ENTRY DESCRIPTION
As my elderly neighbor has been transitioning to another world, the crows have been markedly attentive and even nested in the stately spruce in front of her old Tudor. Some say if they fly over three times, death is near. Are the myths that surround the crows and ravens dreams or reality?
The States of Grace series comprises Figura, Flora and Fauna photographs to illuminate the dazzling grace of the natural world. I'm drawn to the sinuous lines of natural forms and strive to capture the fleeting beauty that is often overlooked, to preserve that mystical moment that stills time. I photograph intuitively - what I feel, as much as what I see. Informed by a background in oil painting and art history, I portray a personal interpretation, rather than a strict representation, to find balance between the real and the imagined. In visual balance I find serenity. Images are layered with textures and printed with pigment ink on vellum. White gold leaf is applied to the back of the image, highlighting the intrinsic value of the treasured subjects. Throughout history, civilizations have prized the usage of gold for its beauty and sanctity. The alchemy of transforming my images by literally illuminating them through gilding conveys the historic spirituality of these precious metals.

AUTHOR
Wendi Schneider is a visual artist working in photography and precious metals. Born in Memphis, she holds an AA in Art History from Stephens College in Columbia, MO and a BA in Painting from Newcomb/Tulane in New Orleans. She turned to photography in the early ‘80s to create moments of her models for her paintings. Missing the sensuality of oils, she began layering glazes on her photographs to create a more personal interpretation. After she photographed and designed the award-winning re-creation of the 1901 Picayune’s Creole Cook Book, she moved to New York, where she photographed nearly 100 book covers and was a major contributor to Victoria Magazine. She moved to Denver in 1994, and after several decades of photography, design and art direction for clients, she recently returned to fine art photography. Gilded vellum photographs from her current series “States of Grace” have been exhibited in more than 60 venues, including A Gallery For Fine Photography, The Center for Fine Art Photography and the Berlin Foto Biennale, and featured in B&W Magazine, Silvershotz and Lenscratch. Schneider has been honored by the International Photography Awards, the Monochrome Awards, the International Color Awards and the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. She was a Critical Mass finalist in 2017. She is represented by A Gallery For Fine Photography in New Orleans and Galeria Photo/Graphic in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

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