Gallery With A Cause • Located in the New Mexico Cancer Center • Benefitting the NMCC Foundation
Please call gallery director Regina Held to arrange a private gallery tour, make a purchase, or ask any questions.
Biography
Originally from Philadelphia, I have been a professional photographer since graduation from Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.S. in studio photography in 1976. For over 50 years, I worked for advertising and design firms across the country on national and international brands. Upon moving to New Mexico in 2016 I started to learn and practice alternative photographic processes. I teach workshops in tintypes, cyanotype, gilding images on vellums and washi papers, photopolymer gravure, platinum and palladium, kallitype and gum bichromate. Sometimes I go crazy and mix and match the processes to create havoc and have fun.
Artist Statement
My artistic journey is deeply tied to nature: I am a lifelong gardener, hiker, and photographer. These passions come together in my work, where I combine a love for the outdoors with a hands-on approach to photography, creating pieces that reflect both the richness of the natural world and the timeless techniques that photography was built upon.
My Gilded Vellum Series is inspired by the long history of gilding in art - a practice used to reflect a connection to a higher power or to symbolize something precious and fleeting. In my work, gold gilding is more than just an aesthetic choice; it reflects the fleeting, sacred beauty of nature at its peak - at the “Golden Hour.”
Creating these photographs is a deeply tactile process that begins long before the camera is even lifted. Growing my own flowers allows me to form a personal bond with the subject matter, ensuring that each plant is treated with care. The connection to the land and the act of nurturing life in my garden grounds my work and gives me a profound sense of purpose.
Most of my photographs are taken in my studio that faces the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico. The sunrise here is something extraordinary—soft, golden light spills over the mountains and bathes the plants I cut in the early morning hours. I set up my camera and work with the natural light, capturing the essence of the plants and flowers in their most delicate state.
Taking the time to create a photograph by hand is deeply meaningful to me. The process itself - growing the plants, harvesting them, printing the images - adds layers of meaning and authenticity to each piece. Each image is made with intention, with patience, and with a deep respect for the natural world.