For decades, the career of Hyla Wults Fox has been driven by the whimsical world of antiques and collectibles as a broadcaster, consultant, dealer, journalist and author of two acclaimed books published by Methuen, Canada and Dundurn Press.

Hyla had a weekly antique column in the Saturday Toronto Star for a decade, another in the Fashion and Design section of The Globe and Mail for five years and later, her articles appeared regularly in The National Post. At the same time, she reported on, commented about and discussed antiques, for such periodicals as Canadian Living, Homemakers, Chatelaine, The Financial Post, The Maine Antique Digest and the Upper Canadian Magazine, to name just a few.

Although she continues to be involved in the antique world as a writer, it is photography that has become the focus of her career and propels her muse into overdrive. Hyla is an eclectic shooter but there are three genres that continuously capture her attention: the human landscape, portraiture and still life or fine art imagery.

The Human Landscape

Still life images that capture the places our ancestors once lived and worked, the things they used, created, treasured and ultimately left behind, have been the focus of her writing career and photography. To Hyla, it is the rich, multi-layered patina, along with the signs of use such as cracks, worn marks and peeling paint that is the attraction.

Says Hyla: "I think Susan Sontag explains my feelings best when she writes that: ‘fewer and fewer Americans possess objects that have patina – old furniture, grandparents pots and pans – used things, warm with generations of human touch that Rike felt was essential to a human landscape.'"

Capturing Hyla's feelings and further explaining her decades long obsession with this topic, she again refers back, to another poignant Sontag quote: "Bleak factory buildings and billboard-cluttered avenues look as beautiful, through the camera's eye, as churches and pastoral landscapes...The Surrealist ragpicker's acuity was directed to finding beautiful what other people found ugly or without interest and relevance—bric-a-brac, naïve or pop objects, urban debris."

To see some images in this category, please return to the main Gallery page on this web site and click on Eroded Elegance and Vintage Wheels.

Portraiture: Maternity, Newborn, Infant, Baby, Children, Families & Adults

Hyla brings to this specialized area of portraiture all of her fine art training, artistic and creative talent, as well as her experiences as a mother and as a primary specialist and Certified Elementary School Teacher.

"In shooting maternity portraits," says Hyla, "I have several goals in mind. While I focus on the unique personalities of each woman, I want to show how they celebrate this stage in their lives and the anticipation they feel as they transition into motherhood." For Hyla, documenting the range of emotions moms-to-be experience – from mellow and pensive to absolute joy – is a fascinating aspect of this form of portraiture.

Clearly, these images are unique works of personal art that will become a spectacular gift to the as yet unborn child as they eventually see how eagerly awaited and lovingly welcomed they were. As one client recently stated, "together, we have just made an instant family heirloom."To see some examples please go to the Portrait and Beginnings galleries on this site and visit: www.hylafox.com/blog for a selection of new images.

Children & Infant Portraits

Hyla's images are simple, strong and tight with the focus on the wonderful faces of the children. "I love catching their expressions – surprise, cheeky, serious, silly and smiley," she explains. "In our sessions you can expect your child to have fun. They are encouraged to laugh, play, sing and just be themselves. My goal is to capture your child's sense of joy, spontaneity and childhood wonder," she says.

Her style is contemporary, meaning that her images are journalist and candid, not posed or forced. Colour images are vibrant while dramatic monochrome shots show a strong range of tonal qualities.To see her work in these categories, please go to the gallery page on this website and click on BEGINNINGS and check her blog where new works are regularly posted. www.hylafox.com/blog

Fine Art Images

Hyla has won multiple awards for her still life and fine art works. She has been commissioned to create the artwork for six pack digital CD's, and book covers. Pieces have been acquired by clients to be used as wall art for homes and offices.

TV set decorators, office and home designers, as well as real estate ‘fluffers'; have purchased and sometimes rented her large size canvas pieces for their businesses. As well, her work has been featured in multiple single and group shows, including Contact, a festival of photography in the city of Toronto.

She is more than happy to work with decorators to achieve unique, individually designed pieces for restaurants, offices and of course, homes. Most of the fine art images on her web site are available for purchase. www.hylafox.com. New works are regularly featured on her active blog: www.hylafox.com/blog.

While her work is available printed on fine art paper her signature ‘look', are images printed on canvas. Without doubt, admirers regularly comment that they have a painterly quality and make very strong statements.

These works are printed on museum/archival quality cotton with pigment inks. They are then sprayed with a premium compound to make them somewhat scuff and water resident. Her lab wraps and carefully stretches canvas around custom built wooden frames. For more information on this process, please see the Details section of this web site.

 

Affiliations Include:

• Member of ACCESS, the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency
• Founding member of the Canadian Freelance Union
• Elementary Teacher's Federation of Ontario
• The Heliconian Club
• The Toronto Camera Club
• The Canadian Association of Photographic Art
• National Association of Photoshop Professionals