1964 Mustang

2012-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

Inspiration is the practice. Design is the product.

Store Windows

Store Merchandising

Home Projects

Photography

Black and White Prints

Reality is to my imagination as a lightbulb is to a socket. - Tom Waits

2012-01-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

2011-10-19T19:21:00.001-07:00

Barb Wire, Urbania series
Gerald Slota
2009-10

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.

los angeles

2011-09-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

taken in Brentwood, California --- August 2010

If I had my life to live over again, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones . . .
If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.

-Nadine Stair

+ aerial color palette +

2011-09-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

On my way to Los Angeles, the sky opened up revealing this snapshot.

+ sharpen up +

2011-08-30T19:11:00.001-07:00

coastal

2011-07-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

____

It is not down in any map; true places never are. - Herman Melville

_____

derrick + keith

2011-07-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

Curtain
Keith Sharp
2008

I might have written it somewhere else
maybe in another poem but it might be a nice way to start off this shindig.

You belong everywhere.

Derrick C. Brown

ashley

2011-07-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Joseph Szabo - "Jones Beach"

You wanna know what's wrong - you're looking for your life's purpose. Everyone asks, 'what's your life purpose?', I don't have one. I do have a better question. What is your soul's purpose?

Ashley reached out and pushed my shoulders.

Manifest Destiny

2011-07-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Andrew Bush

Drive

The road always leads West . - Christopher McCandless "Into the Wild"

Why I Run

2011-07-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Portrait of a Hobo
by Justine Kurland 2007

Running comes to me because I run away from problems

until I'm spent, and free enough, and realize it's safe enough to run back home.

- diary entry '07

Man Walking

2011-07-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Pete Kelly , Leading Horse, 1997
curated with an excerpt of Annie Dillard's "An American Childhood"

I saw a stilled figure in a swirl of invisible motion. I saw a touchy man moving through a still void. Here was the thinker in the world --- but there was no world, only the abyss through which he walked. Man Walking was pure consciousness made poignant: a soul without culture, absolutely alone, without even a time, without people, speech, books, tools, work or even clothes he knew he was walking, here. He he was feeling himself walk; he knew he was walking fast and thinking slowly, not forming conclusions, not looking for anything. He himself was barely there. He was in spirit and in form a dissected nerve. He looked freshly made of clay by God, visibly pinched by sure fingertips. He looked like Adam depressed, as if there were no world. He looked like Ahasuerus, condemned to wander without hope. His blind gaze faced the vanishing point.

Man Life was so skinny his inner life was his outer life; it had nowhere else to go. The point where his head met his spine was the point where spirit met matter. The sculptor's soul floated to his fingertip; I met him there, on Man Walking's skin.

Well, I Have Lost You

2011-07-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

Kurt Markus, Louise for FLAIR Magazine, Moab, Utah, 2004

Well, I have lost you; and I lost you fairly;
In my own way, and with my full consent.
Say what you will, kings in a tumbrel rarely
Went to their deaths more proud than this one went.

Some nights of apprehension and hot weeping
I will confess; but that's permitted me;
Day dried my eyes; I was not one for keeping
Rubbed in a cage a wing that would be free.

If I had loved you less or played you slyly
I might have held you for a summer more,
But at the cost of words I value highly,
And no such summer as the one before.

Should I outlive this anguish, and men do,
I shall have only good to say of you.

-Edna St Vincent Millay

tito newman's

2011-07-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

yep.

2011-06-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

nashoba valley

2011-06-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

6.3.11

2011-06-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

2011-06-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

<><><><>

risk

5.31.11

2011-05-31T17:58:00.000-07:00

evaluate

2011-05-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

illustrations

2011-05-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

walden pond

2011-05-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

(a shot caught at the catch -- serendipity)

eye candy

2011-05-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

as of the moment

2011-05-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

feb. 23rd 2011

2011-02-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

the artwork of MWM, a man haunted by lines, color, and symmetry.

A bouquet for David Chum, designer of Selah D'or. http://www.selahdor.com/

This was the beautiful, pure dress of choice http://www.selahdor.com/SS10.html.

Agent Provocatuers ginger flower.

biblical history of color.

Pecha Kucha

+ found in New Yorker Oct. 1 1949 issue +

2010-12-20T13:38:00.001-08:00

first snow in Boston Dec. 2010 yields >

Boston Is Like No Other Place In The World Only More So -- E.B. White

When I am out of funds and sorts
And life is all in snarls,
I quit New York and travel east
To Boston on the Charles.

In Boston, life is smoother far,
It's easier and freer,
Where every boy's a Harvard man
And every man's a skier.

There's something in the Boston scene
So innocent, so tranquil,
It takes and holds my interest
The same as any bank will.

For Boston's not a capital,
And Boston's not a place;
Rather I think that Boston is
A sort of state of grace.

The people's lives in Boston
Are flowers blown in glass;
On Commonwealth, on Beacon,
They bow and speak and pass.

No man grows old in Boston,
No lady ever dies;
No youth is ever wicked,
No infant ever cries.

No orthodox Bostonian
Is lonely or dejected,
For everyone in Boston
With everyone's connected.

So intricate the pattern,
The barroom of the Ritz
Becomes a jigsaw puzzle
Each life a piece that fits.

Each Boston girl is swept along
Down the predestined channel
To where she meets a Boston boy
Alert in Brooksian flannel,

Magnificent in fallen socks,
His hair like stubble weeds,
His elbow patch an earnest of
The fellowship of tweeds.

When Muzak plays in Boston,
It wakes celestial stings,
And I can sit in Boston
And think of many things.

For Boston's not a capital,
And Boston's not a place;
Rather I feel that Boston is
The perfect state of grace.

After a week of Boston
I rise and take the train
And I am always very glad
To see New York again.

New York seems doubly beautiful,
Its air as clear as Heaven's;
New York - where life is always
At sixes and at sevens,

Where no one ever marries right,
And girls go off their trolley,
And young men go to NYU,
To Fordham, and to Poly,

Where hackmen have peculiar names
And relatives afar,
And one can watch the Chrysler spire
Bisect the morning star.

+ your body is your... +

2010-11-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

+ color(blind) trees +

2010-11-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

Color Flushed

+ a sliver of old New Yorker ads and comics +

2010-11-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

+ Adele +

2010-11-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

a . d . e . l . e. <> make you feel my love

http://www.pushitmagazine.com/2010/11/make-you-feel-my-love-adele/

<><><><><>

<><><><><>

+ Ivan Fernandez Gonzalez +

2010-11-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

F. O. R. T. P. O. I. NT c .o .y .o .t .e ____ p .a .i .n. t. i. n. g.s____

Ivan lives with his wife Francesca in their Fort Point studio. Their bedroom is an old elevator shaft. The two enjoy a nice glass of wine. She is a scientist. They are both from Milan and new to Boston. I hope you like his illustrations and paintings as much as I like seeing broken skateboards made into penned illustrations (see first image).

they can be visited on the 2nd floor of Midway Studios.

(taken with my Droid camera - apologies for the grainy resolution...)

meggie

+ maine +

2010-10-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

+ love notes +

2010-09-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

Pop Art Post it Note Kisses

+ Mass. Avenue "Row" +

2010-09-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Cambridge 9/14/10

+ fort point at night +

2010-09-13T11:05:00.000-07:00


Pick Up Truck


			All were taken from an Android Camera Phone.

+ august +

2010-08-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

of recent.

i I t

+ city hummingbird +

2010-07-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

+ cotton candy +

2010-07-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

let's work with this universe in mysterious ways too.

+ settlement +

2010-06-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Taken in Chestnut Hill and Brookline, Massachusetts, these shots are were collected in the name of finding home, settlement, and meditation wherever you may find yourself. Whether it's in a simple park bench, fishing along a reservoir, opening a window or two, seeking fresh simplicity is never far away.

+ cape cod +

2010-06-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

+ peace +

2010-05-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

+ greenville south carolina +

2010-04-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

+ new york state +

2010-04-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

2010-03-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

+ Virginia +

2010-03-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

2010-02-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

2010-02-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

+ White Noise +

2010-02-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

+ A Surbuban Commute at Night+

2010-02-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

The Waiting Room.

"What are you taking a picture of?"

A blurry but a goody.

Green Toy Box.

The Train and Curry Spices.

Cedar Planks.

Originally intended to come out in color, somehow with embattled lights of cars going by, it became this on the lense. However, I like it's mishap of eeriness.

Street lamp + Moon.

Lights out.

2010-02-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

+ Tom Waits + The World is an Instrument +

2010-02-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

An Interview from Anti- Label Blog

http://www.antilabelblog.com/?p=288#more-288

Q: What are some sounds you like?

1. An asymmetrical airline carousel created a high pitched haunted voice brought on by the friction of rubbing and it sounded like a big wet finger circling the rim of a gigantic wine glass.

2. Street corner evangelists

3. Pile drivers in Manhattan

4. My wife’s singing voice

5. Horses coming/trains coming

6. Children when school’s out

7. Hungry crows

8. Orchestra tuning up

9. Saloon pianos in old westerns

10. Rollercoaster

11. Headlights hit by a shotgun

12. Ice melting

13. Printing presses

14. Ball game on a transistor radio

15. Piano lessons coming from an apartment window

16. Old cash registers/Ca Ching

17. Muscle cars

18. Tap dancers

19. Soccer crowds in Argentina

20. Beatboxing

21. Fog horns

22. A busy restaurant kitchen

23. Newsrooms in old movies

24. Elephants stampeding

25. Bacon frying

26. Marching bands

27. Clarinet lessons

28. Victrola

29. A fight bell

30. Chinese arguments

31. Pinball machines

32. Children’s orchestras

33. Trolley bell

34. Firecrackers

35. A Zippo lighter

36. Calliopes

37. Bass steel drums

38. Tractors

39. Stroh Violin

40. Muted trumpet

41. Tobacco Auctioneers

42. Musical Saw

43. Theremin

44. Pigeons

45. Seagulls

46. Owls

47. Mockingbirds

48. Doves

The world’s making music all the time.

+ Kenmore Station +

2010-02-03T19:06:00.001-08:00

+ Black and White in Boston +

2010-01-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

Newbury Street, Boston (next to Sonsie)

Tremont Street, South End, Boston

New Art on Newbury Gallery, Newbury Street

doors on Beacon Street, Back Bay

This man just left the liquor store bottle in hand while a woman walks her dog (with another dog underarm). A very frigid day in Jamaica Plain around three in the afternoon.

Beacon Street, Boston

The Prudential Building from the South End

Brookline Booksmith, Digital Art shelf

The South End - Tremont Street

+ The Celebrated Letter +

2010-01-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

In the year 2030 computers will crash and all information that will be passed on to future generations will be lost. Your grandchildren won't have any trace of what you looked like because all photographs solely belonged to facebook and flickr. They won't have any recollection of what your conversations consisted of because they all existed on 'G chat'.
It is too often that our most important words are viewed through a screen, require a password, and have little to no tangibility.

Letters: are they a receding trend? Some argue a growing popular trend. In a digitized age we scrutinize fonts like Arial, Bookman Old Style, or Didot, wondering which will capture our own hand best. We could have a whole discussion on the beauty of fonts that 'Word' offers.

However, nothing is more timeless and original, especially now that Valentine's Day is around the corner, than a handwritten letter. The uniqueness and inability to duplicate it is invaluable.
One of my favorite places to grab one of a kind cards is at Crossroads Trade on Harvard Ave. in Brookline, Massachusetts. They carry an international array of pieces from various artists who's art belongs to this ideal.
Take a peek.

from Salmonberry Studio

from Gaza's Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children, made by Noel Shawa

Haitian embroiderery

by salmonberrystudio.com

by Maxine Noel

by Norval Morrisseau

Japanese Origami card made by 'Mingei' $6.75

"Cupid" a 3-D paper creation made in Peru by a fellow, Pedro. "He would just take a pair of scissors and snip away", says Crossroads Trade owner Katie Harris. $6.50

+ Black and White +

2010-01-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

+ White and Green +

2010-01-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

+ A Single Man +

2010-01-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

courtesy of Elle.com

A few of my favorite people, Tom Ford, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore have collaborated to produce a film, A Single Man, most recently released in theatres. What's better than red hot lipstick, dramatic cinematography, well-tailored suits accesorized with cigars, and mahogany color palettes for the eye? Perhaps Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice would compete. But pastoral half - naked scenes belong to the Ninties now. A 21st century Mr. Firth has matured and adapted to the American styles and direction of designer Tom Ford. A Single Man is showing at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline and Kendall Square Theatre.

Tom Ford Eyewear has also made a splash in effectively framing eyes as well as protecting them against UV rays. A former architect major at Parsons School Of Design, it's easy to see Ford's manipulation of the line.

Ford, a former creative director for Gucci is a fabulous modern day innovator. Not only does he attack the fashion world with his ideas but he is applying himself to other mediums such as film. He shows a horiztonal appreciation for creativity through fashion, photography (an interdependent brother of film), film, and the visual portrayal of words (screenplays fitting with the limits of a frame). Bravo to Tom Ford for exploring the boundaries of the multi-dimensional career.

+ Relaxation in Running +

2010-01-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

Pun intended when I say, runners work best under the gun. At the starting line the bullet sets off and the immediate instinct is explosive action, instantaneous response. The remaining 10 seconds, 5 minutes, 3 hours (whatever time commitment your distance calls for) will be painful, tense, and under pressure. Some work well under these conditions, others patiently wait for their best performance to arrive. What does a best performance under the gun feel like?

Shoulders will rise, breaths may be shallow, and thoughts could be working faster than an internet search engine. I ask you to step back and imagine this individual in full force. It is an image of inefficiency, hesitation, and vulnerability.
Another runner in the same situation may have a flawless stride or an untiring facial expression. Whatever the range of how one looks when they run, there's one thing that can always be worked upon for any type: a state of relaxation.

I want to defer from saying 'relaxation', 'meditation', or a state of zen. Too easily we associate the idea with removing ourselves from the situation to travel far elsewhere. In a racing context travel is dangerous because one may forget the task at hand. (Otherwise, during a long run, take the mental passport as you please). Relaxation in running is about calmly realizing the internal status. This 'status' is breathing easy, visualizing their oxygen filling every corner of the lungs and beyond in the midst of the chaotic outside movements.
With this tempo of breathing, 'in and out' become synonymous in the sense that they can be believed to be done simultaneously. Panic is a stranger, and peace is found however best you muster up the notion.

In anticipation of pain it is in our worst interest to fear. Instead ideas of flight, covering space in smooth exchanges with your ground reap the most benefit. Finding your moment of bliss on your next run will be easily apparent. Perhaps a sensation of empowerment, weightlessness, phrases of confidence are stirred. Hang on to whatever your best way to think calm when you feel moments of pressure and chaos and you'll find a breathing will arrive as easy as a peak race.

+ The ICA Boston: Blue +

2010-01-11T07:38:00.001-08:00

+ cubes done by Damian Ortega.

+ the west village +

2010-01-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

address 2.5

bare then bloom. boom then baren.

Bus to the left. Traffic lights atop.

+ winter +

2010-01-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

Winter yielding silence, serenity, emptiness, limited color palettes, and sought out warmth.

A sliver of the MoMa's interior....

Jackson Pollack details.

+ In Profile: The Photography and Words of John Skinner +

2010-01-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

"Photography is a great way of hanging on to people and memories, for better or worse"

"Its beautiful... using the human body for form"

"I really like Garry Winogrand, a great street guy, Diane Arbus has some crazy portraits. Walter Iooss does a great job of showing a personal and artistic side of sports"

" [My dad] will usually do anything he can to avoid me taking his picture and most involve him holding a newspaper in front of his face"

"I think it would be a cool memory thing to have of [my dad] but also because he's so tough to sneak photos of"

" I love to just do a million prints and try to tweak every little thing"

"This day and age people do anything to make sure that their actions are insulated from the actions or thoughts of others. Whether its living in a gated community or having enough money to do whatever you want or ignoring the environment"

" [That's] something to think about, the nature of anonymity, and how to spell it"

"Nothing beats Nikon lenses and my 50mm 1.8 [F-stop] on that camera fits the bill for most anything I can think of"

"You could say that people are the best at the things they're spiritually connected to but there are barriers to that. It helps a lot of powerful interests to not have people think like that and instead be subservient"

"I knew that I wanted to keep going with photography as an escape into a new way of seeing and thinking"

Words and Work by John Skinner, BC '10, Sociology:

to see more of his work visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwskinner

+ Interview and Pictures arranged by Meggie Sullivan

+ Pink, Green, and Maroon +

2010-01-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

Life can be pink, pretty, and simple. Taken from my aunt's garden in Santa Monica, this shot was a straggler from the 'Secret Garden' article.

+ Davy Crockett hints on the Runway +

2010-01-02T14:05:00.001-08:00

(courtsesy of Harry Kerr/BIPs/Getty Images)

"I can walk like an ox, run like a fox, swim like an eel, yell like an Indian, fight like a devil, spout like an earthquake, make love like a mad bull, and swallow a Mexican whole without choking if you butter his head and pin his ears back." - from Davy Crockett's Almanac, of Wild Sports in the West, Life in the Backwoods, & Sketches of Texas

(courtesy of R-T-W, 2001 2002 Paris)

Saga Furs of Scandinavia adopts a Davy Crockett hat at Prada's 2002 Winter show in Milan. I would love to see a resurgence of the style.
Say, don't we have a little Davy in all of us. . .

+ Topanga Point +

2010-01-02T05:57:00.001-08:00

The topography of seaweed has a molecular pattern and texture to it that is the complete opposite of sand's I believe.

My uncle surfs out into the Pacific while some of the family watches from ashore. My aunt follows swiftly behind. Usually she will go for a walk along the beach at 5am in the morning as he pursues the waves.

He analyzes the horizon before plunging into the 50 degree water. All the other surfers are to his right, bunched up together. There were about twenty or so riding that evening so he opted to avoid the traffic with a few others.

My aunt noticed that my shoes were "Dries Van Noten". This is a European brand I don't know much about except of the quality job they do in creating comfortable shoes! The link to the site is wild by the way, I recommend clicking it. I picked them up for $20 at a Second Time Around (a popular consignment store in Boston). I like how rustic they looked set up against the rock. A wave came a couple seconds after I stepped off the rock and those shoes were soaked for a bit.

A small boulder with some unsually embedded crater-like shapes and colors.

My uncle catches a wave slightly overhead!

A very self-assured stance before entering.

This was a serendipitous moment. I first wanted the crane to be included alone and then the surfer entered the frame in great form to my happiness. This may be one of my favorites of the evening.

A calm lull occupies the ocean as this surfer comfortably watches the sun set.

My younger brother watches the day conclude as the sand transforms to tin foil.

+ Running in Good Faith +

2009-12-31T08:43:00.000-08:00

I usually forget to write down any of my workouts and don't enjoy sharing much about them because they tend to be quite personal. Here is an account of one in particular that I think some people can extract inspiration from in an understanding that exceeds the sport itself.

5 x 600m (meters) -- a lap and a half around a 400m track done five times. Before this is done it is wise to get the engine going with a ten minute jog. That's also wise afterward so your body doesn't scream out personified expletives.

Action!

1. 600m -thru the 400m in 86 seconds, but we went 75 ( shit). I haven't done speed work in a while and forgot what a track looked like.

2 min break

2. " - thru the 400m in 84, we went 82 which was better

2 min break

3. " - thru the 400m in 82, we went 78 - fine

3 min break

4. " - thru the 400m in 78, we went 70- whatever! If you feel good, then go for it. Alas! Do not leave it all on the track. If you're form starts breaking down at the second to last repetition, you're doing something wrong (possibly over-training which means you're taking away from your race, where your work actually matters).

3 min break

5. " - through the 400m in 'whatever you can do' says our Coach which made for a 61 sec. 400m finishing with a 30 sec. 200m => a lovely 1:32 at 600m.

I had deferred from doing any speed work in 7 days before doing this workout. Nervous about the whole thing, I had a nightmare about it which is very runner dork of me. Don't be a runner dork. This fear was manifested in the first 600m repetition that miscalculated my coach's plan and could have been worse had I pushed even harder before that last repetition.

So, listen up. I'm about to lecture you.

As a runner and athlete- Your body is always more capable than what you believe it is. Whether you're going out for a leisurely jog or a serious workout doubting yourself will only fulfill the fear. For example, after the first repetition I had thought it was a lot easier than anticipated. All along, I had been fearing failure. Until I realized the ease of the first rep, I was able to calm down for the rest of the workout. This manifested itself into good faith.

If you can fulfill a prophecy negatively, then you can also fulfill it positively. Otherwise, life would be unfair. And you only hear the saying, "Life isn't fair" from your mother when you're five years old (and you've asked her countless times for a sister because your brothers are out to get you).
Life is fair, very fair. Take advantage of this.
It's important to remember ( in order to prepare for any run, event, scenario) you are never a stranger to any challenge. Every endeavor can be related to from past experience. From underwater basket weaving to a toddler's first steps, the doer can relate.
Searching for this relation, is the process known as the journey. If you are a complete stranger things may go wrong. This is called failure. But experiencing second place will help you to know what first place is like.

So whether you're an athlete, artist, dreamer, or professional, there's always more faith to be sought than you may reckon. In the words of P. Diddy (@IAMDIDDY in the Twitter world), "Let's go!".

+ Bones +

2009-12-30T19:39:00.001-08:00

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with budding graffiti artist, Bones, and converse about becoming a jedi, Taylor Swift, and entitlement in regards to art. Hailing from nowhere in particular, at no particular age, no said gender, or association to anything except for the Gap clothes on this individual's back, Bones' images live less vaguely on carefully chosen walls.

+ BONES +

So how'd you adopt the name Bones?
People say I'm skinny, they say 'your skin and bones'. But 'skin and bones' would be way too long [to write].

What is your definition of graffiti?
It comes from the Latin word 'graffito' which means 'little scratching'. Graffiti, in a sense, is any kind of mark on a medium.

'Graffito' sounds Italian.
Oh ya, I forgot, it's Italian.

What kind of medium do you make these marks?
Any kind of medium. I like to work on walls. But not brick walls, I despise brick walls. Ones that are gray or white. Light colored walls work so I can use any color I want.

What range of colors, or palettes do you enjoy using?
I like using the colors of the rainbow and black. I don't like mixing.

Any particular reason you don't mix colors?
It can get very complicated and very messy.

What piece of art has been most exposed from you?
Probably a piece I did that most of my campus has been able to see. I was very proud of it until somebody ruined it.

What was it of?
A crow. But someone drew a fox jumping on top of it.

Did you retaliate?
Yes, I did. I drew another crow snatching it away. Then some random kid came and drew a word bubble that said 'Nevermore' and everyone was like 'what the hell?'. Everything was erased. Weeks of planning, gone!

Have you created anything else on this campus?
No, I haven't had any time.

Where was the last place you painted something?
In a warehouse, it was a tag and a piece.

Does your work have any sort of theme or message?
No, [its] whatever's on my mind.

What's been on your mind?
Crows and Taylor Swift. She should have her own page here.

What are your thoughts on Taylor Swift?
She's cool, but she has nothing to do with graffiti.

How'd you come up with crows?
That's a personal question.

Is there anything else you like to paint?
Ya, tags: my name in either some kind of cryptic writing or a regular graffiti.

How did you learn to graffiti?
I taught myself. You don't really learn graffiti, you just improve. It's like becoming a Jedi.

Where do you go for your inspiration? Do you have an Obe One Kanobi?
I take hallucinogenic drugs and write down what I think about. No, just kidding, the internet. I type in graffiti and see what I see.

How is it being anonymous?
It doesn't bind you to any political, national, or racial bias.

What about sexism?
Ya, I guess everything. It's like working with a blank slate.

Is your goal then to approach every wall with this blank- slate- state of mind?
No because sometimes there's something already there [someone else's art]. It depends on the audience, what's already there, what my meaning is, if it even has a meaning.

Is this a problem - running into other people's art?
It's not a problem, it's just something I have to think about.

Would you ever write over someone else's art?
Yes. If it's not worthy or useless. It depends on my mood.

It sounds like your giving yourself some authority here.
I do what I want. That's the whole point. You give yourself entitlement. The only law is there is no law. And plus if it's not pretty, [the artist] should know. If it has no significance, it'll be written over. Especially if it's a good spot.

So what about the 'Nevermore' written on your wall and this kid's reference to Edgar Allan Poe? That's significant in the literary world.
It wasn't a Raven, it was a crow. He should've checked the wings.

+ haiku +

2009-12-29T21:29:00.000-08:00

art: courtesy of Françoise Nielly and coolhunter.net

Elegant, regal,
Elusive interiors.
Evergreen Saturns.

Yelling expressions,
yearning response from beloved.
Yielding with testament.

Enchanting raptures.
Entranced figures of speech.
Exacting the move.

Searching vibrant open
strewn panoramas of you.
Sweetly kissed hazel.

+ UCLA + Century City

2009-12-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

at the Annenburg Space for Photgraphy

+ a secret garden +

2009-12-26T23:03:00.000-08:00

+ 9 haikus +

2009-12-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

I wrote a little Christmas Blessing yesterday for the family. Each person at the table had a haiku ( the 5 sylllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables- Japanese -patterned poetry) to recite. There's a not so inconspicuous coded message. Brendan, my brother won a state of the art knife set, and you can too if you find it out.
Enjoy your family, loved ones, loved friends, and company! We have a lot to be thankful for today.

9 Haikus

Calm quiet blue nights
Chilled winds swirl outside the door
Cheeks blushed, flushed of pink --

Here we find solace
Hearths ablaze and hearts ablaze
Huddled and gathered.

Red auras extract
Rich contours of these dark woods
Reacting to warmth.

Icicles glisten
Iridescent windows glow.
Illuminating.

Sacred stories read.
‘Silent Nights’ gloriously
Sung in tall churches.

Tarnished beige books
Tell of a revered young Man
Teacher of patience,

Mellow- hearted good
Mastery of kindred love.
Many can heal too

As long as there are
Avid ears and avid hands
All will be at peace

So it goes this night
Search yourself for Him, proudly
Sing of His taught hymns.

+ Santa Monica +

2009-12-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

Santus Monica in sun set with soaring seagull.

incognito. en - cognizant.

Century City's pinstripes

Amoeba Records

'Autumn Rust', a watercolor done by my uncle. He just started taking classes.

the gingerbread igloo.

touch me. touche.

+ collaboration +

2009-12-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

Collaboration [as defined by Merriam Webster's Dictionary] : to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor

Sharon Sabin, like most photography professors at Boston College, runs her class in a fashion that supports collaboration. Students as an vital instrument, add their opinions to each of their peers' work, commenting with positivity or constructive criticism. The format is casual, cool, and there aren't any appearances made by Simon Cowell. Whether one is the student who's work is being exposed, the critic, or the listener -- the classroom is constantly charged and involved.

What kind of judgment does one thrive off the best in your experiences? Constructive criticism , harsh criticism, or little to none? Think about that after you find yourself judging these photos below. How should we go about as a society pushing each other to our individual potentials?
Here are my scales of judgment.
1.Genuine glorified praise 2. Praiseworthy 3. Holding strong testaments of faith they will receive much praise if consistent 4. 'Okays' sprinkled with 'potential' 5. Sugar- coating 6. Confusion of whether I know this is truly good or not. 7 & 8. Constructive criticism 9. Criticism 10. Harsh Criticism

For most all of these photos below I kept within 1. through 3. -- it would be hard not to.
Otherwise, how do you go about confronting your jugments with respectful articulation? Do you do so? Are you willing to collaborate and chime in?

Andrew Breglio's shot taken at Boston Common. His portfolio focused on human influence upon nature.
Lia E. Brueng takes a close up shot at the beach of a younger sibling.

Dan Paik's Angel Fountain on Bethesda Terrace at Central Park. I love the parallel with the bird off to the left hand.

Andrew comments on Lacey's portfolio of Boston cityscape.

Guang Yang's untitled shot, which I shall dub "the coin slot".

Katie Gofus ventures Virginia's rural landscapes, finding her theme of Symmetry.

Connor Summer's portfolio focused on Texture. The top row shows a series of clouds, the middle row (from left to right):a portrait of a friend, paintbrushes, hands, and a self portrait, bottom row: stems converge out of a vase, roots, and a rock wall.

Guang Yuang's self portrait.

Connor Summer's paintbrushes.

Professor Sharon Sabin extraordinaire: "You have inspired me to take my camera out again. I am realizing there are more shots yet to be taken".

+ Boston Public Library +

2009-12-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

I coincidentally bumped into my professor (also a chairman of the BC's music program), Jeremiah McGrann, hiding from the bustle in the 'Music Manuscript' section tucked away on the third floor of the library. 'This is the only place I can find some peace and quiet' says McGrann, as well as be amongst the sacred original pages of Beethoven I imagine.

The BPL looking regal this Christmas with large evergreen wreaths stationed in front and red bows as icing.

A few lighting changes were casually being made by a small crew.

The bold black iron staircase dramatically partners well with a rich red backdrop.

I don't enjoy how this photograph came out technically, yet the intention of a warm yellow splitting the frame with the iron black was appealing in person.

It's easy to feel guarded and cozy when there's a large lion at your side.

+ amanda's poetry +

2009-12-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

Brothers and Sisters

How to think

we were all

just

buzzing salt, we were

newborn fires

spitting, splitting

molecules of hell between our baby teeth;

we were

nests of genius in the empty nothing,

moving so fast, shaking--

we were atoms of energy then.

The electric life, the

pulsating jazz soul

radiating through stone and

singing through tin

and vein and flesh and blood

and we were--

Sarah

Close little sister

fingertips like tiny pearls

free the knots I can't.

For a while a very obscure one

August, august now

breaks down the Epicurean grin:

the underbelly is not so pretty.

Embittered by the wild, wild wings

we turn away.

"Everything is good and magnificent, because everything is true," spoke Zosima

amidst strange and several noises,

the bones of eighty-thousand years.

It was still dark, cool.

Outside my window,

a skunk slunk

across the front yard

eating the tulips

playing,

unremorseful.

+Amanda's Mystique +

"I get a lot of ideas from dreams. I also find that I tend to wake up with weird combinations of words or phrases in my head and write them down if I remember them. Then I kind of just play around with whatever I have, and try to make sense of it. The hard part is trying to articulate what you can hear inside

Favorite run around here is Pine,[a run that goes through Pine Manor College and explores the back roads of Brookline and Chestnut Hill] hands down. It takes you through so many different settings- urban, residential, woods. It's beautiful at any time of the year and every run is different.

Favorite color: yellow

Favorite animal: This is really tough. I love all animals equally.

Raw cookie dough beats out chocolate cake and creme brulee for me."

photo courtesy of Amanda Leahy
photo taken my freshman year '06 on the "Pine" run

follow her on Twitter @amandaleahy. Thanks Mands!

+ self portrayal +

2009-12-14T06:41:00.000-08:00