First of all, I want to offer a warm welcome to all the new subscribers. Thank you so much for being here! Sometimes creativity needs some breathing room and the batteries need to be recharged. In the spirit of rest, I’m resharing a favorite post from the archives about making art without expectations and finding nourishment in the work itself. It’s something I need to be reminded of this week, and maybe you do, too. I will be back next week.
“Making art now means working in the face of uncertainty; it means living with doubt and contradiction, doing something no one much cares whether you do, and for which there may be neither audience nor reward. Making the work you want to make means setting aside these doubts so that you may see clearly what you have done, and thereby see where to go next. Making the work you want to make means finding nourishment within the work itself.”
- David Bayles
It’s not easy, is it?
Creating for the sake of creating, making something without a reward is part of any creative’s life, for better or worse.
However, as much as we deserve acknowledgment and reward for our work, I believe making work without expectations or worrying about the results is one of the purest ways to create, the most life-giving way to create. Because it is only then that the work itself becomes the nourishment you need.
Creating for the sake of creating is an act of quiet rebellion against the noise of the world falsely promising happiness through consumption, accolades, and money. Making art in the face of uncertainty is a rebellion against the destruction and darkness we see everyday.
In fact, creativity takes brokenness and turns it into something whole; it takes on control and fear and turns them into joy.
We need it now more than ever.
The quote above came to me while working on these five diptychs I created this week. They are made from old family photographs laid out on mixed media paper. I tore the edges and then experimented with different pairings. Once I found the right pairing, I glued the images onto the paper, then arranged the red thread in the right places and sewed the button onto the last photograph.
The words are inspired by my imagination, stories, and fragmented memories of my maternal grandmother’s life and some specific events that had an impact on my own life. The torn edges and the metaphorical arrangement of the red thread expresses an attempt to bring all the pieces together.
The Layered Frame - The Art of Multiple Exposure
October 1 – November 5 2026
The practice of combining multiple exposures into a single image invites us to move beyond the boundaries of reality and into the realm of the surreal. By layering moments, we can create dreamlike, evocative photographs that expand the possibilities of imagination, storytelling, and personal vision.
In this workshop, we will explore the art and craft of visual layering across a wide range of photographic genres - from the intimacy of portraiture to the vastness of landscapes and the abstraction of still life. Join me as I share techniques for weaving multiple moments into a single, compelling image.
What We Will Explore
Photoshop tools for creating multiple exposures:
Blending modes
Opacity
Masking
Adjustment layers
Blend If
Starting with two layers, we will eventually work on layering three or more images in Photoshop using a variety of techniques to realize your creative vision
In-camera multiple exposure settings and workflow
Understanding the logic of light: additive versus average exposure
in-camera blending modes
Exposure compensation when layering three or more exposures
Practical layering formulas and approaches
Learning how to see, plan, and pre-visualize successful multiple exposures
Through a combination of technical instruction, guided experimentation, hands-on practice, and personalized feedback, you will gain the skills and confidence to create expressive and evocative multiple-exposure images using both Photoshop and your camera.
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