karen casey smith photography: miniview

i want everyone to visualize calm right now. let’s breathe in deeply through the nose and hold it for a moment. now, slowly exhale through the mouth. if it make you feel better, then i think you’re ready to look at the meditative work of karen casey smith. karen’s collection is filled to the brim with thoughtful, focused shots that lead your eye in and hold it, quietly. afterwards, whether you were prepared to do it (or not), you might find yourself a bit more relaxed afterwards, a bit more focused inwardly, a bit more healed - in a million different ways. it’s a zen feeling. and who wouldn’t want to know a little bit more about the brains behind that operation?

q: where do you live and where do you create your work?
a: home is about 30 miles from chicago, in the northwest suburbs. my work is created first in thought, then with attention to my subject while making the photograph and then in my computer at home.

q: your flower collection is pretty extensive. what is it about flowers that appeals to you most?
a: i love being around flowers. they are a miracle of beauty, and with closer attention even more amazing than anyone could know at first glance. throughout the ages flowers have been loved and given in love, to celebrate, to comfort, and to lift spirits. the beauty of flowers can be experienced directly, without words. when contemplating a flower, time seems to cease to exist and in that silent space you can experience the beauty to the core of your being.

q: i think your mandalas are mesmerizing - can you tell us a little about your technique, and the reasons why you create them?
a: mandalas are so appealing to me. i’ve been working in that form since around 1995 when i first read judith cornell’s book, mandala. she teaches that creating and contemplating mandalas is healing at the deepest levels. each of my mandalas carries a energy or vibration uniquely its own. the mandalas are a way to share positive, healing energy.

the mandalas are made with the aid of templates i designed myself. i first do any editing of the original photograph that’s necessary to make sure the contrast is good, and that all color is in gamut and printable. depending on the flower, i have different templates to choose from that have a varying number of divisions of the circle. in choosing the flower and creating the mandala, i work intuitively. the message or energy of the piece is revealed when it’s completed.

q: what are you doing when you aren’t taking photographs?
a: sometimes i work with and assist my husband, and occasionally do freelance graphic design. i love photoshop, and am always studying and working to improve my skills in both photoshop and photography. currently you could also find me cooking, baking (sometimes in my solar oven!), gardening, playing my ukulele or djembe, practicing tai chi, and playing with our two cats.

see more of karen’s work on her website as well as at her etsy and redbubble shops.

thank you karen!

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amy stein photography

excellent work in new york photographer amy stein’s portfolio. i especially am enjoying the stranded collection today. amy traveled back and forth around the country for weeks creating this brilliant chronicle, which is as much about isolation and anxiety as it is about faith and community.

i don’t know about you, but i’ve been there.

see more work from amy on her website, and see what she is up to on her blog while you are at it.

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eduardo cervantes photography

this color and black and white imagery from california artist eduardo cervantes, aka etsy seller eddyizm, are lavish with light; so lavish, in fact, that i feel guilty and indulgent while looking at them.

purchase these prints here, see more on eduardo’s website and say hi to him on his blog.

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adam normandin paintings

beautiful textures in these acrylic on wood paintings from los angeles-based artist adam normandin. adam is attracted to the beauty and subtle details in things people pass by on a daily basis, and is inspired by old and worn industrial objects. these freight trains are a perfect example. the cars, weathered by non-stop travel for years, possess just the right amounts of unique individuality, rich history and grace that adam seeks to expand on and show us.

see more of adam’s work in a variety of places: gallery 33 east in long beach, george billis in los angeles, and finer things in nashville.

contact adam and view more works online on his website.

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tammy marinuzzi pottery

i am enjoying this fun whimsical terra cotta work from florida artist and very observant people-watcher tammy marinuzzi.

see more and contact tammy on her website, and view more pieces at the mary lou zeek gallery.

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jennifer squires photography: let’s chat!

i am always drawn to beautiful still life photography. one good photo can expand my mind to think that maybe out here in the (sometimes) cold cruel world there are beautiful and joyous things we pass in the everyday. this brings openness and clarity and calm, and it also leads me to stare and stare at canadian artist jennifer squires’ gorgeous collection of images. soft and consistently pleasing, none of her pieces are hard on the eyes, which compels me to keep looking with confidence. let’s have a chat with jennifer and find out more!

q: where do you live, and where do you create your artwork?
a: i currently live and work in london, ontario. i work primarily on location so i create my photographs anyplace that inspires me.

q: what is your background, and did you study art formally?
a: i have been photographing professionally since 1996, but i’ve been taking pictures my whole life. i hold a diploma in photography, and a diploma in advanced photography from fanshawe college (where i was later asked back to teach in the advanced photography program), here in london, ontario. after college i began work as a producer and first assistant at a corporate and advertising studio in toronto, ontario. in 2005 i moved back to london to pursue freelance work, and i opened my online shop in february 2008.

q: what conditions do you think must be present in order to create an outstanding image?
a: i don’t think there are specifically any physical conditions that need to present to create an outstanding image, that is, with the exception of some sort of light. it’s more that i have to arrive at certain points internally; first i need to connect with my subject (be it a person, place, or thing), then i need to observe my subject and find the hidden beauty, next i consider design aspects - what to include, what to exclude, composition, etc, and lastly i need to address all technical elements. then all that’s left is to have fun!

q: which do you prefer more and why: shooting people or shooting objects?
a: honestly, there was a time when i preferred to photograph people. then there was another time when i preferred to photograph places and objects. i think now i’ve found a great balance between the two, when i need a break from one i can go to the other. it’s a beautiful thing!

q: what is the price range of your collection?
a: my art collection ranges from $10-$225, depending on print size which can be as large as 24×30 or as small as 4×6. typically an 8×10 is $45.

q: what is your inspiration for your photo collection?
a: i am constantly inspired by the world around me and i use photography to search for simplicity and meaning in the beauty of the everyday.

q: can we go anyplace to see your work in person? are you currently exhibiting in any shows or is there anything else meaningful you would like to include here?
a: at the present time my work is not being exhibited in any shows but it can be seen online at my website and etsy shop.

thank you jennifer!

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marc hatfield impasto oil paintings

strolling through the narrow streets of the french quarter this last weekend, i happened across these magnificent paintings of arkansas artist marc hatfield. marc, who describes his style as representational expressionism, uses oil and a palette knife to create these thickly layered impasto works. his carefully selected scenes and subjects, things we pass everyday, are filled with rich, exaggerated action that leaps off the canvas as you look.

the style and technique that he uses has also been adopted by more than one artist selling their collections in the quarter, but i think marc does it best.

see more on marc’s website and if you are fortunate enough to find yourself in the crescent city, view them in person at the sterling gallery. i can assure you they are even more gorgeous in person (especially that piece in the top photo, which is an impressive 48″ x 48″ and truly, truly splendid)!

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janine kain photography

pssst. do you like photos to go along with the story you’re reading? if you do, then i bet you will enjoy the work of zimbabwe born janine kain. she currently lives in edinburgh, and documents her struggle with borderline personality disorder through her expressive blog writings, poetry and high quality digital images. reading janine’s written reflections is a journey: harrowing, heartbreaking and wrought with emotion in one moment, buoyant, hopeful and victorious the next. her photographs are an extension of this idea, offering an intimate pictorial insight into a world — her world — frequently filled with pondering and solitude, where there is no reality. only perception.

she has beautifully composed creations, tight framing, great timing, layers, light, depth of field. it all seems to come so naturally. it’s all here, full of life’s everyday moments, and i am so happy to have discovered them.

find janine’s striking images for purchase at the photobox gallery and red bubble. and please, don’t pass up a look at her flickr stream and of course the thing that got me hooked - her very compelling blog.

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