How to Catch a Man-Made Cloud

I am a child of the fifties. Born between 1946 and 1964, we are often called baby boomers or the “sandwich generation." With about 10,000 baby boomers hitting age 65 each day, we are becoming caregivers and also becoming those needing care. Companies now offer support systems and counseling for the caregiver. But what if the caregiver is an artist or photographer working daily in solitude, in a studio or darkroom. Can you put creativity on hold? Pause your need to create? Most of my "artist" friends, like myself, maintain a certain degree of sanity through our ability to create. What happens when the freedom to create is suddenly taken away? In 2008 I unexpectedly became the full-time caregiver to ailing parents. Being an only child, I was their single advocate in medical, financial, and day-to-day issues. Devoted to the darkroom and the hands-on approach to picture-making, I became faced with the task of creating photographs digitally while balancing visits to hospital appointments. I continued to explore the visual concepts of storytelling, utilizing the landscape as a primary element of my photographic constructions. My interest lies in developing poignant short stories that challenge the relationship between perception and imagination. Each of my images illustrates a non-existent landscape reflective of the isolation and loneliness I was experiencing. My work depicts a personal journey to accept, adapt, and balance my caregiver role.