In 2008, 2009, and 2010 I participated in an exercise in self-discipline that had been started by some online photo friends on one of the Leica groups. It's called "Picture-a-Week," and the idea is simple: make at least one good photograph each week, no matter what, without fail, no excuses. Doesn't have to be prize-winning, but it should be one that I am happy to show off to some sophisticated photography/art audiences. It was a very productive and rewarding exercise to go through and, in fact, my 2009 solo gallery show called "Café Life: a Laptop, a Cell Phone and a Latté" was a direct result of that practice.
Because I primarily consider myself a print maker--my art is producing a
work on paper (or aluminum, or copper, or plexi, or ceramic...) rather
than being an "imager," I want to make my 2015 exercise a P-PAW (Picture
and Print a week.) Following my 2009 show, I have done relatively
little photo-based art. Instead, I've been making mixed-media
compositions, collages, and mail-art. I had a very nice mail-art show
this year at Artspace Richmond leaving me to wonder what is the next step for me and my ADD creativity.
I keep coming back to feeling that I want to do more of what I used to do: photography. What's more, I find myself attracted to traditional subjects (landscape, nature, portraiture) as well as traditional formats (film, silver prints, etc.). So I have decided to undertake another year of picture a week discipline, complete with a top-quality print of each week's PAW. Since I love my mail-art networks and don't want to lose the friends I have made there, I think that my weekly print will become the core of a weekly mail-art piece. So mail-art friends, watch your letter boxes!
To add a little spice to the mix, I have just had surgery which renders me very immobile. I am in a leg cast and restricted to movements I can accomplish on one foot only. That will be the case for at least a couple months, with another 2-3 months in a "walking cast" I probably won't be routinely leaving the house and/or driving until at least late Spring. So no walks in the woods with cameras for me. If it isn't in my house or on my front porch, I most likely cannot photograph it. What will I photograph? We shall see...
Keep eyes peeled, Friends,
Dan M
PS: Here are some pix of recent prints of mine from the Biennial Member's Show of artspace, the gallery I belong to in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Just to get you in the mood!
I keep coming back to feeling that I want to do more of what I used to do: photography. What's more, I find myself attracted to traditional subjects (landscape, nature, portraiture) as well as traditional formats (film, silver prints, etc.). So I have decided to undertake another year of picture a week discipline, complete with a top-quality print of each week's PAW. Since I love my mail-art networks and don't want to lose the friends I have made there, I think that my weekly print will become the core of a weekly mail-art piece. So mail-art friends, watch your letter boxes!
To add a little spice to the mix, I have just had surgery which renders me very immobile. I am in a leg cast and restricted to movements I can accomplish on one foot only. That will be the case for at least a couple months, with another 2-3 months in a "walking cast" I probably won't be routinely leaving the house and/or driving until at least late Spring. So no walks in the woods with cameras for me. If it isn't in my house or on my front porch, I most likely cannot photograph it. What will I photograph? We shall see...
Keep eyes peeled, Friends,
Dan M
PS: Here are some pix of recent prints of mine from the Biennial Member's Show of artspace, the gallery I belong to in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Just to get you in the mood!
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