Dreams Fulfilled

by Alice Cahill

Fantasy Forest

I have always wanted to be an artist.

As a young child I drew constantly - mostly horses. Like many young girls I was horse crazy. Alas, I never had a real horse, so I had to content myself playing horses with my imaginary playmate DAH. Until I was almost eleven I lived out in the country on an orange grove. I can still recall the feeling of the rich, brown earth between my toes as I ran up and down the furrows between the rows of orange trees.

My love affair with Nature and the outdoors began then. I was rooted in the Earth in a deeply spiritual way. I count myself blessed to have grown up as a 'wild child.'

Fossil Nautilus	Home Port	Lead Me On
River Dogwood	Invitation	Harrier Flight

Soon my parents bought me a Jon Gnagy learn to draw book and I was in heaven. The problem was, that while I loved drawing,  I didn't have more than an average aptitude for it. But, undaunted, I tried my hand at oil painting and also bit of watercolor work. As the years went by, I also dabbled in writing and completed and illustrated a book "The Secret of Hidden Valley' when I was twelve. Of course, it was about a young girl and horses. I can still recall the many hours I spent writing my story out in longhand and then typing it page by page using my Mother's old Underwood typewriter. My father suggested that I submit it for publication. I did, and got a very nice note of encouragement with my letter of rejection.

Whale / Pelican

In my teenage years my love affair with horses faded a bit and I took up singing and playing the guitar. I have a nice voice and imagined I could become the next Joan Baez. But I didn't particularly like performing in front of other people. Hmmm . . . . that was a problem.

In college I minored in art and loved my classes in graphic design, pottery and art history. But I never quite put it all together to BE an artist. The years rolled by and I wrote some poetry and then combined music with the poetry and wrote a number of songs. But nothing quite satisfied my longing to be an ARTIST.

By then I was married to the love of my life, Don Henderson, and expressed an interest in learning how to photograph. Don gave me my first SLR camera - a Canon Rebel -  for Christmas in 1992. I don't think he quite realized what he was unleashing with that one simple gift. I had found my PASSION.

I started reading every photo magazine I could get my hands on and completed both basic and advanced correspondence courses with the New York Institute of Photography. I attended lectures given by Dewit Jones, George Lepp, and John and Barbara Gerlach, learning even more.  I was totally engaged by photography.

Inspiration

And then I discovered Photoshop. Oh, boy! At last I could create the photographs I imagined in my head and in my heart. These days, I often experiment combining multiple photos together to create a more 'artistic' look. For me, photography is the perfect blend of artistic and technical skills. By using the tools in Photoshop I am able to  enhance my photos to express what I am feeling. I don't pretend to be a photojournalist. I am free to explore any possibility I can imagine.

In my photography I strive to see with the eyes of my heart, giving many of my photos a deep spiritual quality. I am in love with nature and all her wild places - with her designs and textures. I believe nature is a healing force and a refuge from the chaos of daily life. When we are quiet and listen, we can find peace and discover our own inner voice of wisdom.

I have been honored to receive numerous awards for my photography. I was the Grand Prize winner in the 2012 Audubon contest and my winning photo was published on the cover of Audubon Magazine. I have been a Category Winner in the prestigious Nature's Best International Photography Contest. My photographs have been published in many nature and photo magazines and one of my images was featured in Oprah's "O" Magazine.

I am a member of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). My photography is also represented by GETTY Images.

My photographs are available to purchase locally in the Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay and at the Cayucos Art Association in Cayucos. I am going to be the Featured Artist in the Gallery at Marina Square for the entire month of  June. Please come to the reception on Friday, June 14th 5-8pm. I'll be there and would love to see you. 

Quail Lookout

Spring Delight

The Way West

AliceCahill.blogspot.com
PO Box 1509
Morro Bay, CA 93443
My photographs are available for purchase at Alice Cahill
Facebook:  Alice Cahill