Old, Dead, Ugly?

During the height of the Pandemic, I took a series of macro photos of various plants in my garden. I discovered I was more interested in withered blossoms and weeds than in pretty rosebuds. I called the series "Old, Dead, Ugly?" with the emphasis on the question mark. Just for grins, I entered 3 photos from the series, in the 36th Annual McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition and this one one got in. Not bad for someone who thinks of herself as "painter/sculptor who occasionally screws around with a camera" rather tnan a "real photographer", Life is full of suprises.

Although it's It's not obvious, there actually is an underlying connection between my paintings and these photographic works. A lot of my paintings question our society's rather twisted standards of beauty as applied to women's bodies. I brought this attitude with me when I started photographing plants. Just because they are past their prime *does not* mean they are ugly and insignificant. Look and think again.

Sneak Peak: More bears on the way....

Artist's Spotlight: Melody Locke

Rain Lilies, 8 x 10 lumen print

In addition to practicing traditional silver gelatin photography,Locke makea lumen prints of botanical subjects. Lumen printing is a direct process, no negative involved. he photographer places the subject matter on a piece of photographic paper and exposes it to sunlight, then runs the paper through the traditional darkroom processes. In Locke's case the results are semi abstract and dreamlike. It's almost like she's captured the ghost of a flower on paper.

You can see her work online at
http:// https://www.facebook.com/MelodyLockeArt/
https://www.facebook.com/MelodyLockeArt/

or view it in person at

Silver Street Studios
2000 Edwards Street, Studio 320
Houston, TX 77007