Peering

This is a photo of a window in the Saint John Laterano basilica in Rome. It is a beautiful church full of amazing sculptural reliefs depicting very animated versions of Bible stories. This window photo, with its stark contrast, was one of my favorite from this church.

I am peering at Light, but never able to fully see or comprehend. Yet, I am drawn to the Light, toward wanting to be still, to look hard, to listen intently, to breathe deeply, and to somehow deeply sense my profound connection to Light more tangibly.

This piece was part of a group exhibit at Anderson Creative entitled "Into the Light," which used the metaphor of light to explore aspects ranging from physical to the spiritual perceptions and understandings of light.

Size: (h x w): 20” x 16”

Media: Original digital print on aluminum

SOLD

Glimmer

I was intrigued by this shadow on my wall and wanted to capture it. While it was obviously created by the sun shining through wind-blown branches and then through my window, it was so mesmerizing to watch the animated shadows and warm glow of light dancing on my wall.

Although the source of Light cannot be seen, its presence is apparent. Light is manifested all around us.

This piece was part of a group exhibit at Anderson Creative entitled "Into the Light," which used the metaphor of light to explore aspects ranging from physical to the spiritual perceptions and understandings of light.  It was also exhibited in Columbus, Ohio in the Let's Get Digital exhibit at the Riffe Gallery.  It is currently on exhibit at my studio, Michele Waalkes ARTS in 2nd April galerie at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44702.

Size: (h x w): 24” x 20”

Media: Original digital print on stretched canvas

AVAILABLE

Infinite

This photo was taken on the rare occasion that I actually got up early enough to see the sunrise (I am NOT a morning person!). This sunrise photo was taken at Tybee Island, Georgia.

I love how the vast and unfathomable essence of Light is expressed in Job 38:19, “What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?” The infinite nature of Light is mind-boggling, yet comforting.

This piece was part of a group exhibit at Anderson Creative entitled "Into the Light," which used the metaphor of light to explore aspects ranging from physical to the spiritual perceptions and understandings of light.

Size: (h x w): 14” x 11”, on small black metal easel

Media: Original digital print on aluminum

AVAILABLE

Proofs

These photos were taken of the shadows cast from a chandelier. I find the shadows so beautiful and graceful.

Traces of reality are visualized as a result of, and in the presence of, Light. This resonates with the complexity of Psalm 36:9b, “…in your light we see light.”

This piece was part of a group exhibit at Anderson Creative entitled "Into the Light," which used the metaphor of light to explore aspects ranging from physical to the spiritual perceptions and understandings of light.

Size: (h" x w"): 20” x 14”

Media: Original digital print, matted & framed

AVAILABLE

Enlightenment

I took this photo of a small ornamental cross, seeking to visually alter and refresh the dimension and meaning of this icon.

Light illuminates and provides a glance at life’s dimension and depth, purpose and meaning.

This piece is part of a group exhibit entitled "Into the Light," which sought to use the metaphor of light to explore aspects ranging from physical to the spiritual perceptions and understandings of light. 

Size: (h x w): 14” x 11”

Media: Original digital print, matted & framed

SOLD

Insight

One of my favorite places in Rome was the Pantheon. It had such an historic feel to it and I loved the interplay of light shining through the oculus and magnifying the dimensional aspects of the architecture.

This shot of the Pantheon captured the multifaceted qualities of Light as it is experienced with limited, finite perception.

This piece was part of a group exhibit at Anderson Creative entitled "Into the Light," which used the metaphor of light to explore aspects ranging from physical to the spiritual perceptions and understandings of light. It is currently on exhibit in my studio, Michele Waalkes ARTS located in 2nd April galerie at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44702.

Size: (h x w) 18" x 24"

Media: Original digital print, matted & framed

SOLD

Angel Fresco

This was such a graceful, faint remnant of an angel fresco on the wall of a house in Pompeii, I couldn’t resist photographing it.

Size: (h x w) 12" x 10" framed
Media: Original digital print
SOLD

Rome

I took this photo because I loved the structure and peeling paint of the old building and how the trees framed it. It looks old, like it has been hidden and is beckoning me to explore it. In actuality, I have no idea what this building is, I took the shot from Palatine Hill and never had the chance to check it out...maybe next time!

This piece was in Impressions of Italy show and is currently on exhibit in my studio, Michele Waalkes ARTS,  located on the main floor of 2nd April galerie and Studios at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44702. Hours are Tuesday- Saturday 10am - 6pm.

Size: (h x w) 18" x 24" framed
Media: Original digital print
SOLD

Grand Entrance

The scale and beauty of the art and architecture I saw in Italy was awe-inspiring. Two images of a grand scale are unified in this piece to exemplify this. One is a photo of a large sculpture of a man and horse in the Piazza del Campidoglio (a courtyard that was designed by Michelangelo). The other is taken looking upward through an entrance into St. Peter’s Basilica.

Size: (h x w) 24" x 18" framed
Media: Original digital print
SOLD

Lighting the Way

This image is of two different photos taken of the colonnade in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, which form a base to the sculptures of the Popes which stand on top. I chose to layer the images of the colonnade to create a more pronounced passageway with additional columns and lighting to show the way.

Size: (h x w) 14" x 11" framed
Media: Original digital print
AVAILABLE

Reflection

This is an image of a side chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica. The chapel is behind glass. As a rule, anything off limits intrigues me all the more, so I peered in for a while. The sunlight shone so brightly through the windows, creating such a brilliant, reflective space.


Size: (h x w) 20" x 16" framed
Media: Original digital print
AVAILABLE

Pompeii Memorial

This piece visually tells the story of Pompeii.

Barely visible in the background on the far right is a sliver of Mt. Vesuvius, which erupted in A.D. 79 covering the city and its people with 30 feet of volcanic ash. The city, preserved by the ash, was rediscovered in the 17th century and excavated in the mid 18th century. This piece also includes an image of a plaster cast of an individual who died in the tragedy and an excavated street in Pompeii.

This piece was in my Impressions of Italy show and in Columbus, OH at the Riffe Gallery's Let's Get Digital exhibit.

Size: (h x w) 14" x 11" framed
Media: Original digital print
SOLD

Emergence

It is hard to believe just how much art I saw in Italy. The aesthetic beauty encompasses not just the large, famous pieces, but also, when you look closely, the smaller elaborate details that embellish the architectural landscape. This piece is made up of two such examples. One image shows the sculptural reliefs surrounding a fountain, called Fonte Gaia, in the Piazza del campo (city square) in Siena. The other image is of a small, rather insignificant dragon at the base of a grand sculpture in St. Peter’s Basilica.

This piece was in my Impressions of Italy show and is now on exhibit in Michele Waalkes ARTS  located on the main floor of 2nd April galerie and Studios at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44702. Hours are Tuesday- Saturday 10am - 6pm.

Size: (h x w) 12" x 18"
Media: Original digital print on aluminum
AVAILABLE

Time Elapse

I was struck by the sight of poppies growing among the ancient ruins in Italy, particularly in the large amphitheater in Pompeii and on Palatine Hill in Rome. In some cases it looked like the poppies could slowly rise up and overtake the remnants of stone. This prompted me to create this time elapse image of the poppies.

This piece was in my Impressions of Italy show.

Size: (h x w) 16" x 20" framed
Media: Original digital print on canvas
SOLD

Columns

This piece was created using an image of a line of trees in Pompeii which I combined with an image of a colonnade in St Peter’s Square. The row of trees looked like natural columns, inspiring me to combine the two images to create natural and man-made columns.

This piece was in my Impressions of Italy show and is now on exhibit in Michele Waalkes ARTS, located on the main floor of 2nd April galerie and Studios at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44702. Hours are Tuesday- Saturday 10am - 6pm.

Size: (h x w) 18" x 24" framed
Media: Original digital print on canvas
SOLD

Mortality

Everywhere you look in Roman statuary, you can’t help but notice how strength is optimistically portrayed, as seen by this image of a female sculpture from the Vatican Museum. To visually challenge that ideal, I have incorporated an image of a relief on a tombstone, in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome. The relief depicts a powerful scene of a woman being led away by an angel, while the husband and four children grieve.

Size: (h x w) 18" x 24" framed
Media: Original digital print on canvas
SOLD

Strata

I find layers of history fascinating, each stratum a witness to a different time in the same place. It is no surprise, then, that I like to use layering in my work, it offers me the opportunity to create simultaneous juxtapositions. Strata is created by layering an image from an ornate archway inside the Vatican Museum in Rome with an image of columns from Pompeii. The ornate present with the ruins of the past.

This piece was in my Impressions of Italy show ans is currently on exhibit in Michele Waalkes ARTS, which is located on the main floor of 2nd April galerie and Studios at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44702. Hours are Tuesday- Saturday 10am - 6pm.

Size: (h x w) 16" x 20"
Media: Original digital print on stretched canvas
AVAILABLE

Inside Out

Inside Out is a result of overlapping images of an interior tunnel going under a large amphitheater and the exterior steps of a small theater, both located in Pompeii. I liked the result of seeing both perspectives simultaneously.

This piece was in my Impressions of Italy show and is currently on exhibit in Michele Waalkes ARTS  located on the main floor of 2nd April galerie and Studios at 324 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44702. Hours are Tuesday- Saturday 10am - 6pm.

Size: (h x w) 20" x 16" framed
Media: original digital photography
SOLD

Great Wall of Summit Mural

The mural is finished and covered with an anti-graffiti sealant!

Thanks to all of the community members who came out and helped paint! It was a very rewarding project! Major thanks to Community Building Partnership, ArtsinStark, and CHASE bank for funding the mural.

Check out the review entitled "Vital Signs" from August 5, 2011 by Tom Wachunas.

Mural almost finished!

Please see the video showcasing the FINAL painting day on the Great Wall of Summit located on the NE corner of 10th St NW and Fulton Rd NW. On July 16 residents, members of CBP Board of Directors, and representatives from ArtsinStark, City Council and the Arts Academy at Summit School worked together to finish the mural! Many thanks to each and every person that has participated in this project! A huge thank you to JP Morgan Chase Foundation and ArtsinStark for their contribution to make this neighborhood art project a reality!

I Spy Learning Tree

I recently completed the "I Spy Learning Tree" for the Early Childhood Resource Center. Earlier this year, I conducted a workshop for 10 area preschool teachers on using paste paper paint techniques on fabric. The teachers then did the technique with their students and turned white fabric into colorful textured fabric, which I sewed together to create the branches on the tree. There will be cards with photos of the I Spy items that are hanging on the tree so that the preschoolers will have fun looking for and identifying the items on the tree.

Summit neighborhood mural

I am very excited to be working with Community Building Partnership to use art to help revitalize neighborhoods. Here is a mock up of the mural design superimposed on the wall that is to be painted soon. The explanation of the design is in the post below.

Coming soon!

Here is the mock up of the Summit neighborhood mural design that I will finally be starting when the weather breaks and the final seal is completed on the wall. The wall is 150 feet x 7 feet located on 10th street and Fulton Ave, by the Arts Academy at Summit. I will have help from the residents in the neighborhood and students from the Arts Academy at Summit--as well as any friends who feel like coming out and painting with me!

After discussions with different residents, I came up with this design that visually shows the concepts of transformation and renaissance that came up so frequently.

The design is a transition from macro to micro. The street grid of the neighborhood transforms into the houses of the community, which then transforms into the individual people that flourish with the arts.

I hope to start by the second week of May and finish by the end of June.