Santa FE + ANTIEAU
Have you ever had an unexpected moment in time instantly changed your life for the better?
…
I was fortunate to be raised in a home that valued creativity and individuality. I was never allowed coloring books because my parents didn’t want my sister and me to be bound by someone else’s lines. To this day, my favorite creative tools are a standard #2 pencil and a blank sheet of paper.
I loved art growing up. I took extra classes in high school to make room for more art classes. However, I never considered using my creative desires to make a living.
When I went to college, I enrolled in the School of Business and Economics and decided to study for a year in England. Early into my year abroad, I was exploring my new home and stumbled upon an Ansel Adams exhibit. Although I was familiar with Ansel Adams’s work, I had only seen inexpensive reproductions on wall calendars and poor-quality prints in doctor's offices.
Seeing his work in person was the first life-inspiring moment I can recall. I had never seen this emotion in a landscape. The tones and light in his original print went beyond the imagination. It was as if I were seeing for the first time. A fire was lit. I knew instantly that I wanted to pursue photography seriously. As a professional photographer, I spent almost two decades chasing moments, stories, and light after that moment.
…
To have one life-inspiring event in a lifetime is a gift. To have multiple is beyond lucky.
In October 2023, my wife and I visited New Orleans to see Johnnyswim play at the Joy Theater. The truth is, we have seen Johnnyswim play more times than we can count, and they have become an easy excuse to travel and explore a new city. Many serendipitous moments have happened following Johnnyswim. So, why stop a good thing?
While exploring New Orleans’s French Quarter, we wandered into Chris Roberts-Antieau's gallery. Words cannot express the emotions I felt when I first saw Chris’s work. Like an Ansel Adams reproduction, a link to her website does no justice. (However, you should definitely check her art out here.)
When I teach photography, I always start the class with the disclaimer, “I cannot teach you to see; however, I can help you see the world differently.” Chris’s work opened up entirely new worlds.
My wife and I have purchased pieces of art that move us relatively quickly. I had one of her originals paid for and bought within five minutes of entering her gallery. We spent another hour admiring all the pieces and not wanting to leave.
…
Months later, an email arrived in my inbox announcing that Chris was hosting a workshop at her Santa Fe Gallery in September. As quickly as I purchased Godzilla vs. Humanity in her gallery, I signed up for the workshop.
My fantastic tablemates at the workshop. I’ve never attended a workshop where the participants had so much talent and vision.
Humbling!
This is the only word I can use to describe the act of trying to paint with thread. Although I have worked with countless mediums as an artist, painting with thread felt so foreign. Watching the skill and experience of Chris and her assistants gave inspiration to where practice and persistence would lead. I had hope but knew much more time and practice would be required to incorporate the technique into my expression.
We all start somewhere in our creative endeavors. This is mine with thread painting. All my shapes are laid out and ready for the next step, thread.
Something more significant, though, happened in Santa Fe. I forgot the importance of in-person community and working alongside highly skilled, creative individuals. The synergy among our instructors and fellow attendees created countless possibilities and innovative ideas.
I realized I had lost my way. Life has a way of throwing challenges and obstacles our way. In recent years, loud, harsh, unsolicited opinions have landed on my doorstep. Instead of my natural tendency to volunteer, give, and do good, I pulled back and kept my head down where I lived. I didn’t realize how much I pulled back elsewhere, straddling the boring middle line.
I want to elevate my art and dream bigger. I found the courage to emerge from the shadows. The idea for Jackalope Park and so many others ideas were not just dreams but actions that must come to fruition.