#1 & #24

Fall 2008 #1 & #24

Fall 2008 #1 & #24

This is one from my archives. I took this photo with my Spartus Full Vue, hence the square format. I was on a whole tangent of shooting straight up into the sky for a couple semesters. Here is the artist statement from this project:

"As an artist I strive to create art that is simple and easily understood. I find myself and the world around me to be extremely complex. I ponder them all the time. I try to make sense of something that I will never fully understand and become frustrated. I am a very emotional person and my feelings almost always take over in a way I cannot control and I again become frustrated. The most appealing art for me is art that can be summed up in one sentence or thought. The art I create can usually be described by "this is beautiful because the elements and principles of art are working cohesively." The emotions I most express in my artwork are peace and simplicity. It is an escape from my usual experience of chaos and difficulty.


For this project I took my usual formal approach to photography and gave it the constraint that I would be pointing my lens straight up. The unique viewfinder of my Spartus Full Vue led me to shooting in this manner. Holding the viewfinder like a regular camera, out in front of me, pointed the lens into the sky, exposing me to a new perspective. For this project I was in search of interesting compositions using the elements and principles of art as my guide.


I hope that when person views these photographs that he or she simply sees shapes, lines, pattern, etc., and how they come together to create something visually interesting. Perhaps the viewer takes them a step further and gains an appreciation for the point of view expressed by pointing the camera straight up. These photographs are meant to be taken at face value, and what you see is what you get. "

Links:
Elements of Art
Principles of Art

Scavenger Hunt

11/4/09 #7 An Interesting Doorway

I found this photo hunt online and decided it would help me come up with new and interesting photographs. Here's the list so you can play along:

|x|1. Cool or interesting architecture
| |2. A sign of the season
| |3. Something musical
| |4. Something sweet
|x|5. Something metallic
| |6. A landscape
|x|7. An interesting doorway
| |8. A reflection
|x|9. A cemetery
| |10. A pair of shoes
| |11. A body of water
| |12. A drink
| |13. A mosaic or mural
| |14. Rain or snow
| |15. Classic car (1970 or older)
| |16. A work of art
| |17. A church
| |18. A statue
| |19. An interesting sky
| |20. Something in motion
|x|21. Lights at night
|x|22. A silhouette
| |23. Something historical (pre-1900)
|x|24. A shot from an unusual perspective
| |25. Flowers
|x|26. Self-Portrait I & II

Links:
Flickr Scavenger Hunt

Rex

Rex Wall 10/7/09

I really love working at the Rex. Many of my co-workers complain that it is the most boring job in the world. I can understand where they're coming from because we are stuck behind the front desk and there is never get a good wifi signal. But they've never worked at 'ol Donovan Dining Center. I challenge them to scrub out a 10 gallon pot from yesterday's chili night while sporting the required hair net and then tell me how terrible it is to work at the Rex.

One of my favorite things about working at the Rex is the satellite radio. Here in Alamosa we have about seven stations that break down like so: three country, two spanish and two mix. I can guarantee that none of those stations are playing Britney Spears' new single 3. But when I'm working at the Rex, I can catch up on all the latest hits by tuning into "Top 20 on 20". If I'm in an alternative, Zach Braff kind of mood, channel 47's Alt Nation has just what I want. Ok, those are the only two stations I regularly tune in to but its nice to know that channel 7 has all the 70's hits I could ask for and if I want to escape to Margaritaville, channel 55 is a "Buffet buffet."

Reading is another thing that keeps my boredom at bay during the slow hours of the morning. I've always enjoyed reading but I never really considered myself a bookworm. At home, turning on the t.v. during down time is a reflex. Picking up a book, is not. I decided that I would utilize the long interludes between swiping cards to read some books. I've read 20 books in the last year. Now when someone asks what my favorite books are, I can proudly name off more than one.

Working the front desk is mind numbing and, lets face it, a trained monkey could do my job. But I do my best to make the most of it and I just thank GOD that I don't have to wear a hair net.


Links:
What Should I Read Next?
Donovan Dining Center