Starry Starry Night

Several months ago a sweet friend invited me to the Gustave Caillebotte exhibit at the Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Apart from being excited about a much-needed girl’s night out, I was beyond thrilled to be able to view Caillebotte’s masterpieces. I have had a great love for art history since high school and during my years working in the Los Angeles area had the opportunity to view many great works by the finest artists at area museums.

Now years later I found myself standing in awe of Caillebotte’s masterpieces, his use of leading lines, the highlights and shadows that create emotion and draw interest, and recognized with a photographer’s eye the similarities in our two mediums. An idea began to form in my mind as the night progressed. I wondered if it were possible to combine these two passions of mine. My love for great art and my current passion and profession as a fine art newborn photographer.

When designing a newborn portrait session I always consider how to best use color and texture to create that extra something that will make the image really special. The use of raw wool and deconstructed yarn in newborn photography has become popular this past year and I couldn’t help but notice how these fibers when pulled apart and manipulated properly could resemble the brushstrokes of a painter. I researched the process needed to hand dye the materials, enlisted the help of my children, and then set to work creating my first backdrop, Vincent van Gogh’s classic Starry Starry Night.

I was happy that each of my three children recognized the image as it began to take shape. For this first backdrop I used a large roll of bubble wrap as my canvas. This was a mistake as we probably had more fun popping the bubbles while placing each section of material. And when it came time for the photo shoot it set my sweet model’s momma and I into a fit of giggles as I was tenderly attempting to keep our newborn model asleep while placing her carefully atop the popping bubble wrap. I opted for using slightly more dramatic lighting to maintain the feel of light and dark that Van Gogh’s work elicits.

The second backdrop I created is a nod of appreciation to Claude Monet’s epic series of Water Lilies. I was privileged to view this collection many years ago and was impressed with the scale of the work. There is a softness in those masterpieces that I wanted to convey in both the textiles I used and the lighting.

Water Lilies

The third backdrop is a bit of a tongue in cheek interpretation of Edvard Munch’s classic The Scream. When considering potential paintings that would work well for a newborn portrait I couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of it’s use. If only I could have had a yawning model to work with!

The Scream

I plan on creating twelve backgrounds in total for my masterpiece collection and have a few in process. I am incredibly grateful to my supportive husband, helpful children, adorable models and the great artists who have inspired me. It is such an honor to be able to create art inspired by the greatest artists of all time and to bring joy to others through my work.