ShenArts Co-op - October 2026 - Winchester, Virginia

Untitled Exhibit

To give artists free range of expression in the October show, ShenArts Co-op chose "Untitled" as the name of the exhibit. So any subject goes.

I am so appreciative that they juried three of my images into the exhibit which will run through October.

"Lines of Passage" (above left) is a dreamlike double exposure preserving the feeling I had while aboard an historic schooner in Penobscot Bay, Maine, during a sunset cruise. The sea and sky glow amber, a single sailboat drifts by. I composited that image with the web of rigging lines of the schooner we were on. The vertical and diagonal ropes and cables create a veil through which we see the lone sailboat.

"Saffron Sails" (below) is also from that cruise, this time featuring a close-up of the boat's rigging. Thick, weathered ropes loop and drape across a smooth wooden mast, their fibers slightly frayed. Even the geometric lines of the stitching are beautiful.

I made the elements in "The Other Road" in Owl's Head, Maine. The scene was classic. Ocean. Pines. Bright orange daylilies. With the sounds of the ocean and the strong wind, the moment felt trance-like. I composited three separate photographs into this image that is a landscape remembered.

ShenArts Gallery - September 2026 - Winchester, Virginia

Blue Hour Exhibit

I have always loved the magical shade of blue that exists right before sunrise or just after sunset.

For the month of September, this color is the theme for the ShenArts Gallery exhibit called Blue Hour. As they said in the call for art, this fleeting time is when “streetlights begin to glow, shadows soften, windows flicker to life, and familiar places feel transformed. This in-between time carries a sense of stillness, nostalgia, mystery, and possibility.”

Given my passion for this color, I was thrilled that three of my images were juried into the Blue Hour Exhibit: “Midnight Rider” (above) and “Dreaming Blue” and "In the Night Forest" below.

Winchester Medical Center - August 2026 - January 2027

The View Exhibit

In a special collaboration, Winchester Medical Center and the Shenandoah Arts Council have put together an exhibit that is displayed in the atrium of the hospital offering a space for reflection, pause and connection for patients, visitors and staff.  

The goal is to hang artwork that serves as windows into the natural beauty and familiar landscapes of our community – and to offer comfort. 

I am honored to have six images in this exhibit, showcasing different areas of our beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Dreamy Afternoon (above) and Opening Spring’s Arms, Soft Stillness, Softly Breathing Woods, Snowlit Rhythm, and Heaven's Breath below.  The exhibit will be up until January.

En Route Exhibit at Winchester Regional Airport - June 2026 - January 2027

Blue Hour Harbor & Heaven's Breath

This wonderful exhibit explores the experience of being in motion – physically, emotionally or metaphorically. So it isn’t just about planes and trains and automobiles. The minds behind this call asked for artwork that captures a sense of movement, passage and place.  

I was so pleased to have two pieces juried in: Blue Hour Harbor and Heaven’s Breath.   I made Blue Hour Harbor in Maine – at dawn, during that magical time when the sky is still blue. And, of course, being in Maine feels magical to me.  

Heaven’s Breath is an image that uses just a hint of intentional camera movement to showcase the majesty of morning. By catching the "breath" of a cloud at just the right time, I felt the celestial force. The spirit of God. Or however you describe the divine.

imagined exhibit at A Smith Gallery, Texas

Fairytale Woods - Juror: Susan Burnstine

When I saw the prospectus for the imagined call by A Smith Gallery in Texas, I knew I had to enter. This online showcase celebrates dreamy, fanciful and visionary works from international photographers.

I am so grateful that juror Susan Burnstine, Fine Art Photographer/Journalist/Educator, chose my Fairytale Woods to include in this beautiful exhibit. And thanks to Kevin Tully and Amanda Smith, Gallery Directors, for selecting my image to be part of "The 27," their favorite images that will be produced in a hard-cover book.

As a fan of children’s book illustration – from Maurice Sendak to Crockett Johnson to Ezra Jack Keats and more – I felt that this image belonged in a magical story of adventure, a tale of a journey to wondrous places.

And then I saw this clip from the call:

im-ag-ined : thought up, visionary, poetic, fanciful, capricious, curious, dreamlike, fictional, fairy-tale, illusory, mythical, make believe

They were speaking my language. My fine art images merge experimental techniques with visual storytelling. I think it matches the call language well - make believe, mythical, fairy-tale and more.

You can see all the wonderful images here from June 19 through July 30.

Artscape 17, Shenandoah Arts Council

Fire Within

Thank you to the Shenandoah Arts Council for choosing this image to feature in Artscape 17, the exhibit that beautifies Winchester and Middletown, Virginia with banners flying high for an entire year. It will also hang in the ShenArts Gallery on the Old Town Walking Mall in June.

Hovering between landscape and memory, this image evokes a forest, cave and furnace -all quietly merged. Earthen with sparkle. Luminescent. And with a glow that feels otherworldly.

Joseph Miller Abstract Photography Exhibit

Golden Silence & Spirit Rising

I am so grateful that Mollie Isaacs chose two of my images to feature in the 15th Annual Joseph Miller Abstract Photography Exhibit.

Look at this wonderful description in the call to submit:

Abstracts are the poetry of photography, free verse written in color and tone. We must feel, as well as see, abstracts like other forms of art.

"Spirit Rising” is below.

Click here to see all the gorgeous images in this show until June 1. https://bit.ly/4w8VDpE

FIERCE & FRAIL III: Of Beings, Beasts, & Seed

Night Migration

A huge thank you to Jennifer Gillia Cutshall, Founder/Owner/Curator of Verum Ultimum Art Gallery in Portland, Oregon, for choosing my image “Night Migration” to include as one of the 50 images chosen for this exhibition.

So what is this exhibition with the stunning title about? “Secrets seem to whisper among living things . . . It’s equal parts foreboding, reverie, and rebellious whimsy . .. May the fierceness and frailty of these 50 works echo beyond the walls and screens and settle in the psyche to stir hope.”  

You can see all the images here: https://www.verumultimumartgallery.com/fierce-and-frail-iii

Sanctuary Exhibition: ASmithGallery, Texas

Spirit Rising

“Spirit Rising” is a hope, a prayer, a moment where an ordinary forest becomes a threshold to the beyond. The dominant circle seems to gather and contain the surrounding wilderness, anchoring the moment in meditation. Throughout the scene, textures bloom and dissolve – leaf shapes, branches, even botanical ghosts, all bathed in mossy, earthen colors.

With much gratitude to Juror Doug Beasley (@dbeasleyphoto) for selecting my image to include in the Sanctuary exhibit now open at @asmithgallery in Texas.

And a huge thank you, also to Amanda Smith @asmithartist and Kevin Tully @kevin.j.tully.3 for choosing this image to be part of “The 27,” a subset of images that will be featured in a printed book.

To see all the wonderful images, click here http://asmithgallery.com/exhibitions/sanctuary/2

Wanderlust: Journeys Through the Lens

Burnished Copper

I am so grateful to juror Joanne Henig for choosing my image Burnished Copper to include in the Wanderlust exhibit by Photo Art Pavilion. During a reception, Joanne shared why she made the choices she did based on her key criteria, including center of interest, composition, focus, lighting, creativity, story-telling, and (for me, so important) an image that evokes a feeling.

About my photograph, she said that "the layers of color from front to back - beautiful; from dark to light - beautiful. Nicely handled. Very, very creative."

You can see all the award-winners here:      https://photoartpavilion.com/wanderlust-a-virtual-juried-photo-exhibit/

Support LACP Online Print Auction - Closes 3-10-26

Fairytale Woods

I was honored to be asked to donate a print to the annual auction of Los Angeles Center for Photography. So please check out the link.https://lnkd.in/eCU8EA7Z

I chose "Fairytale Woods" because it has been so popular. I am donating a 16” x 24” archival pigment fine art print.

If you scroll through the offerings, you will see prints by such well-known photographers as Sam Abell, Eddie Soloway, Manuela Thames, George Nobechi, Aline Smithson, Sal Taylor Kydd, Elizabeth Bailey, Susan Kae Grant, Amanda Smith, and many more.

The auction closes on March 10, 2026.

December 2025

Bold Journey Feature Article

The publishers of Bold Journey magazine invited me to share some of my favorite images, along with insights into my life as an artist. Questions ranged from philosophical to practical. For instance, they asked about how I overcame Imposter Syndrome, that phenomenon of self-doubt that affects even highly successful artists. What I've learned is that one rarely truly overcomes that doubt. You just push on.

They also asked me to identify three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey. As I pondered this, I realized how helpful it was to have launched and run my marketing agency where I learned (a) how to embrace learning new things through classes, conferences, reading, and interaction with experts, (b) how important organizational systems can be, even in creative fields, and (c) how to stay positive, even in the face of rejection and disappointment.

Finally, they encouraged me to give a shoutout to anyone who has helped me work through challenges and develop essential skills. I shared that I have been blessed to have studied with prominent photographer/educators like Susan Burnstine, Eddie Soloway, Sal Taylor Kydd, and more – and that my discovery of fyv.art (find your voice) is truly how I evolved into the kind of exploratory fine art photographer I am now. FYV is an international community supporting the creation of expressionist photography founded by Valda Bailey and Doug Chinnery.

A friend who comments on my photos regularly said this:

“Your photos are truly remarkable! They seem to reach inside my heart and mind and transport me to a more spiritual plane.”

I am so grateful for my life’s journey and that my new style of images connects with people in a deep way.   Check out the article here: https://boldjourney.com/meet-ellen-zimmerman/

Shenandoah Photography Society

2025 Year-End Competition Awards

I am so grateful to Nancy Kurokawa, the judge for the Shenandoah Photographic Society’s year-end competition, for choosing four of my images.

In the Creative A category, she awarded a First Place to Fairytale Woods with this fabulous interpretation: “I love that it looks like it’s trying to fit together broken pieces, but it doesn’t quite fit together – like a remembered dream that’s broken up.”

For Golden Silence, she gave me a third place sharing these thoughts: “I love the creativity and abstractness. The eyes travel around and see other elements – leaves, branches, sun – then it all comes together. There are lots of little surprises in this image.”

In the Mono A category, she awarded me an Honorable Mention for Old Soldier highlighting the texture on the old doors. “The use of monochrome is perfect and emphasizes the peeling paint.”

In Color A, she chose my Meditation in the Woods for an Honorable Mention, noting that she found it peaceful and likes the concept, as well as the use of tree branches and bokeh.  

SxSE Exhibit: Peace

Golden Silence

Nancy McCrary, Director of the SxSE Gallery, put out a call for art with the theme of Peace, asking us to “show what, where, who, and/or how you manifest peace.” 

I am so grateful that she chose Golden Silence to be included in this show. For me, this image brings together serene contemplation, reflecting on the passage of time and nature’s renewal.

In announcing that the collection was ready to view, Nancy said:

Peace is such a beautiful show. Loading up these images, bios, and statements today was a provocative experience. I was reminded about not only what's important in my life but that these are often the things that can bring about change - both within me, and with the outside world. Thank you all for being a part of this show. 

In addition to posting the image in her online gallery, she gathered the artists together to talk about our work. Fascinating!

Guest Artist, November 13, 2025 - January 14, 2026

Gateway Gallery Co-op, Round Hill, Virginia

I am grateful to the board of the Gateway Gallery Co-Op & Gift Shop for inviting me to be a guest artist through the holiday season until mid-January. Located at 35246 Leesburg Pike, Round Hill, Virginia, the gallery features fine art, woodworking, pottery, and much more, all created by local artists.  Open daily: 11 am - 5 pm.

As a guest artist, I am displaying framed photographs, matted prints, greeting cards and copies of my photo-poetry book, Vessels of Light.

I am especially excited to introduce several new pieces, including a series called Meditation I and Meditation II, both printed on square metallic paper, giving a rich sheen to this Rothko-esque work.

And I took four of my favorite images and made them into seasonal greeting cards: Hidden Colors of Sunset, Quintessential December, Enchanted Tree, and Whisper of the Reeds.

Melissa Ichiuji Studio Gallery: Daughter of the Stars Exhibition

Smoky Mountain Series

For the first time, my four-part Smoky Mountain series celebrating the glory of sunrise will be displayed together in an historic exhibition held at the Melissa Ichiuji Studio Gallery in Front Royal, Virginia.

I am so honored that these four images were juried into this group exhibition honoring 70+ women artists from the Shenandoah Valley. The Melissa Ichiuji Studio Gallery was chosen as the Shenandoah Valley venue, one of 17 in the Maryland, Virginia, DC area for this largest curated exhibition of female artists in the United States.

Learn more about the whole exhibit concept on NBC News here: http://bit.ly/3IJwluA And read about the Shenandoah Valley showcase at Melissa Ichiuji’s gallery here: http://bit.ly/47ahjWT

About my series: One bitter cold morning, I stood in the Great Smoky Mountains before dawn. At first, only bits of blue and pink were visible in the sky. I could make out the curves of the mountains, but they were not yet kissed by the sun. If I squinted, I could see the treetops. The subtlety of the scene was breathtaking. I knew that these were moments to cherish – that light would soon change everything. And it did. Over the next minutes, sunshine and color and mountains combined into a dramatic crescendo.

"inspirations from a spiritual landscape"

Vessels of Light

Available for purchase here: https://shorturl.at/AzDjK

Salara Publishing announces the publication of VESSELS OF LIGHT, inspirations from a spiritual landscape, by photographer Ellen Zimmerman and poet Cantor Karen Webber.

This book of photopoetry probes the mystery of beauty and blessing, inviting readers into the light, especially in times of darkness. It is also a journey through the Jewish calendar, from the glimmer of a new moon to a menorah burning sacred fire.

In the Foreword, Rabbi Scott Sperling says, “VESSELS OF LIGHT comes to us at the intersection of creativity and spirituality and takes us to a realm of imagination that is both dreamlike and deeply rooted in the physical world.”

Reviewers have said:

The collection is very touching. I got a feeling of comfort and protection from reading it. The presence of God in this messed up world becomes evident. The images have harmony. The words speak what the images convey. What a success.

These beautiful poems and images work in tandem to uplift our spirits! I highly recommend!

Such a beautiful, poignant, inspiring offering. I love how the book unfolds, one piece of art and one small lyric per pair of pages. The art is really moving and the verse is sparse, inventive, whimsical, and instructive.

I was so delighted to read this new volume of poetry and photos -- the images are so stunning.

A true meditative experience.

Cantor Karen Webber is a published poet and a liturgical, teaching, and performing artist. She was ordained as a cantor in 1990 by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music.

Ellen Zimmerman is a fine art photographer who creates images that do not exist in the real world, but that tickle the edges of the imagination. Her work has been displayed in galleries in the United States, Canada, England, and Europe.

Rooted Exhibit - Barns of Rose Hill - September and October 2025

Rooted: Where Origins Meet Imagination

Anyone who follows my work knows that I love being in the woods, among the trees, soft earth under my feet. So I was delighted that three of my images were juried into the show running now through October 25th at Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, Virginia.

The topic is so close to my heart. Called Rooted: Where Origins Meet Imagination, the call invited artists to explore the deep connections between nature, place, and memory.

I created the image called Greenly Woods using multiple exposure to make an ethereal and mystical forest scene - almost as though it is viewed through fogged glass. In that way, it carries nostalgia and speaks directly to the art call.

The image in this blog post explores my memory of growing up across the street from - and getting lost in - a hardwood forest. It is called Lost in the Inner Forest. I transformed my wonderful memories into a photograph that is soothing and full of nuance.

And the third invited image (below) is simply called Hushed. The elements in this multiple exposure blend photographic realism (like branches and foliage) with the painterly abstraction of softened color and blurred edges. I fell in love with the gentle color palette - pale yellow, olive, sage, and hints of rusty red - and the texture of wispy tree branches and leaves.

Solo Show - ShenArts Gallery - September 2025

Featured Artist of the Month

I was honored to be named the Featured Artist for the month of September at the ShenArts Gallery in Winchester, VA at 128 N. Loudoun Street.

The show began with 35 framed prints, 20 matted prints, and copies of my book, Vessels of Light.  

It has been such a joy to meet with old friends and new ones to learn which images speak to them. One of my favorite spiritual images  - called Heaven’s Breath - is now on the wall of a minister friend.  It began life as part of a feature story in ICM Photo Magazine. You can read about it here.

The image above, called Beach Dream, is a viewer favorite. I had lots of inquiries about how I made it. People found it mesmerizing and peaceful. Included in the Vessels of Light book, it is available for sale here

July 2025

Canvas Rebel Feature: "Meet Ellen Zimmerman"

Thank you to Paula Johnson for connecting me with Editor Jordan Garcia at Canvas Rebel who ran a feature story about my experience as a visual storyteller.

Based in California, this publication asks artists and small business owners to share what we’ve learned as information and guidance for others.  

We chatted about my evolution into fine art and experimental photography, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative, and the mission that drives my journey.

And, to showcase my approach, I submitted eight images that represent my current style.

You can read the article and see the images here: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-ellen-zimmerman/

Cherry Red Exhibit, ShenArts Coop, August 2025

Brushstrokes in Crimson Light and Dreamy Distortion in Red & Green

Our ShenArt coop in Winchester, Virginia, now offers themed monthly exhibits, as well as permanent displays. The August theme is “Cherry Red.”

I am grateful that the jurors chose two of my images, “Brushstrokes in Crimson Light” and “Dreamy Distortion in Red and Green” to include in the exhibit. Both represent some of the abstract work I am now doing.  

Brushstrokes in Crimson Light is suffused with vivid warmth and intensity, hinting at forest and water reflections. It features an interplay of light and shadow, with blended and scratched brushstrokes creating a dynamic sense of movement and depth.

Dreamy Distortion In Red and Green is an architectural image with a modernist feel, yet with dreamlike distortion. Also using bold color, this image contrasts crisp edges with diffused gradients of color, almost like looking through panes of tinted glass.

The exhibit will be open through August.

Strata III: Manifesting Through the Layers, Verum Ultimum, August 2025

Thickets of Light

Jennifer Gillia Cutshall (@jennifergilliacutshallart), Founder/Owner/Curator of Verum Ultimum Art Gallery in Portland, Oregon, has created another beautifully curated exhibit of 60 pieces (both 2D and 3D) that offer “a singular celebration of striation and together they form a chorus that echoes the sediment and layers of life (and land)."

I am so grateful that she chose my image - Thickets of Light - to include in this largely abstract exhibition.

I imagine that we are in a sun-drenched autumn afternoon, with an intricately detailed thicket of branches reflected in a body of water below. There is a dreamlike quality to the piece. Watercolor washes of gold and orange create depth in a poetic fusion of landscape, memory, and imagination. Here, natural elements are seen through the lens of both reality and reverie. 

To see the whole exhibit, visit https://www.verumultimumartgallery.com/strata-iii

DREAMING Exhibition at Felt Photographic, July 2025

Floating in the Clouds

I am so grateful that my image Floating In The Clouds was selected for the DREAMING exhibition that launched July 1 at Felt Photographic, the brainchild of Kat Mahale.  

As Kat explains, “Curated entirely on the felt sense, DREAMING is an international photographic expression of our universal human experience of deep processing, manifestation, imagining or longing.”

Panelists from a wide range of backgrounds reviewed images submitted from Canada, Nigeria, China, Russia, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Macedonia, as well as the United States, United Kingdom, and many parts of Europe.  

About my image, Kat said: “Time and again your work touches people on a very deep level, you are such a gift, and I’m thrilled to be featuring your work yet again!”

To see all the glorious images, click here.

Southeast Center For Photography, June 1 - June 30, 2025

Quietly Elegant

Thank you to juror @adamfinkelstonart for choosing my image, Quietly Elegant, to include in the Southeast Center for Photography's (SEC4P) exhibit The Abstract Image. The exhibit can be seen through June 30 here bit.ly/4dK30uV

And thank you to @michael.pannier1 for nurturing the art community.

SEC4P’s call was for non-representational imagery from found objects in nature, manmade or figurative works. They were seeking images that do not attempt to represent external reality, but seek to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and texture.

Finkleston described my image as "very engaging and energetic." A friend saw it as “a beautiful blend of crystal and silver.” And I thought of it as finding whispers of beauty in small places.

A Smith Gallery, April 25 - June 5, 2025

A Little Everyday Magic

A huge thank you to Kevin Tully, juror for the “elsewhere” exhibition at the A Smith Gallery, for selecting my image, A Little Everyday Magic. The image was also selected for inclusion in “The 27,” a limited edition hardbound art book. The exhibition will run from April 25 - June 5, 2025.

In creating the concept for this exhibition, Kevin offered a series of prompts to get our creative juices flowing: somewhere, formerly, remote, outside, away, gone, abroad, hence, removed, far off, parts unknown, otherwhere, not here, away from.

The images in this exhibition represent a host of photographic techniques, from representational to abstract and minimalist, from explosions of color to monotone. As a foreign language major, I loved the concept, since “n’importe ou mais ailleurs” is often associated with French Romanticism and a yearning for escape.

 You can see all the inspiring images here https://tinyurl.com/y7ehadvu

HERE I AM Exhibit, ExCel London - March 8 - 11, 2025

"Smoky Mountain Sunrise" at The Photography Show, London

My image “Smoky Mountain Sunrise” was selected in 2024 to be part of a digital exhibit called HERE I AM put together by Kat Mahale, the mastermind behind feelmorecreative.org  Now, the entire HERE I AM exhibit will be showcased at The Photography Show at ExCel London, an international exhibition and convention center, from March 8 - 11, 2025.

Kat asked all contributors to share how we reacted to having our images featured in the HERE I AM exhibit and at The Photography Show. Here's what I shared with her:

I was immediately drawn to the idea of felt photography in the HERE I AM exhibit. For me, my images are successful if they bring me closer to the unknown, the dreamworld, the mysterious – and if they carry me into a new place emotionally and spiritually.

In this scene, I was in the Great Smoky Mountains before dawn, with all the majestic details initially hidden from view. Then light began to emerge. I could see the gentle curves of the mountain ranges. Sunlight poured through clouds in what some call God rays.

Over an hour later, I made this photograph that looks like infinite layers of mountains, with frilly tree lines on some ridges, faint clouds above, mist rising. The whole experience felt sacred. And I am honored that the Here I Am panel responded positively to it.

I am delighted to be part of The Photography Show. We so desperately need beauty in our world right now. And we need to be reminded of the daily glories around us. To see more of my work, please visit ellenzphoto.com or @ellenzphoto.     

Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR - January - February 2025

"Obscured" - The 12th Annual Abstract Sanctuary

The 12th Annual Abstract Sanctuary exhibit, produced and curated by Founder/Owner of Verum Ultimum Gallery, Jennifer Gillia Cutshall (@jennifergilliacutshallart), is now live through February 11th, featuring 50 works of art selected after 10 rounds of jurying. You can see the exhibit here: bit.ly/40P6RCe

As Jennifer said,

“This year’s theme threads organic twists and turns to reveal delicate beauty.”

I am so grateful that she selected “Obscured” to include in the show. It is meaningful to me for many reasons, not the least of which is because I made the image outside the cemetery where a friend’s husband is buried.

“Obscured” – defined variously as concealed, hidden, veiled – can refer to the curtain between this life and the next. When poets use the word, they often intentionally leave room for multiple interpretations. Likewise, I hope you will bring your own interpretation to this photograph.

Berks Photographic Society - Year-End Awards

Third Place, Class A, Pictorial Category

A sincere thank you to Henry Rowan of the PA Center for Photography for choosing two of my images in the “Best of the Year” competition in the Berks Photographic Society.  

He awarded “Imagination” a Third Place in the Class A Pictorial category. And I was tickled by his comments, because he really gets what I'm trying to do - since my mission is to create scenes that do not exist in the real world:

“I love this shot and I think the name is perfect for it. You used your imagination to create something that doesn’t exist. Hats off to you. Very, very nice shot.”

And he awarded “Aglow” a Third Place in the Class A Nature category.

“You’re looking and you’re seeing things that other people aren’t. That’s the fun of photography – seeing what the world looks like for you, not what everybody else sees. 99.9% of the people probably walked past this grass and didn’t see a thing. You saw something enticing. Exposure is good. Bokeh is great. Just wonderful.”  

And thank you, also, to Board Member Vincent Pellegrini for encouraging me to join this active, interesting group.

Shenandoah Photographic Society - Year-End Awards

First Place, Creative A

A huge thank you to Nancy Kurokawa, the judge for the Shenandoah Photographic Society’s year-end competition, for choosing three of my images for awards.  

She gave a First Place in Creative A category to Hills Are Alive. She said: “Beautiful image with a beautiful story. The creativity behind this image is awesome and the editing/blending of images is perfectly executed. There is enough of the guitar visible to identify it but it seamlessly blends into the other image. For me, it is telling a visual story about the music that comes from the guitar. Well done!”  

For Smoky Mountain Sunrise, she gave me a Second Place in Creative A category. This is part of her comment: “A beautiful image which really holds my eye. I love all of the layers.”

And she gave me an Honorable Mention in Mono A category for Antique Bobbin, about which she liked the composition and the use of depth of field to highlight the texture created by the thread.  

I was also fortunate to be named Photographer of the Year in Mono A and Creative A.    

International Fly Fishing Museum, Castel di Sangro, Abruzzo, Italy

Hidden Fishing Spot

I am grateful to the Stanislao Kuckiewicz International Fly Fishing Museum (Museo Internazionale della Pesca a mosca “Stanislao Kuckiewicz”) in Castel di Sangro, Abruzzo, Italy for including my image, Hidden Fishing Spot, in their permanent collection.  

Inaugurated in 2000, the museum is located in the former Convent of Maddalena and was established in collaboration with the Municipality of Castel di Sangro, the Sangro Fishing Sports Association and the Castel di Sangro section of the ArcheoClub d’Italia. The museum displays photographs, documents and specialized equipment for fly fishing.  

Hidden Fishing Spot, a 12 x 18 canvas print, was initially chosen by Alessandro Galizio and team to exhibit in the 2024 SIM (Scuola Italiana di Pesca a mosca) exhibition called “L’arte della pesca…la pesca nell’arte,” held in Castel di Sangro in the spring. After the show, I was honored to have my image displayed in the permanent collection.

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, VA - September - November 2024

Sparkles On The Lake & Smoky Mountain Sunrise

To celebrate fall, Shenandoah Arts Count (shenart.org) partners with the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley to open its Art in the Halls program to member artists. This year's theme - A Song of Autumn - celebrates the change of season.

Thanks so much to this year’s jurors for selecting two of our images!

Sparkles On The Lake is one of the new collab ArtFramed Photos that combines Mark’s magnificent wood-turned frame with one of my images, printed on Fuji Pearl archival paper. Made of white oak, the frame is embellished with alcohol-based wood dyes.

Here you see – at-a-glance - new growth, sunshine, lake and gentle colors. It is the kind of intimate landscape you can find many places. And precisely because of that, it is a universal metaphor for possibility and hope.  

simple stems and sparkles on the lake

remind us to embrace

the last greens of fall    

Smoky Mountain Sunrise, available as a metal print, has received considerable acclaim for capturing this vista during a freezing cold dawn in early April. Initially, I saw only hints of color and just suggestions of the mountain curves. Then, gradually, the layers of mountains revealed themselves, as did the frilly tree lines, faint clouds, and rising mist.  

light emerges slowly

gentle curves reveal themselves

like layers echoing to infinity

Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR - August - September 2024

Bare Branches, The 11th Annual Living Mark

The 11th Annual Living Mark exhibit, produced and curated by Founder/Owner/Curator of Verum Ultimum Gallery Jennifer Gillia Cutshall (@jennifergilliacutshallart), included pieces in a variety of fascinating forms, including paintings in acrylic and oil, stoneware, lithography, horsehair raku, ceramic, and steel wire.

We are so grateful to Jennifer for choosing Bare Branches, the first ArtFramedPhoto that is a marriage of my photography with my husband’s woodturning to be featured in a gallery setting.

As described by Jennifer:

Ellen Zimmerman’s work continues the glow. Her photograph is cradled by a beautiful wooden sphere crafted by Mark Zimmerman. The lucky viewer revels in the golden hour collaboration and the celebration of the forest. The yellow globe of bare branched trees contrasts gloriously with the well- crafted deep walnut frame.  

And here is my blogpost for Verum about why the Living Mark concept spoke to me:  

My photographic images often draw from nature, especially from the magnificence of trees. Mark creates distinctive pieces on a lathe from a variety of woods. In this marriage of photography and woodturning, we celebrate a fall scene. The leaves in this golden-brown time have fallen from the trees. Still, there’s warmth in the afternoon sky, spreading light throughout, crowning the image with dramatic clouds. The unique wood-turned walnut frame creates a calming circle around this moment. Wood around wood; life around life.

Stewart Furini Woodturning Newsletter

NEW COLLAB! Where My Imagination Can Wander ArtFramed Photo

My husband, Mark Zimmerman, is a woodturner who has been creating elegant bowls and platters for nearly 25 years. He brings to life the gorgeous natural grain in pieces of cherry, walnut, ash and maple.  Zimmerman also embellishes his work with carvings, wood-burnings, acrylic paints and spirit stains.

Recently, he and I have been collaborating, making pieces that combine his woodturnings with my photography. Stewart Furini, a well-known UK-based woodturner specializing in carving and embellishment, saw the new work and featured us in his May 2024 newsletter.  

Where My Imagination Can Wander highlights Mark’s intricate carving and use of iridescent acrylic paints to generate a unique texture within a circular walnut frame. The image is a surreal scene of triangular-shaped mountain, multiple suns and tender summer reeds.

TEASER - two of our collab pieces have been accepted into upcoming shows. Images and information coming soon!

For more information about this new collaboration, email me at ellenzphoto.com/contact

Felt Photographic and Digital Camera World

Smoky Mountain Sunrise

I am so grateful to Kat Mahale and her team from FeelMoreCreative.org for selecting my image Smoky Mountain Sunrise to include in her recent HERE I AM exhibition.

Kat’s philosophy had me at hello:

Curated entirely on the felt sense, HERE I AM is an international photographic acknowledgement of our existence in the now from a physical, metaphysical, spiritual and/or existential place. It is a declaration of our presence. It’s location, environment and who we are at this moment.

While my hope is always to create an emotional connection with the place and time, with Smoky Mountain Sunrise, I felt the power of the moment in the deepest way.

I arrived before dawn at this perfect vista in the Great Smoky Mountains. It was freezing cold – cold that somehow added to the experience of “freezing” time. Initially, I saw only hints of color and only suggestions of the mountain curves. Then, gradually, the layers of mountains revealed themselves, as did the frilly tree lines, faint clouds, and rising mist.

To view the other artists in the HERE I AM exhibit guide, click here.

In addition, in a lovely bit of lagniappe, the image was selected to be featured in Digital Camera World (by Leonie Helm, published July 10, 2024) in a discussion about felt photography.

PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, Vermont, August 2024

Enchanted River

I am honored that my image Enchanted River was chosen by juror Janet Jeffers forinclusion in the Abstraction exhibition at PhotoPlace Gallery in Middelbury, Vermont.  

According to Jeffers,  

. . . in a compelling abstract, the artist is going beyond mere unrecognizability into territory that evokes wonder and mystery. I think of abstraction as a form of invention – the artist is looking beyond the real and creating something new from what exists unseen in front of most people’s eyes. This requires vision and intention.

In the most successful abstracts, the viewer is drawn by a spark, but photographs that go beyond the initial “wow” moment evoke an emotional connection and draw the viewer back in repeatedly. The magic of abstraction lies in a sense of discovery – by the artist and the viewer.

This description was powerful for me, since my image was definitely an invention, something no one else would see in that form. I do hope that it evokes wonder and mystery, because that is always my goal.

You can see all the images in the exhibition guide here.

LACP Exhibit, Los Angeles, CA, July - September, 2024

Ready to Explode - Third Place Winner

I was so honored that juror Anne Massoni (@annemassoni), Executive Director & Curator of the Houston Center for Photography, selected my image, Ready to Explode, for the Conflict Exhibit for Los Angeles Center for Photography – and for giving it a third place!  

Conflict invited LACP members to explore issues relating to global, regional, national, communal and personal conflicts. In this topic of immense impact now, Conflict addresses “how global conditions shift how we see others and represent ourselves . . . and how we as individuals are affected by political, social and economic transformations.”  

The Opening Reception was held on July 11, with the live exhibit running until September 17, 2024. The virtual exhibit will be up until January 11, 2025.

Warning: Some of the images are disturbing, given the subject matter.
click Here to view the images

Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville, Virginia, June - August 2024

Where My Imagination Can Wander & Infinity

Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, Virginia, is now celebrating artists who are members of the Shenandoah Arts Council (@shenarts) in a juried show called Solstice that will be up through early August.

Thank you to the jurors who chose two of my favorite images to display in this show: Infinity and Where My Imagination Can Wander.  

Where My Imagination Can Wander is a fantasy image of many suns, triangular mountains, and gentle reeds, painted with a soothing palette of golden yellows, greens, and browns, with hints of red. The mix of textures and shapes says autumn, beauty, time passing, nature. More important, it feels like a mythical and welcome place. Walk right in!

Infinity is like a small earth floating within the cosmos. It is a compact entity bringing together all life forces. Soil cradles grasses that are battered by blustery winds. Yet bits of sweet blue water nurture them, bubbling up from below, sprinkling down from above. Fiery light then kisses the tops of the trees completing the oneness.  

Verum Ultimum, Portland, Oregon, June - July 2024

Smoky Mountain Sunrise

Jennifer Gillia Cutshall (@jennifergilliacutshallart), Founder/Owner/Curator of Verum Ultimum Art Gallery recently opened a second gallery in Portland, Oregon, with a magnificent exhibit called “Whisper.”

I am so grateful that she juried my image Smoky Mountain Sunrise into this debut show.  

In early April, on a freezing cold morning, I set up my tripod just before seven when the sky revealed only smatterings of blue clouds and hints of pink. But the details of the mountains were essentially hidden. I was entirely in the quiet, magical moment of light emerging from darkness.

Gradually, gentle mountain curves appeared, like infinite layers of time. Faint clouds floated above. Mist rose. Even bitter cold could not penetrate my joy. All was silence and majesty. You could have heard a whisper.

To see the range of beautiful work, click here   

FYV Art 2024 Summer Exhibition

Papyrus Fragments

I am thrilled to participate in the FYV.ART 2024 Summer Exhibition, an annual event built on a theme that pushes the artists to explore new approaches to creation. This year’s theme is Fragments. My image, Papyrus Fragments, is a digital collage of a variety of components, including type from an old Haggadah. In preparation for this exhibit, FYV offered seminars about collage creation. It reminded me very much of the appearance of the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient manuscripts discovered in caves near the Dead Sea in 1947.

Considered to be one of the most important discoveries in modern archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls are made of leather, papyrus, and copper - and are presumed to date from the third century BCE to the first century CE.

Thank you to Doug Chinnery (@doug_chinnery) and Valda Bailey (@valda_bailey_art), masterminds of the FYV.ART community for putting together this exhibition, as well as this creative expressionist photography community.

To see the exhibition, click here:

To learn more about the community, click here https://FYV.ART.

More about FYV:

FYV (an acronym for Find Your Voice) is a supportive community of like-minded creative photographers and artists who love exploring Photographic Expressionism and growing creatively.This is a place to find learning opportunities, mutual support, and encouragement as we enjoy our craft together.

Scuola Italiana di Pesca a mosca, Castel di Sangro, Italy, June - September, 2024

Hidden Fishing Spot & Dawn on the French River

Huge thanks to Alessandro Galizia and team for selecting two of my images to feature in honor of the 2024 SIM (Scuola Italiana di Pesca a mosca) exhibition called “L’arte della pesca…la pesca nell’arte,” to be held in Castel di Sangro, Italy, beginning on June 21, the day before World Fly Fishing Day, June 22.  

Hidden Fishing Spot will be hung at the exhibition itself as a 12 x 18 canvas print.  

As the wife of an avid fly fisherman, I have learned to explore and cherish peaceful fishing spots. In a recent blog post about a tucked-away stream, I wrote this: “I walk off into the woods to sing.” (David Meltzer)  

Here, within this quiet beauty, I sang in my heart as I felt hugged by the late morning sunshine. All around me were vibrant spring colors in an off -the-beaten track fishing spot. I wandered up and down a mostly deserted stream bank. Every curve took me to a different vista, from waterfalls to fallen logs acting as dams to berry-covered bushes inviting the birds to snack.  

When I see the image now, I sing silently again - and remember the splendor, the peace, the harmony of the moment. And I remember the feeling when the light and foliage and water seemed to envelop me in pure joy , like the softest cashmere.

The other piece, Dawn on the French River, is featured on the Facebook pages of both World Fly Fishing Day – June 22, 2024 and SIM - Scuola Italiana di Pesca a Mosca.

Mysterious fog. Proud pine trees. Reflections into clear, peaceful water. New beginnings. This was the view from our cabin on the French River in Ontario at dawn. What a beautiful way to greet the day in shades of blues and pinks, knowing that the glorious greens would soon appear.  

Artists from around the world – including the United States, Ukraine, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, and more - were selected for this exhibit, including oil, watercolor, and cold wax painters; sculptors; and charcoal, ceramics, and mixed media artists.

This huge event includes food and wine tasting of products from the Abruzzo area, an exhibition of contemporary art, fly-tying workshops, bamboo rod-making workshops, an array of fly-fishing workshops, roundtables of various kinds, and an annual drawing.  

To see a video summary of the exhibition, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7AVFpt-xuk My image is visible at 5 minutes, 34 seconds.

Shenandoah Arts Council, 2024

Autumn Splendor, Artscape 15

Thank you to the jurors of Artscape 15 for selecting my image, Autumn Splendor, to include in this year’s showcase of regional artists as both a banner and a framed print. The banner will hang for the whole year, while the print gallery will remain in place for two months.  

Autumn Splendor celebrates the color and texture of my favorite season and was sponsored by Uno Pizzeria & Grill. The framed size is approximately 18" x 22".

Artscape, a project of the Shenandoah Arts Council now in its 15th year, is featuring the artwork on 53 banners located through Old Town Winchester and Middletown, as well as in galleries at either the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley or the Laurel Ridge Community College.  

You can see all the wonderful artwork, much of which is for sale, by clicking Here.

Spring 2024

Nesting, Artistonish Magazine

Thank you to Artistonish Magazine for choosing this image to include in their spring issue. Artistonish is an international contemporary art magazine published in Canada reaching art lovers in over 140 countries.  

Called "Nesting," this image can mean so many things. Beginnings. Cocooning. Sheltering. Is it something lost, waiting to be found? Is it hidden from the eyes of the world? Is it tiny or enormous? The highly textured background holds the rounded shape and the spidery cobwebs of possibility. We enter the unknown.  

And while we are in the unknown, we can explore one of humanity’s favorite colors, threaded through with browns and whites of vitality and movement. Blues always come out on top in studies of color preferences. Why? Because they represent mostly positive things - like sky, water, and even blue jeans.

To see the image in the publication. click here.

September 2023 - March 2024

Road to Oz, LACP Members Exhibition

A huge thank you to juror Andi Campognone (@andi_campognone), MOAH Museum Director and Curator, for giving my image, Road to Oz, an Honorable Mention in the Ninth Annual Members Exhibition of LACP (Los Angeles Center of Photography)!

Here’s how the call was described: “It might be a land or a town we inhabit, a space that either rejected or welcomed us, or a place we imagined a certain way before encountering its realities . . . Whether concrete or imagined, territories define how we understand our place in the world.”

This was a perfect concept for me, since my work is generally composed of reality re-imagined. The place of this scene exists, but does not look like this. But oh, it feels exactly like this to me on a beautiful day.

Views from the Shenandoah Valley

#CaFEAllOverThePlace

Thanks to call for entry (#CaFEAllOverThePlace) for featuring three of my images today on Instagram: On the Road to Oz, Gateway to the Valley, and Windmills on a Stormy Day.

The Shenandoah Valley is a beautiful place with rolling hills, wooden fences, old barns, peaceful fields, and fertile farms. I share here my vision of fthe valley - a vision softened by intentional camera movement and enhanced through multiple exposure to showcase the feeling I get of the here and now that is, however, often based on a distant time and place.

Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR

Infinity, February - March 2024

I am so grateful to Jennifer Gillia Cutshall @jennifergilliacutshallart, Founder/Owner/Curator of Verum Ultimum Gallery @verumultimum in Portland, OR for choosing my image Infinity to include in the 11th Annual Abstract Sanctuary exhibit.

As Jennifer said, “We might be drawn to the non-representational nature of abstract art as a vehicle for our imaginings. . . The works in this [exhibit] are expansive territories that move in step with earthly elements.” To enter the virtual gallery which she has organized brilliantly, click here.

I am honored to be included in this year’s edition, celebrating an international group of 54 artists from the United States, Canada, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Shanghai China.

How I see “Infinity” - Like a small earth floating within the cosmos, this compact entity is an amalgam of life forces. Soil cradles grasses that are battered by blustery winds. Bits of blue water nurture them, bubbling up from below, sprinkling down from on high. Fiery light kissed by the sun completes the oneness.

Maine Media Catalogue 2024

Cabin in the Woods

I made this image in Rockport, Maine in the fall of October 2022 during a class called “The Colors of Fall” with Vincent Versace, an internationally recognized pioneer in the art and science of digital photography. We had been in a classroom for the whole morning because of torrential rains, so Vincent pivoted and led us in a great indoor activity.

By early afternoon, though, the rain stopped and the color returned to the earth. We walked out for a breath of fresh air.

Using a little intentional camera movement, I created this dreamy shot that feels far, far away – but is right on campus.

Maine Media chose this image to include in their 2024 catalogue, featuring it on the Maine Media Student Showcase page.

If you’ve been thinking about taking a workshop in photography, film, or writing, I highly recommend Maine Media. I’ve been fortunate to have taken workshops with Alison Shaw (@alisonshaw), Vincent Versace (@vincent_versace), Kari Wehrs (@kariwehrs), and LeeAnne White (@leeannewhite). And I’m slated to take a class with Tillman Crane (@tillmancrane) in the Great Smoky Mountains. To learn more, visit mainemedia.edu.

Las Laguna Art Gallery, January 2024

Thank you to Lori McBride, owner of Las Laguna Art Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA for selecting my image called “Masking” for their online exhibition called “Black, White, or Gray” running from January 4 – 26.

It is an image of a man whose story we can only imagine. Is he unhappy? Ill? Hungry? He definitely looks as though he has been through hard times. Even without seeing his whole face, we feel strong emotion. And the mask hanging from one ear reminds us of a pandemic that we will likely never forget.

That said, I know from the little bit of street photography I’ve done that capturing a single moment in time, a single expression, can lead to totally inaccurate conclusions. Years ago, I made an image of a couple walking off a beach where they had just gotten married. The groom was in military uniform. The bride was in a traditional wedding gown. Both were looking down as they crossed the street back to the hotel. There was no joy in their faces. Was he being shipped off? Did they “have to” get married? Or – simply – was the wind on the beach kicking up sand in their faces and they were eager to be inside? Maybe that is the magic of street photography. As photographers, we can capture a moment in time - but there is always much more to the story.

Learn more about Lori and Las Laguna Art Gallery at @laslagunaartgallery or https://www.laslagunaartgallery.com/.

Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR

Snow Moon, December - January 2024

Jennifer Gillia Cutshall, Founder/Owner/Curator of the Verum Ultimum Gallery in Portland, Oregon has done it again! She’s brought together the work of over 50 artists for a fascinating virtual exhibition called A Generous Kingdom. Jennifer describes it this way: “art that explores symbolism, story, and beyond.” I was honored that Snow Moon was chosen to be part of this, after nine rounds of jurying. The show will run from December through most of January.

Since I love creating scenes that come from my imagination – or from serendipity – this was a perfect show to enter. Snow Moon is a combination of two images – the full moon from February 2023 and a night sky with branches reaching out, like hundreds of waving arms. And yes! The night I made the moon image was as cold as it looks.

I think we all feel the magic of a full moon. This quote from therapist/author Shannon L. Alder seems perfect paired with my image:

“The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen.”

To explore the other art in A Generous Kingdom, visit the exhibition page. And to see previous exhibits, look here on the Verum website. Or follow Verum Ultimum on Instagram at @verumultimum.

Las Laguna Art Gallery, Las Laguna, CA

Falling Into Fall, December 2023

Lori McBride, owner of Las Laguna Art Gallery, is a fountain of creative energy, conceiving of monthly online exhibits featuring the work of artists around the world. The current show is called small works – BIG TALENT, based on the limitation that art submitted should be no larger than 18” on each side. “Smaller works,” Lori says, “provide art lovers a great opportunity to begin collecting art.” And she quotes Vincent Van Gogh, as well: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

For this exhibit, she chose my image, Falling Into Fall, a multiple exposure showcasing my favorite season. Autumn’s regal beauty is brown and gold and green. The colors of nature transition from the lighthearted pinks and blues of summer to these deeper, richer, more somber tones that carry us into the gray of winter.

“The falling leaves are whispering winter’s on its way.” – John Denver

You can explore all of the artwork here.

Shenandoah Photographic Society

Year-End Awards 2023

Thanks to Nancy Kurokawa, the judge for the Shenandoah Photographic Society’s year-end competition, for choosing three of my images for awards.

Nancy chose my Saplings Against the Wind (see below) as the First Place winner in the creative category. In addition to offering verbal comments, she gave all members written feedback – thank you, Nancy! “What a cool abstract image! While I am not sure what it is, it looks like a macro view of the threads making a piece of fabric. There is a sense of depth and movement.”

She gave my Surreal World an Honorable Mention in the Creative category, noting: “This is a creative image. Looks like a composite image that has been blended together well. I have spent a lot of time looking at the image trying to absorb everything in it.” I love that last line, showing that she really connected with it.

Finally, she gave Masking a First Place in the mono category. This is an image of a man during the pandemic who looked like he’d been through tough times. Her comment: “What a phenomenal and impactful image! Without showing a full face, the maker was able to show such strong emotions in this image. One can easily see a story. The black and white editing was done very well with lots of strong contrast.”

Shenandoah Arts Council, Winchester, VA

Snow Moon, October 2023 - January 2024

Shenandoah Arts Council (shenarts.org) is celebrating its Sapphire Anniversary this year – its 45th! And to celebrate, they asked for artwork that explores the color blue.

Images in a variety of genres and styles were juried into the exhibit located in the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia. Two long hallways are filled with photographs, paintings, mixed media, and wood pieces in a wide range of blues – from cerulean to sky blue and everything in between.

“Snow Moon” is a combination of two images – the full moon from February 2023 and a night sky with branches reaching out, like hundreds of waving arms. Yes, the night I made the moon image was as cold as it looks.

Because this moon represented a unique moment in the cycle of 2023, I found this quote from Aaron Siskind to ring true:

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

Thank you, @ShenArts, for including my image in this special exhibit!

Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR

Prehistoric, October-November 2023

Jennifer Gillia Cutshall, Founder/Owner/Curator of the Verum Ultimum Gallery in Portland, Oregon, has created an extraordinary exhibit called The 10th Annual Living Mark. She describes the exhibit as a celebration of the “art of vision, art of the hand, art of marks on canvas, clay, and beyond!”

Those words really spoke to me, because I often make images that feel like rough marks – maybe formed by man or water or an unknown power. And that creates the mystery for me.

I am so grateful that my image “Prehistoric” was chosen to be part of the exhibit. The feeling I get is like being in an ancient cave – a place that takes us back to dreams of sacred spaces, secret passages, maybe even the entrance to the underworld.

Perhaps minerals and acidic water dripped onto these walls to etch the marks and shapes, lights and darks. Maybe charcoal from fire, white from ground calcite, and brown from hematite are the source of this natural color palette. The tones feel uncontrived, pure. And oh, the warm brightness! It feels like the color of light itself.

You can view the exhibit here by clicking on the PREVIEW button.

FYV Summer Exhibition - June 2023 - October 2023

Night Lights

A marvelous organization that supports and nurtures artists interested in abstract, expressionist, and fine art photography has created a wonderful exhibition featuring images from around the world.

Doug Chinnery (@doug_chinnery) and Valda Bailey (@valdab) - both amazing artists themselves - are the masterminds behind fyv.art.

I am delighted to have my image "Night Lights" included. The prompt that they gave us to spur creativity was this line from T.S. Elliot's poem "Wait Without Hope:"

So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.

You can visit the virtual gallery here until October 1.

Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR

Delicacy in Light, Summer 2023

Verum Ultimum gallery owner Jennifer Gillia Cutshall has put together an amazing exhibit she calls "Abrazo," (hug/embrace) to celebrate her 10th anniversary. She is an artist herself, as well. And she uses language brilliantly. By featuring each piece of art individually, she introduces us to them in a way that makes us feel that they are friends we want to get to know more deeply.

Here's what she wrote about my image:

We begin this artist-a-day journey for the ABRAZO exhibit with the luminous work of artist Ellen Zimmerman. Ellen makes magic from the small graceful moments that may mostly go unnoticed. But she notices and beyond that…she stirs an alchemy so powerful that it seems to whisper the title… “Delicacy in Light.”

May we all experience the delicacy in light the way Ellen paints it (with her lens). And may we always celebrate the fragile bits as much as the ones with fireworks!

You can see more of the images in Abrazo here. To learn more about the gallery and Jennifer, visit her IG page @verumultimum and her website.

Las Laguna Art Gallery, Las Laguna, CA

Red, August 2023

Las Laguna gallery owner Lori McBride does a wonderful job of putting together online exhibitions monthly to help share the work of artists from around the world.

Here, she chose my image, simply titled "Red," showcasing a moment in Rockport, Maine where the calm gray and white water creates the perfect background for the red buoy and its reflection.

Click here to learn more about Las Laguna Art Gallery.

Taubman Health Center, Ann Arbor, MI - Through August 2023

Thrive! Healthy People, Healthy Planet

Thanks to the vision of MutualReawakening.org, there is now an international photography exhibition designed to illuminate the essentials of health for people and the planet. The first location for the exhibition is the Taubman Health Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan from mid-June through late August, 2023.

I am so grateful that they selected two of my water images -- Nature's Art and Morning Dew - to include! To read more about this amazing exhibition - which will be traveling around the United States - and the creative women who are encouraging individuals and communities to consider how they might act for their own health and the health of the planet, click here.

Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville, Virginia

Opposites Attract Gallery Show, June - July 2023

I am grateful to Shenandoah Arts Council for selecting two of my images for their juried member show called Opposites Attract hosted by the Barns of Rose Hill during June and July.

Heaven's Breath is the initial image from my "Dance of the Winter Winds" project. Just before daybreak, I made this photograph of white first light streaming out of deep blue skies, as clouds and trees trembled in the wind.

Autumn Glory showcases the beauty that comes in late fall, as maples turn brilliant red and mingle with the greens, browns, and golds of the season. The emotional resonance many of us have at this time of year is built on the knowledge that this peak part of the year is fleeting. We know that we are about to enter the gray months - so we relish the richness.

Las Laguna Art Gallery, Las Laguna, CA

2023 - Digital Art, June 1-30, 2023

Thank you, Las Laguna Art Gallery and owner Lori McBride, for selecting my image "Saplings Against the Wind" for their in-house and virtual gallery show in June.

The call for art specified digital art creating any processes desired. This image, which I made on a blisteringly cold day, reflects how I and the little saplings felt, as we were buffeted by strong winds. You can read more about the moment here. Using multiple exposure in-camera and intentional camera movement, I was able to capture the feeling of that wintry afternoon. Brrrr!

YourDailyPhotograph.com - April 20, 2023

Straw Dancers

I am delighted that YourDailyPhotograph.com chose this image for their "Under Water" call for entries. You can view the other images of the day here:

http://eepurl.com/ipuIJ-/

According to their website: "YourDailyPhotograph.com is a service for collectors of fine art photography, sharing a daily email of curated photographs for sale, as well as an online archive for purchase. Our passion for fine photography is unparalleled and we enjoy helping collectors find the perfect fit for their collection."

Martinsburg, West Virginia

13th Annual Art and Earth Juried Exhibit, April - May 2023

"Mysteries Within" - I am grateful to Judith Becker, the juror who selected this image for inclusion in the exhibit running from mid-April to late May at the Berkeley Art Works in West Virginia. The call requested images reflecting different interpretations of the broad theme of art and earth.

At the opening reception, she announced that my image won a Merit Award!

Becker noted that she looked for pieces of art that had that wow factor. "These are the art pieces that you want to look at for more than a glance, the ones that prompt the viewer to linger a while and be amazed at the overall impact of the art."

Dance of the Winter Winds

ICM Photo Magazine, March 2023

I was invited by ICM Photography Magazine (icmphotomag.com) to work with brilliant Scottish photographer Morag Paterson (@Mog_Pat) for a six-week mentoring program during which I created a series of 10 images and an accompanying 1,000-word article that tell the story of the "Dance of the Winter Winds." You can see all of the images and some of the content here:

The publication features ICM (intentional camera movement) images, articles, reviews, interviews, tips, and tutorials by ICM photographers and artists from around the world in a quarterly feature- packed digital format. Founder, Creator, and Publisher Stephanie Johnson had a vision to build a community devoted to ICM, including this advertising-free jewel of a publication of about 300 pages. Kudos to you, @StephJohnPhoto.

Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR

Strata II: Manifesting Through the Layers, March 2023

"Electricity" - I was truly honored to have this image chosen for an online exhibition created by Verum Ultimum Art Gallery after 8 rounds of jurying for a show called “Strata II: Manifesting through the Layers.”

Take a look at this amazing technology that lets you “walk through” the rooms. To find my image, go up the stairs. At some angles, there are even electric sparks visible above my image! Thank you, @JenniferGilliaCutshall!

Las Lagune Art Gallery, Las Laguna, CA

Women in Art, April 2023

"Magical Morning" - Since 2013, Las Laguna Art Gallery has dedicated a month to women artists working in a variety of media, from acrylic to charcoal to collage to photography and beyond.

Thank you, Las Laguna, for choosing my "Magical Morning" image for this exhibit. Here, arcs of white light pierce the morning's medley of rich colors as the world wakes up to the new day. We are witness to the powerful surge of dawn's energy.

Believe, Spring 2023

"Moon Sliver" - Gallerium Art Exhibitions chose this image for their fascinating exhibit called "Believe" to be showcased in their international online group exhibition and published in The Book of Arts: Believe.

I submitted this image because we believe in the power of the moon to control tides, rains, water, seasons. Here, the sliver of a moon is absorbed within a huge orb surrounded by the magic of purples and blues, with a floor of dawn’s orange light. The waning moon, shown here, represents the time for a fresh start. Perfect, I thought, for the theme.

Gallerium Shapes & Colors, March 2023

"Secret Kingdom" - Thanks to Gallerium Art Exhibitions for selecting this image for their "Shapes and Colors" competition. The theme was chosen because shapes and colors are the essential elements of creating art. Lines create an enclosed area - that is, a space that can be defined as shape. It can be in free form or geometrics. Color is recognized as it reflects or omits light. Color conveys emotions, creates moods, and provides realistic or magical effects.

They encouraged submission of abstract and figurative art "as all real and imaginary art . . . creates a bond between the artist and viewers." The selected artworks will be published in The Book of Art: Shapes and Colors series and showcased in Shapes and Colors international online group exhibition by Gallerium.

We see a series of gently rounded shapes, all bisected by curved lines, as well as a palette of golds and browns, with sprinklings of reds and greens. It suggests a magical world.

Botanical, February 2023

"Red and Gold Magic" - Las Laguna Art Gallery in Las Laguna, California accepted this image into their February online exhibition. According to their website, this image was "selected from several hundred submissions featuring stand out works from artists spanning the globe."

This maple tree glows with burnished golds and red in the strong sun of the late afternoon - capturing the most dramatic of part of autumn’s glory as it foreshadows the coming of its last days before the harsh winter sets in.

Happiness International, January - March 2023

“Butterfly Magic” – Given a year of uncertainty on many fronts, I am thankful to Exhibizone for launching a search for images designed to “extend happiness” and to emphasize joy and optimism. The artist call requested artwork inspired by “the concept of genuine happiness and joyfulness as one of the main cornerstones of well-being.”

“The world,” they expanded, “needs this valuable feeling while recovering from global lockdown.” Part of the goal of the exhibit is to “remind the world to stay happy and spirited despite difficult situations.”

By choosing this image, the exhibition helped me relive the glorious afternoon where I made this photograph. I was surrounded by golds and yellows and browns. Sunlight and warmth embraced me. And I was taken by the magic of butterflies dancing on the sand next to a cool, flowing stream. The experience was balm for the soul, joy for the heart.

Artistonish Magazine, January 2023

“Cubist Tea Party” – I was thrilled when this image was chosen to be included in the January 2023 issue of Artistonish, an international contemporary art magazine published in Canada that reaches art lovers in over 120 countries. From their website: "Our publications are available to tens of thousands of art lovers, experts, collectors and enthusiasts in both digital and print format worldwide, while the print magazine can be ordered online.”

Here, a simple white cup and teapot turn surreal, throwing their shadows all around them in vibrant colors of red, orange, green, purple, and yellow. Some of the magic was creating by using the dark mode of multiple exposure which "chews into" the shapes of the cup and teapot as they sit on a dark surface. Tungsten white balance adds to the tension and drama.

ICM Photography Magazine, December 2022

"Roots of Spring" - I am very grateful to @StephJohnPhoto and the team at ICM Photography Magazine - icmphotomag.com - for choosing my image to feature in the December issue in a section called "A World Reimagined." Other artists in this grouping are from the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, and England. You can follow the magazine on Instagram @icmphotomag, on Facebook at icmphotomag, and YouTube at ICMPhotographyMagazine.

This quarterly publication is a rich, beautifully curated e-magazine featuring images, articles, reviews, interviews, tips, and tutorials by ICM (intentional camera movement) photographers and artists from around the world. The lead story in December is about @Doug_Chinnery, an amazing photographer and teacher.

I’ve gotten some lovely responses to my photograph, including these:

“Gorgeous image – your color palette radiates vitality and the joy of Spring!”

“I am sure I travelled in my lifetime to the color in the middle. I am drawn to it. It is giving

me energy.”

“The colorful image with such texture evokes a soothing feel of wonderment and the unknown. It’s almost like a close-up of a cathedral stained glass window’s view of the outside world.”

Emptiness 2022

"Light in Darkness" - Selected for the Emptiness 2022 exhibit from Exhibizone based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The theme of emptiness was chosen because of the range of interpretations - from kinds of sadness or even "a state with no emotion or purpose" to "the true nature of things and events" in Buddhism. The call quoted Lao Tzu from Tao Te Ching: "We mold clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that makes the vessel useful." This idea reminded me of the invitation of a high school English teacher to listen to the spaces between the notes of a Ravi Shankar song.

The theme was also especially poignant this year because of the way COVID-19 forced us into isolation and made us all face some kind of emptiness - ranging from loss of a loved one to loneliness - or, perhaps, to new ways of finding ourselves.

In my image, the magic of celestial light penetrates the darkness in small orbs around the primary orb. Golden rays shoot out from the center, piercing the blackness with hope and possibility. Imagine standing at the edge of a field, witnessing this glory, feeling the warmth of light bathe you in wonder.

The exhibit was on display for one month beginning December 10, 2022.

Far Away Places 2022

"Fantasy Fence" - Selected by Las Laguna Art Gallery, Las Laguna, CA, for their Far Away Places 2022 exhibit which ran online through the month of November. In the call for entries, they invited artists to submit works that "can be unique and exotic places that you consider 'far away.' The locations can be real or imagined."

That's perfect for me, since I created this imaginary scene from a real fence and its shadow which I superimposed over a mountain (well, a triangle) that I "made" shooting against a treed hillside in another state using tungsten white balance.

Visionaries

“New Growth Springs Unbidden” – Selected by Shenandoah Arts Council for their Visionaries exhibit scheduled to be displayed at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley through January of 2023. For this show, ShenArts requested art that is “informed by both the past and the present and turns imagination towards the possibilities of the future.”

Through multiple exposure, this image pulls together the straight lines and rich colors of a corner cherry cabinet and painted wall with an elegant, airy tree from Sky Meadows Park. So it is new growth springing from older wood.

What makes the image work, I think, is the unusual color palette of reds, peaches, golds, greens, and purples, as well as the contrast of the vertical lines with the feathery branches and leaves of the tree arms.

MAGIX 2022: Dream, Fantasy, Illusion, Magic

"Secret Kingdom" - Chosen by MAGIX 2022, an artist call encouraging "visualization of Dream, Fantasy, Illusion, Imagination, and Magic. The most important quality of art and its aim is illusion." The exhibit ran through the month of October.

The call asked for artwork that extends "our surreal possibilities, challenges our beliefs in our senses and gives birth to a dreamlike fantasy world risen from artists' magical thoughts and illusive imagination."

Secret Kingdom imagines a whole society hidden from the rest of the world - illuminated by light and fantasy.

Artistic Independence Abstract 2022

“Mystery in the Forest” – Selected by Las Laguna Art Gallery in Las Laguna, CA for their Artistic Independence – Abstract – 2022 online exhibit that ran in October. The exhibition was open to local, national, or international artists creating any type of abstract artworks.

In literature and life, lights in the forest can be signs of magic and mystery. What is the source of these lights? Are they symbols of good? What do they portend? There’s enough light here to feel safe. But there’s enough blackness to be dangerous. The scene is limited only by your imagination.

Plantarium 2022

"Golden Golden" - Chosen by Gallerium Art for their Plantarium 2022: Trees, Leaves, Flowers exhibit and publication. The online exhibit ran from mid-September through mid-October.

“Plantarium 2022 encourages artists to share their visual story of the plant world and create a unique botanical expression with their brilliant art of plants, herbs and vegetables, forests, trees, grass, flowers, and extensive usage. The planet will cease to exist without plants, and we enormously rely on the plant world and use them in diverse ways, from food and medicine to clothing, building, and fuel.”

About the image: It’s end of day. The sun is setting. And there, between the trees is the pure magic of light and play – with sparkling golden and brown tones embracing you and beckoning you to enter the moment.

Scenic 2022

"Gateway to the Valley" - Selected for Scenic 2022 by Exhibizone, an online visual art exhibition platform based on Ontario, Canada. This exhibit, running for the month of August, featured 174 images from artists around the world in a wide range of formats, including photography, mixed media, painting, and drawing, This image marries the long, wooden fences that are iconic in the Shenandoah Valley with a barn door, also a beloved symbol of the area. In the background, you can see the gentle mountains embracing the valley.

Exhibizone & Barns of Rose Hill

"Mysteries Within" - Chosen for a juried Art Show, July 5-23, 2022 at Barns of Rose Hill, a performing arts venue and community center in historic Berryville, Virginia. Housed in two early 20th century dairy barns that were fully restored in 2011, the center has a mission "to enrich lives through programs in the performing, visual, and literary arts."

Also chosen for Exhibizone - Grand Prize 2022, an online exhibition running from September 15 - November 15, 2022.

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley & Artscape 13

"Hidden Colors of Sunset" - Selected for display at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and on a banner hanging in Old Town as part of Artscape 13. The banner remains up for the entire year. Artscape is a public art program open to artists of all ages that is meant to represent all walks of life. It is described on their website as "a group of work with diverse themes to create a shared experience of art by an entire community."

Artistonish Contemporary Art Magazine

"Dreamscape in Red and Green" - Chosen for inclusion in the June 2022 issue of Artistonish, an international contemporary art magazine published in Canada. From their website: "Our publications are available to tens of thousands of art lovers, experts, collectors and enthusiasts in both digital and print format and reaches people in over 100 countries."

There's more than a little magic in this icy cold dreamscape colored with brilliant reds and greens -- from the leaves still on the maple tree to those sprinkled on the ground. And from the greens on the path and grass and rocks to the watery mini-pond with jagged edges.

Las Laguna Art Gallery

"On the Road to Oz" - Selected by Las Laguna Art Gallery in Laguna Beach, California for the Golden: 50 and Over, June 2022 Online Exhibition. From their website: "As we grow older, the maturity and insight life has given us multiplies. The viewpoints and experiences that come with age are invaluable lessons to us all on how to life life - and live it well. This month we will celebrate the talent and wisdom of the artist over 50." Shot from a moving car (husband driving!) with a little vertical intentional camera movement, it created a scene both magical and surreal. Imagine it from the viewpoint of a child who looks up and sees possibility, wonder, and awe.

West Trade Review

"Woodland Magic" - Chosen by Ken Harmon, editor of West Trade Review, to accompany a poem in the spring issue called "Elegy to the Ivory-BilledWoodpecker," by Eric Fisher Stone. As described on their website, West Trade Review "seeks to perpetuate the work of artists both well and yet-to-t-know, simultaneously enriching our world through the written word and visual arts." Find out more @WestTradeReview.com.

612 Vineyard

Located in a beautiful part of the Shenandoah Valley, 612 Vineyard asked to display my image, "Country Door," inside their winery. They had seen it at the Firehouse Gallery as part of our "For the Love of Wood" show. I shot this old barn door embellished with healthy geraniums in the Valley - so it seemed like a perfect fit.

Shenandoah Arts Council

In January 2022, I was selected as the FeatureFridayArtist by Shenandoah Arts Council, a nonprofit arts organization cultivating the arts through promotion, instruction and exhibition. Several of my images were featured, including this one called "Tulle Skirts."

Firehouse Gallery, Berryville, Virginia

My husband and I had a joint show at the Firehouse Gallery called "For the Love of Wood," featuring his wood-turned bowls and platters, as well as my photographs of lone trees, like this image called "Maple with Snow" that was the lead image of the show.

It included photographs made in Maine of wooden boats, a pine tree shrouded in fog, and a slender maple bereft of leaves, kissed at the base by the remnants of orange and gold weeds. Other images were from the Shenandoah Valley, including a close-up of a red wooden barn, a fence line on a frigid winter day from Long Branch, a wooden country door decked with red geraniums, and a classic rope and wood swing hung from a tall tree.