This is the gallery for BVAA member Lisa Shea.
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Cyanotypes
Welcome to my online gallery! Let me begin with cyanotypes. Cyanotypes are created by painting light-sensitive chemicals onto a surface. Objects are then placed on the surface to cast shadows. The sunlight turns the paint it can touch blue – the rest of the chemicals are then washed away to leave the natural surface color. Every cyanotype is a hand-made, unique work of art. Many of the following cyanotypes can be found at the BVAA Uxbridge Art Gallery. The cyanotypes are 8×10 matted to 11×14 and are available for $19.99 each. Shipping is available.
Black and White Photography
I adore the contrast and depth that can be found with black and white photography. I shoot this photography both with a digital camera (Canon EOS 7D Mark II) as well as several Holga film cameras.
Color Photography
We see our world in color. There are times that color photography presents the best view of the world before us. Again, I use both digital and film cameras. Cross-process is when you shoot on slide film but then process it with print chemicals, which causes the colors to burst out. The scenes in shades of red were done with “redscale” technique. A roll of 35mm film was unwound (in the dark), reversed, and fed into the camera backwards. The red tint is what happens when images are shot through that back side of the film. The Clinton Train Tunnel was a long exposure with flashlight. I also fold origami.
Artist’s Statement
I discovered at an early age that I loved a variety of creative arenas. I photographed everything I saw. I scribbled on notepads. I folded origami out of receipts. Rides in busses and cars would become long brainstorming sessions for epic sagas.
As I’ve traveled to different parts of the world, from the misty jungles of Costa Rica to the dark-soil farmlands of Ukraine, I’ve become even more aware of the wide range of the human condition. So many people feel trapped in tin-roof shacks or collapsing farmhouses because that is all they know. Women stay with battering husbands because life in the outside world seems beyond their ability to cope. Because of that, I donate much of my profits to charity and strive to have my art be a vehicle for change. Sometimes I take a strong political stance, seeking to showcase a situation that is in need of change. In many other cases I strive to create a sense of optimism; a sense that, with effort and perseverance, a better outcome could result.
One of my central themes is the embracing of serenity and peace. So many times precious energy is squandered on stress, guilt, or wallowing in a past which cannot be changed. The more we can find a sense of peace within us, and cultivate our energy to use in a focused manner, the more we can achieve our goals and dreams. This is valuable not only for us directly, but also for all of those around us who we wish to help and support. This theme especially shines through my soul in my many photographs of quiet, natural scenes.
Most of all, I enthusiastically strive to learn and grow every day. I am continually exploring new techniques, researching new styles, and extolling the diversity which is our world.
I actively embrace social networking and would love to talk with fellow artists and fans about the world of art. I am inspired and awed every day by what our world has to offer us.
Lisa Shea on Fine Art America
Lisa Shea on Etsy
Follow @LisaSheaArtist
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