertised the event and had a reception party!  Many people and companies helped me along the way professionally: my printers, my framers, and my photographer friends who encouraged me to do this.  Also, I thank my daughter, Alyssa, who encourages me and is always honest, my friend, Don, who helped me hang and my husband, Geof, who puts on a great party!

CHOICE:  How do you choose your best photographs?!  Well, that is after all the important starting point.  I can say that I am my own worst critic and I am probably not alone in this.  I have thousands of digital images stored on my computer.  Most are crap.  The ones I keep coming back to are not and sometimes it takes a while to recognize a diamond in the rough.  I show them to family and friends and when I get a positive reaction then I know I'm on to something.

PRESENTATION: After choosing I have to decide how to print them.  What kind of paper?  What size?  How about canvas?  I have one image printed on fine art paper that everyone swears is a water color!  Another, a black and white Paris scene printed very large on canvas makes one feel as though you can step right into it.  My feeling?  If I wouldn't hang it in my living room then it isn't right.  So I tend to spend a lot of money on presentation.  These two shows cost me over two thousand dollars.  A photographer friend told me he liked that I was not afraid to use color when I matted and framed an image.  He's right.  I love finding the mat color that makes the image pop!

There are so many local venues for photographers: libraries, senior centers, restaurants, hospitals and annual town art shows.  Get out there and show your work.  It's fun!  I'm just getting started.