The Trunk Show…A Mini Gallery Of Trees and Moments
photographs by Gail Gates
Gail grew up on a small dairy farm in central Minnesota. The land consisted of clay, rocks, water, and trees. Oh, those trees.
Providing heat in the family’s wood burning stove in the winter, shade in the summer, and a recreational place for tree houses, tire swings, and knee-scraping climbing, the branching giants were more than functional. They were friends.
Each fall Gail and her grandmother would walk the land to scout out the most symmetrical and beautiful Christmas tree. “I love the fragrance of balsam,” Grandma would say, and Gail would inhale deeply to remember the scent and the moment.
The love of trees continues as a strong theme in Gail’s iPhone app-manipulated photography. “I desire to create images that are lovely, yes, but also those that bring the viewer a sense of wonder and emotion, too. Can you smell the balsam?”
Artist Statement
Photography, an interest since childhood, has re-emerged as a growth area in midlife. Landscapes, nature, architecture, and some portraiture are favorite subjects. I’m currently working on impressionistic photography through the use of iPhone apps. Taking a familiar image and coaxing an emotion to emerge is the fun, and the goal, of all I do.
I’m not a formally trained artist. But I see, feel, and nurture the curiosity that is intrinsic to my being. And that, unapologetically, becomes my art. It’s not always tidy or pretty or fundamentally correct, but born of a creative-driven, flaunt-the-rules, kind of spirit.
To see more of Gail’s work please visit:
agingschmaging.com l gailgates.smugmug.com
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Tandem | 317 Division Street S. | Northfield, MN 55057
