Lana Gramlich Interview, Part II

Down Louisiana Way ⒸLana Gramlich
(used by permission).

Erik: Besides Abita Springs, anywhere else you've been that was (or seemed like it could be) a good place to live or visit for a while?

Lana: I have family in Canada and try to visit on a regular basis. It’s a wonderful place to spend time. The people are pretty laid back, the scenery is fantastic, the cities are full of culture and fun and you can’t beat free healthcare. Some years ago I was fortunate enough to visit New Zealand, which was also stunningly beautiful and full of friendly, helpful people. It’s much more geologically active than Canada, generally speaking. I was shocked to learn that Auckland’s situated on a dormant volcano field. Not extinct . . . dormant. I don’t think I’d be comfortable living there, but the visit was well worth it! After Hurricane Katrina my husband and I relocated to Austin, TX for a while. I’m sure I would’ve enjoyed it more if we weren’t dealing with Katrina-stresses, but overall I’d have to say it was a pretty cool place, too.

Erik: Do you work on photography, painting (and drawing) at the same time and in a similar way?

Lana: I don’t really draw much anymore—I switched to painting quite a while ago, and I don’t usually draw on my canvases before I paint. Regardless, painting and photography are typically opposing processes for me. When I paint, I have a general idea (at least) of what I want to produce. The actual painting can sometimes be quite stressful—either indirectly (something about the painting’s not working and it’s bugging me) or directly (I’m uber-focused in an attempt to paint a long, narrow, straight line, etc.) Paintings take at least a few sittings (for a few hours at a time) to get through. I may go out with my cameras in between painting sessions, if that counts as “at the same time.” My photography is much more Zen. When I head out with my cameras, the main focus is enjoying a lovely hike in a peaceful, natural area. Since nature doesn’t work well with “plans,” I have no preconceived ideas when I go out. As a result of these two factors, my photos are spontaneous, depicting nature as it is. To me, nothing is more beautiful.

Erik: Does music play a role in your work?

Lana: Surprisingly, not so much. Despite being a music lover all of my life, it doesn’t play much of a part in my artistic creations. When I heard that Rick Wright (of Pink Floyd) passed away in 2008, I painted Great Gig in the Sky as a tribute [pictured above, also copyright Lana Gramlich, used by permission]. I also borrowed lyrics from the band, Mountain, as titles for two of my paintings: Down Louisiana Way and Mississippi Queen. Those are the only links between music and my art that come to mind.

Erik: Can you tell us a little about the creation and production of Eye Candy Photography: Scenes from the American South?

Lana: The book was the result of at least a few years of photographing local flora, fauna and landscapes. After looking into self-publishing, I realized that creating such a book would allow people to have a wide variety of my photos for just a little more than the price of one of my large, matted prints. I could share more of my local images with a much wider audience. It also acts as a more manageable “portfolio” (of sorts) for me. The photos in the book are among my personal favorites, many of which have also either won awards and/or been published in some other format (magazine covers, etc.) Most of the shots are from my own area—I’m blessed to live among such beauty—but there are also one or two from a camping trip I took last year in Mississippi. I was delighted when the library system I work for decided to add it to their collection.

Thanks for taking the time to interview me, Erik. I always enjoy reading your blog and I appreciate the opportunity to become a part of it. If anyone’s interested in seeing more of my work, here are some links for my pages:

Eye Candy Visual Arts: http://lanagramlich.webs.com/

Eye Candy Newsletter: http://eyecandynewsletter.blogspot.com/

The Dreaming Tree: http://lucidflora.blogspot.com/

My Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eye-Candy-The-Art-and-Photography-of-Lana-Gramlich/124020672361

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