David Ashcraft Photography- Organic Inspiration

I am honored to know photographer David Ashcraft for a couple of decades now. His website  showcases a portion of his work. 

 

“No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied - it speaks in silence to the very core of your being”- Ansel Adams.
David resides in the Sierra Nevada mountains, quite close to Yosemite (where I grew up).

David attended Newport School of Photography in Newport Beach, Calif., became assistant to the owner Al Belson in 1978.  He owned and operated commercial photography business from 1979-2001.

Career highlights include winning first place in photography at the Las Damas Art Festival,showing in local and national art galleries, the Ansel Adams group show at the Mumm winery in Napa, Ca. and the Fresno Art Museum's Decennial Invitational . His work has been published nationally.  David  teaches photography at Fresno City College, leading the next generation.

David's photographs can be found in many public and private collections around the world-and most importantly-on my wall. :) Granted, I did do a lovely bronze frame to highlight the organic colors, there is peace in the natural beauty of the photo I own (its not posted as I haven't asked for permission for that specific image).  It's a reminder to me take a moment to appreciate life beyond my schedule, freeways, the news, and just BREATHE. His talent and skill captures the raw, umatched beauty of the West Coast that I take for granted daily.

Artist Statement:

For me, the creation of art is a form of active meditation and the making clear or known of what is inside of me. Each work of art becomes an emotional or spiritual footprint of where I have been, where I am at, or where I am going. For me it is about freedom, the freedom to feel and to create just what I feel, to dream dreams and dare anything; to make mistakes, break rules, live, love, and heal.
It is the whisper of a starless night and the shout of the sun, a powerful shove or the gentle caress only a lover can give. I am fascinated that a mud puddle can become as profound as the ocean, or how a baby’s spoon can eclipse the sun like a great moon. I am captivated by art’s ability to start and end wars, or make the world feel safe for a moment.
Art gives birth and expression to the emotions and feelings inside that I cannot express through other means, birth to the creativity and musing of my being. I find it helps me to explore and discover the mysteries of the universe and to create my own mysteries. It gives a depth to life that I would not otherwise experience and enjoy and the means to share this with others.