Although I work in a digital or virtual medium, I approach the creation of each image with the traditional outlook of a painter and also, in my case, a sculptor.

I use my digital tools with the same techniques that I used to wield my chisel and mallet. I try to bring depth and texture to the images that I work on, as well as, dramatic color and my own unique viewpoint. I use the creation of fractals, somewhat like meditation, to let my unconsious direct the creation of my images. Layering of fractals with digital painting creates a unique image which makes and intuitive connection.

I create what I like - images I would like to see in my home or office. I had a design instructor in college who said that I would never be a serious artist because my work was "too pretty." He meant it as an insult, but I have always taken it as a compliment. I never wanted to make a "statement" or vent "artistic angst."

The process behind the creation of my digital images begins with capturing a digital image, from a fractal flame, from a photo, or a digital painting that interests me.

I approach my images as if it were a block of wood or a stone. I start shaping and see where my feelings and subconscious leads me. I don't plan what I will do to an image or what the final outcome will be like. 

More and more I am working with recursive fractal flames. I find them very liberating and stimulating. Images and feelings emerge from the colors and abstract images as I work with the program. My thoughts and feelings seem to be reflected in the images that I find in the flames.

With my digital creations I am trying to create something that I enjoy and hope that others will as well.

Jeri Holt
                               www.withdigitaleyes.com

About the Artist

Short on formal art education (an unofficial minor in art) and long on experimentation and self-discovery, Jeri has dabbled in oil, unsuccessfully; watercolors, not bad; and acrylics, pretty good at times. She says that she really didn't have the patience to wait for anything to dry, so acrylics were the best of the lot.

She really found a creative passion when, being unable to afford welding equipment to try metal sculpture, she began sculpturing in wood instead. Every chip of wood produced instant results. Therefore, for several years, she produced wood sculptures based on her own designs and sold them regionally in shows and galleries. Damage to her wrist finally caused her to stop sculpting. Being unable to find a substitute for the satisfaction found in sculpture, she turned away from art at that point for several years before discovering the same creative joy in digital art.

She feels that creating her art is like jazz; it has an underlying unity with infinite variety and possibilities. Combining digital painting with original photographs and fractals, her work uniquely expresses her love of dramatic color, rhythms, and emotions.

She has exhibited at Thomas College Art Gallery, Waterville, Maine as Artist of the Month, at the Center Gallery at Unity Performing Arts Center, the Blaine House and participated in member shows at the Harlow Gallery and at the Cohen Center in Hallowell, Maine. She exhibits at the Blue Marble Gallery in Waterville, Maine. Her work is also on display at the Matthew T. Moser & Company offices in New Gloucester, Maine and the Maine Municipal Association in Augusta. Her online gallery is available at http://www.withDigitalEyes.com.

Originally from Brewer, Maine, she attended the University of Maine, Orono where she received a B. S. in Secondary Education and a Masters Degree in Library Science. She spent twenty years of her life teaching - English, speech, computers, and information management. She left teaching over twelve years ago and followed her computer and information management interests to a new arena. Working more and more with web design and digital information management, she now designs and manages web sites and web-based information services for several professional associations.