Meditations on Water

Artists Barbara Soares and Jim Stasiak July 1, 2014 through August 9, 2014 "Meditations on Water," is a collection of fine art prints by award-winning photographers Barbara Soares and Jim Stasiak presents the transformative and healing nature of water. These images capture moments of tranquility, energy and flow which can be used for meditation and reflection. Water surrounds and envelopes us. We interact with it every day. This collection of photographs presents an opportunity to share our connections to water with you. The images were photographed in locations ranging from the mountains of New Hampshire and the rivers of Connecticut, to the ocean in Maine and the island of St. Lucia. We hope that you find the soothing reflections, rushing spray and gentle waves an invitation to pause and meditate, to imagine the fleeting movement of the water carrying you to a different state of mind and being. Bio / Artist's Statement: Barbara Soares Barbara Soares, MA, is an award-winning fine art photographer, reiki master, performance artist, and digital imaging pioneer. She received her training in photography and creative arts expression from The New School, Pratt Institute, Barnard College and The Graduate Institute, and has studied with Erica Steinberger, John Paul Caponigro, Tillman Crane and Alberto Villoldo. Her work has been shown in galleries, schools, and alternate spaces in New York City, Connecticut and Westchester, including the Mattatuck Museum, Canton Artists Guild, Silvermine Guild Arts Center, Washington Art Association, Artwell Gallery and the Atrium Gallery of the Warner Theatre. Barbara's style of bold color and photo/graphic design is derived in part from her experience in art therapy, transformational energy and reiki healing. Her work of the past 25 years has been done as a zen meditation in seeing, photographing and printing images as 'visual haiku' that challenge the viewer to perceive the world in a different light and composition. "My creative process involves getting to a 'no-mind' state, where I experience a scene intuitively, where time seems to stand still and magic can happen. Being able to capture a bit of that magic and transform it into a work that enables the viewer to experience that fleeting moment for as long as they wish is at the core of my work. Passion, resonance, shadow and light, form and movement, essence of the moment, essence of the heart - these are the raw materials I draw from and live for." Her most recent work, "Meditations On Water" is a collaboration with Jim Stasiak. For further information, she can be contacted at 860-354-7265; bsoares@lightofthenewmoon.com. Artist's Bio/Statement: Jim Stasiak Jim Stasiak is a photographer, instructor and printing arts professional residing in New Milford, CT. His work spans over 40 years of documentary, creative and travel photography, in both film and digital processes. He is experienced in professional retouching and optimizing of images for the fashion, music and specialty products industries; preparing images for fine lithographic printing; teaching professional Photoshop techniques for photographers and artists; and consulting in systems and software for the photographic process. His photos have been selected for juried shows at the Mattatuck Musem, Canton Artists Guild, Silvermine Art Center and Artwell Gallery. Jim has given workshops in Fine Art Giclée Printmaking at the New England Photographic Workshops and Northern Exposures Photographic Gallery. He was Gallery Director and digital photography instructor at the New England School of Photographic Arts, and attended Pratt Institute, where he was Photography Editor of the student newspaper. “A photograph records a moment in time. The translation of that moment into a meaningful image displays the photographer’s intent to capture the viewer’s imagination and curiosity, expand the viewer’s perception, and evoke an emotional response. My prints derive primarily from photographs: some are literal translations of the captured moment, others become the basis for images contained within the moment. Much as seeing a print develop in a tray of chemicals has always been magical for me, there is a similar thrill of discovery in finding and developing an image hidden in a photograph, and seeing it come to life in my digital darkroom. Being able to print these images and share them with the rest of the world is its own reward.” His most recent work, "Meditations On Water" is a collaboration with Barbara Soares. Contact Jim at 860-248-5924 or stasiakjames@sbcglobal.net.