Five Months Later…
I can hardly believe it’s been five months since I’ve been away. Where has the time gone?!
I’d like to say that I’ve been off doing great and honourable things since graduating from college back in May, alas; I’ve merely caught up on 300 crime shows and have picked up a nasty sugar addiction. I’m talking- waxing 3 bags of bubble gum in 4 hours- no kidding. SHAMEFUL.
But let’s not focus on that. 😉
Today is Christmas, and Josh and I are pulling another all-nighter. He’s at his computer station, and I at mine. He’s gaming, and I’m working on editing some pics for my new Etsy shop. I’ve wanted to open an Etsy shop for almost ten years now. At first, I didn’t have enough inventory, and quite frankly, I wasn’t up to the standard of photography that I was utterly pleased with- not enough to sell my work. (But that was 10 years ago.) And then “school happened”. Now, more than 20,000 pics are held hostage on more than 5 disk drives. I could dig through the heap and salvage years of work, or, I could start all over and create a whole new body of work: I’ve chosen to do the latter.
It might seem crazy to want to start all over- especially having spent the last decade developing my personal style and techniques, but for me, my art does more than mark a time in my life. My pics/images tell stories. (You artists and photogs out there know what I mean.) I want the stories to reflect who I am at that time. I’m not the same person I was even five years ago. So, I want to start over. I feel like I’ve grown as a person and an artist, and so I want my pics to reflect that.
I’ve added a new TAB at the top of my page ^up there^- it’s my ETSY tab. Clicking on the pic there will go directly to my ETSY site where I’m offering my prints for sale. In the past, I wanted to sell prints for the generalized reason of “simply wanting to”. Now it’s a matter of being able to return to school or not. My school is withholding my transcript until I pay down the current balance, which is just under $1,300. I don’t have many options, and so I’ve decided to finally open my ETSY shop so that I can sell my work and pay down my school balance. I’m hoping to be able to do this by May of 2017 (4 months from now). That’s a pretty tall order, and once again, I’m racing against the clock. If I don’t do this now, I’ll have to take another 6 months to do it (which means I’d have to wait until January 2018 to return to school), but I really can’t afford to do that.
Once my transcript is released, I’ll be able to apply to Fort Hays University, where I’ll be working on my Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. A lot is riding on this! So, I have a heck of a motivator to get out and get some fresh shots 3 times per week. I’m aiming to add 300 pics or so to my ETSY collection over the next few months. In short, I’m going to be pretty busy. 😉
I’m looking forward to popping in to everyone’s place and seeing what you all have been up to. Sure have missed everyone and I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS! ♥
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Second Etsy shop: Early Perfection
Small Miracles and Big Thanksgivings
So I’ve just received my grade for my final exam in Research Methods for Experimental Psychology: 100 out of 100. Whew! We were given 10 scenarios in which we were to choose an appropriate research method (out of 12 or so) for the situation and explain why we chose that particular research method. I discovered along the way in this course that I’m pretty good with dependent and independent variables and such so this was an extension of that sort of. The next two weeks will be basic revisions with the ability to improve my grade, which is a 94%. Even if I were to do nothing I’d still receive an A but it still improves my overall GPA so I may go for it. It’s so easy to slack off at the end of it all. That’s where a lot of people go wrong though. They think because they see the finish line that they can collapse, but really, it’s the time to push harder than ever and finish up strong. So, that’s what I will do. Push hard in these last two weeks (beginning next week) and finish up strong. I can collapse later.
Josh and I will be going out of town for Thanksgiving. Actually, we’re having two Thanksgivings. We’re going over to my Mom’s for coffee and to cook her Thanksgiving dinner that she’s having for her friends from church. Her friends are widows and my Mom’s just the sweetest woman in the world. She was thoughtful enough to ask them over because they have no families. My mother’s so giving. I like to think I got that from her. 🙂 So, Josh and I will be cooking their dinner and then jetting out of town to- first to Columbus and then to Shelbyville where we’ll spend the weekend with his family. I love his aunts and cousins: those gals know how to stick together! They’re strong country (ish) women and I took to them right away and vice versa. We all share a very strong common bond, which is loving Josh. We all take care of him together. They’re just wonderful.
I’m absolutely quivering with excitement that I’m so close to being finished with school for the next two years or so. I have so many songs in me that are screaming to get out and so much art work that I want to produce! People hope to win the lottery so they can take it easy in life and travel, have fun, and do the things they want to do, not what they have to do. And so for me, it’s like I’ve already won the lottery. I’ll be able to travel and take pics, and take it easy for a change. Going to the “office” will be in my sunny kitchen with my fax machine and phone- building up my business. And, “work” will be going out and taking pics. Heaven!
I’m saving up to go to Puerto Rico. Most people want to go to the beaches, etc. but I want to go to the slums and shoot them. (With my camera, of course.) And the rain forest too. If I save up $150 per month, I’ll be able to go in May, and stay in a little chalet in the El Yunque rain forest. I’ve been wanting to do that for 4 years now but have been too busy with school. Now I’ll have my chance though. Time to get ready for my big day! I hope each person out there- whether you have family or not- has a wonderful day. And may you find something to give thanks for today! If you can’t think of anything else, be thankful that you have two legs to walk with and two eyes to see with. That your heart is still pumping and that you can still smile. If you’re reading this, then, consider this my Thanksgiving gift to you. I’m uploading a large file here [below] so that you can easily download it and submit it to Walgreen’s (online) or print it out of you like, I sell this at Redbubble for $60+ but you can print it out at Walgreen’s for all of $3. [Reselling the print is strictly forbidden and I remain the sole owner of the copyright.] It’s a high rez. file and so, happy Thanksgiving! [click on the print twice to download the large file]
Free Thanksgiving Print
Pain in Rainbows pt. # 2
I decided to convert my collage (Pain in Rainbows) over into a digitally rendered fauvist styled painting on stone. I rather liked the way it came out. While I wasn’t planning on sharing my arachnoid cyst situation with all of Australia, I wanted to include my Aussie friends (all of whom are artists: sculptors, writers, and painters) as we’ve all been close for about six years now.
I feel pretty fortunate to have such a great group of friends. Many have solo exhibitions and are quite successful in the art world. And, a finer bunch of people I’ve never known.
The site I’m referring to is Redbubble. I’ve been there six years. Hmm…maybe seven.
Pain in Rainbows
I really don’t like pop art. Never cared for the Marylin coloured collage or the tomato soup cans (though I admit that I was thoroughly infatuated with the life of Warhol and have much respect for his talent). I decided to mingle the style of pop art with my love of B&W to examine and interpret my migraine pain. I suppose it could convey most any pain. After all, we all live with pain- whether emotional or physical- but none escape it. Like art, music, laughter, joy, and death- pain is a language that needs no interpreter.
I have recently found my Canon G3 battery charger. The camera is absolutely obslete on todays market, but I know that camera better than my own skin. I cut my teeth on that camera (manual exposure, shooting in monochrome, manipulating the lighting and shadows, and so on).
I think the problems many artists and photographers face today are due to the fact that the modern digital cameras are so “capable” that the user need only click one main button, “auto”, and the camera “does it all”. While it can mimic the accuracy to a degree, it cannot automatically shape and mold the light on a level that one can attain if he or she manually adjusts the settings. It’s like comparing a bologna sandwhich to foie gras. Or, Vienna Sausages to caviar. If a person doesn’t know how to shoot in manual, he or she may still be able to create an effective image, especially in Lightroom, GIMP (which is what I use), or Photoshop, but then it falls into digital artistry and not so much “photography”.
If you are curious to know what kind of a photographer you are, throw your DSLR (or P&S) in MANUAL, as well as MONOCHROME, and go out during the golden hour as well as high noon- then look at the stills. When you can take a batch of photos that aren’t blown out, hot- and bleeding here or there- you’re ready to move on to a more advanced camera.
There’s really no point in getting a fancy camera if you don’t know how to shoot in all manual! I can’t say this enough. And the truth is, about 80% of all of us photogs that have high end cameras are LAZY. (Notice I said “us”.) Very few actually shoot in manual mode, much less understand how to.
If I had a big rig, I’d be the laziest photog in the world.
Thank God for innovation and ghetto-rigging.
2011: Rocking the Point and Shoot
This past year has been a hectic one. I sold my Canon Rebel XSI + Sigma 17-70 + 50 MM 1.8 + Canon EF 75-300 + Canon EF 18-55 for rent $ and bills when the recession hit. I was left only with my 4 MP Canon G3. I’ve been shooting with that thing for nine months straight now. (Yes, I have cried tears!) This forced me to become a more creative photographer and artist. I chose to shoot in only manual (RAW), adjusting my aperture and shutter speed (and ISO). Naturally, this is more work, but it bonds me to the creative process. We labour together, the camera and I. I want dynamic lighting and shadows and I want film grain. I want motion blur. I want to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty. I have no resolutions for 2012. I only have the desire to be a good mother, an inspiration to others where my work is concerned, and the courage to continue shooting in manual when my new camera arrives in a few weeks. (I have chosen the Canon Rebel Xti. I really don’t need more than 10 MP for my particular style.) Oh. And did I mention that I want to get into street photography? (I believe I’m tapped out in the “apartment photography” genre.)
I took these out in the field the other day. I found that black works well with long exposure photographs. 3 sec. exp’s./ISO100/ F.8
Chai (and my love of film grain)
My kitchen chair- 8 second exposure/handheld/Canon G3/abstract
A splash of colour: previous work
And some tree shots
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m o n o c h r o m e j u n k i e † 