What initially drew you to the world of art, and how did you begin your journey as an artist?

While I loved drawing and painting early on, I became enamored with photography as a young teenager. I worked my way through the complete set of Time-Life Library of Photography books we had in our home, which was a great early education in the mechanics, principles, and history of photography. It was also through books that I was first introduced to other photographers like Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. I started with a Polaroid camera in the 1970s, and moved quickly to my first “real” fully manual camera. Soon after, I set up a makeshift darkroom in our family bathroom and learned black and white printing through trial and error.

Can you describe your preferred medium(s) and artistic style, and what draws you to these particular forms of expression? 

I have always been drawn to photography, it’s been the medium I’ve loved best for as long as I can remember. There is something profoundly magical about it, the way one can translate light and form into something evocative and poetic, shaping what we see and how we interpret it. I love the tension between objectivity and emotion that can be achieved in a photographic image—that duality of truth and interpretation that can exist in a single frame.

How do you typically find inspiration for your artwork, and are there any recurring themes or motifs in your pieces?

I find inspiration in the natural world, especially in the hidden and quiet corners of gardens and natural spaces. I’m an early riser and I love being outside in my garden as the dawn breaks. I’m in heaven when the early morning slant of light and selective focus reveal details that would otherwise go unnoticed. A recurring theme in my work is our relationship with nature, how we experience it, interpret it, and how it can reflect our own inner world. 

Could you walk us through your creative process, from the inception of an idea to the completion of a piece?

For me, photography often feels like a form of meditation. I rarely begin with a fully formed concept, but rather allow what I encounter to guide me. I feel like my best work happens when I’m not thinking about the subject or technical process in a conscious way, but rather when I become lost in the sensory experience of just seeing. That’s when I feel most connected to the world around me and the work begins to take shape organically.

What role do you believe art plays in the world, and how do you see your work contributing to nature/environment conversations?

I believe art plays an important role in our world, now more than ever. In a time when the world can feel chaotic or painful, I look for quiet beauty in our natural surroundings as a way to invite the viewer into a sensory experience, offering opportunities for reflection and appreciation of the fragility and resilience of the natural world.

Can you discuss any significant influences or artists who have inspired your own practice?

One of the first important influences on my practice was seeing a major exhibition of Henri Cartier-Bresson in the early 1980s. There was something about the geometry, form, and visual poetry in his work that helped me to see photographs in an entirely new way. I’m still drawn to dreamy, pictorial works by Edward Steichen and Julia Margaret Cameron for their atmospheric use of light and painterly approach. I admire Josef Sudek’s luminous imagery of gardens and windows. I also draw inspiration from the painters Vuillard, Bonnard, and Diebenkorn and their use of color and composition.

How do you approach experimentation and innovation within your art, and how important is it for you to push boundaries?

During the pandemic I took the opportunity to revisit my archive—over 35 years of images. I began experimenting by pairing images together, landscapes that were far apart in time and distant on the globe, creating conversations between distant places and moments. The resulting diptychs formed entirely new, imagined landscapes, unified by form and content. This process opened up a new path of exploration for me in my work, one that continues to evolve and inspire me.

What’s next for you? Any upcoming exhibitions, projects, or goals you have?

Right now I’m excited about a project I’m working on that involves one of my favorite historical processes—photogravure. The updated technique I’m using transfers etched photographic images onto light sensitive polymer plates which I then ink by hand and run through an intaglio etching press. I love the physicality of the process and how each print is unique and textural.