FindYourCanvas

Three Photographs (Lorraine Purpura)

2011-05-02T10:19:00.001-04:00

After a slight hiatus, we're back with a bang! Lorraine, who won the contest, has contributed some photographs which are all beautiful. Normally I would separate these into different posts, but I think it's nice showing the contrast to Lorraine's tastes in taking photos. I hope to see more submissions like this! It's the reason why I like running this site.

Arizona Sky Clearing

Delaware Water Gap

Italian Cruise Sunset

"Blister" Takes the Prize

2011-04-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Lorraine Purpura for her poem "Blister" winning my first contest! I'm happy that people showed up to the site to vote, and am excited about future contributions from new and current viewers.

I asked Lorraine a few questions which she was so kind to answer:

What is your creative background?
I have always felt, even at a young age, the need to create. Whether it was to make my own artistic cover to a book report in grammar school to writing poems and short stories or taking photographs later on. I did attend a writer's conference years ago ( Spring of 1999) in Palm Springs, CA. That was a unique and special event for me. Getting to meet my favorite author (Dean Koontz) and listen to his talk was inspiring, as was the beautiful city.

What is "Blister" about?
The poem is about the subtle, yet manipulative Lucifer and his clever attempt at collecting a soul.

What inspired "Blister?"
I find that I often dream in story form and this poem is based on a dream that I once had. At the time in my life when I felt deeply depressed. I believe there was a clear message for me, both the dream and the poem. Poetry is a great art form because each personh it touches comes away with something different, whether it is inspiring or sad or angry. An emotion was invoked and that is key.

How will you use the gift card?
I do know whether is it a book or music cd or something else, I hope it prompts me to create.

Thanks again to Lorraine. I think the contest works well enough based on the size of the site so far. Just so you have some idea, I've had almost 200 unique visitors to my site with 1,500 page views since I started the site two months ago. The contest boosted my page hits and viewers substantially, and I'd like to do another contest in the future.

Ultimately, I feel the site should be a place to browse and enjoy each others creative contributions and hopefully draw inspiration for yourself. I definitely don't mind running contests because I am competitive by nature, and I know it can be fun, but post because you want to share and gain insight on your work, and let others know what their work meant for you.

Our Creative Contest Final Four

2011-03-18T17:53:00.000-04:00

Congrats to the selections for my first creative contest! I've enjoyed looking through the submissions and picking the best we've received so far. Please voice your vote in the poll on the right side of the page. And any submissions following this contest will be considered for the next contest at a to be determined date. Thanks to everyone!

1. "REVERSIBLE MASK" (POLO GARCIA)

2. "BLISTER" (LORRAINE PURPURA)

One step at a time
It won't take long
Follow my lead
Here's where you belong.

Pay no mind to that light up there
Stay in this dream with me.

Amidst the flames,

he grins
Arms outstretched,
he laughs
You're not afraid?
he taunts
You'll blister.

Pay no mind to your demons
They can't hurt you now.

Amidst the flames,
he grins
Arms outstretched,
he laughs
If you're not careful,
he touches
You'll blister.

3. "THE BIG BANG" (MICHAEL HART)

For a moment there is calm. Cocktail conversations align into arrangements, solitary fits of laughter orchestrate into arpeggios. A brisk autumn breeze turns still, the flat October air takes the floral scent of May. Time is stoned. In a burst their lips meet, and in an instant there’s a cosmos shaping somewhere between this synapse. Electrons and nuclei form into atoms in the soft glow within their closed eyes. Atoms group, bond, create molecules. Flares of light reveal particles, drops of colors mingle.

They are laughing under sunshine on long celebrated avenues—in Paris, Rome,Santiago, Tokyo—hand in hand on black sand beaches, on summits overlooking verdant valleys, on lawns under weeping willows.

They are following the shadows of its branches, dendrites with endless paths, and when one ends there is another within an easy leap, a gentle skip between boulders on a stream.

They whir and glide, ebb and flow, and sway onto stages of productions grander than they had ever imagined. Productions with cathedrals, palaces, rooms upon rooms, characters entering and exiting stage left, serenades and symphonies. The universe expands, expands, expands, and the endpoints become little beacons billions of light years away, stars in lonely corners of the midnight sky. Between them, vast, eternal space.

Their lips part to discussions of stocks and office politics. Goosebumps rise as the mercury falls, and they look around like they’ve just eaten from the tree of knowledge. And space contracts, contracts, contracts, until the endpoints are flickering bulbs between them, slowly burning out.

4. "SUNSHINE BIKE" (NOREEN BRAMAN)

"Sunshine Bike" (Noreen Braman)

2011-03-18T12:24:00.001-04:00

This photograph was taken in Cape May, New Jersey. I thank Noreen for the contribution.

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"Sunshine Bike" is the final submission eligible for the contest. The four finalists with the poll will be added later this afternoon, and then two weeks of voting will take place. In the future when I run a contest the voting will be done much quicker, but for this first one, I want to give some extended time for more people to come check the site out when they vote.

"Rock Waves" (Hillary H.)

2011-03-14T12:18:00.002-04:00

This photograph was taken at the Morikami Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida. The gardens has a beautiful lake in the middle including a waterfall, bamboo trees and other wonderful landscaping. This is a close up shot of a part of a larger rock garden on the far end of the park.

"Reversible Mask" (Polo Garcia)

2011-03-11T12:26:00.001-05:00

Our first sort of sculpture submitted to the site. Polo created this mask from scratch using paper mache, wire, and corn for teeth.

He said of the mask, "Create a mask, exorcise an inner demon. The mask is dual in nature, two different entities. It is said you could place it up or down on a given day, depending on which side of yourself you would like to bring forward."

"Blister" (Lorraine Purpura)

2011-03-09T11:33:00.000-05:00

One step at a time
It won't take long
Follow my lead
Here's where you belong.

Pay no mind to that light up there
Stay in this dream with me.

Amidst the flames,

he grins
Arms outstretched,
he laughs
You're not afraid?
he taunts
You'll blister.

Pay no mind to your demons
They can't hurt you now.

Amidst the flames,
he grins
Arms outstretched,
he laughs
If you're not careful,
he touches
You'll blister.

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Our second submission from Lorraine! A photo and now a nifty sinister poem. I appreciate the contribution and look forward to more work in the future.

"The One" (KJ)

2011-03-07T17:55:00.000-05:00

God may be in question
But you're still divine
I came across you my angel
When I was in need
You've lifted me to places
Which I've dreamed but never seen
Let me borrow your heart so I can learn
So I can learn to love like you
Then I will never fall
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Michael's poem reminded me of one that I wrote a couple years ago. The subject matter is totally different, but just seeing a poem down on paper reminded me that I have written a couple as well. It was well received by my loved one which is all that really matters. Hope you like it.

"Long Island Beach" (Lorraine Purpura)

2011-03-03T18:05:00.001-05:00

This is a beautiful beach shot. I love the authentic feel to it with the steps leading to the beach, and it's framed wonderfully with the wild grass in the foreground and a rolling wave in the background. I'm a sucker for beach photographs which is funny because I don't really like the beach that much! But thanks to Lorraine for the submission and we'll have another post from her later in the week.
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Lorraine Purpura resides in New Jersey and is an avid fan of writing poetry and short stories. But she obviously has a passion for photography as well.

$25 Amazon Gift Card Contest (Submissions through March 17th)

2011-03-02T05:35:00.001-05:00

I will take CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS to my e-mail address (findyourcanvas@gmail.com) until MIDNIGHT MARCH 17TH. Please include a personal bio.

All of the content collected will be posted as soon as possible after submission to my email.

*If submitting a short story, try to keep it under 2,000 words.
*Send a YouTube link if you have a short movie or music
*I can post word documents, jpegs, or mp3's

A PANEL will select the TOP 4 contributions. The four finalists could be any combination of creative content. It could be all art, songs, stories, or any combination. The finalists will be picked on QUALITY, not category.

On MARCH 18TH a POLL will be posted on the main page on the top right of the screen. All four elected will be shared in one post for easy viewing.

ONE VOTE PER USER.

VOTING ENDS 11:59 PM, MARCH 31st (two weeks). I do encourage your friends to visit the site to vote for you!

The winner simply needs an AMAZON ACCOUNT w/ valid e-mail and a $25 gift card will be sent promptly following the end of voting.

Spend away and be proud of your creative contribution!

*Your contribution could be anything you've created in the past or a current piece, but it MUST be your own.

**For detailed information on this site visit WhyFindYourCanvas?

***A copyright is provided on the main page to protect your work

KJ

"Girl from Connecticut" (Michael Hart)

2011-02-28T12:23:00.002-05:00

Light flickers, sending shimmers

Of amber waving

Across the strands of her fiery

Magnificent hair

That frames her porcelain face

A face of such beauty as

To prove the existence of a God,

Who, alone, could bear such grace

But something in the way that

She humbly stands alone

Says she is oblivious to this;

Eyes down and hidden,

Relics waiting to be found

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I'd like to thank Michael for his continuing support of the site with his third submission and our first poem. Michael has contributed the trifecta: a story, song, now poetry. I hope to have similar results with our other community members. It's fun trying a new form of expression, even if you don't feel especially comfortable with it. Let's get some other people contributing. I know there are some viewers out there (my Google analytics tells me so in my dreams). I'm curious what I'll see flow through in the future. Once again, thanks to Michael!

"City Lights" (KJ)

2011-02-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

City Lights

A vastly oversized picture of Chicago’s skyline hung over Channing’s bed. It was the one personal possession he made sure to take on his trek across the Midwest to Los Angeles three years ago. At the time, Channing felt the picture was cool, and would be a nice contrast to the sprawling intimidation of a city awaiting him. The picture had to take on a certain unknown form of geometry to fit in the back of his dinged up Focus. He thought it a miracle and a sign of sorts that the picture made it all the way to the coast without any major blemish. It was the first thing he brought up to his four bedroom apartment, and it remained above his bed in exactly the same position he left it that day.

The angle of the photo came from Chicago’s lakefront, with the epicenter being the Sears Tower. A night shot, with a tinge of color to several of the building’s bright lights. The magnificent structures brought a magnitude to the picture, but the subdued colors left Channing with a sense of tranquility.

Channing never took an acting class or had a voice worthy of a crowd, but the boy could write. He loved the movies and dedicated his existence to pen a complex script that still had mass appeal. Somewhere between Inception and Mulholland Drive. Los Angeles had the schools and the classes to hone his skills. He was sure of that.

His parents agreed to fund his schooling. Money wasn’t the issue. But a departure such a far distance for something he could do locally was nonsense. He fought that notion. He wanted to be in the thick of it.

From his screenwriting classes he learned the fundamentals, the formatting, the structure, and the necessary turning points at each juncture to form a successful script. But he found that many of the cliché’s were true. “Everyone in Hollywood has a script.” “What you write will be nothing like what’s actually on the screen.” He’d seen it through other talented classmates and acquaintances. Ultimately, success was defined by the money you made optioning the script. You really had to know someone to make it beyond that.

No matter how much he believed in his off-beat writings, there were thousands of others willing to use cookie cut formulas to make a script. A “safe” movie. Low budget, high profit. Slightly higher budget, even higher profit. It was greed. Yes, Channing was in the thick of it.

When he dropped out of school, telling his parents he was experiencing “creative differences” with the faculty, the loose tie was finally severed. He was on his own. There was enough fire left in him to work on a couple shorts, and even having a script optioned for a low sum. Nothing came of it. The rejection turned to complacency to situational depression.

The little money he had would last him a bit longer. The revolving door of roommates served their purpose of keeping rent cheap. He always had the back corner bedroom with the overwhelming but forgotten skyline of Chicago overhead.

One afternoon, as Channing paced his room he caught a glimpse of the picture, but kept pacing. He found himself continuously looking up to it between fewer and fewer steps. Finally he stopped, faced it directly, and lost himself as well as his surroundings in the photo. He was transported home.

Memories became reality. Los Angeles ceased to exist. Thoughts swirled. Lost youth. Rebellion. Adventure. Rejection. All universal themes. True to himself. His mind was on fire. He closed his script writing program and opened up a word document. Same blank page, new format, a new beginning.

In one way or another, Channing would be the hero. He turned up some music, and let his fingers fly against the keyboard. The combinations of thoughts and words were his savior. His own. No interference, pitches, budgets, negativity. Past and present had to align to put him in this state. Maybe it would be his masterpiece.

He laughed. They might even make it a movie.
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OK. I'm happy enough with it. I got the idea around noon while looking at the exact picture of Chicago I described that we just purchased from Ikea. I started writing around 1 PM and finished at 3. I'm sure I could look at it from every angle, maybe describe Los Angeles life a bit more, but it's a short, so you don't want to add too much stuff. I don't know if it's any good, but my point being, feel free to submit anything on a whim.

I love great stuff, but I want it to be a forum. I'd love feedback on my piece. It's actually my first short story I've finished. Much, if not all writing comes from personal experiences. So a lot of my feelings (not all) are Channing's. I know how to write scripts and I plan on doing more of that in the future, but I just like writing in general.

KJ

"Oniric Remnant of a Talking Head in Flames" (Polo Garcia)

2011-02-15T09:15:00.000-05:00

On January 18th, 1999, Polo had a vivid dream and upon waking, he grabbed the necessary tools to draw what you see above. I found the word "Oniric" in his title to be interesting, so I looked it up. It has to do with the dream state and relates to a larger word "oneirophrenia" which is defined as hallucinations and other disturbances from prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory isolation, or psychoactive drugs. I think the title is quite fitting for this wicked creation.

I know Polo has a great creative mind, so I hope to see more contributions from him in the future!

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Polo Garcia studied three years of psychology in Mexico City while dabbling in poetry, writing, and other artistic forms of expression. He has now been a resident of south Florida for over ten years and between work and family sometimes wonders where his creative mojo went.

"No Quick Fix" (Michael Hart)

2011-02-10T12:51:00.000-05:00

"No Quick Fix" is a cover song from the band Nada Surf. The song is a B-Side off of my favorite album and their most critically acclaimed album, "Let Go". With the quality of this song not even being on the main album speaks to the strength of the original album.

Michael is a musician as well as a writer. He's played in several groups throughout the years and is a great guitarist. Check out Michael Hart's short story, "The Big Bang", my first post on the site.

"Haters" (The Guillotine)

2011-02-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

I would like to thank The Guillotine for contributing his song "Haters". I came across this talented hip-hop artist from Tonty, who contributed his sketch two posts ago. It's all about word of mouth. So if you like the idea of having a site to visit every once in awhile to check out some cool stuff. This is the place I hope you can visit. You can still do your YouTubin' and Facebookin'. I promise there are enough seconds in the day.

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The Guillotine is a rapper originally from Trinidad. That's where he says the cool accent comes from. He's an avid hip-hop fan and takes his work very seriously.

"Tulum Ocean View" (KJ)

2011-02-06T10:09:00.000-05:00

This is a photo from the ancient ruins of Tulum. The first civilization of the Mayan culture. It looks beautiful outside in the picture, but the fifteen minute walk to the location was treacherous with swirling rains. It let up just in time to enjoy the city. But the soaked shirt and squishy flip-flops were well worth it when you can get a picture like this.

I enjoy photography. I studied film, which helped me understand how to compose a shot. But I'm far from an expert. I wanted to contribute something easy, just to show what I'd like to post. If you have some cool pictures, I can put up several on one post. I'd just prefer the theme of the pictures to be the same for each individual post. I'm not trying to turn this into Facebook.

"Reptile" (Tonty Daniel)

2011-02-04T14:06:00.001-05:00

"Reptile" is a character from the Mortal Kombat franchise. He was an original unlockable character, while later being a regular playable character.

If you were able to beat an opponent as Reptile, you had a chance to perform one of the most famous parts of the game: a "Fatality". Reptile had two Fatalities. One where he'd rip the spine from the losers body or remove his mask and chow down on the opponents head, having a victory snack. (As shown below)

Thanks to Tonty! A professional doodler.