Netchem-Is: The Creative Journey of a Girl

Take me away..

2012-01-31T18:56:00.000-05:00

I've found myself back here on the last day of the month in the new year. In this moment I am so hopeful about the possiblitys of this year(and the rest of my life). I started the new year with one resolution: to learn to swim and travel to the Maldives after watching this:

Maldives: a video diary from Billabong Girls on Vimeo.

But as always with me I'll find new things to do every month, week, day, or moment I'll to improve on the good that's already within me.Welcome 2012.

A la prrochaine!

Today's Lesson

2012-01-03T17:13:00.001-05:00

"The artist's job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.."

From Midnight in Paris

"Merrily merrily merrily merrily...life is but a dream"

2011-12-22T14:28:00.001-05:00

Oh how I wish that where true.

Sometimes I feel like my life is one long series of unfortunate events. Life took a weird turn and I'm struggling to just be...okay. So Im sorry that I wasn't posting the way as much as I would haved like.The fall/winter season is always a ruff one for me. With the way I'm struggling now I'm a little worried about how I'll be once the winter really gets here.

Moving on I was having so much fun doing my own little sketchbook project that I decided to sign up for the real one! I have until January 31st to complete and return my book so that it will be apart of the tour. I'm excited to be apart of something so big! Also I've been getting that photo bug again. I haven't touched my camera in about a month. Really I 've only been using it to document my sketchbook and portfolio progress. For the past couple of days I've wanted to go out and photography any and everything.

Who knows what will become of these feelings...

A la prochaine!

A List of Things to Eat

2011-12-12T00:30:00.000-05:00

The Cure All- I've woken up after a long night of partying. I think I'll do it tommorrow just so I can make my self this sandwich. I can't what to try this, with a few variations though.
The Bedforder- I don't eat meat, but I coouldn't resist posting this, look at that cheese ooze.
The Burnt Gardener-There are no words to descride the feeling that came over me as I read this post..

Someboby buy my a skillet!!

All the Dreams in the World..

2011-11-23T01:25:00.000-05:00

Found right here.

A la Prochaine!

The End Never Seemed so Far Away

2011-11-23T01:08:00.000-05:00

Well...I'm almost done.

I'm almost finished with the application process for art school. I still have to write an artist statement and photograph the pieces for portfolio. Then I just have to wait and see. If I get in, great I go to school. If I don't then I will pick my bruised ass up and proceed to plan B(note to self: dearest self, please, please, please make a plan B).

I'm almost done but for some reason I don't feel like relief from all the pressure I'm under is coming any time soon. If anything I know feel more pressured. I want so many things for myself and everyday that I don't do something extraordinay I feel is a waste. Honestly I can't name one thing that I'm doing daily that I would label as extraodinary. The things I'm doing(ie: my job, working towards getting back in school) are things I think I should be doing, but they don't make me happy.

But with so many people living there dream, right in front of me, I can't fool myself into thinking that I can't do the same thing anymore. I just have to find away to do it....

A la prochaine!

Video of the Day: Changing Education Paradigms

2011-11-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

Hello class,

Lets begin today's lesson with this quote: "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." -Albert Einstein

Now watch this:

Then reading this here.

My thoughts/rambles:

When it comes to my schooling I've always felt frustrated. I've always felt like I was stupid because I couldn't learn the way I was "supposed" to be. If anyone was actually paying attention when I was younger they probably would have tried to slap an ADHD label on me but they weren't. Which I'm marginally thankful for fyi.

In my case since no one was paying attention I simple through up some walls and held up shop in my head. In the video above Sir Ken Robinson explains the difference between a aesthetic and an anaesthetic experience. With no one around to wake me UP I had a very anaesthetic experience in school.

Sir Robinson also talks about how the current system was made for a different age. When he said this I snorted loudly and through in a nice "NO SHIT" for good measure. I think it's been quite clear for sometime now that the way the educational system is set up isn't right. Now I feel like I should mention here since I'm hating on the system that I'm currently applying to go back to school(I've been out for one semester). Everyday I wake up and ask myself "Why?" I don't think that a formal education = a job in this day and age (actually I know it doesn't) BUT I'm holding on to the hope that:

I'm not going to be waisting my time
That some how, even if I don't get a degree, I'll learn something that can help me survive in this economy.

But enough about me. There are some key points that Sir Robinson said that I wanted to point out:

Great learning happens in groups. Collaboration is the stuff of growth.
Anaesthetic: shutting your senses off; deaden yourself to whats happening.
We are getting our children through education by anaesthetising them.
We should be waking them UP to whats inside of themselves.

Now class....what do you have to say?

A la prochaine!

Sunday Morning Music: Catherine Feeny

2011-11-13T10:30:00.005-05:00

I was feeling very blue last week(or was it weeks?). It was very confusing to go to sleep one day literally vibrating with happiness, just to wake up and feel horrible! With no idea why. But that was then, and I'm feeling much better now!

A la prochaine!

Image Transferring try #2

2011-11-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

Eureka! I did it (the girl is the transfer). I think the first time didn't work out because I used so much water to rub the image that I started to tear the paper and gave up. This time I when the paper looked like it might tear I waited until it dried a bit then went back in. There's a bit of tearing on the girls shirt but I like it.

A la prochaine!

Video of the Day: The Adventures of a Cardboard Box

2011-11-10T12:29:00.001-05:00

This film was made for the Nokia Shorts 2011 competition. It tells the story of a boy who meets and befriends a large cardboard box, and was shot on a Nokia N8.

A Glance at Last Week

2011-10-25T18:35:00.002-04:00

Last week was ruff for me, but I tried to make the best of it. I've been trying to ride my bike more often. So when I needed to go into the city for some art supplies, but more importantly I wanted some cookies. I hopped on my bike to save some money(for cookies). The cookies didn't last long enough to be photographed sadly. It was such a beautiful night. These where taken on the Brooklyn bridge. This is the only bridge I like biking on even with the tourist that like to walk in the bike lane.

The art supplies: two Faber-Castell pens(XS, F) a white gel pen, and a Excel craft knife. I was using a sharpie but it wasn't working out. I love the Faber-Castell pens. I haven't find much use for the gel pen yet, but I'm sure I will!

A la prochaine!

Monday Afternoons...

2011-10-24T15:24:00.002-04:00

Reading: Matilda - Ronald Dahl

Writing: This post, and hopefully a couple more after it. Then I really must work on this dreaded artist statement for school.

Listening: Cheers(Drink To That) - Rihanna

Eating: Bread pudding with a cup of OJ

Feeling: Totally inspired after yesterdays trip to the Brooklyn Arts Library!

A la prochaine!

Video of the Day: The Sketchbook Project 2012

2011-10-20T10:30:00.000-04:00

I found this video about The Sketchbook Project over at ModCloth's blog. I love it! I'm defiantly going to be apart of the 2013 project! I'm just doing too much right now to take on anything else. I'm also defiantly going to visit the Art Co-op soon. It's only a 20 minute bike ride away after all!

A la prochaine!

Seen near Union Square.

2011-10-18T17:49:00.000-04:00

I've seen Louis Mendes but never had my own camera to take his photograph. I'm glad I was finally able to capture him! He is a great photgrapher. Taken 10/16/2011.

A la prochaine!

Sunday Morning Music: The White Stripes

2011-10-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

Dear crush,

"Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow..."

2011-10-15T00:20:00.003-04:00

"Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the same well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can this be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"....."When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy"..."Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed."

From The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

When I first read this it didn't ring true to me. How can joy and sorrow be "inseparable"? A couple of days ago I was intensely happy, but before the day had ended I was intensely sad. When I sat and thought about it I realized that even when I was happy that sadness was still there, and vise versa. What this quote means to me is something I've always known. When you are sad happiness isn't far away(and vise versa).

A la prochaine!

Image Transferring #1

2011-10-13T10:30:00.002-04:00

So I tried to transfer an image for the first time not to long ago. It was a complete fail. Boo! But with I shall not give up. I think the problem was I might have bought the wrong Gel Medium and I only left the image on for a couple of hours. I was so excited to see the results. The image I used was a couple of years old too. Here's my disaster:

The first image is what I got. The second is what I wanted(minus the words). I wasn't ready to except defeat so I added some more gel medium on top in an attempt to add some shine(or something). When the gel dried the image looked dried out again. In the end though I added the text and through some red paint spatter on top.

A la Prochaine!

I am euphoric! Come join me.

2011-10-12T12:30:00.002-04:00

Have you ever been so happy that you actually can feel it flowing freely down through your fingers and toes? Do you feel it pulsing through your chest? Do you sit with it, eyes closed, just rolling it back and forth?

Have you ever sat and wondered why? And when you finally figure out that it had nothing to do with anyone else. Does the shook of it thrill you? That this feeling came from within with no outside help... I love that! The best type of happiness comes from within and ohh how is last and last!

I can feel it in my fingers and toes. I am euphoric!
A la prochaine!

The Sketchbook Project

2011-10-12T10:35:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of the sketchbook project? I didn't but instantly fell for the idea. That is until I found out that I would never get my sketchbook back and that I had to pay a small fee to join. And I would have to return the book by a certain date. Since I just found out about it and I decided to do it next year. I still wanted to do something so in the end I decided to do the project, but from home and share what I do to the pages with you all!

The Sketchbook:

A small Canson journal I got about a year ago compliments of Blick art materials that I had barely used. I decided that for this journal I wasn't going to work with in a theme. I didn't want to limit myself I just wanted to create! This is what I have so far...

I'm going to try and be more a bit more creative. I really want to try image transferring! I'm going to need more supplies before can though. I made most piece with what I already had available(and ruined some paint brushes by letting paint dry in the camel hairs x-( darn it...) Here's a list of what I hope to get eventually:

Faber-Castell artist pens- I've been using a sharpie but it hasn't been going well
White gel pen- for small details
A Mixed Media Journal- I've noticed that my paper buckles under all the stuff I'm putting on it. The journal I'm currently using is the paper is only 65lbs. I've read that 80lbs or better is good better for what I'm doing.

That's all. I like to keep my list small! I'm really excited about image transferring so I'll let you all see the results of that when I get Gel Medium.

A la prochaine!

Ready or Not- Fall is Here!

2011-10-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

I love fall. I love how the leaves change colors before falling to the ground. Then I love collecting those fallen leaves. I love hot spiced apple cider(or hot spiced chia). I love drinking tea first thing in the morning and again at bed time. I love butternut squash soup. I love chili. Most of all love what people do with pumpkin around this time. All these things mean fall is here! Here are some fall related links that you can eat, drink or just visually digest. Enjoy!

Create Love -Pumpkin Spice Muffins

A Beautiful Mess- Spiced Apple Cider & Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

Food Coma- Fried Apple & Vegetarian Chili

Smile and Wave- October Loves You

Enjoy! P.s The image: We've been having some weird weather here in NYC. That image is one I took in 2009.

A la prochaine!

Sunday Morning Music: Weezer

2011-10-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!

"Send me a postcard when you get there!"

2011-10-05T12:30:00.000-04:00

I love traveling! But I've only had the means to leave my hometown twice, and I've never been out of the country. Though I'm working on changing that I still can't wait to see the rest of the world!

My wanderlust fix for now are postcards, and Postcrossing helps me get that. With postcrossing I can send and recieve to people all over the world. It's awesome and like having mutiple pen pals all over the world(something else I've always wanted to do!). What I early like is that you never know where your going to receive a post card from. Everytime you send one you get one!

Some of my favorites:

A la prochaine!

How art is saving my life AND putting me in debt.

2011-10-04T22:00:00.003-04:00

"Oh, you want to be an artist? There's no money in that!"

If you've decided to follow your heart and make art to support yourself then you've probably heard that statement before. I sure have! I don't let it sway me though. I feel like I don't really have a choose in the matter.
I've had anxiety issues for as long as I can remember. I ignored them(and everyone else around me did also) until 7th grade when I had my first panic attack. In high school I was homeless for a year, I then spent that next year in bed. At the end of that year the only thing that got me out of my bed was this desire to make something...anything...that I could touch..something that I was proud of...something no on else could make.

When people tell me I'm not going to make alot of money being an artist I always tell them "but I'll be happy". And in my head I add "and I'll never have to take anti-depressants!"

But lets honest a budding artist's income is small. No, no it's non-existent!

That would be fine if I wasn't a girl that LOVED to eat(and shop)! Not that you'd know it by looking at me. I recently went to the doctor and found out that I had lost some weight. I was pissed but not surprised. I took a week off work to focus on my portfolio which meant less money on payday.

I don't mind having less money but I hate being hungry. I think it's one of those things that happens when you grow up without enough food to go around. This past week I've been using my credit card to feed myself. I'm trying to be grown up about it. You know buy things to make meals instead of buying out, and all that jazz. It's very hard though.

I feel like to become better in my craft I need to practice. But while practicing I feel like I'm going without. Has anyone else felt(or feel) this way, or am I being a baby?

A la prochaine!

For your Viewing Enjoyment!

2011-10-04T12:30:00.012-04:00

I've been working very hard trying to get a portfolio created for the school I want to go to. It's been hard work! I'm no where near finished it feels like I haven't even started really. BUT I'm also having alot of fun. I haven't been able to draw in a studio from a model like I usually do so I've just been sketching things out that are in my head. Here are two of my recent drawings:

I had a ball doing these! I call them "Those Hatters" I plan on doing more and/or making them paintings one day! Though I have fun doing these I don't know if there serious enough to go in my portfolio. I'm leaning towards adding them. Might as well put what I can do right out in the open. Right?

A la prochaine!

Artist Talk: Nakeya B.

2011-10-03T10:30:00.004-04:00

Who?
Nakeya Brown

Where are your from?
Small town in Pennsylvania

What do you call yourself (writer, rapper, photographer, etc)?
Photographer

How do you create (your inspiration)?
I am big off of creating from feelings. I have moments where I am just searching for inspiration. I find traveling really inspires me, seeing other people's work and experimenting with new equipment keeps me producing new work.

Why do you do it?
After awhile you do something so much and it becomes a part of your life. It's hard to imagine myself giving up photography. It's a part of me.

Are you currently working on anything?
Currently I am working on a project focusing on plantation fields on River Road in New Orleans. There will be on display in December. As always I am working on capturing portraits of wonderful people. You can see those images at www.sheshootshere.com.

Advice you would give a young Artist?
Always invest time in getting to know your craft. Get to know who the greats where in your field that were doing it before you, they weren't great for no reason. And as usual, be sure to make your craft for yourself first, and everyone else later.

"and your very flesh shall be a great poem..."

2011-10-02T14:34:00.001-04:00

"This is what you shall do:

Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches,

give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy,

devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God,

have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life,

re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book,

dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem

and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body."

— Walt Whitman from Leaves of Grass

A la Prochaine!

Sunday Morning Music: Florence and the Machine

2011-10-02T10:30:00.000-04:00

Monday Morning...

2011-09-26T04:45:00.001-04:00

Reading: The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Writing: An essay for the art school I'm applying to, and this post.

Listening: Fix You-Coldplay

Eating: Steamed broccoli, carrots, sting beans, and asparagus

Enjoying: How quiet my apartment is at the moment

Watching: I LOVE this commercial

A la prochaine!

5 Ways of Staying Inspired!

2011-09-20T19:05:00.010-04:00

Lately I've been having great success with keeping myself inspired. I've been working hard to create and finish a portfolio for the school I want to transfer too.

Carry a Journal- I actually carry two journals. One to write in and one to draw in. Both are small enough that I have no excuse but to carry them everyday. In any kind of bag.
Music Equals Life- Its amazing how music can change or add to whatever your feeling. Unfortunately I'm not the greatest when it comes to making play list, it's a science that I haven't mastered. That's why Pandora was created for us sub-level creatures with no taste for musical arrangement!
Refresh Your Workspace- Since deciding that I don't want to study photography in school I've been playing with different ways of creating. Drawing is clean enough, but painting and making collages can become messy. I can't get work down if my workspace is messy. A clean space is a creative space!
Figure Out What gets You Excited- Once I made the decision about what I really wanted to do with the rest of my life. And once I decided that I could careless with what people thought about my decision. All the mental blocks I had just magically disappeared. Creating became easier and fun instead of a tiring chore. Work became the chore. I used to love going to work, and who doesn't love making money? But know I can't what until my work day is over so I can start doing what I really love!
Change the Way You Think and See- My most favorite thing to do these days is find blogs online that are making the sort of art I hope to create one day. I can spend hours doing this, there's so many great art blogs out there. Instead of staring at my computer screen with envy I use what I find to challenge myself to create differently. Doing this helps me see that I'm really not behind anyone. I'm different, and that's great. There could never be another(insert favorite artist here) so why try to imitate anyone else?

So there you have it. These are the things I'm doing currently. What things are you all doing to stay inspired?

Inspired by this post.

A la prochaine!

Sweetest Thing I've Ever Known.....

2011-09-20T17:21:00.000-04:00

A la prochaine!

Attention Attention!

2011-09-16T15:35:00.000-04:00

Hello All!

I've been trying very hard on this blog to make it look how I've wanted it to look for a while. It's been hard but fulfilling work! There's still some work that needs to be done. The main thing is that banner I'm tired of looking at it! I'm going away this weekend, but Monday its back to work.

I'm hoping to be done by Wednesday so cross your fingers and pray that I don't start dreaming in HTMLs!

A la prochaine!

Video of the Day: Danny and Annie

2011-09-14T08:30:00.001-04:00

Watching this took me one step closer to understanding what love is!

Seen from Dumbo Park- 9/11 Memorial

2011-09-13T12:30:00.002-04:00

Taken september 10th, 2011. It shooked me that it's been 10 years already. While I was there I also saw a good of people in a tight cirlce with light candles. I didn't realize, until now, that they had probably be meeting at that spot for 10 years to give comfort and support. To people that might have been total strangers.

A la prochaine.

F.O.K.U.S presents The Stoop 2011

2011-09-12T15:09:00.002-04:00

Photo's by me from Fokus presents The Stoop 2011 last month.

A la prochaine!

Have a Cupcake

2011-09-12T14:29:00.001-04:00

A la prochaine!

The Flowers I Bought Myself

2011-09-11T17:48:00.002-04:00

Oh and F*ck You!

Sunday Morning Music: Sara Bareilles

2011-08-28T10:30:00.001-04:00

Brooklyn Rooftops Pt. 2

2011-08-24T18:39:00.001-04:00

Another rooftop another great evening!

A la prochaine!

Road Trip Music

2011-08-19T10:30:00.002-04:00

So today at 12:30pm I will be on my way to DC to go meet my father and then go to his house in VA. I will also be achieving my goal of traveling out of NYC twice this year!! I went to Baltimore the last weekend in July. So this is my second trip out of NYC and I've figured out that even though I'm going to be exhausted(it's 3:30am right now) I probably won't sleep or read the books I've packed.

Which leads me to Ipod. I don't know what I would do with out my music. I ALWAYS have my Ipod with me and I always have my headphones in(though sometimes there just in to keep people from harassing me on the sidewalk). I usually just put my Ipod on shuffle but there are a couple of albums that I can listen to from start to finish(all the while fighting the urge to sing out loud or dance in my seat!).

So there's album Sara Bareilles Kaleidoscope Heart

The soundtrack to the movie 500 Days of Summer

And the Black Eyed Peas album The Beginning

If none of these help with the 4 1/2 hr ride then I'll listen to my Harry Potter audiobook(number 5). Don't judge me!

A la prochaine!

Brooklyn Rooftops Pt. 1

2011-08-15T17:09:00.001-04:00

I've had more access to rooftops this summer then I've had my whole life. I couldn't be more please with this fact! These were taken on the 4th of July. Being on a rooftop in the city is like being on a deserted island that you never want to leave!

Wanderlust: Iceland

2011-08-15T10:15:00.001-04:00

Iceland from Violenn Simon on Vimeo.

Honesty

2011-08-14T16:58:00.000-04:00

Being honest with yourself can be harder then trying to be honest with someone else. If I was being honest with myself I'd admit that this summer, this year really, hasn't gone the way I needed it to. Instead I'll keep lying to myself in the pretext that I'm holding on because things have to get better.

I feel like I'm always trying to force things to fit. Things like certain parts of my art, or the people in my life. I'm either trying to force something to fit or holding on to it for dear life. The problem I've found in that is with people while your trying to make everything fit the other person is off living there life. In art the problem is that while your trying to force something to fit, that isn't working for you any more(no matter what anyone else says or thinks they know) your just stopping your self from growing artistically.

Its taken me until this point to understand that letting something go isn't the same as giving up.I'm tired of feeling disgruntled and sad because I'm not getting the results I want. Then feeling more tired and hurt from holding on and then totally defeated when I can't hold on any longer. Its a horrid cycle.

Someone said to me that everything I do today is a step towards my future. I fully agree. So it's up to me to take positive steps.

Sunday Morning Music: The Stylistics

2011-08-14T15:58:00.001-04:00

I started watching this video and though it came out before I was born I started smiling like a any girl would. I remember watching Crooklyn and hearing People Make the World Go Round.

Happy Sunday!

Click here for People Make the World Go Round

Here for Break up to Make up

A la prochaine!

Artist Talk: Vandana Jain

2011-07-10T23:49:00.001-04:00

Who?
My name's Vandana Jain.

Where are you from?
I'm a city girl. I was born in Jamaica, Queens and now I live in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

What do you call yourself (writer, rapper, photographer, etc)?
I'm an artist : )

How do you create (your inspiration)?
I usually start with an idea and then I start sketching, sometimes by hand but mostly on the computer. I'm inspired by all sorts of things, like broken glass, and chain link fences and barbed wire. Also, I work with corporate logos a lot, in direct violation of trademark law. But it's all in fair use.

Why do you do it?
Art is a framework that allows you to look at the world in a different way. It is also a place where you don't need to work according to other's definitions, or to their expectations. When I make art, I don't need to have a meaning or a reason or an answer, I can just do something for it's own sake. Art helps me stay sane.

Are you currently working on anything?
I'm making gold paintings on cardboard for a project called "Protest." All the paintings are of haloes, mandalas, and other spiritually radiant imagery, and each one is mounted on a stick, like a protest sign. I like the idea of people getting together to protest the lack of awe-inspiring beauty in their life.

Advice you would give a young Artist?
Work hard, and don't be too hard on yourself. Stay out of debt. Art isn't gonna make you rich and if you don't have loans, you get to spend more time doing what you love. Be open to new experiences. It's like what they say, "It's all about the journey." Enjoy yourself, and stay curious.

I plan on traveling outside of NYC twice this year. Where would you recommend I travel to in the US?
I highly recommend visiting the Spiral Jetty, an earthwork by Robert Smithson. It's about an hour or so north of Salt Lake City.

To view Vandana's work click HERE.

Wheels for the Summer

2011-07-09T18:42:00.001-04:00

For the last couple of summers I've found my self stuck home during my one of my favorite seasons. Anytime I'm in school I don't buy metrocards, there brought for me. So when I'm on break from school, or not working, I'm stranded in at home. This summer I decided that I was going to invest in something that helped me feel...free. So here's my bike. It's beautiful, and I love it!

A la prochaine!

Fort Greene Festival 2011

2011-06-29T18:27:00.001-04:00

I made my way down to Fort Greene Park late weekend to see Mos Def. I didn't really want to go but I felt it would be nice to get outside for a while. It was so crowded when I got there. Much more crowded then last year when I went to see Common. I was expecting it to be crowed closer to when Mos Def was going to be on stage. I didn't even try to get close to the stage. I hung back instead and ran into an old friend. We got some food and I joined her on a nice patch of grass...away from the stage.

Christina Brown(on the right)

Michelle

A la prochaine!

Open Studios (Brooklyn,NY)

2011-06-24T14:42:00.002-04:00

(Mike in his studio with the Edgar Allen Poe painting.)

I was able to visit Mike Estabook at his studio in Brooklyn sometime ago. I interviewed him for my Artist Talk series in February. He was apart of one of those open studio tours that I forget the name of right now.

I hopped at the chance to go see Mike's art in person. I hadn't seen him(or his art) in at least 3 years. Its one thing to ~~stalk~~ look at art work online, but another thing to see it in person. One of his pieces that caught my eye was his Edgar Allen Poe painting. It is apart of his hero painting series. Mike says: It's "an attempt to be positive with my art by painting portraits of people I admire". I'm a fan of Edgar Allen Poe(as I just spent a semester in a short story lit class), but lets not get of topic. Here's a link to the series: Here.

A la prochaine!

Edit: I believe it was this one.

Documentary of the Day

2011-06-23T17:34:00.000-04:00

My Quest For Peace Of Mind - Part 1: Growing Up from Ethan Luck on Vimeo.

My Quest For Peace Of Mind | Part 2: Medication from Ethan Luck on Vimeo.

As you may/may not have noticed I really like documentaries! If you know anyone that has a mental disorder then you know how...terrifying it can be to feel when you think they won't be treated fairly because there different. It's always a pleasant surprise when you see someone over look that and take the time to get to know them as individual. I think this documentary is about compassion.

I'd like to thank Allister Ann for posting this and for Ethan Luck for creating them.

A la prochaine!

Wanderlust: Portland, Oregon

2011-06-17T16:57:00.000-04:00

I've beening like I want to move out of NY for a while. For some reason I've been thiunking that I should move to Portland, Oregon. I don't know why. I have no family or friends out there. I'd be completely alone. So maybe that's whats calling to me, the fact that I'd have solotude. The fact that I'd have no one to depend on but myself. That's scary but also so exciteing at the same time.

What ever the reason(s) these images aren't helping!

A la prochaine!

Check-In

2011-06-14T23:19:00.000-04:00

(Image taken a week before my birthday at a nice lunch with my cousin and friend form my neighborhood.)

Every know and then I like to check-in with myself to make sure I'm being productive as I can be this year. I've been doing a whole bunch of writing. More writing then actually going out and taking pictures. All the writing is for my book that I want to create at the end of this year. In the beginning I wanted a book entirely of images that I took this year. Now I'm not so sure how I want the finished product to look. I just know I'm working towards the goal of having a book by the of 2011. I think the words I'm writing will help create and guide me when I start sifting through all the photographs. The simple fact that I'm working towards my book makes me give myself a nice pat on the back!

I need to start making some smart decisions about how I want my portfolio to look for the art schools I will be applying for this fall. I wasn't going to use any photographs for my submission because I don't want to study photography in art school. I'm thinking now that I might include some images because, for me, photography is how I got started. It won't be far for me to turn my back on it!

A la Prochaine!

Afropunk 2011: Cee Lo Green

2011-06-13T23:13:00.005-04:00

Hello all!

As I said in the previous post I'm not very familiar with all the artists that are going to be at Afropunk this year. So I'm doing my research and checking out the artists that are going to be performing early. In the process I'm getting more excited!! I was looking up songs on YouTube for Cee Lo Green and video popped up. Ive posted a video from Karmin Music before. I'm a big fan of these too, and I love this cover!

Do notice Janelle Monae jamming on the side!

A la prochaine!

Sunday Morning Music: Afropunk 2011

2011-06-06T23:05:00.000-04:00

Hello all!

I'm super excited right now! Now why?

Because I recently found out that Afropunk is going to be free this year! Last year I had planned to go but found out too last that it wasn't free. This year I will definitely be there! So in preparation for the festival I will be listening to all the artists that will be there, because truth be told I only know of 3 artist. Of those 3 I only know some of there songs...kind of. So from now until august my Sunday Morning Music post will be dedicated to an artist performing in the Afropunk Festival! For now I leave you with this video from last years Afropunk.

See you Sunday. A la Prochaine!

I passed my Life Drawing Class!

2011-05-31T20:25:00.001-04:00

This was one of the classes I knew I was going to pass(the other was my short story class, also an A!). This semester was very tough on me. So I'm taking a semester off to do some of the things I've been putting off. Like travel in the US a bit, and try to live on my own. Mostly I'll just be working, drawing, writing, living, and loving. What are your summer plans?

A la prochaine!

Sunday Morning Music

2011-05-29T15:21:00.000-04:00

Click this Link!

Enjoy!

Exciting news!

2011-05-26T23:09:00.001-04:00

I just wrote out the first page to my book! It's not for the photo book I want to have created my by the end of the year. It's for the book I've wanted to write, about my life, for a long time now. I have "started" it before but it didn't feel right. I got stuck, and then I quite. I'm not going to say I that I feel like this time is different. What I will say is this time I feel like I have to write. Because if I don't get it all out...I'll explode.

Any way, I'm very excited to have this one page written out. I was feeling guilty because I haven't picked up my camera in a couple of weeks. Before then I was carrying my camera around, but not using it. I got tired of feeling that way and started snapping pictures again! I'll post some images when I've had time to sort and edit them.

A la prochaine!

The easiest way to be free, Dance!

2011-05-24T13:15:00.003-04:00

Now I can't dance. That doesn't stop me from wiggling my hips when I hear a good song. The easiest way to be free is to dance. Dance like no ones watching. Dance like a carefree child, just to feel your body move.

A la prochaine!

Video of the Day: Sexy Girls have it Easy

2011-05-23T21:15:00.000-04:00

Documentary : Sexy Girls Have It Easy from Bright Hand Pictures on Vimeo.

I like this video and think it is accurate. Your treated differently based on how you look. This goes for males too. Though I think she acted more confidently when she was dolled up. I don't believe she did this on purpose. Subconsciously she was probably expecting to be treated a certain way because of how she looked. We've(us women) all been there, no? What do you guys think?

A la prochaine!

Just a little reminder.

2011-05-15T17:49:00.000-04:00

I opened up a new perfume that I had wanted to buy for a year, but hadn't because my funds had never allowed it. Finally I was able to, and I found this simple message inside. Lovely!

A la prochaine!

Affirmations

2011-05-08T12:31:00.000-04:00

Inspired by this post on one of my favorite new web sites. I decided to write a couple of affirmations to repeat to myself daily.

I am beautiful! I think I was about 20 when no matter what I had on, or how my hair was I could look in a mirror and feel beautiful! I'm 22 now.
I am worthy...of it all.
Just be. I've been saying this for years, but I don't listen to my self. I like to rush in and get to the ending as soon as possible. I'm that girl whose there physically, but my mind is 10 miles away.
My thoughts are my reality. If can think it, I can make it happen!

So there you have it. These are a couple of mine. I like to keep my list short and simple! So tell me what are some affirmations of yours.

A la prochaine!

Walking around NYC

2011-05-02T21:19:00.000-04:00

On my to drawing club this past Saturday I ran into two street fairs. At the first, at the Lower East Side, I was two busy stuffing my face to realized that I had my camera. The second, in Tribeca, outside my school was just ending and I was running late for my club, so I snapped these before I went inside.

A la Prochaine!

Sunday Morning Music: Amanda Diva

2011-04-10T12:21:00.000-04:00

Artist Talk: Why do I do it anyway?

2011-04-07T20:58:00.002-04:00

I started doing these monthly interviews in December 2010. I had wanted to interview artists for a while, but I was too chicken to try. Then I was interviewed for the first time and my desire started to out way my chicken heart. The questions I ask are things I always wonder when I meet artists.

I always wonder what do you call yourself? As I'm always struggling to define myself before someone else does and gets it all wrong. How do you create(inspiration)? Because aren't we always looking for new forms of inspiration? Why do you do it? Personally I think the hardest thing to call yourself is an artist. There isn't always a clear career path(or so you may be led to believe). Your art isn't always valued the way you want it to be.

I've switched my "title" from aspiring photographer, to aspiring Art Therapist, and now to aspiring Art Educator/Director. Every time I find opposition from someone along the way. I've taken more then one "break" where I'd given up and didn't think I wanted to be an artist. Just to have art creep back in to my life and save my sanity! This is way I do it and I've always wondered if art is a need for others like it is for me.

So the questions I ask are just questions I've wanted to ask my artist friends(and there friends, and there friends friends). So I would like to take the time to say thank you to everyone that's interviewed with me so far. And a thank you to the people that I will interview!

A la prochaine!

Untitled/Infatuation Poem

2011-03-22T01:30:00.002-04:00

Please don't say those things,

because they make me want to love you.

And I can't.

I can't lean on you in public,

I can't hold you hand,

I can't plant a kiss on you just because.

When you break my heart,

there can be no ceremonial burning of the ex's pictures.

You can never be mine.

So how come I can pick your voice out of a crowd?

How come your scent lingers for hours after your gone?

How come the thought of you makes my heart race?

How come your hugs feel like home?

How come you touch chills me and heats me at the same time?

How come a simple glance from you makes my stomach muscles tighten,

and tiny beads of perspiration form all over?

How come if you can never be mine?

You can never be mine,

So please don't say those things.

"Can We Kick It?"

2011-03-21T10:30:00.001-04:00

I've always admired the friendships men have with other men. It always seems so effortless. The friendships just seem to happen there never seems to be some big back story like women sometimes have. "She was a friend of a friends sister, we hung out one day and became best friends!" The thing I admire most about male friendships is that they don't seem to have as much pressure as female friendships sometimes do. Or maybe when your friends with someone through art gender doesn't matter.

I say all this to introduce my friend Chad(again). We met a couple of years ago at an art show. We've kept in touch and when I saw he was coming to NY I jumped at the chance to hang out with him. He is a great artist, but an even better human being. Well it didn't happen, mostly because my phone is a jerk. The stupid thing takes calls, and alerts me of voicemail, only when it wants too. But I digress. I had planned to take some photographs of him, but since that didn't happen I've provided this nice link to his blog with images of his time in Brooklyn. I don't know how or where he found the beauty in Brooklyn because I can't seem to find it here, and I'm a resident.

A la Prochaine!

Sunday Morning Music: Adele

2011-03-20T11:02:00.002-04:00

Artist Talk: Courtney James

2011-03-19T22:00:00.003-04:00

Photo via the The Black Girl Project.

Who?
My name is Courtney James, but many know me as Bonnie. I am a senior at the City College of New York and I will be graduating in May with a Baccalaureates degree in English and Journalism, and a Certificate in Publishing.

Where are you from?
I am a New Yorker, born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn but my ethnic background is that of the West Indies. My mother and father are natives of Jamaica, W.I.

What do you call yourself (writer, rapper, photographer, etc)?
I am proud to label myself as an aspiring writer who has somewhat realistic dreams of becoming an Editor for trade paperback books

How do you create (your inspiration)?
I create through ranting. Anything that is on my mind is what I would consider important. Some may call it a ramble but I feel as though the process of thinking is, in itself, a gift that everyone should delve into.

Why do you do it?
I began write to clear my mind. I started out by constantly writing lists, that of which I still do to this day. However, I began to practice my love for creative writing while I was in high school. At this time, I was more into finding a world I could call my own. I had no problems with identity while a student in high school but writing took me to a place that could only be dictated through me. This is still the reason why I write. Because though people may judge my work, there is still the underlying factor of why I wrote it in the first place.

Are you currently working on anything?
I am currently working on my own personal narrative. I am contemplating ways of doing this but I feel like I'll most likely interpret it through a number of vignettes. I will post it when I am done and it is revised my my Fiction Workshop instructor.

Advice you would give a young Artist?
Don't worry about what other people will say because while one person will give you a thumbs up, ten more will give you a thumbs up. Also, always try to seek an inspiration for what you do or else, when asked to explain your masterpiece, you may find yourself stumbling for words and this may lead you to question yourself. Something you do NOT want.

What does the name of your blog, Soliloquy to be Broken, mean?
Soliloquy, in the dictionary, is basically the act of one talking to himself/herself. If you have heard of "Colloquy" or colloquialism, Soliloquy is the opposite of Colloquy. It is, in many ways, one being oblivious to the listeners around him. I knew when I began this blog, that I would be a "loner". I was not hype about gaining followers (and I still am not). However, a writer always has that dream of breaking the wall of silence and fusing it with listeners. I hope to create "Colloquy" through my blog so in essence I am trying to break Soliloquy...Hence the name

I plan on traveling outside of NYC twice this year. Where would you recommend I travel to in the US?
Please visit Philly. Their culture of music and food will make you fall in love all over again!

To view some of Courtney's work click here.

Street Art in Tribeca

2011-03-08T21:30:00.002-05:00

There is some contruction going on near my school in Tribeca. Part of the street is blocked off so you can't see what's being done. In my head I imagine some clever artist(s) sneaking around at night and painting these pictures.

Video of the Day: A Hill in Spain

2011-03-05T11:24:00.002-05:00

A Hill in Spain from chris akrigg on Vimeo.

Soon I'm going to become a biking member of NYC. I promise that I will wear a helmet and will never attempt to do stunts off of hills and rocks. Never the less this I find this video awesome! While I'm trying to get the confidence to bike in the street there are people biking of hills. In Spain no less!

A la prochaine!

Just another silly poem

2011-03-04T22:18:00.000-05:00

I was at work one day and my pants wouldn't stay where I wanted them too. I knew didn't have any safety pins, but I reached into my pocket anyway. I found a bobby pin and a paper clip. I stuck the on my pants and took shallow breathes for the rest of the day. FYI my pants stayed up. Have a poem:

I have my,

Pins to hold my pants up,

Socks that I made myself,

A button down shirt from ninth grade,

and a sweater from the clearance rack,

I work in an office now.

They say they understand

that "I'm on a budget".

But I say,

I'm drowning...and trying to

keep my head above the water.

Sunday Music: The Runaways

2011-02-27T15:12:00.002-05:00

Recently I watched The Runaways starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. I have to say, though I wasn't expecting too, I really enjoyed this movie! It is based on the story of the all-girl rock band that rose to fame in the last 1970s. The Runaways became a hit in 1977 thanks to there single "Cherry Bomb" in Japan.

So I have two videos today, both are of the there single "Cherry Bomb". The first video is of The Runways in Japan in 1977.

The second is from the movie(embedding has been disabled click link). I gained some respect for both the lead actresses, and if you watch both videos I think you might see why.

A la Prochaine!

Burning the Midnight Oil

2011-02-24T19:32:00.001-05:00

I've been writing the silliest poems. There very short and are usually written near bedtime or right as I'm waking up. Proof, I think, that my brain never really shuts down. I sometimes fall asleep thinking about all the things I need to dothen wake up and continue my internal convorsations. Either that, or that my subconscious mind runs wild at night when my conscious mind rest.

Have a poem:

Dear Mother,

Can you warm our cores,
so that we can free ourselves from our bidding layers

So that Spring can bring me hope and wash away my troubles,

So that your parks can turn green again,
instead of the muddy brown

So that summer can lull me to sleep at night

So that the boys can chase after me in my short skirts

Most importantly trhough,
so that I can walk around my apartment in my undies!

But only if it pleases you can you do these things dear Mother,

...Dear Mother of all things green.

A la prochaine!

Maps

2011-02-18T19:46:00.001-05:00

I've been doing some thinking about where I want to travel to this fall. I'm staying in the US. This time. I've never been farther then NJ, and have only been there because my father used to live there. I can't plan with out some kind of visual inspiration so I went to Barnes and Nobles and brought a map of the USA last week. Here's what I'm planning on doing.

From NY I'm going to go too:

Charlotte, NC
Then on to Virgina(where my father now lives),
Then Baltimore(to see one of my uncle, I have two favorites. the other lives in Chicago)
New Jersey(to see my nephew)
and then back home to NY.

If you look at all of these places on a map you'll see that I'll be going in a straight path from NC onward. That's kind of why I chose these places. That and the fact that I will only need to stay in a hotel in NC, all the other places I can stay with family! So that's the plan, and though plans change I hope this one doesn't.

A la prochaine!

A Mental Check-In

2011-02-17T23:50:00.001-05:00

(Photo Taken 6/2010 in Brooklyn, NY)

So its been maybe a week since I decided that I wasn't going to do project 365 this year. I stand by that decision still. It won't have felt right doing the project any other way then I had originally planned. What's bugging me now is that all the things I said I was going to do instead I haven't been doing. I've "reinvented" this blog over a couple of times.

Recently I decided on a topic that I wanted to stick with. Art, duh, ofcourse. I wanted to start interviewing all kinds of artists(I'm doing it!) I wanted to start doing photography again for myself(most importantly!), and I wanted to start going to see more art. I love opening receptions at galleries! I love going to museums, and I hardly ever do these things.

I haven't been taking photographs as much as I would like too. My bag is stuffed with to many textbooks these days. When I do take out my camera, though,its to take an image(s) that I've thought long and about. I'm happy with the direction that I'm going in. I haven't been going to opening/museums because at the end of the day I'm exhausted.

I think the reason I don't always accomplish the goals I set for myself is because I set unrealistic goals. Yes I want to go run around NYC marveling at everything, but I don't have the time! I'm a working full-time college student who WILL be graduating at the end of the summer!

So here are my new goals for this blog:

At the beginning of every month I'll post an Artist Talk.
Once a month I'll go to an opening reception or museum and marvel at everything!
Twice the month I'll go exploring with my camera. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do this yet. Should I go exploring in the city(randomly) or find free events to go to? Like live music shows.

I'm keep my list short for now. If I can manage doing these things then I'll add more. That's what being responsible is all about. Right?

A la prochaine!

Bob Marley on a Sunday Morning

2011-02-13T10:30:00.006-05:00

Morning All!
When I started this post it was going to be all Bob Marley. All(or most) of the videos of Bob Marley performing live that I want to post I couldn't get the code to embed. So this post became a tribute to Mr. Marley.

Click the link to see Bob Marley perform Jamming live!

A la prochaine!

My Mini Vacation

2011-02-09T18:56:00.000-05:00

This is what I did last weekend. I ate, I drank, I watch movies(and season 1 of Veronica Mar) on netflix, and I neglected my studies. I was puppy-sitting a wonderful beagle. The first night he let me have the bed all to my self, but the second night we spooned. That was the highlight of my weekend.

"Ralphie, drop it!"

This dog showed me a a couple of things about stealing food of peoples plates while there in the room. Some times while there right next to you! 1: with you eyes closed located direction of people food. 2: Open eyes while stretching and looking around to see whose watching. If your being watched stare at them until they get bored (or feel uncomfortable) and look away. 3: trying not to make much noise slide of couch and move towards table, don't rush its a dead give away! 4: rest your face on table and grab food. If you get caught don't worry the fight isn't over. Resume staring, throw in a whine, your bond to get something!

A la prochaine!

A Peek into my Sketchbook

2011-02-08T01:45:00.001-05:00

Just a small peek into my sketchbook to see what I did in my life drawing 1 class last semester. Not to bad for a girl that has only taken drawing 100, and who used to hate drawing so much so that she was to afraid to even try it. I'm working on my hands, feet, and faces the most this semester. I'm tired of making faceless drawings.

I need to find a place I can go to that quiet with alot of space so that I can draw more. The only way I'll get better is if I practice alot more then I have in the past. I need to find some way to motivate my self outside of the classroom also. Contrary to what my professors tell me I don't think I have a natural talent to draw. I love it though so it's something that I what to become good at. One of my last goals this semester in life drawing 2 is to stop looking at other peoples work. It messes me up every time!

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Day 26/ The End

2011-02-03T23:33:00.001-05:00

I had a plan, but things never go exactly as you want them to go. My project 365 didn't get funded. Boo hoo. Though I am disappointed I'll get over it. Just because one part of my plan fell through doesn't mean I'm going to give up on the things I want to accomplish this year. Though this is going to be a little bit harder now. I'm still going to have my degree by the end of the summer. I'm still going to travel somewhere outside of NY twice. At the end of this year I'm still going to create my first book.

I'm just going to have to be a tad more creative now that I don't have any extra funds. Money is VERY tight for me these days! Actually money is always tight for me. My time is also very limited so project 365 is going to be postponed for now. Let me explain what that means. When I decided to do this project I wanted to do it a certain way. I wanted to do it with instant film. That's just not possible right now. So though I will be taking alot of photographs, and sharing them here, I won't be doing a photography every day. For the majority of the time I'll be using my digital camera. A soon as I can I will buy an external hard drive.

At the end of the year my book is going to be a little bit different, now that I'm not taking a photograph every day. For now though I'm keeping the details of that my little secret.

A la prochaine!

Artist Talk: Mike Estabrook

2011-02-01T09:41:00.000-05:00

Who?

Mike Estabrook

Where are you from?
A little town on the Mississippi River in Illinois called Quincy.

What do you call yourself (writer, rapper, photographer, etc)?
I am a visual artist who makes drawings, animations, paintings and installations.

How do you create (your inspiration)?
A really, really wide range of things inspire me: politics, mythology, books I've read, movies I've seen, music, public and personal events- the list could go on forever. So many different things catch my attention and fire up my passions, my biggest challenge is how to focus all this inspiration into something that makes a little bit of sense.

As to how I do it... Sometimes I just sit down and draw whatever comes to mind. This is the most fun, but it doesn't satisfy when I get a bug about something more specific; whether it's some historical figure I want to explore, a movie clip that has a meaningful resonance, or a couple of ongoing, frustrating wars that just won't end. In these cases, I'll usually have some kind of brain-flare, one in which the subject at hand fits perfectly with some parallel idea that informs both of them in a weird way. I then think about how best to embody this idea: as a video, drawing, painting, or installation. The way it gains form should enhance the original concept, but not be so tied to it that the spontaneity is taken away.

Why do you do it?
I have always been somebody who draws. I think I was drawing pictures before I even learned how to talk. My way of interpreting and dialoguing with the world has always been a visual thing. Art is a voice I use to praise, critique, or simply yell at the world.

Are you currently working on anything?
Yes, I am working on several projects right now: a bestiary of extinct animals (that I'm doing with a collective called Artcodex), a painting of Karl Marx fused with Mark Twain (wandering, on a tour like Dante's, through several circles of hell, and a video installation I'll be finishing in February about Ostriches sticking their heads in the sand while Dodos do not.

Advice you would give a young Artist?
Know that being an artist is a hard road, and be prepared for some bad days. Most of the time, though, have a blast! Don't be afraid to do the boring marketing part of art, it sucks but you need to do it. Definitely have fun, travel, always look, always think, always be amazed, and never, ever take yourself too seriously!

I plan on traveling outside of NYC twice this year. Where would you recommend I travel to in the US?
Portland, Seattle, and the Olympic Rain forest.
New Orleans.
All around the south-west.
San Francisco.

To view Mike's work click here.

Sunday Morning Music: The Tramps

2011-01-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

The first thought I had this morning was "Burn baby burn!" Followed by a quick shake of my hip bones and a snap of my fingers. Probably due to the fact that I listen to this song right before I fell asleep last night. This looks like one of the first music videos made back in 1976. I love it none the less for its old-timey feel! Lets not forget the music. I love disco, and have always wanted to go to Baby Loves Disco. I might plan a trip to go boogie here for my 23rd birthday!

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Day 24

2011-01-29T12:33:00.001-05:00

Seen while waiting for the train at 23rd street after a short day at work and a long walk afterwards (from 59th to 23rd). It was cold but I was feeling great about all the new things happening for me this year!
Edited:
So I was staring at the image and it hit me what's wrong with it. I think it should read "When you see this: Remember me." When I read it I read it the correct way. Which is why I almost never catch my own mistakes when I write. You guys have no idea how many times I've posted an update here just to have to edit it again, and again!

A la prochaine!

Snow Day

2011-01-27T17:30:00.000-05:00

Project 365: Days 20 + 21

2011-01-26T14:30:00.000-05:00

Day 20: I got a new job, and was running around getting the necessary paper work done. I took my Ipod out of my pocket and it slipped out of my hand on to the ground. I don't think I've had the thing for more then 3 months yet. It still works I'm going to continue to use it until the glass splits my finger open. =/
Day 21: Views from my window.

Currently Reading:

2011-01-24T14:30:00.001-05:00

"Those who don't know any better come into our neighboorhood scared. they think we're dangerous. They think we will attack them with knifes. They are stupid. They are stupid people who are lost and got here by mistake."

"...All brown all around, we are safe. But watch us drive into a neighboorhood of another color and our knees go shakity-shake.."

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.

Project 365: Day 17

2011-01-23T14:30:00.002-05:00

Rock Climbing at Brooklyn Boulder!

One of my goals this year is to take every chance I get to do something new. I was invited to go rock climbing with the teens I worked with past summer(and a couple of summers ago too) from the Brooklyn Children's museum. It was amazingly awesome. Not only because I got to see these guys, but because I got to do something I had never done before. I loved it, and hopefully will get to do this again, and again, and again! A new hobbie in the making!

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Day 15

2011-01-19T12:30:00.003-05:00

A baby shower for my friend from high school on Saturday. She had the baby on Monday at 7am. She wasn't actually due for at least 9 more days. I guess the baby shower was just in time!

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Day 14

2011-01-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

Oh Vermont you sure are pretty!

I've been apart of the Postcrossing community for only a little while. I'm totally hooked though! I love receiving postcards from around the world. It's nice to see what other peoples homes look like since I can't actually visit them right now. I think I might start framing my favorite ones. Like ones where I plan on visiting asap (i.e. France)!

Become apart of the Postcrossing community today! You won't regret it.

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Day 13

2011-01-18T18:30:00.002-05:00

Day 13: I woke up to great hair! And then some how managed to capture a great photo of myself! Something that doesn't happen alot, and something that I couldn't repeat right after I changed into my clothes.

Great hair made for an even greater day! Everything was just grrrreat!

A la prochaine!

In case you weren't convinced..

2011-01-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

A couple of my favorite songs from The Stuyvesants. Oh you haven't downloaded The Stuyvesants yet?

Click away.

Time to Work

2011-01-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

I've been sick since Wensday. Blah! I'm on the mend though and this morning I remembered all the things I let slip in the days I've been in bed. I missed a couple of Sunday Morning Music post. I haven't been looking for any art openings to go too. And I haven't posted any photographys from my Project 365. Day 15: a baby shower. Day 17: Rock Climbing! I've been so out of it.

Don't be alarmed. I'm getting back on track starting today! This post is just a quick hello, and saty tuned request.

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Why wait until the last minute? Take action now!

2011-01-14T18:30:00.003-05:00

There are 16 days left to raise the money that I need to do this project. For past couple of days I've been trying to figure out how to say: "Yo guys don't wait to the last minute become one of my backers now!", or "Hey looking at the email I sent you at the beginning of the month isn't really showing me support", or "Really you can't give $5 to a support a project you've said is a great idea?", in a nice way. In a way that would make you go right away to my Kickstarter page and make a donation in any size amount. Instead of saying to yourselves "Oh yeah, I'll do that later", and then forgetting.

I haven't had any such luck. I'm not the best with my words. So how's this: Why wait to the last minute? Go, right now, to my Kickstarter page and make a donation to help support a me in my quest to better my art. Don't wait until the last minute because by then it might be to last. Any size donation will me alot to me!

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Day 10

2011-01-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

This year I decided that I was going to make my lunch for school and work. I love good food, but eating at Wholefoods everyday is expensive! There are a couple of dishes that when I make them there awesome every time! I want to be able to vary what I bring so that I don't get bored to often and spend like crazy!

This is my first failed attempt to make spinach rolls. I brought pizza dough, frozen spinach, feta, shredded mozzarella, and "beef" crumble from Wholefoods and came home ready to play chief. Not! Have no worries I won't give up. A part-time closet chief I will become!

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Day 4

2011-01-12T10:30:00.002-05:00

Walking in Soho I found this enlightening wall.

I'm not the street photography type. I find it very hard to capture the story of someone you don't know as there passing you by. My favorite things to capture are walls like this one. Walls were someone has decided to leave a message for the people passing by.

A la prochaine!

Taken 1/4/2011 in New York, NY

Thoughts on my Bike by Andrea Dofman

2011-01-11T10:30:00.004-05:00

One of my goals for 2011 is to start bike riding in the warm months. There's now way I'm riding a bike in the cold weather. With MTA fares continuously rising as soon as it gets warm enough, and only when there's no rain in the forecast, I'll be moving around on two wheels!

My mother brought this bike off a man looking for a drink for $5 years ago! It's an ugly pink bike with two flat tires. I think the brakes are bad too. I'm going to get in fixed up nice and pretty like ASAP!

A la prochaine!

Dumbo Pt. 2

2011-01-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

Taken Dec 17, 2010 in Brooklyn, NY.

Dumbo Pt. 1

2011-01-08T22:30:00.001-05:00

I went to Powerhouse Arena in Dumbo back in the last month of 2010. It was awesome, but I'm never going there again by myself at night with out pepper spray or some kind of weapon of mass destruction! Dumbo is filled with old warehouses turned new business(all of which where closed). The street are very small and sometimes the difference between where I'm supposed to walk and where the cars drive isn't always clear. But I love Dumbo all the same.

There were two exhibits on view that night. Humankind and Katsu and DestroyRebuild. For more information about the exhibits click here. I enjoyed both exhibits equally. I think there on view until January 20th. I will post the rest of the images I took in the week.

A la prochaine!

Project 365: Backers and Rewards.

2011-01-08T12:30:00.001-05:00

First I wanted to say thank you to the people that have already became one of my backers on Kickstarte r! Thanks you and remember to tell a friend about my project to help get it funded. There are 22 days left!!

This update is for my potential backers. The people that have never used or heard of Kickstarter before. I wanted to tell you guys how Kickstarter works. When you become one of my backers and you make a pledge to give $10(for example) your saying that if this project reaches its goal of $1000 your going to give $10. You’re not actually paying anything right away though they do ask for your information. If the goal is met then your charged the $10 you pledge. If not you get charged nothing!

If you have any more questions you can refer to this link.

Now lets talk about the rewards. I have never sold or even gave away any of my prints. I hardly even print out my work. I was reluctant to give my prints away as rewards, but now I'm very excited about it! This may lead to me opening up a online shop and selling some of my prints in the future, but that's a different post. The prints that I'm offering have never been sold or given to anyone and the will never will be again. So I think that makes them limited edition! Just think people if you support me now your getting a collectors item for when I become a famous dead person, like Picasso. Each reward that comes with a print there will have a different image. So really I'm offering three different limited edition prints.

I'm keeping the three images a secret for a little while longer. By the end of the week I will have them up! Click here to become one of my backers, and remember spread the word!!!!

A la prochaine!

The Stuyvesants on a Sunday Morning

2011-01-02T10:00:00.003-05:00

The Stuyvesants is a collaborative between music producer Allan Cole, and record collector Darien Victor Birks. Dedicated to the there current home the Bedford-Stuyvesant area in Brooklyn, NY. I downloaded the album yesterday after a couple of fruit-less attempts. Damn my slow Internet connection, but I digress. I have been listening to the 25 instrumental tracks nonstop.

For more info and to download the album for free click here.

A la prochaine!

Artist Talk: Chad Cartwright/ CHD:WCK!

2011-01-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

Who?
chad cartwright/CHD:WCK!

Where are you from?
i come from clarence and brenda cartwright. i was planted and cultivated in east orange, nj. harvested in charlotte, nc.

What do you call yourself (writer, rapper, photographer, etc)?
i am a visual artist. i tend to focus on photography and mixed media, though i love music.i don’t make music, but when i talk about art(ists), i usually end up talking about music(ians).

How do you create (your inspiration)?
my art is all about my perspective. so inspiration comes from everywhere.i’m still not sure how i create, but i think the answer just lies in doing it more.

Why do you do it?
it’s very satisfying to create something you enjoy looking at.

i’m not passionate about much else. most of the other things i care about, i don’t have enough control to be effective at it. i would love for art to pave the way for me to teach, reach out to youth, and travel and experience other cultures.

art is a great way to connect with people. when people respond to something i create, we get past a bunch of meaningless introductions, small talk, and chatter, and things that we don’t have it common. we get to the heart of what we do have in common and can possibly build from there.

Are you currently working on anything?
i realize that my best art comes from life lessons and the beauty i see experiencing life. so currently, i’m working on living life more fully - making better decisions, having more experiences, being open to learn more, and making sure to make time to create. i want to take different art classes to add some more tools to my toolbox. but overall, by spring 2011, i hope to have a small body of work to share.

Any advice you would give someone in your position?
1. the best advice i’ve ever received is “stop thinking and do it” - shoot more. paint more. create more. (and if i had the resources, i’d hire someone just to remind me daily)

2. there are no formulas. do you. in my eyes, the most successful artists are people who “make the art they want to see/hear”. when you stay in your own lane, the road never gets crowded.

3. keep learning. keep growing. honor your craft. i believe any future successes will continue to be a reflection of how much work i put into growing as a person, learning about art and expression, and sharing my perspective, life lessons, and view of beauty with others. i don’t know if this is good advice, but it’s how i try to go about things.

I plan on traveling out side of NYC twice this year. Would you recommend Charlotte, NC as a place I should visit?
sure, but only if you have a knowledgeable tour guide.

Click here for everything CHD:WCK!

Project 365: Launch Day!

2010-12-31T20:00:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the beginning of my year long photography project, Project 356. You have no idea how excited I am! It's not just the project that has me so happy and proud of myself. This isn't the first time I've wanted to do a photography project. This is the first time that I've taken the necessary steps to starting and completing a photography project though. And I have been taken some huge steps! I decided I was going to do this project using instant film(view sample images above) the day after I decided I was going to do Project 365. Tonight I'm going to launch my project on Kickstarter to help me get the funds I need for this project. I won't be putting all of the images on the Internet. I'm thinking I will post an image from this project about once a week or month. Depending on how busy I get once I start school again. All the same the regular content of this blog will continue as normal.

Now lets talk about Kickstarter. I first heard about Kickstarter after Kasalina Nabakooza emailed me asking me to help fund her project. I meet her at a Black Girl Project premiere back in August which she later interviewed me for her website. I really must send a huge thank you her way!! I'm asking for $1000, that will go towards covering the cost of film and creating my book at the end of the year! I hope you guys can feel how inspired and determined I feel and will help me by backing my project in whatever way you can. If you can only give a dolor then that's totally fine!! If you can only help by spreading the word then that too is fine and very helpful. Happy New Year All! I'll see you there!!

A la prochaine!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:00