the utah state fair 09

anyone up for doing a portrait session at the local state fair?

i only have the next 3 days open (16-18th) if you want to make it happen.

this place is dripping with character.

a story about a pig

sit comfy...i have a story to tell.
many of you may already know this story, it took place in 2004, and it's called open heart surgery.
my wife, being the recipient of this operation, was only 24 years old and was a young mother of our then 11 month daughter. it begins when she called me while i was away at work and said "i'm going to go to the doctor today, i can't breathe well and i have been feeling pressure on the chest.." i, being completely ignorant said "okay", thinking it was nothing more than a bronchial matter. the next phone call i receive was "they detected a significant heart murmur and i need to come back tomorrow to run some tests.." - not a good sign. we found out within a weekends time that my wife's aortic valve had failed and it's one way valve was now operating like a busy restaurant kitchen door swinging anyway it wanted and allowing the blood flow to regurgitate back and forth...i guess only 30% of your oxygenated blood traveling to your body is a big no no. within a weeks time we were facing open heart surgery. yes, we were scared. yes were young. and yes it's called life.
and this is why i tell the story (perhaps again). during this fragile week of life changing events, my wife was given the choice of which type of valve replacement she would have. 2 options. 1) mechanical valve and 2) porcine (common name - pig) valve. the mechanical valve we were told would out live her, the major hang up though is that if she chose this valve then she would need to take blood thinners the rest of her life and therefore would not be able to have anymore kids. with the pig valve we were told it would simulate human flesh and therefore we could conduct our lives as normal - no meds and we could have the blessing of another child. the major downside to this option 2 is that eventually (7-20 yrs.) the pig flesh will deteriorate and we would face the open heart surgery again....without hesitation my wife chose the pig valve. and here i sat at her bedside, looking at her blue lips, an erratic pulse bursting from her neck, and her breathing popping and cutting like a cold car struggling to start...and i thought "you're going to put me through this AGAIN?" it was a price she was willing to pay. the humblest of sacrifices. literally giving of her life to create another. and i had no choice but to accept and support her decision.
it will be 5 years in Oct. since the operation. i have wanted something through these years to memorialize our journey - a visual reminder to honor this story.
i had wanted a painting of a pig to tell the story. to pay tribute to the animal that provided the valve for my wife to continue living, and furthermore bless us with our second child Ava. some attempts with various artists were made to commission a piece for this concept, but nothing ever gelled. and then i met Justin Wheatley...his work immediately struck me. the depth, the layers, the dots and lines and worlds of textures to be connected. i met him at a local art market and immediately acquired two of his smaller original pieces. we got to talking and i was thrilled to know he would accept the commission that i wanted for years! and it was perfect, no artist other than Justin could have given this story justice. the 35"x35" piece is now complete and in our hands!
It is entitled "to fill the measure"....(if i can explain the context of the piece and the title)...i believe god has put animals on the earth for their own individual destinies. that they were created by his hand just as we were and that they were commanded to fill the measure of their creation.
i believe the pig did in fact "fill the measure" of it's creation. that it blessed my life, my wife's life, and our children's lives...the pig literally gave it's life that we might live.

Justin...a heartfelt thank you - many times over.

to see more of Justin Wheatley's work visit his BLOG.

summer rodeoin'

this event became a love-hate for me. i was sickened and fascinated all in one breath.

canyonlands utah usa

ahhh spring

tulips could easily be my favorite flower...especially when they look like this.

strange fruit

i asked my mother-in-law if she wanted a picture of this to hang in her dining and kitchen area...she declined.
(not meant to be a jab, i sincerely love my mother-in-law).
anyone for strange fruit?

Alanna's portrait

to have a individual portrait painted of our two girls is something we have always dreamed of...the right timing and circumstances put Jesse Draper in our path.
this is the beginning stages and examples of the progression of the painting process of Alanna's portrait (my five year old daughter). i've learned from Jesse, what shows as dark and heavily red is really a base layer for a later lighter brownish-green to be added on top and therefore adding depth of layers and vibrancy. the final portrait will be a high-key portrait with a blend of realism for likeness and abstract for the gorgeous spacial qualities. i couldn't be more thrilled and i can't wait to see more!!!
in my research of studying different styles of painting and portraits i was referred to Alex Kanevsky. i sat for literally hours drooling over his work. it is so emotional and speaks to me more than other painting styles...and my wife hates it. :) i agreed with my wife that we needed a likeness of our daughters, not just a phantom as Kanevsky's look. (and i agreed with my wife, to have a portrait of my daughter i'd like to know it is my daughter AND have others recognize it as her as well.) Jesse, myself and my wife, came to this fantastic blend of styles, and from it Alanna's portrait will emerge.
if you'd like to see more examples of Jesse's stunning work, here is a link to a recent published book in which he supplied all the illustrations, The UnValentine.

thank you Jesse, a heart felt thank you.
and thank you to my wife for creating the most beautiful subject and model i have ever seen, without you and your beauty none of this would have ever been possible.
...more to come!

less is more

it seems i'm onto something...less is more, beauty of simplicity, rhythm, shape, balance, emphasis, texture...these are all of what our 3 dimensional world has to offer and it is my inspiration and challenge to use these visual elements and organize them to speak art, to speak from my mind and my heart. one of my favorite quotes came from one of my favorite photographers of all time "we do not take pictures with our cameras, but with our heart and minds". - Arnold Newman.
i consider myself an artist first, a believer, a lover of my craft, a voice and vision, and then a photographer.

i was again thrilled with the results of this simple set up and delivery. this was done on the fly, i had the pregnancy shoot scheduled but had not put much thought into it other than portraits and details. i had a spare seamless laying around the studio and because of the successful outcome i had with the Watts family paper punch-outs, i thought i would try it again. beauty.
it has taken a deeper metaphor that really speaks to me. birth, creation, bursting out of one realm or sphere to enter another, or as simple as the egg hatching...art speaks, and it sneaks up on you without notice. sometimes you intend it, pre visualize it to death, and other times you create something not giving much thought and it takes it own form and story. this was that case, and how exciting.
if you or anyone you know is pregnant and wanting beautiful "belly portraits" PLEASE contact me. i would love to explore this theme more.

newyorknewyorknewyorknewyorknewyork

times square





empire state building





flat iron building



brooklyn bridge






radio city

buildings





the city streets




the subway