Works of Excellence

Published

update!!!

Reception May 20th 6-9pm

The Studio Door
3867 4th Avenue San Diego, CA 92103
Exhibition Dates: April 27 – May 27, 2023

Website: http://thestudiodoor.com/

Youtube video of the exhibition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Y8wwJI-Mg

My work is mixed media joining together my two loves of photography and mosaics that I call Photozaics.  Just recently I experimented with matte-less print as has been suggested in the past, but this time I listened to Emily Schiffer’s suggestion from a recent portfolio review, and this is the result.  This line of photozaics, which I’m calling commando-as for me is liberating to see my photo dancing in sync with the frame.

Four of my Commando photozaics were accepted into Works of Excellence exhibition at The Studio Door gallery.  Wolf n Bear will be physically in the gallery; Gateway to Racepoint beach will be on their website and Breakpoint at Racepoint and Forest of Birch will be included in the catalog.   Honored and humbled to not have just one accepted but four works accepted into this exhibition.

Wolf n Bear

Some people come into our lives and quickly go, some stay for a while, leaving footprints on our hearts and we are never the same- by Flavia Weedn.  This image reminds me of the ones that left their footprints on my soul.

Wolf-n-bear WNBml7.5x13.5x12023-1
Wolf-n-bear WNBml7.5×13.5×12023-1

Gateway to Racepoint Beach

Gateway can offer up an over-welcoming feeling of “come on in”.  This scene offers that feeling with a side of warning to those that don’t pay attention to their environment.  I don’t mind the locals and will respect their home.  If I’m not meant to be in the ocean I will sit quietly on the shore watching a movie of waves play on repeat for my pleasure.

Gateway to Race point Beach
Gateway to Race point Beach

Breakpoint at Racepoint Beach

Dance with the waves, move with the sea.  Let the rhythm of the water set your soul free. – Christy Ann Martine.  Sitting at the ocean’s beach I spend hours just zoning out to the sounds and everchanging views of waves crashing the shore to help recharge my soul.  It’s nature’s symphony that warms my heart.

Breakpoint matte less

Forest of Birch

SOLD!!!

“In Celtic Mythology the silver birch tree is sacred and symbolizes new beginnings and protection.”  This quote speaks to me and helping me understand why I love Birch trees and my Irish Heritage.  This image was taken at Jay Cooke State Park in February 2012 just a few months before this region received an unpreceded amount of rain in a 24-hour period; forever changing the landscape of this park forever.

Forest of Birch FOBml7.5x13.5x12023-1
Forest of Birch FOBml7.5×13.5×12023-1

Variations

Published

Marblehead Arts Association

Date: April 22nd through June 18th

Address: 8 Hooper Street, Marblehead, MA 01945

Work selected:

Green photoziac- commando series (matte less metal print)

Green water, green Cattails, green lily pads.  Green is the color of Harmony and health, it’s generous, relaxing color that revitalizes our mind, body, and soul.  It also gives us hope, with promises of growth and prosperity along with a little luck. 

Tribute to Small works 2023

Published

Dates: April 1st– 27th 2023

MVA Gallery

Location: 35 E. Elizabeth Ave. Suite 35, Bethlehem, PA 18018

Accepted photozaics (formal)

https://www.mvaartgallery.com/

White Daisies photoziac 14x16x1

Daisies are a true sign of spring:  A lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.

Sleeping Bear Beach photozaic 16x14x1

The Ashininaabek people used the Mother Bear as a landmark and tell the story about how she came to be there.  Long ago, along the Wisconsin shoreline, a mother bear and her two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan by a raging forest fire. The bears swam for many hours, but soon the cubs tired. Mother bear reached the shore first and climbed to the top of a high bluff to watch and wait for her cubs. The cubs drowned within sight of the shore. The Great Spirit created two islands to mark the spot where the cubs disappeared and then created a solitary dune to represent the eternal vigil of a mother bear.   These images reminded me of the gulf coast just minus the salty ocean air. 

I watched as morning fog kissed the landscape, slowly burning off showing Lake Michigan’s beautiful teal-blue waters.  While I was exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes, I had the story above playing around in my head; carefully documenting the landscape with both color and infrared cameras.

Sleeping Bear Beach

Experimenting with matting or no matting Continues!

Published

Continuing with Emily’s suggestions of going matte less here are a few more matted vs matte less works of art. Images Breakpoint at Racepoint and Pine Edged Road.

Experimenting with matting or no matting

Published

I recently had a portfolio review with Emily Schiffer thanks to Photograph Resource Center Boston and she along with others suggested doing my photoziacs without matting.  She offered up the print option of Metal or Wood; as soon as our meeting was over I jumped online knowing my custom print lab offered up metal prints.  I decided to Experiment with my image called Green.  Below you will see side by side comparison of the same size frame but two very different looks as one image are printed on metal and the other is on foam core and matted. 

Please leave a comment and tell me which one you like and why?  I love reading your comments about my art!  I’m working on another comparison one in my Infrared series- so stay tuned.

The Phipps Center for the Arts

Published

The Enriching Arts Program

Location: Westfields Hospital & Clinic

in the Rotunda to Admin Hallway

Date: September 29th through December 20, 2022.

Phipps website

https://thephipps.org/visual-arts/enriching-art-exhibitions

The hospital website is below:

https://www.healthpartners.com/care/hospitals/westfields/

My exhibition will be a combination of my collections Spirit of the land meets Sanctuary of the Soul. 

” Spirit of the Land” documented in infrared black and white photography.  They portray an otherworldly, surreal, almost dreamlike state that feels three-dimensional.  These images are matted and framed in simple black, and they blend nicely with my award-winning Photozaics from “Sanctuary from the soul “collection.  The inspiration came from Van Gogh’s textures meet Ansel Adam’s simplicity near the intersection of Bob Ross’ healing vibes. This technique is a labor-intensive multi step process and starts out with my journey into nature; recording the landscapes that I spark my eye may it be rolling hills, a babbling brook.  After modifying the composition, I take the print and head to the stained-glass shop to find matching colors.  I cut the glass by hand taking smaller shards, and placing them in a rock tumbler to remove sharp edges while larger pieces are sanded by hand and assemble the frame.  Grouting finishes the artwork allowing the detail of each cut glass shape adding the texture to my art.

Just a few examples you will see at this exhbition

Sanctuary for the Soul- Collection

Published

In this collection, the works of art are Mixed media; a combination of my loves of photography and mosaics that I call photoziacs.  The artwork is available in various sizes, from 16×14 to 30×26 (long edge). These works of art change and exhibitions can be customized to fit the gallery’s space. They sell quickly so this is just an example of what I have to offer.

Contact me for Exhibition and Gallery representation at ncmguirestudio@gmail.com or call me at 651-470-0872.