This year marks LiaBraaten’s golden anniversary as a photographer. Over the years, she has worked with media assignments of newsworthy events, stock photography, outdoor art fairs, gallery exhibits and nonprofit fundraisers. She has an instantly recognizable style by the use of color, diagonals, pattern and “oddness.” Her work has evolved from large panoramas to small semi-abstracts. The element of surprise, plus recognition and discovery, moves the viewer from “What the heck IS ... view more »
This year marks LiaBraaten’s golden anniversary as a photographer. Over the years, she has worked with media assignments of newsworthy events, stock photography, outdoor art fairs, gallery exhibits and nonprofit fundraisers. She has an instantly recognizable style by the use of color, diagonals, pattern and “oddness.” Her work has evolved from large panoramas to small semi-abstracts. The element of surprise, plus recognition and discovery, moves the viewer from “What the heck IS that?” to “Aha!” LiaBraaten invites the viewer to have as much fun with the images as she has. “I don’t do darkroom work or image manipulation, not out of any purist mindset but because I have no patience with technology, nor interest in changing my images. What I saw through the viewfinder is what you get in the image,” says LiaBraaten.
Eight years ago, Coad took a glass fusing class and fell in love. “Glass has always intrigued and fascinated me. I think the dichotomy of it being both dangerous and fragile while being so beautiful is captivating. I love the way it looks in different light and the almost endless combinations of colors and even textures that can be created,” says the artist.
Coad had a very busy and fulfilling career in management consulting. She traveled extensively in North America and Europe while raising her family with her husband. Although she loved what she did and it offered many creative opportunities, she felt none of those opportunities were artistic. And then, in retirement, she discovered glass. “I had never thought of myself as an artist,” says Coad. “I have never taken an ‘art’ class. Over the last eight years I have taken many glass classes that focus primarily on technique. I think I have found my ‘inner artist.’ The Mendonoma area offers so many opportunities to explore and discover what will unleash your inner artist. Last March when Covid19 started impacting everything we do I wondered if anyone would ever see any of the pieces I planned for the show in October. I wondered if the show would even take place. I decided that I would create pieces for myself and that is what I did. It was very freeing.”
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