Verity Smart

3six5 restart #365project #365

2011-12-27T12:33:00.000Z

I managed to stall badly on this project whereby weeks went by with no photo's taken or where I simply forgot to upload them.

With all the Christmas distraction I really just wasn't able to keep up with taking a daily photo for this project.

That being said I really do want to have a crack at it so I am going to restart in the new year which seemed a fitting time and have joined a broader Flickr group for this challenge called Project 365 (the previous group was specific to 2011)

Facebook Covers #facebookcover

2011-12-26T12:29:00.001Z

As people move their FB accounts over to timeline more and more are making good use of Covers.

Many have also been asking me where I get mine from. Mine are in fact my own photography and many have made requests for Covers from them.

So I have made a few to get people started (just click the images for larger view and save as), but I am sure just as with FB banners there will be sites popping up (if not already) offering Covers for your Facebook timeline. If you don't find what you need here just do a google for FB covers.

Enjoy!

*Copyright is not transferable with the use of these images, all rights reserved. For personal use only please only distribute with the original copyright. If you wish to use any of my photography for commercial purposes please obtain permission directly from myself, thank you.

3six5 project

2011-10-11T20:13:00.003+01:00

After much badgering from my mum (thanks mum) I joined the 365 group on flickr. My mums way of encouraging me to take more photo's.

Mostly on my iPhone at present, but I will try and take more on my Canon DSLR (which is what my mum was trying to encourage me to do I believe).

You can view my daily efforts on my tumblr where I give a little commentary behind the photo: 3six5

Or visit my Flickr stream (which is more up-to-date as I send my photos there direct from my phone): Flickr

10 Things That Inspire Me #10thingsthatinspire

2011-06-28T19:49:00.006+01:00

As part of any artists process of developing their craft it is often their life experience, interests and external influences that help form their style.

I came across an article recently about a photographers method called "Seven suggestions on finding your style".

As the first step, you need to be open and honest (at least to yourself) about what inspires you. As an exercise, list 10 things – whether these are other photographers, other kinds of artists, films, music, literature etc. -Miss Aniela

So in that vein here is my list of 10 things that inspire me:

Cinematography - Notably Noir. I also like unusual shooting in a film or TV show (Misfits comes to mind), atmosphere and good story telling through the visual medium often without words.
Other artists (not forgetting Photographers) - Stand out artists for me are the likes of Dave McKean, Mark Ryden, Brian Froud, Vincent Marcone, Miles Aldridge, Vivian Maier, Shepard Fairey and many, many more.
Nature and seasons - The ever changing seasons and nature, wildlife and all life.
Mythology, legends and folklore.
Collage and altered art - I love the texture and abstract nature often whilst telling a story.
Magick, fantasy & surrealism - Like many people I like to escape the realm of reality through the surreal and hyper real.
Novels and books - There are many books and authors who've had a profound impact on my world view. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho being two such books as well as Clive Barkers Weaveworld. There are many, many more, but it would be an entire post in itself.
Music - Music sets the mood for everything and so too do I like to have music when I create to set the mood. I'll often create playlists with a mood in mind. I could list 'some' artists I like ('some' being an understatement) but there really are just too many to list. I really do enjoy nearly all genres of music.
Theatrical - I love the decadence, dramatics, feel and vibe one often associates with theatre. A dynamic so different to TV or film because of the very nature of the medium.
Narrative - From my other listed items this one would seem to cross over with many of them and it's something I feel is vital in my craft, to tell a story without words and to leave the viewer to piece the story together; interpret from their life experience, inspirations and influences.

Winter Magic - Art Journal

2011-04-16T12:20:00.000+01:00

Another addition to my art journal, this time with the theme of winter.

Perhaps a strange theme given that we've recently entered Spring, yet it seemed to just flow for me so I made the most of it.

I've now started an art journal set, so please take a look and keep checking back for updates and, new additions.

Kick-Ass Creativity - Energy Works

2011-03-30T20:00:00.004+01:00

I've been reading the above titled book and within are some useful tips, recommendations and exercises to improve energy and remove any blocks.

One of the first of the exercises was to look at your current energy flow, the before shot so to speak with the aim that at the end of the book your energy picture will look very different.

We're asked to draw an outline of ourselves and describe in patterns, shapes, texture, etc where we feel our blockages are and where our energy is flowing.

I used this as a way to make a start on my art journal and finally 'dirty' the pristine and unused Moleskine.

Pictured is my result and I won't deny I was more than a little depressed afterwards.

It's a lot to confront your aches and pains like this, mental or physical, even if you're already aware of them.

The red and lightening is the physical pain I experience on a daily basis. I have an old ballet injury and my knees can get very painful, more so when it's damp and especially in the evening. I struggle with stairs and find even short walks leave me limping.

After years of using computers I now get RSI in my wrists (from my elbow to my wrist on my right arm), so I try and use the computer less these days so as to minimise the pain. These are my physical blocks.

My wellbeing blocks, as described in black reside of course with my mental health; my depression.

What I've described is the rainbow within, that the energy is there, but it is surrounded by a block preventing me from using it. I know the potential is there, but that the depression is my cloud, my wall so this is what you are seeing here.

It's never easy coming to terms with your mental wellbeing especially after many years of being misdiagnosed, mocked and generally treated like you're a fake, impeding your ability to face that you are ill and attempt to move forward.

Only then can you start to treat the illness with the aim of either getting better or managing to live with it and adapting.

Honesty with yourself can go a long way to some inner healing and learning to live with and, adapt to your condition.

This is what I am trying to do by using this book as a tool to break down some blocks and hopefully find some inner peace from the experience.

I recommend this book to anyone, not just artists or creatives.

tumblr

2011-03-26T20:00:00.001Z

So I finally caved and signed up to tumblr.

After watching technology loop I was sure I never would because I've been caught in a loop like that before.

With all this technology to fill us to boiling over, I figured I didn't need yet another thing to keep up to date with.

So why you might ask did I still sign up, well it's not quite like a blog and it's NOT Facebook (which is a very good thing) it's not twitter, but at the same time it's still a little of all three. That snippet of all three; the short, but sweet I liked.

Sound and picture bites with a little social networking mixed in.

Yes I have the app on my iPhone as well. The bonus is it automatically tweets and feeds it to my Facebook wall for me so I can share with my friends without actually having to go onto Facebook plus with the app I can do this from my phone.

The funny thing is with all these sites sharing with each other, there's more auto feeds and less real interaction then ever, thus it's becoming less and less social.

Hipstamatic joy

2011-01-21T21:30:00.077Z

One of the many things I enjoy about the iPhone is all the great apps. Specifically all the photography/camera apps.

My current weapons of choice are Hipstamatic, ProCamera, Instagram, ClassicTOY, Lo-Mob, Iris Photo Suite, TiltShift, ArmsLength, Muybridgizer, CamKewl, 8mm, iMovie, Phototreats, Lego Photo, Diptic, Photo Factory, PocketBooth and Notica.

I don't doubt that list will grow.

One among them I use quite often, the Hipstamatic app, I've been taking a fair few using this app and with the growing add on's (films, frames, etc) it's no wonder this is my app of choice.

I also like the shake for random combo feature, it's fun to not know what results you're gonna get.

I have a predilection for black and white at present and retro in general, even with video it's fun to use the 8mm app for video capture.

I like the unique and unpredictable results that come from using the 'toy' camera apps that are based on old school medium format cameras.

You can see more of my square format iPhoneography over at my flickr stream.

Vivian Maier

2011-01-20T21:30:00.010Z

I get regular feeds from iPhoneography and one such feed led me to the recently discovered work of Vivian Maier.

It's a fasinating story of a unique individual who spent her days off, from working as a nanny, taking photographs with her Rolleiflex camera. An amatuer street photographer who lived a life in obscurity.

Her work was discovered by Chicago real estate agent John Maloof, also president of the Jefferson Park Historical Society in Chicago.

He attended an auction, bought a box full of negatives and so his journey begin into the discovery of Vivian Maier.

Vivian Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American amateur street photographer who was born in New York but grew up in France, and after returning to the U.S., worked for about forty years as a nanny in Chicago. During those years she took about 100,000 photographs, primarily of people and cityscapes most often in Chicago, although she travelled worldwide, taking pictures in each location. Her photographs remained unknown and mostly undeveloped until they were discovered by a local historian in 2007.

When John finally discovered the photographer behind these then unknown works he set about finding her, it was an obituary that pointed to her whereabouts, she had died only days before he had set out to find her in 2009.

While working on a book about the Chicago neighbourhood of Portage Park, Maloof bought 30,000 prints and negatives from an auction house that had acquired the photographs from a storage locker that had been sold off when Maier was no longer able to pay her fees. After purchasing the first collection of Maier photographs in 2007, Maloof acquired the rest from another buyer at the same auction. Maloof discovered Maier's name at an early stage of his discovery, but was unable to find out more about her until just after her death, when he found an obituary notice in the Chicago Tribune.

If you haven't already seen her work, then I would highly recommend a peek. It gives a very unique window on a time and place that through Vivian's eye we see an equally unique perspective. Her perspective.

When I watched the video detailing the story and viewed her work for the first time I was blown away. Then when more details are revealed about the person behind the photographs it only served to enrich her work further. Up there with the likes of Richard Avedon in my humble opinion.

Sample of her work over at Cellar Door.

Tara McPherson

2010-11-30T21:30:00.012Z

I was completely fascinated by the recent video of Tara McPherson at work on one of her paintings for her solo exhibit, 'Bunny In The Moon' at Jonathan LeVine Gallery.

The video in question is time lapsed and shows Tara working on Safety of Water shooting at 2 frames a second.

I captured roughly half of the painting process in this video, and I worked on this painting over the span of a few months. -Tara McPherson

I took some screen grabs of the video just to capture different moments of how she works out of idle interest as it whizzes by in the video (click for larger view).

I've also posted up a selection of her work over at Cellar Door.

Watch the full video here:

Time lapse painting of 'Safety of Water' by Tara McPherson from Tara McPherson on Vimeo.
The largest painting by Tara McPherson to date has been captured on film in this time lapse video. Oil on Linen, stretched over Birch panel. Done for her solo exhibition at Jonathan LeVine Gallery which opens on October 23rd 2010.

Art by Tara McPherson
Music by Zaza
Edited by Jon Schnepp

Hosting Joys. Up, Down & Then Up again.

2010-09-29T20:00:00.008+01:00

Server Heatsink

For my main site (still very much 'work' in progress) I've recently had to move hosting, so if it was down (not that it's been up that much) that would be why.

I'd been with a company called Ataraxy for many years and then that was sold off to a Spanish company.

While for the most part they seemed okay, getting any issues resolved took some time and even then I didn't always get the emails I was supposed to despite having set up a mail box just for them.

After my site was down for over a month during their control I felt enough was enough and canceled my hosting account with them.

My brother has been with Freehostia for a while now and his site is generally always up plus he doesn't get any of the problems I was with my paid hosting, so cutting my losses I have moved over to them.

If I like it and want to stay, if I find I need more space I can always upgrade my package with them. For now I am just glad to have my site back up even if it is only a splash page with links.

Flickr

2010-09-28T20:00:00.001+01:00

For those on Flickr you can follow my stream or subscribe to the RSS feed.

I've been uploading some recent photo's as well as some long forgotten ones too (sample below).

Deviant Art Days

2010-09-27T20:00:00.001+01:00

Curioser and curioser by ~myownself

Shortly after graduating I discovered Deviant Art. Before Facebook came along this was very much the social network for artists of every genre (and perhaps still is, I've haven't been there in years).

On there I discovered many, many other talented artists who opened me up to whole new way of looking and doing art.

One such person was photographer, Asya Schween who goes by the handle of myownself.

I've just recently featured a range of her work over at Cellar Door for those not familiar with her work.

It is her outlook on life that gives her a unique viewfinder which reflects very much in her style of photography which I greatly admire.

The Magic of Bokeh

2010-09-12T20:00:00.001+01:00

I've been playing around with my macro lens lately just to get some pure bokeh out of it, thanks in large to having lot's of different fairy lights around the home.

Quite pleased with how they turned out. More on my flickr stream.

Wreck This Journal

2010-09-11T20:00:00.011+01:00

Close up detail from one of the pages
in my Wreck This Journal

One of the projects I've given myself to kick start my creativity is to complete a Wreck This Journal:

The goal is to fill it up, to shift your perception of the blank page and the journal itself into a place for experimentation. Into a place where you just get stuff out onto the page. A place to start working against your better judgment. To do those things you were taught to never do (make a mess, destroy, fold down pages, write in books, play with dirt). This book IS the place.Each page of Wreck This Journal is filled with prompts telling you how to systematically ‘destroy’ the entire book. -Wreck This Journal

This is exactly why I picked this project and this book, because it's just what I need to loosen up and get over my 'blank canvas' syndrome.

Blue Anchor

2010-09-10T20:00:00.003+01:00

I made a recent visit with family to Blue Anchor, near Minehead in Somerset. We were lucky enough to get some of the last of the good weather. I took along my trusty 400D with my 60mm macro lens.

Just a sample of some of the shots I took (you can view more on my Flickr stream)

Cellar Door

2010-08-21T22:30:00.005+01:00

It's been a while since I blogged and even though I could bore you with the reasons why, I'm not going to.

What I will tell you about though, is my new side blog which I very much hope complements this one.

It's basically a daily media blog, of interesting images, stills, music, video, etc. That I find and share, very much a visual treat and I hope will also be of inspiration.

I also hope that anything I find and post without a known source, visitors will help me locate who the work is by.

It's called Cellar Door and you can visit, subscribe via RSS or follow via Google or on Facebook through Networked Blogs all depending on you preferred method.

Petit Lapin

2010-06-28T17:01:00.002+01:00

One of the things I love about the evolution of art is the urban vinyl toys that have emerged over the years. My other love about this new emergence is to photograph them and bring them to life.

Not too long ago I managed to get hold of the first Common Petit Lapin by Mr. Clement which was no small miracle given that it is limited to 250 and everywhere is out of stock, save one place I managed to find and in the UK no less.

On the rare occasion I manage to get out and nearly always accompanied by family I've been carrying him with me and taking photo's.

PeliCAN

2010-06-16T22:57:00.002+01:00

It's hard not to have heard about or noticed the big great hell of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico courtesy of BP.

It's also sad to see the response from our British government too, who seem to be more concerned on protecting their tax revenue from BP than the lasting devastation to our planet. One is priceless the other is not.

Anyway, the reason for this post is not for me to get on my soap box, but to bring to your attention a new tee from Threadless, called PeliCAN designed with the Gulf spill in mind with 100% of the proceeds going to a 15 year old charity called Gulf Restoration Network.

You get to both make a visual commentary about the situation as well as donate to a good cause. You can also donate direct to the Gulf Restoration Network as well, but the tee helps to keep it fresh in peoples mind which as devastating as it is to be reminded we must be because we all use oil (not just car users) and it does come at a price.

Kick some creativity into it!

2010-06-13T22:30:00.001+01:00

Due to many life distractions I've had little in the way of space to get on with being creative not to mention a real lacklustre feeling simply from feeling drained by everything.

So I went down to our local shops just to get out and popped into the local newsagent whilst I was there in the hopes that a new copy of Cloth Paper Scissors might be out. I was in luck as indeed there was a new issue since my last purchase, so I grabbed me a copy.

Whilst leafing through and enjoying a nice cup of Earl Grey I spotted a review of a book titled, Kick-Ass Creativity by Mary Beth Maziarz.

Given my loss of focus and general energy depletion I read on and thought, that despite my usual avoidance of these types of books, this was the first I'd seen aimed specifically at the creative individual and actually written by a creative to boot. By an artist for an artist.

So yes I ordered myself a copy from The Book Depository (simply because they always have the best prices as well as free shipping).

So far it's been a great read, very upbeat and positive, perhaps a little overly American in places for my British sensibilities, but otherwise a very creative approach to giving one self a well and truly positive kick up the behind. I highly recommend.

Hello and welcome!

2010-06-12T20:22:00.001+01:00

Welcome to my new and official blog, I'm just getting started here, but hope to have lots to share very soon.

I very much hope for this site to be a two way experience. As well as sharing my projects, tips, tricks, techniques and great finds, I'd very much like to see what other people do as well, what discoveries you've made out there in the art world.

It's easy to keep up to date with what's going on here, if you use facebook, then you can use the networked blog feature, or google users can simply follow or keep up-to-date through Google reader or your own blogger dashboard.

If you use RSS than you can easily use any reader to keep an eye on the blog and updates. You can also follow me on twitter which is especially handy on your mobile.

Thank you for visiting and I hope to see you again soon!