LuAnn Ostergaard

In the spirit of discovery, I pull on my leather boots, sling a camera across my back and head out in search of abstract images. I am drawn to distressed surfaces marked by time.

My creative spirit is awakened by the beauty I see in naturally occurring patterns and textures. Inspiration comes while trekking through the gritty chaos of a metal scrapyard, abandoned alleyway or natural area. In these rough, overlooked areas, I look for grace and subtle beauty. I find this beauty in imperfection and may see it in the weathered surfaces of rusty scrap of metal, natural stone or other found object.

I always hope to capture images that speak to me and have the visual information I seek.

My images often transcend their original source and become elevated to interesting compositions. Sometimes, I technically nudge aspects in the image towards a landscape scene. I may discover a hint of a distant mountain or wisp of a cloud within an image and use this as a starting point in a composition. I may combine two or more images to further the suggestion of a landscape.

The artistic process I use to create my artwork begins with one or more digital images. The finished image is printed in my studio using archival pigment inks on fine art paper. The print is mounted on a custom made boxed panel and hand textured with clear acrylic gel medium for a brushstroke finish.