We are in the season of wildfires and smoke in the Pacific NW. It should be more like time for blackberry picking and kayaking at local lakes with evening barbecues in the backyard, instead, we are having to stay indoors with windows and doors closed to avoid the smoke. I find myself hiding, once again, and creating new art to obscure the thoughts of the current world condition.
"Becoming" began as an idea of a woman with butterfly wings being stuck in a tree and unable to break free from branches holding her and preventing her from flight. Well, as usual, once I got into the act of creation, it took me somewhere else. My subconscious mind, heart, and soul had other ideas about the direction I needed to go. No need to worry as I went very peacefully.
The journey began with choosing an image of a model. I chose the one in the final image because she was looking downward and her feet were not on the ground. They were just a few inches above the ground. This image was shot as she was jumping on a trampoline. The image of her defying gravity was perfect for the right set of butterfly wings to be added.
The next stage was to find find the perfect background in a fully loaded arsenal of landscapes. I knew I wanted trees and I have a plethora of trees in autumn. I chose an image of maple trees with a foreground of volcanic rocks covered in moss. I like the idea of the autumn color palette and stuck with it.
I tried to make the image work of her being stuck in the branches of the maples but it didn't feel right. I went back to the tree file and was struck by an image of an ancient tree in the forest that had seen better days but it was incredibly beautiful to me. I remember hiking and passing by it and thinking about photographing it but I kept on hiking. I was drawn to this tree. I took some photos and named the file, The Goddess Tree. I decided to incorporate that into the composite and it was perfect!
The whole story was changed from being stuck to being free to believe that she could fly. I added a few final touches to adjust the color, tone, and mood of the image. It told me everything I had been feeling but didn't want to acknowledge. I have to keep believing in myself and of course, defy gravity in becoming the best me possible. I hope this message rings true for you too.
Limited Edition Prints of 25 are available. Please contact me for details.