There are only two places where my mind finds freedom from thought – on the back of a horse and behind the camera. Throughout my life, creating art has been my primary gateway to transform seemingly impossible situations into great opportunities. When my mind is racing and I cannot figure out the answer to whatever question life is presenting me with, I get behind the camera. The constant thoughts come to a stop and are replaced by a calm that then might give way to answers. Being amidst the imagery I am capturing brings me out of the conscious mind and into a more visceral place where subconscious thoughts can uncover hidden opportunities in times of uncertainty. I feel this is an integral part of our development as human beings, our ability to find beauty in chaos.

 

Photography has long been my avenue of choice. Embedded in reflective creeks, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls are images of the natural world that remind me of paintings from the likes of Monet, van Gogh, Cézanne, de Kooning, and Pollock. The water, forest, sun, and sky merge together and when captured at the right moment, become works of art, impressionist or expressionist; surrealist or abstract expressionist.

 

This orchestra between nature and the lens of my camera fascinates me endlessly. Rarely does that which we cannot control bring joy and calm. However, in art it is possible. Gently teasing attention away from practical concerns, the unknown and uncontrollable essence of art-making becomes a parallel universe. I find great value in the freedom I experience while getting lost in these works. Freedom from concern, from worry, from ambition, from failure, from success, from work, from wealth, from poverty.

 

Our current pandemic reality, while mired in greed along with flagrant disparities and polarizing politics is one where the human being still continues to fight for what is right and honorable in upholding human values. The Impressionist movement evolved partially out of the unrest created by the French Revolution and a similar desire to experience fresh air, and with it fresh perspective. In 100 years there will be a myriad of photographs that capture the world’s current situation, many of empty streets and trying times. My works represent the other face of our shared reality. The stress of this pause will not be forgotten by anyone who has experienced it, but perhaps there are works of art that find the beauty of moments in time that stand apart from time’s chaotic reality.