Pinholes

Momo & Paco : Pinhole Mode
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

Shot with a Lumix LX5 in pinhole mode.

Momo likes to twitch his nose and spin away from the camera, and Paco likes to get bossy and grin. Their personalities are so different most of the time—Momo's the snuggler, and Paco's the shy one who only bosses when you don't let him into the room with you. Or when he wants food. This is his "put that away and take me inside and feed me, woman" face.

The Lumix pinhole mode seems to shoot flat images in open shade. I'll have to try it in other lighting conditions. This image has some level work done in iPhoto. (Deepened shadows and mid range for higher contrast. I brought the whites up a hair.) The wide format is going to take some getting used to. I'm still in Holga square mode in my head...

but it's good to have a camera again.

Lumix

Spike is doing well a few weeks after his surgery (what we've come to call the "mister sister" event). He's perked up, getting into trouble, knocking things over, and teasing the dogs. Business as usual. His fur's even started growing back in.

Shot with the new Lumix on auto settings in a yellow room with tungsten bulbs. It could use a color balance when I get the software loaded onto the new computer. Or I could just suck it up and read the manual to learn all the menu functions and do that in camera.

I'm loving this little point and shoot so far. Spike's got his eye on it too. He likes things with dangly straps.

T

devotion.jpg
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere
In 2005, I met a lot of good people. One of the most giving I know has been in critical care for a couple of weeks. She's been stable for about a week, and has a few hard surgeries ahead of her. Her body is changing every day from the trauma of surgery and recovery in tiny little steps. She is surrounded by loved ones, and people who can't be there think of her and her partner. I'm thinking of them now. I decided to post a photo of them (my favorite in the series) so that you can think of them too.

Thinking about her has made me consider bodies and how we live in them. How they change with us and we with them. How people I know have survived treatments, scars, trauma, love, decades, and how they're marked.

I think this is a subject worthy of picking up again. I'd like to continue this series. I hope to photograph T again, and for that to happen, she has to recover, which is just a pretty great thing in itself. In hoping to photograph her again, I get to hope for her full recovery, without always bringing up her current situation. I want to focus on the positive, no photo puns intended. I hope you will too. Positive energy welcome, be that in the form if lit candles, prayer, smiles, or ass pinches. (Not mine, please.)

One Way Do Not Enter

oneway
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

It's a beautiful day in Mt. Adams (all over the city, really), because the sun's out, the sky's blue, and all of the flowering trees are in bloom. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so the little tornadoes of white flower petals swirling across the blacktop might not mesmerize anyone else, but I found them just as interesting as the artwork inside the museum.

21C artworks are on display at the moment. The contemporary works are reportedly on loan to the museum until the new facility (hotel, restaurant?) opens here. There's one in Louisville (http://www.21chotel.com/hotel/default.aspx). What's cooler than a hotel with loads of contemporary art? A hotel with a giant water slide, sure. But contemporary art comes in at a close second.

Our assignment for today was to visit the museum (thanks for the docent tour!) and ponder the art, then write an ekphrastic poem. (That is a poem after a work of art, the experience of viewing a work of art, etc.) No poems yet, but I did take some photos inside and out.

I was most amused by the ONE WAY DO NOT ENTER sign in front of the art museum. (So much so that I feel a poem coming on...)

Helpful tips for museum visitors: No monopods OR tripods in the galleries. Woops. I guess someone must have whacked a piece of art at some point... aaand you're not supposed to snap images of work outside of the permanent collection. >.> Also, no fondling or licking the art.

If you go, be sure to check out fat Batman, the creepy breathing piece, the small gallery behind the FAME neon sign (blinding, ouch), and read the art info next to the giant encaustic (wax painting) of Obama's head. It's from a series of works made from Wall Street Journal thumbnail images, but done huge. That's the piece I really wanted to touch, but a docent was watching me, sooo. I behaved.

Mostly.

Did anyone else think the assemblage of re-purposed bottle bits (3rd floor) looked a lot like a drape from a Klimt painting?

Related links:
Cincinnati Art Museum: the museum's website & visitor information.
More on Ekphrastic foo: to Wikipedia, son!
21C Louisville: a hotel/art gallery in KY.

sun stain

sun stain
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

the roomie's Nikon Coolpix L3 isn't the greatest little camera in the world, but it gets the job done every now and then. =) the light was so beautiful yesterday, i pulled it out to take a few snaps...

and then i learned to do diptychs in Adobe's Lightroom (thanks to Jay: http://www.jaywatson.com/blog/tag/diptych/).

it took about 90 photos to get a couple snaps of the puppies that are more or less in focus. they're not big on sitting still. those snaps will pop up later.

<3

Reflection in Pink House

Reflection in Pink House
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

found this pic from Savannah while cleaning off an old point-and-shoot digital camera. the house across the way was pink. yes, that is a house. someone painted it that color by choice. lovely view of a wall, don't you think?

our neighbor liked to walk around naked a lot, so working in my studio midday could be extra entertaining (our windows faced each other from there). nobody was willing to spring for blinds. rent, in Sav, is outrageous. we don't need no stinkin' blinds.

mixed media hands

mixed media creative hand - wear your heart
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

a hand made from cardstock, layers of tape, gesso, acrylic paint, watercolors (transparent), prismacolor pencils, & india ink (dip pen).
life size hand.

from a series of 10.

Screenshotting

Screen shot 2010-12-07 at 6.37.16 PM
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

certain other things have taken a bit of my attention this holiday season. Namely a tropical island and some stylish goblins with attitude. Cataclysm is pretty fun times. the gobbie lands are ridiculous, but it's the most fun i've had on the game since i first started playing.

the new computer's graphics capability doesn't hurt. some of the zones are incredibly vibrant, which is important to us artistic types. i could hang out on the beach all day.

sadly, some of the goblins can't spell. =(

hello, hello

i do believe my love affair with Tumblr has cooled off. at first, i thought the clean format was sort of lovely, the templates fairly easy to use. but let's face it, the comment feature leaves something to be desired. that or i simply couldn't figure it out. one of these days, i'll have a proper integrated blog and website design, and i won't have to fiddle so much.

what is the internet, if not a hotbed of broken links, fads in websites, software, and apps. twitter still scares me a little, but that could just be the cute little cartoon logo.

i've abandoned the shift key again, as i've been using it quite a bit on a novel manuscript i'm working on. another one, ohnoes! why, you ask?

graduate school. i've gone and enrolled in a Masters of English program. the program is flexible, and allows for a variety of focus for various students. you essentially build your own curriculum based on your interest, and are given several options for a capstone project (rather than simply 1 option: giant thesis). i'm going the creative route, novel, project. something!

my first semester is drawing to a close (whew, lots of work!) and the winter break is just about upon me. my final portfolios go in this week, so maybe i'll have some for some ATCs while i'm hiding from all the snow outside.

i find myself thinking about a new look. perhaps i'll re-design my website. oh, internets. how you tempt me to things...

new digs.

http://redshoedgirl.tumblr.com/

heart carved potato - crashdown print

heart carved potato - crashdown print
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

When the time comes to start printing these days, the first thing I reach for is a potato. That may seem a little odd until you've actually used one to stamp. Nothing cuts more easily. The problem, however, is that they dehydrate quickly, so your stamp is constantly changing as you use it. Add to that the potato is soft and pretty fragile, and you're looking at a pretty tiny print run. I made it to about 27 before the heart started to deform too much to use for my purposes. (18 prints and about 9 envelopes.)

If you decide to use potatoes to stamp, be sure to rinse and wipe them before you use them, so the surface is dry and free of extra starch. I used straight acrylic paint to stamp with. It works pretty well with vellum.

altered photo atcs

altered photo atcs
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

took a stack of unused photos from London and made cut them down to atc size, then altered them with some sanding and scraping and painting and such. turns out stuff sands and etches a lot better when it's been misted with water.

of course, sanded digital prints smell like nasty burnt ink.

it's definitely an interesting look. i'll have to consider this technique for my next travel journal. sharpie outlined in gel pen works nicely for lettering, but it all starts to look the same after a while.

maybe some stencil letters next time. more messy, less scrapbooky.

detail of FLY in Pat's altered book

detail of FLY in Pat's altered book
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

pencil & paint on collaged in paper bits & linen.
stamped and stenciled and brushed.

xox
<3
nicci

sternotomy stencil

sternotomy stencil
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

work in progress for a show in May @ the Carnegia over in Covington, KY.

Prints In Translation II
An exhibition of new work by The Print Club, Northern Kentucky University Alumni, Students, Faculty & Friends.

Opening Reception: May 14th, 6pm - 9pm
The exhibition runs through June 25th, 2010.

nature lovers atcs - tattoos

nature lovers atcs - tattoos
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

nature lovers ATCs.
nature themed tattoos!

reycled paper, acrylic, gesso, tissue, and pencil.

swapped via Art42:
www.artfortytwo.org/

altered book - the future

altered book - the future
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

a detail of one of the spreads in my altered book.

mixed media collage with a lot of acrylic glazing and some fountain pen additions! every piece of paper glued down here was sent to me by someone else via art42.

swapped via Art42:
www.artfortytwo.org/

sideshow!

freaks - gargantuan and softly rolling, always hungry, beautiful & tattooed double wide wendy
Originally uploaded by nicciwashere

Step Right UP!
Sideshow Punks, Freaks & Geeks
An Open-Media ATC Swap

there are still spots open in this exchange, hosted by amyfaerie, over at AFA.com. ( http://www.atcsforall.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13931 )

i did a set of 3 cards, but might do a few more, should inspiration strike. i think it's a really rockin' fun theme, and that it could make a cool series of larger paintings.

Spotted Handmade Paper

Swapped on Art42: (http://www.artfortytwo.org/projects/89) - Handmade Paper Swap

In order to make the handmade paper above, you need cardstock (white), watercolor, thinned down glue or mod podge, acrylic paint, gesso, and found papers with text.

1) First, apply rolled up tape to the back of your cardstock (or bristol board), and affix to a surface. In this case, I used folded up boxes. Apply watercolor to your paper in a streaky wash. It will still warp a little as it dries, but taping it down on the back helps minimize this.

2) Cut up your tissue paper into circles which are slightly larger than circles of cut up paper with text on it. You can use dictionary pages or pages from a novel for your text. Just freehand cut your circles. They don't have to be perfect. I folded papers over several times and cut out multiple circles at once. Apply with mod podge or thinned down white glue. brush some over the top. Apply one circle or tissue over. Apply mod podge over that as well. (Tip: if you brush too many times over the wet tissue, it will tear. If it does, simply apply another circle of tissue and be more careful with that one!)

3) Step 3 is optional. If you would like to tone down the color of your tissue a little, apply a layer of white tissue over the color after refreshing the mod podge on the color (you can wait until it dries, or apply when still wet, so long as you're sure you add more glue between the two pieces. Then, apply glue over the white so it seals down well. You can also trap threads or ephemera between the layers of tissue for added interest. (Have scrap threads from sewing projects? Those are perfect!)

As you can see from the photo, a wet brush is perfect for picking up tissue paper circles. It makes the process easy and fast!

4) Once you've finished your dots, with or without the optional white layer or ephemera, allow them to dry. This should only take a few minutes.

5) Mix acrylic paint into a nice creamy consistency. Use a color similar to your tissue color, but slightly lighter or darker. Apply with a brush in loose circles around the tissue. Have fun with this! It doesn't have to be exact. In fact, it looks better if it's not!

6) Mix a little gesso with water, unless it's already a creamy consistency. Repeat the process of applying circles. I like to swoop them on fast so they have a little exrta energy to them. Again, you don't have to worry about perfection here. It's just for fun, and looks better streaky.

Allow this to dry, then cut up and use in other projects, or use them for ATC bases!

I received a paper similar to this from a paper swap a few years ago (from Kirsten W. - http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenwilliamson/), and made a small handmade book with it. This stuff makes a pretty nifty cover. Below you can see what her paper looked like, and what I did with it!:

heart365

http://heart365.blogspot.com

fat girl sketch - s001.p01.nicci

fat girl sketch - s001.p01.nicci - detail
Originally uploaded by anongrrl

charcoal pencils are pretty awesome.
and messy.
which is sort of how it should be.

http://fatgirlsketch.blogspot.com/

high calorie artwork? no, just fat girls.
good for your soul.

(collaborative)