The earth is full of thresholds where beauty awaits the wonder of our gaze. ~ John O’Donohue
Fine Art Photography
Jan’s experience of photography is rooted in a life spent both in formal training, and in the countless moments of experience spent with camera in hand, searching for the essence of magic in the ordinary.
Inspired by a lifelong interest in the notion of pulling divergent threads of experience together in invitational possibility, Jan’s life as a photographer follows her journey through her passions and pondering, brought together by her characteristic style of curiosity and vulnerability.
While Jan’s photography has certainly been shaped through her studies at the Palm Beach Photographic Center in Palm Beach, Florida, USA, (and through the generosity of additional seminars, courses and conversations with photographers through the years), Jan believes that the most memorable photos are brought into being when we allow ‘all that we think we know’ to fade into the background when looking through the lens. For Jan, a photograph is a very personal experience and treasure to be felt and find pieces of yourself in, not to be complicated by f-stops and golden rules. If an image speaks to you, it is yours to relish in, whether from behind the lens or a print admired on a wall.
Jan’s images allow space for individual meaning – whether a more traditional image or abstract. Her trademark style of the Woven Image is a culmination and blending of experience spent behind the lens, what appears in the darkroom, blending of images themselves, and the final product. And, while these images stand alone, it is inviting others into the practice and space of creating their own Woven Images that Jan enjoys the most.
Therapeutic uses of ‘Woven Images’
Jan’s images have been used by therapists and coaches as tools for discovery. Many of her Woven Images, in addition to her more traditional images, help individuals find pathways into greater creative depth and offer insights that can expand understandings of memories, as well as hopes and dreams for the future.
Some of the most impactful Woven Images are created by one’s own practice in the art. The art itself, is informed by Jan’s years of inquiry, training and development of practice in the realms of healing arts and the study of archery as a discipline. If you have an interest in creating your own woven images, Jan would be pleased to guide you through this fruitful process.
The term ‘Woven Images’ is inspired by the work of Joan Erikson. Joan’s invitation to depict the stages and transitions of a life through the weaving of a multi-coloured tapestry, is a powerful and living piece of reflective art to produce and hold. Perhaps best known for her work in collaboration with her husband, Erik, a pioneering psychoanalyst and noted author, Joan’s individual work is well worth exploring, especially as it relates to the later stages of a life.
We have Jan’s framed print ‘In Good Company’ hanging in our sunroom. It is my favourite room to read and do my needlework in. When I saw the piece at a show I knew it would be a good fit for me because I love walking on the beach and the peace it brings me. Now I have a little of that same feeling when I look up at the photo. It reminds me that peace is always close to home.
Suzanne, Brighton, Ontario, Canada
