The Power of Pairing: Inside the Creative Minds of PappasBland
Their Work, Collaboration, Creative Process, Advice
I started chatting with an account a while back and found it odd that they kept signing off their replies with “Tom.” I’d read a comment and think, ‘Well, yes, Tom, I know it’s you.’
It wasn’t until I started following PappasBland on Substack that I realized my mistake. My brain exploded: PappasBland is actually Diana Pappas and Tom Bland.
As a solo artist, it’s tough enough keeping my creative ideas in line, let alone coordinating with another artist. I didn’t clue into two photographers collaborating partly because their work blends so seamlessly together. PappasBland has a distinct, unified style.
Here's what I see in their work:
Minimalist Composition: They emphasize simplicity and a clean aesthetic, with minimal elements in the frame. This stripped-back approach highlights the beauty in simplicity.
Colour Palette: Many of their images feature subdued tones. Even when they incorporate vibrant colours, they often lean on rich rusts or natural textures, like the blue of the Ionian Sea or the muted yellow of a plaster wall, creating striking visual contrasts.
Atmospheric Mood and Structures: Their photos often convey a sense of tranquility and introspection, with strong leading lines, horizons, or structural elements, anchoring the composition.
Texture and Detail: PappasBland captures detailed textures beautifully. Whether it’s the peeling paint on a wall, salt marsh grasses, intricate rust patterns, or close-ups of flowers, their attention to detail is remarkable.
Soft Focus and Haze: I’m particularly drawn to their photos incorporating soft focus or hazy effects, which enhance a dreamy, contemplative feel. From beach to mountain scenes, my favourite is this foggy morning in Piermont, NY on the Hudson River.
After a reasonable amount of social media fangirling, I reached out and asked if I could feature them because I think everyone should know who Diana Pappas and Tom Bland are.
A bit about them before we jump into the questions:
Diana and Tom first met online over their shared love of photography while living an ocean apart. After writing to each other for a year (I like to imagine snail mail; it makes the story even more charming), they finally met in real life.
Though their focus is now photography, like many creative individuals, they have a varied background, including art history, film production, animation, and photography.
They describe themselves as a collective—two independent artists with different interests who also frequently work together.
Under the PappasBland umbrella, they produce fine art prints for collectors, take on client work that tells compelling stories, and pursue personal projects. And let’s not forget their newsletter, which serves as a channel to debut new works through monthly art drops.
With such a fascinating collaboration, I was eager to learn about their creative process, decision-making, and the unique challenges and rewards of working so closely together.
Here’s what Diana and Tom had to say:
Collaboration and Creative Process
Collaborative Dynamics: You both share a single platform to showcase your work. How do you manage the dynamics of collaboration while maintaining a unified artistic voice? Is there a process you follow to merge your individual perspectives into a cohesive theme or style?
Diana: So much of this is subconscious – it’s almost like two trees growing into each other over the years. We very clearly feel like two independent artists with different areas of focus, but there is so much overlap and from the start our photographs just seemed to work well beside each other – different, but complementary. So many of Tom’s photographs I wish I had taken, so many of mine he wishes he took. It’s not an envy thing, it’s admiration, and also a nudge to take better photographs to keep up with each other. We might sometimes compete over a subject and ‘may the best photograph win’, or sometimes we just know that one person is better suited toward a particular subject and we take satisfaction in what the other creates like it was our own work. It’s an interesting dynamic. We only recently realized that describing ourselves as a collective was the most accurate way of presenting ourselves as two individual artists with different interests who also frequently work together.
Reflections and Advice
Reflecting on Art Drop #1: With almost a year since Art Drop #1, what advice would you give to yourselves looking back? How has your approach to your art drops and projects evolved since then?
Diana: Looking back, I wish we had started sooner. It’s been such a healthy addition to our creative lives – forcing us to set aside time, energy and creative space to make pictures and weave words around them that enable us to move our work forward into new directions. There’s never a bad time to do that.
Tom: Also, although we have been happier with some art drops more than others, the process is what’s important for us. And just on a curatorial level, we’ve found that the art drops which featured one single artwork have resonated better with our audience, so going forwards we’ll be trying to focus down into just one piece – which will probably lead to some lively opinions, but nothing we can’t handle!
Future Goals and Support
Looking Forward: What future goals do you have for your work and your collaborative projects? Are there new directions or mediums you are eager to explore?
Tom: Now that we have our newsletter and art drops flowing, our primary focus is rolling out what we call visual storytelling. This is an example of us working closely together with an interesting small business, artist or artisan to tell their unique, singular story through photography that is authentic and natural. Whether we like it or not, the marketing needs of today require that we show ourselves at work, convey process, show our place of business, and there’s only so much of that one can achieve on their own. So we immerse ourselves in our client’s world and build a collection of photographs for them that spans environmental portraiture, at-work action, interior studies, textural details, location exteriors, and surrounding landscapes that set the scene. The aim is to create a cohesive set of timeless images that tells their story, helping them connect with their audience. It allows us to deliver what we excel at in a tangible way to someone who appreciates our work, and forming this concept or ‘service’ for want of a better word has been really beneficial for us.
Community and Support: How can the community and your followers best support your work moving forward?Are there specific ways you wish to engage with your audience or the art community?
Diana: Through our presence on Substack and Threads we are seeing an emergence of community that gives us the warm feelings we got from Flickr back around 2008 when (and where) we first met. Art needs an audience and artists need inspiration, so we are enjoying the give and take on those platforms. Buying a print from our monthly art drops is definitely a big way to support our work, as is becoming a subscriber to our newsletter, but so is the simple act of leaving a comment or amplifying our work to others in some way. Any form of support is validating and appreciated.
Relocation and Creativity: You mentioned moving your studio and lives to Western Massachusetts. How do you think this change in environment will influence your creative output and the themes of your work?
Diana: The anticipation of moving to the beautiful Berkshires in western Massachusetts is immense. We have big plans to hit the ground running, finally working out of a dedicated, spacious, light-filled studio looking out onto our meadow and wooded hillside. We will be able to inspect and ship out our large prints with ease and we will have space to collaborate with others and really start to express ourselves – all of which has been really challenging in our current space. I am especially excited for what this space will mean for my style of portraiture, learning to work with and manipulate the available light, and crafting a special way to capture people that is hopefully unexpected and enduring.
Beyond that, the area is dripping with natural beauty and is a magnet for all manner of creative people. Moving will certainly present challenges, but also opportunities, and we are eager to face whatever is thrown at us.
Since getting these answers from Diana and Tom, they have made their move, and I have been watching the transformation of their new space as they document it. I'm excited to see not only their new space come to life, but also what they create in it.
That said, I want to make it easy for you to locate them and follow along!
How to Find and Support PappasBland
If you’ve been captivated by PappasBland, there are several wonderful ways to support and connect with them:
Explore Their Work: Explore their stunning portfolio and discover their fine art prints available for purchase. Their website, PappasBland, is the best place to start. Whether you’re looking to add a unique piece to your collection or gift someone a beautiful print, their work offers a variety of choices.
Subscribe to Their Newsletter: Stay updated with Diana and Tom’s latest work through their monthly art drops. By subscribing to their newsletter on Substack, you’ll get early access to new works and exclusive insights into their creative process. Plus, it’s a great way to support their ongoing projects.
Follow on Social Media: Connect with them on Substack , Instagram, and Threads where they share behind-the-scenes content, stories about their creative journey, and interact with their community. Engaging with their posts, leaving comments, or sharing their work with your own networks helps spread the word and build their community.
Buy a Print: Purchasing a print from their art drops directly supports their work. Each piece is a carefully curated part of their artistic narrative and owning one means you’re holding a piece of their story. It’s a tangible way to appreciate and support their craft.
Spread the Word: If you love what Diana and Tom create, tell others! Word of mouth is incredibly powerful. Whether it’s a casual mention to friends or sharing their work on your social media, every bit helps in growing their audience.
Tom is a recent good friend of mine. A good read!