BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
I get a thrill out of seeing a magnificent sapphire and love trying to come up with an heirloom design that enhances it,” says jeweler Craig Underwood. “I also get a thrill out of seeing a majestic view from the Buffalo River Valley as I try to capture a lasting image of it.
“Having the opportunity to work with Mother Nature’s treasures is a real treat for me,” muses Underwood, who has become a dedicated nature photographer over the past few years. “And I continue to find it interesting how my knowledge of jewelry design has influenced my eye for photography and how photography has influenced my jewelry design. While I developed my artistic eye for jewelry long before I got serious with photography, I love having the creative outlet in both mediums that allows me to express myself.”
This month, Underwood is “excited and nervous” to see his work hanging for the first time ever at Art Ventures in Fayetteville. He answered these questions for What’s Up!
Q. What started the transformation from jewelry into this art?
A. My interest in landscape photography dates back more than 20 years ago on family vacation. In 1995 my wife and I took a trip to Yosemite, and I decided to try my hand at nature photography. I had seen the gorgeous images of Ansel Adams and naively thought I would take some beautiful photographs of my own. I shot several rolls of 35mm film, but it was a dismal failure! The photographs I got back from the processing center were terrible. I was so frustrated and disheartened I put my camera away, only using it to photograph my three children as they grew up.
Seventeen years later, all my children were at or beyond the age in which they wanted me to photograph them. Fresh out of subject matter, I decided to try nature photography again. This time I decided to educate myself first. So in the spring of 2012 I signed up for Tim Ernst’s three-day landscape photography workshop. … For me, the class was an eye opening and inspiring experience, and landscape photography has now become a favorite hobby of mine.
Q. Does size matter in your art?
A. I’ve found larger images generally help the viewer feel they are more of an active participant in the image. My larger photographs start at 16-by-24 inches with some of my largest works approaching 4 feet in size.
Q. What do you hope your work brings to viewers?
A. A good friend recently shared with me that when she looks at my photograph “Falling Water Creek” she can just picture herself sitting there by the creek side, taking in all the natural beauty surrounding her. She followed that up by saying “just looking at this photo puts me in a good mood.” And I believe that’s the best compliment any photographer can ever have. I hope that as people view my photography they have a sense of discovery and wonderment and that they also have a sense of awe for the magnificent natural beauty God has created for all of us to enjoy.
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FAQ
Artist’s Reception:
Craig Underwood
WHEN — 6-8 p.m. Nov. 8
WHERE — Art Ventures in Fayetteville
COST — $10 nonmembers
INFO — artventuresnwa.org
BONUS — Also showing will be work by painter Barry Thomas.
