If you happened to miss out on Second Saturday Art Walk this past weekend, you are still in luck. Lumens Light + Living and The Center of Contemporary Arts are proud to present: “Art of Light: Nature’s Spirit,” a photography exhibition by Sandy Follett.
The exhibit continues through April 24 and is located in the showroom of Lumen Lights + Living (2028 K St.). The showroom hours are Monday- Friday 10 a.m. – 6pm and Saturdays 10 a.m. – 5p.m., and admission is free.
I was lucky enough to attend a private viewing of Sandy Follett’s work, which showcases her collected images of nature’s beauty in the Yosemite Valley, the High Sierra, Roseville and Rescue, Calif. What makes this Cameron Park-based photographer’s work different than other nature photographers is that her images obviously express the raw emotion and spiritual connection she has with capturing nature during the different times of day and focuses on finding the perfect lighting to illuminate each subject.
Follet, who started learning her photography skills through film photography, now solely shoots digital. All of her photos in this series are printed with archival pigment ink. Follett explained to me that the best times for her to venture out into her natural sanctuary to capture images are early in the morning to watch the sunrise or right when the sun is setting.
“It changes the mood of everything.” She said. Follett also explained that some of the best times to capture a nature shot are right after a storm. This is evident in her piece called “Oak Spirit Fantasy.”
You can see the mean skies after a storm took place and the aftermath of its surroundings. The reflection of the sky, earth and lightning in the water adds a dramatic affect as if there are two different worlds you are seeing.
Follett started devoting more time to her photography in the last four years and has been taking baby steps from group showings to solo showings to having award-winning work. In fact, if you view her website at www.sandyfollettphotos.com, you can see for yourself she has won some prestigious awards such as receiving an “Award of Merit” at the California State Fair, where she had a piece displayed in the fine arts exhibits.
Many people are taking notice of Follett’s work, such Stacey Wong with The Center for Contemporary Arts (www.ccasac.org), which is a nonprofit organization that thrives on finding contemporary mid-career to professional artists and encourages participation in the arts.
“We like to find artists and set up exhibits with an educational component and include artist lectures,” Wong said.
She also makes it known that CCA not only supports and encourages local artists, but organization leaders want to consider additional professional services for these artists and nurture the artists into the direction they would like to go. It is no secret that Sacramento’s art scene, in every medium possible, is thriving.
Lumens Light + Living owners Ken Plumlee and Peter Weight, who are local art supporters and enthusiasts themselves, sought out CCA associates Stacey Wong and Mariana Moscoso when it came to finding help with curating exhibits for Lumens showroom throughout the 2011 year. The owners of Lumens + Light and Living want to support works of art relevant to what they are passionate about themselves: lighting.
When Wong caught on to Ken and Peter’s vision, she gladly took charge. It wasn’t long before she found Follett’s work on the website of Viewpoint Gallery in Sacramento, which Follett is a member of.
Wong said she felt Follett’s work fit perfectly with what the “Art of Light” series and agrees that Follett’s work was the obvious choice for this series because not only does photography showcase images through how fast light being exposed to each frame can differentiate each image, but it also expresses the spiritual soul Follett is communicating in each one of her pieces.
Follett, who has been taking photography classes in the Los Rios Community College District for the last four years, also plays with her media.
One of my favorite pieces, called “Oak Spirit,” which is a subtle black-and-white piece that seems to have two different “paint by lightning” features to it, is actually compliments to Photoshop. As Follett is growing as an artist, she is exploring her creativity and mixing media. If you haven’t made your way Lumens Light + Living to experience the world that is Sandy Follett’s, then what on earth are you waiting for?
Editorial note: References to the Center for Contemporary Arts and CCA are in reference to Center for Contemporary Arts, Sacramento specifically.
