Ah, film...

These shots are from an old 35mm camera I took with film, not digital-gasp!  You know when you shoot film, maybe 2 or 3 or if you're lucky 5 shots come out great and the rest is crap?  Well I shot this roll right after a snow fall a few winters ago and almost every shot came out great.  To top it all off, everything had this beautiful blue glow to it.  Haven't had a shot like this since.  Also thought I'd add one from a roll of black and white I did the fall before hand.  Ah, film.  There's something so smooth about it.

sketching!

So like I had said I've been researching schools, and found this absolutely amazing school in Montreal that has free tuition!  I know, I couldn't believe it either until I called them to confirm I wasn't applying to a high school.  And one of the things they require in their portfolio submission is a sketchbook to make sure you're drawing regularly-which I totally don't.  So I bought a new book and have been plugging away at it as often as possible (when I'm not making hats and ear rings to make rent-gah!)  Here's some of what I have so far.  This particular piece was actually an idea I got from a project I did way back in high school where you take a photo of someone, slice it and then glue every other piece on paper and then draw the missing pieces in between.  Totally fun with a neat look.  Gotta love De Niro.

A past production...

I decided to post images of my last show, A Robotic Nation in leu of my site (murderbird.com) which will be up and running in the next week or two.  This show debuted at the Cre8ery Gallery on September 4th 2008 and was well received and spotlighted in local media (Uptown, The Tab, The Manitoban, The Uniter & The Projector as well as a dozen or so smaller papers.)  The show consisted of 50 mixed media pieces, all robots in traditional dress to depict different cultures of various nations.  25 of them where Prisma Marker, acrylic and pen on water color paper with it's duplicate in pencil.  These pieces were also professionally framed and matted.  Currently I am working on my next solo show, Illustrious Pink Elephants which will also be released at the Cre8ery on November 5th 2009.  This show is the anticipated release of my signature style and depicts concepts of a political nature.  Each piece will be created on canvas using acrylics with the preliminary work conducted first with photographs and then photoshoped.  Please see previous posts for more information.  

first draft for IPE...

Been working on this for the last month or so now, not constantly mind you, but here and there trying to nail a solid technique that I like and will work with thus forth.  Here's the first piece, clearly called "Vogue Darling."  The concept behind this work is conformity.  People, especially women have been cast as sexual figures and are taught from tender ages subliminally and directly that to be considered popular, or attractive, or worthy of men's (or women's) affections that you must fit into their one sided idea of what beautiful is.  Many women are growing up struggling to conform to these ideals that they truly loose touch with who they really are, striving to live a life that isn't realistic.  The goat horns signify a sheepish quality, reflecting the large population of brainwashed young girls and women striving to either become what they can't, or successfully embracing an un-unique and barbie-doll lifestyle that is only meant to trap you into a life time of consumerism.  Wear this dress, wax all the right spots, dye your hair this color, wear these shoes, talk this way, eat-nothing at all, travel to these spots and God forbid you have a unique thought in your head.  

The canvas will span 6'x4' unframed.  I hope to have all the preliminary work finished for all 13 concepts by the new year where upon I will start painting.

*click on the image for a larger view.