A Shelter of Peace

Sukkat Shalom, a Shelter of Peace, opens Saturday, Sept. 29 at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman, St. Louis, MO with an artists' reception and gallery talk from 7-9 p.m.

I am so thrilled with this exhibit. We've never had a juried exhibition at CRC before and the varied artwork looks exquisite on the wood walls. More importantly, artists from a variety of faith traditions and five states interpreted the theme so broadly. I expect the exhibit to spark many conversations in the months to come.

This is one of my entries, A Place to Be, and I'm very pleased it was included in the show. An element of surprise, to see the ordinary a bit differently, seems to be a common thread running through my newer work.

Many photographers shoot what they see. Some photographers see what they shoot. I'm the latter. In other words, I envision an image, work through it, plan it. I can have an image in my mind for months, even years, before it works its way to the top and is finally ready to be put on paper. This was one of those images, which probably is why I like it so much. Very few of my favorite images are in color.

Birds love to nest around our home -- probably because the trees are untrimmed and the grass is high. I guess it doesn't look like anyone really lives here. Or maybe they realize we have other things to do and we won't whack off branches willy nilly!

This nest fell from a tree, completely intact, in May. I knew I wanted to photograph it, so I saved it. I know it looked like I just laid it on the sidewalk near the front door and forgot about it for three months, but really it was there to remind me to think about the image. I did. For three months. Then I picked up a camera. This is the result.

Please come take a look at all the wonderful interpretations of shelters of peace. The exhibit runs through Dec. 1