Tread Lightly at Twilight

Tread Lightly at Twilight ©2016 - Twilight is absolutely my favorite time of day. The soft, diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon and a few stars become visible has a magical quality not present at any other time. The rhythm of the day is fast paced and measured by the hands of the clock, but the rhythm of the night is meditative and measured by the movement of the moon. Twilight, or "half-light", hovers between the two signaling the death of the day and the birth of the night with all it's dark secrets. The background image of this montage was in reality captured a little earlier in the afternoon around Sergeantsville, NJ. I was fascinated by the tree whose trunk seemed to grow horizontal along the ground before swooping upward. The wire mesh containers behind the tree are probably corn cribs used to dry corn, but I chose to fill them with a murder of crows exiting into the sky. Clouds were added along with selected filters and texture to simulate that hazy, watercolorish time between day and night. The young lady from my vintage photo collection was actually climbing some steps carrying a basket of flowers, but I replaced the flowers with a candle to light her way and added some grasses and stones to her path in the foreground. Hopefully, she treads lightly through the gargoyles (trying to camouflage themselves among the stones) as she makes her way through the twilight zone to a romantic tryst.

The Messengers

The Messengers 2016 - The background of this montage is a combination of two images of Green Sergeant's Covered Bridge located across Wickecheoke Creek in Delaware Township NJ. Constructed in 1872 and named for local mill operator Richard Green Sergeant, it is the last historic covered bridge in New Jersey. After being damaged in 1960, it was dismantled and replaced with a modern bridge; but, oddly enough, due to public outcry, the bridge was rebuilt from the original materials in 1961. The gulls are from a rather large flock I came across hanging out, not by the sea, but in the parking lot of Wegmans supermarket in Bridgewater, NJ. Many species have learned to coexist successfully with humans and are resourceful, inquisitive and intelligent birds. In Native American spirituality, gulls are regarded as spiritual messengers that indicate a higher communication with spirit guides is taking place. The "spirit guide" in my piece is a composite of three different women to achieve the look I envisioned. The body is one of my models, the face and hair are from two different vintage photos from my collection. The pentagram she wears at her throat symbolizes the five elements with the top point, the spirit, ruling over the other four; earth, air, fire and water. The circle encasing them all represents infinity and the cycles of life and nature. With the composition in place, I added color, selected filters and texture to complete "The Messengers".

The Edge of Seventeen

The Edge of Seventeen ©2016 -  On a recent trip through the historic town of Princeton, NJ, I came across a beautiful old building (no surprise as Princeton has an abundance of them) but what most attracted me to this one was a magical, amber glow emanating from the iron gated doorway at dusk. Upon later research, it turned out to be Stuart Hall, part of the theological seminary of Princeton University. Built in 1876, it was named for the brothers Robert and Alexander Stuart, wealthy sugar refiners from New York City who donated funds for the building. After downloading the files, the color in the doorway reminded me of an idea in the back of my mind using an image of a cicada I photographed in my backyard during the seventeen year brood emergence of 2013. Several cultures, such as the ancient Chinese, regarded these insects as powerful symbols of rebirth. Looking down at the cicada, the top of it's body resembled the intricate bodice of a Victorian lady's dress with the same coloring as the doorway. The wide set eyes seemed to form shoulder pads while the wings formed flowing sleeves and a billowing skirt. I immediately searched my vintage photo collection and found a lovely lady that fit perfectly into the "cicada gown". I placed her in the composition, just emerging from the doorway, along with a crow flying overhead and a crescent moon reflected in the window. Selected filters,  color and texture completed "The Edge of Seventeen".

Valley of the Dolls

Valley of the Dolls 2016 - The title of this piece came from the 1966 novel by Jacqueline Susann, "Valley of the Dolls". Susann used the term "dolls" as a euphemism for drugs and how substance abuse is reminiscent of children clinging to toy dolls for comfort. It was the underlying theme in the pop culture classic about 3 women looking for fame and fortune in the entertainment industry and turning to "dolls" to deal with it's trials and tribulations. The background image is an abandoned building I captured in the area of the Delaware Water Gap in Sussex County, NJ. I was drawn by the weathered, pastel tones of paint and how the bare tree limbs on one side arched protectively over the roof. The building sat very close to a road, so for my composition, I added a pond of water with a cluster of trailing vines from Spotswood, NJ to the foreground. The little girl, with such a sweet expression, is from my vintage photo collection. The doll she is holding onto ( which I have to admit might be considered a bit creepy) is from an estate sale as well as the other dolls lurking around in the background and peeping up out of the water under the vines. The sky was rather bland so I added some clouds, a full moon, texture and of course, a couple of crows to complete the mood of "Valley of the Dolls".  

Along Came a Spider

Along Came a Spider ©2015 -  I discovered this wine glass lost and forgotten in the recesses of a kitchen cabinet. A resident spider apparently decided it was the perfect place to set up housekeeping, spinning a fascinating web tethered to the inside of the glass. Unfortunately, the spider's choice of real estate wasn't the best for attracting prey and it would appear he met his demise huddled beneath, waiting for dinner to be served. As I examined his creation, it immediately reminded me of a cow skull that Georgia O'Keeffe was so fond of painting and I knew I had to use it in a composition. After trying it in several different ones, it struck me that with this, simple would work the best. I placed it on a table in my studio in front of a window with streaming, afternoon sunlight that highlighted the web perfectly. I replaced it's deceased architect with the image of a spider from my backyard, added some texture and filters and "Along Came a Spider" was complete.

A Different Point of View

A Different Point of View ©2015 - This piece began with a small, blue robin's egg found abandoned in the grass of my yard. I searched the area  for a nest it could have come from in hopes of returning it to it's owner but was unsuccessful, so I put it away for future use in an art piece. I've owned the bird's nest since the early 1980s when I found it tucked inside the limbs of  my Christmas tree one year. It's had a place of honor on every Christmas tree since. When I came across the old tintype of the lovely lady, I thought the nest would fit nicely in her lap as she plays mediator between the crow and robin, each having "A Different Point of View" regarding rights to the egg. The background started with an image of a grassy hillside with beautiful foreground flowers taken up north in Warren County, NJ. I added an interesting stone structure built into the side of a hill that I came across in the area of Stockton, NJ. The mysterious entrance was totally dark revealing not a clue as to what lay inside  (and a fence prevented any adventure in that direction) so I decided to use my discretion and add a moonlit scene of a garden path from Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville, NJ for yet another "Different Point of View". The crows, texture, selected filters and hand coloring were added to bring the final piece together.

"A New Leaf" opens at River Queen Artisans Gallery!

A Meeting of Minds

A Meeting of Minds ©2015 - This montage began with an image I captured in the area of Califon, NJ of a magnificent crow. He was perched on the gate of a large property and when I focused my camera on him, the resulting image had wonderful bokeh in the background. In photographic terms, "bokeh" has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light". It was softly out of focus with beautiful orbs of light floating all around. I added a field of swampy grasses with a few cattails from Warren county around Belivedere, NJ. In the distance, I placed a photograph I captured of the lovely Mansion Inn in New Hope, PA. Charles Crook, a local businessman, had the house designed and built for his wife in 1865. The intricate Victorian scroll work gives it a magical air that fit the composition perfectly. When I blended the images together, the orbs of the bokeh seemed to be emanating from the house like spirits dancing in the moonlight. Last but not least, a graceful dragonfly I found sitting atop a plant just outside my back door was added and, hopefully, is having "A Meeting of Minds" with the crow regarding sharing the dance floor.

Catch a Falling Star

Catch a Falling Star ©2015 - The camera is an amazing tool, but it can be magical when the unexpected happens. I was in Stanhope, NJ just around sunset one evening  photographing a flock of 13 vultures (6 of which are included in this piece). They were gathering in a cluster of bare limbed trees to roost for the night. When I downloaded the images, I noticed a streak of light in one just above the trees. Thinking it must be the trailing of a jet plane, I was surprised and thrilled when I enlarged it to see it was a round, glowing object with a faint, textured center. I had inadvertently captured a meteoroid entering the earth's atmosphere! Knowing I had to use it in a piece, I chose a background image of a sloping field with a wooden rail fence and lovely evening light from Stockton, NJ. I removed the tall, wooded area that was beyond the fence and replaced it with a sky of rolling clouds to showcase the star. I came across the little red tricycle at an antique shop in Red Bank, NJ. It was a little impractical to purchase as a prop, but I did sneak a couple of shots that turned out to be usable. I placed it, along with the young gentleman (from my vintage photo collection), and the landing vulture in the field. I then added color inspired by one of William Heath Robinson's watery, pastel paintings to try to attain the soft, golden glow that evenings have at the end of summer along with some texture from a daguerreotype. One legend has it that seeing a shooting star can mean bad luck or even death. Another says good luck and a wish made upon it will come true. I prefer to believe the latter and feel lucky that I was able to "Catch a Falling Star".

Let's Play a Game

Let's Play a Game ©2015 - The base image for this piece was captured in the area of Stockton and Sargentsville, NJ. This gnarled and weather beaten old tree had such a magical feel about it, like something you would see in an illustration for Grimm's Fairytales. It provided just the right setting for the composition I had in mind. The vintage gentleman was part of a group photo but I decided he worked best alone for my purposes. He was in just the right position for holding a photo of my Ouija board that I've owned since the early 1970's. Ouija boards have their roots in a spiritualist movement in the 1840's led by mediums who claimed to be intermediaries between the living and the dead. In 1886, newspapers reported on a new "talking board" marked with letters of the alphabet, number 0-9, the words "yes", "no", "hello" and "goodbye" along with other symbols. Participants place their fingers on a small, heart-shaped piece of wood or plastic called a planchette. It then moves around the board to indicate a spirit's message. It was patented in 1891 by Elijah Bond and in1901, an employee, William Fuld, took over the production under the name "Ouija", a combination of the French and German worlds for "yes". It was popularized as a parlor game and remains so until today. However you feel about Ouija boards, they are always fascinating. Just ask the little girl who seems to have been summoned to play the game. 

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill ©2015 - When I came across the vintage photo of the boy and girl at an antique show, I immediately thought of Jack and Jill, so I had the title for this montage before it even began. It was a couple of months before the composition started to fall in place. I remembered photographing the ruins of an old stone building in Pennsylvania, just outside of New Hope that had a well on the property. Perfect for the background image! The true origins of the English nursery rhyme are unknown but there are several theories. One is that when King Charles 1 tried to reform taxes on liquid measure, he was blocked by Parliament so he ordered that the volume of a Jack (1/2 pint) be reduced but the tax remained the same, so he still received more tax, despite the veto. (Reminds me of what's happening today every time I grocery shop!)  Hence,"Jack fell down and broke his crown". The reference to "Jill", (actually "gill", or 1/4 pint) reflects that the gill dropped in volume as a consequence. In the vintage photo, the two children were only touching hands, so I photographed a pail and placed it between them. Fetching a pail of water seemed a little mundane, so I decided to have them fetch a pail of gargoyle instead! The crows were added as curious bystanders of the situation along with a crescent moon, some color and texture to complete "Jack and Jill".

Lady of the Lake

Lady of the Lake ©2015 - According to legend, the Lady of the Lake lived beneath the waters surrounding the mystical island of Avalon. This "Lady of the Lake" is comprised of 10 different images. The base image is from a trip to The Great Swamp in New Jersey in 2011. It's not Avalon, but quite beautiful in it's own right. I've tried using it in 2 other compositions before but nothing really came together until now. The lovely lady is from my vintage photo collection and fit in perfectly. I added a different sky with more interesting clouds and a full moon along with several crows flying into the distance. Instead of Merlin, my Lady of the Lake has enchanted a vulture to do her bidding and tethered him with a leash of pale blue ribbon. Numerous filters were added in the appropriate places for colors and tones along with texture from an old daguerreotype bringing all the elements together for the final piece.

The Puppeteer

The Puppeteer ©2015 - This piece is a montage of 7 different images.  It began with the base photo of a graceful, bare tree in a grassy field against a stark sky captured on a trip to The Great Swamp near Meyersville, NJ.  Located in Morris County, this national wildlife refuge was established in 1960 and declared a National Landmark in 1966.  I added some additional grasses shot the same day to the foreground to create a perfect setting for the young man from my vintage photo collection.  The church nestled in the background is St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Spotswood, NJ.  It is one of the oldest churches in the diocese of New Jersey, dating to around 1758.  Some circling crows and a texture were added to create the atmosphere I was looking for, but the finishing touch that brought it all together is the quirky little clown puppet I picked up at an antique show.  He has a certain quality that straddles the fence between "good clown" and "evil clown" I needed to complete "The Puppeteer".

Peace and Joy to you and yours!

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day ©2014 -The first documented American reference to Groundhog Day can be found in a diary entry of Morgantown, Pennsylvania storekeeper James Morris dated February 4, 1841:  "Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow,  he pops back for another six weeks nap.   But if the day be cloudy, he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."  Although it has origins in ancient European weather lore where a badger is the prognosticator, it also bears similarities to the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar which is celebrated on February 1st, about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.  My "Groundhog Day"  was inspired by a vintage photo of a beautiful little girl with a melancholy expression on her face that I picked up at an antique shop in Millford, NJ.   I placed her in an image I captured of a window in Lambertville, NJ along with a road through a field in Middle Valley, balloons from over Rt 202 around Flemington, a groundhog from my backyard and several crows from my travels.  Color was added to the girl (originally black and white) along with assorted filters and texture from an old daguerreotype.  Given her wistful look, I imagine she's hoping for a prediction of early spring from her groundhog while dreaming of blue skies full of magical balloons to whisk her away.       

The Skeleton Keys

The Skeleton Keys ©2014 - Often images will sit in my files for months or even years before I decide to use one in a montage.  This one, however, was inspired by 3 images taken on the same day coming home recently from one of my favorite annual antique shows in Pottersville, NJ.  I came across a small herd of young black angus bulls grazing in a pasture near the town of Lamington.  The contrast of their dark coloring against the bright green grass caught my eye.  As I approached to photograph them, they moved closer and closer together until huddled in a small group as a seemingly protective measure.  Suddenly, they collectively moved towards me, which made me somewhat nervous until I realized it was just out of curiosity!  It was one of those shots that became my base photo.  I wasn't crazy about the bright green field the bulls were in, so I placed them in a rolling field of golden grasses from Rte 206 in the Peapack Gladstone area.  Traveling on, I stopped to photograph some horses and captured a large flock of blackbirds flying overhead that I added to the sky.  Some clouds, a crescent moon, and some texture from an old daguerreotype provided an evening feel to the image.  Leading the herd is a gentleman from my vintage photo collection and just above, a beautiful crow that's been hanging out in my neighborhood.  For a touch of mystery, he's carrying off "The Skeleton Keys" I found in the basement of my house when I moved there in 1977. 

New Show at River Queen Artisans Gallery!

"The Boating Party" showing at Hamilton Street Gallery

Very pleased to be included in this show!

All the Pretty Little Horses

All the Pretty Little Horses ©2014 - This montage started with the vintage photo of the little boy circa 1900s that I picked up at an antique show.  He had a rather odd ethereal quality about him, blond, rather pale and dressed all in white.  He brought to mind a white horse I had captured in 2008 prancing and frolicking in a field as other horses stood by watching.  The two fit together perfectly.  I then added a stately, white columned abandoned mansion I photographed in the village of Port Colden, NJ located in Washington Township along the Morris canal.  Built in the 1840's, it served as a finishing school for girls, a private home, and a hotel called the "Port Colden Manor" among other things over the years.  At a dark point in it's early history, it was said to be active during the underground railroad as a stopover for slaves being returned to the south.  Supposedly, some of the shackles and chains remain in the building.  Not surprisingly, It is also said to be haunted.  The vulture flying gracefully off into the distance, I photographed in Millford, NJ.  I placed them all in a field from a recent road trip to Pennsylvania, added a cloudy horizon and some texture from an old daguerreotype.  The title came from a haunting lullaby from the 1800's,  "All the Pretty Little Horses."

Buffalo Bill

Buffalo Bill ©2014 - This montage was inspired by a field of buffalo I happened across in the area of Milford, a borough dating to the mid-18th century located along the Delaware River in western New Jersey.  When I saw the field, I remembered it from several years ago but at that time, the buffalo were at the far end and I wasn't able to get any usable images.  This time, they were wandering much closer so I got quite a few good shots (although I had to shoot through the openings of an electric fence)!  The field itself was rather boring except for a lone, stark tree with bare limbs reaching in all directions, reminding me of lightning bolts across the sky.  When putting together the composition, I kept the tree but layered 2 other images with more interesting grasses and contrasting trees in the distance.  The gentleman is a vintage photo I've been wanting to use for awhile that seemed to fit what I had in mind perfectly.  I added in the buffalo along with a vulture I captured the same day just as he was taking flight.  Some crows from Greenwood Lake, New York were added to the tree along with a texture, color and filters.  After a bit of trial and error, everything finally came together for "Buffalo Bill".