MY FIRST TIME

Made you look.

My first time...we all have firsts. Mine is my first solo exhibition which is currently taking place at Congressman Rob Wittman's Fredericksburg, Virginia office. This is a very exciting moment for me. The office wanted something new on their walls and as Rep Wittman represents Fredericksburg (in Virginia's 1st congressional district), they were looking for images that do the same.

Well, fortunately, Fredericksburg is one of my favorite haunts. Old town is phenomenal as every time I go there I seem to find something new to shoot. I've lived here for somewhere around seven years; been roaming old town for about five.

The viewing process for selection went from basic art I've found in old town to photos that best represent the area. It was a matter of digging into old folders and finding images that don't make the website. Why don't they make the website? There's nothing wrong with the images, it's just that I do a lot of close up shots that I know represent Frederickburg, but that no one else knows represents Fredericksburg. These are the shots that hit the site. The others stay in folders in the darkroom. Nothing wrong with that. These are images I just don't believe would sell. Well, after having a heart to heart with my business adviser and working with Rep Wittman's office, I've concluded otherwise.

How did I rectify the problem? I made a new gallery on the website called Haunts. This is an area where I put those shots of favorite places I hang out. It gives me room to put up local images to share with visitors and potential clients. Currently Fredericksburg and Richmond take the honors. But, in the big picture, I'll be traveling a lot more.

Below are a few of the images that are in the exhibition. If you've ever been in old town Fredericksburg, you'll recognize many of them. If you've never been to old town, I encourage you to visit.

THE RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER

This is probably one of the most photographed and painted images in Fredericksburg.

FREDERICKSBURG CITY HALL

I just loved the way the shadows hit the lettering on the building.

FREDERICKSBURG BAPTIST CHURCH

Old town has many churches and you'll see the steeples as you roam the streets.

HORSE & CARRIAGE

I think old town still offers carriage rides. The horses are beautiful. If you can't take a carriage ride, go for the trolley. It's a great tour.

FREDERICKSBURG CIRCUIT COURT

I seriously thought this was a church steeple. As I was putting the presentation together for the show, I Google mapped the area to find the streets of the landmarks and learned this wasn't a church. It's a fascinating steeple.

 

 

CIVIL WAR CANNON

 Located at Marye's Heights, this is the location of the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. A lot of history at this site.

 

ON THE DARK SIDE

I was chatting with a friend the other day about submitting my work into shows, and how I found it difficult sometimes. I have a thick skin and I can take rejection, but do often wonder why the rejection. I know art is highly subjective. And I know my art is dark. Not for everyone.

I like my photos on the dark side. High contrast, kind of old. I shoot old things. I want them to show the mystery of their age. I work that on a regular basis. It's my style. And until that conversation, I wasn't even aware I had a style.

But it works. Another piece, a shot of an old, abandoned greenhouse, a black and white, was excepted for a national show in March. In the meantime, I'll continue to create work on the dark side.

RESOLUTION

It's that time, you know, when we make all those decisions to change ourselves, to upgrade our lives, to become the person we think we should be. Happy New Year!

I'm not one to make resolutions. It seems pointless to make changes at the beginning of each year because we can. When I decide on change, that change happens with the decision, not with a date. And with that, though it is the beginning of the year, I have made some changes.

This was a tough decision I've been working with for several months. I've dumped the Magpi Studio Facebook page. At some point, the decision had to be made on how I was going to balance my time and where I was going to focus my business, and with that, I've decided the focus is not on social networking, but rather on the website, the blog, shows and plain old simple networking.

Photos will still be available on the blog, and the blog will be available through the website and my personal Facebook page. Bottom line, if you really want to know who I am and what's going on in my life, friend me. If you want to look at the photos, RSS the blog. If you need services, go to the website and email or call. It's all a real basic process.

And to all my Facebook fans, thank you for your support.