Gallery With A Cause • Located in the New Mexico Cancer Center • Benefitting the NMCC Foundation
Please call gallery director Regina Held to arrange a private gallery tour, make a purchase, or ask any questions.
Biography
As a child I was fascinated with nature. I collected seashells along the Atlantic Coast, raised box turtles in the deciduous woods next to my house, and reveled in the joy of identifying birds at my backyard bird feeder. This interest in the natural world eventually led me to a BS degree in environmental studies at Colorado State University and to permanently relocate from the Northeast to the West. After graduation I was hired by the National Park Service as an interpretive ranger. From the depths of Death Valley to the flanks of Denali, I lived and worked in some of the most spectacular places on the planet.
Being surrounded by stunning natural and cultural resources, my entry into photography was an easy one. Many of my co-workers were accomplished photographers and the national parks were magnets for the pros. Starting in the analogue world of film and the wet darkroom I moved into the digital realm when the technology became more advanced. I am pretty much self-taught but continue to take workshops and on-line classes to stay updated on photography and digital processing.
Recently I have expanded the scope of my work into the realm of mixed media and encaustics (bee's wax and tree resin) - striving to make one-of-a-kind art pieces. I take the utmost care when creating my art to use high-quality archival materials, such as pigment-based inks and acid-free materials, to insure the longevity of each piece.
After 32 years of working in 10 different park sites, I retired from Federal service in 2009 and now spend my time travelling, doing international consultation on preservation projects, teaching photography workshops, and working on my art.
Artist Statement
I have always been intrigued by the interplay of art and science, right brain/left brain, ying and yang. As a photographer and mixed-media artist, this interplay dances within my creative process as I work. My formal academic studies in science and my intuitive approach to art form the background for my work.
This body of work includes some of my favorite pieces done using the encaustic process. Developed by the ancient Greeks and Romans over 3,000 years ago using natural bees wax and the Demar resin from a pine tree in Indonesia. "Enkaustikos," from the Greek "to burn in" uses multiple layers of hot wax/resin melded to the layer below using a heat gun or blow torch in modern times. The resin crystals add to the luminosity of the final piece and gives the soft bee's wax more rigidity. I love the unique translucence this process renders as well as the opportunity to add texture and color-making each piece a one of a kind.
This process uses natural archival materials and when displayed properly (out of direct sunlight) will last for generations. The wax surface can be lightly polished with a soft 100% cotton cloth.
The goal of my work is to expose the viewer to the wonders of nature as well as to images of threatened and endangered environments, cultures, animals, and plants—bringing these issues to the forefront to increase understanding, appreciation and their ultimate protection.
