Photo 365 - Day 180 (Passion)

Day 180 (December 30th, 2010)
Title: Passion

LOOKING FOR LOVE

A strange passion is moving in my head.
My heart has become a bird
which searches in the sky.
Every part of me goes in different directions.
Is it really so
that the one I love is everywhere?

A poem by Rumi (13th-century Persian Muslim poet)

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 179 (Paper Hearts)

Day 179 (December 29th, 2010)
Title: Paper Hearts

I'm not what one would call "creative" when it comes to scrapbooking.  There is a reason my preferred art is photography, mostly because I don't have to create something out of nothing.  With scrapbooking, as with arts such as painting and sculpting, the results are completely from the mind of the artist (aka, Scrapper).  But, with photography we are usually just manipulating some source material (the photo) until we create a object that we want to display.  If I want to show someone a bird, I go find a bird, take a picture of it, perhaps edit it a bit and, BAM - a picture of a bird.  But, for a Scrapper, they get pens and paper and die-cuts and punches and machines and rulers and tape and glue and stamps and, BAM - You have a 27 page journal on the entire life and history of a sparrows.  So, as you can see, slightly different.

But, while I've got as much creativity as a gnat when it comes to scrapping, I do love using the die-cuts and punching out a zillion little things that will never in fact never be used and instead end up embedded into the floor for 20 years.  Weee! 

Enjoy

Photo 365 - Day 178 - Making Cheer

Day 178 (December 28th, 2010)
Title: Making Cheer

Three fun facts about our house:

1) Nearly everything in it is made from IKEA
2) My office has a particular "NORAD meets Dr. Who" feel to it because of all the random techno-stuff
3) Every other room is dedicated to "Scrapbooking". 

We have a lot of scrapbooking stuff.  We have folks over to scrap and they sometimes lock up (in what I call "ScrapLock".  Its a medical condition... really.)  due to the shear number of scrappy things we have.  But, they seem to enjoy it and generally leave happier than when they arrived.  Its basically "Card-stock Therapy".  So, while perusing the 1.7 billion different die-cut punches we seem to have, I saw this one that said: CHEERS.  And I realized, that, yes, this does in fact make cheer.  So, if you ever need some cheer, just let us know.  I can punch you out some and you'll be all better.

Enjoy

I've been released from Carbonite!

Wow, I didn't realize how long its been since I've made a post!  For those of you who though I was abducted by alien waffles, fear not, for I have in fact, NOT been abducted by any pastry goods! (Besides, I never leave my house without defensive syrup, for just such an occasion). 

Basically, I've been a busy bee these last few weeks trying to get some non-blog related stuff done.  First, I've updated the official website (www.anttree.org), now with 347% more snazzy!  The problem with updating the site was, I had no idea HOW to update the site.  We are good now.  Second, I'm nearly done (really) editing all of my wedding photos!  Yes, I know we were married over 9 years ago.  Yes, I know I said I'd have them done in a few weeks... 9 years ago.  But, to be honest, we had a LOT of photos.  No, I mean, a lot.  More than that.  Even more.  I believe we had about 20,000 photos that I had to sort through and organize (btw: all of our friends who took photos for us, you all rock and I'm blaming you that I'm so late).  Third, me and the camera had a bit of a "spat", but we got counseling and are now back together! 

What this means is, I'm about to attack everyone with a horde of photos so I can catch back up (Really!  This isn't like the 'Wedding Photo' thing!  Honest!).

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Let the photo-spam begin!

Photo 365 - Day 177 (Weeds)

Day 177 (December 27th, 2010)
Title: Weeds


Sometimes art, much like nature, can pop-up randomly.  I was walking in Berkeley, when I looked down and saw these small green weeds growing up right in the middle of the sidewalk.  I love seeing this, because it reminds me, no matter how much we build and surround ourselves with all this technology and lifelessness, nature is still waiting.  Just waiting to grow back, to put color back in the world.  Concrete, roads, cars, trucks, machines, steel, iron, bigger and bigger.  Time will pass, and a little green weed will sprout and grow. 


Enjoy

Photo 365 - Day 176 (Negative Killer)

Day 176 (December 26th, 2010)
Title: Negative Killer


Completing my "fun with modern art" trifecta, I saw this display.  I'm not really sure how I feel about it, because in essence I think that projecting photographs is good and I generally appreciate anytime a photographer gets featured in a museum.  Conversely, I'm not sure I can count Mr. Buckingham as a photographer, because most photographers that I know (not mixed-media artist mind you), wouldn't create an exhibit which sole purpose is to destroy the photograph over time. 


Basically, Mr. Buckingham took a photo of a man on horse (via slide film) and placed it into a slide projector.  That's been on for nearly 10 years now, with the purpose of using the light (which is quite strong) to slowly destroy the image.  When I saw the exhibit, the image is nearly impossible to identify. 


I'm not really going to say one way or another whether this is "art" or not (or perhaps it started as art and has now changed).  I'll leave that judgment to each viewer, but I will say, sometimes a horse is just a horse.  Even when its not. 


Enjoy

 

Photo 365 - Day 175 (String Bored)

Day 175 (December 25th, 2010)
Title: String Bored


Continuing with my exploration of modern art, after yesterdays Giant Whisk, I found this... thing.  As I've mentioned in the past, normally I'm not one for modern art, and this piece is kind of why I'm not really a fan.  Its a board.  With string on it.  The string, which is multi-colored, is hanging down.  That's it.  String.  Board.  I have no problem with folks making stuff like this, quite the contrary, I do silly things like this all the time (in my attempt to make things to take macro photos), but I would never be so egotistical to call it modern art and place it in the center of a museum.  Its a board with string on it!  Perhaps it has some deeper, metaphysical meaning that I just can't see, something that would explain the universe, perhaps prove God exist, or just explain String Theory (pun!), but really, it me is just a board with string on it! 


Perhaps their art is related to cat toys.  Who knows. 


Enjoy