so i started to notice a pattern in my life- when i'm a hair's breath away from moving onto the next big stage of my life, something happens that will benefit those behind me. when i left primary school, they renovated the hot assembly hall grades 1 thru 6 gathered in each morning, changed the floors and added a stage and A/C. when i left high school the long-rumoured cafeteria came into existence [as an alumnus at the time though, i did get to go to the opening and eat for free though, so that was a plus]. and finally, at my final week of being a COB student before graduation, the long-awaited Performing Arts Centre [that took my enitire tenure at that institution to be renovated!] was finally completed and open for the public for the 1st year art students to fully enjoy having their work displayed in. it's been amusing bad luck, actually, and i've always wondered if that cycle would break.
ladies and gents, it has been SHATTERED. here's how.
fellow artist/Queen's College High School alumnus Jonathan Murray has invited me- along with nine older/more seasoned visual artists- to participate in this year's "Transforming Spaces" tour and exhibition!
Transforming Spaces is an annual event held back home in the capital [Nassau] where various art galleries, spaces and studios open their doors and tours are conducted to each of them. local artists either show of a small portion of their work [like legendary artist Malcolm Rae], combine the chance to showcase their students' work as well [like my art tutor and Canadian Kim Smith], or use the chance to participate in special exhibitions specifically for Transforming Spaces [like my mentor John Cox and his gallery POPOPstudios does on occasion]
i ADORE Transforming Spaces. firstly, i think it's a wonderful way to show off the talent of Bahamian artists. i participated a few years ago as a tour guide and it was a rewarding experience because i managed to learn a lot more about those who've already established themselves as art pioneers. and it also gave me a good idea of what i'd have to do in order to crush them all.
well, this year, Transforming Spaces is gonna have a special exhibition entitled A SUDDEN AND VIOLENT CHANGE. i'm not gonna share too much on the idea of what the topic sprung from [cuz that in itself is like a full scale article], but the gist of the project is that 10 super-awesome local writers will write an essay, poem, or short story based on this theme, and the visual artists [aka ME!] will be tasked to reinterpret the pre-determined piece to work together like a diptych. we'll be getting our pieces at the end of this month, and i'll have 5 weeks to work at it.
the face that jonathan wanted me to work on this is humbling in itself, but when i see who ELSE is working on this project, i get a little starry-eyed. the guys enlisted on this are nothing short of fucking INCREDIBLE illustrators, painters, conceptualists and are just on another plane of artistic badassery, in my book. to have my name with them is crazy. it shouldn't be happening. me, fresh-faced, still schooling, barely-legal ME? in the same league as these guys? you gotta be shittin' me.
i am SO GONNA ROCK THIS.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
art,
Bahamas,
project,
transforming spaces
3
comments
Awesome News Awaits You Within
[gallery link="file"]
so without any further delay, i present to you the first fruit of my labours: my final pieces from ILUS 200!
the topic was to pick two nouns [in my case, flower and paintbrush] and combine it with a human. we could go nuts with the interpretations, but the only catch was that we HAD to use ink and watercolours only.
i've hardly ever used watercolors, much less actually being good at it, so this was really an experiment. However, i am quite pleased with the results. I may actually do more with it [i mean hell, i bought a whole set of tubes. might as well use 'em, right?]
still not looking forward to this next project for this class though. maybe if i look at some creatures from Avatar: the Last Airbender, i can get some insight.
so without any further delay, i present to you the first fruit of my labours: my final pieces from ILUS 200!
the topic was to pick two nouns [in my case, flower and paintbrush] and combine it with a human. we could go nuts with the interpretations, but the only catch was that we HAD to use ink and watercolours only.
i've hardly ever used watercolors, much less actually being good at it, so this was really an experiment. However, i am quite pleased with the results. I may actually do more with it [i mean hell, i bought a whole set of tubes. might as well use 'em, right?]
still not looking forward to this next project for this class though. maybe if i look at some creatures from Avatar: the Last Airbender, i can get some insight.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Bahamas,
DIVA 200,
haiti,
ILUS 200,
linkage
4
comments
Back in class....
...and Haiti's had a 6.1 aftershock. what the bloody hell is UP with this year? we've had more earthquakes in a week than we can shake a stick at [3 in South America, one in the US and one in the Southern Caribbean]. thankfully no tsunami warning for back home, but the attitude of my countrymen regarding the PM's decision to grant temporary residency to already detained Haitian nationals for the next 6 months is deplorable. they've said that they think by doing this they've giving the country away, ignoring immigration laws, yadda yadda yadda... same old Bahamian bullSHIT.
the ONLY criticism i agree with is that the PM should've acted with the Opposition instead of shunting them as always. everyone else from the US downwards has at least had the decency to contact/consult with the Opposition party regarding decisions. so this blatantly political move is pretty poor in my books.
...but again... for FUCKS SAKE people. have a damn heart.
....anyway, back to art matters.
i've managed to record some sound bits for my 3rd [...well, technically 2nd] assignment for DIVA 200. after consulting with julie about my feelings of isolation regarding my time here, she liked my idea of recording things that were 'similar' to back home, but not entirely- to highlight my feelings of displacement. for instance, the seagulls here are massive and their calls are foreign to me, used to the variety of seagulls frequenting the beaches of back home.
actually, now that i think about it, i must really be a bird person, because i was happiest watching the ducks and geese on granville island [which i hope to go back and get some extra sound clips from!] and the seagulls on the pier, than anywhere else in vancouver. of course, i use the term 'happiest' relatively. i like it here a lot, and i'm not necessarily homesick... just feeling out-of-place.
my ILUS 200 project was received well and i'll be posting the results of that today. but i wish that this second project was easier to deal with! we have to create a creature by combining animal/plant/human features, and paint a poster for kids, advertising this 'fantasy-land' where this creature resides. just one tiny problem.. I SUCK AT THAT!
most of my imagining has nothing to do with creature-creation WHATSOEVER. so this is really tough. not to mention my interests as a child were not really normal for girls back then. probably not even by today's standards, unless you have an... interesting mind.
the first VLOG will be posted on Facebook by the end of this week, as well as on another website [not photobucket, because they constantly fuck with my video to no end], now that i have content to talk about. sort of.
and finally, some blog links!
http://glistenhive.wordpress.com --> the *gisten)HIVE blog, which will be up really soon! don't miss your chance to contribute your animal tales to be included in the installation! you can send them as tweets to @mal22 or @glisten_HIVE- or, if you don't have Twitter, let me know so that I can give you my email for you to send them to me.
http://nicobethel.net/blogword --> a Bahamian writer/cultural art enthusiast i've had the honour of working with for the Shakespeare in Paradise Theatre Festival we had in the Bahamas in October. i go to her blog for her insight and views about what's happening in the Bahamas and the Caribbean- it's definitely worth the read. that way you have more than one islander source ;)
http://theartdepartment.org & http://www.conceptart.org --> if you are an illustrator/concept art lover and seriously want to venture into this line of work, i STRONGLY advise you check these guys out! trust me- you will not regret it.
alright, i am off to research/comment of my classmates blogs. Ja ne.
the ONLY criticism i agree with is that the PM should've acted with the Opposition instead of shunting them as always. everyone else from the US downwards has at least had the decency to contact/consult with the Opposition party regarding decisions. so this blatantly political move is pretty poor in my books.
...but again... for FUCKS SAKE people. have a damn heart.
....anyway, back to art matters.
i've managed to record some sound bits for my 3rd [...well, technically 2nd] assignment for DIVA 200. after consulting with julie about my feelings of isolation regarding my time here, she liked my idea of recording things that were 'similar' to back home, but not entirely- to highlight my feelings of displacement. for instance, the seagulls here are massive and their calls are foreign to me, used to the variety of seagulls frequenting the beaches of back home.
actually, now that i think about it, i must really be a bird person, because i was happiest watching the ducks and geese on granville island [which i hope to go back and get some extra sound clips from!] and the seagulls on the pier, than anywhere else in vancouver. of course, i use the term 'happiest' relatively. i like it here a lot, and i'm not necessarily homesick... just feeling out-of-place.
my ILUS 200 project was received well and i'll be posting the results of that today. but i wish that this second project was easier to deal with! we have to create a creature by combining animal/plant/human features, and paint a poster for kids, advertising this 'fantasy-land' where this creature resides. just one tiny problem.. I SUCK AT THAT!
most of my imagining has nothing to do with creature-creation WHATSOEVER. so this is really tough. not to mention my interests as a child were not really normal for girls back then. probably not even by today's standards, unless you have an... interesting mind.
the first VLOG will be posted on Facebook by the end of this week, as well as on another website [not photobucket, because they constantly fuck with my video to no end], now that i have content to talk about. sort of.
and finally, some blog links!
http://glistenhive.wordpress.com --> the *gisten)HIVE blog, which will be up really soon! don't miss your chance to contribute your animal tales to be included in the installation! you can send them as tweets to @mal22 or @glisten_HIVE- or, if you don't have Twitter, let me know so that I can give you my email for you to send them to me.
http://nicobethel.net/blogword --> a Bahamian writer/cultural art enthusiast i've had the honour of working with for the Shakespeare in Paradise Theatre Festival we had in the Bahamas in October. i go to her blog for her insight and views about what's happening in the Bahamas and the Caribbean- it's definitely worth the read. that way you have more than one islander source ;)
http://theartdepartment.org & http://www.conceptart.org --> if you are an illustrator/concept art lover and seriously want to venture into this line of work, i STRONGLY advise you check these guys out! trust me- you will not regret it.
alright, i am off to research/comment of my classmates blogs. Ja ne.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
*glisten)HIVE,
classes,
DIVA 200,
ILUS 200,
ILUS 201
4
comments
Project #3 and its Dilemmas.. [and other fun bits]
Our 3rd project in my DIVA 200 course is entitled "hyperlocal narrative, mapping and mobility". we are to team up [or not, in my case- i'm still kinda feeling things out as a newcomer, and i don't want to disturb the relationships that have already been built between my peers] and create a 3 minute audio file that CRITICALLY explores this notion, along with those of community and site, within the confines of Granville Isle and Emily Carr.
the only problem? i have NO IDEA WHERE TO START.
like i think i understand the premise of the assignment, but to be honest, there isn't much i can gather from it. i don't know what to explore critically, or how to do it, when i have no connection to anything here in vancouver, much less anything at school. i'm like this phantom trailing along my daily tasks, still very much the outsider looking in, and i have no idea where to put my foot down to steady myself. clearly, an email to ms webster is in order, if i'm ever going to make sense of this assignment. good thing tuesday's a free day for me until the afternoon... might be able to try something out then.
in other news, i finished my ILUS 200 assignment, and dare i say that i'm completely pleased with the results. especially since i've never used watercolors before. i'll be posting those up in a little bit- just gotta find my camera. my ILUS 201 project still has some major kinks to work out, with may require a change in tactics and/or software. if i feel like pulling an all-nighter, we'll see how that one goes.
and finally, i've been enjoying my role as an intern for *glisten)HIVE so far. there's a TON of websites and organizations that can be used for the project, and i've only been able to dig out a few good gems that Julie can use. i'm sure more will come though- just gotta keep an eye out to where they may be. of course, if you're reading this and want to contribute, you can check out the *glisten)HIVE blog link in my blogroll, as well as send any Twitter responses to me [@mal22] or to Julie [@glisten_HIVE] for us to collect.
the only problem? i have NO IDEA WHERE TO START.
like i think i understand the premise of the assignment, but to be honest, there isn't much i can gather from it. i don't know what to explore critically, or how to do it, when i have no connection to anything here in vancouver, much less anything at school. i'm like this phantom trailing along my daily tasks, still very much the outsider looking in, and i have no idea where to put my foot down to steady myself. clearly, an email to ms webster is in order, if i'm ever going to make sense of this assignment. good thing tuesday's a free day for me until the afternoon... might be able to try something out then.
in other news, i finished my ILUS 200 assignment, and dare i say that i'm completely pleased with the results. especially since i've never used watercolors before. i'll be posting those up in a little bit- just gotta find my camera. my ILUS 201 project still has some major kinks to work out, with may require a change in tactics and/or software. if i feel like pulling an all-nighter, we'll see how that one goes.
and finally, i've been enjoying my role as an intern for *glisten)HIVE so far. there's a TON of websites and organizations that can be used for the project, and i've only been able to dig out a few good gems that Julie can use. i'm sure more will come though- just gotta keep an eye out to where they may be. of course, if you're reading this and want to contribute, you can check out the *glisten)HIVE blog link in my blogroll, as well as send any Twitter responses to me [@mal22] or to Julie [@glisten_HIVE] for us to collect.
since my Facebook page was feeling all left out, wordpress wants me to PAY for uploading video [which i find to be a crock of bull], and the fact that i've been real lazy with image updating... this is just a quick announcement.
VLOGS ON MAH FB PAGE!!
there, that was easy.
pics to come tomorrow! i promise! cuz all of my assignments need to be done by then anyway!
VLOGS ON MAH FB PAGE!!
there, that was easy.
pics to come tomorrow! i promise! cuz all of my assignments need to be done by then anyway!
....and these Macs are SEXAY AS HELL.
like seriously, i've been raised a PC girl, and even the Macs we used back home weren't this hot. i just wish that these keyboards didn't feel soo... awkward. i think when i do actually get a Mac, i'll stick to the Macbook.
in more important news, the tsunami warning that loomed over the Bahamas thanks to that 7.0 earthquake that Haiti suffered has lifted- which is a HUGE relief for me, since I can rest easy knowing that my family and my country are out of the line of fire for now.
....but seriously. i swear, as a Caribbean lady, it's like Haiti is the proverbial poor kid that's always mocked by everyone, but everyone runs a guilt-trip the moment disaster strikes- as it always does. reading everyone's comments on FB about how everyone must 'pray for Haiti' and the like sickens me, because i know that without tragedy, the rest of the Bahamian population would continue to badmouth Haitians [both legal and illegal immigrants] for everything they can try. it's very sad, but i know i'm not the only Bahamian sickened by her countrymen by the underlying hypocrisy.
of course, this has got me thinking about what i can do to help out those in Haiti, since sending money is pretty much out of the question [it's not like i HAVE money, as an art student on the other side of the freaking continent]. the solution will probably come to me as this class progresses, since this whole 'activism' thing runs rampant in this class like a raging bull. julie, if you read this, help a sister out ;)
UPDATE: For anyone who can- here's a link outlining some of the LEGIT ways to lend assistance to organization dedicated to assisting Haiti in this time of crisis.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/01/12/2010-01-12_haiti_earthquake_how_you_can_help.html
like seriously, i've been raised a PC girl, and even the Macs we used back home weren't this hot. i just wish that these keyboards didn't feel soo... awkward. i think when i do actually get a Mac, i'll stick to the Macbook.
in more important news, the tsunami warning that loomed over the Bahamas thanks to that 7.0 earthquake that Haiti suffered has lifted- which is a HUGE relief for me, since I can rest easy knowing that my family and my country are out of the line of fire for now.
....but seriously. i swear, as a Caribbean lady, it's like Haiti is the proverbial poor kid that's always mocked by everyone, but everyone runs a guilt-trip the moment disaster strikes- as it always does. reading everyone's comments on FB about how everyone must 'pray for Haiti' and the like sickens me, because i know that without tragedy, the rest of the Bahamian population would continue to badmouth Haitians [both legal and illegal immigrants] for everything they can try. it's very sad, but i know i'm not the only Bahamian sickened by her countrymen by the underlying hypocrisy.
of course, this has got me thinking about what i can do to help out those in Haiti, since sending money is pretty much out of the question [it's not like i HAVE money, as an art student on the other side of the freaking continent]. the solution will probably come to me as this class progresses, since this whole 'activism' thing runs rampant in this class like a raging bull. julie, if you read this, help a sister out ;)
UPDATE: For anyone who can- here's a link outlining some of the LEGIT ways to lend assistance to organization dedicated to assisting Haiti in this time of crisis.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/01/12/2010-01-12_haiti_earthquake_how_you_can_help.html
i find it very interesting that here at ECU a lot of concentration is on thought process and planning when it comes to our work- and while by nature i'm usually very meticulous, when it comes to art i'm more of a doer than a thinker. meaning that far less time is done planning and tweaking, and i usually just work with whatever comes to mind first. hopefully this is something i can learn to add to my art persona.
the idea of being 'artistically' responsible, however, totally grabs me by the hairs. i've had an activist streak in me that runs the entire length of my island home [and with 700 islands, cays, and random rocks to include, that's pretty damn long], that stems from a strong sense of justice and equality. it doesn't take much for the emphatic part of my Piscean nature to stir when i see or read something tragic, or unjust, or just plain wrong. [i cried at the death of Neda, for Christ's sake]. i love the idea of my art being not only an indulgence of my own ideas and plans, but a metaphorical megaphone to lend a voice, if nothing else. and there are a LOT of avenues i can choose from my experiences and plights back home to bring that all forth. but those ideas i'll have to put a little stopper on for now- i mean, i'm not in kansas anymore [pun intended]- and instead immerse myself into the bowels of Vancouver's social ills [for yes, even a place as friendly and picturesque as this has its dark side- a tale from my classmate Valin's childhood completely convinced me of that] for my muse and inspiration.
so the art shall come soon, and you won't have to deal with my self-indulgent rambling for much longer, haha. just amuse yourself with the links provided in teh Blogroll [especially the *glisten) HIVE blog!] until this weekend's done. then i will have fun things to show and tantalize the brain. until then, ja ne.
the idea of being 'artistically' responsible, however, totally grabs me by the hairs. i've had an activist streak in me that runs the entire length of my island home [and with 700 islands, cays, and random rocks to include, that's pretty damn long], that stems from a strong sense of justice and equality. it doesn't take much for the emphatic part of my Piscean nature to stir when i see or read something tragic, or unjust, or just plain wrong. [i cried at the death of Neda, for Christ's sake]. i love the idea of my art being not only an indulgence of my own ideas and plans, but a metaphorical megaphone to lend a voice, if nothing else. and there are a LOT of avenues i can choose from my experiences and plights back home to bring that all forth. but those ideas i'll have to put a little stopper on for now- i mean, i'm not in kansas anymore [pun intended]- and instead immerse myself into the bowels of Vancouver's social ills [for yes, even a place as friendly and picturesque as this has its dark side- a tale from my classmate Valin's childhood completely convinced me of that] for my muse and inspiration.
so the art shall come soon, and you won't have to deal with my self-indulgent rambling for much longer, haha. just amuse yourself with the links provided in teh Blogroll [especially the *glisten) HIVE blog!] until this weekend's done. then i will have fun things to show and tantalize the brain. until then, ja ne.
because i know it'll be easier this way, haha- i've included a Facebook Page link in the Blogroll. mainly for the benefit of my friends back in the Bahamas for ease of contact, but yea. check the Blogroll for that.
i've also included two other personal blogs of mine, my Carbonmade portfolio [a bit of a placeholder until work actually gets posted here], and the link to my boyfriend's art blog. all are worth looking at and passing on feedback! otherwise i wouldn't be posting the links!
speaking of links, more important links will be coming up soon. keep an eye out.
UPDATE- the link for both ElectroDiva [the DIVA class blog that actually is the launch point for this blog] and glistenHIVE has been added. since i'm interning with this project, i'd suggest you take a look at it. *wink*
i've also included two other personal blogs of mine, my Carbonmade portfolio [a bit of a placeholder until work actually gets posted here], and the link to my boyfriend's art blog. all are worth looking at and passing on feedback! otherwise i wouldn't be posting the links!
speaking of links, more important links will be coming up soon. keep an eye out.
UPDATE- the link for both ElectroDiva [the DIVA class blog that actually is the launch point for this blog] and glistenHIVE has been added. since i'm interning with this project, i'd suggest you take a look at it. *wink*
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