Photo II

Today I managed to grab my archival print box holding photographs from a year ago. In this box I found some of my favorite images I have ever created, and I have been wanting to scan in for quite some time now. Mind you, the prints are a tad dusty, but I think they're pretty successful images. I feel inspired to shoot black and white film again.

Body Space Interjections



Creating Images Based off another Photographer's Style - Anna Gaskell


Extending The Image






I miss the darkroom.

Another result from the Insomniac Epiphanies

I think I am going to continue working in this way. It was all unplanned, but I really like the results. Obviously the use of the yarn came from the Angel shoot I did this Monday. This photo might have too much going on in it, but either way, I like the texture the yarn creates and how the accidental loose straps seem to flow into the red yarn as if they are connected. Motion is something new I am trying so I like what I'm getting so far, but I want to continue to play with it, probably with longer shutter speeds so the shapes are more defined.

I have photography class this morning, and I think I may be getting my idea book, so I won't feel lost anymore.

Insomnia and Epiphanies

Tonight has been indeed productive. On accident. After my night class I came home and photographed artwork to post on here and my other sites, but I was compelled to keep going with something. I tried knitting. Lost concentration and interest real quick. I wanted to draw my octopi idea, taped my borders....but I put the pencil in my hand and dropped it immediately. I began playing with the fabric I had gathered as possibilities for my jellyfish and I just put it on my face and something clicked. Pulled out the tripod, and shot around 282 frames...

This image you see in this entry was the outcome. I'm intrigued but I find I am still discovering it.

Artworks Beyond Photography

So, I realize that I have mainly just been posting my photography on here---meanwhile, I have a lot of other artwork to show. Getting into photography was an accident. I just loved shooting so much, here I am since intro photo. When I took intro I had no intention of actually continuing with it. When I took Photo II it was a whim, I was a late add to the class. I had originally meant to major in drawing and painting--which have been my strengths all along. I'm getting better, practicing with my tech issues. It is the ability to challenge reality what I like most about photography. Hopefully someday I'll be really good at it. I've definitely taken leaps as of late.

Anyways, I took photos of some artwork I did last semester--these works are probably the strongest pieces of art I have created in my undergrad career. First I will show you pieces from Intermediate Drawing:



In Intermediate, we did a lot of figure drawing. Above are some of the nude figure drawings i did in-class. The funny part about this is I am currently in Advanced drawing with the girl who modeled for these drawings. We were assigned a lot of outside drawings too--I had two pieces that were my pride and joy. "Untitled (Freedom is What You Make of It)" made it into the Juried student show. "Saving My Face" is my pride and joy--I mean to get it framed but I can easily say it is the best piece of art I have ever created. It's around 3ftx4ft so it's huge. It took me a week and a half to create, but it was well worth it. I turned it in for final critique.

Untitled (Freedom Is What You Make Of It)
Nupastel on Stonehenge

Saving My Face
Nupastel and charcoal on Stonehenge

Aside from drawing and photography, I have also dabbled in the area of textiles/fiber arts. I can really only knit scarves, and my working on the loom this morning was semi-intimidating and frustrating. However, I've always had a special place for costumes...anything to do with dressing up. I've created two very interesting wearable pieces. One is a corset which first began as my project for Sacred/Profane absorption/discharge assignment...and later evolved into my self-portrait embroidery piece. The corset was for intro. Now I am in the Intermediate class, and we had to create a project based on the movie/book "A Clockwork Orange"...somehow I found myself working with lingerie AGAIN. I sewed milk labels to an old bra, and there are eyelashes where the nips would be. A basic explanation of the piece would be the milk labels represent the Korova Milkbar, the eyelashes represent the fake eyelashes which Alex wears in the film, and I chose a bra due to the issue of rape in the story.

Profane/Self-Portrait Corset

A Clockwork Orange Bra

I'm not sure what's coming next. I'm excited to find out. Tonight is the first night in a long time where I can simply relax a bit more. My bra, which hasn't even been turned in yet, is done for Thursday, and we just had a critique in Graphics today (I do intend to post some of my graphics work in here)...so I thought it would be a good time to catch up with life in general...not just my blog. Hopefully I remain addicted so I keep updating and don't wind up with a blog that needs to be dusted off after months of neglect.

Blog to do list:
*Graphic Design
*Photo II

Fin. For now.

continuing the Angel series

*20 Years of Snow
*A Skeleton of Something More
*Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt
*In a Sweater Poorly Knit

I am beginning to feel great about this series. The good news is that I probably will be working for quite awhile now, at least until after Spring Break...I will be at home in Milwaukee over spring break so those photos will be set in my house. The house where Angel lived while she was still alive. They will follow more along the lines of "In a Sweater Poorly Knit" with me embodying her, and wearing her collar, etc. One idea involves drinking milk from a bowl.

Over this time I also hope to shoot a series of images called "Kissing the Lipless". These I am very excited for.

The semester is indeed getting busy. Tonight I am working on not only my photos (the irony is that these aren't due for awhile yet) but also my textiles project based off of the book/movie "A Clockwork Orange"...I plan on posting photos of that on here and my deviantart...along with my epic works of last semester, particularly two drawings and my "self portrait/sacred and profane" textiles project. And stuff from Photo II. I also would like to begin working on the two drawings with octopi and eyeballs that I feel very compelled to create. I should be doing my graphics homework right now...I'm not...at least it isn't due until 6pm tomorrow. Posting some Graphics from last semester would be a good idea too.

Ending note: I still haven't constructed any jellyfish. And I feel naked without my ideabook.

Headshots

Lately I've been working with actors (mainly former or current theatre majors here at UWGB) and have been taking their headshots in the school's lighting studio. I do realize that when I get up close with vertical shots I either need A) More arm muscle B) A taller tripod or C) More playing around with exposures...most likely option C. Because I'm inathletic and I don't have any money. But the ones I shot tonight are the best yet. Tomorrow I am shooting what I hope to be the most dynamic shots in the Angel series.

These portraits are of my former roommate Alicia. She also just got cast lead in the musical "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Reflect Up." I'm very proud of her and to have shot her headshots.

the beginning of the Angel series

As of late I have been working with a single prop that will hopefully turn into a very large series. The idea came about when I dreamt about my cat Angel, who was very special to me. She passed away last May, but somehow I was inspired to do work about immortality/morality, life/death, life/eternal life...etc. I decided to use her collar, which is really the only personal thing of hers left behind besides photographs. I began shooting it in situations that randomly came to mind...I plan on shooting some more complex work this weekend and Monday, which I am excited for. So check back sometime next week for those! I feel particularly good about those ideas.

Most of my ideas as of late have been very complicated and long term--I am about to begin a very exciting series about reversing environments. I don't want to reveal too much right now, but expect to see updates fairly soon--as this project calls for prop construction.

I also want to begin scanning in work from Photo II and my Intermediate drawing class, perhaps some of my Graphic design work from last semester as well.

The most exciting news: I have gone digital...the Sleeping Lessons series and these very preliminary Angel series shots were done with my Nikon D70s.

That's all for now :D

Sleeping Lessons

Sleeping Lessons
Digital Inkjet Prints

***The above photos are a series I shot for my Advanced Photography class this spring. There are more images to the series but I wanted to focus on the aspects of sleep such as unconsciousness and the alive being of the subconscious, the process, and the reality of a life skill practiced by every human being on this planet. This series may be further explored. I was inspired by the song "Sleeping Lessons" by The Shins, although the actual context of the song was not used within these photographs.