Life & Work with Vicky Stromee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicky Stromee.

Hi Vicky, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up surrounded by art and artists. I started taking photographs at 8 when I got my first Brownie camera and I guess I never stopped. There was such magic in watching an image emerge from the development bath in my dad’s darkroom that I got hooked. I’m an “early adopter” so when digital cameras came along, I quickly switched over.

Working digitally allowed me to also use software tools to alter and blend images into tableaus. My early fascination with color, pattern, movement, and transformation continues to inform my work. Along the way, I had a long mental health career working with people in crisis.

I found I had the same curiosity about patterns of behavior and how a person moves through traumatic life experiences – when is the moment when love turns to hate; when grief dissolves into acceptance; when joy returns to a life of sorrow. As I moved towards retirement from my mental health career, more and more of my focus was on developing my skills as a photographically based artist. I belong to a wonderfully creative group of artists who have encouraged and challenged my growth along the way. I had my first solo exhibition in 2007 and have been fortunate to receive national and international recognition for my work including Communication Arts Award for Photographic Excellence in 2022.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
As an artist, I think there is always self-doubt; learning not to get discouraged when work is turned down. While I certainly had early successes there were also disappointments. I think my work really straddles painting and photography and that made it difficult to find my place in the art world. I can feel the internal tension of wanting to appeal to the commercial art market, but also wanting to explore what interests me (which is often about creating experiments with light and liquids and photographing the interactions) without regard to popular appeal. A second challenge is editing my own work.

I can look at an image and see the process by which it was created and feel an attachment to the process as much as the outcome. Learning to look at my work with new eyes and see it as just the final object, absent my experience, is an ongoing process. Being involved in several critique groups and having family and friends offer their perspectives has been invaluable.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an experimental artist. I’m curious about processes and like to fall into wormholes and see where I fall out. I’m curious about what’s possible and where the edges are – I often ask myself “I wonder what would happen if I tried this?” I specialize in exploring. I hope what I am known for is offering a pause and a deeper gaze at what surrounds us, at encouraging others to also reflect on transformation and the nature of change.

I’m most proud that my work is an outward reflection of who I am, and that I have been successful in navigating life and honoring my artistic nature. What set’s me apart? I have a tremendous amount of curiosity, compassion, determination, and a capacity to hold both the painful and the joyful experiences of life. A sense of humor also helps!

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
While many of my artist friends found it difficult to focus or felt adrift with their work – I found quite the opposite. Since I wasn’t able to travel, I spent more time in my studio.

The uninterrupted time allowed me to go deeper with several projects and create several new ones. I don’t think I would have stayed home and taken the time if it hadn’t been for the COVID restrictions. That was an important lesson that I want to incorporate into my practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.VickyStromeePhotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vickystromeephotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vstromeephotography/

Image Credits
Headshot photographed by Jane Fulton Alt (2022)