Newsletter May 2010

We're finally getting more rainy days than snowy days here in Montana. That, along with the emerald green mountain meadows and the wildflowers blooming, is a sure sign that spring has sprung and summer is on its way. An even surer sign for me is how busy I've been after a slow winter. In addition to starting to re-side our house, I've been creating new work and getting ready for art shows and exhibitions. In no particular order, here are some details about what's been going on:

I am pleased to announce that two folio collections of photos from Opus Corvus, my current project involving photographing crows and ravens, are now available on my internet store.

On A Dark Wing depicts crows as mysterious and darkly surreal inhabitants of a world that exists primarily in our peripheral vision, perhaps as much the stuff of dreams as reality.

Crowheart presents crows and ravens in a variety of poses and moving shots, suggesting a myriad of personality traits. But one wonders whether or not they really possess those personalities. Perhaps they are just birds being birds and by being anthropomorphic in our interpretations we are saying more about ourselves than them.

What are folios? Brooks Jensen was the first person to use the term folio in reference to a body of photographic work in a particular format he developed. I have followed his general approach (which he graciously teaches) in producing the Opus Corvus collections. In short, a folio is a collection of unbound, but sequenced prints that is presented along with ancillary material (e.g., title page, introductory text, colophon) in a presentation folder. It is meant to be perused much like a book, with the ability to view the prints up close and to enjoy the tactile feel of the fine art paper on which they are printed. (While designed to be viewed in this manner, the photos are of archival quality suitable for framing as well.)

I recently participated in my first outdoor art show of the season at the Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, Missouri. I did this show and two others in the Midwest last summer and all three had rain, tornado warnings, and high winds. Thankfully the weather for the St. Louis show this year was quite sedate. I'm hoping for the same for the rest of the shows this year as well. Below is the schedule for the remaining seven shows I am doing this year.

Date	Show	Location	Website
June 4-6	Prairie Village Art Show	Prairie Village, KS	http://prairievillageshops.com/art.html
June 25-27	Omaha Summer Arts Festival	Omaha, NE	http://www.summerarts.org/2010/
July 17-18	Summerfair	Billings, MT	http://yellowstone.artmuseum.org/
July 23-25	Arts in the Park	Kalispell, MT	http://www.hockadaymuseum.org
August 6-8	Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts	Bozeman, MT	http://www.sweetpeafestival.org/
August 20-22	Art Fair Jackson Hole	Jackson, WY	http://www.jhartfair.org/
August 27-29	Art in the High Desert	Bend, OR	http://www.artinthehighdesert.com

Three of my photographs are currently part of a juried art exhibit called Convive at the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture in Bozeman, MT. The exhibit runs through the first part of August and includes some fine works of art by a number of talented local Bozeman artists. I enjoy exhibiting my photographs in shows that include other mediums besides photography. It allows me to view my work in a different perspective and evaluate it in a much broader context of art than a strictly photography exhibition does.

Earlier this Spring, I contributed a print of my photograph Sugar to the Fine Print Auction and Annual Fundraiser at the Viewpoint Photographic Art Center in Sacramento, California. The photographs were on display for a month and then auctioned off on May 1. I have yet to hear of the auction results but hope they did well. Given the economy in the country and in California in particular, fundraising for nonprofits is a difficult undertaking.

Museums and galleries generally plan exhibitions a year or two (or more) in advance; so I'm always working to line up exhibits further out in the future than I am used to thinking about. I recently scheduled two new venues for my work. In 2011 I will be exhibiting works from the Opus Corvus project at North Central College in Naperville, IL (a suburb of Chicago).

Then, in 2012, my Elevations traveling exhibit will show at the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture in Bozeman, MT. During the Elevations exhibition, there will also be a juried photography show in another gallery at the Emerson. I will be the juror for that exhibit.

I recently started a new blog on my web site. I don't intend to publish many photographs on the blog. Rather, I intend to post commentary on photography as well as quick updates on my own photography activities such as shows, publications, new print products etc. I will be cross-posting the blog entries to my Facebook page, so if you follow me on Facebook there is generally no need to read the blog.

The prices for prints, books, and photo tins for sale on my web store page will be going up soon. The new prices will take effect about July 1, 2010. So if you've been wanting to order a print of your favorite photo or perhaps a copy of my Elevations book, now is the time to do so. (Prices for the new Opus Corvus folios will remain as they are.)