One of the visions we had for our taproom long before it became a reality was to feature artwork from local artists on our walls for the neighborhood to enjoy. Our first artist featured is Dwight L. Schmidt, a digital photographer, who recently retired with his wife Bridget in Canyon Lake, TX. Dwight and Bridget enjoy traveling all over the state and nation, and on their trips he finds beauty in the intricate details of the mundane. Take for example, the close up photo of a bridge or rock as shown below.
In Dwight’s words…
“I first began dabbling in the arts when I was in college in the 1970s but in the past five years have taken a serious interest in digital photography. I enjoy capturing colorful patterns and features found in both natural landscapes as well as human-produced settings such as old industrial parks or under bridges.
My work attempts to demonstrate the beauty revealed in the interplay of light and shadows, erosion and decay, and flat surfaces in contrast to sharp edges found in a chosen context, be it a rock slab, bed of an old truck, or water tower. I typically focus on intimate parts of a larger structure or setting, perhaps only a couple of feet in area, and then blow up the images to large sizes which effectively reveals the richness of their details and colors. My photos are printed on canvas which can create the illusion that they are paintings.
While photography is my current passion, I also play around with creating organic sculptures using wood, rocks and sometimes metals.“
Prior to relocating their retired life to Texas to be closer to their son, both Dwight and Bridget were public school educators in Florida. Dwight taught high school history and also served as the coordinator for an International Baccalaureate Program, while Bridget, taught 5th graders at a Title 1 elementary school. Their son lives in Cedar Creek, Texas, working as an oddities and antiquities dealer and is a drummer in an Austin-based dream pop/indie band, Fanclub.
Favorite beer style: IPAs, sometimes reds and porters
