Professional Development & Mentorship

Getting out and making the work is the first essential part of being an artist, but it can be hard to find the time and the motivation to commit to a daily practice and stay on task. With this in mind I am offering a mentorship program, through weekly phone calls and sharing work online, I can help you reignite your creative spark and develop a new series, or work on editing an existing body of work.

If this is something that might be of interest to you, Email me for details

The other step in this journey lies around getting your work exposure and managing your online presence. Before I became an artist I worked for many years in web development and product marketing, and I am now helping other artists manage their online presence so it speaks to their artistic vision and aesthetic.

How I can help:

• portfolio development

• crafting your vision - artist and project statements

• portfolio review preparation

• business cards/postcards - exhibition materials

• social media strategies

• website development

  • web hosting

  • copy writing

  • mailchimp integration

  • blog best practices

If this is something that might be of interest to you, Email me

September News

Summer is drawing to a close. It’s that wonderful time of year when the days are still warm enough to swim in the pond, but in the evenings I’m putting on socks and getting cosy. So much of the seasonal change is heralded with what I’m cooking and I’m starting to think about soups and curries already.

The kids are back to school and I’m both missing them as well as relishing some uninterrupted time in the studio. This summer was a busy one with family and friends coming in from out of town, so I allowed myself to explore some new ideas whilst leaving space to enjoy and be present with family.

This month, September 5th, sees the opening of a new showing of Janus Rising at The Griffin Museum of Photography. It is such an honor to be showing in this lovely museum in Winchester MA just outside of Boston. I will be showing some traditionally framed pieces as well as an installation of newer works, a couple of which I’m previewing here.

Reception 4pm - 6pm September 6th and October 10th.

Kindred Savannah

It’s not often in life that you get invited to be a part of something that, from the first moment, you sense is going to change everything. This was one such occasion when Tobia Makover and Lori Vrba invited me, together with artist Dawn Surratt to be a part of an installation pop up show in Savannah GA. Tobia had presented her own work in this space before in a stunning solo show called Sheltering Skies. It’s an old house that she had bought for precisely this purpose, a space for herself and other artists to share and present work.

I have admired the work of all three of these women for some time. Tobia and I met through Lori, at Lori’s Pigs Fly Retreats on Ossabaw island in Georgia and felt an instant connection. I had known Lori for some time having discovered her through her poignant and moving book The Moth Wing Diaries. Spending time with Lori on retreat in Georgia and discovering her generous and dedicated spirit allowed a friendship to flourish and I now consider her a dear friend and mentor. Dawn Surratt was the only artist I hadn’t met in person, but I knew of her through her sensitive and beautiful work on Instagram and had always felt a strong intuitive kinship.

The spirit of connection that the four of us felt through our work continued through the evolution of the project. Every phone call and decision fostered a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration that became the heart of the exhibition.

During installation we all stayed at Tobia’s house, (thanks to her generous husband and family) which brought us closer together over wine and free-wheeling conversation. We knew our work shares an aesthetic, but it also a philosophy. As Tobia explains:

““This work is by warrior-type women,” Makover muses. “A lot of time, if you look over art in the ages, the feminine gets a little lost and our voice gets lost. I used to try to harden up my work a little because it was too romantic, but guess what? Fuck you. If it’s too romantic for you, go somewhere else. No apologies. Not only is there a niche for what I make, it’s an important niche. My voice, our voice, matters.””

When you visit the show you can see how whilst each artist has their own moment within the show, there are many spaces where the work becomes seamlessly intertwined with only the smallest notation indicating where one begins and another ends. Putting this together became an exciting puzzle, weaving narrative and form throughout the work in the room.

I am so profoundly grateful to have found these women, and had the opportunity to collaborate with them. We are fellow artistic spirits, looking for creative ways beyond the traditional gallery model, to come together, make and present work. Truly - we are kindred.

The Note

I found this poem today, after talking with friends about the power of lists in our lives. I know when I die my children will have my notebooks, filled with lists of my daily chores, struggles and intentions and through these, perhaps more than anything, they will have a sense of how I lived my days.

This poem was inspired by William Carlos Williams This is Just To Say

The Note

Today I found a note,
tucked in a journal, 
it exposed a chink in time
that winked at me 
with treacherous mischief.

Blue Hill, it said.
Mozzarella, 
coffee,
sopresssata, 
avocados.
And don’t forget ,
nasturtiums.

A life distilled 
in a simple list 
of kindness
and indulgence.

The End of an Adventure

It is so easy not to do the things that make us feel uncomfortable. To make excuses and stay home and avoid venturing out into the world, and putting yourself out there. I struggle with this so much, finding it so tempting to convince myself not to do things, but somehow I usually manage to take the leap.

I should be clear though that it’s not as if, once I am doing the workshop, or the residency, or the trip, or whatever it might be that everything falls magically into place. I find myself feeling incredibly shy, inadequate, and lonely. Every day is difficult because every day I am growing and pushing myself which is really hard.

This residency gave me the opportunity to reconnect with Italy in a way I have been longing to do for some time. To be here for two weeks, speaking the language, meeting new people and working on my art has been an incredible gift. I have felt excited, elated, but also at times lonely and have missed my family terribly, but…
I am so glad I came.

My work has grown and so have I. I wanted to write this now, so that the next time I am doubting myself and going on one of these trips, or I’m at the midway point and wishing desperately to be home, I am reminded that this will be the feeling and the reward at the end. The satisfaction of working through something difficult and making it our the other side with a joyful heart, ready to leap again.

Tuscany Residency

I’m halfway through my residency in Tuscany and filled with lots of new ideas and influences. Looking outside my window it is still early spring, the hills are faded green and muted browns, the buildings blending in with the natural palette of the hillside. At every turn you find ancient churches, hidden chapels, medieval villages so tiny that only access is by foot. I’m based in the hills of the Chinati region, surrounded by grape vines and olive trees and staying in a house built next to a church over a thousand years old. Chianti is sandwiched between Florence and Siena and the art of the Renaissance is everywhere. I’ve become obsessed with these miniature portraits and have been scouring antique markets for various frames and objects to use with my work. Making some new things that you can see below and saving time for fun experiments too!

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Upcoming Exhibitions

Lots of exciting news to share this month.

March 9th - I’m off to the Manhattan Fine Press fair to show some books and meet fellow book artists from around the country. I’ll be taking Keepsakes and The Call and am excited to share them with some new folks.

March 23rd - Janus Rising has been extended to the end of March with a closing reception at 6pm at Gallery 169 in Santa Monica. LA folks who missed the first show do try and stop by and check it out.

April 13th - Janus Rising heads to Mexico where I will be showing for a month with my new gallery - San Miguel Photographic Gallery. This will be my first visit to Mexico so it’s a real treat as well as a wonderful opportunity to show in Jo’s cool new space.

April 26th at 6pm will be the opening for Kindred, a collaborative show with fellow artists Tobia Makover, Lori Vrba and Dawn Surratt in Savannah, GA. These women are all personal heroes of mine and it is beyond an honor to be included with them in this one night only, site specific installation.

Janus Rising - Opening Reception

Despite the rain we had a terrific reception for Janus Rising at Gallery 169 in Santa Monica. Thank you to my dear friends and colleagues who came out to support me and the work. I feel so very grateful to be part of such a vibrant community of artists and fellow photographers.

The show will continue to be up through March 3rd and the gallery is open Mon - Fri 10am - 3pm or by appointment.

Gallery 169
Janus Rising on Artsy

Thank you!

Photo credit Eric Minh Swenson

The Way Life Is

The Way Life Is - is an exhibition in Portland at UMVA Gallery at Portland Media Center, 516 Congress Street in Portland, Maine from Feb 1 - 22. The exhibition focuses on the way life is for the hard working families of Maine as interpreted by artists from across the state working in a variety of media.

I am thrilled to have two pieces included in the show from a series I did a while ago about my uncle, Earl Goodine. Earl’s sister Esther was married to my father when he was alive; and I am lucky enough to count Earl amongst my extended family. He introduced me to Maine at an impressionable age, when I was still keen to learn how to clean a fish properly and boat alongside swimming moose on Moosehead Lake. Earl was one of the many reasons I fell in love with Maine and I wouldn’t be where I am now without him.

The opening reception is Friday 1st from 5-8pm. I sadly cannot attend, but if you are in town drop by and check it out.

The Gift

What does it mean?

— to carry absence

in the marrow of

your white-stark

naked self? 

The neverwillbe

lingers,

skulking at the edges

of my story. 

Loss is a gift

to sharpen 

my teeth on,

lest I forget —

the tangysweet taste

of the possible.  

Picking Up the Pieces

I saw today

that you had made something

beautiful.

And I knew what it had cost you

that beauty.

Too much, almost,

for one person

to contain.

It was only yesterday 

that we wrote

of the dreary now of waiting

For the spark to break

the heavy spell.

I’m trying to see 

the road to there 

from here.

I said.

Let’s leave now

you replied.

We’re better there.

For Lori
October 2018

Photo NOLA 2018

My first time at PhotoNola and it was so great! Got to spend time with some great people, see some wonderful work and share what I’ve been working on! 

Portfolio ready!

The photo walk

Sharing my latest portfolio and some books

Flotsam and Jetsam

We had a great time at our holiday sale here in Rockport. Thanks to all for coming out on a chilly night!

Pop Up Sale!

Please join us this Saturday afternoon for a pop up sale at Seafolk Coffee in Rockport. Lots of artistic Christmas goodies! Come at 4pm when I’ll be reading from my book Just When I Thought I Had You.

Recollections Opening Reception

It was a great night at the opening for Recollections at the Panopticon Gallery. Thanks to everyone who came out for the show and to Kat Kiernan and team for putting on such a lovely show!

"Recollections"

Recollections is a joint show between artist Diana Bloomfield and myself. Curated by Panopticon gallery directory Kat Kiernan, our work intersects around the essence of memory and a shared love for the natural world.

The reception is on Thursday November 8th in Boston, when Diana and myself will also both be giving an artist talk. You can sign up for the Facebook event here.

Julia Margaret Cameron Awards

I was so thrilled to receive an Honorable Mention as part of the 11th Annual Julia Margaret Cameron Awards for my piece “Exalt” shown here on the right. The work was also exhibited in Barcelona as part of The Photography Gala Awards at the Barcelona Foto Biennial. Thank you to Julia Dean for taking this photo as I was unable to get to Barcelona this year.

CMCA Biennial - November 3

Anneli Skaar and I are doing an installation piece entitled “A Part of The Maine” for this year’s CMCA biennial. The installation comprises a painted screen by Anneli together my photographs, curated in vintage frames behind it. It’s a culmination of a year long project and it is truly exciting to see it come to fruition.

For more info about the project and our journey, visit A Part of The Maine

Winterhaven

Thank you to everyone who came out for to see the show this summer on North Haven. So thankful for the support from this amazing community and to my extraordinarily talented partner in crime Anneli Skaar! The work from the show is now up on the website too for those of you who missed it.

"Keepsakes" at The Griffin Museum

My artist book "Keepsakes" is to be featured this summer at The Griffin Museum of Photography. 

This book explores how we preserve memories and how the discoveries we make when interacting with the natural world, rekindle the sense of wonder that we remember from childhood. It also nods to the secrets and mysteries contained within the landscape, as both a reflection of time’s passing but also of our collective memory.

Keepsakes is available for purchase here.