Last year, as an experiment I decided to have a show of my photographs and then give the photographs away free at the end of the show! The only requirement of potential recipients was that they had to write down why they liked an image and why they wanted to take it home. At the end of the show I then decided on the winning comment and gave the picture to that person. The portfolio I chose was Bookworms.
In preparing for the show I had some trepidation! I hadn't looked at the photographs for some time and when I got ready to hang them I thought of all the work I had put into each photograph, the satisfaction of getting the photograph just right and how much I loved the images. I thought, oh no, it is going to be harder than I thought to give these away!
However, during the show as I started to read the comment cards that had come in, I was touched by what people had written. The comments were very candid and moving descriptions of why an image had significance for them. Through those descriptions I felt connected to those who would receive a photo and felt a lot better about giving them away.
The following are some of the comments I received on the photographs.
In preparing for the show I had some trepidation! I hadn't looked at the photographs for some time and when I got ready to hang them I thought of all the work I had put into each photograph, the satisfaction of getting the photograph just right and how much I loved the images. I thought, oh no, it is going to be harder than I thought to give these away!
However, during the show as I started to read the comment cards that had come in, I was touched by what people had written. The comments were very candid and moving descriptions of why an image had significance for them. Through those descriptions I felt connected to those who would receive a photo and felt a lot better about giving them away.
The following are some of the comments I received on the photographs.
Comment cards received from people requesting a free art photograph
|
"Both my wife and I love small things and we are fascinated by the concept of helpful bookworms scanning the pages of books helping out characters. We like seeing where the bookworms live and have had fun imagining what the inside of their home looks like. This latter point is very important to us as we feel the print invokes a sense of imagination in the viewer. We believe that too often in life people lose their sense of imagination and fantasy and this photo helps reinvigorate these important traits."
|
Webster's dictionary: Home of the Bookworms
|
Love, love, love to own this photo! It is a picture of my grandparent’s dictionary which I currently have in my possession. When my niece visits in February I’m passing it on to her. Love to have the photo as a memory! Stairway to the heaven of words, words, words.
|
|
"I’d like to have this photograph!. I find the composition to be really beautiful. Not only is the picture aesthetically pleasing, conjuring up feelings of peace and balance but I see several meanings beyond busy people needing rest; such as spirituality is such a personal domain that many people keep their beliefs and wisdoms guarded either due to privacy and shyness or simply as guarded secrets for personal benefit not to be shared with others. Hence the red rope barrier. I love this picture because it is beautiful and makes me think I’d love to have it in my home!"
|
Approach ramp allows bookworms to find a quiet place to rest.
|
"I know I deserve this one! I remember making up my mind to read the whole Bible Old and New when I was 13. But was so distraught when I came upon all those cubit measurements of the Ark that I almost gave up! Later, when I was 20, I even considered entering a convent, so it must have helped!"
|
|
"We would like to adopt this photo because rabbits are our family’s favorite animals. My wife & I have affectionate nicknames for each other based on rabbits and our daughter sleeps with not one, but two, rabbits. She uses them to soothe herself back to sleep, oftentimes covering her entire face with them to ensure no light from the hallway disrupts her. Once she’s up, there are several other rabbits for her to play with, including Beanie Boo, the first toy to make her laugh. Naturally, we have many books featuring rabbits, with the story of Peter Rabbit - you guessed it - being her (and our) favorite. "
|
The bookworms build an open gate to help Peter Rabbit escape from Mr. McGregor's garden.
|
"I’m about to go to my godson’s 1st birthday and I’m taking a vintage Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit with me. I would love to have “Gate” because Brady is too little to be a pack rat and he will like to hear the story about the bookworms who built the gate. His father, who is a big reader, has “Book” tattooed on his left hand and “Worm” tattooed on his right hand! Thanks for being so generous."
|
|
"My father-in-law climbed into a subway in Rome, Italy to recover a lost Police Badge for his best friend George, after they and their wives were robbed by a band of gypsies pretending to be pregnant women. His friend was a retired police officer, so he could not replace his badge. It means everything to him. He carries it everywhere. The gypsies threw their wallets and belongings in the subway after robbing them. They were detained by the Italian police after finding my father-in-law on the tracks."
|
Ropes added by the bookworms help to rescue a teddy bear from a subway track.
|
"I am a mother, age 52, who was given a teddy when I was 3. My mom (now 82) kept it after my divorce she had him re-stuffed and wrapped him up for a Christmas gift. I cried when I got the gift. Loved it! Your picture reminded me of rescuing and re-saving my Teddy. He sits in my front entrance today."
|
|
"I am a little too emotional to write my story. If what this picture did to me as soon as my eyes caught a glimpse I was drawn to it immediately, as my pain makes me feel as though I’m in a cage right now and my dear friend Jay is no longer. I will try to deconstruct my cage and fly again."
|
The bookworms help out by attempting to build a cage from the diagram.
|
"I love the soft colors of the background, the flowers complimenting the worn edges of the receipt book/ledger which has been overtaken by the artistry of the cage maker. I love the bookworms contrasting work as they work to replicate the cage, the job in progress, not quite done, This would look fantastic in my house, right at home."
|
|
"This photo reminds me of my brother and I on one of our adventures. He’s the one driving the boat and I’m doing the grunt work. I like the composition and bold waves of white and blue. I appreciate the simplicity and want to know the true story. Thank you for the art. I am captivated by it and can’t stop looking at it. Love it!"
|
The bookworms create a rope and dock so that the father and son can pull themselves back to safety.
|
"As a mariner I am acutely aware of the dangers of being lost at sea. As a human I am acutely aware of how much it would suck to be on a boat with just my father for an extended period of time."
|
|
"I’d like to adopt #11 Sinbad because I’m a first time kindergarten teacher who believes in letting kids creativity and imagination thrive. What better picture than that of Sinbad with a vacuumn cleaner. My kids are into Minecraft as well and I believe they’ll get even a bigger treat from seeing your picture. My students are diamonds! I hope they stay that way and not turn into coal because they can’t be creative anymore."
|
Hoover diamond vacuum added to assist Sinbad.
|
"I really enjoy this photo because it is a little absurd and out of the box thinking on the part of the bookworms. Obviously vacuums didn't exist in this time period but that is not an obstacle for the bookworms. For me, it has a comical element because even aside from the vacuum itself, it's somehow plugged into a socket somewhere, which again, given the year (sometime in the 1600s maybe?), is quite a stretch. Perhaps the bookworms are displaying their humorous side?!"
|
|
"My mom grew up on the Saskatchewan prairies. She had 10 children and many animals including an ornery Billy goat. One day the Billy goat went too far and rammed my mom as she was weeding. That story follows her still (she’s now 85 years old). I think she would have liked the bookworm’s solution."
|
Goat-blocking wall keeps the billy goat from escaping.
|
"This picture reminds me of my boys butting heads with me and butting against the rules I make."
|
|
"I am a bookworm myself and am delighted to see the bookworms help Hansel escape from the witch. I think reading helps us escape from many of the mental prisons we entrap ourselves in. Hurrah for bookworms!"
|
An escape tunnel is built by the bookworms.
|
"My son likes this one best because of the escape tunnel. He says “It’s good for kids to be free”."
|
|
"Such a beautiful image. It helps me to believe crossing from one world to the next need not be stressful. Thank you for your beautiful photos."
|
The bookworms rebuild the bridge destroyed by the king.
|
"Books are bridges to new places. I love the symbolism of the Bookworm using the bridge to move in the book."
|
