Artist Bio

Wendi Schneider is a Denver-based visual artist illuminating impressions of the natural world with photography and precious metals. Drawn to the serenity she finds in graceful organic forms, she shares beauty among the chaos.

Born in Memphis, TN in 1955, she holds an AA in Art History from Stephens College and a BA in Painting from Newcomb College at Tulane. She turned to photography in the early ‘80s to capture models to reference for paintings. Missing the sensuousness of oils, she layered glazes on her photographs to create a more personal interpretation.

After college, she worked at The Times-Picayune newspaper, where she photographed, designed and produced the award-winning re-creation of the 1901 Picayune’s Creole Cook Book. Schneider then moved to New York, where she worked extensively in book covers and was a major contributor to the original Victoria Magazine, continuing to produce her fine artwork. She moved to Denver in 1994 and soon after sidelined her fine art practice while raising her family and working in art direction, print and web design.

Schneider was inspired to return to fine art photography in 2010. Beginning in 2012 with her ongoing series States of Grace, she has embraced the digital revolution in photography, combining it with her fine art background to capture, layer and print digitally. The prints are then gilded with precious metals and varnished by the artist.

Artist Statement

Most of the images are printed digitally with archival pigment ink on vellum or kozo. White gold, silver or 24k gold leaf is then applied behind the image, creating a silken luminosity on the print's surface. Throughout history, civilizations have prized the use of precious metals for their beauty and sanctity. The leafing process suffuses the intrinsic value of the treasured subjects with the implied spirituality of the gold. The perception of luminosity varies as the viewer’s position and ambient light change. Within the limited edition, the prints may differ in color or texture, and, as the effect of gilding inherently varies, each of the limited edition prints is unique.

Inventory List