Photography — Medium format film, Archival pigment print on panel
Framed in black wood 18" x 18"
 
inspired by the poem 
 
PEACE WITHIN A TREE
 
Sunrise coming through
my window
little rays of rainbows
projected in the air.
 
Every new day brings
promise, hope, surprises
and new friends.
 
I glance at the tree
outside that same window
and see a beautiful peace sign
come together, by the curves
of one branch, and the lines of others.
 
Look for simple joys
to nourish our souls.
 
Peace within a tree,
if nature can do it, so can we.
 
— © Michelle DeCicco
 
jd weiss discusses her work here. 
 
ARTIST STATEMENT
 
I am drawn to nature whether it is the open vistas of the ocean or the smallest features in a flower petal. Although, all that I see in my every day experience is part of my palette.
 
Open spaces of fields, lakes, and oceans reflect our fears, hopes, dreams and, fantasies. After all, the reality is that there is no out there without the perceptions (and the thoughts/emotions attached to them) that each individual brings to these spaces.  It is this relationship we each have with nature that is explored throughout these images; often dream like, and surreal, open  to each individuals interpretation. In addition, the nature of time, impermanence, and recurring cycles, and how they influence our journey is explored throughout these collections.
 
I use 6x6 medium format film cameras that produce negatives with both depth and subtleness. The negatives are scanned and printed with archival pigment inks on cotton rag paper.  The prints are hand varnished, negating the need for glazing; providing the viewer  a more tangible direct experience than with traditionally presented photographs.
 
Finally, and most importantly, I believe photography's true power, is not in the capturing, and then saving a special moment from the past, but rather photographs serve as a reminder that these wonderful moments abound, and we are surrounded by them and indeed, are part of them in every present moment.