Photo Scanner ArtistsAn Interview with Patri FeherPatri is the first photo scanner artist I met online. I was impressed with her work and her willingness to share. When I decided to do these interviews for Scanner Magic she was first on my list. What follows is her scanner story: "How I 'discovered' that my scanner is a camera with a macro lens or more accurately: How my obsession with scanography evolved...
It was over a decade ago that I bought my first affordable photo scanner. I wanted to paint a Georgia O'Keeffe style mural on my bedroom wall and what I needed was some sort of an enlarged tracing. Initially I'd taken snapshots of a potted vanda orchid bought at Home Depot. Then I scanned the snapshots thinking I could print out a pieced-together poster the size of my wall area." Like so many, the Patri photo scanner experience came about by accident, as you will see here. "I was struggling with the snapshots when one of the orchids fell off the stem. Plop! Onto my desk. At first I was disappointed that manhandling the orchid was causing the blooms to drop early. Then it struck me like a lightning bolt- what would happen if I scanned the live orchid? To hell with those prints! I'd expected to get a blurry "representational" image- but that could be interesting. Then I managed to create a rather smushed grayish-purple vanda. I was intrigued enough to think - "I'll have to work with this some more when I have more time". It had to be at least a year later ... I was anxious to e-mail a holiday card to friends and relatives on the left coast. It was 2 or 3 days before Christmas and way too late to make cards and mail them. I happened to have a few leftover wreath greens and a poinsettia. So recalling my muddy orchid project awhile back, I arranged greens and a poinsettia on the scanner platen. The arrangement was too bulky (and sticky!) to put the lid down, so I just left the lid up and made my first real scan. To my utter disbelief and astonishment the result this time was life-like! So sharply detailed that every vein and ripple in the leaves was magnified. And shockingly sharper than a macro lens! I couldn't quite believe my eyes: the depth-of-field seemed to be inches, how could this be?! Though the image was delivered rather murky and greenish- today I'd reject that result - but back then I was mesmerized."
Patri has no fear when it comes to trying new things. Again by happy accident, she discovered how to scan outdoors! She tried unsuccessfully to convince me to try it. (Florida weather is too unpredictable.) However, I am totally impressed. Yes, Patri goes plein air! 
"To the best of my knowledge, I seem to be the only artist crazy enough to haul all my hardware outside to do such a thing. That really is the blue sky you see in the back- ground. As the sun sets the background changes from light blue (or a turquoise shade) to a deep, rich indigo. A fleeting hue is a faded chambray. I might have a ten to fifteen minute window to grab a few scans. Scanning outdoors is a real challenge. First, you've got to work fast, and the weather conditions must be exactly right, then the values must be controlled with exacting precision."
That's great news ... here at Scanner Magic I've just scratched the surface! Currently, her two online classes are "Scan Your Garden" (studio) and "Scan Your Garden, Plein Air" (outdoor scanning, digital painting). For details and registration information:
go to the Digital Art Academy
Want to hear from other scanographers?
Please let me know!
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