Vicky Stromee Artist Statement: What captures my imagination and what I explore in my art I am interested in edges and intersections of transformation where one thing moves inexorably to become something else. When is the moment when love fades into anger and resentment; when disillusionment erupts into a violent uprising, when order descends into chaos? And when is the moment when war turns towards peace; unbearable grief shifts towards acceptance; or when pain gives way to relief? In my practice as a psychotherapist, I witnessed the transformation of the human spirit. I am in awe of resilient clients who pick up the pieces of a broken life and find a regenerated purpose. I am fascinated with the process of discovery. In my photography I seek out places where a close-up view of a known object reveals patterns of color, texture and form. I capture these images and layer them together to create objects of meditation on that transformative process. Artist bio: How I got interested in photography I was immersed in the arts from an early age. My father was an amateur photographer and my mother a painter and pianist. At 8, I got my first Brownie camera and began shooting everything I saw. Watching an image magically emerge from the developing tray in my dad's darkroom; spending afternoons lying under the baby grand piano with waves of sound resonating around and through me; texture, pattern, fluidity, and change - these were my earliest influences, and they continue to unfold in my work. Where I live and my work can be seen I am fortunate to call the Southwest - a place of incredible natural beauty - my home. I have lived in Tucson, AZ since 1975 when I moved here to pursue a master’s degree in Counseling at the University of Arizona. When I retired from a long career in mental health, I turned my attention full time to photography, ultimately finding my niche in photographing natural subjects. More recently I have begun to create photomontages incorporating these natural objects into both abstract images and scenes of imaginary realism. My work hangs in galleries, hospitals, and private and corporate collections throughout the US. It has been featured at the Griffin Museum of Photography, Boston; Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe; PhotoPlace Gallery, Vermont; A Smith Gallery, Texas; and Afterimage Gallery in Dallas. Selected images have representation through Cynthia Byrnes Contemporary Art in New York. Professional Awards Include • Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, Honorable Mention (2022, 2021) • Communication Arts Award of Excellence, Photography Annual (2022) • International Color Awards, Honorable Mention (2022) • “Koo and the Long Dark Night” upcoming book images (2022): Photography Annual, Julia Margaret Cameron, Hand Magazine, Center for Photographic Art, Griffin Museum • International Photography Award, Honorable Mention (14 Consecutive Years) • Tokyo International Foto Awards, Silver Award (2019) • American Society of Media Professionals, Best of 2015 Award All images are captured using a Nikon z5, D850 or D3X. Files are optimized using Adobe Lightroom; photomontages are created in Adobe Photoshop. Archival prints are editioned, signed and dated.