A Gift in the Ground

My mom corrected me... they aren't bluebells, as I stated in my last post, they are in fact grape hyacinths. Who'd have thought. But as I go through life, I am learning my mom is usually right, so I am not going to question it. However, I am 99% positive these ones are crocuses! Taken in Victoria at Beacon Hill Park with my beloved 24mm tilt-shift lens, this was truly a sight to behold after months and months of gray days.

It's funny what a field of flowers does to me. I think everyone has that thing, you know, that thing that lets you release a breath you didn't know you were holding. That thing that allows you to just be in the moment without really trying. That thing that fills you up and makes your whole body smile. That thing that leaves you slightly changed from the experience. Fields of flowers do that to me. And those places unspoiled by humans that are just so perfect, I feel it is a gift just witness it. And perhaps that gift is gratitude.

Finding Joy

I wanted to talk about joy. I wanted to talk about it being a choice, rather than something we seek. What I have realized as of late is that I have a choice, I can continue down the path which represents the way I have been living my life, or I can choose another one. The greatest part about this is that I can create any life I want! It is simple. It is just a choice. Through this process, I have come to discover what truly gives me joy- one being my camera. Yesterday I was walking around the seawall and it was rainy and windy and my fingers were freezing and it was really cold. But I chose to feel joy. And I did. It's that simple.

What are you going to choose today? Or, more importantly, what are you going to create?

Walk in the Park

What better way to pass the day than to take a walk in the park!

It was freeeeezing, but so beautiful. I see the life trying to break through the frozen earth, and it gives me hope that warm days are soon to follow. I mean, winter can't last forever, can it???

This was a fun series to edit- I used a texture and a seventies color filter on the image taken with a tilt-shift lens. This lens is incredible- Nikon PC 24mm- great for achieving the straight lines in architecture and also fun to use artistically. Two very different styles used to achieve two very different results. Thank you, Nikon.

 

Lost, But Not Forgotten

It’s been almost four years since she started this project; a large-scale, powerful series of portraits. There will be 69 portraits, the number of women from Vancouver’s downtown Eastside missing for more than a decade. It is by far the most intense and commanding project to date about these women. Vancouver artist, Pamela Masik, is taking the tiny faces off the missing poster and forcing us to see the sadness, anger and fear, painting each woman on an 8x10 canvas.

Many were First Nations people. Many had run from abusive relationships. They were drug addicts. They were prostitutes. But they were also mothers, friends, wives, sisters and daughters. Masik believes it is our collective responsibility to support and empower individuals at high risk, women marginalized in societal structures, made dependent and disillusioned about their own power and self-worth. It is easy to separate “us” from “them”, and hopefully Masik’s project will make us see their faces and hear their voices.

The targeted completion date for the project is September 2009.

For more information, visit www.masik.ca

Driving Nowhere Fast

There comes a time in everyone's life where they question their path, the many choices made that have put them where they are at that point in time. For some, it might happen when they turn 30, 40 or 50; those monumental points of reflection where one looks to measure their levels of happiness and success. For others, it might happen once a year, once a month, or even once a day. As an artist, I think it is our inherent nature to question ourselves. The problem with art is that it is completely objective... or subjective... and it must be compared to other art to define it, to understand it, to value it... It is that comparison that can be the evil of our creativity, because we begin to look at others when we should be looking within. The best art is created with the intention of creating it for the sake of expression, for the artist alone. Not for the sake of what others will think of it or what is expected or who will buy it.

Sometimes, it feels like I am driving nowhere, fast. I ask, what is my ultimate goal? Do I want recognition? Do I want financial success? Do I want to change the industry? As humans, we tend to over-think and over-analyze everything, when really, it so much more simple. It is about moments of joy. Shared with others or by yourself. Moments of connectivity. Moments of emotion, of fear and love. It is feeling that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing at that very moment in time... for the simple reason that you are doing it. I believe that we are all doing what we are supposed to be doing. We have chosen the partner we are with based on what we need to learn from them. We are choosing our experiences and challenges so that we can overcome obstacles and blocks within us. Times of challenges and pain and fear always translate into times of growth and learning. So really, when it feels like you might be straying from your path, look at it as if the "straying" is actually part of your path. Stay true to your path. Stay true to you.

I'm sure everyone can relate to this video on some level...

Vision Board

Last night I did a fun exercise to mark the beginning of a new year with a good friend of mine. More than being fun, it was extremely important because ultimately, I was creating the story I want to live. Creating a vision board is very similar to writing out your goals in life, except an image evokes more emotion than simply writing them. We looked through dozens of magazines, clipping out words, phrases and images that represented something important to us, or what we wanted, in all aspects of our life… all the while laughing and sharing and holding back no fear in acknowledging our truths. Then, we both got really silent as we pasted the images and words that were to become our future. Because they were going to become our future. That is such an important element. Believing. So as I sit here at my desk, I’m looking at my vision board (now surrounded by photos of family and friends and great moments), as I will everyday for at least 5 minutes, and focus on creating the life I dream of!

Portrait | Cara

When I look back at photos of Cara and I as children, we either have the same hairstyle (except when my brother played hairdresser) or we are wearing the same outfit (thanks Grandma!). As we got older, I think it started to bother her, but I secretly loved buying the same clothes as my city, styled-out cousin. But one thing is for sure, growing up alongside this beautiful woman has made me a better person in so many ways. I cherish our visits as children, and I hold our friendship we have today even closer. I am so excited to welcome this baby into our family!

Since I technically haven't gotten permission to post any photos of her, I will only show this one of her perfect, beautiful belly :)

And this super cute one...