"My favorite pastime is letting time pass, having the time, taking my time, wasting my time, living out of time- against the current. " -Francoise Sagan

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Alexa Meade Art

Alexa Meade is a young and totally innovative artist! She hails from Washington DC and is revolutionizing 3D paintings, or Ms. Alexa describes it as "painting a portrait of someone on top of themselves". She merges photography with painting and plays with the minds eye, she really plays with ones perception of reality. I am so impressed and mesmerized, and a little jealous of the intense talent she has.



The pictures below are of real people painted over and then photographed... amazing, outstanding! This is so exciting!


"The Struggle"


"Spectacle 1"



"Found"


"Essentially, her art imitates life on top of life." -CV



Friday, September 24, 2010

Colour Lovers

Be still my heart.

If you love color, click the link below!
http://www.colourlovers.com/


Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Monterey, Again!

We loved Monterey so much last month we decided to go again this month. Only this time we will be staying a little longer and our adorable son is coming along. Unfortunately, I have some pretty awful tendinitis in BOTH my knees and so walking around will be a little painful, and hiking and biking are pretty much out of the question.

However, seeing that our weekend getaway is this coming up weekend, I remembered I didn't post any pictures from last month's trip- for shame!

The Art of Photoshop?

Sometimes the art of photography gets lost in the mess of technology. Ansel Adams was a pioneer of black & white photography; he not only had a talented eye, but he had a gift for catching moments so clearly and uniquely... as the public had never seen before. He developed the film beautifully and usually his black & white ratio was the perfect choice of complimentary color, making the whites even brighter, and the darker colors like blues and greens transferr to a dark gray.


Ansel Adams - Mckinley

People today so easily use 'apps', Picasa, Photoshop, PicNic to edit their photos. They rely on cropping to get the proper framing, or soft focus to slightly brighten and soften the photo. What happened to framing the picture correctly through the lens? Oh, that requires an eye for detail. How about using natural light? Oh, but that requires an understanding of light. These are things that are important when considering the raw form of photography. It is the Artist at work.

Not that I don't believe Photoshop and the kind are great tools that can add to an already beautiful photo. These editing programs are full of purpose, and have done a lot for advertising (good and bad) and for artists. It allows some people to more easily understand what can be improved on in the photograph/their photography. However, in my opinion, art should not be reliant on any other medium or object or thing to make the final product, art is raw and real and true.

Editing programs is to photography as 'Painting By Numbers' is to painting. Sometimes. :)


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Falling for fall


Fall is my favorite time of year... and today it felt so much like fall. It was a cool high of 72 degrees, with strong winds and a mix of wet grass smell and smoky chimney smell. It was awesome! I took my son out several times, and watched him wrinkle his nose as the wind blew his hair way back.
I love fall for the fashion as well... the boots, and tights with skirts and shorts... the sweater vests and layers. I love that it's warm enough to take casual walks and cool enough to grab a sweater. It's a break from the heat of the summer (especially since we get highs in the low 100's out here) and a quiet warning of colder weather to come.

Friday, September 3, 2010

A note to my boy



Anthony, you are giving me attitude lately, and honestly I love you for it. Sure it's annoying that I try to put clips in your hair, and I'm sure you hate that I'm always trying to cut your nails (so you don't accidentally claw my face off)... but I can't believe what a willful boy I have. In a short month you went from angel, to rascal. Perhaps it's this new found independence; you are starting to eat by yourself, stand by yourself, get around the house on your belly doing your army crawl- and maybe that's made you realize that hey, you don't have stay where I put you and you can have things your way.
When it's time for diaper change you don't ever stay put, you always do a flip to your belly so you can get away from me, which gives a whole new meaning to the term 'skid mark'. You absolutely, matterafactly refuse to sit in the high chair, you refuse to eat, you refuse to even look at me if you are not ready to or too busy with something else. You don't whine about it, you just get mad... really mad. It's surprising but I like that... I like that you just won't have it. Not any of it. No cry baby here! Haha, it's okay cause now you know how to give me kisses when I ask for them, and you still just give them out of the blue. If you are this tough at 10 months, I can't imagine 2 years!
You have always been a very inquisitive child, but now even more so. You flip your toys over and over and over to inspect it, or maybe figure out how it works and why the lights blink. You take that precious pinky finger and run it over every surface. You roll around in your walker and when you are tired of rolling around discovering the house, and tossing everything you can get your hands on to the side, you stop and put both hands behind your head.

You are the best kid around Anthony 'Muscles' Cocian. I'm glad to see the other side of you coming out, it is welcomed, and loved... even if it really tries my patience! I love my little rascal, forever and ever.