Our time on this Earth is incredibly brief – and we never know when it will end. Life is truly ephemeral. The one thing we know is that each day is a blessing. Each day is a precious, one-time-only opportunity to share love and appreciate beauty.
Every day matters.
I love exploring a variety of art forms. Digital photography. Film photography. Cyanotypes. Origami. Polymer clay and precious metal clay. The possibilities are nearly endless – and each one has its own unique beauty.
Here are just a few of the realms I’ve explored. I hope they inspire you in your own creativity!
Origami
I adore origami. It is made from paper – it is something anybody of any age level or financial status can enjoy. It can create objects both simple and beautiful. You can make jewelry, table decorations, wall hangings, flowers, Christmas tree ornaments, and just about anything else you could want. It is meditative and serene.
Cyanotype
Cyanotypes pre-date photography. You mix up light-reactive chemicals, paint a surface with them, and then lay objects on top of that surface. When the sun shines down, it turns the exposed areas blue. The areas left in shadow remain the base color. You can create beautiful prints, T-shirts, curtains, and other items with this technique.
Monotype Printmaking
A monotype is a one-time-only, unique print made off of a one-time-use surface. Compare this with woodblock printing where you can just keep churning out the same image over and over again. With a monotype setup, when that print is made, it’s done. There’s no going back. There’s no redos. It’s a quite mindful way to create art.
Lisa Shea Monotype Printmaking
Polymer Clay
Polymer Clay is an amazing style of plastic clay that can be baked in a normal oven. You don’t need a special kiln to do it with. It comes in a wide ranges of colors, styles, and textures. You can make sculptures, pendants, earrings, rings, and a wide variety of other items. Covers for journals.
Photography
It’s interesting that, not too long ago, the word “photography” meant film photography. It was just assumed. Nowadays photography by default for most people means digital photography. If there’s a photography show that’s open to the public for submissions, nearly all submissions are done digitally. It reminds us of how ever-changing life truly is.
Lisa Shea’s Photography (digital)
Film Photography
For those who still remember film photography, they often think of 35mm roll film in neat cylindrical cartridges. But I like to go back even further in time. Back to when film was in 120 large, square format and you only got 12 photos per roll. I use a Holga camera for this, which is a plastic-based camera made in China. It creates eclectic, artistic types of images.
Redscale Film Photography
Remember that 35mm film we were talking about? There is one way I enjoy using it. If you put it into a camera backwards, so you’re shooting through the back side of the film instead of the front, then colors take on this rich, red hue. It’s about the way the light interacts with the backwards film. You get stunning effects by doing this.
Lisa Shea’s Redscale Film Photography
Cross-Processed Film Photography
In the days of film, there was regular photo film and then slide film which was meant for creating slides for slide projectors. Different chemicals were used for developing the two types of film. However, if you took slide film and then used regular photo chemicals on it, something fun happened. The colors would pop and alter. That brings a new way of viewing the images.
Lisa Shea’s Cross-Processed Film Photography
Lisa’s Art Books & DVDs
I love to write and to help others learn. You can probably guess that from the hundreds of thousands of pages on this website. I’ve written a number of books about art, cyanotypes, Holga photography, jewelry making, origami making, and more. Here are a few of my books which touch on artistic topics.
Ask with any questions!