Untitled Thought about the "Films of 2010"

Classics I Revisited:

[On the Big Screen]

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

Psycho (1960)

Halloween (1978)

Back To The Future (1985)

In 2010, I saw 50+ movies. There were many that I liked, few that I loved, and one I couldn't stop thinking about. After a single viewing, "Exit Through The Gift Shop" became one of my favorite movie surprises of the year. Others to note include "Toy Story 3", "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World", "Easy A", "Buried", "The Social Network", and yes how could I forget "Inception". Though it'll never be a dvd in my collection, it was certainly one of the better choices to make at the theater this year. And from the looks of it at the theatre these days, "Black Swan" seems to be another solid choice. I have yet to see it but I don't doubt that it falls into the "Hollywood Can Make a Good Movie" category.

However, there were some serious stinkers this year. These are the movies that go in the "Worst F**king Waste of Time" category. The gold medal goes to Rob Reiner's "Flipped", which was a completely pointless effort of recreating the charm of "Stand By Me". And speaking of charm, I can't forget the charmlessness of "Alice in Wonderland" or "Sex and the City 2". Both were commercially successful.

F**k that.

A Titled Billiard Photo

"Billiard Ball Birthday"

Part 2 of 2

A Titled Billiard Photo

"Billiard Ball Birthday"

Made as a Christmas gift for my father.

Part 1 of 2

Untitled Laundry Photo

This is one of several laundry photos that I have done as a Christmas gift for my mother. I was stressing out a bit because all the photos were originally taken by my father and they were taken at low resolution. Therefore the original idea I had of just picking one and blowing it up had become void.

So I had to make it work with what I had which was a fun challenge. The first decision I made was to make a series of them which would allow me to keep them at their original size. Another guideline I had was that the pictures be in black and white. Because of this, I made the laundry pop by layering them in bits of color.

Once this was done, I felt that the photos looked a little flat. They needed some sort of texture to seal it. I tried several textures that related to the laundry theme but they all looked too busy. In the end I found a texture that was listed under fabrics but looked more like Greek stone. Once the stone was in place I felt there was no more to be done. All the photos looked complete and I am quite happy with how they look.

The only concern I have now is what they will look like once they are printed. Even though I was well aware of the resolution issue, they could still look bad in small form. I hope this not to be the case because I put a lot of work into this project. I don't want to have to start from square one again.

Here's hoping...

Untitled Creative Block

More often then not, I feel creatively blocked. I always finish something with a certain fear that this project will be my last. Like I will never get this lucky again. But there is also this amazing sense of belief that it will all work out when it's supposed to. That after several failed starts, something will click. At this point, I feel like the project has a mind of its own.

In my best words I can say that this is where the piece becomes specific. I find most of my creative problems branch from is the trying to be specific from the get go. That's just a brick wall I'll never get through.

Tonight, I began first of many stubborn sessions. However this block was audience related. Everything I've ever done was done in complete ignorance that anyone would ever view them. Once I start thinking about my audience, I won't produce anything of value. I got a hint of this tonight. I know this piece will be viewed and I don't like it.

Untitled Street Photo

"To walk across the street is a risk"

And yet, I do it without hesitation.

Untitled Eye Spy Photo

EYE SPY

...something......something......something...

...something......something...

...something...

...something that you climb...

Untitled Morning Photo

"...the older I get the more joy I find in the morning."

I have never been a real morning person. When I think "morning person" I imagine a very perky person who pops right out of bed, no sweat. I'm certainly not that person. However, I do love the morning once I am awake. It is my favorite time that I spend with myself, hands down.

After hitting the snooze a couple times, I arise from my bed. This is the time of a wonderfully soothing shower. I turn on my shower radio and proceed to lather, rinse, repeat to the classics of the 1980's.

Thirty minutes later, I emerge in a cheerful mood. As I'm in no real rush to get going, I decide to watch something. During the week, this is usually an episode from one of my shows which aired the night before. I don't have cable so I must download everything. As my entertainment begins, I start my hair process. It is quite long and tedious but it makes me happy.

As a nice break between blow drying my hair and straightening it, I usually make some breakfast. I've never been a fan of this particular meal so I don't make a big deal of it. On an average morning I enjoy a bowl of cereal, some yogurt, and potassium in the form of a banana.

After this, I begin to straighten my hair. I am fully aware that this is an unnecessary thing to do but again, it makes me happy. It makes me feel pretty. I have an ugly duckling syndrome that still plagues me at times. But I do not want to dwell on that.

Once this stage is complete, it is time for the clothes and make up. I've never been a real fashionista so my outfits are never elaborate. A simple jeans, tank top, and sweater and I'm content. The top comes first and is on before anything else.

Now is the time for my face. Despite what many people say, there is a difference in what I look like with makeup as oppose to without. I rarely leave the house with a natural face. I spent a better portion of my life with a naked face and I just don't like it. But like my fashion, I don't go over the top. I usually stick with a face base which is just a light powder that evens out my skin tone. Next I apply my mascara. I switch the color depending on my mood. If I'm feeling particularly funky I will put on a blue or purple shade. And on those mellow days where I don't care, I go with black. I've never used brown and I never will. Brown is dull and just doesn't work for me. I don't feel it pops enough. But that's just me.

After this, is usually the time when I have to leave for work. So I pick out the rest of my clothes and take a glance in the full length mirror. With a sense of self approval I put on a little lip gloss and head out the door.

On my way to work I almost always stop at my local Tim Hortons (Canadian plug!) for a coffee and muffin. Lately I discovered their whole grain raspberry muffin and it is beyond delicious. I do my best to keep the muffin to coffee ratio even and make the muffin last as long as I can but sometimes I fail.

That, in a nut shell, is a typical morning in the life of Lauren. It has become a ritual that I enjoy very much and I am much happier having that. With the amount of possibilities that can occur throughout the day, it is nice to know that I always have this.

Time that is always mine.

Untitled Green Photo (Take Two)

While I was in the dollar store this evening, I came across something that intrigued me very much. I was in the toy section when I saw this mini Green Volkswagen Beetle. I'm not one to buy useless items but I couldn't help myself from making this purchase (after all it was only a dollar).

When I was in my early teens, these cars could be spotted anywhere and everywhere. They were very unique in style and always created a fun game of "Punch Buggy". If you are not familiar with this game, the rules are rather simple. When you spot one on the road, it is your duty to punch whomever is with you and simple say "Punch Buggy". It was a very annoying game when the cars were popular. Now it's not so bad though I do enjoy the sense of nostalgia when I get to do it.

Before I was able to drive, I wanted this car. It was bold and could be easily seen from far away. Green was my favorite color and I felt this particular shade expressed a quirkiness that best suited my personality. Somewhere along the way I forgot about how much I loved this car. When I see it now it reminds me of the great times I had just being a naive teenager. The days when I wanted to be a famous actress and live in Hollywood California.

Those days might be long gone but the dreamer in me isn't. She still pops up from time to time with new ideas for the future.

Untitled Family Photo (Take Two)

This is my second attempt at the Family Portraits category. The deadline for it is this Saturday and I think the best I can hope for is to submit two photos. You are given five in each category but I made an error and only have two (unless I have some good fortune between now and Saturday).

I kind of like this one. I really loved the idea of getting a family portrait from the cemetery. It was the first place that came to my mind when I thought of families. It seemed like the ideal site to get family members together. Some family members had their own headstone which made it difficult to photograph. The ones I took of these didn't give the effect I was going for. That is why there are two key elements to the way I did it in the photo you see here.

First was the fact that all the names are on the same stone. All you see is the name: Walker. I really get the sense of family from this. It's the saying "The family that lays together, stays together" that drives any emotion this photo has. It seems more touching to me that all of their names are so close. Having separate stones is just too much distance for this particular family.

The second element I think is important is the fact that I shot in using the fisheye lens. The tricky thing about this lens is using it correctly. Now I'm not sure if that's the case here but I certainly feel more satisfied with the photo having used it. I worry a lot when I use this lens because everything looks neat through it. I don't like this because I don't want the camera to do all the work. I still want my eye to come through.

This photo also had the help of photoshop (obviously!). Don't know if I pushed it too far but I like it.

Untitled Graveyard Photo

Seeing as though it's Halloween, I thought I'd go back to the cemetery for there is no one better to spend this day with than with the dead. This trip wasn't as creepy as the last bceause I went as the sun was setting. However this time I encountered more people walking around. A couple of them were like myself, cameras in hand, but most were mourning a loss.

I didn't know how to feel amongst these people. My instant reaction was insensitivity. Here I was using their loved ones for creative gain. I had no real business being there in comparison to them. No one said anything of course, but every time they looked at me, I thought about it.

I thought very long and hard about the stories surrounding each of these people. There was one elderly couple who seemed to be having a hard time both physically and emotionally. I thought about the deceased friend they were visiting and the fact that they weren't soon off. I know that's a horrible thought but it's very true. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to watch everyone around you die. To be one of the last few surviving people in your social circle, waiting for your time to come. It's all so depressing.

However, this feeling is to be expected when walking around a graveyard on Halloween night. What exactly was I expecting?

Untitled Teddy Bear Photo

Today is my day off and what does a normal person do on a day off? Sleep in. What do I do with my day off? Go for a walk in the cemetery. At the crack of dawn I headed towards St. James cemetery located on Parliament just north of Wellesley.

My original intent on this journey was to find something for my family portraits category. Many family members are plotted next to each other and given the time of year it seemed like a good idea. While I did get some good pictures of family head stones, I found something which was so haunting I could barely stand it.

In anticipation for this project, I bought a book called "Toys Were Us" which gives a complete history of twentieth-century toys. The first toy that the book discusses is "the teddy bear". Before Cabbage Patch Kids and Popples, there were these fuzzy bears. An extremely simple concept, the teddy bear "represents a study in endurance of basic values in a century wrought with change and advanced technology". With the ever changing world of technology, we can always count on the teddy bear to be a childhood comfort.

"Here Lies Theodore"

However this particular teddy gave me anything but comfort. Hunched over, the bear looks weathered, run down, and extremely lonely. He looks like he's mourning the loss of something or someone. Is he sitting with someone he loves or was he abandoned by someone he loves? I don't know. All I know is that it gives me the chills. I love it!

Untitled Family Photo

"Are we not like two volumes of one book?"

So it seems that I made a small mistake with my photo project. When I checked the website for the due dates, the category of family portraits is due next week. It turns out each category is due in a different month and I thought I was screwed. My first instinct was to just lay down and skip this category. But a voice of reason told me that a week is more than enough time to come up with something. What can it hurt? There's no harm in trying. Just because I've not thought about this one as much as the others doesn't mean anything. When certain obstacles are in your way, you force yourself to make decisions quickly and be creative in different ways. And sometimes that can be a very good thing.

I looked around my apartment trying to find something that could pass as a family and on my window sill sat the answer. Among several bottles of perfume were two pumpkins my mother had bought me for Thanksgiving. The fact that both of them were different sizes worked out perfectly to give the picture a new level and of course symbolizes the parent/child relationship.

I took several photos in colour and black and white. The way I shot it called for black and white but I prefer the way the colour ones turned out. I'm still unsure as to the look of the black and whites on this camera. Still haven't mastered it yet.

Untitled Green Photo

This is my first attempt for my something green. The original photo was just a Hershey's Kiss on my coffee table. I liked how dark it was and that the green slightly emerged from it. Pretty much everything about the original satisfied me with the except of a blue light that reflected from my dvd player.

As soon as I saw a bigger version of it I knew that the image should mirror itself. However when I did this it was horizontal. It was when I mirrored it that the bow jumped out at me. So I took the blue light out and made it a vertical image. Now it has interesting framing and looks like something could be in the dark.

I am very surprised at how fast this one came about. It was one of those rare times where you have a clear image of what you want in your head and it's completed as such.

Untitled Cootie Catcher Thought

Today marks the day I officially started my photo project. I took roughly eighty pictures tonight and they were all of one subject. Toys From My Childhood was my starting point and the first toy I used was a Cootie Catcher. Definitely a girly pastime, this item could always be seen at least once on a typical grade school day. It was such a simple toy that could be created anytime and anywhere. As long as you had paper, markers, and a pen, you were set.

I always loved these things because each one you made was totally different than the previous one. There was always room for creativity whether you were getting fancy with the colors or making wildly immature fortunes.

When called upon, the child in me who knows how to make these things was missing in action. I stared at that blank page for an embarrassingly long time and after a sad first attempt, I googled it. Then once I started it was like being ten years old again. I had so much fun making it and even more fun photographing it. It's a satisfying feeling to take these small details from my childhood and use them for artistic purposes.

Untitled Ideas Thought

Ever since I started this blog, I have become more and more fascinated with pictures (both taking and manipulating them). This new passion of mine has quickly escalated from using a simple point and shoot camera to a more professional tool. I recently acquired a new camera, entry level of course, but more complicated than anything I've ever used before. So I've been looking into courses and contests in order to keep my new hobby from going stale.

Even without any professional training in photography, I will be entering a photo contest in the new year. It's a Canadian contest being held by Photo Life magazine. They provided the categories for the contestants with very little (and by little I mean no) rules or guidelines. I have no clue whether the photos should be as they turn out or if photoshopping is allowed. As everyone knows, photoshop is a good friend of mine so I will be submitting a mixture of both. I'm allowed five photos per category and therefore I shall max them out.

The categories are as follows:

...FAMILY PORTRAITS...

There is nothing in the rules that says it must be my family in the portrait. I've been bouncing around many ideas including television families, coffee cups, and coke cans. All of which are extremely primitive and will most likely be roadkill on the road to result.

...THE COLOR GREEN...

At one point in my life I would have claimed this color to be my favorite one of all. Over the years, red has creeped its way into my life and soon became my signature color. However I haven't forgotten the things I loved about this color. It's the color of money, landscapes, and Kermit The Frog. What's not to love? For this category my plan is to go as obscure as possible. There are so many cliche items that are associated with this color and I wish to avoid that. I want to find things that we see everyday but don't really notice their uniqueness. I want to find the green in the small stuff.

...TOYS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD...

Probably the category that excites me the most. There are so many possibilities here that my brain hurts trying to process them. I'm overwhelmed with the different routes I can take and with a five picture limit I know it will be tough. There are two ways I can take this one. I can be literal and go with eighties toys. Or I can be generic and go with the timeless toys whose era are hard to pin down. The one that attracts me the most is (of course) the 80's route. This would include the Rubix Cube, Cabbage Patch Dolls, and Skip It's. I think this will be the most challenging category out of all three. But I love a creative problem. It makes the victory all the more sweet.

What it all comes down to is excitement. The brainstorming and experiments are the best part of doing anything creative. I welcome the possibilities and reject the failures.

Untitled Roof Photo

"The roof over my head leaks."

This picture is missing something but I don't know what. I felt there was so much potential with the amount of open space but have yet to figure out how to occupy it. I really wanted text, and had some for a while, but it seemed to take away from the open space. So perhaps the space is a good thing. I read a really good quote the other day that says "You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough." So based on that, I could say that there is nothing more to be done here. Other than text, I've placed many different photo's and textures in the gap and they all looked wrong.

In the end I am left with this. A simple photo that consists of four parts. Two are the exact same photo just with different effects. One is a close up of the cracks on a rock with a medium motion blur. The last is a picture I posted in a previous blog of a lake with some sun sparkles. I like how it looks like stars in the sky. However it also looks as if they are bursting out of the window into the air.

Very interesting.

Untitled Diet Coke Photo

“Success comes in cans; failure in cant's”

While this quote is a tad on the lame side I do enjoy it when juxtaposed with this image. Lately I have become interested in taking pictures of cans on the ground. I'm toying with the idea of making it a series. I have several raw shots on my hard drive but so far I only have two to speak of. The Red Bull can which I posted in an earlier blog and now this Diet Coke can.

I really love this one. My eyes are so compelled when I look at it. This might be because of the colors. Black and red are two of my favorite shades to use and it happened to work out as they were the vital colors of my subject.

The image itself consists of two pictures. One of the Diet Coke can on a bed of unhealthy grass. Originally shot in black and white and left as such. All I did was slightly posterize it in order to give it a grainy look. The second picture was of a pile of leaves on the ground. The picture was originally taken in sepia but I changed it to red. Red keeps with the autumn feel that I had when I took the picture yet makes the image more dramatic. I also played with contrast in order to give it some definition because at first it you couldn't pick out the leaves. On top of the background image it just looked like red splotches.

I am very interested in this can series idea. It intrigues me immensely. We'll see where it takes me.

Untitled Autumn Photos

"Autumn wins you best by its mute appeal to sympathy for its decay."

Untitled Nuit Blanche Photo

"Any form of art is a form of power, it has impact, it can affect change--it can not only move us, it makes us move."

Last night I participated in the 5th annual Nuit Blanche, an outdoor art show that seemed to mark the transition into a new season. Of the hundred and sixty four pictures I took, this one was the very last of the evening. It was three o'clock in the morning and I had been wondering around the streets of Toronto for roughly six hours.

The original picture consisted of two parts. During my travel I came across an underground movie house that displayed a sign saying "...free popcorn and free art films all night!". So naturally I followed the signs in to find an extremely retro theater, beaming with individuality. I approached the concessions counter for my popcorn when I was given this old school bag you see in the photo. It was classic orange in colour and displayed the words "Poppa Corn", something I didn't realize until I finished eating it. And of course being the nerdy sentimentalist that I am, I decided to keep the bag as a souvenir.

The second part of the picture was the program I received at the start of the evening. As I already mentioned, I am very sentimental so I like to save things, programs and ticket stubs mostly. It means a lot to me to look back at these items as they represent my journey in the art scene. Each day it becomes more important and ingrained into my routine.

Both of these parts were taken together while I was waiting for the subway home because after hours of walking, I was done!

The third and final part of the picture was added in photoshop. I believe it was taken in the underground cinema as I was leaving. Many of their signs were simply made with stencils and spray paint which inevitably will have some drip-age and as I've mentioned in previous blogs, I love the look of paint when it drips.

I like the way it all looks together. It's simple and really didn't require much thought but that doesn't make it any less interesting. Just because it didn't take me days like some of my others, doesn't mean it can't be appreciated. Whether it's a movie or an outdoor art show, creativity is all around me and that's what gets me going each day.

Untitled Rival Photo

I'm choosing to say nothing about this photo. In my heart it speaks volumes and I think it's best to leave it at that. What I will say is that it is part of my six word memoir obsession and is one of few that I have written myself.

Untitled Horror Movie Thought

"Everyone's entitled to one good scare."

I have never really been a fan of horror films. Specifically those that are so sick and disgusting you want to run away and vomit. I am however, a fan of the ones that are "can't sleep at night" scary. Movies that do not require any serious gore to terrify me. These were the movies that I would never forget.

I was twelve years old when I saw Halloween for the first time. It was the summer of seventh grade when my friends and I thought it was a great idea to rent this movie. We thought we were playing it safe by watching it during the day little did I know that some of the film's creepiest moments took place in broad daylight. It was a film that was set in a typical suburban town, where evil was lurking in the most non threatening domestic spaces. Growing up in a similar suburb, I was paralyzed with fear. Once the movie was over I walked the block and a half home, looking over my shoulders and inspecting each shrub for any one who may try to jump me.

At the ripe old age of twenty, Halloween left quite an imprint on me. If you ask me, that's impressive. The fact that a movie could be so timeless and affect its audience whether it was in 1978 or 1998, is just remarkable. Of course this movie owes a lot to the films of Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho being most obvious. Hitchcock and Carpenter reminded us that horror does not have to exist in a gothic castle with vampires and werewolves. They took horror and put it into modern settings with everyday problems. This is why I believe these films are so effective and are still watched and studied today.

In honor of October I'll be watching nothing but horror movies, Halloween and Psycho being amongst many. Tonight I will start it off with Friday The 13th, a Halloween knock off that became successful with it's own style and technique.

My only problem is that there are so many films to choose from and not nearly enough time to watch them all. But I will certainly try.

Untitled Diner Photo

"Adam and Eve on a raft and wreck 'em!"

Ever since I was a kid I have been in love with the nostalgia of the 1950's diner. This was the result from years of watching I Love Lucy reruns and any black and white movie I could find. As an 80's/90's child, I don't know much in terms of what diner's were actually like in the 1950's but I am intrigued. Wimpy's and Johnny Rockets are two such big name establishments you will commonly stumble across, both of which I've been a frequent customer of.

Whenever I enter one of these places I am so drawn to the art on the walls. The old Coke ads are some of my favorite. They remind me of how awesome Coke in a glass bottle is. I cannot stress how much I love Coke in a bottle. I believe that pop tastes ten times better when it comes from a glass bottle. But that's just me. And speaking of Coke, there's nothing I like more than a good float. The classic float is usually made with Root Beer but I'm not really a fan so I go with Coke. It's the more expensive beverage on the menu but I think it's worth it. It suits the atmosphere perfectly.

While I enjoy eating at these places they clearly are a tad off on the details of 1950's popular culture. The last time I ate at a Johnny Rockets I heard "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gee's several times. In fact, the jukebox at our table had many classic hits of the 70's, 80's, and 90's mixed in with the oldies. Some places I've been to don't even have any 50's music options which presents quite the question mark in my head. I don't really need to hear a No Doubt song while I eat my hamburger. I want to hear some Chuck Berry or The Temptations.

While a lot of fake 50's diner's have a bizarre mixture of modern and retro elements, it might be why I like them so much. It's a black and white world with splashes of color.

Updated Fire Alarm Photo

So I was unable to leave this photo alone today (big shock). The fact that it didn't feel quite right was driving me crazy. Now I have but one issue. That damn red square. Being the only unfilled space, I feel it needs something. However whatever I put in there seems to be pushing it too far. So I'm torn as to what to do with it. I like it a lot more since I made the small changes but I'm still going to wonderful about that square.

Untitled Fire Alarm Photo

Leonardo da Vinci once said "Art is never finished, only abandoned". I agree with this because you can keep picking at the things you don't like about your art until you die. It can become a vicious cycle that you'll never get out of. I think it's best to make note of these "mistakes" and keep it in mind when you begin you're next piece. The best you can hope for is to learn from past experience and move forward.

Having said all this, I'm not sure if this piece is done. I feel as though it's missing something yet I can't figure out what it is. That's the most frustrating part of the creative process. Outside of the annoyance of starting something new is finishing it. How do we know when art is done? With other pieces it was just a feeling in my stomach of not being able to go any further with it. In this case however, I feel like there are a couple more steps I can take but I'm blind to them.

Perhaps I've been staring at it too much. Andy Warhol once said "...if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning". So I shall leave it here and go about my business. We'll see what happens.

Untitled Red Bull Photo

"If it weren't for caffeine I'd have no personality whatsoever!"

Caffeine is a very important element in everyone's world. Whatever your poison, we all crave the jolt that starts off our day on a good note. We all joke about the fact that we can't function without that morning coffee but of course we know we can. It's just not much fun.

There are some mornings where I just don't feel like having coffee but an hour into work I find myself yawning uncontrollably. So I give in to the caffeine. Now that it is so integrated into my morning routine, it is very difficult when I decide to skip it. I try to think of the time before I drank coffee and wondered how I ever got by but then I realized that I've never been caffeine free. Before coffee was Red Bull. It was my drink of choice in University for late night studying and last minute essays. When I think back to amount I use to drink it almost makes me sick. I'm sure twenty years down the road I will experience some weird long term effect of drinking too much. Oh well!

THE POINT IS:

We all have personalities outside of caffeine, we just choose to ignore them.

Untitled Walk Thought

"MAKE YOUR FEET YOUR FRIEND."

After another painfully boring day I arrived home only to discover I had left my blackberry at work. I had already changed into some incredibly comfortable pajama's and was making myself some dinner. On top of this was the fact that it had been raining so you can imagine how unenthusiastic I was to get dressed and go outside again. But I figured I'd bring my camera so this walk wouldn't go to waste. After picking up my phone I journeyed down my favorite street to find I wonderful array of fall colors. There was just such a rich array of yellows and oranges both in the leaves and the street lights. I had to stop and take a couple pictures. Recently I've been in a black and white mood since I've been unable to find anything worthy of using color, but tonight I went back. The few pictures I took have me really excited for fall and all of the interesting things I will capture.

Untitled Popcorn Photo

I really like this picture. Change that. I love it. Like most of the projects I take on, it started out completely different. I began this one several weeks ago but gave up quite easily. Then I went on vacation and came back with a great deal of unusable pictures (at least for now). So I went back to the ones I abandoned before I left. That's where I found this.

The biggest challenge I had was finding a color scheme which now seems so obvious and simple. I went through a ridiculous arrangement of colors that looked nice but wasn't quite right. I don't remember how I came across the simplicity of black, white, and yellow but I have no doubt it was the right choice.

I am very proud of this one. It's so funny and perfectly articulates my world right now. I will surely put this one on my wall.

Untitled Joker Thought

"Wait till they get a load of me!"

I honestly have no idea where this fear of mine originated. In the summer of 1989, a movie by the name of Batman was released and became a hit with moviegoers of all ages. All except one. Somewhere along the line I developed a confusing love/hate relationship with this film. Jack Nicholson's performance as The Joker is what perturbed me the most.

Spanning over two decades now, my heart still stops dead when I accidently stumble across an image or clip from the film. [I'm writing about this now as it has just happened to me and I can still feel my heart in my throat.] I have come a long way since childhood however. When I was a kid, I would have nothing to do with his face. The cover of our VHS was eventually torn to pieces as I did not trust it in the house. I couldn't so much as watch a frame of the film. It soon became the complex my peers used to make me squirm. If they had that movie in the house, they would put it in my face.

Twenty one years later, I am now able to enjoy a viewing of this film. It actually stands as one of my favorite films of all time, perhaps because of this intense relationship. However, I am only at peace with this fear when I know it's coming. It's fine when I choose to watch the movie or google Jack Nicholson because I know what I'm getting myself into. But if I'm channel surfing or looking at movie related images and I see that face, I'm reverted to a child-like state. It's actually amazing how this has stuck with me all these years. I have no idea what the root of the fear is because it's not clowns [though I don't trust them or their smile] but a very specific thing related to this movie.

I may never understand why this happens to me but it is interesting to analyze.

Untitled Peephole Photo

KRAMER

Newman and I are reversing the peepholes on our door. So you can see in.

ELAINE

Why?

KRAMER

So I can peek to see if anyone is waiting to jack me with a sock full of pennies.

Untitled Lemonade Photo

"When life hands you lemons, just say 'Fuck the lemons!' and bail."

Untitled Frame Thought

"Art consists of limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame."

This weekend I took a big step as an artist. For the very first time I printed one of my photos and framed it. I did this as a gift for another but in a fun full circle way it has become a gift to myself.

I was very frightened to see how these pictures would look once they were in front of me in a physical form. Some part of me thought that they only looked good on the computer and once I printed them, I could see the flaws and by extension, the amateur within. But to my surprise, it didn't look half bad, decent even. And boy what a difference a frame makes. All of the sudden I saw the professional in myself. Now I can't stop thinking about all the work I've done and all that I will do and how I will display it proudly in my home.

For once, I feel like I have accomplished something and I feel swell.

Untitled Bounty Thought

Walking home from work today I stumbled upon something rather intriguing. It caught my eye and made me stop. Uneaten and collecting dirt, I pondered the interesting nature of it. It perfectly expressed my feeling towards this candy bar. Coconut filled enrobed with milk chocolate, Bounty stands to be, in my opinion, the worst chocolate bar there is. And I believe there is some mystery surrounding it's existence because I never see people eat them or meet those who do. However, somehow they're still being produced. Who is buying them often enough to keep the assembly moving?

Untitled Arcade Photo

"Films have degenerated to their original operation as carnival amusement - they offer not drama but thrills."

From a recent trip to the CNE comes this. I'm still quite new with the techniques of both camera and photoshop but I really enjoy the whole trial and error process.

This image consists of but two photos. First, a sign into a small tented area known as the arcade. And second, the light bulbs from the carousel, an amusement park classic. I very much enjoy the simplistic nature of this creation. There's plenty to look at in the texture but not so much that it hurts the brain.

When I was a kid, I loved going to the arcade. I was very much into video games and spent hours in these 8 bit universes that gave me a unique sense of amusement. Born in the 80's and growing up in the 90's, Nintendo NES was an absolute staple in my world where I masted the classics, from Tetris to Super Mario Bros. 3.

Somewhere along the line I stopped playing video games. When the new systems came out and technology began to advance, I just didn't bother to keep up. I was no stranger to Super Nintendo or Sega but it was no longer such a vital element in the home. I moved on to other interests because that's what kids do. I was never able to be interested in several things at a time, instead there was only one thing to devote my passion to. From video games I turned to something that took up much more time and certainly cost me a lot of money. That was the beginning my teeny bopper phase. A stage that lasted a long fucking time. But hey, that's me!