Robert Coomer Photography

Don’t miss our second annual Holiday Open House - done in conjunction with Pam Duncan (A Way with Clay) and promoted through the Clay Alliance festival guide.

Featuring:
Robert Coomer Photography
Tabka Coomer Jewelry
Pam Duncan Pottery - A Way With Clay

Saturday, December 6th 11-5
Sunday, December 7th 11-3
4328 Peppermill Lane, Blue Ash, 45242

Some of the proceeds will be donated to the Rockcastle Karst Conservancy.

Also featuring a “Bargain Basement” with some great deals on pots from Pam Duncan that have been hanging around just a little too long.

I may also have a few scratch and dent canvas prints available.

Above and Below, is now on display at the Southern State Community College library, through November. Above+Below Appalachia is a collection of photos and artwork by Robert Coomer that reveal mysterious and beautiful images from beneath the Earth’s surface and the natural beauty of forgotten rural barns and back road landscapes of Appalachia. The images capture the world of natural light and color and then contrasts it with a world of complete darkness, of alien shapes and forms that are rarely seen. Above and Below Appalachia is a study of light, both natural and artificial and its interaction with the familiar and the unseen. A portion of the proceeds from work sold during this show will go to help preserve caves and karst through a donation to the Rockcastle Karst Conservancy.

A selection of images from my Below the Surface series is also on display. Combining cave photos and medical scans, this series challenges the viewer to consider our relationship to the world around us, and how we interact with it. Whether blood and water, or bone and stone, many comparisons can be made between our bodies, and our planet.

Come out and meet the artist on Thursday, October 15th, from 6 - 8pm.

I’m somewhere between a massive rebuild of my current website and scrapping it completely to switching to a new photo server. I’m reviewing possible solutions as I post this.

I’m planning to have this completed by the end of October, and maybe a sneak peak before then. Part of this upgrade will be the availability of my “Artful Letters” series many of you have seen and commented on at recent art shows.

Front Street Gallery in New Richmond has asked me to teach a photography class, starting some time in October. The class will run for several weeks, held on Monday nights. We’re still working out a schedule.

Contact me or Paul at the Front Street Gallery if you are interested for more information.

The Clermont Sun did an article about me and other Clermont County artists: Shannon Godby, and Justin Burwinkel.

Clermont artists add flair to Summerfair

Come see me at Summerfair is this weekend. I’m at boot 26F, on White way, just before Blue lagoon (the river). On the map I’m next to the First Aid tent.

May 29, Friday 2 pm – 8 pm
May 30, Saturday 10 am – 8 pm
May 31, Sunday 10 am – 5 pm

Admission
Adults:
$10.00 for 1 day ticket
$15.00 for 3-day ticket - Available only until Friday, May 29, 2009, 2:00 PM.
Children under 12 free

Last week I had several of my cardinal images on display at the Loveland Arts Council Winter Show. On Saturday night I found out I received the popular vote for the People’s Choice Award.

Thanks to everyone who came out last week and voted for my photos! It was a big honor to be selected from among all of the great artists.

I’m proud to announce that a selection of my images are now available at the front gift shop at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal.

Above is one of the prints I delivered. It was shot early last year during one of the small ice storms we had. At the time I was recovering from a back injury, but the potential for great photos was too high for me to pass up. I almost had to crawl to get the shot. Needless to say, it was a very cold night and the freezing rain was still falling when I arrived at the Union Terminal. The ground was covered with ice making walking difficult, but add to that a herniated disk, a bag of camera gear, camera, a tripod, and the loss of the ability to balance myself and then you’re really having some fun. I ended up using my tripod as a crutch and managed to make my way from where I parked my car on a side street, along the fence, across the front of the grounds and to the driveway where I took this shot.

After about an hour, I managed to make my way back to my car safely though I was wet and covered in ice. I only fell twice if I remember correctly. I found out it was less painful to just fall down than to try to “catch” my balance which hurt my back. I had on enough layers of winter clothing to cushion a fall. Like most photographers, I fall with my hands up to protect my gear, so i wasn’t too worried about damaging my camera. I think the shots from that night were worth it.

I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone viewing my website a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Red, White, and Blue Jay is one of my most recent prints and has quickly become one of my most popular. It’s an image that shows the beauty and simplicity of nature as well as it’s unpredictability, as many viewers find the presence of the Blue Jay in this image to almost unbelievable. Many have assumed the image was photoshoped, and the Blue Jay added. The image, depending on which version you see, has been modified to to reduce the background color as some of the brown leaves were distracting, however the content and composition is as I shot it. The speck of blue among the reds was what drew me to the composition, and is what makes this such a striking image.

This image recently was given an Award of Excellence in the Java Jazz ‘n Art competition in New Richmond, Ohio. internationally acknowledged master of wildlife art, John Ruthven was the juror for this show, so this award takes on a special dimension and a huge honor. I grew up in Brown County, Ohio admiring John’s work, as he had a gallery in Georgetown, Ohio. http://www.johnruthvenart.com/

At art shows, I have had others compare it to my favorite artist, Charley Harper. This is a statement to the beauty in it’s simplicity, which was Charley’s forte. His graphic art reduced nature images to their simplest form, yet maintains the character of his subject. He called it “minimal realism.” He would say “I never count the feathers in the wings — I just count the wings.” Again, being compared to this great artists is a huge compliment, and one I don’t take lightly. http://charleyharperartstudio.com/

At art shows around Lexington, this image became quickly known as “Go Big Blue!” as the UK Wildcats fans pointed out that the Blue Jay has all those Cardinals outnumbered. . .

The image was shot at Cincinnati Nature Center early this year. My next popular image was shot just a few feet away, and could be called the rest of the story. “Fox in the Hen House” shows what all those Cardinals were waiting for. . .