Today I noticed a tendency that I have, and probably that many people would have in completing a daily creativity challenge: Repetition of the known. Just think – if you were creating an image everyday, and you had limited time to do so, wouldn’t you have a natural inclination to choose ideas that you feel secure in knowing how to create, rather than ones you aren’t sure how they will turn out? Time is precious, and I don’t always have all day to try and fail and try again.

I have tried very hard this month not to let that way of thinking interfere with my concepts. So far, so good. I’ve been trying so many new things and learning so much. Today was no exception. I went out shooting with zero guesses as to if what I was doing would work out. It was something I had never done before, and I was having trouble wrapping my brain around exactly how I needed to shoot to allow it to come together in Photoshop.

I had a good feeling about what I was doing, mostly because it rained everywhere but on top of me, the sunrise was as orange as could be, and a rainbow appeared right over my shooting spot – mountain to mountain. So, I went on my merry way taking pictures and laughing to myself and running all around, this time trying to keep my shoes on as long as possible since my feet are becoming increasingly hole-y this month with all the barefoot running I’ve been doing in the desert.

What have you learned recently in your craft?

Today I wanted to show you the initial stages of choosing images and putting the picture together, totally unsure of if it would look anything like what I saw in my head. I knew there was a strong possibility of having to reshoot, but I’m pleased to say that didn’t have to happen today. It would have been okay though, because I was willing to dedicate my entire day to getting it right. Now, I’ve got an entire day to keep working on the content I have coming for you on August 1. I can’t wait.

Good luck today on whatever you’re working on! Though luck has nothing to do with it, it’s all try and try again. Big hugs!

My third shoot of the series consisted of an impossibly heavy bathtub, 50lbs of wax, and an epic 4 hour long scrub afterwards.

When I started conceiving of the series which would turn into “Fourth Wall”, I was enamored with textures. I wanted there to be a great mixture of various textures that would each have a different feel to them. I wanted the viewer to feel as though he or she could reach in to the image and touch different layers. I wanted the walls to feel grungy, the yarn to be fuzzy, the wax to be cracked and smooth. I had so many ideas for textures, but the image that struck me as having the most potential was this one.

I was initially going to shoot this image with a black floor so that the wax would stand out even more. However, after testing it that way, I decided I couldn’t give up the natural texture of the original hardwood floors. Fun fact: I shot the series in a studio, but that studio was actually a room in an abandoned high school that has since been turned into artist studios…in a semi-abandoned ghost town, no less.

I began searching for wax that didn’t use any animal products and finally settled on soy wax, as I read that it is safe to touch skin. The hunt for the bathtub was easy; the practicality of getting it up to my second floor studio was not. I had recently finished hauling 800lbs of sand up the stairs, so not only were my legs and arms sore, I had no faith in my (or my friends) ability to lift this bathtub. I hired a couple of vets to do the lifting and they were amazing. Even those two burly men had the time of their lives trying to maneuver the tub up the stairs. After about an hour the ordeal was done (until it was time to haul it out).

Once the bathtub was in place, the wax was ordered and I had finished my testing to see what the wax would dry like and if it was safe to put on my skin, I asked my friend to come model for the image. In these situations, where you are asking someone to do something completely insane, I feel you must turn to friends first.

Several challenges presented themselves. First, the wax took some time to dry and I had to apply it in layers. Therefore, my model had to sit in the bathtub in the same position for roughly 2 hours as I continuously heated the wax, filled a pitcher, poured it, and waited for it to dry. It was a difficult process, and throughout she was getting hotter and hotter as her body heat was trapped under the warm wax. I rolled a pillow and put it under her back for support, but eventually she had to try and fall asleep to forget about the difficulty of staying still and waiting.

Another challenge was how slippery everything became. The floor was slippery, the tub was slippery, and eventually my hands felt like slick stumps. Many towels were used that day to try and remedy the situation. I put fabric over her eyes to protect her when it came time to “wax” her face. Her hair stuck to the tub when I poured it through her hair.

I remember when we were ready to shoot I finally climbed my ladder and looked down at her and the pattern the wax had created. I was filled with that amazing feeling when something you have planned for looks exactly as you had hoped. The wax was an important tool for me to communicate with. I felt it so perfectly portrayed the feeling of being trapped – stagnant, unmoving, timeless. It only took a few clicks to know it was right, especially since she couldn’t move!

I will never forget that day. We took turns holding fans over her to cool her and the wax down faster. We took turns feeding her to keep her energy up. And when I finished and it was time to get her out of the tub, I will never forget the difficulty of peeling her hair off of the side of the bathtub. When she stood up her hair made a right angle and moved perpendicular to her neck. Her hair was stiff as a board and sticking straight off of her head. I wrapped her in my best Doctor Who robe and we went out to the bathrooms. Can you imagine the sight she was to behold?

After some time scrubbing it was clear that we needed much more than a sink. She spent 4 hours that night in my bathtub trying to get the wax off. With some baking soda and dish detergent the job eventually was won, and I had a picture I was truly elated about.

This has been the most interesting piece to display because of how people feel about it. I have heard many reactions that have been quite negative to it, and I understand that entirely. It is overtly creepy and has a definite sexual nature to it (in many intended ways). But that is what I love about creating. It isn’t for praise but for conversation. Differing opinions. I am grateful that this piece could do that.

I hope you enjoy this new series which is on display and represented by the JoAnne Artman Gallery until February 18th. It is showing in New York City (Chelsea).

Very limited editions. Each print is offered at 42×42 inches with an edition of 2, and 8×8 inches with an edition of 3.

You may contact the gallery for purchase requests. Each print has been proofed, signed, and numbered by me, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

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Photographed with a Sony a7ii and a 25mm Zeiss lens.

Model: KD Stapleton

Assistance: Kelly McGrady

I wanted to combine several stories here to create a new one. The poisoned apple. Little Red Riding Hood. And the beautiful decaying house we had the fortune of photographing in. I took the idea of poisoned apples with the Little Red character and put them together. When I was setting up I brought my apples out and asked the attendees to take bites out of the apples, which they did, and I set them up so that the apples would come toward my camera.

The light came most harshly from a window camera right, and there was another window, less direct, also to the left so I positioned the model (my beautiful sister-in-law Steph) to the more direct window. Later in post I closed in the walls around her so you couldn’t see the edges of the windows in the shot (it was a very tight space).

With the concept I wanted there to be multiple apples eaten as though she is searching for the one with the poison. When one of the attendees asked what the story was, I gave it all: This girl had been traveling through the forest and got lost, and so she entered this house, falling apart and decayed, and she stayed for shelter from the pending storm. When she tried to leave the doors would not open and the windows would not break, and she found herself trapped. The only thing she had were apples, and so she tried each one hoping they were poison.

It was completely meant to be fun and have a story, one that was dark and beautiful to me. I love having fun with fairytales, and especially taking existing fairytales and twisting them a bit. Sometimes we all need a reminder that our craft does not need to be so serious all the time. I create images like this when I want to open up my mind and just have fun with my camera.

How serendipitous that turned out to be, for it is that understanding of darkness and seeing the light at the end that ties me so well to my new friend Jenny, who I had the privilege of photographing in April. When we met, and we sat down together at lunch and I got to hear her stories, I felt so connected in a way that I’m not sure I can describe – it was a completely silent recognition of myself in the way she lives her life…and while I cannot lay even an inch’s claim to how amazing she is, I can identify with the struggles we both go through.

It was only late in the process of going to photograph Jenny that I learned of what a huge presence she is in the literary world. As a New York Times #1 bestselling author and popular blogger (like…really, really popular), I felt like I was going to meet a celebrity. And after meeting her, I have that feeling even more so. Not because of her demeanor, but because of her humble way of almost rejecting the spotlight while refusing to be anything but herself.

When the shoot rolled around I felt so comfortable with everyone. I toured her house and marveled at the treasures they’ve collected over the years, and then shyly asked if we could tear down a particular birdcage that I had fallen in love with. When we got to the location, I asked if she could jump up into a tree. The answer was ‘no’, but not for lack of trying, as the tree was taller than she was. So her amazing husband lifted her up into it, and we got to shooting.

I explained the concept as best I could and, after pinning fabric all around her (I’m not sure anyone understood what I was doing), we moved the fabric about to create motion as I told her how to pose, and I got the shot quickly and swiftly. I lit some smoke bombs to photograph with the bird cage, capturing many different angles just to be sure it would fit together, and afterward, I said, as I always do: I’m not sure if that worked, but I’m going to try my best. And I meant it.

I got home and I did try my best, putting pieces together. And only when I felt as though the image conveyed the strong and beautiful woman that she is did I send it along. I was heart-pounding nervous for a response, and cried when she said she liked it. You can read her blog post about it here: Jenny the amazing Bloggess.