Your Oddity of Being series is photography of… an octo-mermaid? Since we all know octo-mermaids are notoriously camera shy, could you please tell us how you achieved this photograph?
Camera shy, (laughing) that's funny! Yes, its about Chamonix a Cecaelia, half Octopus, half human. Her story goes something like this: She left home to travel the world, hopefully to find a place where she belongs or art least she feels like she does. She is a writer, so you will see her writing letters, poems and stories, stuffing them in bottles and tossing them out into the sea. Hopefully someday someone will write her back; I am sad to report that has yet to happen. This image shows our teacup fitting. I'm a little weird in that I build sets and photograph in them; making worlds is kind of my thing. So for this shoot “The Oddity of Being” I had to build the tea cup, create the tentacles and drag everyone out to Honeymoon Island to shoot. I am sad to report the teacup died during the shoot (laughing).
A few years ago, we used your Alice in Wonderland image, "Knock Knock" on the cover. Your photography seems to combine beauty with the fantastical. Why is that?
I just build worlds that come to me. I suppose my love for children books has something to do with it. Honestly, to me my characters are just like anyone else, just trying to live life. I don’t use models — not on purpose, anyway. I love feeding off of who people are — to me that is — mysterious; it’s not always what you think it will be. People are shocking really, both beautiful and confusing. I love telling stories, making people question what is real and what is not. To me its all real.
What is your muse?
I dream most of my images and then there are the voices that shout at me all the time — "Pick me, chose me!" Really, there's a bunch of characters who live in my head. Most days I'm just thankful they chose me to talk to. I suppose life inspires me … Music, dance, books for sure…but mostly people.
How have you trained for this sort of work?
16 years ago I became a photographer [and] 13 years ago I understood I didn’t fit the mold of collecting moments the way others did. I am primarily self-taught. I did shoot film, which I am now thankful for. I taught myself Photoshop before we had classes online, which was hard, but I didn’t learn someone else's way, I learned my own. I traveled, speaking for the Professional Photographers Association, got my Masters, took some classes, but somehow wasn’t fulfilled. Both my mother and children can draw and paint, yet somehow it skipped me (something I am still a little bummed about)! It’s funny how I turned out to be the only artist (laughing) I am always learning, even still, and hope to never stop.
What is your favorite image (that you’ve created)?
I usually say, "the one I will make tomorrow" but today I will give a different answer.
A year ago I had to learn a horrible lesson. That I hadn’t thought about what would happen to my art if I was gone and if I was gone, would I be happy with the characters I was able to send out into the world. You see, as a an artist you are responsible for bringing your characters to life. They chose to talk to you and hope you can “get them" enough to create them. I got sick — very sick. All of the sudden all my sketches and little creatures were in danger. My Little Octo girl, she was the fist one to ask to “come out” to “be born” [and] while laying in a hospital bed I sketched “All Heart and “Salt” . "All heart" for my Thoracic surgeon who had saved my life. I shot her against doctors orders, three months after a major surgery and before I had to have another (don't worry, I had help). When I returned home I literally cried because I realized, these worlds that I am privileged to be a visitor to, should never be taken for granted… and while my ability to visit them is short, the joy the images bring isn’t…
What does an artist like you hope to achieve at Gasparilla Festival of the Arts? Certainly, no one would refuse the prize money, but what other reasons does someone of your caliber choose to be part of this event?
Gasparilla isn’t just an art show. Its a place where everyone can be inspired and learn. You can talk to [the] artists — they aren’t hiding, they want to talk! It's amazing when people come into the both asking, "Is this a painting? Is this real, how did you do this?” Then I show them videos of me shooting and get to say, "Yes, it is real!" My favorite is when parents read pieces of my books and poems off the walls with their little people; it is amazing and soul-filling. There truly is nothing like a 5-year old turning to me and asking “What happens next? " It's inspirational and motivational, really.
What’s your next project?
Finishing the series I have stuck in my computer called Ground Keepers. Its about a group of angels on Home Coming Day; that is to mean, they are returning home to heaven after being on earth for some amount of time we do not know. Also, I am writing, writing, writing…everyone wants me to finish a book called Bella Bee and if they are reading this, I'm on it!
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This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 1, 2018.
