Urban Landscape photo-illustration that captures the Spirit of Community.
Exploring the creativity, history, and culture that evolves in urban centers.
The Process
I use a multi-disciplinary approach using photography, design, and illustration to turn urban landscapes into fantastical images filled with meaning and nostalgia. It's an involved process photographing an area, then editing and designing every piece to make a new whole. I feel the urban landscape and all its elements reflect community culture which is something we all share. My art celebrates the unifying connections held by the landmarks, buildings, and vistas of our cities that unite us.
My Inspiration
My art cannot exist without exploration. Camera in hand, I find my inspiration simply by walking. I had an impressionable experience as a child, running my first solo errand for my grandmother, and simultaneously experiencing the world at my own pace. In this moment, I learned to appreciate just how intricate and detailed our urban communities are: architecture, signage, historical landmarks…they all represent a larger narrative of culture.
My Background
The spark started as a child. I loved visiting my grandmother and helping at her downtown store so much that I fell in love with the energy of urban life. It inspired me to make these blocks of her hometown. Little did I know that it would inform my artwork 30 years later. In that time I got a fine art degree, worked at Polaroid, and worked 12 years in graphic design…eventually to rediscover my passion in capturing vast urban landscapes into one tangible image.