“Gardening in the Mind’s Imagination” digital media by Dorothy Freudenberg

Dorothy Freudenberg’s September exhibit, “Gardening in the Mind’s Imagination”, opening September 1, from 3-7pm during the Old Mill District’s First Friday Gallery Walk, features digital media exploding with color and nuance.

When Dorothy Freudenberg arrived in Bend many years ago, her garden became the focal point of her burgeoning photography experiences. Eventually she expanded the concept interpreting the whole planet as a huge, interconnected garden—one that supports all of life. From using only the camera lens to create images, she moved into exploring digital media which lends itself particularly well to the development of metaphorical creations that have their basis in the real world, but then transcend the literal. On her almost daily early morning walks (often in the Old Mill District, along the river paths) Dorothy photographs nature as it is, creating stunning ethereal images of patterns and textures of flora and fauna often overlooked as mundane. Then, taking bits and pieces from all of these photographs, she creates images digitally that have their basis in the real world, but become pure emotion and imagination.

“While I love to photograph nature as it is, I also cannot limit my imagination to simply accept this as the final means of expression. Nature is the inspiration, the mind is the means to embellish and find sublime pleasure in the imagination’s play.”

Tumalo Art Co. is an artist-run gallery in the heart of the Old Mill District open 7 days a week. tumaloartco.com; 541-385-9144.