stay for lunch!

Adieu Blogspot!

2011-07-26T18:29:00.003-04:00

I've moved blogs! Please feel free to keep on following me at my new one over at Wordpress!

Hope to see you there. :)

Mixed Media Paintings

2011-04-10T21:36:00.007-04:00

Mixed Media on Wood Panel. Each approximately 6" x 8".

Today I made these two ladies. I had two already used wood panels that I had never been happy with, so decided to finally cover them up. I'm a little sad I didn't get the chance to work with the natural wood grain in either, but there will be fresh wood panels to be used in the future. Even though I let loose using multiple mediums in both, I still played it pretty safe with the imagery. I'll get more experimental; these were more of a warm up. I just hope I can keep up with painting once again. After tomorrow I have a full work schedule, but maybe next weekend I can get into it again.

These aren't available to purchase yet, but that will change once they are more thoroughly documented and I've decided on a price for them. To see them larger, feel free to visit my Flickr!

March Madness at an End.

2011-03-31T22:12:00.007-04:00

March was a great month for socializing, eating cake and reading. Not so much for art, though. I need to better organize and rally myself for April, yikes! Also, I need to blog more. Though, to be fair, I have been fairly active photography-wise. I've updated my Flickr loads in March. Check it out for yourself!

My Bloody Valentine.

2011-02-14T21:50:00.006-05:00

Wasn't sure how best to word this Valentine, so I thought I'd make it simple and positive to contrast the image. Somehow I didn't see the potential for all the puns that could have been made from the fact that this bird is a Tit until just now. Guess I'm just not that witty.

I truly enjoyed creating this. Why oh why don't I watercolour more often??

Please don't sue me, Roumieu.

2011-01-31T21:53:00.007-05:00

I haven't been very drawtastically active this first month of the new year, but I did make this slightly bizarre birthday card for my friend Evan. Phil and I gave him both of Graham Roumieu's Bigfoot Memoirs, which I hope he will enjoy as much as we do!

More art to come soon. It has to.

Message from The Bear et Moi.

2010-12-22T00:10:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season, and The Bear wishes you bonne chance for the new year!

Cat Interrupted.

2010-12-13T00:25:00.002-05:00

Lately I feel as though when I begin a project I get interrupted or derailed from it shortly after. Sometimes it's my fault, sometimes life just gets in the way. Anyhow, I had begun a cat sketchbook a couple of months ago. I had a comic in mind that I wanted to begin, but it never took off, partly due to the frustration I felt at my inability to keep continuity in my characters/style. I'm assuming (because it makes me feel a little better about myself) that that is an issue many graphic artists struggle with. So here are a couple of rough research sketches that I felt were worth sharing. I haven't given up on my idea, but I've decided to put it on the back burner for the time being.

What I Bought Today.

2010-11-13T17:46:00.003-05:00

I think I'll try to document things that I buy through illustrations from here on in. Today was a special splurgy day, which meant the perfect time to begin documentation! But seriously, I haven't spent this much money on myself in ages, and don't intend to for ages to come. I am super happy with my purchases, though. Especially the mini pleated skirt and the wedge booties. I've been pining and searching for them for a long time! Also, that tungsten balancing filter is going to come in super handy.

I'm not very good at drawing objects, I discovered, so this is a good way to practice!

Attached.

2010-10-12T22:09:00.004-04:00

I have new ideas marinating in my head for a series of large scale paintings, and I haven't been this excited to create artwork in a long time. Unfortunately I am A. Rusty and B. Very busy this month. I have already requested to have my work hours reduced to 30 a week so that I can have a chance to focus on art too. My first week with reduced hours isn't until the end of October, but it will probably be occupied with Halloween prep. By the beginning of November my goal is to be prepared to seriously begin.

I don't wish to get too much into the ideas behind what I plan to paint, especially since I only just started to get them out of my head today, and plan to do a ton more research. These little watercolours are just a starting point, and are in need of much more evolution and development.

I didn't mean to take such a long break from blogging. I will try to keep this blog more in mind if I have anything relevant to post here this month. I have also been distracted, I suppose, by my Flickr, which I've been updating every day. Heh.

365 days of 50mm

2010-09-14T18:58:00.011-04:00

Working full time at Starbucks is physically draining, and I have become complacent with practicing anything that can be considered creative. On my days off I am usually in a rush to clean, buy groceries, and complete other necessary errands. Therefore, in an attempt to get creative I have decided to do 365 days of posting photographs I take with either of my 50mm lenses (digital and/or analog). I am going to be lenient on myself and allow that the photos I'm posting not necessarily be from that day, but should be no more than a couple days old. I am also going to force myself to upload one (or more) each day, but definitely at least one. This means that there will hopefully be more than 365 photographs by the end. These photographs will always be uploaded to my FLICKR and sometimes here too. Please feel welcomed to follow along and wish me luck!

ps. I just realized this is personally, a very touching way to get a chance to document more of my home, cityscapes, and friends here in Montreal before moving next summer. It will also span the process of moving and beginning to settle into Toronto, should we indeed end up living there.

Onigiri Party.

2010-09-10T06:50:00.003-04:00

Yesterday evening Jessie and I got together to make onigiri and a bit of sushi, and it turned out to be a super successful endeavor! We made approximately 2.5 cups of calrose rice, which ended up yielding around 22 onigiri and 2 rolls of sushi, enough for our dinner plus multiple future meals.

We used Jessie's rice cooker, and made sure to thoroughly rinse the rice beforehand. I've read on other websites to allow the rice to drain for 30 minutes after rinsing, but we didn't do that and it turned out perfect anyhow. We stuffed them with the tasty combination of smoked salmon and avocado, using a 3$ mold Jessie had recently purchased. The mold worked extremely well, and we made sure to have a bowl of salted water close at hand to help eliminate the rice from sticking to our fingers and spoons. Oh, we also added rice vinegar to our onigiri which supposedly technically changes their title to sushi, but we didn't care because rice vinegar is damn tasty.

The sushi were a bit of an after thought, as we had run out of salmon and avocado, but still had a lot of rice. We stuffed them with cucumber and carrot. They're a little plain, but not bad at all.

And ready to bring home! We each ended up with so many that I decided to freeze half a dozen of mine. To do so, I individually wrapped them in saran wrap and enclosed them all in as airless of a ziploc bag that I could manage.

Rainbows and Cuddles

2010-09-07T18:27:00.004-04:00

On Sunday evening Phil and I found ourselves at our friend Jacob and his awesome girlfriend, Anna's new apartment. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable evening full of great conversation, pasta, wine and rainbows. Seriously, there were a bunch of rainbows continually popping up, and it was incredibly pretty. I'm not usually a huge fan of 'double dates' but Anna and Jacob are so welcoming and independent of one another that it was one of the best nights I've had in a long time.

Yesterday I worked an 8.5 hour shift at Starbucks. It was great because I got paid time and a half due to Labour Day, and since all the businesses were closed there was a very chill and manageable trickle of customers throughout the day. Though after work I started feeling like I was coming down with a cold. I stayed in bed resting/sleeping from around 6pm to 6am this morning, and I felt so much better for it. As ever, Ada was super cuddly, and we spooned for a great deal of that time. I even tucked her in with me. <3

Today the fall semester at Concordia began. It was weird seeing Philippe go to school and I not. Even though I haven't attended Concordia for over a year now, part of me still feels like I should. I cannot wait for Phil to graduate and for us to move to Toronto. To have school finished for both of us, and be on our career paths. Toronto as a city doesn't really hold too much interest for me, but it'll still be fun to explore and familiarize myself with a new place, and to be able to work in the field of makeup without the french language barrier.

Tomorrow I have a day off. I am so excited to have a chance to get my creative on!

7th Anniversary

2010-09-02T23:04:00.008-04:00

Today marks the completion of mine and Philippe's 7th year together. We had a lovely day filled with many fun activities and moments. One, being that we took turns painting on the other. I've painted on nude bodies before, and have been painted on nude as well, but this was different; simultaneously sensual and soothing.

From the get-go our relationship has been so incredibly special and unique. We share so much love, affection, and trust; have inspired and learned from one another; matured and created a home and new family together. It's mind-boggling to look back and see how much we've affected each other, and helped to make the other a better person.

Many people have asked if we will get married. I honestly don't think that marriage -- or in our non-religious situation -- a civil union could possibly make what we share any more significant. We are incredibly affectionate, but we like to keep it to a minimum when we are in the presence of family or friends. I think that a large aspect of a marriage is to be showy, or the nicer term "to celebrate" what we have with others. The mere fact that we are confident enough in our bond to not feel like we have to continually display it and seek validation from others confirms to me that our feelings run true and are deeply rooted. Even if our relationship doesn't last until the end of our days, I will always share something inimitable with this boy.

As Phil and I enter our 8th year together I wish for our hearts to grow impossibly larger, and for us to share in even more experiences and adventures together.

Hun, you are simply explosive. And yes, I know, I am a dear. ;)

Lookbook!

2010-08-31T09:45:00.004-04:00

I started a lookbook.nu a few days ago. I have been a long time lurker and admirer of the site. When I found out that my friend Jessie had an account, I asked for an invite. Funny enough, the day I asked for an invite was the day lookbook became less exclusive and invites became nullified!

Anyhow, I may be posting some of the looks I post on lookbook in here from time to time. I don't know how often I'll update it as I work full time at Starbucks and don't really have many opportunities to dress up at the moment. I realize that having a lookbook is superficial, but I have always loved personal style. To me, it's just another creative output.

Oh, and because I'm new my entries do not show up on lookbook's 'NEW' page, so I need some hype love! It's difficult to get known on that site!

Summer Lights & Nights

2010-08-16T22:08:00.006-04:00

From most recent to eldest, some photos from my special summer days and nights.

Yup, definitely wasn't sober that afternoon. Hehe.

Game night! I won both games. :)

A night of cupcake baking and Jessie making suggestive moves on her cupcake. There have been many more special days and nights, I just keep forgetting to document them, heh.

Soon I will be updating with some photos from my trip to the Dominican Republic and NYC. There are so many photographs that I need to think out what I'd like to share here and how best to approach it.

Blood Berries: Ode to Summer

2010-08-08T11:28:00.004-04:00

I had this stubborn concept for a makeup shoot where I wanted to get a monochromatic colour scheme (with red as the only colour) but without actually making it monochromatic in Photoshop. I say 'stubborn' because I quickly discovered that this involves a lot of effort; a ton of white makeup, and because white flattens everything, a lot of re-defining my contours with black powder. I also went so far as to dye my hair a natural black for this specific concept. Oh, and careful white balancing was also a must. Though it's still not completely monochromatic (you can see some brown in my hair) I'm fairly happy with the results. Though I must admit that being the makeup artist, photographer, model and photo editor is completely exhausting, especially for the labor intensiveness that was required for this makeup application.

For larger versions of these, please feel free to visit my FLICKR account!

Junkie Jessie

2010-08-02T22:52:00.006-04:00

Near the end of June, my friend Jessie was between apartments, and kind of enough to let me take advantage of the fact that her room was almost completely barren. She was also kind enough to model for me as a cute little Asian junkie. The shoot didn't turn out as great as I would have liked, and I think that's partly because I was super hungry while doing the makeup and photo shoot. Lame, I know, but I get seriously distracted when hunger calls. Still, some images turned out quite interesting, such as these two. The photos aren't meant to mean anything, I really just wanted to practice special FX, which I have been been neglecting.

Exquisite Creatures

2010-07-29T21:45:00.004-04:00

I am finally back from my whirlwind of a trip! After allowing myself a couple of days to bask in being back home, unpacking, and fully recovering from a lingering cold that seized me during my time in NYC, I have decided it's time to begin the daunting task of going through all my photos and videos and editing them. I've arbitrarily decided to do this in reverse order. I won't be posting anything substantial from my trip for a few days, though, as I have literally hundreds of images to go through.

On my last night in Manhattan my cousin Gaby and I made these two exquisite 'creatures', as we don't like to think of them as being corpses, heh. I was shocked by how well our drawing styles matched up, and how they both look like they could have been drawn by the same person. I suppose it also helped that we used the same small pen, too. I really enjoy how they turned out, and we talked about the potential of doing larger exquisite creatures in the future, possibly on canvas. I hope that one day that'll be possible!

Also, I just wanted to put out a big thank you to all the generous advice and opinions on my previous entry about what to wear. In the end I didn't end up wearing any of those exact combinations, but instead took snippets of the advice here and there. I had to dress for travelling on planes three separate times, too, and I found myself gradually growing more and more casual, especially since the last plane was so tiny there wasn't even a first class.

Up in the Air: What to Wear

2010-07-13T00:17:00.004-04:00

I'm having a slight superficial dilemma with choosing an outfit to wear for my travels to the Dominican Republic. In the past I would aim for comfort all the way, but ever since I've been travelling on buddy passes I have been told over and again that I need to dress nicely. There are multiple reasons for this: when one travels with a buddy pass they are representing the airline, and the second (more important) factor is that if one travelling on this pass is neatly attired they are more likely to be bumped to first class, if there are seats available.

So I could definitely use some opinions! In photos a. and b. I am wearing a really light sheer-ish white blouse which I bought specifically for this trip. It's very baggy and comfy, though I am afraid that the sheer factor may make it inappropriate. In b. I am wearing my nude bra with it, so it's a little less scandalous.

Haha, my hip is thrusting out in the same direction in all these. In photos c. and d. you may notice I am wearing the shirt I recently made. It's definitely elegant enough to wear for my pass, but I'm afraid of how well it'll hold up with a heavy back pack strapped around the shoulders. Also, I so direly wish to wear those pale skinny jeans. They are comfort incarnate and make my butt look nice. But I'm not sure, are they too informal? And I may die in them when I reach my destination, though I KNOW that in the airports and up in the air I'll be cold in a skirt. And finally, e. shows something very different. Shorts are definitely more comfortable than skirts to travel in, but the cold factor will still be present. I could also wear the shorts with the white blouse.

This is the silliest and most superficial entry ever, but any suggestions or preferences would be appreciated. I still have so much left to do before even getting to the airport that I don't want to have to worry about this too much. I'm leaving my home at around 3am Wednesday morning (so it'll feel more like late Tuesday night). That leaves about 23 hours for any input you may have!

Creative Birthday Monsters

2010-07-11T18:02:00.006-04:00

Last night we celebrated my good friend Marisa's 22nd birthday. The party was monster themed, and they (Marisa and Alex) even created an epic cardboard city that took up most of their living room with the purpose of getting destroyed by us monsters. The decorations were super cute to boot, and I had a great time (I suspect most everyone did!). The following are some images from the party and all the costumes.

The birthday girl as Pikachu, and Alex as a fancy robot. Not sure if he based it off of a specific one.

Philippe as Mecha Dracula 2000. That was not the original plan, but as he was making his costume, his father pointed out that with the back flap up, he looked like Dracula, and thus it became so.

Heather as a Gorilla Girl and Evan as a dragon.

Phil also made this awesome mask for Jacob to wear, and a better view of Evan's dragon head.

Rachel, Jessie as drops of blood (hehe), and Carolina as a dragon, or being eaten by one.

I'm pretty sure my obscure monster reference was lost on most people in attendance, but my makeup and antlers were inspired by a magical elk in Princess Mononoke. I was so surprised and impressed that the makeup didn't melt off my face from the heat.

Views of the city. Zaphod and Usagi were so cute in there.

And lastly, singing Happy Birthday. :)

So-so Sew

2010-07-09T17:40:00.005-04:00

It rained! Not just a little rain, but a torrential downpour with thrilling thunder and lightening to boot. Despite the threat of water coming in, we kept all our windows wide open, because the breeze has been magnificent and has effectively cooled down our home.

With the drop in temperature my energy returned. I was able to vacuum the apartment (which was in dire need of it) as well as get creative. I have been more active in sewing lately, though mainly it has just been taking in skirts and hemming. The bottom feed on my machine was creating a lot of problems, but it seems to be rectifying itself the more I use it. Two weeks ago I made my first dress, a simple one inspired by the AA Le Sac Dress. Today I made my first shirt out of a lovely floral fabric I've had for months now. Like the dress, I didn't use a pattern, and instead based it on an Urban Outfitters shirt I already own. I learned tons from making it, and though it isn't perfect I am pretty satisfied with the outcome. The fabric is light and feels nice too, making it extra perfect for summer.

I'm hoping my productivity hasn't stop with sewing, though! I still plan to get my hands dirty with some paint before this day is done. Wish me luck, I think I'll need it.

Heatwave

2010-07-08T18:47:00.004-04:00

It is hot. Not only is it 43 Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) today, but it has been a constant heat since the weekend; even the nights have brought little relief. It wouldn't matter too much if Phil and I had air conditioning, but I doubt our old school apartment would be able to keep one running due to how much electricity they suck up.

I am in a state of lethargy. Every day this week I have wanted to make art, to clean up my apartment, but I cannot bring myself to do much at all. No matter how wretched I feel, though, I feel worse for my cats. Both are almost comatose, and I worry about how much longer they'll be able to tolerate it. Tybr spends most of his days in the bathroom on the cool ceramic tiles, sometimes up against the tub or wrapped around the base of the toilet. Poor guy, his coat is the thickest.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but it was also supposed to rain yesterday and today. I am still keeping my fingers crossed for it, and will even do a little rain dance for extra measure.

Luminosity in the Dark

2010-07-07T12:06:00.008-04:00

Last night I hung out with my good friends Carolina and Jessie, as well as my lovely partner, Phil. We went to one of my favorite microbreweries in Montreal -- Brutopia -- for a burger and a beer. Afterward, we went back to Jessie's new downtown apartment which is a perfectly sized studio with great big windows and two sets of closet mirrors. It also appeared to be recently renovated, which in Montreal is a rarity indeed!

All the reflections and lights bouncing around from both inside and out caught my eye, and so I began documenting. I've always had a thing for windows with a dark backdrop on the other side (i.e. windows in homes or in buses at night, or in the subway) which allow for a myriad of lighting and mirror effects to reflect off of them. It wasn't until I was waiting for the night bus at around 3:30am that it dawned on me that I should start a series based around this theme. Only time will tell how far I'll take it, but I am going to try to keep my eye open for more dynamic looking reflections from now on.

In other news, it is way too hot in Montreal. Yesterday at 8pm it was still 40 Celsius (106 Fahrenheit)! I cannot wait for it to thundershower to break this heatwave. It wouldn't be so awful if Phil and I had a/c, but because we don't we are both constantly sticky with sweat and I have been worrying about the cats a lot. They have been intensely lethargic, and Tiberius even defecated on our bed last night. This leads me to rationalize that he is feeling ill from heat, as this has never occurred before. Tomorrow there is hope that it'll break; I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Earthquakes and sugar cookies

2010-06-23T16:02:00.006-04:00

A 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit close to home today. The epicenter was less than 50 kilometers away from Ottawa, where my family and friends felt it strongly. The earthquake was even felt in Toronto and beyond, but I did not feel it here in Montreal, which I will admit I am a little disappointed about.

Quebec has always been considered one of the world's 'safe zones' as it is a good height above sea level, and no where close to the edge of the North American tectonic plate it resides on. To have an earthquake hit here, and at such a strong magnitude is unnerving, to say the least. Luckily it wasn't so strong as to cause intense structural damage and casualties.

2010 has been an atrocious year for natural disasters, and I can't help but think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. It is no longer a question of if another disaster occurs, but when it'll strike. And in times of anxiety I tend to bake; when I first found out about the 2012 theory years ago, I remember baking a huge batch of cupcakes. Today, I iced my sugar cookies.

In unrelated news, Phil and I began learning ASL today. It's a lot of fun memorizing and practicing, and I hope I can stick to it. It may come in handy in the future (if not for anything other than secretly signalling to Phil, hehe).

Flying By.

2010-06-22T13:55:00.006-04:00

Two Japanese silver-eye fledglings. Oil on wood, 10"x10".

It's my mom's birthday today, this is my gift to her.

My contract in Ottawa went by surprisingly fast. Though it was an office job, the people who work there are all really great which helped a lot. Yesterday I had a job interview for a position as a flight attendant. It went alright, but I will not hear back from them until the end of July. I find that kind of a ridiculous amount of time to wait around for an answer. In the meantime I plan to create artwork and art prints. Philippe purchased a snazzy CMYK printer, and I am hopeful I'll be able to start printing at home which will save on money and time. All I need to do is invest in some good quality paper for prints.

While I'm waiting for an answer from the airline I will also have my trip to the Dominican Republic as a distraction. I'll be there for around 10 days in the middle of July, and I cannot wait to see all my family again. I'm planning on giving my uncles, aunt, and grandfather an original piece of my artwork as a gift. I have never really been in a position to give them anything before, so this plan excites me. I also want to give my dad a few of the old maps I was able to nab from the geography library at McGill University last year when they were getting rid of them.

I'm hoping the rest of this month goes by as quickly as the last two weeks did.

Apple Pie.

2010-06-07T09:51:00.008-04:00

Yesterday my friend Carolina came over for the day. We made banana cake and two apple pies. I had far too many black bananas, so this made great use of them. I like banana cake, but I think I prefer banana bread as it isn't so sweet. The apple pies turned out phenomenally, and I was amazed by how easy they were to make. I definitely need to make more pies in the future (especially since I have a bunch of frozen pumpkin innards stored away).

June has been a slow month to start, but I'm hoping it'll pick up. For the most part, it has been spent at home in a bit of a lazy stupor, which truly goes against my nature. It's unnerving to not have a busy schedule, whether my time is being taken up by school or by work. I have been applying to a lot of jobs, and I'm hoping that I will get hired soon. At the moment I'm actually waiting on a call for a contractual job which would take me to Ottawa for a couple of weeks. It is not what I would call a job in any of my usual fields, but it would pay me enough to cover my rent, utilities, and food for July. Since I'm visiting family in the Dominican Republic next month, this contract is as ideal as my situation can get. I don't really wish to get hired full time right now seeing how I would probably have to quit in a few weeks time to travel. I have my fingers crossed, please cross yours for me too!

p.s. I got the job!

Tears and Fingers

2010-05-19T00:34:00.005-04:00

For a very long time I'm not sure who I have been trying to be, but I have been trying very hard, in that moment, to be that person. Everyone has their character, their morals, their ambitions, dreams, and demons. I have these too, but they somehow feel more vaporous than those of others. I realize everyone has multiple dimensions, but mine often come off as too extreme even though they are all running in an artistic direction. Laura the artist; Laura the photographer; Laura the makeup artist. I feel as though I am often passively criticized for being the latter, more specifically the way it makes me look (which is more pleasant than my painting clothes did). Then there is my personality which I have found changes to an enormous degree based on who I am with, as well as which of the above fields I am practicing. Maybe this is a natural chameleon like occurrence, but a lot of the time I feel self-censored. As for this blog, I have been putting too much energy into coming off as ever-cheerful when I should just be natural.

I drew these tonight without expectations. I wasn't looking for cute, pretty, or structure. I wasn't after marketability either. Maybe they aren't very beautiful or coherent but they came from sincerity; it was refreshing. For the top drawing I used a reference image of a friend, who in the photograph, was in tears. For the past few weeks I've been entertaining the thought of doing a series of (photographic) portraits of people crying. Maybe some of them with makeup, visceral and streaking. My problem is I don't know anyone who can cry on cue like that. It could be a cathartic session for both of us, maybe, if it happened. We'll see.

Bird Conversations

2010-05-16T20:26:00.008-04:00

I've begun painting birds again. The one on the left is a Western Tanager and the right one is a Vivid Niltava. I painted these guys on the same night consecutively, and when I placed them side by side they just clicked like old friends. I am happy that they ended up being sold together, I don't think I could heart separating them. Anywho, I'll be sharing more birds soon so stay tuned!

Welcome, May!

2010-05-03T23:08:00.003-04:00

Some photographs from my spring thus far which I captured on my 35mm Pentax Asahi.

Art updates to come!

Soft Focus

2010-04-18T17:23:00.003-04:00

These photographs were taken with my Blackbird, Fly twin lens reflex toy camera. I love the unpredictability of this little camera. Focusing is oftentimes a guessing game, as is the exposure. Sometimes I end up with really disappointing results, but for the majority they're quirky and interesting.

I also enjoy the multiple exposure option and the fact that the colours can come out either vivid or very soft and neutral. I consider shooting with this camera the same way I view stretching before exercising. It loosens me up a bit, which I personally find liberating. The preciseness of shooting digitally or even with my 35mm pentax asahi can sometimes make me feel a little crazy.

...and after we shall nap.

2010-04-11T21:33:00.007-04:00

This blog is a-changing. The layout is immensely different, and I plan to update not only with art, but with my photography, makeup work, as well as random little projects. I want it to pertain more to what I'm currently focused on. Having confined it to solely fine arts has discouraged me from updating, even though I have been creatively active through various other media.

Obviously, there will still be artwork. So long as there are hipsters putting their over-sized glasses on their animals and photographing it, I will be here to draw them (har har).

The Right Way

2010-01-25T21:16:00.020-05:00

One of my friends once told me that if she drew the way I did, she'd kill herself. Only, she didn't actually say that, but for some reason I hyperbolized it in my mind. I guess these words really affected me, and I began to be more conscious about the way that I sketch. The drawings in my sketchbook have often turned out to be very tidy and finished little doodles, and my line work has become increasingly sure of itself over the years to the point where everything feels like a big smile kept in place too long; tight and painful.

For months I was at a stalemate. I didn't like the way anything was turning out, and if I did like something I would obsessively keep drawing it in a very formulaic and boring way. Then one day not so long ago I was at a diner with some artistic friends and I challenged everyone to draw the same kid-style drawing, but with their 'wrong' hand. Being left-handed, I drew it with my right. As I was sketching it out I remembered that I actually can draw with my right hand. Only, it's a completely different experience and aesthetic. When I draw right-handed I feel like there is a disconnect in my brain. It somehow triggers my mind to go half blank, which is a rather pleasant sensation. Also, my lines are far more soft, unpredictable and unsure. It's a lot of fun.

So here are the results from the last few weeks. Some cartoony, some more realistic. I don't think I'll be drawing with my left hand anytime soon. Next step for me is to start painting right-handed.

So many words for an art blog, phew.

just the same, but brand new

2009-12-28T23:25:00.002-05:00

I got a new sketchbook finally! More sketches to come, hopefully.

I've been super addicted to this site recently. If you have an account, lets be friends!

Hope you all have a happy new year!

My Halloween Costume!

2009-11-01T23:32:00.002-05:00

Cardinal Rules

2009-10-01T08:50:00.003-04:00

Good morning everyone! The early bird gets the worm, or so the saying goes.

I hope you all have a splendid day!

Raccoon Eyes

2009-09-17T19:13:00.006-04:00

I went through a phase this summer of being obsessed with drawing raccoons. They ended up sneaking into most of my sketchbooks, planners, and notebooks. They are kind of ridiculous looking, but very cutsy nonetheless. Now that I've started my makeup artist course I see raccoon eyes (ok, well, smokey eyes, at least) everywhere, and can't help but think of my furry little friends. Fashion imidates nature in so many countless ways. There isn't really a point to this rant, just that I find it fascinating. Also, I miss fine arts.

Warning.

2009-08-20T14:43:00.004-04:00

This is what I get for not drawing more frequently.

My bird period

2009-08-05T00:24:00.005-04:00

I can't seem to stop painting birds. It's soothing, and I really enjoy the process.

Most of these guys are for sale on my ETSY, if anyone is interested.

Spotting Land

2009-07-30T22:49:00.005-04:00

It has been a long time since I've blogged. My last semester at University was a fierce one, and for most of the summer I have been unmotivated to do much of anything, to be honest. I feel like I was lost at sea, but I am beginning to see a glimpse of land in the distance finally.

I hope I can update more regularly again. I do have quite a bit of new art to share!

Another!

2009-01-12T13:16:00.002-05:00

I am pretty much shirking off all my responsibilities to do these. Oops. But they are so enjoyable to make.
This one contains two Marisas. And one Phil.

Digital illustration & collage.

2009-01-12T01:26:00.004-05:00

Thought I'd work digitally for once. Man have I missed it.

Don't be alarmed if you recognize yourself. It's because I love you.

Mole Man Escapes Prison & Friends

2009-01-05T10:25:00.002-05:00

From my sketchbook. Coloured in with pro markers, aka my second love.
I'm on the fence about whether I like the idea of starting this new semester.
But at least I graduate in the spring, hopefully.

end of year party

2008-12-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a pretty good year. I hope in 2009 I push myself even further.
Happy new year folks!

Silly Bears

2008-12-17T01:24:00.001-05:00

After a semester of working on projects that felt really heavy and (personally) meaningful, all I can do now is paint and draw animals wearing silly hats and other silly things. Huh.

I'm enjoying it too. Tee.

A Burst of Colour

2008-12-14T14:41:00.003-05:00

Eye Spy: A Burst of Colour

Ok, how about a lot of colour?
Mr. Jones amazingly matches our friend's wall. Sometimes.

Recycling into Bookmarks

2008-12-10T22:24:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite items to collect are old books. I have a ridiculously huge weak spot for them. Since living in Montreal I have gathered books from thrift stores, the side of the road, and even got a few great oldies from an art installation that was made of them. Sometimes I paint on the old pages, or I use them for collage. Last year I thought up the idea to make bookmarks from them. I made a bunch then, but the project quickly lost priority with school and all the pressing assignments I had to do. A few days ago I decided to give the project another go, and I have to say, I am having loads of fun with it! The first set are from a book about animal ecology, the second from an encyclopedia from the 1950's and the third set (they haven't been laminated yet) are from an old children's book that I found in my friends apartment, which had been left by the previous tenants. I am excited to branch out even further and make bookmarks out of old maps, of medical illustrations, the possibilities are vast.

Now I need to decide what to do with all these little guys. I was thinking of selling some of them on Etsy, or maybe just adding a random one in when people make a purchase. Also thinking about giving them away for Christmas (they'd make great stocking stuffers!). It's going to be difficult parting with them, though. They're so precious and one of a kind.

In the tub

2008-12-05T19:39:00.003-05:00

Oil on canvas. 4'x3' I think.

Who doesn't have one of these photos laying about? Seriously.

I don't think I'm satisfied with this painting yet. Not sure if it's done, not sure if I care to go back to it or move on, though.

Childhood Memories...

2008-11-25T17:22:00.004-05:00

"No painting can exist without the tension of what it figures and what it concretely consists of. The pleasure of what it could mean and the pain of what it's not." - Marlene Dumas.

I'm going through an awkward phase with painting. I'm trying to revisit scenes from my past by way of a different perspective, with a different connotation. I am trying to examine the idea of the Other. I just... never feel as though I push my works as far as they have the potential to go. I am afraid and yet yearn for...something I can't even find the words for yet. My paintings are definitely going through a change, though, and change is always welcomed.

p.s. The weather outside kind of sucks. Snow? Rain? Snain, Raiow?

Nature

2008-11-16T13:16:00.004-05:00

This is: My favorite thing from nature.

Ok, so I am lying a bit here. There are many wonderful and stunning things in nature. I really enjoy vivid greens, though. I find that greens tend to pop more on gray rainy days when everything is saturated. Yesterday I saw the most beautifully moss covered tree trunk. It was such an intense green that it felt as though it was pulsating. I'm not exactly sure why I am attracted to these vivid greens in nature. I feel as though it may be because they remind me of something...that I can't put my finger on. Childhood? Dreams? Fantasy? Another life? Your guess is as good as mine.

Little Women & Friends

2008-11-15T17:49:00.005-05:00

These doodles are from my last sketchbook, not the new one. They were done over the course of a Wednesday afternoon (during a painting critique), and the following Thursday morning (during a photography critique). I like to doodle during crits, apparently.

And this creepy little dude was on the last page.

Oskar

2008-11-09T10:22:00.005-05:00

Very recently I saw the Swedish film Let the Right One In. It is a coming of age story about a quiet and bullied 12 year old boy named Oskar, and a '12' year old girl, Eli. Their relationship is incredibly touching, and the dialogue is sharp and quirky. Oh yeah, and Eli is a vampire, which has a tendency to complicate things a bit.

Not only is the story beautiful and somewhat disturbing, but the aesthetic of the film leaves me a little breathless. I can't even fully describe it: the palette, the location, the actors, the sound effects and music...woo. The combination is strong. I highly recommend seeing this film if you haven't already. In the meantime, here's the trailer.

In other news, a tentatively pro-markered in Oskar graces the first page of my new sketchbook. I had been working on my previous one since the beginning of March, so for a little over 7 months. It felt wonderfully satisfying to finish it yesterday. I am a slowpoke, I know, but to be fair I had put a lot of effort into it. It didn't just contain sketches, but photographs, to-do lists, calendars, class notes, personal rants, quotes, artists to check out, gallery receipts, et cetera. Which I realize should have made it fill up faster...hmm. Anyway, this new sketchbook has me excited. The pages are a subtle cream colour and it has a pocket to contain all the loose photos, flyers, and miscellaneous stuff I inevitablly end up shoving in my sketchbooks. The cover is also red. Pretty.

Anyway, today there is much to do. Then again, when is there not? Oh christmas break, how I am beginning to yearn for you.

Elegance

2008-10-29T22:08:00.002-04:00

My grandmother and grandfather outside the Vatican.
Gosh she was a classy, beautiful lady. I miss her bunches.

Favorite Films

2008-10-19T12:39:00.008-04:00

This is: A list of my favorite films.
This week's awesome topic by Hokey.

It's pretty much impossible for me to pick one favorite film. I enjoy different movies for a variety of reasons, and these ones listed don't even really cover all my favorites. Some of these are quite embarrassing to share, so I think I better explain. To make it a little more sensical I will organize by category, even though most of them cross into many/all the categories I've made.

Favorite animated films from my childhood:

Secret of N.I.M.H - Everything from the animation to the storyline is amazing in this film.
An American Tail - By the same writer/director (Don Bluth). Almost as incredible as N.I.M.H.
The Last Unicorn - I've always enjoyed the low chromatic aesthetic and sombre/fantastical tone of this film.
Wallace and Gromit - Pure genius. Endearing and honest. I enjoy trying to smile like Wallace from time to time. Basically just attempt to expose as many teeth as I can.

Favorite films for the distinct aesthetic quality:

Amelie - Me and everyone's dog loves this one. It's a no brainer.
Eternal Sunshine - I wish I could draw how some of the scenes are constructed/de-constructed, if that makes any sense.
Rushmore - Wes Anderson is of course a master at creating distinctly visually pleasing atmospheres. This movie also has some great acting and is incredibly well written: snarky, vulnerable, charming.

Favorite comfort films:

A Little Princess - This is a favorite of mine since childhood. The story/quality of the film captivates me. It also never fails to squeeze out a few tears.
Zoolander - I hated this movie the first time I saw it. The second time around I accepted it for what it is and laughed a lot more. I put this on when I am looking for pure mindless entertainment.
Lilo & Stitch - Super cute and quirky. The unique style (especially for Disney) impresses me.
Harry Potter - Hahaha, I love to put this movie on and fall asleep to it. Not because it bores me, but because I find it incredibly soothing.
Pride & Prejudice - I loved the book and the movie doesn't disappoint. This film satisfies me when I'm in a mushy romantic mood.

Agh, there are even more than these listed that I am just thinking of now. There is a whole category for musicals that I didn't even get around to, but I am out of time to share all the details!
I need to go to school and paint! Toodles!

The alligator represents sharing

2008-10-18T19:20:00.004-04:00

Today was one big productivity fail.

Final Farewell

2008-10-15T10:16:00.003-04:00

Two polaroids from the summer. Can't say I'll miss that hot, humid season.
In other news, today is a sad day for us Canadians. I think I've lost faith in my country's judgment.

Little Girls & Friends

2008-09-22T22:40:00.004-04:00

I bought a new pen, it's a pretty colour.
I've been having a bit of a drawing block, but I think I'm gradually thawing out of it.
For all this, here's a page from my almost done sketchbook.

Preservation

2008-09-15T14:15:00.003-04:00

For the first semester in photography class I think I will focus my energies around the idea of food, and the ridiculous lengths we go through to preserve it. Furthermore, I want to address how detached western culture has become to that which we consume, how food has become an almost magical entity, which magically appears on the shelves at our grocery stores. I am still roughing out my concepts and ideas, but I wrote this little blurb on the topic:

In order to preserve our bodies we preserve our food, in order to preserve our food we destroy our environment, which in effect is destroying our bodies. Our desire for self preservation conflicts with itself.

We'll see where this takes me. To engaging places, both conceptually and aesthetically, I hope!

Self Love

2008-09-05T16:54:00.004-04:00

I never posted this here, but I created this image last summer when I had just a little *too* much time on my hands. It was inspired by an internet pal who had a little rant about how she hates photos of heterosexual girls kissing other hetero girls. I then oddly connected that with me kissing myself and wondered if that image would make anyone angry. I was also thinking about the concept of masturbation, and how to take that to a ridiculously narcissistic level. Even though it's a bit old, I thought there would be no harm in sharing it with my readers here. I giggled the whole time I was creating this. It is not meant to offend, but to amuse. The fact that it doesn't even look realistic makes me lol too. Please giggle along!

Heartache

2008-09-01T00:54:00.003-04:00

Examining maps kind of breaks my heart. There are so many places I wish to visit in this small yet incredibly vast world. So many places I know I never will. It's not so much the hot spots like Paris, London, Rome, Sydney, or Tokyo that get me down, because I have small hopes that I may visit those locations someday. Moreso, it's discovering all the little cities and towns, the expanses of country, the special places by the sea. It's difficult to articulate, but I get sheepishly emotional when looking at geography. I wonder if anyone has ever been everywhere? Of course leave it to the romantic to wish to accomplish the impossible.

I've also noticed that I get a sickly claustrophobic feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about the idea of living in the middle of a continent. I really love living on an island, or within a 24 hour drive of an ocean coast. I feel relieved that I am currently accomplishing both.

Beautiful Day

2008-08-28T22:02:00.005-04:00

Today was an exceptionally beautiful day for no reason in particular. Everything just seemed so stunning, as though I was hyper aware of my surroundings. I wish more days could feel this beautiful.

Also, breakfast for supper is the best!

This is...my favorite children's book

2008-08-24T08:58:00.006-04:00

I've decided to give the 'this is...' meme a shot. I always enjoy reading others entries, so here I go! For this week we were asked by pottymouthmama to share our favorite children's book. I have many childhood favorites, everything from Beatrix Potter to the Berenstain Bears. But one that I always really got a kick out of is 'Manners Can Be Fun' by Munro Leaf. The illustrations are kind of horrible in a really great way, and I feel as though I appreciate them in my adult life far more than I ever did in my childhood. I must have read through this book thousands of times with my brothers as a kid, and I'm not really sure if it ever taught us any better about manners, but we did end up calling each other out whenever we behaved like any of the not so nice kids in the book: The pigs, the whineys, the noiseys, the me first, the bragger, the show-off, the won't wash. Whew, and that is just to name a few.

Here are a few photographs from our version. This book got so much use that the spine has almost completely withered away and is being held together by tape! The copy of the book that we own was stolen from our elementary school library by my older brother. Talk about bad manners!

Amusement Park Polaroids

2008-08-21T02:21:00.007-04:00

A very few of the polaroids I have taken. Unfortunately it was a fairly grey day. Polaroids are tricky, I need practice!

Illustration Friday: Sail

2008-08-10T10:33:00.003-04:00

Or, a fantastical topographical view of where I'd like to sail to!

One Door Closes...

2008-08-08T14:07:00.003-04:00

Who would have thought that so much time could be taken up by helping yourself and others move homes? Thankfully the moving season seems to be coming to a close. Phew! Now, finally, back to art!

Good Gossip

2008-07-29T14:12:00.004-04:00

The little piece to my right was inspired by the architecture one can find in Quebec City. I haven't been yet, but I would really love to someday soon. I only live two hours away, and have a place to stay for free while there. All that is needed is some planning.

If nothing more happens with the day it has already been a good one. I received three packs of Polaroid film in the mail this morning, finished a good book, and clean laundry is on the way. If only life could always be this simple. The apartment is gradually getting decorated, though there is still much to be done. The studio is in working order, which makes me immensely happy. But all our kitchen cupboards need new hinges, which the concierge needs to do, and we have been waiting for almost a month. I hope he gets around to it soon, as they don't close properly and the cats can't help but think they are welcoming caves. Phil and I are also thinking of buying new linoleum tiles for the kitchen. The current tiles look rather gross no matter how hard they are scrubbed.

Overall, I am content, though. After all, I have all of August to get everything just so, plus work on personal art projects.

Little houses on the hillside...

2008-07-28T21:19:00.006-04:00

Ok, not really houses, more like shacks and garages. From a recent trip to Kazabazua, visiting my friend Rhonda. I wish there were more little 'houses' I could have taken photos of! I need to get myself to the country more often.

A quick hello.

2008-07-03T16:00:00.003-04:00

Hello!
I moved to a new apartment with my boyfriend and cats on the 30th, and it is really swell. Lots of organization and decoration is in order, though. Hopefully in a week's time I will be able to settle down and start on serious art projects as well as art for my Etsy. I am dying to paint and draw.

The Gemini Design

2008-06-15T00:17:00.005-04:00

Back in May, Laura and I started a dual photo blog called THE GEMINI DESIGN. There is no real theme, it's more about capturing the beauty in our daily scenery, routines, activities and travels. We take weekly turns pairing our images together and updating on a daily basis.

Lately I have been feeling somewhat stagnant, and I really appreciate the fact that this project is forcing me to think about photography and to create. When we are back in school it will most likely not be as active, but for the time being it is keeping me on my toes which I am grateful for, and I am very much enjoying the tone it is developing: Friendly and curious, yet distant and slightly secretive. At least, that's what I get from it, but maybe I am crazy.

Graffiti Fun

2008-06-14T00:38:00.006-04:00

Facebook is cluttered with mostly useless, benign applications. The one exception in my books is their Graffiti application. I can really wrap my mind around the idea of leaving little illustrations on friends walls. Here are a few of my more recent graffiti adventures:

This one I drew to myself as a form of de-stressing a bit while writing an essay.

To my friend Gaia, just to say hello.

Last but not least, a strange koala to my lovely boyfriend.

Bleekly's Birds - Another First!

2008-06-08T16:07:00.002-04:00

For my mass communications course I created a mock children's book! The project was fairly open in terms of the types of media we could use to show awareness about issues like consumerism, advertisement and the effects of industrialization. The printed version looks exceptionally sharp too! My lovely boyfriend, Philippe, helped greatly with that.

Here is the link to the story. It's a little too abrupt, but I had a very limited amount of time to complete this project. I will very likely go back and elaborate once I am finished my summer semester and am settled into the next apartment that Phil and I will be moving into on June 30th.

A Very First!

2008-05-22T15:40:00.002-04:00

I am excited to show you all my first attempt at animation and also my first time using flash.
It's nothing fancy, but I am proud of it considering how intimidated I was by the idea of animation. It's also very satisfying seeing my little buddies come to life.

Up in the Clouds

2008-05-19T22:54:00.005-04:00

I was going to sew today, but my sewing machine turned out to be very messed up. I unfortunately don't have the manual, and am not the best at figuring out machine problems, so hopefully it is something easily fixable that I am just not thinking about. In the meantime I will continue arting. I need to bring my oil paints home soon. I miss them!

Assimilation Time

2008-05-16T15:34:00.005-04:00

Though colorful and cute, this piece embodies a more significant message. Old traditions, cultures and religions are gradually facing extinction as the modern, industrial world closes in around them. People's values are being forced into a change that better suits this vastly corporate world. We are all gradually entering the same uniform.

My mass communications class is really having an effect on me. I think I am taking it at a very appropriate time in my life, because industrial architecture is beginning to take over my brain.

Prints are available in my Etsy shoppe.

we're fated to pretend.

2008-05-13T22:22:00.008-04:00

Some days I feel incredibly enlightened. Others, not so much. But I try to stay grateful for so many amazing aspects of my life. I am in an incredibly privileged position, with my education and living costs being paid for, an incredible boyfriend [and cats!] as well as all the fantastic friends and people I have met who have impacted me in some way that has broadened my perspective.
But other days I reflect upon what my family has become. We are glass shards spread thin across the earth's crust, and some of us our beginning to crack. For the past year we seem to be working through a cycle. It goes: Bad, worse, better. Repeat.
Today, for the first time ever I had a serious flash urge to jump into the metro tracks. All I could hear was my dad's warning that the metro would suck me in if I stood too close.
And I wanted it to. But just for a moment.
I look forward to when the 'better' part of the cycle arrives.

My brother from another mother.

2008-05-13T22:13:00.005-04:00

My dear friend Evan, sitting under a tree [hence the strange lighting] at the tender age of 16.

Oil on canvas, 3 feet and 9 inches x 5 feet. Pretty huge!

Distorted Self.

2008-05-11T02:04:00.003-04:00

Oil on canvas, 4'x5'.

I really need to push the distortion. What am I so afraid of? It's only paint, after all.

Antler Women.

2008-05-10T23:24:00.011-04:00

A series, or the start of one.
I need to work on being consistent. My style really changes from one to the next.
I've ordered them chronologically, first to last. All are various sizes, the largest is 3'x4'.
Oil on canvas.

Limbless creatures are your friends!

2008-04-15T14:45:00.003-04:00

Not sure if this was appropriate to make for my friend's 30th birthday...but at the time (which was during a 41 hours of no sleep marathon I did to finish essays) I thought it was splendid.

I just burned my index finger. It hurts a lot.

Water Towers Connect

2008-03-25T22:19:00.003-04:00

Water Towers. 12"x16"
Mixed media on canvas.
I don't think I like this, but what else is new?

Done for Doughfaced

2008-03-23T11:54:00.003-04:00

I have recently got into drawing and watercoloring pig portraits. Last night I made an original to sell on Etsy. I used to sell original artworks that are done on Synonym paper for $25, but I upped it to $30. Not much of a difference, but I think I should start gradually raising the price of my originals. I feel that art should be accessible to everyone, though, so unless my art becomes high demand [which I rather highly doubt] they will never get too pricey. I also think that I sell my artwork at such a low price because I have art related esteem issues, but that's a whole other ball game.

Man...I really do rant a lot for this being an art blog and all.

Hello Handsome

2008-03-14T01:19:00.005-04:00

Sort of inspired by Yi Chen and Jenny Saville, though it doesn't appear so (because it sort of sucks). I think I just need to be more extreme with the distortion. Why am I never extreme enough?
Here's the original image I used as a loose reference.
Sleep time!

Practice...

2008-03-12T01:28:00.006-04:00

My first digital doodle in oodles of months. I kind of hate it, but it's important to show progress or some bologna like that. This was a very random drawing...not inspired by anything and only continued to some sort of conclusion out of frustration. Anyway, it was kind of nice using my tablet again. I should make an effort to continue using it, do at least one sketchy digital painting a week...or something like that. Maybe that will assist me in getting out of my aforementioned 'funk'.

Urgh, I bet when I look at this on my laptop monitor (as opposed to my super high contasty and bright computer monitor) it's going to look so dull, which will also frustrate me.

Lately I've been feeling a little...

2008-03-11T22:39:00.001-04:00

...Bird brained.
I want out of this funk.

Philippe.

2008-02-22T23:31:00.003-05:00

3'x4'
Acrylic on canvas.

This just in...

2008-02-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

Wow, the way I draw versus the way I paint, in everything from style to content are so incredibly different. This isn't new news, I mean just looking through this blog this statement becomes obvious, but sometimes the gap is just so striking. I feel most joy when drawing the cartoony whereas I get the most satisfaction from painting people or objects in a realistic manner, though I never strive for photo-realism in painting because that's what the camera is for.

Though interestingly enough I can't seem to stop painting or drawing antlers lately. So I suppose some icons do travel between the two forms of art.

Oh, and just to clarify, I use water color as an aid to illustrations more than a form of paint.
The one in the bottom right corner is the laziest. His name is Wilbert.

Perma scum.

2008-01-13T23:33:00.000-05:00

Just a very quick painting exercise in oils to warm up.
It is riddled with tiny mistakes.
12"x12"

My tiles are gross, I realize.

Fun's Over

2008-01-05T19:25:00.000-05:00

I need to get off this fun octo-ride I've been on and face reality again. Sigh.

After Renoir...

2007-12-14T01:11:00.001-05:00

My boyfriend found this print on our median and I couldn't help myself.
I am very much enjoying time off from school.

Blood Meat.

2007-12-12T20:38:00.000-05:00

May as well post this here since this is my art blog. It's acrylic on canvas, 2'x3'.

Even though my family is all scattered and kind of broken I am looking forward to the holidays.
Are you?

Ceramic Project: Mother and Children.

2007-11-10T18:45:00.000-05:00

Jellyfish.

2007-11-06T16:27:00.001-05:00

I want to start using sketchbooks on a steady basis.
And I want to started posting those sketches.
We shall see what happens.

Illustration Friday

2007-10-07T22:34:00.000-04:00

My submission to Illustration Friday's special theme "Open". I wish I had time to create something brand new, but since I don't I figured submitting something was better than nothing at all!

This is also my very first time submitting to Illustration Friday. I really like how the site works, how navigating through submissions brings one to the artist's blog. Very neat. I think I will definitely be a more active participant in the future!

First painting of the school year has got the old wheels turning.

2007-10-01T00:25:00.000-04:00

I think I really dislike writing reports or essays. I understand their merit, but I also resent them with every fibre of my being. It's not that I dislike writing, in fact I think I am a rather articulate and somewhat poetic writer when there is something that I am interested in enough to formulate into words.

I remember in high school I was a whiz at writing papers. Yet when I hit college [cegep] I suddenly went in a writing slump and received some of the worst marks ever on certain essays. I suppose I stopped caring about literature in my attempt to focus more on visual representation and stimulation. I stopped caring about the hidden significance in the written word.

Funny how I am now losing interest in the hidden significance behind art. Perhaps that isn't the best way to phrase it; I will try again: I am getting fed up with 'artists' trying to bullshit significance into their creations. In this information age it sometimes feels like art should represent something of 'deep significance' within the creator to be any good, or at least any good to the professor or curator. I think that's ludicrous.

My new resolution is to focus on the aesthetics and emotion/sensation my artwork emits. I'm tired of forcing a significance into something that would probably be far more interesting for the viewer to feel their way through and decide for themselves what it purports to them. That's not to say no thought will be put in on my end, that would be impossible. In critiques I am just tired of feeling like garbage is spewing from my palate when all I want to say is "I did this for the good feeling the aesthetics yield. Representation is up to the individual."

I better get back to my report.

Hopeful for August

2007-08-08T16:55:00.000-04:00

August seems to have revitalized me. For the past few weeks I have been feeling utterly unmotivated and lethergic. But with each passing day I feel I have more energy, more creativity and ideas and am looking forward to going back to university full time more and more.

July was busy travel wise, but I unfortunately only did one piece of artwork the entire month, the one to my right. I hope I get some more art done in August. I also hope to update my comic Snow Coast, which I haven't touched in forever but have a whole bunch of ideas written down for comics. We shall see, I suppose.

Here's a list of my mostly solid courses for 2007-2008:
6_credits: Painting, Drawing, Ceramics
3_credits: Spanish, Italian, History of Photography

I am most excited for ceramics which I have always wanted, but never had the chance to try my hand at. Also the language courses. And I have a lot of ideas for paintings swimming around in my head already.

With all that said: Happy August, everyone! Hope you will all enjoy this last month of vacation as much as I intend to.

Problem?

2007-06-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

Life is generally stabilizing once more. There is also a lot to look forward to currently. The more geeky part of me is in fits about next month being Harry Potter month. I try not to think about it too much because it is difficult containing my excitement. I am also excited because I get to go to Florida with my brothers to visit my dad. This is very exciting for multiple reasons. 1. Get to see my family 2. Get to travel and 3. All the photo opportunities!

But I must not get carried away. Need to focus on the now. Good day!

Ennui Enterprise

2007-05-18T13:26:00.000-04:00

I have been such a busy beaver lately. Between the 9-5 job, working on building up lots of art pieces, managing the sales I've been making, managing a household and attempting to be a social creature I feel as though I am left with little time to sit back. This isn't really true, of course. There is always time, I just seem to let it pass through my fingers too easily. I need to become even more time efficient, but part of me is slow and lazy and will probably always be. Ah well.

I am really happily surprised that I have made an etsy sale everyday for 4 days straight now [not including today, that is]. It's really encouraging and motivating to be reassured that my art isn't crap. I am also very content because all the money I make is going towards getting a laptop, an object I have wanted for near to 10 months now. In fact, it seems like lately I have gone a little electronic crazy. I even fantasize about upgrading my already amazing camera to a newer, more powerful model. I don't actually believe this will happen for a long time yet, but one can dream. The laptop will happen at the beginning of June if all goes as planned, though. One thing at a time.

Well, must be off! Need to pack up a parcel to ship out. I love packing them. It feels so satisfying.

Sink Skipper

2007-04-17T13:56:00.000-04:00

I purchased a book of synonyms [printed in 1943] at the Salvation Army way back in September of 2006. I never really thought much of it until last week when inspiration struck. With using an underdrawing done in col-erase pencil, then penning or inking it in and finally adding the watercolour over top I have started a new art project which I am very enthused about. Thus far I have made four, one of which I gave away as a gift. The remaining ones are for sale on my etsy, if anyone is interested. I also let the words at the top of the page inspire me, such as the one to my right, which was completely inspired by "Sink Skipper". I also thought it would be neat to title them all what they say at the top.

It's refreshing to update with something other than photography for once. I love photography, but watercolours are so much fun to work with!!

Signs of Spring

2007-04-05T14:44:00.000-04:00

I enjoy how this blog feels so secluded. It's kind of nice.
Since I can't embed youtube videos, here's a link to a stop motion I curently did.

Here are some photographs from the project:

Sugar Miniature!

2007-03-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

I made a miniature out of sugar cubes of my old backyard for art x. I documented it using different lighting, and it also had to have a performance aspect to it, so I poured hot coffee on it. Here are some photos!

Stepping in a new direction.

2007-03-11T12:22:00.000-04:00

Wow, it has been months! I don't undertand why I don't update this blog more often. I rather like it.

So now to business: My 'official' website is taking forever for its redesign to be completed, and because an art student can always do with a little extra cash, I've decided to make an etsy account. For the most part, I like etsy. Though, some aspects about it are a little sucky. I can deal with paying 20 cents for each item I have up, but the fact that if it does not get purchased within 4 months it gets taken down is a little silly. Due to this I am hesitant to put a lot of items for sale. Thus far I have prints from a series I did with a couple stuffed animals. I do want to put more items up for sale soon, but I'm going to have to be selective.

Anywho, if you're interested in having a peek at my etsy shop, you can find it at http://flossyflotsam.etsy.com/

I'll try to update here more often in the future! At least not leave months of silence between entries.