Showmar Photography
It's not just a portrait, it's a work of art!
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Paula is an award-winning photographer whose passion for photography goes beyond just shooting beautiful pictures. Her dedication to learning the science behind great photography and her ability to share with the viewer her unique view of the world is what sets her work apart.
Karren Doll Tolliver - Director, Progress Energy Art Gallery
Selected Exhibit History
2009
Dr. Lambert, DDS
Main Street, Downtown New Port Richey
August 2 - Oct 1
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Homewood Suites by Hilton
11113 US Highway 19
Port Richey, Florida
(727) 819-1000
May - July 15
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Progress Energy Art Gallery
6231 Grand Blvd
New Port Richey, Florida
June/July
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2008
"It's a Surreal World"
Progress Energy Art Gallery
1631 Grand Blvd.
New Port Richey, Florida
www.nprgallery.com
April 2008
The Beck Gallery, Lutz, Florida
1720 Land O'Lakes Blvd.
Lutz, Florida
www.thebechgallery.com
March - May 2008
6736 Ridge Road
Port Richey, Florida
Dec 2007 - May 2008
2007
"If the Masters Had Cameras"
2 Person Show with Karren Doll Tolliver
Progress Energy Art Gallery, New Port Richey, Florida
October 2007
View Press
"A Woman's Work Is Never Done"
Group Show
Featuring: World Wide Women Artist Online
Progress Energy Art Gallery, New Port Richey, Florida
February & March 2007
View Press
"50s Freaze Frame"
The Gallery At No Naked Walls Port Richey, Florida
January 2007
View Press
2006
"Harmonic Movements"
Show Exhibitor and Exhibit Coordinator
Featuring: Gus Ocamposilva & Natalie Roberts
Progress Energy Art Gallery, New Port Richey, Florida
"Tropical Temptations"
Progress Energy Art Gallery, New Port Richey, Florida
August & September 2006
"Square Foot Art Show A Go-Go"
The Beck Gallery, Lutz, Florida
March, 2006
"Through the Looking Glass"
Show Exhibitor and Exhibit Coordinator
Progress Energy Art Gallery, New Port Richey, Florida
April & May, 2006
The Beck Gallery
Lutz, Florida
October through January 2006
2005
The Grand (Restaurant)
Downtown, New Port Richey
October & November, 2005
"Exposed"
The Beck Gallery Lutz, Florida
July - October, 2005
City Hall
New Port Richey
September, 2005
"La Femme"
Progress Energy Art Gallery, New Port Richey, Florida
July, 2005
View Press
"Infrared Photography"
Progress Energy Art Gallery, New Port Richey, Florida
February, 2005
Gallery 2
Palm Harbor, Florida
2004
"Beyond Photography"
Pasco Arts Center Holiday, Florida
June, 2004
City Hall
New Port Richey, Florida
June, 2004
Progress Energy Art Gallery
New Port Richey, Florida
August, 2004
New Port Richey Government Center
New Port Richey, Florida
September, 2004
Awards
Photo of the Month: Apogee Photo Magazine January, 2007
Photography Unlimited - September, 2005
Photo of the Month: Apogee Photo Magazine - July, 2004
First Place: New Port Richey - Founder's Day - 2004
Best Composition: Photo Wiz - 2004
http://www.thepluginsite.com/gallery/photowiz2004/winnersB.htm
Better Photo:
Finalist August, 2009 (886 finalists awarded) out of 21.300
Finalist July, 2009 (464 finalists) out of 21,300 entries
Finalist April, 2009 (only 533 finalists) out of 20,500 entries
Finalist March, 2009 (only 502 finalists) out of 23,900 entries
Second Place September 2004 out of 14,452 entries
Second Place October 2004 out of 12,056 entries
Second Place December 2004 out of 11,909 entries
Contest Finalist 40 times since September 2003 - See the winning entries: Visit my gallery at:
Second Place 2003: New Port Richey - Founder's Day
Photography Unlimited: April 2003 & May 2003
OTHER AWARDS
Main Street Merit Award - Outstanding Program Supporter, Greater New Port Richey, Main Street.Awarded by Florida Secretary of State - Glenda E. Hood
dbutterflies Creations
Publications
Eco Florida Magazine - Wildlife images
My Florida State Parks web page
New Life Journal - Mother Earth image
Ocala Regional Hospital "Healthy You" Monthly Magazine
City of New Port Richey - Promotional photography
Ocala Style Magazine Fall Issue 2006
Ad for Bariatrics Surgery Photo of Successful Patient
Ocala Style Magazine Winter Issue 2006
Ad for Women's Center
Ocala Magazine - October 2006
Ad for Bariatrics Surgery Photo of Successful Patient
Billboard: Image taken for Ocala Regional Medical Center. Billboard located on HWY 200 in Ocala, Florida
St.Pete Times Articles: Founder's Day - Gallery Photography
City of New Port Richey Photo Tour
Imagen: Mother Earth Dream por Paula Showen (article regarding earth damage and effects on rain forests)
In the news
2 Give Masters New Twist
By JESSICA BAIR, The Suncoast News
Published: September 28, 2007
NEW PORT RICHEY - Photographers Paula Showen and Karren Doll Tolliver are offering a new perspective on classic artworks.
The women have created photos emulating the poses, clothing and atmosphere of Renaissance-era paintings.
About 20 of their interpretations will be displayed Oct. 5 through 26 at Progress Energy Art Gallery, a few doors south of the Richey Suncoast Theatre downtown.
The opening reception for the show, 'If the Masters Had Cameras,' is from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 5 and will feature music from Gypsy Star.
Showen, who specializes in portraits, came up with the idea after a request from two of her clients, said Tolliver, the gallery's director.
Showen initially focused on Renaissance art, but eventually branched out into other styles.
'It's always interesting to see how a project like this evolves,' she said. 'It turned out very different from the way I envisioned it.'
Showen has devoted many hours to the Progress Energy gallery since 2004.
She maintains the gallery's Web site and business database, and photographs 'First Friday' receptions that open various shows.
'Paula is such a gifted photographer that when she began this series, I was enthralled,' Tolliver said.
'When she asked me to be a part of it, I jumped at the chance.'
Copies of the original artwork that inspired the duo will be displayed alongside the photographs.
Tolliver also will unveil two new pieces of her satirical 'Things with Bob' series, which captures an ordinary-looking man in various places and poses.
Other artists exhibiting in the show are Ralph Annan, Michelle Astuto Collins, Gladys dePrias, Carol Gula, Loree Littlefeather, Sherry Stamback and Patrick Stickney.
FIND OUT MORE
The Progress Energy Art Gallery, 6231 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey, is open from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For details, call (727) 848-6500 or visit www.nprgallery.com.
For more on participants in the show that opens Oct. 5, visit: Paula Showen, www.showmarphotos.com; Karren Tolliver, www.ktolliver .com; Michelle Collins, www.artbymichellecollins.com; Gladys dePrias, www.arttesa.org; Carol Gula, www.cgula.com; and Loree Littlefeather, littlefeatherstudios.com.
Introducing Paula Showen Photographer
JimSam Inc.'s newest associate JimSam, Inc. Publishing
I see beauty and art in everyone I photograph
I consider myself more than just a photographer, I am an artist. I take the time to get to know my subjects, understand who they are and what they're looking for.
A person's beauty is a combination of physical appearance and their inner soul. A good photographer will make the effort to capture that inner beauty and will bond with their subject. Once that connection is accomplished, the image will radiate with all that is captured, ultimately resulting in a gorgeous work of art.
When a client comes to me for their portrait, they want something that reflects who they are and represents the side of themselves that best conveys the "self" they are wanting to portray. I take the time to listen to what they are striving for and without even realizing it, I am studying their features, their clothing, their profile, complexion and skin tones. I compose their images in my head and we haven't even entered the studio.
Once I have enough information about the client to start the photo shoot, we enter the studio and I take a series of "warm-up" shots. I pose the client and in many cases, I allow them to pose themselves. This gives me even more information about what they're trying to accomplish. After ten or fifteen shots, I display them for the client's review. We study the images and I will point out issues that could be improved, like their hand might be too rigid or a smile to wide or small, etc. It's so much easier if the client can see what you're talking about. Once we have reviewed those points, then are we ready to conduct the actual shoot. This process saves my client so much time and anguish. They can see what they are going to be able to expect and with this extended up front consultation, they are able to relax. They know what is expected of them and what they can expect as a final outcome.
I love working with people and I feel that people enjoy working with me. I view each photographic shoot as a joint project between me and my client. I have many clients who come for additional shoots and some clients who came to me for their engagement shoot and whose children I have photographed since their birth. I don't think that I've ever had a dissatisfied customer. If that were to ever happen, I would continue to shoot until we have exactly what my client wants. This is not a job for me, it is a session of creativity between me and my subject. We create a work of art together. It is a delightful experience for everyone involved!
Paula Showen
Showmar Photography
727-254-7809
Email for more information
Women's work fills new gallery exhibit
By Amy Roundtree - Suncoast News Staff
Published January 27, 2007
'50s-Style Fun Finds Way To Art Gallery
By AMY ROUNDTREE The Suncoast News
Published: Nov 15, 2006
PORT RICHEY - No Naked Walls is going retro with whimsy, fantasy, a guy named Bob and a Marilyn Monroe look-alike.
The opening gala for "Fifties Freeze Frame" is set for 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. The art show will run through Dec. 9 at No Naked Walls gallery, 6736 Ridge Roa
d.
New Port Richey area artists Paula Showen, Michelle Collins and Karren Doll Tolliver, and Toni K of St. Petersburg contributed to the exhibit.
Tolliver said the show combines "interesting visual effects and really very awesome photos and paintings." Although not all the images are from the 1950s, "all the colors blend, and it's really got a '50s feel."
Showen's digital photographs capture an iconic movie queen's local impersonator in addition to downtown New Port Richey's art-deco style and classic cars.
The Monroe impersonator will sign autographs during Friday's opening.
Information about Showen is available at www.showmarphoto.com.
Traditional hand-colored photos by Tolliver feature '50s-style diners from across the country. She also offers a satirical "Things With Bob" series, which captures an ordinary-looking man in various places and poses.
For a sneak peak, a just-Bob photo gallery is at www.komnatachista.com.
Bob also will be on hand Friday to autograph postcards of himself.
Collins was a hairstylist until her third daughter was born in 2002. That's when she decided to be a stay-at-home mom and pursue her dream of making a living as an artist.
Many of Collins' whimsical and colorful acrylic paintings and sculptures are posted at www.clix.to/arts.
Toni K, the south Pinellas County artist, rounds out the exhibit with oil paintings of pure fantasy. She said she envisions scenes and then transfers the blend of color and texture onto the canvas.
Renting, and the right frame of mind
By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF St Petersburg Times
Published July 1, 2006
NEW PORT RICHEY - Photographer Paula Showen and her husband, Bill, recently made a hard decision about home ownership:
They're renting.
"At this point I don't see the benefit of owning a home in the state of Florida," says Paula, a fourth-generation Florida native whose great-grandfather, an early Miami developer, helped real estate promoter Henry Flagler build his East Coast Railway.
The Showens, both in their 50s, bought a home three years ago in the Key Vista community in Holiday after moving to Pasco County from Ocala.
By the time they tallied up their mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, electric bill, maintenance expenses and homeowners association fees, they realized they were doling out a pretty hefty monthly sum.
So, a few months ago, the couple sold their house and now rent a smaller new home on Main Street in New Port Richey.
Paula wanted to live in the historic, postcard-scenic town that meanders along the Pithlachascotee River (its beauty reportedly attracted 1920s silent-screen stars) because of its current reputation as a magnet for artists and writers.
"We save about $700 a month now - we're convinced this is the way to go," says Paula, who, in addition to her full-time job as a computer systems analyst, works at the local Progress Energy Art Gallery and at the city's Main Street program.
A soft-spoken, tailored woman with graceful manners and a penchant for putting people at ease, she hopes that she will eventually be able to follow her dream and work as a full-time portrait photographer specializing in infant, child and maternity photographs.
Paula has her studio in a spare bedroom, a serene space decorated with her lush black-and-white maternity photographs: unsentimental yet flattering images of pregnant women in blissful repose.
"I like black and white because it removes all of the distractions and gives you the true emotion of the person," she says. She likes shooting maternity portraits, she says, because it is an often forgotten niche in the photography market.
"It's a time when women are not feeling the most beautiful, but they really are."
Her studio, tucked away off a back hallway, features a soft, crinkled white backdrop, neutral walls and soothing music for clients who prefer a studio to being photographed in their own homes.
Other rooms throughout the house are decorated with an artist's sparing hand: neutral, soothing furnishings, a blend of upholstered and wicker pieces. Earthy baskets line a high shelf in the living room, and a high burled wood hope chest, made by Paula's husband, a gifted woodworker, serves as the focal centerpiece of the main living area. The cocktail table holds candles, shells, smooth rocks and shoots of bamboo.
"I wanted to make my home as soothing and spalike as possible," she says. "I work so much that these little things around my home really make a difference."
She also keeps a collection of lighthouses on display - a passion derived from a love for the real thing. She and her husband have traveled the state to see many.
Keenly interested in Florida history, she has researched the background of Dade County, where she grew up. Her other love, wildlife rehabilitation centers, has spawned trips throughout Florida and some published writing on the subject, which she proudly shares with a visitor.
Perhaps the hardest part of shifting gears from homeowner to renter was the realization that she would have to dispense with that lingering, sentimental attachment to things.
Their rental house, considerably smaller than the home they owned, is remarkably clutter-free. That's because they put their old furniture and collectibles into storage for their two grown children.
She even said goodbye to her formal crystal glassware and china. "What do I need it for?" she asks.
Ditto for the massive armoire, dining set and Italian gold-leaf mirror.
"Through all this, I've really had to go through a detachment of stuff," Paula says. "When I go to the store and I want to buy something, if I think about it for a while, I realize it's just more clutter. When I really look at my possessions, I know that they're just things. For me, what's really important is my family and my camera equipment."
The walls of the family living spaces are decorated with her nature photographs shot around Florida, a state she loves because of her roots. Her great-grandfather migrated to Florida in the late 19th century, spied her great-grandmother in a train station on the way down and asked her to marry him on the spot.
Paula says that just because she decided to rent doesn't mean she doesn't still love Florida, though she says their retirement plan might ultimately include buying an RV and traveling the country, camera in tow.
For now, though, rethinking homeownership will save the couple thousands annually and brings Paula one step closer to her dream of working as a full-time photographer.
It's also a load off her mind, especially during Florida's stormy summer season.
"Now," she says with a shrug, "if there's a hurricane, we don't have to worry about it."
Question of perception
An exhibit at the Progress Energy Art Gallery uses a multimedia approach to challenge viewpoints about women and their bodies.
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN, Times Staff Writer
Published July 1, 2005
Progress Energy Gallery is doing something new and unusual during July - a multimedia, multipurpose exhibit centered on women and women's bodies and called "La Femme ... A Change of Consciousness."
It's art, opinion pieces, short essays, poetry and a fundraiser for Sunrise of Pasco's Rape Crisis Center.
"This particular exhibit features fine art nudes and written-word pieces that ask the viewer to question their unconscious perceptions of women's bodies, the role they play in American society and how this contributes to violence toward women," gallery director Lia Gallegos said in a written statement.
The exhibit features visual art by award-winning photographer Paula Showen, pastel artist Nicholas Sacripante and fantasy artist Scott Spillman. Author/artist Mark Beyer is contributing point-of-view written works, and freelance writer Tonette Cristaudo is presenting word pieces and poetry.
Ms. Showen's work has been featured in ECOFLORIDA magazine and on Florida's state park Web page. Ms. Gallegos describes Ms. Showen's contributions to this show as exploring "the art of the female form using intimate poses and compositions that express the essence of Woman as a multi-faceted being."
Spill is known for intense, vibrant color that "celebrates the sensuality and beauty of the female form, creating graceful body-scapes."
Sacripante's work has been exhibited at the gallery before and at several other places, including the Pasco Art Council's art center and the West Pasco Art Guild gallery, often winning first prizes.
A reception for the artists is from 6 to 10 p.m. at the gallery. Ambient music creator Dave Eichenberger will perform from 7 to 9 p.m.
Those who attend the show are asked to donate no-longer-used cell phones that can be used by women being helped by Sunrise's Rape Crisis Center. Even inactivated phones can dial 911 for help. A portion of proceeds from the art sale will be donated to Sunrise.
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Affiliations
Paula is member of Scenic Sensations, a group of photographer's who offer many photographic articles and beautiful images. The site's owner, Michael J Eva, an excellent landscape photographer, was born in England, raised in Montreal, Canada. www.scenicsensations.com
