Nonagenarians

Portrait of The Nineties

A definition of nonagenarian in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a person who is between 90 and 99 years old.”

My paternal grandmother lived for 100 years. I saw her transformation in her physical appearance over the years, yet her vibrant inner spirit, which illuminated her path in life, remained the same. I believe that one’s inner spirit leads to their perseverance in life and affects how they age.

This photo series consists of composite photos of nonagenarians, combining current images with images from their past. Some photos go back to their childhood. The transformation, perseverance, and memories are what I am trying to present in this body of work. I choose people in their nineties because they are the best to showcase these elements. I and my husband work together in visiting with and taking the current photographs of these inspiring nonagenarians. The past photographs are provided by the family. I pick, compose, and layer the images to make one connected composite between the past and current.

This is an ongoing project that is still growing.

Harold Staton, 94, Edgewood, Tx – World War II Veteran and former prisoner of war. Now an active church member. Here, he is portrayed with his own self when he was just joined the service, about 18 years old.

Jack Gilbert, 90, Edgewood, Tx – Retired school principal and coach. Now an active church choir member. Here, Mr. Gilbert is portrayed with his own self when he was an Elementary School Principal in New Mexico in the early 1980’s.

Dorothy Hall, 91, Edgewood, Tx – Ms. Hall, portrayed with her childhood photo (around 5 year old) in front of her family sharecropper house in Hillsboro, Tx. Now an active church and community member, plays bingo and bunco weekly.

Dorothy Hall, 91, Edgewood, Tx ~ Ms. Hall portrayed with her photo taken when she was around 18 years old.

Nonagenarians

Portrait of The Nineties

A definition of nonagenarian in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a person who is between 90 and 99 years old.”

This photo series consists of composite photos of nonagenarians, combining current images with images from their past. Some photos go back to their childhood. The transformation, perseverance, and memories are what I am trying to present in this body of work. I choose people in their nineties because they are the best to showcase these elements. I and my husband work together in visiting with and taking the current photographs of these inspiring nonagenarians. The past photographs are provided by the families. I pick, compose, and layer the images to make one connected composite between the past and current.

This is an ongoing project that is still growing.

Harold Staton, 94, Edgewood, Tx – World War II Veteran, former prisoner of war, and a cancer survivor. Now an active church member. Here, he is portrayed with his own self when he was just joined the service, about 18 years old.

Dorothy Hall, 91, Edgewood, Tx ~ Ms. Hall portrayed with her photo taken when she was around 18 years old.

Spring in Van Zandt County, Texas

Canton, Countryscape, Edgewood, Fruitvale, Grand Saline, Heritage Park, Nature, Redland, Spring, Travel, Upper East Texas, Wills Point

Spring sightings from various places in Van Zandt County, Texas – March/April 2016

Pear blossom and contented cows – Edgewood, Tx

A bird perching on a blossoming sassafras tree – Edgewood, Tx

Red bud trees by the railway – Fruitvale, Tx

Grand Saline Library – Grand Saline, Tx

Peach blossoms at a Peach Farm and Old Fashioned Ice Cream – Hwy 19, Edgewood, Tx

Hickenbach Texas a.k.a Jones Junction – US 80 & TX 19, Edgewood, Tx

Scott Cabin at the Heritage Park Museum of East Texas – Edgewood, Tx

A field of purple and gold by Side Pea Farm – Canton, Tx

Blooming azaleas – Canton, Tx

Canton Lake – Canton, Tx

Picnic Area on Hwy 64 – Canton, Tx

Indian Paintbrush and Crimson Clover on Hwy 64 – Redland, Tx

Crimson Clover – Redland, Tx

Indian paintbrush across the Tawakoni Spillway – Wills Point, Tx

Tawakoni Spillway Levee – Wills Point, Tx

Roses by the 1848 Will’s Cabin – Wills Point, Tx

Ray Talk

Ray, owner of Ray’s Home Hobby, Fruitvale, Tx.

Postcards

Graphic design, photography, sketching

Flyers and announcement in the format of a postcard.

Act of Kindness for Cheatham Memorial UMC

Offering of Prayers for Cheatham Memorial UMC

Bottled Product

Label design

Wine and other bottled product labels

Flyers

Brochure and Invitation

Museum Brochure

Client: Heritage Park Museum of East Texas, 2015
Job description: Design the museum brochure using my photographs
Rack card format, 3.74″ x 8.27″, double-sided, printed in color glossy card stock.

Invitation

Client: Heritage Park Museum of East Texas for its 38th Annual Banquet 2015
Job description: Invitation design using my photographs of museum’s objects.
Folded, 4.25″ x 5.5″, black and white, printed in white card stock.
The Barber Chair was the one chosen for final print.

Invitation

Client: Heritage Park Museum of East Texas for its 37th Annual Banquet 2014
Job description: Invitation design
Folded, 4.25″ x 5.5″, black and white, printed in white card stock.

Inside of the invitation

Edgewood Heritage Festival

Edgewood Heritage Festival’ s artwork and branding

Learn and see more formats here:

The Tree Guys

Cheatham’s Anniversary

Learn more at 135th Anniversary of Cheatham Memorial UMC’s Artwork

Proposed color schemes

CMUMC 135th Anniversary -Save the Date flyer

“Save the Date” flyer & postcard

Offering of Prayers postcard for Cheatham Memorial UMC

Act of Kindness postcard for Cheatham Memorial UMC

Proposed logo

One of the souvenirs – Canvas Bag

Events

Ben Wheeler Book Fair flyer and magazine ad.

Printed in County Line Magazine

Emory Heritage Park

Double-spread layout, photography, writing

A photo essay of the Emory Heritage Park, Emory, Tx. Learn more here.

Plain View

This body of work exhibits how the natural light in the day exposes the rich textures of nature, in plain black and white.

Celestial

Pine-craddled Moon

Supermoon 2016 & Christmas Parade 2012

Supermoon November 2016

20150813-148_0031-EditPerseids and Milky Way - IB

Perseids Meteor Shower and Milky Way – August 2015

Lunar Eclipse – September 2015

20150808-L1011174-EditPerseids and Milky Way - IB

Perseids Meteor Shower and Milky Way – August 2015

Sturgeon Moon – End of August 2015

Moon Last Night-150106-146_0101-Edit-Edit

The Moon Last Night – January 2015

7 Days of Nature Photo Challenge

Edgewood, Nature, Photography, Texas

This challenge was done on Facebook, January 25 to 31, 2016.

Day 1

Title: The Birds

Date: January, 2016

A massive flock of black birds is a common wintertime phenomenon in East Texas. It sounds and looks like scenes from Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller, The Birds. The massiveness of the flock against the silhouette of tree branches in this photograph is a reminiscent of oriental style painting.

Day 2

Title: Tangled

Date: July, 2015

A toad cobwebbed outside the kitchen window.

Day 3

Title: Wallflower, Wallflower, won’t you Dance with Me

Date: May, 2015

A colossal show of privet blossoms in the end of spring is another phenomenon to enjoy around pastures and woods of East Texas. Unlike “The Birds”, these walls of flowers are quiet, but they offer a very pleasant sweet odor, especially in the evening.

Day 4

Title: Mug Shot of a Snapping Turtle

Date: April, 2012

A prehistoric looking snapping turtle being transported to a nearby Crooked Creek from a county bridge construction site.

Day 5

Title: Camper’s Nature Trail

Date: February, 2014

A dense grove of ash tree along the Camper’s nature trail.

Day 6

Title: Fairy’s Stairway

Date: May, 2015

Mushrooms grow on a dead oak tree stump.

Day 7

Title: Misty

Date: January, 2015

All reaches out to the sun, wanting it to come out of the obscuring mist.

7 Days of Nature Photo Challenge

This challenge was done on Facebook, January 25 to 31, 2016.

Day 1

Title: The Birds

Date: January, 2016

Day 2

Title: Tangled

Date: July, 2015

A toad cobwebbed outside the kitchen window.

Day 3

Title: Wallflower, Wallflower, won’t you Dance with Me

Date: May, 2015

Day 4

Title: Mug Shot of a Snapping Turtle

Date: April, 2012

A prehistoric looking snapping turtle being transported to a nearby Crooked Creek from a county bridge construction site.

Day 5

Title: Camper’s Nature Trail

Date: February, 2014

A dense grove of ash tree along the Camper’s nature trail.

Day 6

Title: Fairy’s Stairway

Date: May, 2015

Mushrooms grow on a dead oak tree stump.

Day 7

Title: Misty

Date: January, 2015

All reaches out to the sun, wanting it to come out of the obscuring mist.

Blossoms

Patches of blue bonnet among mesquite trees

Nacogdoches Azalea Trail. See more.

The colors of spring in East Texas.

Analog Look

A play on East Texas nature subjects with digital processing features that bring back the old analog or hand painted look to the photographs.

Between Heaven and Texas

This body of work borrows its title from a book “Between Heaven and Texas,” by a renowned Texas photographer, Wyman Meinzer, which motivates and assures myself that there’s really something extraordinary about the skyscape of Texas.