Kundalini Splendor

As many of you know, Patricia Lay-Dorsey is one of my most treasured friends.  She is the one who set up this blog many years ago when most people had not yet heard of blogs.  She continues to offer support and to amaze with all of her varied activities.  When her MS progressed to the point that painting (a longtime love) was no longer a favorite occupation, she switched to photography, and is now emerging as a primary talent on the photography scene.  Rather than succumbing to being "handicapped)," Patricia is in fact one of the most active and energetic people I know.  Here is a recent e-mail I received describing her current activities (sorry the pictures included in her message did not come through--go to her website--listed at the bottom--to see her most recent work.)  To say that Patricia is an inspiration and a wonder is the understatement of the year.

This is what Patricia wrote:

My dear colleagues and friends,

Spring has officially arrived since I last sent you news of my photography projects, although chilly days and nights here in Detroit make us wonder when winter will loose its grip. But fat buds on the maple tree outside the window here at my computer give me hope that it won't be long before we can replace mittens and wool hats with short sleeves and sandals. Until then I am warmed by memories of recent joys and anticipation of what is to come.

"Falling Into Place" solo exhibit, Fovea Exhibitions, Beacon, NY, opens Saturday, April 13 and runs until July 7, 2013
~See evite posted below~

The opening of my solo exhibit of Falling Into Place: self portraits at Fovea Exhibitions in Beacon, NY is from 5-9 pm on Saturday, April 13th, with my gallery talk scheduled for 6:30 pm. You can find more specific information on the evite posted below. I am very much looking forward to being in beautiful Beacon (an easy drive or train ride from NYC) where I will also be talking about self portraits and sharing my work with a photography class at Beacon High School. I have created a slideshow of images from Falling Into Place that uses electronic music mixed by my gifted friend, DJ illich Mujica. Even if my images bore them, the music will grab the students for sure!

Redesigned website
After four years of using the same layout on my website, www.patricialaydorsey.com, I decided it was time for a change. The new design allows for larger print sizes and slideshow viewing of the portfolios. It also gives me the capacity to embed video links to sites like Vimeo and YouTube. Under INFORMATION on my website you will find a page called "Videos and Slideshows" with links to my slideshow and the "Falling Into Place" video created by David Snider of TimeFrame / The Photography Channel-TV. I have also tightened the edits of my existing portfolios and replaced a couple of older portfolios with more recent ones, including one called "Exhibits and Installations." It feels like I have just completed a good thorough spring cleaning! If you notice any problems, please let me know.

Follow up on my "Falling Into Place" solo exhibit at Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA, January 17-March 3, 2013

2013 began with a marvelous trip to the Boston area for the opening of my exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA. I was honored to be in the company of two exceptional photographers, David Pace and Mary Beth Meehan, both of whom also had shows opening at the museum that night (January 17th). Paula Tognarelli, the Executive Director/Curator, and Frances Jakubek, Associate Director, had mounted beautiful installations of our work in the three museum galleries, and we were delighted to see that Mark Feeney of The Boston Globe understood why Paula had chosen to show our projects at the same time. This is how Mark introduced our review in the January 24th edition of the paper:

Three shows: fascinating differences, similar spirit

Life in Burkina Faso, the changing face of Brockton, and coping with multiple sclerosis would seem to have little in common. One of the rewards of the three shows currently at the Griffin Museum of Photography is that despite being so different in subject they share a common spirit. In a way that’s never sentimental or manipulative, David Pace’s “Burkina Faso: Night and Day,” Mary Beth Meehan’s “City of Champions,” and Patricia Lay-Dorsey’s “Falling Into Place” are matter-of-factly life-affirming — and casualness makes the affirmation all the more affecting.

Here are two photographs of the installation of Falling Into Place in the Griffin Gallery:
(check her website for these)

"Falling Into Place" book release postponed until autumn 2013

My publisher, David Drake, and I continue our long-distance work on my book, "Falling Into Place: self portraits." Our journey has been slower than anticipated due to funding delays, but we recently got the good news that David's grant proposals were approved so we can move forward with confidence. Although we had originally intended to launch my book at Diffusion, Ffotogallery's photo festival in May, we are now looking at an autumn 2013 book release date. David and Ffotogallery have recently hired a highly respected book designer, Victoria Forrest, to work with us on the book. Victoria and David are meeting in the UK in person, and she and I have already started meeting via Skype.

 For those of you who do not want to wait until autumn to buy "Falling Into Place," there is an alternative ;=) The Griffin Museum of Photography published a beautiful catalog to accompany my exhibit. It contains 23 images, David Alan Harvey's book foreword, my artist statement and bio/resume, and an introductory essay by Paula Tognarelli, the Griffin Museum Director/Curator. This catalog can be ordered through the Griffin Museum online shop. While there, be sure to check out all of their catalogs; the work of marvelous photographers is represented.

Any suggestions for future exhibition venues?

Now that I have a slideshow and a significant number of framed and matted prints ready to show, I am looking for new exhibition opportunities to share "Falling Into Place: self portraits." Of course, galleries, museums and photo festivals are always welcome venues, but so are educational institutions, community and medical centers, conferences and conventions. This body of work is about photography, yes, but the insights it offers into both disability and aging give it a unique voice that speaks to a broad audience of individuals and groups. Any suggestions would be most welcome. By the way, I have years of experience speaking to large and small groups, teaching adults and young people, and facilitating workshops. I would love to use this experience in sharing "Falling Into Place: self portraits" with as many people as possible. I see it as both an artistic and a teaching tool.

May spring bring fresh and tender shoots of creativity into your life. And please share your news with me. I love hearing from you.

With warm wishes,
Patricia

Patricia Lay-Dorsey
Website: http://www.patricialaydorsey.com
Email: playdorsey@comcast.net
Skype: patricialaydorsey
Mobile: 313-410-0454
Detroit, Michigan USA