Lookin for Light

Mandy Tucker, Photographer

Wild Tree Secrets

PCC: Tell us a little about yourself. 
LFL: I have taught high school visual arts for 20 years, specifically Photography and Advanced Placement Art History. I earned my BFA in Photography, worked in various realms (portrait/retouching/commercial/fine art gallery) of the photo industry, before deciding to back to school to earn my teaching credential.


PCC: What do you create?
LFL: I create photo-based art. I love to experiment with mixed media. I also enjoy ceramics, learning to quilt, jewelry making, and drawing.

PCC: What made you want to become an artist?
LFL: I think I was born an artist. It just takes a lifetime to evolve into who we are meant to be.

PCC: Tell us about your process. What materials do you use?

Path to the Sunset

LFL: My process is ongoing… meaning I first try to be an observer of my environment as well as attentive to what is going on in the world. I try to continually learn. Many "things" interest and influence my creative process. I try to keep notes, and ongoing lists regarding idea seeds that I can go to when I have any opportunity. I also walk a lot--so I'm always looking, especially at trees and light (haha--sounds funny I know), but I am truly drawn to tree forms, textures, lines and leaves as well. I am also very conscious of light. Most often when I have captured an image that I am excited about, I immediately edit in PhotoShop which often leads in many different directions including montages and mandalas… I use my iPhone, canon 6D, go pro, film camera---whatever gets my idea realized.



PCC: What Advice would you give to someone who wanted to make a living as an artist? 

Tree Writhing in Waves

LFL: In terms of making a living as an artist I think one has to be practical along with being wildly creative---and an extremely hard and smart worker. I guide my students to get an art education first---master the craft, which usually means lifelong education. Practical skills are also necessary in order to pay the bills: record keeping, business knowledge, customer service, marketing, tech skills and social media. I don't think I am far enough into my etsy business to guide as an authority. I have the luxury of an art teaching job to pay my bills, while I wade through the waters of etsy. I can see it has great potential, but like most things it takes education in your area of expertise, perseverance---strong work ethic, and eagerness to learn from people who are successful---and it's dynamic, constantly changing, so to be successful one must keep up the pace and not be fearful to dive in.

Endless View from Cape Perpetua II

PCC: Tell us what you’re passionate about outside of your art?
LFL: I am super passionate about my abolitionist efforts---anti-human trafficking. I attempt to support International Justice Mission. It's hard for me to comprehend the injustices occurring in 2015 with an estimated 22 million humans enslaved! (Mandy donates 100% of all digital download proceeds to IJM.)
I also rescued two pups in June which has left me completely exhausted… along with being married (27 years) to a woodshop teacher (and high school sweetheart) with two beautiful daughters, a nurse and the younger one a senior in college to be a special education teacher.
Lastly, I have a little trailer that I love travel and camp comfortably!


Links:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Lookinforlight
www.lookinforlight.com
https://www.pinterest.com/lookinforlight/
http://instagram.com/lookinforlight63/

Other work from Lookin for Light that we love:

Journey Down a Country Road

The Bachelor and Three Graces

I learned from a Shadow of a Tree

Hope and Light

Tree Mandala

All images are the sole property of Mandy and Lookin for Light and may not be copied or used without her permission.

Southern Comfort Art

Christie Morgans, Photographer/Artist

PCC: Tell us a little about yourself.

Pretty in Pink

CM: At a very young age I realized I was an Artist. My teachers in school always encouraged me, even in Elementary school. Drawings, paintings, clay sculptures, murals, any medium really, in order to produce something unique, to give to someone to make them smile.  I remember one, Mrs Hall, she told me she wanted to come and see my gallery one day. :) Love good teachers! She held a bulletin board contest annually with all the schools in the district. I was always her Artist, and spent most of my time working on Art, rather than the general studies. I guess Art was always my fun time, and I did get special treatment with the work I produced. We won all the contests for my brief Elementary school days! Fun times. Then I continued to do extra activities....football banner Artist, local Political race illustrations...you name it. I sought it all out.

   So I guess I have never known anything but being a natural Artist. I did want to major in Art, but I was discouraged by the lack of potential with income in those days. I went down other tracks, ended up with a degree in Psychology. We moved all over the country and I attended 7 different colleges!  The simple act of creating was and has always been what motivates me. And the response of giving joy to someone is still why I am an Artist.

Sailor's Warning

PCC: What do you create? Tell us about your process.
CM: I have been fortunate enough to have traveled all over America, and have seen some of the most extraordinary places. I started taking photographs along the way, and now looking back I wish I had taken even more! I love seeing the beauty everywhere in nature. I started it so I could do paintings from the photos....and that's how it all started in this current direction. When I take a photograph, I see a painting, or at least its potential.

Vintage Sunflowers

In this fast paced world, I think that sometimes we do not always notice the beauty all around us. I think the Artist job is to remind us all to see the beauty. In the Renaissance times, Artists were held at a higher esteem if they could produce works that might be worthy of the creator. I think in some way, I feel that same drive to produce something as beautiful as what I see in nature. The natural beauty from our creator is perfect. And even in the imperfections of the ordinary, there is beauty to see.

The photography software of today makes it easy to enhance what is already beautiful, and it can resemble a painting. However, for me, I only like to enhance a photographs color or lighting. Beyond that, I would rather get out the paint! 

PCC: What else are you passionate about?

Sable Shepard

I have done just about every medium in Art out there....except I have never done welding (always wanted to though!) I dabbled in silver-smithing in jewelry-making back about 10 years ago though. I always wanted to do more sculpting. I actually still want to go take more studio in sculpting....one day :) Since I was a child I did clay sculptures and really, really loved it.  I also was a free lance writer off and on many years back. 

PCC: Anything else we should know?

I am currently a member of Carolina's Nature Photographers Association. I can do custom orders (adjust colors, tones, make into Black and White images, and even enlarge further that what is shown as available on this site) Just leave me a message, or contact me by the email shown. I hope you enjoy looking through my gallery of work and some of my original illustrations and designs. I hope you find something that you will treasure and that makes you smile.

PCC: How do we find you?

CM:

https://www.facebook.com/SouthernComfortArt

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SouthernComfortArt

https://crated.com/christie.morgans.5
http://artofwhere.com/shop/artist/6743
http://www.imagekind.com/art/stunning/southerncomfortart/artwork-on/fine-art-prints
http://christie-morgans.artistwebsites.com/

 Other Art we love from Christie Morgans:

Sunny Side

Floating Dahlia

Swan Color Waves

Sweet Kittens

Spirits in the Tree

Lighthouse

Water Lillies Yoga Mat

Bandit Caught - Adorable Baby Leggings

All images are the property of Christie Morgans/SouthernComfortArt and may not be duplicated.

Sailors Ravine Studio

El Dorado

Danielle Nash, Photographer 

PCC: Tell us a little about yourself.

Black Mini Book

SR: I live in a rural area in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. I love all things photography and books. Occasionally I am able to combine both arts but usually they fulfill two very different art expressions.

PCC:  What do you create?
SR: I create photography prints, handmade journals and mini books. All of which I think reflect a rustic nostalgic quality.

PCC: What made you want to become an artist/fall in love with your craft?
SR: I was always an artist and book lover from my youngest days. When my parents let me have their old Instamatic I was hooked and have been in love with photography ever since.


PCC: Tell us about your process. What materials do you use?

Magical Forest

SR: I have a Cannon Digital SLR and use primarily Photoshop for editing my photos. I love my printer, an Epson which uses pigment inks. For me my photograph is complete once I print it out. I like having control and knowing exactly what my customer is getting.
For my journals I scour vintage shops looking for leather to repurpose. In addition to the beautiful aging vintage leather brings, and the obvious benefits of reuse and upcycling it provides the makings of a truly unique product. I often dye my papers with various teas and hand wax my threads. It gives me a different sense of accomplishment by producing a product with simply my hands as opposed to the electronics and equipment used for my photography. I gravitate back and forth and someday may separate my store into these two arts.

PCC: Tell us what you’re passionate about outside of your art? 

Letterpress

SR: Aside from spending time with my family, pets or job if I’m not making art you will find me enjoying the great outdoors or inside a thrift shop.











PCC: How do we find you? 
Sailorsravinestudio.etsy.com
Facebook.com/sailorsravinestudio
Sailorsravinestudio.blogspot.com

More Items we Love from Sailors Ravine Studio:

Le Miroir

White Mini Journal Necklace

Shasta Trailer

Record Player Journal

Oregon Trail

Brownie Camera Photo

Bronze Leather Journal

Windmill Photograph

All images are the property of Sailors Ravine and may not be copied without permission.