Carla’s Photography & Art Christmas Edit

Hello Glorious Creatives,

What a year! 2020 has been a year we will never forget, it has challenged us in so many ways and it has asked us to step out of our comfort zone and to embrace new possibilities.

Creativity has definitely been a winner on every front! Creativity has allowed us to go inwards, stretch ourselves, calm us, bring us joy and teach us a little more about ourselves.

2020 encouraged the following photographers and artists to find a whole new world of possibilities and discover a new version of themselves by launching their online shops. It’s my great pleasure to feature some of my favourite pieces in ‘Carla’s Photography & Art Christmas Edit‘,

This Christmas more than ever it’s important to buy local, support the individual, the family run business and bring back to our world the sense of community, connection, creativity and love that we all need to finish off 2020 with. When you buy small you give power to the people and that is a beautiful present in itself.

Drumroll please…

Aerial Endeavours #7 by Loc Boyle

The waiting has been worth it! For the past years, I’ve watched photographer Loc Boyle travel all over Europe, Asia, and Australia creating mind blowing works of art that celebrate form, bodies, and finding stillness in the chaos. I couldn’t wait for him to get them onto paper and this image is one I literally can’t take my eyes off. Every time I look at it, I find something new, get lost in the mastery of the photography required and the skill of the people who collaborated to create it. His work reminds me of Henri Cartier Bresson’s words, “There is a rhyme between different elements. There is a square here, rectangle and other rectangle…see its all these problems which I’m preoccupied with. The greatest joy for me is geometry that means a structure. You can’t go shooting for shapes for patterns and all this but its a sensuous pleasure, an intellectual pleasure at the same time to have everything at the right place. It’s a recognition of an order which is in front of you.” And no-one recognises and enjoys the order more than Loc. This piece is called Aerial Endeavours #7, and you can enjoy the sensuous pleasure of his work HERE.

 

Sun Worship by Laura Reid

This photo of Laura Reid’s does something to my DNA. It’s a photo from my childhood, I could be one of those girls lying with my besties, catching the rays, talking about the boys we like and the shenanigans that happened the day before whilst  feeling the bliss of a summer’s day in our watery backyard. When I first saw Sun Worship, something moved inside of me and I wanted it on my walls! I love everything about it photographically, the lines, the composition and the feeling of enjoyment. We need more enjoyment in our lives and Laura is delivering it one swim at a time. Thanks to Laura for sharing her talent with us, you can browse her beauty HERE.

 

Patience by Jilly Bennett

Jilly Bennett and I go way back! Jilly has attended many of my photography workshops and she has certainly eclipsed the teacher!! Patience touched the deepest part of my heart when I first saw it and I wanted to reach into this photo and comfort this dog, give him a huge hug and take away those sad eyes and replace it with a giddy dog smile. Jilly is a ‘dog whisperer’ and I’ve had the joy of seeing her connect with dogs and dog owners all over Italy and France to produce work that even our hero, Elliott Erwitt would be proud of. If you love dogs, this holiday season you can knock yourself out trying to choose your favourite HERE.

 

Orange Crush by Laura Horrocks

Laura Horrocks’ work is that of a gentle, sweet sensitive soul who has her own vision of colour and shapes. Her work is this beautiful combination of whimsical, dainty and glorious naivety like someone you know but you’ve never found the words to describe them. Laura’s work is layered and tells stories that are gentle and bold. I love Orange Crush (always been an Orange fan) and am lucky to have a piece of Laura’s work tucked amongst my artwork at home. You can explore more of her work HERE.

 

Wanderlust by Julia Lochhead

We know the world we live in is magical but often we are too busy to stop and pay attention to the beauty and wonder. Julia Lochhead is searching for something special in her giant seascapes, they hit BIG emotions deep within us of awe, love, calm, and wonder. When I first saw Wanderlust, it felt like a spiritual moment, like she had wrapped together heaven and earth and captured it forever for us to enjoy and remind us that if you dare to look for the beauty, it’s astonishing. Beauty can crack you open! You can dive into the calm and wonder of Julia’s WORK HERE.

 

Dancing in Florence by Rachel Vogeleisen

A woman after my own heart! What is there not to love about this photo. Florence, the Ponte Vecchio, a women lost in a beautiful moment in a glorious dress. Fine art photographer Rachel Vogeleisen has ticked so many boxes in this beautiful photo of a woman in Florence and a celebration of femininity, photography and Italy. I could look at Dancing in Florence for hours. Women are at the central theme of all of Rachel’s work and her deep love for art and photography is in every image. You can enjoy her elegant images HERE.

 

Time to Clean House by Bridget Gleeson

I stopped scrolling the first time I saw Bridget Gleeson’s image, Time to Clean House! It literally stopped me in my tracks. I’ve loved photographing washing since the day I stepped off a plane onto Italian soil and I even managed to make an entire subject out of it in my book, Italian Joy. But this shot of Bridget’s takes my favourite subject to new heights. The shape of the window, the colour coordinated pastel tea towels (can you believe it), and the poetry of something so simple becoming an image that you want in your life for it’s sheer beauty. Bridget keeps the Italian hearth warm for all of us through her appreciation of Venice as a beautiful crumbling mess and although we can’t visit right now, we can through her beautiful images. Enjoy more of Bridget’s work HERE.

 

Queen of Summer by Karen Alderson

Karen Alderson’s image, titled Queen of Summer, reminds me of an old masters flower painting. You have to have a second look to see if it’s a photo or a painting? A flower lover from way back, this image struck me with it’s gentleness, romanticism, well thought out use of colour and proportion. It’s not a happy accident!!  Karen is a florist as well as a talented photographer and has combined her two skills to create a beautiful body of work. For those of you who can’t find your favourite Cafe au lait Dahlia’s each week, you’ll love having this feminine image on your wall. More of Karen’s wonderful work HERE.

 

Mountain Stream by Millie Brown

I’ve long admired the work, eye, and passion of photographer Millie Brown. Millie has a big heart and just as big a talent and is shining a light on the subjects she deeply cares about such as the wilderness, travel, indigenous cultures and our ecology. Millie is an award-winning photographer, who works with many of Australia’s best magazines and her image Mountain Stream is part of her beautiful Cradle Mountain series. I find it hard to choose one from her series because they remind me of this big, wild country where I was born and have roamed most of my life. If I can’t live in the wilderness, I want it on my walls and Mountain Stream and its beautiful colours, catapult me straight there. Check out more of Millie’s beautiful work HERE.

 

Byron Bay Sunset by Rachael Kane

Rachael Kane is one of those talented quiet achievers who surprises you at every turn. Rachael is fascinated by the world above and people at play in the environment. This magical photo titled Byron Bay Sunset, feels like she has taken the simple pleasure of a day surfing, dusted it with a colour palette of silvery blues and created an iconic photo of how Australian’s live. You want to blow it up as big as you can so no matter where you are in the room, there you are on the top of a wave. You can check out more of Rachael’s Aerial photography HERE.

 

Meet Me in Santorini by Bonnie Malone

Bonnie Malone photographs the small details as well as the big landscapes on her travels. I love her work. Bonnie takes that romantic heart and eye of hers and finds the sweetest elements and moments from her travels. I’ve been to Greece for the past 10 years, I’m a mega fan but this beautiful landscape of Bonnie’s image, Meet Me in Santorini, stopped me scrolling. There is so much to enjoy in this photograph, the colours, the light, the architecture, the setting on top of Santorini and that feeling of ‘pleasure’ comes through in all her work. Pleasure is one of the most important things we can allow ourselves to have and I adore that her work is infused with it. Lucky us! You can check out more of Bonnie Malone’s work HERE.

 

Space by Jennene Greenall

Jennene Greenall is a quiet achiever. She quietly goes about her creativity and life without making a big fuss, she leaves that to her images!! Her work touched me the first time I met her on a workshop. Jennene takes everything she believes and rolls them together to express her vision through her work. ‘Space’ is one of those images that you want in your life for many reasons including the sensation of space it gives you even when you are in an enclosed room. Jennene cleverly creates space for us visually but also internally, we have the sensation we can breathe, we are free and all is as it should be. You can see Space here and many others.

 

An Afternoon in Atrani by Danielle Greentree

I know a photo has touched me when it stops me doing what I’m doing and take note. ‘An Afternoon in Atrani‘ by Danielle Greentree did exactly that. This is a scene I know really well but Danielle has put her own special twist on it, photographing in the ‘end of day splendour’ that conjours up nostalgia, peace and the retro beauty of the Amalfi Coast. I want to be the girl in the white dress with her feet in the water walking towards Atrani to meet Francesco for an Aperol spritz! So beautifully captured with the emotional connection I love. More of her beautiful work HERE.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this little Christmas edit from this talented group of photographers and artists.

Happy holidays, my lovely friend!

Carla XXX