Paula Watson finds beauty in the shadows

BY ANNA JAYSANE-DARR

Paula Watson, M.D., finds inspiration for her black and white photography in the abstract forms of nature and the simple stuctures of her hometown. A lifelong love for the outdoors has taken her to some of the most striking natural landmarks of the American West, including Yosemite, Death Valley, and Big Sur.

"Appreciation of nature leads me to my photography, and vice versa," says Watson, assistant professor of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine.

She grew up in Selma, Ark., a small town in the southeastern part of that state, close to generations of family. It was her grandmother's death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that led her to a career in medicine. After medical school in Little Rock and a fellowship at Vanderbilt, she went into private practice in Sarasota, Fla., before returning to Vanderbilt.

It was during her years at her Selma high school that Watson first had the opportunity to allow her love for art to develop into a passion for black and white photography. She worked on her high school yearbook, and began developing her own pictures. Since then, she has come under the mentorship of Rod Dresser, a former assistant to Ansel Adams. From his studio in Carmel, Calif., he oversees a group of six photographers from all over the country whom he has met through his workshops. This group gets together once a year to critique each other's work.

Photography has given Watson the opportunity to travel and hike all over the United States, including visits to Dresser and other members of the group. In addition, she has traveled to Italy to study and work with a National Geographic photographer.

Influenced by the stark landscapes of Ansel Adams and the studious abstractions of Edward Weston, Watson looks for a peaceful, meditative quality in her prints. For example, Silent Stream displays a quiet wildness, captured by the camera in a way that resembles an Impressionist watercolor. But her strongest influence is her audience. "I look for subjects that are interesting in a way that might appeal to a wide group of people," Watson says. This is evident in her "County Churches" series and the bleak grandeur of Sunset at Mono Lake and Alcatraz.

Watson's work is shown and sold by the Elizabeth Rice gallery in Sarasota.   Other examples of her photography can be viewed at www.paulawatson.com .