Artistic Influence

Greetings Friends,

I was lucky to have grown up in an artistic family. My mother pursued sculpture and several types of painting as well as mixed media work. And my Uncle Allan, my mother’s younger brother, is a photographer. These two have had a big influence on my life and my development as an artist.

Allan was recently featured in a lovely article in the First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica newsletter where he’s been a long-time member of the congregation and was the church’s photographer for over twenty years.

Here’s the Allan I know. This is my first memory of him:

He lived with us while studying photography at Art Center College of Design and would take me for rides is his convertible MG. I remember the red car coat I wore with the wood barrel buttons and the thrill of the wind in my hair.

Allan sometimes used us as models for his Art Center projects. These are two of my favorite pictures that he took from that time.

When I was in high school, Allan helped me buy my first single lens reflex camera, a prized Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic that I used for many years. I studied film photography in college and played around with art photography for a while before deciding to go into painting instead.

Below are some of my photos from that time. Note that even my photographs were abstract! I like to photograph things out of focus to give a mysterious feel.

Agapanthus

Sweet Violet

Wild Morning Glory

Shakespeare Garden at Huntington Library

Sometimes Allan’s photographs are also abstract. Every year he and my Aunt Caprice send out handmade Christmas cards featuring Allan’s photography. This one is from a few years ago.

And these are two of my favorites:

My Uncle Allan has an amazing eye for beauty and design and fabulous photography skills. I learned from two masters, my Uncle Allan Walker and my mom, Patricia Walker Wedin.

Who has been an influence in your life? I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts. You can share them with us in the comments section below.

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