Her skin is cracked, she’s surrounded by cold, wet, mold covered concrete. yet amidst all of this she’s smiling, a look of utter joy because of a simple red balloon.
Unspeakable things
This image was inspired by a story related to me by a fellow artist. She said that she liked my work and she used to hate abandoned places, That seemed kind of strange to me so I asked her why. She said that when she was a little girl, someone closely related to her would take her into abandoned places and do “ Not nice things to her”. I felt gut punched. That phrase ‘not nice things’ really struck me, for some reason she couldn’t call it what it was. ‘Not nice things’, f***ing unspeakable things! The Ivy leaf covering the dolls mouth is symbolic of whatever it was that kept her from saying it.
spoons
I was in the house that my brother and sister in law formerly lived in until it was gutted by fire. I posed the doll at the kitchen sink because I liked the light and the webs and the shelf on the wall behind her. I took the shot and really liked it, except for an empty space in the lower left corner. I was looking around for something of interest to place there and saw three spoons in the debris on the floor. I picked them up and placed them on the empty drain board and liked the results. I showed this image to my sister in law and the first thing she said was, “ My spoons!” There was my title. The next time I was in there I fetched her spoons,
Why Dolls
I use dolls as models to represent people, sometimes myself. When I was young I had GI Joe action figures, I could play for hours . I can't fit into the same clothes I wore back then, but I never out grew my childlike imagination. A lot of people do out grow their imaginations, sad thing.
I get images in my head, sometimes I know what inspired them, other times I dont. My photos are often dark . I'm not trying to be creepy or provocative, but the dolls live in a dark place, my head. I battled depression when I was younger and still have bouts, I believe that's why there's a dark theme running through my images.
A History of red balloons
This was the most difficult doll picture that I've ever taken because, I didn't understand it and didn't want to take it. This image came to mind and I discarded it. 'What the heck is that'? I thought. I get alot of images in my head, some I try and others I toss out, but this one was a Boomerang, it kept coming back. I always title my images after I've looked at them for a while, this one is the only exception. I had seen it in my head so often that I was familiar enough with it to title it, still I didn't want to take it.
One cold weekend I couldn't decide where to go so I decided that I would take this image just to get it out of my head. I would take it, have it on my computer and be done with it. Obviously I've taken it further than that. This is what this image means to me. I believe that everyone has 'red balloons' of some sort, whether physical or psychological. Some people are able to pop them and move on, others are able to deflate and manage them. Still there are some who carry them through life fully inflated and have a difficult time navigating obstacles that life brings. That's the idea behind this image.
Outside Introspection
This image depicts loneliness and depression. When I'm in a dark place , nature always helps to bring things into perspective. It’s easier for me to sort things out inside when I’m outside. This is a self portrait without having myself in it, I'm using the doll because I can't fit into that dress any more.
I've got your Chucky right here
I've got your Chucky right here was Taken at Fort Worden. It's an inspired piece. At shows people would walk in, point to Mr. P. and say "Chucky!" I would correct them and say," It's not Chucky and has nothing to do with Chucky, I've never seen the movie." "Well it looks like him." "No it doesn't!" One day I'd had enough and decided that Chucky had to die!!!
The Powerhouse
The Powerhouse was taken at Fort Columbia in Washington, in a building called The Powerhouse Oddly enough. The light was good and I liked the peeling paint on the side of this column. I liked the silhouette of the generator wheel. I chose this doll for her mood.
Waiting
Waiting was taken in the burned out house next to my moms. It is also my first dummy photo. I had taken some shots in there one day and was really excited about the photos of the pantry that I took, The light coming in from two directions was fabulous. i had just finished looking at the images on my computer and went into my room and saw Herman( not his real name.) My brother had purchased Herman at a garage sale over forty years ago. He has gone through the hands of a few family members over the years, but now he was mine!! Ready to jump at my beck and call. I wondered what he would look like sitting in the pantry. I first placed him on the shelf like an object. After a couple of shots I decided that I didn't like his hand position, I moved them. A couple of more shots and I decided that I didn't like his head position, I moved it and he came to life. I've been bringing life to dark places ever since.
Mr. P. goes underground
Mr. P. goes underground was taken at Fort Flagler in Washington. It's a short tunnel walk to the communications room. The light pouring from the tunnel was glorious, the rusty door, the ring for a handle and the rivets all added to the story
Mirror mirror
Mirror mirror was taken at The Palace Hotel in Port Townsend. When I stay at The Palace, I'm not just paying for a place to sleep and drink wine, but also a studio. With it's Victorian style furniture, it's gorgeous. With this shot I had already decided that I wanted to use the mirror and bed for a shot, but didn't know what. This shot is basically a reaction to the light the came streaming through the window, no time to consciously visualize.
The Tunnel
The Tunnel was taken at Fort Worden in Port Townsend. I had taken a photo in a tunnel there and liked it a lot. I got to thinking that it might be a good shot for a doll. I thought that if I could light it up in the dark that that would look cool. I went back with the doll in a bag and hope in my heart. Well my heart emptied as quick as my bag when I discovered that the tunnel was too narrow for me to be out of frame and light the doll at the right angle. I abandoned that shot and decided to try a silhouette, glad I did.
Coke Oven
Coke Oven was taken in Wilkeson Washington at the Wilkeson Coke Ovens (Google it, this is photography, not history.) I chose this oven partly because it is in relatively good shape, but mostly because of the blackberry vines hanging over the entrance. I put a light inside the oven and shot
Benevolence
Benevolence is another shot taken in Underground Seattle. There is a Church window that can be seen through one of the underground windows, I wanted a shot featuring it. I sat Mr. P. on a barrel, gave him a welcoming pose and lit him up.
Mr. P. and the disembodied face in a jar
Mr. P. and The Disembodied Face in a jar was taken in the Spooked in Seattle portion of the Seattle underground. They were kind enough to let me shoot their dolls as well as mine. On this occasion they also let me borrow a face in a jar that no one was using at the time. This concept came to me immediately after I borrowed it, I only had to adjust my perspective and lighting.
Foot of the stairs
Foot of the stairs was taken at Fort Worden. I had a shot in mind of a doll lying on a bed of flowers in dank surroundings photographed from above. On my way to the dank surroundings I stopped at a supermarket and went into the floral department. I saw that the envisioned shot would cost me well over two hundred dollars! Plan B... I had no Plan B or C. There in the dank surroundings I came up with this alternate shot, shot from above and using a single wild Rose that I picked for free. My brother asked me 'what happened here' and I said that I just document the scene, not collect evidence.
#Notmetoo
# NotMeToo was taken at Fort Worden. This shot was taken a few minutes after my Rebecca strolling shot. This was my first time out with Charlie, who didn't fare so well. I wanted to work him into a shot and for some reason this is what came to mind. I didn't want viewers to get the wrong impression of Rebecca and was going to title this 'Justified', but I thought '# Not Me Too' would say that and more.
Rebecca Strolling
Rebecca strolling was taken at Fort Worden. I'd photographed this corridor before and had this shot envisioned before I went up there again. It's a four hour round trip from my house to get there. I went up early and got my shot. When I got home and looked at the image on my computer I was pleased, then I showed it to my brother... He pointed out that her hand was positioned wrong for the step she was taking, he was right. I had hurried the shot to get it done before anyone else showed up. The following weekend I went up again. The wind was relentless. I tried to get a shot when it died down a little, but it was constant. When I got home I didn't have a single Image where either the doll or camera wasn't shaken by the wind. The following weekend Conditions were right, Hands and feet were right and I got my shot.
The Tree
The Tree
I discovered The Tree this year, I don't deserve a plaque or a statue, I've driven by it a hundred times. I might have looked at it before, but this time I saw it. In the mist, roots exposed and leaning against
a stone wall. I saw it and discovered its shape, its color and i's beauty. I discovered the color and beauty of the stone. This is Evergreen territory, how it climbed this high I don't have a clue. Is it out of place to be one surrounded by many? It's stand alone beauty would suggest otherwise. If you ever feel out of place maybe it's because you have something beautiful about you that isn't present in those around you.
In The Woods
I was driving up a logging road in the fog, Souie ( my dog) was riding shotgun. The further up we went the lighter it was getting, I could tell we would break through. I decided to go up till we did break through then work my way down. Before we did I came across this scene. I had 5 or 10 minutes of shooting and keeping Souie from photo bombing then the fog dissipated and we were done.