As the World Flickrs: sMacshot!!

Ann's Camera Case, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

My sister's camera case. For one of her cameras. Just one. The large format one with the radioactive lens (apparently such things were not of large concern back when it was made.)

This is how I feel these days. Sitting alone on a rock, just waiting it out... I've been sick. Very little voice to speak of. It will pass. I've got strong immunities. They're inside doin' the windmill fist thing, taking names and passing out beatings. They'll end up winning. Do every (rare) time I've felt this bad. :)

Winter Storm 2009 (Da-NAH!!)

Well.  That's what the news splash screen had up all day yesterday as it gave the play by play.  (Without the 'Da-NAH' part.)  And though it snowed steadily all day long, the result was below expectation, I think.  Less than a foot.  I'd say 8 inches in the city.  Certainly not worthy of such news coverage, at least here in Manhattan, but the viewers like drama, right?  Not sure what the actual measure ended up being, but when I went out this evening to get some groceries in the neighborhood the sidewalks were mostly shoveled, and streets pretty clear, too.  I came upon an ice sculpture randomly set out on the metal dock of a loft building, and lots of pretty holiday shop windows.  Forgive the photo quality; it was windy and dark, so shutter speed was slow, and I was moving.  Sharpness is not the best, but you get the picture.  I'm happy it will be a White Christmas for me.  Those are the best ones.

3 Strikes, You're Out... errr... You're Warhol!!

Last night I was decanting some gesso into a small jar so that I didn't have to haul out my big can everytime I needed a little. It got a somewhat messy and goopy down the sides of the jar and I saw a nice Polaroid opportunity, so set about fetching my SX-70, a closeup lens, and my tripod. The image I wanted would nearly fill the frame and have good detail, with dreamy depth of field.

 Strike One: The first image zips outta that camera as I accidentally click the button while merely intending to focus! (jeepers!)

Strike Two: my next exposure came out with bizarre streaks and a blank patch where no film emulsion existed. (Hey, it's expired film, what d'ya expect?)

Strike Three: My third one got stuck in the camera. (Oh for the love of Pete!)

So I put the camera away. I was not about to waste more film on this idea. Let it go. But wait! Photoshop... I can drag some sort of image out of bachelorette number 2, you know. Let's see what we get, shall we?

Ahhh yes. Now we have something.  Pop Gesso. 
 Amen.

Two Boys, One Polaroid, & A sMacTack

The photo in my previous blog post is, as the caption states, my most recent Flickr upload after a bit of a hiatus.  Here is the actual setup, including the original polaroid (which I'd desaturated and brightened for Flickr) being held by Artie, one of my antique Schoenhut dolls.  Willie, to his right (you the viewer's left) is holding an original sMacTack which I make (and posted about in July) and which I shall be giving away... well, not this one, but another one... to a random drawing of my Facebook Fan Page fans.  So maybe you would like to consider becoming a fan if you aren't already!

As The World Flickrs: sMacshot!!

Find Comfort, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

My first upload in over 3 months... the computer and technical woes, the resulting never ending game of catch-up, (which seems unfairly weighted against me) and just everyday 'life' things which must be attended to (not least of which is a full-time day job) all kept me from being active there. I've missed it.

Three Wishes

One for me.  One for you.  Another for emergency; first come, first served.

Why, oh why are my prints printing out with inaccurate colors?  Is it because they were profiled and made on a PC?  Is it because the Mac does not 'read/interpret' icm or icc profiles made on a PC?  I have work to print out. I am so, so, so behind.  The holidays are coming, orders and commissions on hold or delayed.  I've recalibrated everything but now all my work (and anything, including my blog) is wrong... too contrasty, vivid, and ugly.  Why would I want to print out and match my screen when my screen is showing me ugliness, and not the way I made my art and photography to begin with?  Hours of search, forums, knowledgebase, Adobe, Apple, but nothing.  Not even anything related.  So frustrated and so little time.   Big pout.

UPDATE:  Snow Leopard apparently has issues with not only color calibrations systems, but my Epson 2200 printer, (which it will not work with beyond a text document at all!)  At first I thought it was now a matter of buying a whole new color calibration system which does have Snow Leopard drivers, but now I know this won't even matter now since my printer will still not print out matched prints.  Buying a new printer was not in my budget plan.  (Neither was the whole new computer and external hard drives, and house phones which all died together and had to be replaced.)  It's been quite the last few months, and I can't help but think about a certain sum of money someone never paid me back which would really cover all this right now.

Copycat Suing Original Artist

... yes, that's right, and guess what for?  For the rights to mass produce and sell the items he copies, basically.  Mr. Rick Wittrig, owner of FirePitArt.com has been selling pretty much exact copies of the beautiful firepit sculptures created by the wonderful, talented, and hardworking artist, John T. Unger.

What if this was you?
John, who owns the copyrights to his firepit sculptures (which he's made since 2005) is being sued by Mr. Wittrig to have those very copyrights overturned!  This is not a case which is likely to hold up in court, and I'm sure Mr. Wittrig is well aware of that fact.  However, it seems clear that he intends to 'outspend' John, since he is in a position to do so.  John's already spent over $50,000 of his own money in court cases fighting Wittrig, and if he cannot come up with the enormous funds necessary to defend his copyrights, a default decision means Wittrig wins.  That simple, and infuriating.  This cannot happen.  The Law needs to protect artists better than that.  There but for the grace of God go any one of us small-time artists who come up with an idea some big business man decides to seize as his own money-making scheme, and while I do not know this artist, I intend to help.

I hope some of you do as well.  Donate.  I just did, it was easy and safe.  Give a dollar.  Give five.  If you feel more strongly, give $75, and for that price take a sculpture of your choosing from this first set of 100 sculptures made from the firepit cutout scraps.  John lets you reserve the exact one by simply saying so in a comment to it's Flickr pic in the set.  (Each 100-piece set will be made in a different color of steel.  This one is colorless, or natural.  Red, orange, yellow, white, and black are also available.)

Put one in your studio or work area as a reminder of how we need to support each other, and that in doing so we make the ability to make a livelihood at being an artist a more attainable goal, not an idea easily desecrated by some unethical thieving businessman with fat pockets.  I've had my work stolen and sold, and not just once.  Many of us know how this feels, and it's not nice.  United States law needs to be more supportive and strong in this regard, and our assistance in helping to establish precedence in these cases might be the step in the right direction towards that end!

Grin and Bear It

Sometimes ya just gotta smile.  Everything which has ensued after my summer vacation has been a task in patience; the sudden 'retirement' of my beloved PC, my quick decision to go ahead and buy a Mac, and the whole new learning process involved as well as the software platform issue - - I do not like running them through another program which allows Windows to be hosted on a Mac.  It feels foreign, and inefficient.  It's slowed me down immensely, and there are other issues I won't get into which make it impossible to continue this way.  I need to switch the programs to Mac versions.  More money.  More delays.  ugh.

Additionally, I've not retrieved all (though many) of my lost files; (oddly, 3 external hard drives 'died' when I returned from vacation as well!)  who knew that often all that is required are new external enclosures to put those hard drives in once you figure out how to pry apart the ones that died.  Some successes, then, but more to go.  If anyone is still around once I am back up and running, it would be quite humbling.  I am one of many in a vast ocean of talented artists and photographers.  If I seem invisible, why should anyone keep looking for me?  So, thank you for any of you who still do; I promise I will be back, and I am hoping it is really soon.

As The World Flickrs: Snailbooty!!

There is no other doll photographer out there which can send my nerve endings into a delighted tizzy like a person who goes by the moniker 'snailbooty' on Flickr. Scenes from elaborate to simple are the settings for Snailbooty's fantabulous collection of bizarre doll-creatures. It's quite clear to me that much time is taken to set up scenes and lighting, and hours upon hours of shooting takes place. My favorites are the black and white 'film noir-esque' ones, which are at once jolting and comical (in fact, you'll find a lot of humor as you browse through the pages of Snailbooty's Flickr stream!) And the talent doesn't just end with the camera, no, Snailbooty is an artist as well. I invite you all to check out this wonderful body of work.

[**OFF-TOPIC NOTE ..... I am still without access to most of my files from the old pc. Two of my seven external hard drives died on the same day, and my images now only remain on the pc's internal drives (I had 3). It is seeming like an eternity for which I wait while external enclosures for those 3 drives arrive in the mail. Until then, I am unable to do much of my work, and going absolutely bonkers in the process!!]

Show's Not Over!

Exit, Stage Left, originally uploaded by sMacshot.


We're just having technical difficulties. If it seems I've been absent lately it's because I have been; at least from the online world.

I returned from a month-long vacation to find that my beloved computer doesn't want to stay on more than 20 seconds. I nearly built this monster myself 6 years ago and it served me so well; never so much as showing me a hiccup or a wince (despite its age) in the face of heavy-duty tasking in Photoshop or 3D Animation/Modeling.
But the day has come and I am currently awaiting the arrival of my new computer, a Mac Pro. It's my first Apple machine but I still love Windows and plan on getting a laptop down the road.

Meanwhile, I've resorted to long distance phone calls with my sister - she is the one typing this now, as I dictate (since she's also the only person I trust with all my website logins). So hoping everyone will not abandon me - I haven't been ignoring you.

Happy Labor Day weekend to my US readers! :)

Lost In Fog

Lost In Fog, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

Last summer, Ann wanted do a self portrait in the beautiful sweater knit for her by Rebekka, so I got in on the session, and then a stranger came up and joined in, too! Ann and I shot with Polaroid backs - - hers,unexpired film on a Hasselblad, mine, very expired on a Holga; the stranger with a Nikon DSLR. A good time was had by all.

August

summers at the sea , originally uploaded by original_ann.

Hangin' out with my sis at the beach house in New England. This is a photo she took of me. Click the pic to read the description. :)

Summer In New England

Lobster on Ice, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

It's so great to clear the 'city' outta your life for a little bit; breathe in the salt air, eat seafood every day, live with the constant sound of foghorn and thunderous waves crashing, and dip into the valuable Polaroid film stock. This morning I was up in the 5 o'clock hour with my sister, dressing quickly to run out to take photos by the fishing docks. It's expected to be a clear sunny day, so we rushed in case the fog was not going to last long. Just hours ago I was walking by the building you see in the photo above which I took last year. It was a different 'scene' this morning with heavy fog, but ice is still $1.75, and I'm glad that hasn't changed.

sMacTack

The sMacVision sMacTack is a multidimensional piece of technology. First, it's heavy, and feels darn nice in the hand; second, it provides the owner with a tiny signed* original art print; and third, it can be used to hold a fat stack of loose papers, bills, homework, or what-have-you on any magnetic surface. Just stack 'em up, and smack it on; it's art that works.

*each titled and signed by me on the back.

Pause

There is so much to do in so little time. I suppose it applies to most of us all of the time. No matter the task, once given, the allotted time frame suddenly shrinks just enough to cause mild panic. Usually in the end these things tend to work out, or close to that, but until D-day, the moments to stop and breath and feel calm seems too few and far away. I will go to the beach house soon, and am scrambling to get all the tasks done I need to. There is always the fear that I will forget something major, but I will try hard to let those thoughts go, and forge ahead without 'looking at the clock' (since that tends to put me into 'deer in the headlights' mode.) Happy Sunday to all!

The Sun, Finally!

I do not remember another year where by July I've not yet turned on my a/c (fans, yes) nor gone to the beach once! But maybe the tide has turned...could real summer weather be at last around the corner? This is me, two days ago, the wind was whipping my hair and compromised camera steadiness, oh but the glory of seeing shadows which are not made by streetlights!! Enjoy your Sunday, all!

At A Loss For Words...

Since my last post, I have received my new camera and set about the task of 'learning' it. I've spent hours alone with the manual and camera, testing out the various functions, (much more advanced than those which my other camera had offered) pored over books in the bookstore near my day job on my lunch hour, and taken the camera with me every time I left the house on a day off. At night, if I am home, I have been working with the new Macro lens to document my toys, and to practice. This is why I have not been so chatty here, for I've been pretty much like my Charlie McCarthy ventriloquist doll above: bombarded with information, mouth agape, speechless.

Foggy Days Like This...

Foggy Days Like This..., originally uploaded by sMacshot.

...when the air feels still, like a salty veil blessing all it enshrouds, I notice more the sound of my footsteps than the tidal rhythm punctuated by the two muffled foghorns, and an errant seagull's cry,which seems actually more like a cranky toddler in need of a nap. Days like this move at a different pace, on a separate plane.

**I will be back to post something more current as soon as my new-camera-fog clears. Soon, I hope! Happy Sunday, all!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

What I Did On My Summer Vacation, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

I'm getting to the (finally!) uploading of scanned negatives and Polaroids from last August at the beach house. It's killing me to be without a camera (digital) and I can't wait til the new one arrives! Happy Memorial Day weekend to all who get to celebrate it!

Iron Lady

Iron Lady, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

Oh gosh, I need to be strong. My digital camera is broken; I need to get a new one, and I am sort of devastated by the loss. I wasn't looking for a change, but I've discovered that Canon has a loyalty program so I can trade it in and get a better deal on an upgrade to the one I've been using for the past 4 years, and maybe it is time for me to move on, learn more technically (the camera I had was not very advanced, but not too amateurish, either) perhaps it's time for me to expand my knowledge and have equipment which would allow me to do more than I could before.

Until it broke, I'd take that camera with me any time I went out at night, walking around the neighborhood... got some great shots that way. Now I feel lost without it, but until I figure out my next options, it's forcing me to do other things.


The photo here is not a digital camera product. It was taken at the family beach house with a toy plastic Diana camera....the old kind; it takes medium format film which I get developed into negatives, so I can scan them myself. This is one such negative scan. Love the look that lo-fi cameras + film gives!

Green Hook

Green Hook, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

The jetty, dotted with fishermen at 7pm one warm August evening on the New England coast, finds itself the platform for those who seek their portion of the ocean's bounty. One lone seagull hovers, and hopes for leftovers.

Been trying different printing options, not so easy. Will have this in my shop once I get that part straight!

Ten PM

Ten PM, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

Full moon over the ocean. I took this standing outside the beach house at night. So great to finally have all the film and polaroids scanned. Now I'm working on doodles and other scraps of paper. I'm also recovering from leg surgery; it's slowed me down quite a bit.

Time To Go Back

Time To Go Back, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

All the Polaroids and various developed films from my plastic and cardboard cameras are finally scanned. Updates to my Flickr stream and online shops commence!

This is taken of the staircase in the beach house....sufficiently spooky, I'll say. To this day, it is often that my heart is in my throat going up them at night, or just being upstairs alone...because you don't feel alone.

Barcelona!

espai[b] is a gallery of contemporary art in Barcelona which has chosen two of my photos to exhibit in what will now probably be an annual show since the great success of the first one in 2008. The show's title, 100x100Photo, refers to the number of photographers, and the fact that 100 large prints of each of their photographs will be sold at very affordable prices to the public. This is my first international show, and I am very honored and excited!!

The show starts tomorrow, April 16, 2009. As of the writing of this post, the current show on their site is the last 100x100Photo show, and prints are still available from that one. Take a look around, I see so many things I would love if I had more wall space!

As The World Flickrs

This is my illustration-response to a recent conversation with my sarcastic friend who told me I was to consider myself privileged to be in the presence of he and his work, and as such was to thankfully accept the charge of being diligent in the expression of my gratefulness, the agreed upon method being that I shower him with little pink stars and comments touting his genius. A riot he is. And an amazing photographer, writer, and artist.

NYC Coffee Houses

Before Starbucks, I'm not sure many people in the U.S. hung out in coffee houses. I'm not even sure I would call Starbucks a coffee house, but let's be generous and say so. Here in New York City there are so many which have been in business since the early 1900's. Cozy, cramped, and dimly lit, they serve incredible coffee by the cup, (no refills) panini, (before the general masses knew what one was) plates of sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella drizzled with olive oil, (fresh is the key here; no one buys that rubber ball you find in the grocery store!) all alongside wonderful authentic Italian pastry. Caffe Reggio was one of the first places I went to when I moved to Manhattan, and it is still a favorite place to hang out, and every now and then I have a camera along with me to capture what I see while I sit outside or in (as pictured above.)

Oh and side note, none of the above photos are me; that's my sister (except for the buxom girl with the sunglasses, and the red 'blur-girl'.) It's a long tradition to kick off our bi-annually 'Twin Weekends" the first night at Caffe Reggio.

Celebrating Abundance

I must give a big thanks to Jess of Pecannoot who featured my photo entitled "Obesity" there. Pecannoot is a wonderful site which honors the theme of 'abundance'. We all need to recognize the abundance which we may have in our lives now, and that which is to come; and we need to believe that the world has much to offer each one of us, not just a lucky few. There is plenty to go around; more than we can imagine. It's a good message, and a wonderful place to be honored (check it out!) Thanks, Jess!

I. Should. Write. More (yeesh!)

(more often, at least)

This is a collage of pieces I've doodled in ballpoint pen, rollerball, colored pencil, graphite, acrylic paints, and large, mangy, one-tip-broken-off metal work scissor cuttings. All done on found papers, utility bill envelopes, canvas, and cardboard. The images 'say' my title.

NOTE: I realized people might think I did this as an art piece after reading one reader's comment; au contraire, I just felt I needed to post *something*, ANYTHING in my blog lest it seem dead (after all, I am not an every day, nor every other day blogger) and needed a visual to go with my title "I Should Write More, (yeesh!)" so went in my files of scanned doodles, pulled out some eyes=I, my butler guy who seems to be demanding something with that pointing finger=should, all the silly fonts=write more, and the girl holding her head=(yeesh!) - - slapped 'em all together and made a collage. :P

Have a nice weekend. :)

White Vinegar Magic!

Some time ago, I started making small glass gem magnets using snippets of artwork I had drawn or photographed. At some point, I decided to order very large (2.5inch) glass pieces to make 'super-magnets', (actually, I use one as a paperweight for as-yet-unfiled-receipts.) When they arrived in the mail, they had a sort of frosty appearance, but I cleaned them off with glass cleaner, and they looked great. However, a day or two later, they'd return to this frosty look. [Huh?? Why?] And not only that, but it almost had a mysterious residue; I could wipe it with my finger and it gave the appearance of a greasy streak....only it wasn't greasy. [What the hey?]

Since then, I have tried every cleaner under the dingy-dang sun to no avail, until just last week. It was like an epiphany; almost spiritual. Yes, 'midst working on something unrelated, entirely, while watching a rerun of Lost, I was suddenly compelled to stand up, and go to the kitchen cupboard for some white vinegar. And that, my friends, worked. The glass has never gone cloudy since. Magic, I say!

UPDATE: for sale in my shop!

As The World Flickrs

Headed Home, originally uploaded by sMacshot.

Sorry for my absence, sort of. I will be online a bit less during Lent, and working on a whole new stack of work (both photos and traditional art) which will hopefully be seen by Spring (and earlier) in my shops. A big snow is expected tonight, and I may be wading through nearly a foot of it as I head out to the subway tomorrow. I will see it as an adventure, and wish you all a wonderful week!

Cleaning Up Other People's Mess

Do you ever feel like you have difficulty being creative when your life feels cluttered? How about when your home is messy? I definitely have this 'syndrome' that says if there are tasks to be done, they start to build a barrier between me and my art. I am most happy when everything is clean and taken care of, and my unusual work hours and resulting insomnia don't exactly enable efficiency towards that end. Sometimes other people make a mess for me to clean, whether because they are mean, angry, or just thoughtless, there's no one else to take the task. This type of situation has been slowing me down a lot, lately, but I intend to tackle it to the ground.

The photos above are of local graffiti (I sell a print of one of the pairs of legs in my shop, taken months before these) which was subsequently defaced over and over. Someone finally painted the wall around the girls, but eventually the desecration became overwhelming. The wall is plain, now.

Giveaway: 3 Octpuplets

It's time to giveaway! Three winners will take home their favorite Octpuplet. You can see Dog 5 through Dog 8 here, and Dogs 1-4 in my previous post. All you have to do to enter is comment here and tell me which one is your favorite. To be clear. This includes your top choice out of all 8 dogs.... (1-4 in my previous post as well as dogs 5-8 in this post!) I'll draw three names on my birthday, February 12th.
(note: click on the photos to get a better view, sorry for the size, the photo does not do them justice.)

YAY! We have 3 winners. All were informed, and they are chickscratch, Karo Design, and demmi. Congratulations to all, and to the rest I am sure I will do more giveaways so stick around and visit often.

Octpuplets

I have eight new dog illustrations which can be bought together or separately soon in my shop. Here are the first 4, and a detail shop of #1 and #2. The rest will be coming soon!