Creative Canvas

2012-01-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

The kids (young adults) and I bought a cookbook that was recommended by a friend. She recommended it because it was a book that used foods she already had in her cupboard and it was 'home food' just that regular stuff that we make from memory passed down from our parents. So, we looked through our new book and began to realize what this young cook was proposing. This was no ordinary book, no! Many young men had come into the bookstore that I work at, looking for this specific book and now I am realizing why. The chef has a plan, he wants to give these easy awesome recipes for you to try, master, memorize then pass on the ones you love. He wants this because he sees food and cooking as falling to the wayside nowadays. People are rushing through their lives and through their meal making using pre-made foods, and visiting restaurants way too often.

The kids and I easily agreed and are testing out his recipes. We are starting with recipes that we already make to see if his are better or if we like them more.

We started out with lasagna and meatloaf because they both use hamburger and we bought a huge amount of meat at the grocery store that sells 2kg for $10!

The lasagna, for me, is a bit too much. It has lots of sour cream.
Not bad for a beginning though.

The meatloaf has rosemary and other spices and herbs and is amazing!!! Lots of meat, but great with his suggested salad.

It's awesome cooking with someone, figuring out the recipe, the whys and hows and working together is just always a great thing to do with kids, partners, whomever :)

2011-11-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

From trips to Vancouver, looking for jobs, picking up the Georgia Straight (arts paper), to visiting the gallery...these entries are my most recent (October 2011)

2011-11-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

More from my journalling...it's really saved me during this change in my life. I have been very lonely, feeling lost, not sure of what if anything is going right...these little entries have really helped me out.

2011-11-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

I am finally finding time to upload my journal entries from just arriving in British Columbia to now. I have really enjoyed working in this journal...it's so colourful, full of random things, ideas, books I have read, things I am seeing and things I am doing here in Abbotsford.

2011-08-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

To rent a vehicle or to buy a clunker for our trip??!!

2011-07-12T10:41:00.001-07:00

This is now the biggest decision for us~~renting or buying a vehicle.

I have booked a rental to take us all the way to Vancouver but it restricts us as to timing
and
the cost is insane
and
we would have to ship what little we are bringing!!!

We are also going to check out buying a vehicle and hooking up a U-Haul trailer with our stuff. $3000.00 being my limit for purchasing a half decent van or some such thing as 'we' will be 4 people, one dog and three cats! yikes!

With three weeks left before our 'take off date', we are beginning to say goodbye to the good people who we have met here on this little island:

My son and I accidently happened to find the Sunday market on Queen St. where we came across Akbar and his lovely wife Sarah serving Afghani food. They gave us a bit of everything they had to try, including some amazing saucy meat, dumplings, samosas, rice and noodles!!! It was so incredibly good that we smiled all the rest of the day!

Thank you Akbar and Sarah for teaching me patience, perserverance, and strength. You are an amazing couple, your children are gorgeous and I will forever remember the impact you have made on my life.

All New~Coming this August!

2011-07-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

We have been accepted into two programs this fall. Me~Art Therapy at the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute, my daughter~Esthetics at the Utopia Academy, in Abbotsford, BC.
So we are getting ready. Here's the plan so far:
5 large boxes allowed each for packing.
No appliances, only one dish, bowl, cup, glass allowed each (give or take favourites).
One dog, three cats along for the drive across the country.
What vehicle??? Not sure yet...
When??? August 3 or 4, 2011.
Just waiting to hear about funding for the trip...so sleepless nights are nonsense but do occur frequently!
We are looking for friends to help with accomodations along the way...basically a patch of grass and time to share.
First step~Cornwall, ON with an amazing family that we haven't seen since way before some of them were born!
Second step~St.Kitts, ON to visit MOM, pick up some vintage hats created by my gma and to say hello, gbye to our childhood haunts.
Third step~Souix Lookout, ON to share with a great guy who spent time with us this past winter.

Fourth~...not sure quite yet and that's just a part of the adventure, right?

Just before we arrive at our new home~Kamloops, BC with a family that we haven't seen since Toronto Island about 9 years ago!!! Oh how kids grow up so fast eh Pete??

My lastest work...

2011-01-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrissycerminara

Here is what I've been up to since my last post which was sooooo long ago.
I hope to work more at home, bring that work here (the public library in Ch'town) and post!!! I hope!!! :)

This me

2010-09-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

That broke me
shook me to the core of what i thought was this me
yet that shaking
is revealing the me
inside
that i was
am
so afraid

that

has been inside
so inside

so afraid

over time
revealing this me

figure 1

2010-09-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

figure 1
ink
10"x13"

Became intrigued by the thought of what to do with this figure and then got my pen, with a new ink cartridge, and couldn't stop! I think that I shall make a bunch of these!!

Cuba~the beginning...

2010-08-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

Coche~sketch
ink, pencil crayon
7X8"

Hammock~unfinished
watercolour
8X10"

Be Strong

2010-08-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

Be strong young girl
for your mother can only guide you for a short time
Be strong young lady
for your husband can not always see you
be strong beautiful woman
for your children must leave to learn to be strong
be strong woman
for they will want to steal your heart, through your body
be strong
for you know who you are inside
be
for you

Friends, it's difficult.

2010-08-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Porque es todo siempre dificil? Cosas vesas no entiendo...pero gracias a Juanes por explica la situacion tan bueno.
(Why is it always so difficult? Sometimes I don't understand...but thank you Juanes for explaining the situation so well.)

Listen here.

Y si! quiero gritar.......!

sigh...la vida, ma vida...sigh

Online after a long hiatus.

2010-08-04T12:20:00.001-07:00

"Disappearing"
(private collection)
2010
ink

It's almost 'Old Home Week' here in Charlottetown which means that the weather is cooler and fall is on it's way. There have been many changes here on this little island and in my little family.

I have a new job, and a new lease on life. I am working up at the university for the summer and hope to be enrolled into a Masters program for the fall!

My son is embarking on a journey across Canada through Katimavik.

And my daughter is waiting to hear from the college.

In June I took an outrageous trip to Cuba, had the time of my life and am beginning working towards a new show called, "Our Cuba" featuring two Cuban artists, me, and a Cuban band..oh and half price Cuban Cocktails!!!

Perspective~Illustration Friday

2010-02-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

Gaining perspective by looking inward.

Illustration Friday~Propogate

2010-02-20T07:26:00.000-08:00

In the summer, these beautiful little 'flowers' abound. They are perpetually changing from school bus yellow to fluffy white seeds and to school bus yellow once again.

Finishing and beginning...

2010-02-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

Finishing up a commission today. I learned so much during this piece.
1. patience!
2. do not get overwhelmed, just zoom in and work on each little bit at a time~~it will come together
3. trust!
4. layers can work for watercolour too
5. more patience

And we have found a new place for us to live. We are, therefore, all working on getting rid of stuff. The Bionicles all came downstairs and the 17 year old's childhood was revisited for most of the day. Lots of robotic appendages are lying around my living room. Our new place, as of March 1st, has a wonderful back deck~ where I plan to draw and paint all spring, summer and fall!

2010-02-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

Who is this young woman who has lived in my house for almost 19 years?

While cleaning out my skeletons, I found my daughter's Precious Moments figures. She's grown out of them now; they are dusty and will be given away for someone else to enjoy.

Skeletons in my closet?

2010-02-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Actually it was found in my cupboard and there is only one skeleton. I completed this drawing during my last year at Brock University where I was working on my honors year in Psychology. I took a Life Drawing studio class. This was one of the final projects for the class.

Shower time

2010-01-31T07:02:00.000-08:00

It was the first baby shower that I have been to in a very long time. I am so looking forward to this little one. It's my boyfriend's sister's first baby and she is the baby of the family :)
Baby shower party favours? Sour soothers and a candy egg! Cute!!

Yep, that's a diaper cake!!! It was so pretty!

Speaking of babies...my latest commission was for a coworker who's brother's wife just had their first baby. Note to self...make sure you go over the fact that you want money for a commission! Who knew that some people think you would just do this for a favour!!??

And lastly, my donation to the Haiti benefit silent auction that we are having at a little restaurant/bar in town this coming Thursday.
It's titled "Marionette" and is finally finished and framed :)
The silent auction began on Facebook and will continue through the evening of Thursday, with 12 bands playing and great food!

Beginnings

2010-01-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

I have a little commission that I am working on right now. It's a tree-lined pathway to a house. It has so much light in it. The one problem is that my life doesn't have much light in it today.

A Fresh New Year!

2010-01-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

I am back from some time off, where we did lots of thinking, planning, organizing, and basically looking forward. There will be lots of changes coming up in my little life soon~~a new baby, my own kids figuring out their life paths, close friends finding their way that may lead them far from me. A new place to live this spring will bring new memories. And new opportunities for art in new places.

Here are some pieces that happened while away from this blog.

A Christmas commission. Rushed but done on time!
"The mother-in-law's house".

Another Christmas commission that was a long time in the making. It's of my friend's daughter and her cat.

A little something for a good friend's birthday.

Sketches for an upcoming watercolour. I'm seeing a threatening sky full of crows and this creature in the foreground having just landed...maybe more to it, we'll see. I still have to buy the paper and start painting.

I was also involved in a little show during the month of December where I sold a drawing to a friend who is also having some changes in her life. She was invited to the show at the last minute. She had never seen any of my art having only been familiar with my boyfriend's art. When she came to my portion of the show she stood in front of this drawing and just gazed at it. She turned to me and said this is mine! And by the look in her eyes, I knew that it certainly was her's.

I am currently working on two more commissions. One is a watercolour of a roadway for a friend's parents. And the other is of a new baby for a very happy first-time auntie.
Also, I am starting my first real oil colour (and learning about having patience!) It is a painting that combines my mother's portrait, and a painting that she made for me many years ago. And yes, Jamie, it is depressing and sad but that's where I find my strongest creativity! I cannot wait to post the progression of all of these, soon... soon.

Priorities

2009-11-28T07:33:00.001-08:00

I am home from my work trip to Newfoundland. It was quite an experience! I have come home to some situations that need my immediate attention and some quick interventions. So...

This will be my last post for a while. I will not have the internet so easily at hand. I will however be working even more on my art so when I do come back to this venue I will most likely have many more postings full of new ideas!

I look forward to keeping up with my favourite blogs from our little library computer downtown, when I have spare time.

For now I am wishing everyone a great holiday season, and a wonderful bright and creative new year!

Peake Street Studios~Home

2009-11-18T06:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 14 was the one night only showing of HOME at Peake Street Studios. Here are a few shots of some of the works that were there in their own interpretation of the theme.

Here is my interpretation titled "A Long Way"

An Iron Giant drawing that I did recently. We had gone to see Astro Boy and it just really made me remember the Iron Giant movie so I found it again and did a little sketch.

Some portraits that I have been sketching. Some are great, some I didn't show anyone because even though they do look like humans, they certainly don't look like the person I was trying to draw!

Illustration Friday~Blur

2009-11-09T05:04:00.000-08:00

Initially, I was hoping for trees through a rainy window, then I thought of trees through teary eyes. This is definitely an experiment with acrylics. It's done on 'substantial' paper for acrylic. I have been drawing so much lately that coming back to painting feels immature, new, adolescent...

OILS!!

2009-11-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was given a set of oil paints. Wow...oils! I've never done this before and when I watch Mauricio paint, it just seems like all painting. The difficulty lies in getting me to just do it!!!! I now have the turpentine, and just need to buy some white oil, a big one! Then I am going to go for it!!!
For now though, I am working on the theme of "home" for Peake Street Studios. I am going to use acrylics and have two ideas so far, a board and paints, and two days off work so here goes!!!!

This is my latest portrait from my Facebook fan site. It's of the daughter of a classmate from UPEI. I absolutely love the portrait ideas that people post on Facebook!!!

Illustration Friday~Skinny

2009-11-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

Oldies...

2009-10-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

I've been working slowly, on my art portfolio.

I cannot remember when I completed this watercolour exactly. Approximately, 1998. I know that it was for my brother, who's favourite place near our hometown is Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is a compilation painting putting the gazebo (from The Dead Zone) closer the an old homestead by the water that looks out to the USA. I stuck in the Canadian Goose because my brother is an expatriate living in P.A. now.

This is a painting that I completed in art college, 1988. Our instructor told us a memory he had of living through the holocaust. He then asked us to paint a memory from our past. I painted my grandmother. She was my birth mother's best friend and the reason that I was adopted into this family. The chair was her old rocker that was always in when we went to visit. The basket was for her crochet, which she taught me to do. The blue ribbon was for her favourite colour. The Lily of the Valley by the door was her favourite flower.

Illustration Friday~Fast

2009-10-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

I have recently been introduced (thanks K) to a group called Illustration Friday. Every Friday they post a theme and artists make something accordingly. Here is my very first contribution for the theme~~'Fast'.

2009-10-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me, at my summer residency, who were my influences. I stuttered as I thought about that. What a profound question! Such a question makes a lowly drawing person think that they could possibly be an artist in that moment~!
I couldn't come up with much...I wanted so desperately to state famous artists such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Tom Thompson, Miro, Andrew Wyeth, and the list goes on...but I could only stutter.

My main influences however, are much more personal.

Dear Delicia,

I had the great honour of knowing you for only five years and yet you gave me so very much. Your patience with a child who didn't know this world, was infinite. You allowed me to explore every possibility. Thank you for giving me confidence in my own creativity. You forever will be~ my muse, my one true love~the woman who taught me to have an open mind and an open heart~~come what may.

Delicia Beausejour
1970
acrylic on canvas

Dear Alec,
I was only 8 when I met you. Everyone told me that you were an ARTIST. What a huge title you carried with you. My eyes grew huge when I first saw you and your art. You were so very important and yet you were happy to spend time with me. I treasured those Sundays after the family dinner. You taught me a drawing game that I have since taught my own and many other children. You gave me so much. I'm not sure if you ever knew how much you and your creativity meant to me. Even at that young age, I saw your passion in your drawings. They haunted and also fascinated me. I took courage from you for I wanted to be an artist just like you. You didn't stay with my grandmother for very long but I have always kept our time together very close to me.

Alec Cushenan
ink on paper
1975

Chrissy Cerminara
1986
watercolour on paper
My first painting.

2009-10-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well the weather here is really trying to change. Sometimes it's below zero but sometimes, like today!, it's a true autumn day with sun and wonderful smells. It's a walk-day for sure!

It seems that when the major seasons change, I am overcome with a creative feeling. I've been drawing up a storm, crocheting, baking, reading, photographing...

This is beige hat that I crocheted for myself. It turned out~ok~I went on to make a better more softer one with a new stitch~the front and back post double crochet (the black one)! It's perfect for making winter hats because the stitches become thicker and thus warmer for the wearer. And I used Bernat Satin for my newest one~~oh so soft!

The latest portrait on my Facebook fan site. It's of a good friend's profile picture on his own Facebook site. I thought that it was so funny, the face that he made. I just never got around to drawing it. Now that I have challenged myself to a drawing a day, I took the opportunity! It sort of looks like Tarantino from an online comic site...

My grandmmother's favourite meal. This is the only meal I can bring myself to remember her eating. She would sprinkle a bit of white sugar on the tomato. She would also put the egg right on top of the potatoes. She had an Irish and Dutch heritage but this seems like a British meal to me.

Thanksgiving in PEI

2009-10-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

We took a short trip out of town today, to get some pumpkins for our step and some squash for soups this fall.

Portraits

2009-10-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

A portrait that I did during my residency from a Facebook profile pic of a friend from work.

Red glasses can change the world!

I have a new evil plan because~wow~making a drawing every day can actually be quite difficult! Tim: I think that I need my creativity book back!!!!
Anyway, I've come up with an evil plan for this though.

Last night I posted this portrait of a friend at work. Someone 'liked it' so I have decided to draw their portrait. So the first person who comments on each portrait will get a portrait drawn! I know, it's a bit lazy but it'll help out with my seeming lack of creative ideas for the moment :)

The Dunes

2009-10-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

When I first came to PEI, I found this place on the way to Brackley Beach. It is a treasure. With gardens, statues, and many pieces of art, we could explore for hours. The owner, Peter, has a potter's studio inside~actually that's why this place started. He kept expanding every year or so. He travels to Bali every winter to gather more curiosities to fill the gorgeous architecture.

When a very close friend died a few years back, and I wasn't able to go to Ontario for the funeral, the kids and I went to the beach...threw some rocks into the water and then spent the rest of the day exploring Dunes. That was a great catharsis for all of us.

I took my best friend there recently, and we had an awesome time~great food and fun stuff to explore. One day, maybe one day, my art will hang in the "Islander" section of the gallery!!!

A drawing a day...

2009-10-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

Because I am posting a drawing every day on Facebook, and not every person has Facebook I will post my drawings here when I compile some.
Here are the one's that I've posted so far.

A Self Challenge.

2009-09-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

I have created a page to go with my Facebook. It's an artist page. I hope to put up one new drawing~painting~sketch~something...every day!

I started yesterday and put up one of my drawings from my residency.

I feel that this will help my creativity and my focus.

Check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/LarienTinuviel?ref=name#/pages/Chrissy-Cerminara/142694674150?ref=nf

The Beach is Free!

2009-09-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Finally, it's fall which means that our beaches are free now so off we went, cameras in hand. I am currently collecting photos for sketches, watercolours, and drawings.

Wild Cinnamon~aka Bayberry. It grows wild along the roads, in the pine woods and beside the dunes. The smell is amazing.

So the news is that I tried for a job that seemingly fell into my lap. I did not however get that job. Now I am free to continue with my art.Thus,I am cleaning up around here today. Looking at some previous paintings...drawings...and starting some new ones~~a nursery rhyme themed gift and a long overdue landscape for a friend~~maybe even a drawing of a cat! I know of one painting that has been waiting for me for so long~Win.

Thank you for waiting for me, my friend.

The Glass Castle

2009-09-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

I have just finished the book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It's really made me think about my own life and how full of crazy stories it is.

I also just recently had a movie(VHS), that I created in University, put onto DVD for a proposal that I am writing this fall. It is a movie about my mother, my nanny, and my own daughter.

And now I am beginning to think about writing these stories down...

I wrote to a friend's blog this story today;

When I was three years old my mother's boyfriend at the time held us hostage in his bedroom for a while with a loaded gun. He, thankfully, was on the other side of the door and my mother did not open it, rather she sent me out the window to get help from the house next door. I remember this clearly...the wet grass, my mother's forced smile, the bricks on the neighbour's house.

Montague, PE

2009-09-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

We took a small trip to Montague the other week. Six years here on this island and had never been there~what a nice little treasure!

Now my challenge is to paint one of these boat pictures! With so much detail, in watercolour!!! A huge painting though~~not a little one.

And I picked up an Arches Hot Pressed watercolour block. I've never used hot pressed before! Not sure what to do with it...

Fall is on it's way...

2009-09-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

Our short summer is finishing up and fall is definitely here. The air is fresher, and the smells are more rich. The days are sunny and warm but the nights are cool enough for a warm sweater. I absolutely love this season and would really miss it if I were to live someplace without it.

I still have yet to clean up from my residency~yes I was in a bit of a depression over having to go back to my regular job. But the great thing now is that things are changing!
I am sending in my final information for the coolest job of all that I hope to hear back from very soon.
I am digging up a story that I wrote years ago and am going to try my hand at illustrating it.
And I am finishing up my proposal for a provincial arts grant.

Here are a few more pieces that were completed during my residency.

This week Mauricio has his residency at the Guild. This is a link to his work...pretty amazing to see live.

Ravens and Crows

2009-08-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

A crow in Victoria Park, early morning.

Downtown Charlottetown, before the tourists wake up!

There are so many churches downtown...

But this one is where the ravens hang out...up top on the steeple.

I was terribly embarrassed one online day. I had commented on a painting saying that I loved the crow and I am also drawing so many crows right now. Someone else commented right after mine that it was actually a raven..obviously! The artist then commented agreeing that it was indeed a raven and not a crow. sigh...god how stupid could I be.

I guess that I just have crows on my mind lately.

The first official open-to-the-public day of my studio, a woman came in talking about the ravens that lived downtown. My daughter and I were very excited to go see them. She said that they come to a certain church (Zion) each morning around 5am. So up we got bright and early to see these creatures.

As we approached the church, still having our doubts about whether these were ravens and not large crows, we heard a very loud seemingly breathing sound. My daughter turned thinking there was a dog panting behind us...but no! It was the ravens flying in. Their wing span is so large! As they fly they cried and I mean cry! It wasn't like a caw at all, not at all. It was an eerie sound with the sky just changing colour from black to blue, not a car in sight, silence all around except for these strange birds.

Stranger still, when we stood to look up at the ravens, the woman who had told us of the ravens appeared at my side! She had come up from behind us as well. We chatted a bit and then she headed on her way...and the ravens flew off with her!

Needless to say we were pretty much speechless.

Her name is Anne but I still call her 'the raven woman'.

Studio Residency pt 2

2009-08-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

It's in a basement that you have to enter from the side of the building. The building is an arts guild complete with theatre for music, shows etc. and a gallery space for art shows. It's bone chilling cold in there so I have to always bring a sweater even though it's so hot outside right now.

They accepted 8 artists~a cartoonist, his wife~an author, a couple of oil painters, a sculptor, and some crafts people. I have 10 days to work, and show my art but it's really all about getting a space to create without having to clear the table of dishes and worry about how messy the house is. I could take this time off work too so that is an extra bonus for me. I guess it is really a taste of being a full-time artist.

To be honest~~~I love it!!!

I go home with a piece on my mind but I leave it in the studio to stew...when I come back the next day, I see the piece through more intelligent eyes and can work on it more clearly. I have a few new pieces that have come out of this and am very excited about them.

Another great thing about this opportunity is that our art, from this summer residency, will be in a show this November in the Arts Guild gallery space! When I had my first show a few years back, in a little private gallery, a friend said to me that my next step would be to show in the Guild's space~~and now that step is being realized!!!

Signalling the end of the summer

2009-08-17T06:35:00.001-07:00

It's Old Home Week in Charlottetown...farm exhibition, crafts, photography, food, midway rides, games, and horse racing. It all culminates with a parade.

Nasturtiums

2009-08-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Nasturtiums:
These are my very favourites! They are edible, beautiful, give seeds for the next spring and I absolutely love them. Right now I am reading a novel called, Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen...it's a lovely book full of edible flowers, fresh herbs, a jealous apple tree, and a crazy artist next door. It's the perfect story!
My garden is fully in now that it's August. The sun shines brightly on it in the morning and then the plants have a cool retreat in the afternoon shade. Marigolds always will allow me to remember my children's grandfather, Joe. Many years ago, marigolds were grown on his grave and I gathered the seeds and planted them at our little house in Merritton.

Morning Glory vine:
It's growing up my son's drift wood sculpture. Now it is growing around our arch but still no blooms. Hopefully they will arrive way before our November snow!

When the family came to the East!

2009-08-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that my family had come to visit this summer. It really was a great time having them (even if most of them are certifiable...hmmm actually, that must be where I get my insanity from!)

My niece spent lots of time with my son exploring the shore.

It has been a jellyfish summer at the shore. I have never seen so many of these gelatinous creatures just lying around on the sand.

In the Studio

2009-08-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

My very first visitor the the studio was this little guy. He seemed to like my sketches most of all and hung around for quite a while just exploring.
Art on the wall, art on an arm! One day I will create a tattoo of my own design too and will be brave enough to have it put onto my own skin.

But for now, my own designs are on a few people's skin, including my own daughter's.

Children came from the art camp. They drew crows and crows and crows...and some hearts too!

PEI Council of the Arts Summer Residency!

2009-08-11T04:37:00.001-07:00

The first day of my very first artist residency was full of packing up, moving and moving, taping, stringing, hanging, hammering, standing on chairs, picture taking, avoiding drops of rain...oh and I did even get in some drawing! I love how it feels in there now. We made it wonderfully comfy and, I hope, welcoming.

Now to get some good music (Haunted Hearts~Battery Point~Intoxicado~Radiohead~City and Colour~Matt Barber~Language Arts~Feist~Tanya Davis~The Stills~Coldplay~Manu Chao) in there today, and to get down to work!

Catching up...

2009-08-10T04:37:00.001-07:00

Summer is just flying by as it tends to do in a place where it only really lasts for two months. I have so much news! But first a quick update...

June~still cold enough to have a frost on our little island!
~off the island and over to Halifax for a small surgery
~I like this last chance sign!

~off to St. John, New Brunswick to see Cirque Du Soleil! Breathtakingly beautiful in so many ways.
Cirque had 15 transport trailers!

St.John harbor.
We were told that it was a steel town and was ugly...I found it quite nice.

This was at the Irving Nature Park...a whole day exploring the beach and forests.

The old man and the sea.

Who knew that Lupins grew in places other than PEI!?

We made it back to the bridge just before midnight.

July~promotion at work, which keeps me busier than ever even though I just applied for a huge job somewhere else (cannot say any more right now...if anything comes of it I will definitely be rejoicing here!!~~and it is in the field of 'art'!!)
~I clean up from a previous relationship
~my crazy family come to visit
~my children's father is here for a weekend

~~~and I never want to see another human in my lifetime!

I did find time to catch some creature pictures in my front tree.
A lucky green grasshopper.

Ladybug larvae.

Ladybug toddlers.

There are so many spiders this summer that I am actually getting used to brushing their webs from my hair.

Which brings us to
August~working on a PEI Council of the Arts grant proposal for the fall
~working on a proposal for UPEI
~and the biggest and best news of them all

http://www.peica.ca/newsletter/article.asp?Feature=2237

Which is where I am off to this morning. I have to set up today...relax, figure out the space for myself and realize that I have a full ten days off my regular job to work on art...

heh~I'm an artist!

Pigeon Man

2009-06-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

Walking in one of our downtown parks early this morning, I saw a man on the pathway ahead. He seemed to be standing shock still in my way and he was holding something. At first I took what was in his hand to be a bottle and quickly began to assume he was starting his day out in a fine fashion. This is why not wearing glasses can be an adventure of the imagination! As I neared the older man I wondered what he was actually doing. Was he stuck in some drunken stupor? Had he just remembered that he was to do something and was waiting for his brain to tell him what that was? Above him was a black crow screeching. Below him, waddling by his feet were two pigeons. Now I was close enough to see that strangely he had pigeon in his hands, not a bottle. I mentioned that the crow didn't seem very happy with him. He said that this little pigeon had been attacked by a crow and he had rescued it. He was now trying to find some other pigeons to release it to. He had kept the pigeon in a box in his house but now it's wounds were healed and he wanted it to move on.

More from the Mayflower

2009-06-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

This is Tim's painting. It was completely guided by his mood at that moment. So many things could be interpreted in it...so much energy!

Mayflower Event

2009-06-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

Finally I have a picture of my entry to the Mayflower Event at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. The event was raising money for "Art To Schools" and the artists were to complete a painting within one hour. We all worked in the concourse of the gallery. It was an amazing experience!

Finding artists in the most unexpected spaces.

2009-06-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

I was recently in St.John, NB. I had never traveled there before and had absolutely no expectations whatsoever. After an afternoon of torrential rains and a walk around town, I found a little sushi bar~Sense of Tokyo. Inside were three men, who I initially didn't assume were Japanese but shortly after chatting, realized that they were. The sushi chef was from Fukuoka, a part of Japan where I have a few friends! We realized that we were both artists trying to get our art started and shown. He is a painter, working in oil, and inks but he enjoys pencil most. It was surreal chatting with him. A man from another world, another culture, with so many similarities to myself~~and the ability to make the best sushi in the world!

In the sushi bar were three other customers who just happened to be heading to a little bar not far away. I ended up going with them to "their place". I just thought that this meant it was a bar that they loved to go to but it turned out to really be 'their place'. They were the owners. And it turned out to be a Thai restaurant, Lemongrass. I went back the next evening for dinner because they charmed me with~"this will be food that changes your life". It was, they did, and all I can say is thank you!

Scale

2009-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the parts to my piece for 'Scale'...the one night show at Peake Street Studios. I haven't titled it quite yet but am really enjoying the collage effect it has. I didn't know that I was going to use collage this time~I had originally had an ink drawing in mind. I searched my house for 'paper' having run out of my creamy white paper that I had been working with for the past few months. But then I got my hands on some new Japanese papers (thanks Jamie!) and the heart took shape. I realized that I have lots of papers, many different kinds, shapes, colours...now I have just opened up a whole new media!!!

Springing

2009-05-20T04:29:00.000-07:00

The Fringe Urban Festival~Ch'town, PE

What a great first time for this event! We had way too much fun watching the bikes, the break dancing, and the graffiti.

There were a few graffiti artists there to showcase their works. This was my favourite! It's not complete but I hope to head down on Friday to see if they are still up and if this one is finished.

And in other news~who planted such a lovely little pansy in my garden????

The camera is back!

2009-05-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

My battery charger came in the mail this week! What a great feeling to be able to take random pictures again~and now we are full into spring here on Prince Edward Island!

I also can review some of my drawings from photos that I took before I lost my charger.

This one is based on a photo of me as a child and is from my 'heart, crow, me' series. (can you find the heart?) I did it with pencil~6B~on some card paper that came inside men's dress shirts at work. I absolutely love recycling, especially from retail because there is so much waste in this business! This paper works like magic with a pencil. I feel like I am just another tool when I draw on it. The paper takes the pencil and knows what to do to make the drawing amazing.

This one is my latest drawing. I am using brown kraft paper, my new yellow pen, pencil and chalk pastel. Just messing around having fun with the crow. I really like mixed media and how everything works together. I'm not sure how this will turn out. Maybe I will add in some text, maybe a heart will show up...who knows!

Oh and I just sold my very first painting. I have been working on commissions for years now but have only just started working on my own pieces. The piece that I sold was hanging at a local coffee shop and was part of a show for International Women's Month in March. I'm pretty excited that it sold, especially because it was a part of this series too! It was one of my first paper cuts, with crows and writing in the background. I don't have a photo of it because I rushed to get it completed and sent in on time!

From Faeries to Crows

2009-04-28T04:59:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to this island, far away from any home I had ever known, I looked to my art for comfort and meaning in my life. I painted and drew faeries. They weren't meant to be pretty little fluttery things. They were my muse at the time. They haunted me. They were strong women, thin~gaunt~ with piercing eyes and knowing looks.

I was always trying to tell a story in my pictures, whether it was about a couple made on commission for a wedding present, or if it was for a new baby. One story I drew was about a professor I had in university. He was very important in my life. He understood me in many ways and was sensitive to what I was going through during those years. He was also the coolest psychology professor who brought such a passion for his work to each class. This was his story.

Those faeries from my recent past have pushed me to look for another muse. A muse that would put my art to it's limits and beyond. I live with crows all around me. They sleep in the woods close to my home. They nest with their babies across the street. They visit my life regularly. One has even taken time out of his life to say hello to me. And now, not surprisingly my art is full of crows.

2009-04-26T10:56:00.001-07:00

I haven't been on here much recently. Life is getting busy as the sunshine begins to warm up this little place. Yesterday I spent the afternoon in a hot sun that I haven't felt on my face for months! It was awesome.

I misplaced my camera's battery charger a while back and still cannot find it so I ordered one from the internet. I cannot wait until it comes~ahhh life without a camera is way too difficult.

I was walking home from work one night. It was very dark, around 10:00pm. I crossed a street and noticed a doll's head lying beside the curb. What a lucky find! I wanted to take a photo of it~but no! And all of the shopping carts that were abandoned in the snow...but no! Soon, soon little camera~we shall be working together once again.

For now I am thinking about the theme of 'scale' for a show at Peake Street Studio. I have an idea following my 'heart~crow~me' theme. I think that I will start that today. The show is on May 30th so I will post a pic of my completed piece the day after.

Yesterday, I was involved in something new, an experiment of sorts. It was the first time for this event. Artists were asked to come into our artist centre~The Confederation Centre and make an acrylic painting in an hour. These paintings~around 60 in total~will be juried for a fundraising event in May. Tickets are $60 each and each guest will go home with a painting. They are handed out by raffle. The money raised at this event goes to 'Art to Schools', which is a program where principals can come to the provincial art gallery and choose paintings that they will put up at their school for one year. I will find out soon if my painting made it into the top 20! And I will post what I painted soon. An hour can really fly when you are busy painting! But what a great experience.

Blue

2009-04-07T05:10:00.000-07:00

I found this linux.org pic by typing 'blue' into Google. It's the first one that came up~amazing!

I am currently reading a book titled Mr. Pip
I just love this unique little book. In this part of the story parents are coming into the school to teach something that they know,

“His face never gave such a sign. It displayed respectful interest, even when Daniel’s grandmother, stooped and old on her canes announced, “I will tell you everything I know about the color blue. . . Blue is the color of the Pacific. It is the air we breathe. Blue is the gap in the air of all things, such as the palms and iron roofs. But for the blue we would not see the fruit bats. Thank you, God, for giving us the color blue.”

Their small tidbits of knowledge are just so simple and so accepted. What a wonderful story this is.

Signs of Spring!

2009-04-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

1. A brightly coloured Ford Mustang sighting.
2. Motorcycles gathering at the local Tim Horton's.

3. Mr. Robin red breast pulling up a worm for supper.
4. Squirrels scurrying and chattering.
5. The pungent aroma of skunk.
6. People with mud splatters up their backs from riding bikes.
7. Pedestrians with mud splatters up one side from passing motorists.
8. Shopping carts revealed in melting snow.

9. Natural ice and snow sculptures in the harbour.

10. People shoveling snow off their front lawns onto the street.

They're Here!

2009-04-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Finally, my prize has arrived from Heather Moore!

I was snooping on Google one day, looking into 'paper cutting' for some of my 'heart~crow~me' pieces when I came across Skinny laMinx. I added her blog to my own. I pop on there periodically to see what beautiful photos Heather has taken in Cape Town, South Africa or what she has cooked up in her studio. I read that she was having a little draw for a stenciled tea towel and a Valentine card complete with envelope! I added my name just for fun and was quite surprised to find out that I was one of the lucky readers chosen to receive these little gifts!! We were all very excited when the package finally arrived.

But as I pulled out every little tidbit that had been carefully packed, I found a tiny little button that had been added. I was so thrilled and surprised!

Thank you so much Heather!

Recently I took part in an artist button making event at our art gallery. My design was one of the 50 designs chosen for the event! So now my button collection is growing...Heather's button is the little red and white patterned one.

This is my button. Of course it's an anatomical heart~going through an artist's phase I suppose! :)

2009-03-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

A pensive picture that I took of myself, thinking of adding it into something or other...

I am still working on my crows and have heard that I may be showing this August at a little bar in town. I may apply to have this set of work show at a gallery too. My dream is to have my art show at a little gallery and shop down by the beach. It's a wonderful place.

So with March just finishing up and my family at home in Ontario telling me all about their green grass and sunshine, we are having another winter blast. Schools are closing because of the upcoming 20cm snowfall and high winds and then oh joy! possibly freezing rain! It will be a fun Monday night in retail tonight!

Value Village Excursion

2009-03-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I took the day off today. We headed downtown to chat and walk and ended up at good ol' Value Village. I was intrigued with the toys, especially the bagged Barbies! Oh and using my digital macro on this one above!!! I feel smothered when I see it!

1000 drawings...

2009-03-20T05:34:00.001-07:00

1000 Bills (In Imago Speramus) from Alex Itin on Vimeo.

Dirty spring.

2009-03-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Beautiful white snow. Yes, it is great when it first falls in early November but we soon grow tired of it as it lingers and threatens to remain forever in late March! The light rain, and the bright sunshine bring out the worst in my landscape. Tim Horton's paper coffee cups are newly found, decomposing amongst ice crystals, road salt and sand. Watery ice makes for interesting walking~a new adrenalin provoking experience every time!

Un autre

2009-03-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

another found me
dark against the cold white
hard lined
feet up, clutching

no more early morning calls
no more evening flights with the sun setting

only pressed against frozen ground
deteriorating
left alone
cast out

Along the way.

2009-03-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

along the way

something black
becoming larger
as I approach

unorderly
unnatural
frozen

staring with no eye
looking up to the trees
where the others come
and call out
call out
call out

along the way

Dad's Birthday.

2009-03-16T06:40:00.001-07:00

It was Dad's birthday on Saturday.
It's St.Patty's tomorrow.
He would have wanted boiled corned beef and potatoes,
with pepper
and salt.

juice dripping along his chin
slurping

I will wear green tomorrow,
in spite of myself.

I will tell my friends that I am Irish.
I will tell myself that I am Irish.

It was my father's birthday just the other day.

Drawing on life...

2009-03-16T04:59:00.001-07:00

I am currently working on a series of drawings/paintings that all have 3 things in them~a heart, a crow, and me. I am still working on the one above. I'm not happy with the crow, who looks like a vulture or eagle right now, with his huge wing span! I think that a larger head is in order. In the top right corner hangs a decorative clock. I saw it at work and came up with this piece there, desperately wanting to rush home and get it sketched out!!!

Happy Birthday Tim! I had just finished this drawing and realized that it was for Tim's birthday. My daughter had proposed the idea and I drew it out onto card that I recycled from work. It's a lovely heavy paper that came lining men's dress shirts! It's perfect for pencil work and I am going to try some ink on it too.

This last one is complete now. It was the turning point in my series. I started out not really understanding what I wanted to accomplish with this series. I only set the three objects as my goal. I had no set media so I worked with acrylic, pencil, pen, even scissors! I avoided watercolour because that has been my standby for so many years now. I really wanted to trace my roots and get back into drawing. I found the pen. I am obsessed now. Working with a simple black ink pen can bring so much life to a drawing. I also found a little office supply shop downtown, that has refills for half the price of a new pen!! Yeah!!!

Now for framing! I may just head out to a lumber shop and look into buying some fancy trims to cut and put together!

Getting on with things.

2009-03-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ok so...
I cannot really explain how all of this came to pass. I guess it's been a slow road for me but things have changed quite a bit in the last little while.

I have met, shared with and said goodbye to many people since I left my home province of Ontario. Some that I will never forget.

I was on the teaching path for a bit there but that path was full of twists, turns, steep climbs, and dangerous weather. I decided along the way to go back, way back, to my initial love. Art has always been my passion. It is my connection to the women who mean the most in my life, my mother Delicia, and my grandmother Mable. Creating things gives me life and for some time now I have starved myself of it. I felt that I just didn't deserve to have this talent.

My marriage had dismally failed. After that episode in my life I was left without direction. I lived to support my kids. I lived for others but have only just recently realized that I exist, that I need support from my own self!

After reading The AlchemistI decided that art was my true path, one that I feared the most, one that my personal society told me that I 'shouldn't' follow. I have decided that 'should' is not going to deter me anymore. I know what I have to do. I know my path.

So... I am working in retail to pay the rent and I am drawing.

I went way back to my roots. I have always loved the simplicity of drawing, finding lines that connect to create something wonderful. I rush home each day to continue on my next drawing. I am drawing with pen mostly. It's an amazing feeling. It has become an obsession of sorts! Drawing is my anchor like in the book, It's Kind of a Funny Story. Drawing lets me let people go from my life without giving pieces of myself away~for people cannot be anchors.

I am working on a theme that is very personal to me and it fuels millions of ideas. The more I draw, the more I need to draw, the more ideas I have for more drawings! I never want to stop!

I hope to have these drawings and such in a show soon. When that does happen I will put up all of my pictures on my flickr site and will mention it here. For now, I have 10 pieces finished and have 5 ideas still to put to paper.

Teaching will probably still be in my future at some point but for now it's art, my kids and my closest friends!

Winter rain and ice

2009-03-04T13:57:00.002-08:00

We had a rainfall all evening then a day of cold which made everything encased in ice. Makes for wonderful pictures.

2009-03-04T13:57:00.001-08:00

Remembering When

2009-03-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Sitting at Beanz
sipping a chai latte
in a cup larger
than I had expected
remembering when
we would traipse in here,
grab a pot of tea,
a couple of sweets,
sit on the terrace
in the hot sunshine
and chat about things

Things were easier then.
Things were simpler.

Now I'm fighting against
society's current.
Avoiding the rip tide
that threatens
to pull me under,
lull me to sleep
in the murky depths
of the stronger than me ocean.

I am sitting alone
at Beanz
remembering when.

Photoshopping

2009-02-27T14:21:00.000-08:00

More photoshop fun! Thanks L!!

China Plate

2009-02-26T07:49:00.000-08:00

If I laid my heart
on a china plate,

silver rimmed
casually beautiful
authentic white,

you would sit
blunt knife
grasped in your hand
gouging into my core.

Silently rending apart
my most precious gift to you.

Not realizing,
Never discerning,
Not considering,
while devouring all,
every minuscule muscle.

I sit
heart torn out,
clearly given,
but not lost
never invisible

rather,

found.

An afternoon photoshoot.

2009-02-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I put on some intense makeup, teased our hair, and applied Vaseline to highlight our faces and sat in the sun for these black and whites.

Through my lens I found a beautiful, young woman.

It's cold out there!

2009-02-22T06:42:00.000-08:00

We have had it all this winter: a blizzard, rain storms~complete with thunder and lightning, freezing rain, ice pellets, and frozen fog.

I took this photo one morning on my way to the bus. The fog was freezing on things as I walked. All of the tree branches looked like this one. Everything was covered in a thin layer of prickly frozen fog.

As I waited for the bus to arrive, a young woman passed the stop. I looked up and noticed that her hair on the sides of her head had caught some of the cool, damp air and had actually frozen. She looked like she was going prematurely gray.

What a strange morning.

Black and White

2009-02-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our project for this week is to take any subject but to make it black and white.

These two guys, Tom and Jerry, are just outside of my work place.

I liked the texture of this 'rope'. This is at our little downtown bus stop.

Cold, cold meters!

A Little 'Skinny laMinx' Idea...

2009-02-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

This is my own variation on an idea from Skinny laMinx. I have opened my photo folders and took the from the first five folders (because my blog only allows 5 photos per blog) the second photo that was inside. I took the second simply because 2 is my favourite number.

Folder 1~photo 2: The baby of the family.

Folder 2~photo 2: A little autumn visitor that I found one morning just before my walk to work.

Folder 3~photo 2: This was taken with my son on a fall evening walk home.

Folder 4~photo 2: Our Christmas cactus in full bloom. This was in November if I recall correctly.

Folder 5~photo 2: The beginning of our Christmas holiday. My daughter and I decorated her doll house, shortly after I had repainted and stained it. Of course there had to be a snowman near the porch because it's just a Canadian tradition!

Are these structures?

2009-02-18T10:32:00.001-08:00

When I am out on a 'photoshoot' I begin questioning my knowledge of language. The instructor said to take photos of buildings and/or structures. He said to make them interesting and to remember the rule of thirds! Ok! But then I begin taking photos and begin to wonder what a structure really is. Maybe some of these are just cool photos. Can an exposed but screwed in light bulb be a structure? Is an electricity meter a strucure?

Winter still hangs around.

2009-02-18T10:29:00.001-08:00

There are many houses and trees sporting icicles in our town, especially now with the bright sun beating down on the snow.

All of this snow and bitingly cold weather means that I must take the bus, most days.

Cake!

2009-02-18T10:26:00.001-08:00

I have been working on some amigurumi on the side just to keep all of my creativity flowing. I have crocheted some sushi that will be packed up to go to Japan soon. But today I made a little cake for friends of mine who own a bakery.

Structure and buildings.

2009-02-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Our photography project this week is to take interesting photos of structures or buildings. The instructor gave an example of a photo of a fire escape from underneath. So I braved the -5 degree C windy island weather to take some photos. It's a very sunny day so that made me feel bright!

Ahhh Photoshop!

2009-02-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

I realize that this new blog is going to really show how behind I am in the art world. You see, I have just put Photoshop onto my computer. I have never used it before and am working my way through this very powerful tool. It's addictive for me right now because I feel determined to figure out the intricacies of this program. Here is my first attempt at learning the whole layer concept. I also found the lasso tool~~yippee kay yay buckaroo~~I love it!!

2009-02-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

I definitely found a great assistant. She watches my stuff with intensity. She pays attention to every little piece of paper that strays from the table like it was prey. She questions my every pencil mark, every knife cut, every brush stroke. She tries her best to keep me honest in my art. She is my angel.

I have been trying to capture my own photos of the neighbourhood crows. Here are some landing on my snow-covered street. I need many photos of crows in many positions for my latest ideas...

Trying to figure things out here, playing with the pieces seeing what looks good and what the message is. I still don't know too much about the message except that maybe the crows signify pieces of her flying away/getting away/becoming free...not too sure yet.

Photos from this weekend.

2009-02-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

Without our weekly photography class, I am without a little photographic project this week. I have been diligently working on my other artistic endeavors, but still found some interesting little photos to take this weekend.

Always working on portraits.

An action shot where you can still see some of the limbs in motion.

Learning about my camera's digital macro! The owner of the paws was fast asleep.

Looking quite content by the bird-watching-window.

A specimen that was caught in our window last fall and has become mummified, I am sure, throughout the winter! Again, digital macro!

A show with my muse.

2009-02-07T06:47:00.000-08:00

I am working on a body of work. I am going to make many pieces, experimenting with many forms of art, staying within a theme. The theme includes three icons...a self-portrait, my muse~the crow, and a heart. I have been considering these three for a time now. There is a message in here somewhere, and maybe through making these pieces I will find that message.

The last still life...

2009-02-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

Every week we have to choose 4 pictures to make hard copy for our class. This week's class was canceled because of our crazy island weather, but we did make our hard copies. These are the four that I choose to make. 'The best of mine.'

I am learning about light. Light is something that I have seen, I have appreciated but maybe without really knowing it. Thanks to a friend though, who looked through my most recent photos, I now am beginning~only beginning~to understand the concept of having good light in a piece.

Other still lifes.

2009-02-01T10:02:00.001-08:00

I took one photo at a restaurant because I am searching for a still life that 'pops'; something very different.

This one was taken from inside the mall bus stop, just for fun. I like the reflections.

You can really see the difference in these few photos. My first instinct is to take a still life with the whole object in the frame. When I look at the close-ups though, I really like them better. They tell the story easier and have the 'pop' that I am looking for!

Still Life

2009-02-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

I decided that my workplace has some very cool things to take photos of, so I went into the backroom, during my lunch, and took some 'set ups'. I'm definitely not sold on them, but this is a learning process, right!?

Photos and thinking.

2009-01-29T04:34:00.000-08:00

The homework for this week is to take 'still life'. As soon as I hear that term my brain freezes just after whispering, "boring" to me. But never fear, still life can be interesting if you find interesting objects! So I am hunting for interesting things to place into an interesting container. For now though, I am taking photos whenever, wherever I can to keep those creative juices flowing!

The kids again...

2009-01-25T14:27:00.001-08:00

It was a Sunday of portraits...

A Window View.

2009-01-25T08:34:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I met for lunch this week on my day off. We headed to our little town's only Mexican restaurant. We were seated near the window that looked out onto one of the busiest downtown streets. The window has a florescent sign hanging across it on the outside and blinds hanging in front on the inside which made for an interesting window view.

I made it black and white to simplify all of the lines. I think that the black and white is better than the colour version.

More portrait experiments...

2009-01-25T08:29:00.000-08:00

I got some candid shots of my kids the other day. I may use some of these for my homework. We need to bring in 4...it's going to be a difficult choice! I have found out how to change my photos' colours after the shot! So now I have some black and white portraits too.

Let's Face It.

2009-01-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

Well homework for this week is portraits! Yep, my very favourite subject!! I am pretty pumped about this. Yesterday I set up the tripod in my living room and played with my own face as a subject.

We are to use 200 ISO, zoom, natural lighting~no flash. The subject was to sit on a chair beside a window so that one side will have light and the other will have shadows~~makes for interest. It's supposed to be a tight frame and in portrait format.

I did some that were in landscape just for fun.

My subject is one of my very best friends~he's an actor, musician and graphic artist. What a great model he was to work with for my very first time.

Oh and a young friend hopped up onto the chair and posed for one great shot too!!

A Week's Worth.

2009-01-23T05:56:00.001-08:00

Time got away with me as it usually does. I have been taking many, many photos though. Photography class this week was all about THE RULE OF THIRDS. Ahhhh I know this rule. I am an artist, I love composition, I know composition~I believe that I have a great sense of natural composition and then I look at my homework photos. Bleahhhh. They are horrible. I had liked them and now I just want to hide from them in deep embarrassment. But wait! This feeling shows that I am learning, I am growing in my photography skills!!!! Yay! I am gaining skills! These are a few photos taken after my homework shots. The one of the street is much better than my other ones...

Scenic!?

2009-01-16T06:03:00.000-08:00

Well our homework for this week's Community School Photography class was to bring in 4 scenic shots. Right now in Charlottetown we are experiencing extreme windchill. It is -34 with the windchill today. It was the best timing for me to be out taking shots though. I walked my daughter to work this morning and had to wait for the shops to open before I could pick up what I needed. It was 'golden time' so I decided I may as well take a walk around and see what I could get. Here are all of the pics that I took. I will probably go out and take some more and then will finalize which ones I print for class. We were to take wide angle, no flash, 200 ISO.

2009-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

We had our first class. It was good. There are some friends in it with us! I found out how to alter the colours right on my camera before I take a picture! So here are some candid shots with colour changes~black and white, sepia, and vivid in that order. Oh and I am going to print the last picture for the class too...

macro

Three photos~three days

2009-01-09T08:48:00.001-08:00

The king! manual~macro~no flash

One morning I found an indoor snowman in our house and simply had to take a photo of him!

On our walk downtown
~7pm~using
slowsynchro
-manual.

Photography-a-day

2009-01-09T08:35:00.001-08:00

I was working from 1:30-9:30pm and the registration for community schools was the same night at 6pm. Community schools are classes led by volunteers and held in local public schools. They cost almost nothing to take and can be a great experience! I took an extra long lunch so that my daughter and I could sign up. We walked over from the mall, in the blowing snow to the high school and stood in line for 30 minutes. We were lucky enough to get on the list for 'photography'. Our first piece of homework is to bring a good~what we classify as good~photo. I have decided to bring in this one for next week. It's a picture that I took at the end of our little holiday party at 'The Terrace'. My son brought in the old bench from the garage for people to sit on and the cats have decided that it should stay in our home by the big set of front windows. 'All the better to watch the wildlife from!'

This is our youngest cat. He is lying on the bench and I went underneath it. He stretched out his paw to reach me and I took the picture!

I am needing a daily challenge to hold me to my commitment of creating art so I have just decided to take a photo a day. I will publish it here because it's more for me than anything. It will hopefully show growth through this little community school course. It will also hold me to my personal challenge. There are no other requirements. The photos can be of anything, anywhere...

Waking up from a long dream...

2008-11-11T10:24:00.001-08:00

In this dream, I did not get onto the elevator.

The tour of Toronto was coming to an end and I felt desperately that we needed to shop. We exited the vehicle and with our tour guide still leading us, we entered a shining modern building. The elevators were our only way of getting into the main part of the building where all the shopping would take place. The tour guide reached out and pushed the button and the elevator door opened quickly to reveal what I have seen before in many dreams.

There was a collective gasp amongst the tourists.

The elevator itself was half-way up so that we could see down underneath it, complete with electrical wiring and cables. The elevator was fashioned out of plastic, the type of plastic that you would see a Fisher Price toy made of. The elevator was not going to work properly~I knew this from the first sight. The tour guide reached out and pushed the button again and the elevator gave a jerk, was tugged downwards and moments later was yanked upwards to rest in it's original position! Frustrating. The air was filled with the feeling of anxious tourists who were missing out on souvenir shopping. It was then that the tour guide noticed and pointed out that the elevator had major cracks in it's thick plastic core.

I was initially trying to convince everyone to just get onto the elevator the way it was.

And suddenly, shockingly, a very new and strange thought came into my sleeping mind, "Maybe it is not safe to enter this elevator."

I had never had this thought before in any of my recurring elevator dreams. Previously, I would enter the elevator headlong, not caring what condition it was in and then I would be in peril, tossed about by the uneven flooring, or grasping for my life in a cloth lift.

But in this dream I didn't get onto the elevator...I just didn't get on.

Recently I have made some life decisions. I am working in retail~not teaching. I am consciously taking things slower, enjoying the people around me. I am learning another language. I am working on my art with a new passion.

My art is taking a slow turn. I want to go back...back to drawing...pencil and ink especially. There is something about ink drawings, the simple black and white.

It feels like I am waking up from a long dream only to find that I am not the same person, I am not getting onto that elevator! I am living the life that I want, each day and I am making more art...the art that impresses me most of all.