February 2022: My self-portrait, Under the Hemlocks in Paper Mask, was completed in 2020 during Covid-19 lockdown. The photograph I am holding, Cathedral in the Woods, is being featured this April, 2022, in my curatorial exhibit, In the Presence of Trees. It is fitting for this photograph to be viewed beyond my home. Being in nature really helped get me through the tough times. I’m grateful for future visits to places that inspire my art.
Under the Hemlocks in Paper Mask
April 2020: Robin MacDonald-Foley’s self-portrait, Under the Hemlocks in Paper Mask, was staged in her backyard holding her photograph, Cathedral in the Woods. The paper mask was constructed from a print of her photograph. Being under her hemlocks in the shadows of the day reminded her of this canopy of forest trees on Peddocks Island which she regards as her Cathedral. The fragility, strength, and shelter of her trees became a place of comfort for Robin. She feels it’s as close as she’ll get to her favorite national park for the time being.
Cathedral in the Woods
“With little travel ahead, creating from home during the pandemic has caused my process to shift directions. I journey through my photographs and sculpture as vessels. I’ve become part of the texture and colors of nature—the camera recording moments as place, like a new voyage waiting to be explored.”
