SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

School is officially out for the summer for the kiddo's today! This means a whole lot of I'm boooooored. I got some Blockbuster coupons to rent movies on the rainy days, and I have been trying to decide on a plan for the summer months so they don't get bored.
I have been thinking heavily about teaching art at the grade school level, and I decided for sure that we will be having our own "art school" at home this summer. The big project will be working on our entries for the Kansas State Fair in September. The only real expense to me will be a few good sized canvases and a few odds and ends supplies. Maybe some watercolor paper. I want to let them get their hands into all of the different media that I can afford or have on hand. With so little regard for the arts in schools these days, it just may be the only chance they have to learn about it at all....

SEPIA - HARSH LIGHTING

I don't know what it is exactly that I like so much about this photo. The lighting is too harsh, she seems really pissy, and you can only see half of her face....
But I adore it. Originally shot in color, the sepia toning just seemed to make it more mysterious. Her true personality is a complete turnaround from what shows in the photo. Hmm....

VACATION IMPOSSIBLE????

Has everyone been looking through the travel guides trying to decide where to go on vacation this summer?? Yeah.
The last week of May is our family vacation time, only with the price of gas so high, there is no way we can afford to go out of the State of Kansas. Um - actually anywhere further than about 100 miles out of town. Even then the gas will suck up a lot of fun money.

So if we all squished into this old timey phone booth, maybe we could open and close the door and end up somewhere else?? Hey - it worked for Doctor Who......

WHERE DO I GO NOW???

I suppose I am supposed to make a decision on what to do with myself now that school is out. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, and I know I want to do something that uses my degree skills or else the whole school thing would be pretty pointless. I have a pretty decent background in advertising now, and I can spend the rest of my days touting acne treatment and homes for sale, liquor store ads and new cars. Of course I would rather just sell my art, but not many people can make a living doing that. I did start a new site - only for selling my work - just in case. It's going to take me some time to get it all put together, but eventually I hope it will go somewhere. I tried the whole ebay thing with some measure of success, but by the time ebay takes out the listing fee, then the sold item fee, then paypal takes out their fee, and the fees to box and ship, there isn't much left as a profit. It actually makes it kind of pointless. I suppose I will see what the summer brings.....

FREEDOM!

Now that school is officially over, I am free to create!! I don't really know what I am going to do with myself, but for the moment I want to fiddle around with faces. People are very interesting subjects, and my best friend is no exception. She made a funny face at me, and I ended up turning her into some kind of vampire lookin lady.
I also want to explore color more in depth over the summer, and this one ended up being what I would think is a complementary color scheme.
Summer - is going to be a blast!

CLOUDS BEFORE THE STORM...

Images Copyright 2008
Rebecca Bridges

Had to go out in it again tonight.
Can't help it.
I'm addicted.

This was a fast moving storm that gave some huge wind speeds. I didn't see anything tornadic, nor did I hear that there was, but man these clouds were awesome!!

Please pardon the sensor dust.... I severely need to have my camera serviced.

KANSAS LIGHTNING

Images Copyright 2008 Rebecca Bridges

And this is why I love digital photography more than using film! Out of about 90 shots, I got around 9 keepers. Had I been using film, the success rate would have been much lower. Even though I know what settings to use - it is pretty much impossible to know exactly when and where the lightning will strike. For that reason, using film would be far to expensive with a whole lot of waste!

GOODBYE OLD FRIEND.....

This is where I would come to have a break at school.
Now it is time to finally say goodbye. It took me fourteen years to get to this point, but here I am. Sad but relieved, happy but scared. I have learned so much, had my eyes opened to so many new things, experienced a million emotions and even let a few new people into my life here. What happens next? What path will my life take from here? I don't know, but there is a wonderful energy in the air around me. The one thing I know for sure is that I will never stop making art. No matter if I am the only one that likes it, no matter if it ever is seen by anyone else. My life will be spent with hands around camera, fingers grasping paint brushes, clothing destructed by paints and glues and inks. My children will learn from my experiences, the world created by art, and experience all it has to offer them first hand. I have had the most wonderful teachers a person could ever ask for. I would love to reward each and every one of them with a golden Parmigiani if I had the means. That journey I am on - simply to learn to SEE - is one I discovered will never be over, and I am glad....

LIGHTNING SCENES 2008

Images Copyright Rebecca Bridges 2008

The weather all around us last night was incredible! Of course we didn't get anything, it was mostly to the east of us. These were the best I could muster with the storms being so far away and me staying right in my own backyard!

TEXTURE SCREEN PRINTS

This photo is a texture screen print, done in the darkroom with black and white film. Just like sandwiching negatives, this time I used a photo of tree bark and placed it on top of a portrait of Journey. Though she didn't ram right through the tree and get stuck there - it kinda looks like she did!


For this second one, I used a photo of a hosta plant, and I love love love how her eye looks like it is just part of the plant itself! She looks like a little woodland fairy! This was a lot of fun, and I have soooo many other texture photos I would like to try out as well. Before I wasn't too keen on the darkroom, and now I wish I could have more time in there - go figure!!

BLACK AND WHITE PORTFOLIO

Portrait with natural window light.
Little Journey was my awesome model for the day. She's a natural I would say!
There is just something special about black and white portraits like this.....

PARTS MAKE A WHOLE

"Motorcycle"
Image Copyright 2008
Rebecca Bridges

I loved all the different colors cause by reflections in this one. Made for an interesting piece I thought! The folks in the welding department put this bike together - just amazing. Funny how so many different things are art, even if most people don't see them as such...

WATER....

Mmmm hmmm..... Tell me who wouldn't want to grab a couple of pool floats and go for a lazy in the school fountain?? I would but I'm to close to graduation to get knocked out for being retarded. Still looks like fun though.... I was actually attempting to get a good stop motion photo for my class, but I don't think this one will cut it. I am probably going to end up going down to the skate park to see if any of those kids will let me take pictures of them. They usually get way up in the air while doing all of their fancy tricks and suck. Let's just hope the weather holds!!

GOLDEN YELLOW TONER

I know - it looks a little like I might need a heavy stock of incontinence supplies, but it's really just some groovy golden yellow toner we got to try out. Again, this was taken on black and white film. Initially I made a regular print in the darkroom, and then set it into a pan of the toner. I really liked the color, although it did bleach out a lot of the details. The photo itself was of my friend holding her little gecko lizard. Pretty cool I think!

SANDWICHED NEGATIVES

Sandwiched result using film negatives (Top)
and sandwiched result using photoshop and two digital images as overlay. (Bottom)

Though I like to complain about having to use film in school still, I can see why it is a necessary procedure. Digital images and photoshop techniques are easier and quicker, but using the negatives in the darkroom gives a better hands on experience. I have to say I had a lot more fun in the darkroom than I did on the computer this time. What we did was find two of our negatives with some decent contrast, and taped them together on top of one another. Then we exposed the photo paper as usual, increasing the time by a few seconds. Viola! Sandwiched negatives!

I think I did pretty good for a first attempt, but some more interesting images could make a killer print! I have been out and about searching for the nature photos for the top layer, and now my allergies are killing me. I don't have a sleep wedge for my bed, so I am forced to roll up a couple blankets and stuff them up under my pillows so I can breathe. Trees don't grow in the house though, so I guess if I want to get some good texture shots I will have to continue my trips out in to the great outdoors!

PHOTOGRAM PHUN

Images Copyright 2008
Rebecca Bridges

We have been doing some fun projects in my photo class! These are called photograms, and instead of exposing a negative on paper, we used objects directly on top of the paper, then exposed it. Again I have found something that is insanely addictive. I have more ideas packed into my brain than I have time to get them printed!
On another note - I seriously wish they would install stair lifts at school. My class is in the basement, and after running up and down the stairs 15 times a day, my legs get tired. It's good exercise and all, but soon I will have big ol' leg muscles that won't match the rest of me.....

CHOSEN FOR PUBLICATION!!

I am so excited about yet another round of good news! I got an email from school letting me know that my work was accepted for publication in this years edition of.......

"The Tulgey Wood"
This is an annual volume devoted to the literary and visual arts and is sponsored by the English area. Students authored poems, essays, short stories and short plays, as well as student photography and visual arts, make up the contents.

I submitted the picture above, as well as a poem (NOT this one) I wrote. I don't know for sure yet if just one or both got accepted. Exciting!! The copies come out on May 5th, so if ya want one let me know!

Boys get your golf bags
the wind has died down,
balls nice and shiny
don't let them drown.
The course ever green
calling your name,
forget your appointments
and go play the game!

SYMBOLIC COLOR

For this assignment, we were to choose a cause/thing ect., that we felt strongly for or against, and use symbolic color to create a poster. The topics were wide open and we got everything from anti abortion, greed, pro and anti war, anti wrinkle cream, weight loss pills, pharmaceutical companies, birth control and mine - anti irradiated foods. This one is just a first draft, with many more ideas coming to light after a brainstorming session. I think I will be eliminating the color purple and just sticking with green, yellow, red, and black for the final draft. Yellow is the standard color for the warning against radiation, but in some cultures it was also symbolic of the devil. That seems very fitting in my opinion.....

I SOLD A PRINT AT THE ART SHOW!!!

Not in this frame, but yeeeeeehaw I sold this print!! An 8x10 in a standard black gallery frame for $75!!! I'm sooo excited I could pee! Hell - I was happy just having pieces accepted into the show, and then having one printed in the newspaper - but this it totally the icing on the cake! Of course I forgot to sign it, and I will need to make a card for the back, but that's nuthin! Yay!
Can ya tell I am easily excitable?

FIRST ATTEMPT AT PANNING

I attended our school's track meet yesterday and tried my hand at the panning technique. Not to bad for a first, but needs a little work I think. I would have liked to have gotten her entire body in the shot, as well as a bit better lighting on her face. I did not use a flash because I didn't want to distract the runners. The last time I attended a track meet I think I was 11. Talk about a major weight loss program - these guys run their butts off!

IT WAS ALL A BLUR

Image Copyright 2008
Rebecca Bridges

OOpsy! Someone wasn't paying attention were they? No one was injured, thankfully.

"TOO MUCH MEDICINE"

Image Copyright 2008 Rebecca Bridges

At this rate, you would think I was ready for some medicare part d or something. Not yet, but it makes for some funky art work I suppose! The art show at school opens tomorrow. Three of my pieces were juried in, and I am really excited about it. You are all invited of course! Today we also got the final magazines from the printer. We have a lot of talent in that class - actually in the whole school. I think art lives inside everyone of us if we just give it a chance to come out!

WARM COLORS

Image Copyright 2008
Rebecca Bridges

Now if it were only this warm outside!

MIXED MEDIA ART PROJECT

"REPLENISH"
Mixed Media Collage by Rebecca Bridges
Copyright 2008

What a relaxing day it has been! I put the finishing touches on a piece I have been working on for the art show. It is a mixed media paper mache/collage/with dry floral material. It looks so much neater in real life, but I kinda like the photographed version as well!

This week in my photo class, we have been talking about black and white film and using filters with the available outdoor lighting. I got to bring home a yellow green filter which should really add some depth to the outdoor portraits I plan to take. I am also going to try it out on a bunch of other stuff just to see what happens. We did try the filter on a digital camera, but on auto white balance, the camera automatically adjusts itself and cancels out the filter. They have really thought of everything in this digital age eh?!!

SPRING DREAMS

The weather is getting to be so very nice out here!! We are all just itching to pack up the camping gear and fishing equipment and head out to the lake. This is my baby girl a few years back with her fine fish. She didn't want to eat him. She wanted to keep him and love him and hug him forever! I don't know if we will get to camp before I graduate, but the next non-windy day that comes along - we are going fishin!!

ZIG ZAGGETY THREE

"Show of Heart"
Image Copyright 2008 Rebecca Bridges

Another that came out of the previous. Mixed media painting, photograph, digital painting. The art show at school starts in about two weeks. I am having a blast preparing, but it's hard to choose what I should enter. This one maybe?

PAINTING TO PHOTOGRAPH TO DIGITAL PAINTING

"Heads Off"
Image Copyright 2008 Rebecca Bridges
Click Pic to Enlarge

Can you find the people? The heads falling off? How about the number 3? Osama? The war?
I spent quite a long time on this one, and I really really like how it turned out. Pushing and pulling of paint and pixels. Now that's fun!

ON BEING AN INTERN

Here are a couple of photos I took this week of a fire just east of Sterling, Kansas. I was in town for a doctor visit, and heard the sirens sound for the volunteer fire department, so I followed them out to see what was going on.

I am close to being halfway through my internships, and the time is approaching for my performance reviews. I think I have done pretty good, but I am worried about being able to get in the full 90 hours that are needed. There is just so much to do, and so little time to get it all done. I guess life is just like that....

OOPSY....

So I hope this person had good insurance?! Maybe I should offer a good place to buy online car insurance? Maybe too late?
This was an insane thing to come across while out and about driving around. The thing I love most about taking photographs is finding the unusual or running off to any kind of breaking news. It's a rush like no other really. The thing I dislike the most is big news things that end with people getting injured. I wish things would blow up without human injury. But then that would be a perfect world, and we all know we don't live there. Not unless we are delusional that is....

PATTERN

Images Copyright 2008 Rebecca Bridges

I love how the patterns found in nature are sometimes simulated in architecture. These just caught my attention and I was wishing I had brought along my Canon. I took them with a little digital point and shoot this time.

LOW KEY OR MEDIUM??

"LOST"
Image Copyright 2008 Rebecca Bridges

I am a fan of the darker images always. This one spoke to me. Keeping time on a Patek Perpetual, watching the petals run away from their home on the stem. Who is more lost? The petals or the bud? The only way they will ever find each other again, is the time when they will all be on the floor together. The petals can never get back home. The ones who stayed there will eventually fall too, leaving only the bare green stem....

RANDOM RANDOMNESS

Random question for today: what is grape seed extract used for exactly? Do they take the little itty bitty teeny tiny seeds out of the grapes and get the oil out of them?? Or is that a whole different fruit all together? I dunno either.... I know - I wonder about the weirdest things sometimes, but really doesn't everyone? I always buy seedless grapes. I haven't seen any with seeds in them for years.... I so need this spring break.

MY FAVORITE MACRO SHOTS

ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT 2008 REBECCA BRIDGES
Not for use without permission!

As you can probably tell, I have been having an absolute blast with this macro lens! I shot a bunch of photos on black and white film as well, and will be developing those negatives tonight I believe. Did you know you can also take portrait photos with a macro?? I had no idea until my teacher told me and I gave it a shot. I will pick out a few of my favorites soon and post them up. As I photographed my flowers, I couldn't help but think back on some of my older photos, and know that some of them could have been sooooo much better if I would have had this at my disposal. If I can get permission to borrow the lens for another week, I have a jar of flies I want to capture. (I have just been waiting for them to die.)