Chrysanthemum #3 by Terry McDaniel

Terry McDaniel is an avid gardener and has been enthusiastic about it ever since her mother inspired her in her youth.

She is a nature lover of every season, especially winter.

Terry has developed a way to preserve organic objects such as feathers and her perennials from her gardens in hand-made ice luminaries. She would bundle up in her warmest layers of winter attire and started by using her horse trailer as a photo studio to protect her from the frigid winter winds.

Experimenting with a variety of lighting techniques and reflective material she has enjoyed creating different moods within her dreamlike stories. The light reflects through textures of frozen bubbles and fractures in the ice against the contrast of the delicate preservation of summer fauna and other natural objects. The warm glow of the candlelight permeates through the ice, holding its radiance which is present in every ethereal composition. Terry captures the essence of the details in what are reminiscent of stunning miniature paintings which she enlarges for the viewer to appreciate. Her garden gems are honored before they return to Mother Earth to be recycled back into her ecosystem.

McDaniels’ work has been featured in the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Building, won the Best in Show Award at the Powderhorn Art Fair and exhibited regionally in prominent galleries such as the Phipps Center for the Arts. It is also included in numerous private collections.

Size: 19×13
Medium: Photography, Limited Edition Archival Photo