STATEMENT & CV

ARTIST HISTORY

STATEMENT & CV

BACKGROUND

I was educated in fine art (painting, drawing, etc) and went to school for photography in Santa Monica, California where I lived for 45 years. I inherited a house and moved into it in 2014 in upstate New York. I am forever California grown who has a fortunate and colorful history, spending my time in Cali during a golden time.

I dropped out of college and my mother pleaded with me to go anywhere and do anything to make sure I got some sort of education. As it turned out, our agreement turned into an endless journey for her kid with ADHD. I became a professional, transitional student at Santa Monica College and now on line every chance I get. What do I mean by that? I mean that I have tried everything except the required courses. I studied fine art, graphic art, journalism and creative writing, broadcasting and ultimately photography.

I stayed with structured photography studies until a couple of professional photographers urged me to get out of school and get busy with a mentorship with one of them. My mentor believed in tough love. He wouldn't tell me how to solve anything, but rather would shame me into either giving up or going out to find it. This was, by far, better than school.

My first job was at an architectural firm in Santa Monica where a couple of old MGM art directors set up shop and designed most of the amusement parks in the world at that time. I married the feasibility consultant. I was always surrounded by very interesting people in an era when California living was absolutely the best. In fact, when we bought our house in Santa Monica, we ended up owning Shirley Temple's playhouse, sitting in our back yard, but torn down by the new owners when we left. Telling you how I had it is another story for another day.

My husband encouraged me to continue doing art. I had turned our Model T size garage into a studio and I was visited regularly by a couple of movie people who lived in the neighborhood and were curious to see what I was up to. Frank Gehry moved in around the corner. I never met him, but remembered seeing him driving around in his burgundy BMW 2002. If I lived in a bubble, I would like to live there all over again and never leave. I was surrounded by creative energy.

Photography: My first camera was a Pentax K1000 Asahi. My first digital camera was operated with a floppy disc. I pursued photogrpahy forever and when anybody and everybody thought they were photographers, I felt as though I was getting lost in a crowd. If I could make a living at it, it was good, but marginal.

In the 1990s, I wanted to learn a new program called Photoshop. I hunted around and found someone I could pay to teach me. He was in the "adult business." I was not, but we had a good laugh all too often over his crazy work style and I learned how to use the software. His wife would become suspicious of nothing, but that was cleared up fast and it turns out that she and I continue to be life long friends.

After too many years of neglect, I have picked up a pencil again and started to draw. I was never an architectural renderer, but as I try to do some serious perspective drawing, it brings back many, many great memories of colorful people and great times.

I sell photographic prints at Munson Museum store in Utica, NY. I have come to learn that much commercial photography business is more to do with who you know or network with. My idea of becoming a family photographer has willingly been surrendered to that irritating know it all girl down the street who got a camera for her birthday and has all of the friends and contacts in the small town where I live. There's so much more to it and my ADHD is sending me some place else with a smile on my face and a bit of good laughter still going on in the back of my brain.

It Tastes Like Flowers, composited photographs with colorized image from 1910

2024 Munson Museum Show, Pen and Ink Rendering, "Best Friends Till The End."
2023 Munson Museum Side Walk Show: Black and White "Crossing Over"
2022: Munson Williams Proctor Museum Side Walk Show: Composite photograph "Waiting For A Sign"
2022 Prix de la Photographie de Paris - honorable mention
IPA 2021 (International Photography Awards) Honorable Mention Black & White Nature Photography: "Release"
July 30,2021 Meet the Artist Solo Presentation, Munson Williams Proctor Museum
July 2021 Munson Williams Proctor Museum Sidewalk Show, Mt. Hope Pictorialist image
July 2020 Munson Williams Proctor Museum Virtual Sidewalk show, levitation composite not for sale

July 2019 group show, Munson Williams Proctor Museum sidewalk show, exhibiting a train photograph (sold)
June 2019 Solo Exhibit at Oneida Public Library of train photography
January 2019 - Toy Train Show, Union Station, Utica, NY
2018 Gallery on Farrier Avenue, Oneida, NY
December 2018 CAC Holiday Show, Sherrill, NY
2015 (March) Featured Photographer, New Landscape Photography
2013 MOPLA Pin Up Show, Robert Berman Gallery, Bergamont Station, Santa Monica, CA
2011 & 2012 International Photography Awards

* IPA 2011 - Honorable Mention - Editorial : Environmental Category
* IPA 2011 - Honorable Mention - People : Lifestyle Category
* IPA 2012 - Honorable Mention - Special : Digitally Enhanced Category
* IPA 2012 - Honorable Mention - Fine Art : Other Fine Art Category

2012 Pico Artist Coalition
2010 / 2009 5x7 shows, Blue 7 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2009 Water Show, Santa Monica College Exhibit, Santa Monica, CA
2008 Exhibit for Pico Blvd / Pico Improvement Organization, Santa Monica, CA
2008 National Geographic Bioblitz, Santa Monica Mountains, CA, contributing photographer
2008 Sierra Club auction contributor

Renee Ing Akana