dianne sapra

More Mixed Media Beginnings

2012-01-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

Experimenting with photography in the darkroom is where my interest in mixed media began. I was very interested in altering photographs and especially giving them a dream-like quality. The images below were again shot with film and done by hand in the darkroom, no Photoshop or digital alterations. A custom negative holder was created to give the photos very soft and 'torn' edges. The negatives were exposed through a sheet of tissue paper, which gives them a very soft and distorted quality.

It has been quite some time since I've shot & experimented with film, maybe its time to get out the old Pentax or Holga.

Mixed Media Beginnings

2012-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

I have always loved experimenting with photography and my first experiments took place in the darkroom. Garden Dream Series was a project that involved several unique aspects, all done strictly in the darkroom, no Photoshop! The objective of the project was to create dreamlike images that depicted a walk through a garden.

The first step was to photograph two different subjects individually - nature scenes and self portraits. I then constructed a special negative holder that would sandwich two negatives at the same time. These were then exposed simultaneously through a sheet of glass that had Vaseline smeared along the edges. The overlapping of images, and the distorted edges that the Vaseline provided gave the images a dream like quality.

The first image, Garden Dream 1, was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Plano Art Associations National Juried Show.

Garden Dream 1

Garden Dream 2

Purple Flowers

2012-01-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

Several months ago when my sister moved into a new building for work she requested some flower photographs for the walls of her new office. Since Christmas was approaching I thought it would be a great gift idea. Her favorite color is purple and we just happen to have an abundance of purple flowers in our garden. I decided to frame 4 photographs in such a way that when positioned on the wall it would seem like she was looking out of a window onto a garden of purple flowers.

The Beach this Week

2011-12-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Card 2011 - part 2

2011-12-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here and I've still got shopping to do & art projects to finish, but at least the card is ready to go. It was a fun project - from making & decorating the cookies to styling the set & designing the final card. When I was finished I had lots of sugar cookies to enjoy, and so did my co-workers!

Christmas Card 2011 - part 1

2011-12-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

I spent part of today in the kitchen, working on the annual Christmas card. This year I wanted to try photographing cookies for the card, so I started the day off by baking & decorating sugar cookies. I definitely have a new appreciation for food stylists! I love to bake, but can be very messy in the kitchen. Trying to make a few cookies photo worthy was definitely a challenge. I ended up eating way too many cookies in the process! Here are a few quick photos and I'll post the final card later this week once its finished.

New Mixed Media Artwork

2011-12-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

I've been busy working on my Venice series and have several finished pieces to share. There are a few more canvases in process and I'll post those once they are complete.

The beach this week

2011-10-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

The other evening as I walked along the beach I noticed the light hitting the tall grass and the golden glow it created.

Inspiration

2011-10-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

Where does inspiration come from? Sometimes it comes from the craziest places!

One evening over Labor Day weekend my husband & I attended a concert at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano. It was a fabulous evening with al fresco dining, music and dancing.

The band that evening was "The Fab Four", a terrific Beatles tribute band. For the next week or so I had 2 Beatles songs running through my head - Yellow Submarine & All You Need is Love. One night when I sat down to work on some canvases there was a paper heart on the table. As I picked up the heart I couldn't help but notice the lyrics running through my head.....love...love...love....all you need is love...... So I went with it, and this canvas is the result. As I worked I wasn't sure where it was headed, I just experimented with different materials - collaging paper, molding paste, oil pastels & acrylic paint - and just had fun. Not sure yet if there will be a Yellow Submarine canvas.

Mixed Media: Venice Part 2

2011-09-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Venice Building 1

One of the things that makes mixed media so interesting is that projects are always evolving. I might work on a canvas for a couple of weeks and decide its done, only to pick it up again a few weeks later. This canvas is one of the first I started to work on for my Venice series. It had been a few weeks since I had worked on it when I decided to add a layer of wax to the canvas. I find that the wax adds an interesting texture.

Detail Venice Building 1

Mixed Media: Venice

2011-09-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Waterway in Venice

Detail of Waterway in Venice

As promised, here are a few of the mixed media canvases I've been working on lately. There are several more in progress and I'll post photos of those later this week.

The canvas pictured above, Waterway in Venice, is in the first steps. The photograph was transferred onto the canvas using gel medium and then a combination of paints and pastels were used. Next I'll add some texture to the sides of the canvas, before adding more paint, pastels & a top layer.

The canvas below, Venice Building 2, is one step further along than the previous canvas. I've added a layer of texture around the edges & some additional paint and pastels. The next step for this will be to add another layer, either wax or resin.

Venice Building 2

Detail of Venice Building 2

The August Break comes to an end

2011-09-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

Summer is over & so is the August Break. I really enjoyed the challenge of posting a photograph each day throughout the month of August. Looking back I see my posts reflect some of the things I love most about life: food, travel, the beach & art. Posting each day forced me to 'just do it' without over thinking. That is one of things I'm taking away from the challenge.

Over the years I have kept several journals full of ideas & artistic to do projects that I would start "one day". There have been many reasons as to why some of them were never started. Now more than ever I feel it's the right time to start working on some of those ideas. 'Just do it' is the new motto. This past week I began working on 5 new photo transfer canvases. I will share some photos of them in progress later this week.

The challenge also introduced me to some very talented artists who have truly inspired me. The community has been so supportive & I look forward to becoming more involved. While I'm not going to post a photo each day, I am going to continue to blog on a much more regular basis than before the challenge. So although it's the end of the challenge & the end of summer I think its also the beginning of something great.

Day 31: Last day in Napa

2011-08-31T23:14:00.000-07:00

We stopped at the Oxbow Public Market for lunch before heading to the airport. So many choices and so many fantastic looking desserts.

Our 4 day mini break was great fun! We enjoyed lots of fabulous food & wine and also exploring the area. I'm looking forward to our next adventure.

Day 30: Napa

2011-08-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

Silver Oak was another vineyard we stopped at.....

Day 29: Napa

2011-08-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

After our picnic lunch we headed to the vineyards on our bikes. It was a gorgeous day, with a brilliant blue sky. Our first stop was Opus One. Their red is heaven, so smooth.......

Day 28: Napa

2011-08-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we rented bikes & set out on a 10 mile loop. The map from the bike shop had several much longer routes, but we chose the shortest & easiest figuring there were more than enough vineyards along the way to chose from. Our first stop was at the Oakville Grocery for a picnic lunch. They had an assortment of homemade salads, sandwiches and cookies to choose from. Along the outside of the store is the Oakville Grocery Farmstand that offers lots of fresh fruit, veggies & home made lemonade. Tomorrow I'll post photos of some of the vineyards we biked to.

Day 27: Fishermans Wharf

2011-08-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some more photos from our trip to San Fran. We walked around Pier 39 & Fishermans Wharf on Saturday morning. There was a large group of sea lions at Pier 39. Most of them were sleeping, but there were a few that would climb onto the docks and walk over the rest of the group as they slept. The aroma coming from the Boudin Bakery was fabulous, they make the best sourdough bread....yuummmm! You can see into the bakery from the street & there was a woman creating creatures out of bread dough. They had an assortment of turtle, bear, snake & crab shaped breads. We took a cable car back to our hotel & had a great view as we were standing on the very back of the car. After lunch in the city (at a fab place called Bread & Cocoa) we headed out to Napa. Tomorrow I'll post photos of Napa.

Boudin Bakery

View from the back of cable car.

Day 26: Self Portrait in SF

2011-08-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

This self portrait was taken Saturday morning at Pier 39. The handsome guy with me is my husband Varun. If you look closely you can see a bit of Alcatraz behind us. I just stretched my arm out for this one, no self timer or tripod. I'll post more photos tomorrow & Sunday of our trip to SF & Napa.

Dianne & V in San Francisco

Day 25: Chinatown

2011-08-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

After lunch we headed to Chinatown. Supposedly Chinatown in SF is one of the most famous. It was amazing to see all of the vibrant colors.

Day 24: San Francisco

2011-08-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was our 5 year anniversary so to celebrate my husband planned a surprise trip. All I knew was that we were flying to San Francisco and that I needed to pack 'something athletic'. We had a fantastic 4 days! The trip started in San Fran and we then headed to Napa for some wine tasting. Over the next few days I'm going to post a bunch of photos that I took.

flying into San Francisco

The flight from Los Angeles to San Fran was only 52 minutes long. On such a short flight there was only one announcement from the pilot: "we have reached our cruising altitude of 32,000 feet and will now begin our descent". It was pretty funny! I took a few photos out of the window during the descent.

Cafe de la Presse

After we checked into the hotel we set out to explore the city on foot. On our way to Union Square we stopped at Cafe de la Presse for lunch. What a fantastic Parisian style cafe! We ordered a chicken sandwich, Croque Monsieur and an order Pomme Frites. Top it off with a glass of white wine & chocolate macarons and all I can say is yummmm...........

Pomme Frites with mayo

Day 23: The beach this week

2011-08-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Aaahhhhhh...... Nothing beats a nice sunset after a long day at work.

Day 22: In the neighborhood, final day

2011-08-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the last of the neighborhood flowers, at least for a while. I enjoyed posting on the same subject for a week. Can you tell that I love pink & purple flowers?

Day 21: Pink Flower

2011-08-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Day 20: Pink Flowers

2011-08-20T13:15:00.001-07:00

Day 19: White Flowers

2011-08-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

Day 18: A little green in the neighborhood

2011-08-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

This week I have been posting photos of flowers around our neighborhood. While today's photo is not a flower, I just had to take a photo of it. As I walked by this plant I really liked the shape of the leaves & the pattern they form, so here's a bit of green for the week.

Day 17: Yellow Flowers

2011-08-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Day 16: Flower

2011-08-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

Another flower from the neighborhood, this is definitely one of my favorites.

Day 15: In the neighborhood

2011-08-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

There are lots of beautiful flowers in our neighborhood so I'm going to post a few photos over the next several days. As soon as I saw these purple flowers I thought of my sister, so J this one's for you!

Day 14: The beach this week

2011-08-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went for a walk on the beach. It was a bit overcast and grey, and there were not a lot of people around. When I saw this colorful umbrella standing by itself I couldn't resist snapping a photo.

Day 13: Farmers Market

2011-08-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday so that means Farmers Market!

Day 12: Cactus

2011-08-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have had this cactus for many years, it used to be my grandmothers. It has made the move (by car each time) from Vermont, to Boston, to Texas and now to California. There were very few blossoms the first few years I had it, and a year that it didn't blossom at all. It started to make a comeback while we lived in Texas, and now is flourishing in CA. I think it enjoys all of the sunlight.

Day 11: Sawdust

2011-08-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival in Laguna Beach with my friend Jen. There was an interesting variety of artwork. The grounds, artists booths & live music provide a very cool setting, I've never been to anything like it. Several photographers had amazing photos, and they looked absolutely stunning printed on metal. I might have to go back & purchase a couple of pieces. There were a few different workshops offered & we took part in a mixed media session to made bookmarks. I decided to go purple & found some really fun items to use as stamps & stencils.

Day 10: Mixed Media Project

2011-08-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Previously I mentioned my interest in experimenting with beeswax in my mixed media projects. Not long after I had the opportunity at work to photograph several detailed projects involving wax. That experience inspired me and the result can be seen in the following photographs. This piece on canvas incorporates ink, wax, oil pastels & a photograph I shot of lavender in the garden. I'm looking forward to trying a couple different techniques so stay tuned!

Day 9: The beach this week

2011-08-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

I love going to the beach. There always seems to be some sort of artistic creation to discover. Rock sculptures, drawings in the sand and sand sculptures are just some of the fantastic things that I've come across. This sand castle is definitely one of the coolest I've seen all year.

Day 8: Purple Flowers

2011-08-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

I just love the color purple so had to share this photo of some purple flowers in our garden.

Day 7: The beach this week

2011-08-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Day 6: Farmers Market

2011-08-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about Saturdays is going to the local Farmers Market. The fresh produce is fantastic, especially the strawberries & white peaches. I look forward to dinners on the weekend & enjoying the fresh finds I bring home with me.

Day 5: How 'bout them apples?

2011-08-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

Days 3 & 4 featured photos of sweets, and you'll probably see many more on my blog as I have quite a sweet tooth. Today I figured I'd post a healthier option.

Day 4: Viktor Benes

2011-08-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

A look at some of the fabulous desserts in the case at Viktor Benes bakery. Couldn't resist taking a few photos with my iPhone.

Day 3: OC Chef's Challenge

2011-08-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to the OC Chef's Challenge & sampled some fantastic food. The Raspberry Crunch Cake Dessert pictured in these 3 photos was delicious.

The hands down winner of the evening was the Lobster Meatball with Mushroom Risotto from the chef at k'ya. I would have taken a few photographs of it, but it was so good that the food didn't stay on my plate for very long!

Day 2: Flowers

2011-08-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

August 2

Day 2 of the August Break 2011 challenge......

The August Break 2011: Day 1

2011-08-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

August 1

Post a photo on your blog every day in the month of August...sounds like a fun challenge....I'm in! The August Break 2011 challenges you to post a photo every day to your blog using any sort of camera. These flowers are everywhere in our neighborhood & I shot this with my iPhone while walking to the beach. I then used the fantastic app Instagram to add a few effects.

The beach this week

2011-05-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

There are always so many different types of birds at the beach. I love watching them, especially when they are running in and out of the water as a group. This handsome group appeared to be running formation drills on the beach.

Photo Transfer Project

2011-05-13T20:44:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos of a mixed media canvas I did using a photo shot in Venice. I started by transferring the photo onto a canvas with gel medium. Next I used a combination of pastels, markers, acrylic paint & modeling paste. Currently I've got several new canvases in process, and will post photos of them as soon as they are finished.

The beach this week

2011-04-03T19:07:00.006-07:00

It was absolutely gorgeous on Thursday & Friday with temps in the 80's. I grabbed my sunblock and headed to the beach to try out my new point & shoot camera. I love the camera! The Canon Powershot SX210 is just perfect for the beach. It is so much smaller & lighter than my DSLR and I love the LCD display. I'm going to start carrying it with me all of the time.

Thank You

2009-11-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Moving day is almost here as my husband & I set out on our new adventure. We're in the process of moving to southern California, a photographers dream! Can't wait to photograph the beaches & sunsets.

A BIG thank you to all of my Dallas based clients! Over the past 7 years I've met a lot of wonderful people & had many memorable photo shoots. Thank you for trusting me behind the lens & enabling me to do what I love so much.

Recent Photoshoot

2009-11-04T20:28:00.003-08:00

My friend Karin is an amazing porcelain painter. Recently I photographed some of her beautiful artwork for her new website. Below are just a couple of the pieces I photographed. After we were done working with her artwork, we put her adorable daughter Alya up on the table for a few quick shots. The one above is my favorite!

Tyson, Buck, Zeke & Quinn

2009-10-15T09:12:00.020-07:00

What a fun group! We met up with Sara, Charlie and their 4 dogs for an outdoor photo shoot between rain showers. Tyson, Buck, Zeke & Quinn enjoyed chasing each other around between poses. Sara is one of the founders of a recently organized rescue group. If you are looking for a lovable companion, check out their website. There are lots of great dogs looking for their forever home.(www.northdallasdogrescue.org). You can read all about this wonderful family in the winter edition of Urban Animal magazine.

Lola & Punkin

2009-07-22T15:33:00.009-07:00

Meet Lola the dog & Punkin the cat. These two are featured in Part of Our Family, in the summer issue of Urban Animal. I enjoyed photographing these two with their owners Kent & Martha. Who said dogs & cats can't be friends?!

Something New

2009-06-09T16:04:00.018-07:00

The majority of my work is product related, so I thought it would be fun to try something new. I attended a lighting workshop that focused on models. It was a great opportunity. The last lighting "workshop" I attended (through a different company) ended up being more of a lecture & sales pitch. This was great hands on experience shooting with your own gear. I picked up some new lighting tips & got to work with some terrific models. Here are a few shots.

New Photos

2009-05-04T14:20:00.016-07:00

I've been working on an update to the site & will also have a bunch of new photos to post. Hopefully the updates will be finished by early fall, so check back!

Stella Dallas

2009-03-05T09:46:00.014-08:00

Our friends at StellaDallas are in the news again! This trendy store in Dallas recently launched their website www.shopstelladallas.com. Featuring photographs I shot of the store last fall, the site lets you take a look inside the store and check out their fantastic mix of vintage and modern furniture and accessories.

Yum!

2009-02-23T16:41:00.008-08:00

I just love photographing food! Ok, the part I really loved about this gig was eating the product after the photo shoot.

D Home Magazine

2009-01-30T10:45:00.006-08:00

Check out the latest issue of D Home Magazine. The January/February 2009 issue features photographs I shot at the end of the year for a hip new store in Dallas. StellaDallas has a full page feature in the metro section of the magazine. "New Kid on the Block" StellaDallas - D Home

Christmas Card

2008-12-12T14:08:00.006-08:00

The annual Christmas card is finished...almost...all that's left to do is address the envelopes & drop them in the mail. This year the card features a contemporary glitter tree against a winter background. The blue background was achieved using a combination of metallic blue paper & light. I always enjoy working with light & reflective surfaces. Cheers!

StellaDallas

2008-11-25T17:55:00.019-08:00

Recently I photographed the interior of stelladallas, a hip new boutique on Lovers Lane in Dallas. They have a great collection of stylish furniture, lamps & pillows that you won't find elsewhere. The back of the store is filled with a cool collection of cards, calendars & wrapping paper. Not only is the product great, the super friendly staff is great too!

Bailey

2008-11-04T08:19:00.014-08:00

On my latest assignment for Urban Animal I met Bailey. As with other pet photo sessions, treats played an important role! Bailey is a rescue dog that sometimes is a bit shy around people when she first meets them. However feed her a treat and you'll have a new friend. Debbie & Jenny had lots of treats on hand during the photo shoot, and Debbie even showed us a trick that they do each night before bed.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T06:00:00.002-07:00

Pinot & Grigio

2008-10-27T09:56:00.008-07:00

Meet Pinot & Grigio. I met these cute pups recently while photographing their family for a Christmas card. After being rescued from a puppy mill, they were adopted by Sean & Pattie.
The pups had lots of energy for the photoshoot & did a great job! I'm sure they will enjoy Christmas in their new home.

Hot Trend

2008-10-16T14:40:00.019-07:00

The holidays are fast approaching! For those looking for a one of a kind gift that will last forever, a new trend in photography fits the bill. Printing photographs onto canvas is one of the hottest new trends.

Your image will be printed on museum-quality canvas and hand stretched onto a custom-built, 1.5" thick wooden frame. The image will be gallery wrapped, continuing around all sides of the frame for a beautiful print. Canvas prints are ready to hang on your wall, no additional framing is needed.

A variety of sizes are available to fit your needs. In addition to standard sizes, any size you desire can be produced. Custom sized canvas prints are a great way to fill a large wall space in your home.

Canvas prints make great holiday gifts for family members! Contact the studio for more information.

Lisa & Frank

2008-09-19T14:24:00.012-07:00

Recently I photographed Lisa & Frank. Lisa has been a commercial client of mine for several years, and I was honored to take their portrait. What a great couple! There were lots of smiles and lots of laughs during the session. Here are two of my favorites from that morning.

Recent Assignment

2008-09-12T09:48:00.005-07:00

My latest assignment for Urban Animal introduced me to Laura, Mike & Victoria along with their three dogs Rusty, Sam & Praline. As you can tell from all the wagging tongues, the photo shoot took place on a hot afternoon! You can read about their family in the Fall issue, which is out now.

I always enjoy working with Urban Animal. The families I photograph have adopted animals from rescue groups & share their heartwarming stories with me. Urban Animal always features lots of furry four-legged friends looking for their forever home. If you are looking to adopt an animal check out their latest issue.

Kady & Ethan

2008-09-05T14:38:00.014-07:00

Recently I photographed Kady & Ethan. Here are two of my favorite pictures from that afternoon. They are great kids and always so much fun to photograph!

Recent Assignment

2008-05-12T16:10:00.020-07:00

When I received my latest assignment for Urban Animal which involved photographing a family with 4 dogs I'll admit I was a bit worried. With animals you never know what will happen so I figured the chances of all 4 sitting still & posing nicely at the same time were slim. So I came up with Plan B, and a Plan C, just in case. Turns out I didn't need a backup plan! Holly & Don were prepared with peanut butter hors d'oeuvres that the dogs just loved. Ferne, Squirrel, Buster Keaton, and Trooper are all such sweet dogs. They did a great job sitting still & posing for the camera. You can see them in Part of our Family in the summer issue of Urban Animal.

Camera Obscura

2008-04-28T16:03:00.019-07:00

I have been meaning to post this for a while. During our visit to Santa Monica last year I persuaded my reluctant husband to visit the Camera Obscura with me. He wondered what on earth I was getting him into as it's located in a senior center, but in the end he admitted it was pretty cool. It is a pitch dark room with a large, round white table in the middle. There is a periscope on the roof of the building that captures the scene outside. The reverse image of the scene is projected onto the table. The periscope can be turned with a crank, allowing you a 360 degree view of outside. It is located close to the pier, so the projection of the beach was really cool. We both ended up taking some pictures of the projection. The camera obscura was originally used as a drawing aid.

Snowflake Bentley

2008-03-04T09:39:00.012-08:00

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley is the first photographer whose work I became familiar with. I grew up in Jericho, VT which is where Bentley lived his entire life. He is famous for his photomicrography work with snowflakes & is the first to photograph a snow crystal. I just love all of his detailed photographs of snowflakes. His photographs always remind me of home & how much I love the snow. The site dedicated to Snowflake Bentley is http://snowflakebentley.com/

Website Updates

2008-02-26T10:03:00.008-08:00

Over the next week I am going to be making some changes to the website. Bear with me until the changes are complete. Not sure yet if I will keep the music for the home page. I'll be adding more information and more photographs so come back soon!

Swatches

2008-02-06T20:55:00.002-08:00

Recently I worked on a project for a custom clothier. There were hundreds & hundreds of shirt swatches. I just loved all of the textures and colors! Within each color there were great patterns and lots of different shades. Here are two collages with a few of the shirt swatches.

Recent Photoshoot

2008-01-21T12:21:00.003-08:00

Luckily the weather cooperated for my latest outdoor photoshoot. After lots of cold & dreary weather, I spent an afternoon out in the warm sun shooting a sports car for a private sale listing. It was so gorgeous out that after the shoot the client drove off with the top down...and I think with second thoughts about selling such a fun car!

Imaging USA 2008

2008-01-10T14:22:00.002-08:00

Just returned from PPA's Imaging USA conference in Tampa. What a great way to kick off the New Year! Four days filled with inspiration, technical info, Photoshop tricks, and meeting other photographers. I can't wait to get in the studio and shoot some new images! One of the sessions inspired me to make some changes to my website. I'm starting with a blog, and will be adding lots of new images this spring. The blog will cover things like inspirational photographers & artists, and I am also going to post information and pics from various photo shoots throughout the year.