The Elements

“The Elements” is a series of constructed landscapes created by combining, in a grid, 4-12 single images. This series began because of a major change in my life – transitioning from the stressful role of running as arts non-profit to becoming an urban homesteader. As a way to manage the pressures of that world, I had found myself looking up to the sky or the forest canopy and finding serenity there. That same refuge became the inspiration to a new body of work.  The series explores the essence or spirit of each of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire; the earth’s repeating cycles of vigorous growth, the might and power of the ocean, the playful calm of clouds and the consuming passion of fire. The series continues to be an important part of re-calibrating my life to be more in tune with rhythms of the natural world. Focusing on how forms and lines on bordering images in the grid match up, I place each individual photograph to give the illusion of continuity across the multiple images. For each composite, I create hundreds and sometimes over a thousand single images to work from. I feel there is only one combination that “works” as a compelling composition and it is my task to intuitively discover that secret combination. In Photoshop, I alter the edges so that the transition is either barely noticeable or entirely seamless.