Artist
Statement:
The
purpose of this website is to showcase the art that I have
pursued throughout my life. From the earliest
photographs that I started taking in high school, to the
earliest writings that I began while in college, all the way
until now - I have been passionate about the need to express
what I have seen, learned and experienced throughout this
short but wonderful journey through visualIzation and
interpretation in the various media that I had learned to
use.
I have been
very fortunate to develop some good living habits (I took up
bicycle riding at age 35 when I was quiting smoking) and have
adhered to a daily physical exercise regime. It was also
about this time that, at the incredibly constant push from my
principal, I went to a National Sc ience Foundaton summer
session at the University of Delaware to learn about how to
use these new fangled computers in the classroom. These
were Apple IIe's and I was smitten - seeing this as the way to
truly indivualize instruction. Well that didn't
happen, but computers became part of my instruction
classroom from then in 1982 until I retired in
2006.
Throughout all my life everything
I have done has been to create more time to write. After
trying a writing job - and that didn't work
- I thought teaching - summers off - plenty of time to write.
Well that also didn't work, what with divorces, vacations,
worn out brain cells - much less beer - so I got
into the photography business while teaching, thinking if I
could make my self employed business fly, why I would have time
to write!! Well, that didn't work. And of course
I then got really excited about personal computers.
I spent thousands of dollars (that I did not have)
and bought Atari, Commodore and TRS-80 computers (never heard of
them? Thought so) and learned to program for them -
writing math educational programs.
Well this took a LOT of time and was motivated by the thought,
if I could make a living from this self employed business,
then I would have the time to write. Right. Well,
that didn't work as all these systems obviously failed and the
Apple and PC became the dominant personal computer
systems. And of course I went with PC's as they were
cheaper, but of course PC's are run with Windows and we all
know how much fun that is
:(
So instead of trying to find
another way to live with a small business I just retired
and suddenly I found - hey I have all this time now.
So I closed down my Mainmath.com website, and started
Chespax.com. I secured this domain name as I have
for the past 41 years lived in Calvert County - which
is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River (thus
Chespax) - a place I have learned to love almost as much as
Maine.
It is hoped you will take some time and
tour the various sections to see, read and enjoy
some of the art that I have created. |
About the Artist:
After
graduating from Wilson High School in West Lawn, PA in 1960, I
attended Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville,
Tennessee. Graduating in 1968 as a History major (after a
short stint in the U.S. Army) I knew that more than anything I
wanted to be a writer so I moved to NewYork City and
began writing short stories and plays while making a living as
magazine writer (Incentive Magazine). Getting married
sort of made decisions for me and I moved to Alexandria, VA
where I got a job for the Construction Specifier magazine from
which two months later I promptly got fired. And that is
how I ended up a teacher - back in Pennsylvania - but they
wouldn't hire me full time so I ended up in Southern Maryland
in Calvert County in 1969 where I taught for 35
years.
All this while I
was trying to write but also taking photographs
of everything. I started a photography business (North Light Studio)
that I ran for 17 years to augment the salary I was making as
a public school teacher.
I closed the
photo business in 1986 as I had become interested in computers
and their impact on education but always continuing to take
photographs of family and for my own
interest.
Having been a
professional film photographer, including having my own
darkroom, I would process photographic "effects" such as
Kodalith high contrast, sepia toned prints, solarization of
developing images, etc. and these would still be classified as
photographs. I
believe that images that are "processed" in the digital
darkroom are also true photographs as the image is still the
original image and has only been altered in the
presentation. I
do not use Photoshop.
I believe that the cutting and pasting that this
software allows alters the image in a way that makes the
results "Digital Art" and not photography.
I import, manage and process
my photographs using ACDSee Pro 3.0 - an unbelievably powerful
image processing program. Then I print all my photographs
through my Epson Photo R1800 printer to semi-glossy
photographic paper in 13X19 inches size using archival inks
that will last 200+ years. They are then
mounted and matted in acid free archival mats and
then framed in simple but secure frames. Each photograph in each series completed this way will
be of the same quality and professional presentation, with
color, density and quality assured for each print.
As digital
video became something that could be done on computers, I
purchased a series of video camercorders culminating with
a Canon GL2 and then a Sony HDV 1080i and have recently been
making and editing HD videos.
On
retiring four years ago from Calvert
County Public Schools, after 35 years of wonderful teaching,
I purchased professional level digital cameras, lenses
and processing equipment to pursue one of my real loves - creating
photographs that reflected what I call "The
Magic of Light" - that and also finishing the
three novels that I have started over the
years.
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