This series of work is inspired by an ancient Japanese art form known as the Floating World, or Ukiyo-e, a genre of painting and printmaking from the 17th and 18th centuries that honored life’s ephemeral beauty. These works often captured sensual imagery, botanical forms, and idealized moments in everyday life.
In this collection, Gail Russell reimagines the spirit of the Floating World through fine art photography, using her lens to reflect quiet beauty, emotional resonance, and a sense of visual poetry. Each image becomes a meditation, a gentle pause between thought and feeling.
In today’s world, where our minds and senses are so often saturated with distraction and anxiety, these photographs offer a counterbalance. They invite the viewer into a tranquil realm, encouraging presence and reflection.
The Floating World Print Collection is a visual sanctuary designed to be not just seen, but felt. These fine art prints bring softness, inspiration, and sensual calm into interior spaces, creating an oasis for the mind and senses. Whether placed in a peaceful home, studio, or wellness office, these images carry the timeless quiet of the natural world.
For as long as Gail has been making images, she has thought about how the internal essence of something looks…”What would the Spirit of something look like?”
In this collection of work, Gail creates “Organic Mandalas”, in which images of specific geological areas, Earth formations, crystals, and stones are used.
Gail took these pictures throughout her photo travels, and then, in the darkroom, on the light table, or at her digital desk, assembled them in symmetrical forms. Once Gail tried this process with quartz crystals, a whole new world opened up to her.
