Art Spot: Louise McDonald

Art Spot: Louise McDonald

Louise’s photographs are on exhibit at the Wolfville Memorial Library, 21 Elm Avenue, throughout the month of September

WHO: I was born outside London, England but have been living in the beautiful Annapolis Valley ever since I emigrated to Canada as a child.

WHAT: I have always had some kind of camera in my hand, exploring this beautiful new country, but it wasn’t until I retired from my work as a community midwife, and a kind friend gave me the gift of a nice digital camera, that my interest in the photographic world began to deepen. As an avid lover of the outdoors, living on the South Mountain near Lumsden’s Dam has given me many opportunities to study water in particular and its chameleonic ability to take reflected shapes and colours and transform them into natural, living works of beauty and fantasy.

WHERE: When I set off with my camera, usually in the late afternoon, I try and clear my mind of preconceptions and expectations about what I might be able to see or capture. I have come to believe that the natural world wants to be seen, heard, and understood, but on its own terms. So I prepare myself for these possibilities by being quiet, open, and alert as I walk. Some days I take no pictures but I don’t consider those days wasted if I have learned a bit more about myself and my relation to the world of living things around me. However, on those days when I do use my camera, I am not averse to returning home and exploring what computer technology can further do to help me bring what I am seeing in my pictures to metaphorical life. As humans, we certainly have a complex relationship with nature!

WHEN: I don’t consider myself an artist but I do come from an “artistic” family, mostly musicians! However, I have participated in this year’s community exhibit at the Acadia Art Gallery and I am a member of the King’s Photography Club.

WHY: I do see photography being taken up, with emerging skill and talent, by several of the younger women in my extended family and it will be interesting to watch them develop over the next few years. Meanwhile, photography is a great way for me to explore, and interact with, my neighbourhood. I am quite committed to seeing where this path will lead me.

I have a Facebook page called “Fundy on Foot” where some of my pictures are available for viewing. I can also be contacted at beinghluine@yahoo.ca.