Finding Yourself

A Still-Life Photo Series

The images in Finding Yourself are my interpretations of Walter Wick’s photo-illustrations he creates for the children’s book series, ISpy. These books consist of a collection of complex photographed still-lives revolving around one core theme, be it ocean, toys, or an attic. It was my goal to create still lives inspired by Wick’s work using a small collection of found and borrowed objects to create multiple unique images that include hidden items for the reader to find.

As a child, I would always hoard anything I could get my hands on, like toys, rocks, shells, buttons, or coins. This joy of hoarding is something I've always struggled with as my family moved many times as a kid, so I always had to downsize my collections and start over which was difficult since I was so sentimentally attached to my things. As an artist, I recently discovered using toys in unexpected ways in my art. Finding Yourself was a passion project for me since I got to work with toys in a new medium. These were still lives that took anywhere from an hour to six hours to arrange, light, frame, photograph, and edit. I want people to have fun inspecting my images for the hidden objects and finding small details I've included in each photo.

Artist Statement

“Space Race”

I spy a guitar, a mask, two mice,

Three skeletons, a hen and chick, and six dice.

“Greenery Grove”

I spy four snakes, a broken plate, and a hog,

Fifteen hearts, three spiders, and a frog.

“Toy Box”

I spy a firetruck, a horse, a golden arches' fries,

Four tiny cars, an upside-down frown, and a city called Shanghai.

“Monochrome Mischief”

I spy a toy horse, two jokers, a guitar pick,

A four of spades, three lightbulbs, and an orca kick.

“Junk Drawer Drop”

I spy three bottle caps, three babies, a dragonfly,

A mask, an alien, and a pink army guy.

“Picture to Burn”

I spy a flower, two graduates, a bride,

Three spiders, a ball, and and a child that's petrified.

“Picnic Patrol”

I spy the ugly duckling, a bright yellow snake, a white hare,

The red bread tab, eight apples, and a misinformed game of solitaire.

“cozy emmbrace”

I spy a lego, a spider, a pair of frogs,

Two crocodiles, a plaid ribbon, and a balloon dog.

Less Successful Photos

Artist at Work

I spy tape, a pink dinosaur, a soldier at work,
The elephant pair, a 5, and a tiny artwork.
Pretty in Pink

I spy a shark, a lobster, a furby,
Two horses, a king, and a timid froggy.
Breakfast in Bed

I spy a stolen earring, hourglass, a photographer,
Two gnomes, the number 25, and a lobster.
All Eyes on Me

I spy three monkeys, a dragon, a feather,
A panda, a frog, and a tiny tiger.
Lost in the music

I spy a pair of eyes, a smiling face, and a weight loss tape,
A traffic jam, three headphone pairs, and a long noisy shape.
DIsh Dinge

I spy a tail, a toadstool, a goat,
A pair of sponges, a panda, and an orca without a boat.
A Date with Death

I spy a roach, your place setting, four eyes,
A bat, three rats, and two red guys.
Cabinet Critters

I spy six dice, a horse-drawn carriage, an alligator,
A van, chattering teeth, and a monster.