This week I am showing a series of collages from a trip to Disney World in 2007. Epcot Center was a great place to find inspiration.
“Portraits of Chinese Masks’
The Chinese pavilion at Epcot Center in Disney World had a door that faced the lagoon. The sun was setting on the other side of the lagoon and was streaming into the pavilion at a completely horizontal level. It is odd to see sun that low coming into a building. Usually there is something that gets in the way, another building, trees, walls, hills, etc. But in this place at this time it was filling the room as if it was a flood of water. I stayed there until it set.
The woman behind the counter was having a hard time looking at customers because the sun was right behind them, hitting her in the eyes. I asked her if I could take her photograph and in spite the blinding light, was happy to allow me too. I walked around the room finding other elements and came across the buddha. I didn’t realize it would fit perfectly with her, but I did feel it had the same dimensions. Later I was pretty dumbstruck to find that with virtually no manipulation the two faces matched up perfectly.
This week you get to see sketchbook drawings again, woo hoo! These are colored marker drawings I have done over the years. I drew, then colored, the people.
“A Spotted Woman with Flyer’
Most will have symbols and images familiar to those who have seen my work over the years. I would love to know your thoughts on those symbols and the drawings in general.
Another in my series of portraits. She was modeling for our local photo group. I walked away from the group, looking around the back of this barn they were using. I found this gorgeous rust and metal wall and immediately went back and stole the model away for a brief amount of time to get this shot.
I love doing portraits with one eye closed. There is something so disconcerting about it at first. But it then also allows you to think about two different aspects of the person at the same time, and how they coexist. Plus it just looks really cool.
Another in my week of portraits. This is a dancer/model from the Tulsa Ballet who posed for our photo group in the spring of 2008. I don’t know her background, but I see a real Russian look to her with her eyes and bone structure in particular.
Another in my week long series of detailed portraits from the last few years. This one is of a dental hygienist where I get my teeth worked on. She is much prettier than this photo shows since I manipulated it extensively to bring out all the details of her skin texture.
This is a series of black and white images that I worked on to create a very painterly, beautiful and moody feel to them. I wanted them to look hyper real yet very other worldly at the same time.
I went to new eye doctor that was closer to wear I live. This is her. I wanted to do a collage, but I liked the straight photo so much I didn’t go past it. I had to get new glasses by the end of 2007 for insurance purposes so I waited until New Years Eve day to go to the local eye doctor in my small town in Oklahoma. The whole staff was very nice and the doctor agreed to pose for me after we were all done. The light coming in through the office windows was fantastic and brought a beautiful glow to her skin and eyes.
