Blogs: August

Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Latest in the Holding Pattern Series photos.

Kendra

Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Latest in the Holding Pattern Series photos.

Noelle

Friday, August 29, 2008

The Latest in the Holding Pattern Series photos.

Heather

Thursday, August 28, 2008

It has begun!

Mia

After almost loosing my mind trying to get my new Nikon D300 to work with Photoshop CS3 using a digital RAW capture format (which records in super high resolution capturing as much information uncompressed), I finally got it to work. I had Mia to the studio yesterday, took the photos and selected the best one, color corrected it and there are the results. As one can imagine, I am very pleased. It just so happens that I am Mia's mentor for her school's senior project. I have Noelle and Heather coming today at 6:30 - I am very excited about building this collection of works with the next few models coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. After photographing the 10-15 women, my next step - which I will do during my month in china - will be building and tweaking the patterns to go over their faces. After that, I go through my color books finding the perfect colors to color the patterns. After that, printing and framing, and exhibiting them.

And you wonder why are is so expensive... because we artists work like slaves for our passion!!!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

And so it begins...

Anyone who knows me know I've been heavily obsessing about this 3000 dollar camera set up - that doesn't include the lighting - so that I can start my next series of work, The Holding Pattern. Finally. Finally, I have it. I had to sacrifice some little luxuries I also had my eye on and drop the cash and get what I need, when I needed it. Hell, my plan is to take the files to Beijing and complete the series there, send them to my printer back home and have then waiting for me when I return.

Yes, once again I've planned every detail months in advance from acqusition of necessary tools, to the final execution. So much for sitting back and letting life happen!

I can't wait to go to China. Have a made that apparent?

Keep smiling.

-Bryce

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Why I do what I do: My Life, My Studio, My Art

I do what I do because it's different. It's unique, and because no one else does it. More importantly, because I'm driven to do it. I couldn't imagine life any other way.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Further views on China and Tibet etc.

Two recent, totally seperate occurances have me thinking about accountability and a pretty narrow-minded world-view. I attended a party on Saturday night and my main topic of conversation was the surreal opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. Since I'll be there for over a month in a month and a half it's pretty much the only thing I want to talk about beyond the aqusition of a new Nikon D300 for my next series of prints.

I asked some fellow artists why they were in protest of the Olympics, the opening ceremony and the whole country of China. Granted, there are millions upon millions of people all over the world who are against China's actions in Tibet, that's no newsflash. What I find appauling is who people can, and have attached a distrust and hatred for the entire country because of these actions. I mean really, are we as Americans innocent and capible of passing sweeping overgeneralized judgements on a country and its people? I mean, we are at war, seemingly over a false motive? Have we not been in the news as of late for crimes against humanity. I remember piles of nakes bodies, ferocious German Shephards and a certain young woman giving a "thumbs up" to the camera.

To me, with this Olympic session the Chinese are welcoming the world onto their stage with open arms. Celebrating differences, displaying their power, creativity and wealth of resources. The 15,000 performers in that opening ceremony are not directly responsible for their government's actions in another country. Is that any reason to hate or to further anlienate one's view on an entire culture? It only makes me appreciate them more. Lord, be mad at their government if you need to be in opposition to something, not the people! Yet, I recognize that people are entitled to their own opinions.

I guess this wouldn't have bothered me so much if it hadn't come from the mouths of young artists.

Incident number 2

I had a meeting last night at my studio/gallery. Towards the end of the meeting a tour and introduction of my work was in order. I happily obliged, starting with the main room and next to the one room I hadn't renovated - a small bathroom - to show how the place looked before I got my hands on it. After what seemed like a very nice discussion on the work, renovating old structures and the like we found ourselves in the office. I have a photo a photo of myself and Barak Obama from last February when I was fortunate enough to attend a dinner with him in Louisville. I joked about being his "mini-me" (which is kinds true and funny, I look like a tiny bald headed version of him in the photo) and the visitor in question immeadeatly expressed her distrust and dismay for the man of whom so man have hung their hopes and dreams for this country.

I tried not to get into an arguement (and succeded, thankfully), but I did let her express her opinion, I wanted to hear it. Acting as a passive observer isn't easy, but in my view, we're all entitled to our own opinions (can I stress that enough?). Her view was that she didn't like all the "fluff" surrounding his campaign. How he wished to open discussions with the leaders of Cuba, Iran and soforth. The underlining view was that we've made our statements and we need to stick to them and not be willing to talk to our enemies. This particular visitor was a Hilliary supporter prior to her loosing the Democratic nomination.

I imagine I this particular opinion doesn't sit well with me. Why on earth should we as American's sit proud and act high and mighty and not even offer an open discussion with not just our friends but also with our enemies? To me it only makes sense. Diplomatic discussions, visits and open-ended (not to mention open-minded) discourse is a necessary part of working through problems. The man (Obama) is offering that. I guess a closed system has never sat right with me.

Lesson learned.

As I go through life I learn that there are so many types of people who offer so much that can be digested, broken-down, agreed with, disagreed with, enjoyed and hated. But to hate the people for those traits and qualities isn't going to work for anyone. I urge everyone to keep an open mind, to look at situations for their face value and draw conclusions based upon your own sense of deduction and not what your favorite news channel, preacher or community leader is telling you to think for this day. Think for yourself!

I can't wait to go to China again ;-)

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad ;-)

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Worrying

I find myself constantly contemplating an important question; When will I get to a point in my life where I can stop worrying about every single little detail in life?

As anyone who knows me knows as fact, I work until about 3pm each day, then head home and take a nice hour-long nap with all three of my animals piled high on me like little hot water bottles before getting up to go to the studio. Today, I woke up from my nap, walked out into the back yard with the pups and realized that I was breathing heavy and, inside, I had an impending sense of doom covered by the emotional layer trying to control that sense.

Do I need to go head and buy the camera I need for my next series now even though it'll pretty much decimate my savings account? Should I start burning the PDF of my work on CDs now, or, wait until I have the new work I'll make in China to put on it? I can't make the new work until I get the camera. Should I make the PDF in a more accessible place on my site and make a link to it from the homepage? - Or, should I keep it where it is and send links to it while contacting galleries. Will any of the galleries I'm in contact with all over the world take me seriously, or will they see me as a nusiance?

All this and more flood my mind and I realize that I've only been awake for 5 minutes and the dogs don't care and are just trying to do their business in the yard and not worry about what their future holds... not even the next 5 or 10 minutes muchless the next year or 20 years for that much.

Here's to the dogs!

May I one day reach a point where I can focus on the here and on the now and not so much obsessing about matters wherein I have very little control.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Halarious

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency