film Photography and Sculpture
MERMAIDS IN THE SAND
“Reflections of my Jesus”
Film photography 2006
by
Nelida
As I was sitting by the river bank one day, from a hard day at work and life- I meditated upon my life; the things I had done- good, bad, or not done at all. My regrets, my pain, and the lack of love in my heart. With tears of pain and broken dreams streaming down my face, I cried out in a loud voice for a sign that “I” would be ok. (My own sanity has always been somewhat of a concern to me) – letting the pain and hurt pour out of me, I looked up at the beauty around me: the clear blue sky, the fresh air surrounded by enormous white boulders of rock, the glassy clear spring water flowing in the river, and the peace of the day surrounding my mental battle and emotional chaos- and then my sign lay before me: As I looked upon this spring water with a new vision and clear mind, I saw in the water a reflection of my Maker. The sign, given to me as a reminder that “I am ok.”
All things pass - good or bad. It is all temporary –
The river became a mirror –
The water bubbles became a mist of grace- and the light posts became a reminder of redemption.
A simple photograph truly does say a thousand words: alone , its’ silence, even though it may be upside down, screams out loud audible voices!
Nelida
Homeless at Home....film photography
Visiting my "home town" once upon a time, I went back to the areas that had most made impacts in my years trying to discover if I had any talent at all as an Artist. I drove through the streets of Silver City, NM remembering the building which taught me the biggest lesson in this, that I did not need a piece of paper to define me Artist, I already was, irregardless of anyones opinions of my visions, I needed to be free to paint and do what I felt for me. In this venture ride, it was raining gloriously and I saw this beautiful human being walking the street I used to walk to class. I found her so incredibly intriguing, so I stopped and asked if I could shoot a picture. I let her know she was beautiful to me and I would love to take her picture. Surprised and cautious of my request, she quickly said no and to leave her alone. I pleaded, but she insisted that I was crazy lady and walked away from me. I, of course being unable to take a "no", chased her anyway and shot her walking away. It reminded me so much of the struggles I went through myself when I was living out of my own car in the forest. I would have thought I was crazy too. I love this picture, and I fell in love with this beautiful Soul that made an impact every time I looked at this shot.
UNDER THE STARZ
Sculpting with Nelida
The making of Under The Starz...
The project of my life time...so far..This venture began when I signed myself up for the Idaho Falls Artist call for "Art You Can Sit On". I did it simply out of curiosity, but lo and behold, I actually was one of the Artists to get selected for the huge project. The contract was to submit 3 designs, one of which would be selected. Draft it, and if selected, commissioned to build it yourself or have it built. Not much money in it, but I thought it would be cool to learn how to weld since I had always wanted to learn. This was my opportunity. I came up with this design originally with the idea that you could sit inside this Star and stare up at the starz. hence the cuts in the metal shaped out as stars. I wanted to make the tunnel like the ocean and look up, with the intention for "adults" to comfortably fit inside the tunnel and draw back into your childhood to have fun..Reconnect. As the weeks went passed, between 2 jobs and being a single mom, I would get home late nights and work until I could not see anymore. I had help from friends that helped me learn how to weld and spray paint. Once I got the hang of it, I was on it. Literally like laboring a newborn. LITERALLY. Meeting the deadline was my biggest braxton hicks as my schedule was super tight. I even enlisted the childlike help of my own kids in this, and they too, learned and enjoyed something amazing. In the end when it came time for the "delivery" I was able to get it completed completely that night. Just long enough for the final coats to dry. This baby had to be dramatic, as one side was sprayed yellow and splashed with a top layer of mother pearl paint to shine in the sun, and the other in red was spattered in metalic glitter to give it the extra bling bling. the bars were intentionally layed over the arms of each ray as to invite the "adults" to climb it too. Thanks to the few friends that did help me, I was able to pull it off with some skid marks to the Finish line. This baby is still fully grown and continues to be a part of the towns public art displays. It spent about 5 or 6 years at the River walk and moved on to the Aquatic Center where it has found its permanent home. I am so happy my "kids" are all grown up now..That was FUN!!