It Was An Open House: Rebecca Sexton Larson - Studio Artist Extraordinaire

My photos are of copyrighted work (c) 2009 Rebecca Sexton Larson

Nothing is more fun than to be invited to the home of friends for a party. Especially as we get closer to the holidays the get-togethers are even more fun and filled with anticipation of the people you'll see and meet, friends new and old, and the great conversations that will ensue. Tonight delivered on every level. A terrific couple and super friends issued an Open House invitation.

Our drive to their house was filled with neighborhood displays of lights and fanciful Christmas characters of every size and construction. No real snow but everything else imaginable. From wooden cut-out sleighs and reindeer to huge inflatable snowmen, the journey there and back was almost half the fun. Tonight was a party but promised so much more. Matt Larson and Rebecca Sexton Larson are two incredibly talented and accomplished individuals. AND, they are married! Happily.

They opened their studio and home to exhibit and offer their work for sale. They featured dozens of small works that would make great gifts so a couple came home with us that we could not pass up. Matt and Becky are two extremely gracious hosts. Their art fills every room and is on the floors, walls and on every surface. It was arranged in frames under their dazzling white Christmas tree and overflowed to Becky's enchanted studio in their back yard. The evening could not have been more perfect as the weather was amazing and guests enjoyed the illuminated deck and yard.

The photo above is an example of just one of the many alternative photographic processes Becky has employed during her career. She has used straight photography and pinhole cameras and in this instance she made a series of extraordinary tintypes, in a variety of sizes and then encased each in a gorgeous, hand-made lidded box. Becky even sews images together in some of her artwork.

My photos are of copyrighted work (c) 2009 Rebecca Sexton Larson

Here is a short excerpt from Becky's career bio: "Rebecca Sexton Larson is a Tampa based studio artist working with alternative photographic processes. In 1998, Rebecca was awarded her first Florida Individual Artist Fellowship from the State of Florida and in 2002; she was awarded her second Florida Fellowship. And this year she received her third Florida Fellowship. Other major awards include an award from University of the Arts in Philadelphia to lecture and exhibit, an Artist Enhancement Grant from the State of Florida, and in 2005 she was commissioned to be the City of Tampa’s Photographer Laureate. Sexton Larson's photographs are in numerous major collections throughout the country, including: Polaroid, Progressive Corporate Art, Graham Nash (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), Polk Museum of Art, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick Law Firm, Trenam Kemker Law Firm and the Tampa Museum of Art (to name a few). Currently Sexton Larson’s work is featured in the book, Pinhole Photography: Rediscovering a Historic Technique by Eric Renner."

Visit Becky and her work online at BoxPhotos HERE. To see Matt Larson's photography from tonight's party go to Tampa Florida Photo HERE and visit his work online at ToyCameraPlay

Becky and Matt are talented and genuinely awesome artists AND people. We looked forward to tonight's open house and it delivered in every way possible.