Pleasanton’s past poet laureate features photo exhibit at Livermore church

Sandra Harrison Kay sees hearts everywhere she looks — in a pat of butter, for instance, and even on a dog’s nose.

She snaps photos of them, usually with her phone, which she is showing in an exhibit dubbed “The Heart Seen” at the First Presbyterian Church in Livermore now through Easter.

This is not the first such exhibit for Kay, who was Pleasanton’s poet laureate from 2013-15. On past Valentine’s Days, she would display the photos inside the frames for sale at Rick’s Picks on Main Street, where she worked.

“For the upcoming exhibit, I am utilizing my mixed media art as a foundation for the photographs,” Kay explained as she readied for the show, which opened earlier this month. “I’m more than thrilled to share them for a number of weeks vs. one day.”

Kay’s photos show heart shapes she found in her everyday environment — in the way clothes landed on the floor, in spills, broken glass, litter on the ground, torn wallpaper, food and a variety of natural landscapes. She started her collection in 2006, restricting it to heart shapes that were created spontaneously, not intended to be hearts.

“The very nature of this collection does not allow for the use of professional camera equipment or lighting,” Kay explained. “For most all of the heart shape photographs, there is no warning, no time to set up and plan. The photos are taken quickly, with a phone camera, in the moment.”

The exhibit opened last month and is set to run through Lent until Easter, March 27.