end of year party

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

Silly Bears

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

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

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

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...

"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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Films

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

Today was one big productivity fail.

Final Farewell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One Door Closes...

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

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...

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.

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Oil on canvas, 4'x5'.

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