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Images of the Modern American West - Part 2 - by David Sharpe

1/21/2019

POINT REYES DERELICT BOAT

This old fishing boat is beached on Tomales Bay in the town of Inverness. I’d seen photos of it before, but never had the opportunity to make my own images until this trip. I loved the reflection in the small creek flowing under the bow and knew that sunset would really add some pop to the scene. As I worked the area I was joined by a few other photographers and we enjoyed each other’s company as we created our own visions of the scene.

POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE

This classic lighthouse in Northern California has often been a favorite of mine. This particular image shows the last of the setting sun reflected on the tower and the light keeper’s house. I was perched on a narrow rocky point just north of the lighthouse itself, surround on three sides by the ocean waves and loving the glorious sunset we were gifted with this night.

NIGHT LIGHT

Just when I thought I was through for the night, I noticed that the tower had suddenly been lit with exterior lights. I ran back out to my perch and framed the shot to include the striated rocks in the surf line below me. This is one of my favorite images of the entire trip.

And finally, a few images from closer to home:

SNOW BRIDGE

I don’t usually photograph the Deception Pass Bridge, but a rare snowfall on the island prompted me to head north to catch the bridge clothed in fresh snow. This image is emblematic of Whidbey Island in winter.

COUPEVILLE SUNRISE

My hometown of Coupeville is reflected in the still waters of Penn Cove at dawn. This is a single photograph cropped to a 1:3 ratio to focus the eye on the town, but leaving enough of the dramatic sky in place. This has been my most popular selling image, providing visitors and residents alike a reminder of just why we love Whidbey Island.

All of these images and more can be seen on my website - www.photowhidbey.com. Better yet, stop in to the Garry Oak Gallery on Pioneer Street in Oak Harbor and see the prints themselves on display. While you’re there, check out the work of all of the other artist members of the Gallery. We are proud to be a part of the community and the only art gallery in Oak Harbor. All members are local residents and represent some of the finest artists in the area.

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Images of the Modern American West - Part 1 - by David Sharpe

1/12/2019

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My name is David Sharpe and among many other things, I’m a photographer. I am a member of Garry Oak Gallery in Oak Harbor, and this is the first of what we hope will be a series of blog posts by Gallery artists telling the story behind our own art. All art, whether it’s paintings, jewelry, glass art, woodwork or photographs have a story to tell. In the case of my chosen craft, travel photographs tell of places both near and far, inviting the viewer to connect with the landscape and imagine themselves in that setting. In some cases, it sparks memories of past visits and reminds us of the stunning beauty that surrounds us on this earth.

My current display in the gallery consists of a mix of local scenes (Coupeville, Oak Harbor, Deception Pass) and scenes from a recent RV trip my wife and I took. We were on the road for two months exploring the American West as far as the Mississippi River and Great Lakes. Along the way we had no real destination in mind, instead following our inspiration and stopping to visit many National and State Parks along the way. This style of travel is very freeing - no deadlines, no rush to get to any particular destination. Our motto in our little RV is “We’re already there.” This allows plenty of time for me to practice my craft - I can wait for the best light in a given location instead of just taking a quick snapshot and hurrying on. I’ve always thought it would be wonderful to spend a year in certain National Parks, capturing the essence of the location in all seasons of the year.

But enough background - let’s take a look at some of the images I currently have on display in the gallery and I’ll tell you the story behind each of them.

SPEED LIMIT

In Northern Idaho we came across a collection of old cars and trucks stored in an old slate quarry. We’d passed this scene by in prior trips, but this time stopped to spend an hour wandering around the property (with permission of the resident) to make some images. This image depicts an old US Army Chevrolet truck. I thought the speed limit sign at the quarry entrance made an amusing counterpoint to the dynamically balanced truck rusting on the hill behind it.

MORRO BAY SUNRISE

We camped at a state park right on the beach at Morro Bay in Southern California. I woke up early in the morning and grabbed my camera for a walk on the beach and captured the glorious dawn. The birds on the pond in the foreground really added to the peacefulness of this scene.

ST. LOUIS ARCH AT NIGHT

More properly known as the Gateway Arch, this St. Louis landmark houses the Museum of Westward Expansion. I really wanted to capture a night-time image of the Arch and found my spot across the Mississippi River on the Illinois side. There I found an elevated viewing platform that got me above the levee and the train tracks and industrial areas, leaving a spectacular view of the city, including the Old Courthouse framed by the legs of the Arch.

Images of the American Modern West - Part 2 - Soon to come!

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New Blog on Garry Oak Gallery Website

1/4/2019

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Garry Oak Gallery would like to promote more interaction between our artists and the community! We are initiating this blog in order to do so. Every Gallery artist will be given the opportunity to post short blog entries about their own personal experiences in creating their art. By creating this dialogue about the creative process, we hope we will provide awareness of, insight into and interest in the work of the talented artists who make up our gallery.

Stay tuned for our first artist's blog post. Please feel free to leave constructive comments and questions. If your questions relate to one of our artists, they will be relayed and responded to within a week. Thank you for visiting our blog! ~Garry Oak Gallery

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Images of the Modern American West - Part 2 - by David Sharpe

Images of the Modern American West - Part 1 - by David Sharpe

New Blog on Garry Oak Gallery Website

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