Beauty and the Books

"Vanessa, you are constipated.
You need to rid your bowels of that book. Then everything will flow free.
You'll be all good."
-My mom, one of the wisest people I know...and most ridiculous

Last May...over a year ago now, I had a show in LA. My first big solo show. Beauty and the Books, a nude series I shot in Arundel Bookstore in Seattle. It was quite an experience. The evidence is in the form of a book, a gold-embossed, fabric-covered box containing the images from the show and the accompanying poetry of Rex Wilder. Rex is a fantastically talented poet from LA. The collaboration was put together by Phil Bevis. Phil published the book. And due to my underestimation of the books success, I didn't print enough images to currently own a book of my own. Now I'm leaving in August for Paris and I want a copy to have in hand.
Who knew that so many would buy a $500 book?





I'm flying out to Seattle mid August and just hope that when I board the plane to Europe the book will be on board and this project will be at rest.

XOXO to Kelsi, Megan and Yulia my spectacular models and Dawn Tunnell the MUA with the muchness

Dawn shines her light on me

Well my dear Dawn's nose must have itched when I was posting about Jamie (one of her favorite photographers as well) and she gave me a jingle. There is so much I have missed! Fortune has been smiling on her and showing her a new path. I'm so happy for her! Dawn Tunnell is an incredibly talented makeup artist in Seattle but her soul is not being properly fed there and it seems the NYC is calling! She just filled me with so much inspiration I had to share it, document it, to relive it and come back to it to remind myself later when it's faded a bit from my memory.
One must be in a place that feeds you a daily dose of inspiration, "not every once in a while or once a month...you need to be surrounded by people swimming at the same level as you...people following their dreams too."
I've found myself back in Saint Louis to save money for Europe (or possibly the NYC if I don't get my rear in gear). But it's been a crusher on my spirit. After Oklahoma I've been refreshed and I can finally see my goals, where I am and where I need to be. I used to see them all the time but they've been grayed out by the monochromatic landscape of winter here in Saint Louis.
Dawn also has a new outlook on life. "You only feel sad or upset because you let yourself feel that way." It's a mantra I've advised many times. Where was I to tell myself this past winter? Dawn began to look at the brighter side of changes in her life and look at the opportunities rolling in!
I wish I could quote her whole pep talk but alas I was concentrating on the whole of the message...get it or get out. There are places where one can thrive and some choose the less fertilized lives because of sacrifices for loved ones or jobs but the truth is that you should only be in a place that brings you the most joy and the most inspiration. I'm making the most of where I am now but I need to move on to be with my fellow fish.

Here's a few images from the last fun collaboration Dawn and I did in Seattle. The model is the talented McKenzie.