LittlePurpleCow Productions

I grabbed the hyper-detailed directions and dashed out Saturday morning towards Canton, GA to capture the first episode of my new digital documentary series focused on creative souls in the south. Artist Melanie Eberhardt and I have been friends for many years. There's a great ease about our relationship, where conversation and laughter flow effortlessly and we leave each other feeling nourished, inspired, and really tired.

There's also a hefty bit of mileage and wrong turns between us, but I knew I wanted the first episode to feature Melanie in her own space. Aside from being one of the most creative people I know, she lives a colorful life in a small trailor on four acres of land at the end of the tire tracks, off the gravel road. She shares this space with four Arabian horses, pony Joe, a (once-stray) pot-belly pig, twelve cats of various shapes, colors and tail-lengths, a (once-stray) Cockatiel, and a (once-abandoned) spit-fire Daschund/Laborador Retriever mix named Lucky.

"Promise me you will not clean your house," I said firmly. "I mean it. I want the real you. The real studio. The real space. And don't wear anything you wouldn't normally wear. People need to see the real you." And when she greeted me at the door with her torn bluejeans and muddy boots, I knew all would be well. I captured nearly 10GB of still images, video and audio of Melanie and her world that day. Watching. Studying texture and motion. Searching for details. Asking questions. Digging deep. Freezing moments in time. Shining a bright light upon a significant soul. I look forward to sharing her story with you.

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Cross-posted at Shutter Sisters.