— The featured artist of the 51st issue of Living the Photo Artistic Life magazine, AWAKE artist Maggy Pease has been delighting us with her charming images for some time now, so it’s wonderful to be able to finally interview her here on Quill and Camera . . .
Q. What was it that first brought you to digital photo artistry?
I have always liked to do creative things. I loved taking photos as a teen, but growing up in Iceland film processing was very expensive so I always limited myself on the number of photos I took. When I got my first DSLR digital camera a new world opened up for me. No limit on the number of photos (as long as there was a spare memory card), and instant feedback on the LCD screen. And then rather than trust to simply having the images developed, I could edit them myself on my computer.
When I was younger — in body, but not spirit — I always carried a camera with me wherever I went. As a family we traveled all over the United States, Canada, and Europe. I was able to shoot many different photos of different things, and captured many nature and landscape photos. I started buying better cameras and lenses and took online photography courses to get better. I soon realized that I had more fun editing or playing around with my photos, using filters or photo actions, or just about any software to make them look different.
But I always felt something was missing. I became bored with the photos I was shooting, as it seemed everyone else was shooting the same images. For instance, Neuschwanstein Castle is the same castle that everyone else shoots. It’s beautiful, yes, but none the less common. The same with a deer, a sparrow, or a dragonfly. I wanted to do something different.
It was while surfing the web for filters of some sort that I found the Photoshop Artistry course and signed up right away. This was exactly what I had been looking for. Soon after I joined the AWAKE group. I spent countless hours every day for months watching tutorials and practicing, trying to learn everything I could. Digital photo artistry has taken me to a place I didn’t even know existed. I’ve found my passion.
Q. What inspires you as an artist?
Dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs! They are my foundation, and everything I do seems to come back to something one of my dogs has done: the happy smile, the nudge for attention, letting me know when anyone walks down the street, chasing but not catching a squirrel in the yard, spending their whole life with me.
Or sometimes just a picture from one of the photo frames I have throughout the house might inspire me. Or it could be something out by the pond, or even something I see watching a movie or show in the evening. My love for animals stands out though. Nature and wildlife are a huge inspiration. Also the amazing art I see daily online in our AWAKE group.
Q. What does “Living the Photo Artistic Life” mean to you?
Endless possibilities! An open doorway. Freedom to express myself. And finding beauty all around me.
For me the ability to use my photographs and Photoshop to make images come to life is very satisfying. AWAKE has taught me many new techniques, and to see the wonderful images from my talented peers every day challenges me to keep improving.
I have some health problems and it is easy to just focus on those; however being able to work on my art has given me the incentive to keep going. I still enjoy going out shooting, and when I do, I can’t wait to load the photos up in the computer to see what kind of magic I can come up with once they’re in Photoshop. Working with the photos I have just shot, while listening to some music as I work, while my dogs lounge around me, is very therapeutic.
Q: How do you typically approach your work?
There is no rhyme or reason to my method. I usually start with an idea sparked by one of my photographs. From there it can go in any direction and may end up totally different from where I expected it to go when I started.
Sometimes I will only spend a few hours completing a project, other times I will spend days on something before I am happy with it. There are times I will have two or three different pieces that I am working on, so if I get stuck on one I can move to another. Because of my health issues I periodically take breaks, though maybe that’s not a bad thing as often times when I look at the image with fresh eyes I notice things that still need work. Many times I will do two or three different versions of my images, just to see if I like one background or color toning better than another.
Q: What do you think your next step is as an artist? Where do you go from here?
I really am not sure what the next step is. I know I am going to continue creating my art. I feel as if I am just finding my voice as a Photo Artist, and I’m not sure what direction it will take me.
My highlight so far has been being featured in the May 2019 issue of the Living the Photo Artist Life magazine. I am thrilled that others enjoy my art too. To make the cover has been a dream come true. I would love for this to become a commercially viable venture but I think that if I focus on what might sell rather than my own inspiration I might lose my creativity. Come what may, I love doing this. It is a journey with an unknown destination.
Q. Any advice for other aspiring digital artists?
Practice, practice practice. Keep learning, work through tutorials, and don’t be afraid to try different things.
And challenge yourself. Sometimes I learn the most from things that are outside of my comfort zone.
Along the way, keep posting and sharing your work with the world. Try not to worry if others will like your artwork or not. You will never be able to please everyone, so don’t worry about that.
I love this quotation from Theodore Roosevelt: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” So believe in what you’re doing. And most importantly, be true to yourself, and have fun with it.
.
You can find a wonderful array of artwork by Maggy Pease on our portfolio site at https://artboja.com/art/3d2tlc/