J A E D A

Born: Jana DeWalt
February 22, 1972
Astrological Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ft. Gordon/Augusta, Georgia
(Army Brat – Father was in the Air Force)

Pain  Made Exquisite Elegance
Dawn Bonner
Photographs © Jaeda DeWalt

Art is a passion for me, my goal is to take photographs daily and/or discover a new artist. Jaeda DeWalt is on my top ten list of artists who continues to intrigue, captivate, and inspire me.

Not only is DeWalt an incredible self-taught photographer, she is a poet, and has authored a book, J A E D A – shades of the soul, which was published in December 2008.

 How She Became an Artist

When asked how she started taking photographs, DeWalt says, “Quite by accident…in my early twenties I had dreams of being a writer, perhaps a great novelist (dreamy sigh). Around that time I started putting together the book, Haunting Hands.

Initially intended to be a collection of poems I had written about surviving incest. I decided it would feel more personal if I created the cover for the book myself. I purchased a camera and turned my living room into a makeshift studio. I did a series of self-portraits and then another and another. The process of creating and putting myself in front of the camera was cathartic, liberating, and healing. The photographic medium opened up a whole new world for me and ignited a kind of passion within that I didn’t even know I was capable of experiencing. My book transformed into a photographic essay and that started me down the path to becoming a photographic artist.”

Photography Heals

DeWalt was a victim of incest and abuse. Photography gave her a voice, allowed her to express herself, her pain, and was a catalyst for her evolution into an artist.

She said, “My earlier work greatly consisted of survivor-related photography. It is a recurring theme for me. Yet, as I progress, heal, and evolve my work has started to reflect other aspects and themes. Having it [incest and abuse] public knowledge has been an empowering experience. It took away the negative power incest used to have over me. Negative power such as keeping secrets, keeping silent; unsuccessfully trying to repress and bury my feelings. I no longer felt isolated or alone in my experience. I was able to let go of the shame. It gave me a chance to turn my pain into something productive instead of destructive.”

What’s Love Got to Do with It?

Since this is the month for the sweethearts, it seems appropriate to speak of love and pain. For many, love has created both emotions. DeWalt was able to funnel the powerful emotions into the divine.

She said, “For the most part, pain has been the prod when it comes to my creativity. In my earlier works I created from a place of destruction and dysfunction. It has only been within the last couple of years I have been able to create from a place of peace, balance, and awareness. When I am in love, my creativity goes into overdrive, most noticeably when in the initial stages of infatuation. I am in a blissfully altered state, feeling euphoric as my emotions and senses heighten–combined with a pace that is frenetic.

Milestones and Muses

“The influences of others have manifested as key milestones in my evolution as an artist, including; models I’ve worked with, along with friends, love relationships and fellow creatives. Each person offered me new ways to approach my photography. They provided me with a link me to the outside world and gave me different ways to look at and live my life. Another milestone was almost four years ago when I took time off from relationships and went into seclusion for several years. During that time I started taking good care of myself emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. I opted for a natural, holistic approach to my overall health. I became a vegetarian, then a vegan, and embraced the benefits of yoga and meditation practices. I gradually worked through my destructive behaviors and the reasons behind them. This changed the creative process for me. I let go of the belief that I needed to create from a place of dysfunction, darkness, and despair,” DeWalt said.

Sensual and Beautiful

DeWalt does bodies of work, which depict different themes, yet, one can see the sensual in most all of her work.

Of this she says, “When it comes to erotica, I put the emphasis on sensuality. I like to take the sensuality to the edge of what would be considered erotic but not quite go over that edge, perhaps just blur the line a bit. I like pushing boundaries without quite crossing them. I feel that the most erotic feeling to be experienced is that of anticipation. For me the image of two people just about to kiss, lips so close but not quite touching, faces tilted, eyes closed – is more tantalizing than an image of two people already engaged in a kiss. The suggestion of . . . is very stirring for me as opposed to portraying/photographing some act that is sexually explicit.”

The Creative Process

DeWalt said, “In the way of studio photography my technique for creating an image is a lack, thereof. I do a lot of experimenting. I’m not one to document, craft or develop various techniques, it feels too tedious. How I create an image depends on my mood and materials at hand. When I first started out, I was using house lamps positioned very close to me–it was all I had at the time and I was using my sheets, comforters and table cloths for backdrops. Then I acquired one halogen lamp, purchased some backdrop materials from a fabric store and began experimenting with Black and White 400 CN film. Eventually, I got some halogen work lights, constructed a simple home studio and mostly shot with a digital camera. I like to keep things as simple as possible; it makes the creative process feel more enjoyable for me if I am not tied up in technical aspects. I find those things tend to work themselves out. And, in the way of the digital dark room…I do a lot of finishing work in Adobe PhotoShop.”

The Reward

She shared, “I find sharing and connection to be the most rewarding aspects of what I do. My art is my link to the outside world. Sharing it feels like an intimate experience for me. I like the idea that something I created from a personal place can be a vehicle for allowing pain, joy, sensuality and creativity to surface and be experienced by others. I also like how sharing my work puts me in touch with other artists. It gives me a chance to experience new perspectives and different types of creative energy.

 More to Come

Boomer Style …magazine will be bringing you more of Jaeda DeWalt in our Romance issue, which will be the very next issue. Also, you will find information about DeWalt’s book, J A E D A shades of the soul, in our Book Department now. Plus, specifically for the Romance issue will be several of her poems with links to her reading them. Enjoy the slide show.

You can purchase DeWalt’s books on Blurb.

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Tagged author, Jaeda DeWalt, photographer, poet