The premiere photography exhibit by Candace Low is on display at Immanuel Church of Hartford located at 10 Woodland Street. A second-hour discussion by Candace will take place on Feb.5 following 10 AM worship. Contact the church for more information about the discussion and when this exhibit can be viewed: (860) 527-8121

Flowers are the music of the ground from the Earth’s lips without a sound. 
~ Edwin Curran
This work is a part of my journey to learning to live with my mental health issues and finding wholeness through the use of photography as a contemplative practice. The photos are love notes...from the Creator to me and from me to you. This work is a part of my journey of learning to live with a variety mental health diagnoses and finding myself on a path, hopefully to wholeness, through the use of photography as a contemplative practice. The photos are love notes from the Creator to me, the result of receiving and reflecting. I am humbled and honored to share them with you.  

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Here are two of the pieces from this exhibit along with reflections:

Seeds
The seed. A flower.
The seed. A lifeline.
The seed. Leads to a path when nourished.
The path. Leads to a journey.
The journey does not have a destination. It is a lifetime of going beyond looking to seeing, beholding, receiving and reflecting with my heart, calming my mind and giving me an experience of a moment of grace that reveals an encounter with the sacred.
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Promise of the Bud
Often, I have planted the seeds and waited anxiously for the blooms. The seeds were a means to an end, and I passed over the process and the lessons in between. The seed is both the beginning and the end, but the bud holds the promise and mystery of the flower. A bud is in the process of becoming all that it can be, patiently waiting for the process to be complete and it can bloom is all its glory. In the meantime, it just is….there is no box with expectations from itself...it can just be...
 

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More about the photographer: Candace Low is a member of the SNEUCC Disability Ministries Team, and the principal of Candace Low Consulting Services, helping faith communities develop communities of belonging that include the disability community. Candace is the former Executive Director of Independence Unlimited, a non-profit providing advocacy and support services to persons with disabilities and their families in Hartford.
Candace has been an advocate for disability rights and a trainer on disability and independent living-related issues for over 35 years. She has provided congregations with technical assistance on disability issues and worked with a variety of Christian, Islamic and Jewish congregations. Candace is a graduate of Hartford Seminary with an emphasis on spirituality and worship. She is a survivor of an acquired brain injury which caused multiple disabilities including deafness. 
She is committed to social justice and full inclusion for everyone.