Austin Chronicle Review – Recspec Gallery

RECSPEC got a great review in the Austin Chronicle this month. Thanks again for including my work. You can see the show RECSPEC until Oct. 14th, 2017!
Austin Chronicle Review

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The Image Flow Gallery & Recspec Gallery

Hello all!!  I’m very excited to be included in two new group shows!

First space is in Mills Valley, CA at The Image Flow gallery.  What a cool group of artists, all the prints are alternative process (obviously) and uniquely different from each other.  I’m exhibiting “Insight, Twin Elements” Edition 1 of 5 in this show.

2nd Annual Alternative Process Photography Exhibition
Gallery Exhibition: September 9 – November 22, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 9, 7–9PM
Hours:  Monday-Friday 10-6PM

The Image Flow Gallery
401 Miller Ave, Suite A
Mill Valley, CA  94941
(415)-388-3569

The 2nd Annual Alternative Process Photography Exhibition features work by: Chris Austin, Francis Baker, Allan Barnes, Lesley Nowlin Blessing, Cathy Cakebread, Eunsook Chung, Bridget Conn, Felicity Crush, Conor Culver, Ellen Davis, Emma Earnshaw, Rory Earnshaw, Ashley Valmere Fischer, Brian Garbrecht, Gary Geboy, Tom Hawkins, Kristy Headley, Henrietta’s Eye (Libby Bulloff & Stephen Robinson), Mike Hoover, Tsu-Han Hwang, Kenyatta Kelechi, MengHseun Lee, Ah Young Lee, Rachel  Liu, Travis Lovell, Haoran Ma, Erin Malone, Jocelyn Mathewes, Molly McCall, Sean Peeler, Molly Lorraine Phalan, Michael Puff, Tony Sehgal, Larry Shapiro, Sara Silks, Alice Stern, Melanie Temmer, Art Widener, Russ Wills, andYelena Zhavoronkova.

The second space is in my home town of Austin, TX at Recspec Gallery in their new location at the Flatbed Press building.  I’m also exhibiting “Insight, Twin Elements” Edition 2 of 5 in this show.

The Eyes Have It
Group Show and Gallery Opening
Gallery Exhibition Length: September 15-October 14, 2017
Opening Reception: Friday, September 15, 6-8PM
Hours:  Monday-Friday 10-6PM

Recspec Gallery
2832 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Suite 107
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 906-6116

Gallery Owner, Laurel Barickman curated The Eyes Have It featuring work by Abi Daniel, Anas Awad, Annie Alonzi, Christa Blackwood, Eva Claycomb, Gayla Elizabeth, Holly Bobisuthi, Kara Pendl, Karina Figueroa, Katie Cowden, Kevin Muñoz, Lee Noble, Lesley Nowlin Blessing, Lindsay Eyth, Mike Combs and Seth Cox.

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Galleries exhibiting at…

I’m very excited to announce that my piece “Aground, Twin Elements”  was accepted into a show  titled “Black and White” at PhotoPlace Gallery in Vermont by juror Jennifer Schlesinger whose work I really admire.  I’m humbled to be a part of this exhibition!

Holland Photo Talk

Had so much fun with Christa @ our talk at Holland Photo tonight! Thx to all who came out, with special thanks to hosts, Brian and Morgan @hollandphotoimaging Thank you @amyvcooper for taking this pic!! #alternativeprocess #photographytalk #printing #fineartphotography

A post shared by Lesley Nowlin Blessing (@lesleynowlinblessing) on Jun 29, 2017 at 9:39pm PDT

Had a wonderful time talking to the group at HollandPhoto, and many thanks to Brian and Morgan for hosting this talk.
Thanks to Christa Blackwood as always for being an inspiration and good friend.  Thanks for coming out to hear us talk about our work!

Final Jolt Texas Photos

Editing these images for the past few weeks I realized they were too cold in tone.  I wanted a warmer and softer tone, something that seemed timeless and historic.  I think the antique look I ended up creating supports that vision.  Hoping @JoltTexas will end up using some of these.  I love the strong latino/a faces and desire for change!  It’s my hope these images reflect that and attract some new members!  https://www.jolttx.org/en/

Jolt Texas Photoshoot

Well, I finally finished all the photographs from the shoot last week.  Had a great time going through all of these powerful and strong faces!
Only have time to post four images for now.

https://www.jolttx.org/en/

Jolt Action Photoshoot!!!

I had the best time photographing for Jolt Action yesterday.  With the help of the lovely Leandra, her adorable house, and my awesome friend and founding executive director of Jolt Action, Cristina Tzintzun, it was a great success.  Many photos to come, but here’s a sneak peak of one with both of these lovely ladies.

First Albumen Print

Recently, I decided to try albumen printing!  What first got me into it was the fact that my dad has about 200 chickens on his Far View Ranch!  Doing research on different printing techniques from George Eastman House historical process videos I came across albumen printing, which is of course eggs.  I love the quality that albumen has and the detail it produces.  I’ve always loved looking at photographs from the mid-1800s, it’s like looking back in another time.

I used the knowledge of Will Salley on YouTube and the book by Polish albumen printer, Radoslaw Brzozowski, and the website by Chad Jarvis.

It has been a fun, tedious and beautiful process.  Having just started it two weeks ago, I have so much to learn!  But I look forward to experimenting and creating art.

Here is a look at my first untoned albumen print from today, and the whole process from beginning to end.  Didn’t photograph the actual silver sensitizing of the paper or exposure.  Trying to find time to do it all I’d say the entire process took about two weeks.

My newest piece of art…

I’m very happy to have finished this piece!  It was one of the harder pieces to print.  Only 5 prints, but the tonality was challenging to get right.  I’ve realized that even when I separate the negs to make individual prints, it doesn’t matter if I print it exactly the same, the tonality always varies from print to print.  Fortunately, I like the effect, it brings a graphic element to my work that I enjoy creating.

Here’s an example of how I cut out the middle to add the middle print.  Was definitely tricky and I can’t get it extremely flat, but I think it’ll do!

Making “Untitled (as of March 2017), Twin Elements

And here’s the final piece.  (Shot with an iPhone).  I’ll get it copied soon.  Thank you to again to Rhea Mccarter Craft for makeup, Chancy Cone for hair, Amy Cooper as my awesome assistant, Courtney and Alexis as the gorgeous model twins!, and of course my own twin, Kat Nowlin.

Untitled (as of March 2017), Twin Elements. 15″x15″. Platinum on vellum w/copper comp leaf. Inquire for price info@lesleynowlinblessing.com

What’s keeping me busy…

This little girl is what’s keeping me busy these days!  Being a parent is amazing!  Definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done.  She was very grumpy this day.  I started photographing her b/c it helps me deal with her temper tantrums, and the “terrible twos”!  What’s super awesome is that Fiona herself calms down when I start photographing her.  I feel like it allows us to just be together.  I’m a photographer mom whose kid likes to be photographed!  How luck am I!?