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This is a collaborative piece of art using my own photo of Venus de Sierra, Viribus Femina, and Meghan Claire and Cath Simard"s historic #FreeHawaiiPhoto drop. The Free Hawaii Photo was the first photo NFT to have its rights universally released after it was purchased by GMoneyNFT. Four years after her image of a Hawaiian road went viral and was used countless times without credit, Cath Simard took back control by selling the image as an NFT for $300,000 and releasing its rights to the entire world.

Cath Simard is a pioneer in the NFT Photography space, challenging the current structure of IP and licensing while continually pushing the boundaries of what can be done with NFT Photography. I decided to combine her image with a recent moment captured in the red dunes of Utah. The original Hawaii photo features a road flowing back into the jungle seen here. Cutting the road out, I felt it looked like a path into a desert oasis, three muses beckoning the viewer out of the heat of the desert. Perhaps it"s just a mirage?

As a multidisciplinary artist, photography is my most recent exploration. After working as lead designer for a circus in Vegas, I was seeking something new. I bought a one way ticket to Iceland and a DSLR. Now one of my greatest passions, I haven"t put the camera down since. For the last three years I"ve traveled from California to Iceland, Maui, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Peru, and Mexico capturing the beauty of the feminine form juxtaposed and mirrored in nature. I"ve made so many memories, so many friends, and connected deeply with the lands I"ve explored. The energy of the whole experience shines through in this collection.

The core of this series, the true beauty and what continuously brings me back, is a peculiar trance I experience when in the creative flow. I"ve come to see it as a fundamental ingredient in creating powerful art. It"s rare, it"s hard to find. It"s a constant reminder and a practice of seeking inspiration rather than waiting for it to strike. The process is active, fluid, in motion, an alchemy of sorts. The goal of which, the crossroads where art unfolds, is a phenomenon I like to call Alignment.

The concept is especially relevant in photography. After studying many years as a painter, it was clear that the artist is always confined to creating within a frame, the canvas. What I find unique about photography is that the desired image already exists as a moment in time. Nature can be seen from every angle and all points of observation, at all times, in all seasons and states of light. and the artist"s job is to frame it and capture it in their own way. Working with art models adds a whole new layer of influence, both of their self expression and of the artist"s placement and direction. Alignment occurs when both the model and photographer enter a collaboration with nature"s ancient beauty. The synergy is like a doorway to timeless beauty, during Alignment it yawns open, and on the other side is something deeply moving, something that precedes language, the essence of art.

For my upcoming book release, follow Alchemy of Alignment - Kickstarter.com/projects/Soulcraft/Alchemy-of-Alignment

If you enjoy my work, please support me on Patreon.com/soul_craft or follow me on Instagram.com/soul.craft

Muses: @venusdesierra @viribusfemina @meghanclaireart