My step sister, Hannah, modeled so I could construct this composition. She arrived at three in the afternoon, a suitcase of vintage dresses in her left hand and a white teacup chihuahua in the other. I had her run through the yard, driveway, and garden, encouraging her to leap wherever she went.
I followed her with my camera lens, snapping off over a thousand different images in a few hours. Quite unusually Seattle was sunny that day and there was something just too “pretty” about the imagery we were getting. Hannah was beautiful, the grounds where pristine, and it left me frustrated.
Deciding to add a sort of gloomy cloudiness to the concept I handed her a black umbrella and recreated the leaps. Within minutes I was excited, clearly there was a painting hiding here. Utilizing about three images collaged together this painting was made. The title “Bumbershoot” refers to the annual rain or shine outdoor concert in downtown Seattle.
