I have started a new series, I have no idea how many will be involved or how long it will go on for, already there are sixes pieces, only three are finished. It all started when a friend who is also a digital artist, said he would love to collaborate with me on some images, as he felt he was uninspired and lacking some imagination. He wanted a boost, something to urge him back into creating again. He wanted to do some self-portraits of a more religious nature, something I was not personally interested in, but said that we could cover both his wishes and my ideas with pretty much the same images. In fact, it would be really interesting to see each other’s interpretation of a single image.
While Tony would be my model (I did not want to do self-portraits) I did not want religious undertones as such, but still wanted to cover such subjects and themes as salvation, redemption, rebirth, temptations and more.
So this was one of the images we captured that day, I adore playing with phrases, in this case, “Don’t rain on my parade”, I also love using symbolism, the umbrella, the apple keys, feathers and more. I am aiming to use the apple in every image, a link or key to tie it all together. I am thinking about using a key as well, but the key is not prevalent in this piece unless I re-edit an add one.
Some days it is all too much. What should be our shelter, our home is suddenly turning against us, in the last few months my poor country has been ravished by drought, bushfires and then flooding rains. It had been another few days of torrential rain when this image was captured. Mother nature is making sure we know she is still in charge. Just when we think everything is back under control another climate-related incident happens. It’s not all doom and gloom, there is light, we just have to search a little harder to find the silver lining in the clouds.
There are days when it feels personal, there are days when we feel lonely and small and attacked in our own safe harbour. We look into our own mortality, like looking into a mirror. We can only sit in solemn solitude and wait for the clouds to pass and the sun to shine again, but be careful what you wish for. We wished for rain and got too much, we wished for warmth and got bushfires. If we long for less rain will the droughts continue? Perhaps this should be a lesson in being appreciative for what we already have and not yearning for something else? Perhaps we should learn to dance in the rain, for water is the stuff of life, and not dwell on being wet and soggy!
I will be back with more Conceptual Portraits soon…
~ Julz
Julie Powell - Photographer & Graphic Artist 