Artist / Mother / Widow
I create black and white fine art photos and mixed media artworks with themes of love, loss, family and the legacy we leave behind.
I have been fortunate to have a group of women who supported me on my journey. Many of these women belong to the Athena Village. I am sharing my story in the Athena Village 30 women / 30 stories community project this month. Read about this inspiring group of women here. >
No one is truly gone as the ripples they made in this world continue on forever.
It is universal … we will all lose someone we love. And this year — the year of the pandemic — has been no exception. If anything it has amplified our losses even more. Yes, the grief and loss are left behind; but also so are the gifts our loved ones leave behind. The lessons learned that will never leave you. The memories and the love that will linger. Those gifts are what I want to focus on.
In this midst of this past year, during a pandemic I was determined to get my personal passion project completed. I was going to print a set of black and white photographs of Ireland. The negatives were taken by my late husband on our last trip to Ireland. But he never got to print them.
I love these black and white photos, because first they are from Barry Hendrickson, my husband. They hold great meaning to me because I’m passionate about honoring my Irish heritage, and these images relay that lifelong love of Ireland. They show the haunting beauty of Ireland with its’ rich and tragic past. It parallels my own past with universal themes of love, loss and legacy.
It’s been quite a journey…. So let’s back up a bit.
Barry Hendrickson was a handsome, energetic commercial photographer when I met him. We were together over 13 years. We ended up working side by side on a fine art photo business that was focused on Ireland — the land of our ancestors. We were married and had a daughter. She was one and a half years old when Barry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This lead to a tumultuous time of working, traveling and selling photos nationwide and interspersed with ailments, cancer treatments and doctors appointments. After three years and four months, Barry succumbed to cancer.
Our fine art photo business selling Irish landscapes was booming, and here I was a widow with a 4 year old daughter. The “Ireland in Black & White” photography was our livelihood and main source of income. It was too difficult emotionally and physically for me alone to do all the traveling and work by myself. I knew I had to pivot and figure something new. So I looked back to my graphic design skills and became a web designer. My business of graphic and web design has sustained my daughter and I.
But the images from our last trip to Ireland were never made … Barry was too sick and life too chaotic for those last three years. These images, those pieces — parts of the land of our ancestors, taken by Barry had stayed with me. I wanted to get those prints brought to life.
So eight years after his death, I started this passion project. I was going to print b/w images from our last trip to Ireland together. I had learned the process of black and white printing while Barry and I worked together. I love working through the black and white print process to create emotion and depth. I personally print each carbon pigment print with the utmost attention to detail and drama. It’s a gift to be able to print from Barry’s photo archives. It’s a release and joy for me. They bring my connection to my Irish heritage and Barry to life.
I am learning to share my widow’s journey. At times, I find myself hiding from a monumental grief, because my sharing my story can make others uncomfortable. But I’ve found the courage to show others that my grief is part of who I am. It is just me and my story. Because this is love and what love and loss looks like.
Back to 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I completed ten black and white prints and labeled them the ‘Legacy Series.’ It seems fitting because I am inspired by the love of my ancestral homeland. And the love for my late husband and photographer, Barry Hendrickson. These emotive Irish landscape photographs reflect universal themes of love, loss, family and the legacy that is left behind.
My plans for an in-person show were canceled due to the pandemic. So I did a release of the fine art photos on my Hendrickson Fine Art Photography website. I shared this with my friends, fans and collectors through email and social media. I received great feedback and response, and some sales as well. It was a bittersweet accomplishment.
Rest in peace ~
In loving memory of all who have gone before.
Including my dear husband, my father and all of my ancestors.
________
How can people find me:
Reach out to me. I’d love to hear if you have a moving story from someone you lost. How you continue to honor and remember them. Perhaps you enjoy black and white photography or have an interested in Ireland. I’d love to connect>.
See the Legacy Series by Hendrickson Fine Art Photography here.>
Or find me in the Athena Village.
The Athena Village 30|30 project is one way we can remind ourselves–and others–there is no one-size-fits-all path through life. Connection and community are ways we all can move through this uncertain, historical time with compassion, kindness, empathy, fierceness and love.
Instagram: @irelandinblackandwhite
Facebook: IrelandBW
Hauntingly Beautiful Art – Barry Hendrickson’s Monastery
in Original, Photography/by NancyHWhat do you get when you mix:
a love of black & white photography,
Barry’s expertise and skills as a darkroom printer
and a love of the old monster films?
A hauntingly, beautiful piece of art!
Monastery, © Hendrickson Fine Art Photo
Barry Hendrickson’s Monastery
The influences from Barry’s childhood where he loved spending Saturday afternoons watch the old black and white films from the 1930s like: Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein. In these monster movies, light and shadows are so important when rendered in black and white! And I totally can see those influences in Barry’s photos, especially this one. How he loved the drama, the history, of this ancient monastic site of Glendalough. He had so much fun photographing here, and then bringing his vision, this fine art print to life.
Flashbacks from the old favorites movies:
Shown at top: “Monastery” County Wicklow, Ireland by Barry Hendrickson
© Hendrickson Fine Art Photography
Available in three sizes >
Limited edition, custom printed fine art photos starting at $82
Claddagh, an Irish Icon
in Original, Photography/by NancyH“Claddagh” County Galway, Ireland by Barry Hendrickson, 10×20”
Limited edition fine art photograph $135 | © Hendrickson Fine Art Photography
Claddagh
County Galway, Ireland
Barry Thomas Hendrickson, © Hendrickson Fine Art Photography
I learned about the Claddagh ring from my mother. It is a long lasting Irish symbol of love and faithfulness. The heart stands for love, the hands for friendship and the crown for loyalty. My mother gave a Claddagh ring to each of her three daughters. So, I happily received my own Claddagh ring a few decades ago. I later learned that the ring is often used as a wedding ring, and how it is worn has meaning too. If the heart points inwards, you are spoken for, or when the heart is points away are open to a new love.
While Barry and I were visiting Galway City, we stumbled across this carving of the Claddagh. I just loved this stone representation of the ring I knew about for so long. Of course, Barry had to photograph it.
An interesting fact we learned was The Claddagh was not just a ring, but a place, too. Formerly, the Claddagh was an old fishing village, situated across the river and lying outside the old city walls of Galway. Many stories about the Claddagh ring, going back centuries start from this place. Just adding more interest to this layered Irish symbol.
This old plate glass negative of the Claddagh village was taken between 1865 and 1910. Currently, the Claddagh is a suburb of Galway City, so nothing remains of these old thatched homes. If you love these old Ireland photos like I do, you can find more at the National Library of Ireland catalogue. >
The Claddagh (shown at top) — Barry’s black and white photographic rendering of this long-standing Irish symbol is a favorite, loved by family, friends and collectors.
With the three symbols of love, friendship and loyalty, the Claddagh fine art print makes a great wedding present or any time gift, really!
Purchase your own Claddagh in our on-line store. >
A mystical and moving Irish monastery
in Original, Photography/by NancyHVisiting and photographing Glendalough – with it’s amazing ancient buildings, and centuries old cemetery was a real thrill.
It was a rainy day in Wicklow, when Barry and I decided to tour the Glendalough monastic site. The rain that day ended up being a great thing because the medieval grounds were empty. We had the place to our selves. And trust me — that was a gift — as this place is usually crawling with tourists.
We got to meander through scenic paths in the Wicklow Mountains. We gazed upon a hundred foot tall roundstone tower and went along trails through the graveyard. The graveyard was fascinating… so many beautiful and tall stones steeped over at odd angles, and many markers with worn away lettering, some as old as the 12th century. There were Celtic crosses to be discovered and Medieval buildings to enter, including St Kevin’s Kitchen- an early Irish church with a round tower and steep pitched roof. What a way to really feel the history of the place.
Barry went to work, photographing stones, markers, the scenery, the mist and atmosphere of the place. Everything! The rain made the tombstones shimmer… and the mist hung in the valley. We were enthralled! It really was truly mystical and a moving day.
Monastery, Co Wicklow, Ireland
Barry’s eye for composition, and the path drawn you into this magical place.
His attention to detail and the drama all brings this scene to life. This has made
this image one of our collectors favorites!
Monastery, Co Wicklow, © Hendrickson Fine Art Photography
Archival black and white fine art photos available in three sizes.
Glendalough Monastery is in the Wicklow National Park is in the Wicklow Mountains, approximately 50 km south from Dublin.
More photos from the gorgeous Wicklow Mountains in Ireland:
Glendalough, Co Wicklow, Ireland
Glendalough Lake >
Ruins in the Valley, Co Wicklow, Ireland
Ruins in the Valley >
My Fine Art Process & A Show
in Art, Original/by NancyHI have always loved to draw and paint. My creative skills have been a big part of my life from grade school art class, to in college earning a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) to just visiting art shows and museums. My creative side loves working with paints, colors and texture. After I married my husband, I also learned how to print dramatic black and white photos. My art and creative practice holds a place for me to spend time and process many things. After the loss of my husband over a decade ago, I went back to creating my art for my own fun, joy and healing. A big part of this journey has been working with art mentors. My first mentor was Brenna Busse – she helped guide me into finding my thread, my passion, and trust my art skills again. With her help starting diving into the healing process of working with parts of my artist past and then building something new from it. These theme has resonated with me fully. The thread of family and ancestry — of pulling pieces and parts from ourselves, our past and our ancestors — and then living our lives creating something new.
Torn Hearts, one of my mixed media artworks © Nancy Wojack Hendrickson
As an artist working independently, there are times when you question what you are doing and how. So when I was offered to join art mentor Deborah Foutch‘s group of artists, I jumped at the chance. Our group – nicknamed ‘The Pod’ – has ebbed and flowed but currently we have about ten of us. We meet every other month, and bring what we are working on. Ideas, comments and support is shared. It is a very helpful process. Currently, we have a exhibit here in Minneapolis. It’s been really fun to see all of our art, polished and framed and hanging side by side. It showcases how much talent is in our group!
On2 Gallery hanging the show – photo by Bill Cooper
If you are in Minneapolis this July or August, come see some of The Pod’s art along with my art and photos at the On2 Gallery in the California Building, NE Minneapolis.
Artist Reception is coming up this Saturday, July 29 from 6:00- 8:00 pm.
See details on the Facebook Event event page >
Gallery show with nine of my artist friends
in Art, Original, Photography/by NancyHNine Artists in Conversation – July 8 – August 31, 2023
Gallery Reception is Saturday, July 29 from 6 – 8 pm
I am fortunate to have found a group of diverse artists who meet every other month to share our art. Our artist group (known as ‘The Pod’) has been organized by Deborah Foutch – an artist mentor. We give feedback and support for our artworks and creative processes. Our leader and mentor has arranged a gallery show of our artwork in the California Building in NE Minneapolis. I am excited to have a few of my Ireland in Black and White photos, along with few of my paintings and multi-media artworks. We are having an Artist Reception on July 29 with all nine of us in attendance. We hope you can make it!
Join us for our Artist Reception: Saturday, July 29 from 6-8 pm.
There will be music and refreshments and lots of art!
On2 Gallery / 2205 California St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
There are ‘Nine Artists in Conversation’ featured:
Ron Duffy, Cindy Fuerstenberg, Debbie Boyles
Deborah Foutch, Nancy Wojack Hendrickson, John Stumme
Andrea Canter, Shelia Nelson, Bill Cooper
If you can’t make it to the Reception the California building is open 10 – 5 daily. The show will be up from July 8 until August 31. Just head up to the second floor to see the show.
Getting ready for a gallery show
in Art, Original, Photography/by NancyHThe Port of Farewells
(shown above)
Forgotten Village Road
Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland 2020
Barry Thomas Hendrickson
Printed by Nancy Wojack Hendrickson
The Port of Farewells
in Art, Original, Photography/by NancyHThis one is special to me because I am pretty sure my Irish ancestors who left Ireland took this journey, they left from this Port. If you claim Irish descent, then there is a good chance that your ancestors also left Ireland through here during the famine years. It is a photo that speaks to my Irish ancestry.
Cobh – this seaport town (formerly Queenstown) on the south coast of Ireland was the departure point for around half of the six million Irish who emigrated to America, Canada and Australia since 1815. They sailed this very harbor, seeking dreams of a new life across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Port of Farewells
Cobh, Cork Harbor
County Cork, Ireland 2020
Barry Thomas Hendrickson
Printed by Nancy Wojack Hendrickson
Black and White Prints for sale by © Hendrickson Fine Art Photo
Meet Nancy Wojack Hendrickson
in Art, Photography/by NancyHArtist / Mother / Widow
I create black and white fine art photos and mixed media artworks with themes of love, loss, family and the legacy we leave behind.
I have been fortunate to have a group of women who supported me on my journey. Many of these women belong to the Athena Village. I am sharing my story in the Athena Village 30 women / 30 stories community project this month. Read about this inspiring group of women here. >
No one is truly gone as the ripples they made in this world continue on forever.
It is universal … we will all lose someone we love. And this year — the year of the pandemic — has been no exception. If anything it has amplified our losses even more. Yes, the grief and loss are left behind; but also so are the gifts our loved ones leave behind. The lessons learned that will never leave you. The memories and the love that will linger. Those gifts are what I want to focus on.
In this midst of this past year, during a pandemic I was determined to get my personal passion project completed. I was going to print a set of black and white photographs of Ireland. The negatives were taken by my late husband on our last trip to Ireland. But he never got to print them.
I love these black and white photos, because first they are from Barry Hendrickson, my husband. They hold great meaning to me because I’m passionate about honoring my Irish heritage, and these images relay that lifelong love of Ireland. They show the haunting beauty of Ireland with its’ rich and tragic past. It parallels my own past with universal themes of love, loss and legacy.
It’s been quite a journey…. So let’s back up a bit.
Barry Hendrickson was a handsome, energetic commercial photographer when I met him. We were together over 13 years. We ended up working side by side on a fine art photo business that was focused on Ireland — the land of our ancestors. We were married and had a daughter. She was one and a half years old when Barry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This lead to a tumultuous time of working, traveling and selling photos nationwide and interspersed with ailments, cancer treatments and doctors appointments. After three years and four months, Barry succumbed to cancer.
Our fine art photo business selling Irish landscapes was booming, and here I was a widow with a 4 year old daughter. The “Ireland in Black & White” photography was our livelihood and main source of income. It was too difficult emotionally and physically for me alone to do all the traveling and work by myself. I knew I had to pivot and figure something new. So I looked back to my graphic design skills and became a web designer. My business of graphic and web design has sustained my daughter and I.
But the images from our last trip to Ireland were never made … Barry was too sick and life too chaotic for those last three years. These images, those pieces — parts of the land of our ancestors, taken by Barry had stayed with me. I wanted to get those prints brought to life.
So eight years after his death, I started this passion project. I was going to print b/w images from our last trip to Ireland together. I had learned the process of black and white printing while Barry and I worked together. I love working through the black and white print process to create emotion and depth. I personally print each carbon pigment print with the utmost attention to detail and drama. It’s a gift to be able to print from Barry’s photo archives. It’s a release and joy for me. They bring my connection to my Irish heritage and Barry to life.
I am learning to share my widow’s journey. At times, I find myself hiding from a monumental grief, because my sharing my story can make others uncomfortable. But I’ve found the courage to show others that my grief is part of who I am. It is just me and my story. Because this is love and what love and loss looks like.
Back to 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, I completed ten black and white prints and labeled them the ‘Legacy Series.’ It seems fitting because I am inspired by the love of my ancestral homeland. And the love for my late husband and photographer, Barry Hendrickson. These emotive Irish landscape photographs reflect universal themes of love, loss, family and the legacy that is left behind.
My plans for an in-person show were canceled due to the pandemic. So I did a release of the fine art photos on my Hendrickson Fine Art Photography website. I shared this with my friends, fans and collectors through email and social media. I received great feedback and response, and some sales as well. It was a bittersweet accomplishment.
Rest in peace ~
In loving memory of all who have gone before.
Including my dear husband, my father and all of my ancestors.
________
How can people find me:
Reach out to me. I’d love to hear if you have a moving story from someone you lost. How you continue to honor and remember them. Perhaps you enjoy black and white photography or have an interested in Ireland. I’d love to connect>.
See the Legacy Series by Hendrickson Fine Art Photography here.>
The Athena Village 30|30 project is one way we can remind ourselves–and others–there is no one-size-fits-all path through life. Connection and community are ways we all can move through this uncertain, historical time with compassion, kindness, empathy, fierceness and love.
Instagram: @irelandinblackandwhite
Facebook: IrelandBW
Learning from Ansel Adams
in Original, Photography/by NancyHLast February (which honestly feels like a life time ago, but that’s a whole other story), I took a trip with my beloveds to Arizona — to soak up some sun, replenish our vitamin D and experience Phoenix. While we were there, I was so excited to learn that the Phoenix Art Museum had an exhibit with Ansel Adams photography. It was titled ‘Performing the Print.’ And well, to be fair, there was also a show ‘Legends of Speed’ about race cars. This made it much easier for the males in our group to agree to a museum on a sun filled day.
The Ansel Adams exhibit truly rang true for me! It was all about his photographic print process. How each black and white print, made from his negatives was a technical process, but also an expressive work of art. On display were examples of one photo with two or three variations, of that same photo. It was a so fun to see this representation of how you can play with light and shadow to create depth. And by experimenting and accenting different parts of a print can can affect how the viewer sees the piece. It was really fascinating to see.
My work and my photographs are all about the print techniques. I spend a lot of time creating different visions of a print from the original negatives (or digital capture). It can take a bit of time and effort to work on contrast overall — the lights and darks. I make choices on where to add darkness within the print (or burning) and where to add lightness into the print as well (dodging). Then I run a series paper tests through the printer, which then need dry for a few hours, before assessing and making further changes. And I often refine and change how the photo is cropped… again these choices can enhance or detract from the print. Ultimately ending with the final master print.
I strive to create a lot of depth and drama, like what Barry had made in his original prints. This exhibit of Ansel Adams was great to learn and see his photographs in real life, and learn from by Ansel’s expert examples. It helped to invigorate my work, reinforce my process, and understand how it is indeed an expressive art form.
I will be sharing more about my photographic process and upcoming series on my social media accounts. Be sure to follow me on:
Facebook: IrelandBW
or
Instagram: @irelandinblackandwhite
“Performing the Print : Ansel Adams” exhibit will be on view until March 28, 2021 at the Phoenix Museum of Art. See the link >
According to their website, the museum will be reopening in October 2020.
Healing Words for You
in Photography/by NancyHI have been thinking about all of you. How are you doing in these unprecedented times?
We are able to settle down into a new routine with this “stay at home” order put in place by our Governor of Minnesota in the U.S. Some days are easier than others, but generally life is okay for now. While we are confined to home, so many others are manning the stores and the necessary businesses around town, and let’s not forget the healthcare professionals, doctors and nurses. I so appreciate all that each and every one of you are doing in these historic, pandemic times.
I recently read this poem, written in Ireland. It touched me, especially in these times of isolation. I found it moving, and hopeful which made me want to share it with all of you.
______
Lockdown
Yes there is fear.
Yes there is isolation.
Yes there is panic buying.
Yes there is sickness.
Yes there is even death.
But,
They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.
They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.
They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other
across the empty squares,
keeping their windows open
so that those who are alone
may hear the sounds of family around them.
They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland
Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.
Today a young woman I know
is busy spreading fliers with her number
through the neighbourhood
So that the elders may have someone to call on.
Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples
are preparing to welcome
and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary
All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting
All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way
All over the world people are waking up to a new reality
To how big we really are.
To how little control we really have.
To what really matters.
To Love.
So we pray and we remember that
Yes there is fear.
But there does not have to be hate.
Yes there is isolation.
But there does not have to be loneliness.
Yes there is panic buying.
But there does not have to be meanness.
Yes there is sickness.
But there does not have to be disease of the soul
Yes there is even death.
But there can always be a rebirth of love.
Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.
Today, breathe.
Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic
The birds are singing again
The sky is clearing,
Spring is coming,
And we are always encompassed by Love.
Open the windows of your soul
And though you may not be able
to touch across the empty square,
Sing.
March 13th, 2020
____
by Brother Richard Hendricks,
Capuchin Franciscan Priest-Friar living in Ireland,
Christian Meditation / Mindfulness teacher to young people.
He shared this as a post on Facebook on March 13 of this year – 2020 >.
_____
Let me know … how is it going?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Health and Peace to each and everyone of you!
Nancy
Photo caption: Kilfenora Cross, County Clare by Hendrickson Fine Art Photography. >
Need a break? Escape to Ireland for a bit,
head over here to see our Irish landscape photography. >