As a side note, this project, if nothing else, has given me a chance to get to know people in such a wonderful way. I'm there to hear what the artists want to tell me and see what I can learn about them and their thoughts about art. It's such a gift to me! The only downside is that I'm moving pretty quickly while I'm photographing, which doesn't give me time to sit and appreciate their work. Last week I met with Gayle Knize and photographed her studio along with the studio of her husband, Mark. I'll go back soon to take pictures of her working. This visit was supposed to be a chance to take photos of her set-up and interesting things in her studio. While I did that, Gayle shared stories about her mother, who is also a painter. I'll write more about the Knizes' studios in another post, I want to focus on my thoughts about what I learned today. One of the first things Gayle told me about was her mother and how she was a painter. The first time I saw her studio, she pointed out a painting by her mother and a portrait she had done of her mother. Today, Gayle showed me a piece depicting her aunt as a child that Gayle had painted as a class assignment. Then, she pulled out two paintings of the same aunt done by her mother. It was interesting to see the same subject painted by two different artists in two different styles. As she pulled out and arranged some of her stored work for me to see, I was struck by the combination of portraits that she and her mom have done of each other. It's such a beautiful history. In particular, I loved the painting of Gayle as a girl playing her flute and the painting of Gayle's mother after she had surgery that made it impossible for her to eat normally for a year. Since I don't know Gayle's mother, I can only imagine the feelings of the mother as she watched her daughter practice her instrument. However, it was clear how moved Gayle was by her mother's illness - as she had difficulty talking about that time.
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April 2022
AuthorTiffanie Heben is a photographer who has been inspired by the artists in her community |