Self Portrait With AFIB
I’ve recently been diagnosed with a cardiac rhythm condition called Atrial Fibrillation. I am stable on medications and awaiting cardiology intervention to correct it. I feel I am operating at about 75% of my fully-charged battery. I made a multimedia art panel to illustrate how I feel.
Banned Books
I had these “Banned in Florida” books and some hardware laying around. I decided to create a “miniature art installation” on a shelf. Do a young person a favor and gift them provocative literature! They will thank you before they get to chapter five!
This Is Criminal
This has bothered me for years. The Stompin’ Tom Conners mural on a wall facing the Grand Hotel in Carleton Place, Ontario (where Tom stayed and wrote many iconic songs), is partially obscured by Bell satellite dishes and defaced by a tax service sign. if I only had a bucket truck…
My Old Building Thing
I really enjoy photographing old buildings. Maybe because I was born and raised in a colonial American city and immersed myself in its rich history. I also like the sense of permanence and heritage that historic structures represent. And, of course, the human stories. I imagine the people who lived and worked at these places and feel their presence in the brick and stone. This may explain why Jill and I chose to live in a converted 200-plus year old grain mill, in a small, picturesque Ontario town.
Photography Influences
I spent decades working as a military photojournalist and photographer. The pace was high, the pressure was intense, and I was surrounded by hundreds of people - all the time. As much as I’d like to be more social, I am simply not a “people person.” That’s my wife Jill. Maybe this is why today I prefer to photograph building details, capture color and texture in unexpected places, and sneak a few street photography images. I see novel beauty in the most common scenes. If I had to name a photographer who has influenced me it would be William Eggleston - the first modern photographer to have an exhibition of his color photography at the Museum of Modern Art, MOMA. (link) That’s one of his images above.
Photo School
My first formal photography training came courtesy of the U.S. Navy. I was fortunate enough to be educated at the Naval Schools of Photography at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. It was intense, thorough, and competitive. Of the 21 students who began my class, only 14 of us successfully completed the training and were awarded the Navy Rating of “Photographer’s Mate.”
My Editorial Viewpoint
I’ll be the first to admit that my multimedia panels are not the type of art work that most people would hang above their sofa. That’s what IKEA is for. I’ll also own the technical imperfections of some of them. If I was seeking perfection I’d be an engineer, not an artist. I create what I feel. I’ve been around and wide awake on this planet for a long time. My art is the result of decades of “paying attention.” If you view my art and it stimulates emotions, thoughts, or contemplation - I’ve done my job.