Upcoming Course: Seeking Spirit Vision

Greeting Friends,
I am pleased to announce the Seeking Spirit Vision Series beginning March 22, 2009 at Round River Institute in Genoa, WI.

This seven part series focuses on our relationships with the earth, ourselves and the medicine beings of the land.

Teachings, Ceremonies and Initiations focus on:
-Deepening an Earth-Centered spiritual practice.
-Building the Mesa or Shaman's Altar
-Relationships with the Elemental Beings of earth, air, fire, water.
-Cutting Cords, Releasing Contracts
-Making Medicine of our Core Wounds from the past
-Embracing Change and living with fluidity in the NOW
-The luminous power of surrender

We will meet from 10 am 'til 5 pm on the fourth Sunday of each month according to the following schedule:
March 22
April 26
May 24
June 28
July 26
August 23
September 27

The series will conclude in October with an optional five day Vision Quest in a wilderness area here in the midwest.

The fee for this series is based on a sliding scale starting at $290 to cover costs. Call for details or to register.

Namaste,

Bill Humphrey

Artwork at the Center

Richard LaMartina

Most of my photographs are created in the field. The ingredients are sun, earth, air, water, film, sweat, and -occasionally- a drop or two of serendipity. If mixed right, the character and personality of the subject is reflected in the temperament of the portrait; be it beautiful, intriguing, mysterious, simple, awesome, or relaxing. The creative process is the kiln that bakes the multitude of items I employ to assist in bringing these moments to the viewer.

My art background includes years as an oil and acrylic painter, and this experience definitely influences my approach to photography. Images are made using 35mm cameras and lenses, or digital capture; and are taken with particular care toward detail, both in the composition and in the technique.

My approach begins by spending a few days (sometimes weeks) traveling, searching for, and mentally gathering all the materials I will need to support my envisioned composition. Materials include background, foreground, location, the main subject; as well as the “mood” of the light (time of day / type of day), and how I intend to direct this all important ingredient. On my close-ups I customarily spend two or more hours preparing a shot, and it can often take two or more sessions (depending on the subject) to work out details. The approach is complicated since I am working with slow film on a close up still-life assembled with great care in the great outdoors. I have to protect my compositions from wind, rain, dirt, and other natural elements while shooting; as well as to diffuse, and work with the movement of the direct sun. In addition, I am often forced to work with long exposures in order to maintain adequate depth of field, which makes any movement of the subject disastrous. Yet, I still have only a limited time to work once my composition is “assembled” since my subjects can quickly deteriorate while being exposed to the harsh photographic environment. Given this set of tightly knit variables, it is not unusual for me to set everything up only to try again another day. Nevertheless, I think the end result of working in a natural setting with natural light, is a composition that feels less static, looks less contrived, and contains that all important quality of emotion.

Selected images are printed using archival materials in a limited edition series of up to 250 prints, then mounted and matted with museum quality, acid-free boards. I have work exhibited all over the world, including Europe, China, Iceland, Canada, as well as much of the U.S. Some of my publications, awards, exhibits and clients include:

• Milwaukee Museum of Art
• The Carnegie Museum of Natural History
• State of Wisconsin
• Wisconsin Trails Publications
• Popular Photography Magazine
• Guild.com on-line art gallery
• Wisconsin State Historical Society
• Amphoto Publishing

 

 

Come to our

BREAST HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK!

October 8-13, 2007

Weeknight workshops 7:00 pm and all day Saturday

Workshops on: Thermography, Nutrition, Yoga, Breast Health and Chinese Medicine, Massage for Breast Health, Zone therapy, Franciscan- Skemp Breast Health Educator

Other cool things goes here - if there are other cool things....