Jock Pottle 1982 Photograph by Jim Graves
I’m delighted you found my page. I hope you discover humor, suspense, a touch of drama, and a nod to Mother Nature within these images. Most of all, I hope they bring a smile.
In 1975, I committed to becoming a professional photographer. My first works were black-and-white “street photography” done on the Upper West Side of NYC. Gradually, I became an architectural photographer in New York City for 40 years. It was a wonderful career and a way to see the world through form, light, and structure. Yet there were always visions in my mind that a camera could never capture.
At 55 years old, I finally picked up a pen. I had never thought I could draw, so I never tried. The first efforts were rough, but they sparked something new. What started as curiosity grew into a practice of exploration and reflection; I suppose you could call it “self-taught” or “outsider art.” Each piece begins with a simple idea, often a memory or sometimes a dream, that slowly takes shape. Where photography reacts to what exists, drawing lets me create what doesn’t; it’s limitless.
The abstract elements in my work are a nod to my years spent photographing architects’ designs, where balance, rhythm, and geometry guided every frame. Every image represents a place I’ve lived, an experience I’ve had, or a feeling I’ve carried with me. In many ways, this collection is my diary, a visual record of where I’ve been and how I see the world.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you find something here that makes you pause, smile, or remember.