To learn more about Joel and his creative photography projects, we reached out to the artist.
First of all, Joel shared what has changed since his last post.
“I have been quite busy over the past couple of years creating my work for myself and for clients. I have had a few small gallery exhibitions as well as teaching various workshops and classes to students around the world. Last year, in 2024, I dedicated the entire year to creating images inspired by trees. My Tales From The Trees series was a really rewarding project for me personally, and I enjoyed focusing on one central theme and letting my ideas build themselves around the connections I have to trees, nature, forests and how important they are to my creative process. I have been working with other artists as well on book covers and album covers and doing other commissions, which is always a fun challenge.”
We were wondering what a typical day looks like for Joel when he works on a new idea.
He replied: “Usually I have the idea planned out in advance. I'll spend some time brainstorming and daydreaming to come up with a solid idea that fits my own artistic identity and style. I try to think about the story it will tell and how I can create the image to tell that story as perfectly as possible. I usually have a sketch or a drawing to help me visualize what I'm going to be creating, and then I get my camera, tripod, and any props or items I need and I set out to the location I've planned. I like to know where I'm going, and I have a good memory for locations that I know will fit the background of what I'm creating.
The photography part of my process takes an hour or so, usually. I try to be efficient and I usually know what I need to photograph before I get there, so it makes me work in a much more fluid way that keeps me focused. The editing part of my process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, just depending on how much editing is involved. I try to look at the image with fresh eyes and work on whatever pops out at me that might need to be fixed.”
Furthermore, as Joel often enjoys shrinking himself or enlarging other objects, we asked him to share the biggest influences on his miniature art.
“I've always been inspired by whimsical and magical stories like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Borrowers, etc., so a lot of my inspiration comes from those visuals of make-believe blended with reality. I like to imagine what life might look like for someone who is only a few inches tall, how they would see the world and use objects that we see all the time. I enjoy it because I think it helps me connect with the world around me in a much different way. I'm always looking at different angles and perspectives and how an object can be transformed into something new,” shared Joel.
As for the audience's takeaway, Joel commented: “I want people to see my work and to feel like there's still magic in the world or hope or whimsy. We live in a really stressful world with a lot of fear and worry and dark imagery all the time, and I want people to see my work and see glimmers of hope and light and wonder. I want people to be inspired to play and to daydream and to imagine and to allow themselves to feel a bit more freedom in their own minds. I think as we grow up, we shut ourselves away from so much good energy simply because we're afraid to allow ourselves the joy.”
Lastly, Joel added: ”Thank you for all the support! I'm still creating and daydreaming, and though it's been a bit quieter this year so far, I still have a lot of ideas to work on and projects that I want to start, so stay tuned!”
