Local Artist Develops
Landscape Photo
A business degree didn't sway Teri Saa's love for art, but the entrepreneurial skills she learned have helped her turn her artwork into a one-of-a-kind business.
'I come from a family of artists,' Saa said. 'I have loved art since I was very young. I got a business degree to follow my father, then he retired to become an artist.'
Saa said she always saw herself as an artist first.
'From the time I was really little, I could see myself as an artist,' she said. 'I always had an aptitude for it.'
Still, Saa pursued many different business ideas, including a hand-painted clothing business and'most recently'a life coach business, before moving to Cedar City.
'Most of my businesses have been related to art, except the life coach business,' she said. 'When we moved (to Cedar City) from Denver, I just didn't want to start that up again.'
Then, while doing housework in her Cedar City-area home, a new idea came to Saa.
'I just had this idea,' she said. 'It was like this vision.'
Saa's new idea combined photography, computer rendering and sculpture. Using these techniques, she began creating unique three-dimensional photo sculptures.
The pieces are constructed of layers, which give the images a feeling of depth. Many of Saa's pieces depict panoramic landscapes, such as a sunrise over Cedar Mountain or Zion National Park.
'What I am trying to do' is draw you right into the piece,' Saa said. 'I want you feel like you can walk around in it, to feel like you are actually right in the middle of it.'
Saa's entrepreneurial spirit kicked in, and she soon saw the possibilities of the new art.
'I thought 'This is exciting,' she said. 'This is my new business. It incorporates my artistic ability and it incorporates my business sense.'
Saa began experimenting and researching for the artwork in January. The idea grew to include two facets, a fine art side and a corporate gift side.
The fine art pieces would continue to include the landscape pieces, and would remain comparatively large.
The corporate gift pieces were initially much smaller, usually eight inches by 10 inches, and would feature easily repeatable three-layer images. For example, a real estate company could give a client a piece that depicted the client's new home.
The idea didn't stop there, and soon Saa was experimenting with ways to turn regular photos into 3D photo sculptures. Her business now includes creating sculptures from digital photos taken by others, including classic cars, family portraits and bridal pictures.
'I've never seen anything like this before,' Saa said. 'What you envision and what you come out with are two different things. You just have to work with it and work with it until you get it right.'
Saa said the artwork and the new business fit together perfectly.
'I have finally found what I've been looking for,' she said. 'There is just a really nice balance of art and business.'
Saa said she hopes, in the future, to build a small production center for the artwork that would employ Cedar City-area women.
'I love to be able to hire women, like single mothers or others, who just don't seem to have self-confidence of other skills,' she said. 'That way I could also incorporate the life coaching aspect into it as well. That is my ultimate goal.'
Anyone who would like more information about Teri Saa's artwork, including pricing, can visit her Web site, www.dimensionsinphotoart.com.
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