My Paper Ribcage

My first fine arts course at OCAD is proving to be loads of fun and I am so relieved to have made the decision to switch out of design. The course I'm taking is 'Experimental Production' and our first assignment was to create an adornment for the human body. It's definitely the most exciting project so far at OCAD. And since the process is a huge part of the project, I thought I would document it a bit.

I'm making a ribcage inspired corset out of wire and pattern paper. I've printed anatomical drawings from Gray's Anatomy onto the paper before gluing it to the wire frame. To strengthen the pieces I'm coating them in gel. In these photos you can see the pieces hanging to dry. They are like little animal skins. I'm pleased with how they turned out. The translucence and shine give them a nice grotesque look. The gel also makes the pieces very flexible, which will be important when this adornment is worn.

My First Commission

I'm working on a painting of some branches for a co-worker and so far it's going well. I thought I'd post photos of my progress...

These are some of my initial sketches.

This one is the sketch we decided to go with.

Off to the art store to buy some warm colours and fancy papers. I decided that the base of this painting will be a paper collage. This will add texture to the piece. Also, I don't like painting on canvas.

Some experimentation with paint and paper before I went to work on the canvas. I'm adding green to compliment the red berries.

This is what I have so far... there is still lots to be done. I think I'll have time to work on it this week a bit because school has briefly quieted down. I can't wait to paint the berries!

Ironically, I forget to smoke pot...

The man and I just moved to a beautiful apartment. I couldn't be happier about it... really. It has everything we need... lots of light, a balcony, even a washer and dryer. Not to mention hard wood floors! I'll be taking some photos soon, cause it's that exciting for me. We came from a dismal, carpeted basement.

Nevertheless, moving is a stressful event. I'm finding myself very irritable and on edge. I had to come out to a public cafe to get online, and finally, as I'm sitting here goofing off, it occurs to me... why the hell haven't I smoked any weed for the past week? It's like I got so distracted by the move, by all the stuff I needed to do, I forgot that there was a nice easy way to chill the fuck out. I can avoid becoming a neurotic stressball. Forgetting about weed and its awesomeness has happened to me before. I always laugh at myself, because for me, weed is kind of like vitamins. Taking it regularily has a positive effect, but I will still foget to take it, especially it seems, when I need it the most. This essentially makes me an aspiring pothead. Hilarious.

As soon as I'm finished this coffee, I'm heading home for a nice plump bowl of pot and some Radiohead.

Into The Wild?

I watched Into The Wild the other day. Ok, so this Chris McCandless guy seemed like a bit of a pompous prick, at least based on the way he was portrayed in the movie. Where does he get off preaching to everyone he meets? But I digress. The film got me thinking about the whole fleeing civilization method of "enlightenment". Hermit in a cave, wanderer on the road, monk in a monastery, whatever. I totally see the appeal. It's difficult to live in the modern world and not feel disgusted and disillusioned a lot of the time. "I'm not in love with the modern world, it just brings me down", (thank you Wolf Parade). Freedom in this day and age, also seems allusive. I think that many people are becoming more aware that all the comforts of modern life do not bestow freedom, but rather that they potentially thwart freedom. Yet, we feel almost powerless to avoid consumerism, our dependence on material things, our dependence on other people and on our own self-image. In Eastern philosophy, all these things are referred to as attachments. People, places, things, ideas about yourself and about the world... all of these can be attachments. And when we are attached to something, we are entangled, we are not free. They literally tie us down to suffering.

So, ok. We can completely fuck off and go on the road or into the wild. No more possessions or committed relationships. No job, no family. Perhaps in some cases, no more ego. (Although this clearly was not the case with our friend Chris). And let's be fair, giving all this up is a hard fucking thing to do. Brutal I imagine. And maybe it's the most efficient way to dissolve the desire which the Buddha identified as the root of all suffering. Yet, I question it. I question whether or not it is a short cut, whether or not it is genuine. In some respects could it be seen as avoidance? Isn't it much harder to let go of our attachments while still living in the modern world? Isn't that the true challenge? Avoiding something with a stoic austerity or asceticism does not mean you've truly let it go. Yoga teaches that we can be in the world, but not of the world, meaning that we can participate in and enjoy life, but not become entangled in it. Not an easy achievement of course. But what a beautiful state it would be!

No Edge on Etsy

I'm just gonna say it... I am getting fed up with Etsy. It is overwhelming and discouraging sometimes. I spent loads of cash on silkscreens and shirts and prints, and haven't sold much of anything through Etsy. It makes me depressed sometimes. I thought that stationery and shirts would have a better chance of selling on Etsy than art prints, but my silk screened stuff is getting almost no views! Sorry to be so negative, but sometimes I just need to let it out. My patience is waning. Needless to say, I appreciate the hell out of all the awesome people who have purchased something from me. Without you how would I persevere? Anyways, I'm not giving up. I just needed to vent. I'm reading "The Tipping Point" right now... it's an interesting book about how trends, ideas, and diseases spread among populations. Hush Puppies for example, became a nation-wide craze all because a few hipsters in an isolated community of New York decided they were cool and started wearing them. Hopefully my Etsy shop will reach its tipping point and plummet into success. Or something like that.

Art on the Street

Yes, it's more than one month later, but here is my booth at Art on the Street! I had a very sucessful and hot day, and even sold an original painting! Thanks to everyone who supported me... my friends, my family and my patrons. I look forward to doing it all again next year!

My Very Own Doll Face Dress!

This doll face was a doodle that my partner did. I thought it would look sweet on t-shirts, so I made a silkscreen of it. I decided to put it on this black dress and I'm quite pleased with the results. There are also doll face tees for sale in my Etsy shop.