How do you fill all that free time at the end of the year? With creative awesomeness!

This coming week there are only two days on which I ABSOLUTELY have to be at school. But on those other days I'll probably end up at the college anyway.

Monday: My last Photoshop class for the year. :-( That day we finished our pages for the magazine and handed them in. We also chose dates and times for assessments with Drew (mine's on Thursday afternoon).

In the morning I asked him to cut another mat for me, and after class my classmates and I hung our show at City Hall.

Tuesday: I didn't have class in the morning. And Photo History wasn't so much about the history of photography as it was about getting ready for the show--everything from Karen handing out stickers with our artist statements and bios on them (they went next to our non-tableaux vivant), to Chelsea curling Karen's hair with a straightening iron.

That afternoon we also found out that two of the photos from the show had been censored by City Hall. One of them depicted a dark version of the Last Supper. The other, an S&M scene. Both photos were removed from the show after the opening.

CENSORED: The Last Parody, by Anne-Marie Rolf and Roger Flanagan

CENSORED: Because Whips and Chains Excite Me, by Emily Jackson

Snow White's Sister (Snow White 2)--my tableau

Rusted Ripples--my non-tableau. The guy on the left is Peter, by the way.

This was my first opening where I was one of the artists, and not just a viewer. Because of that, I found it a little awkward (what do I do?), but it was still a really good opening. It wasn't too crazy, either, which I liked (some openings can be really crowded and loud).

Wednesday: That morning I had my assessment with Peter, which went well. We talked about my independent project and he critiqued the portfolio that I'd produced after all that hard work (a couple of pieces could've been taken out, which would've strengthened said portfolio), as well as asking me what my plans are for the foreseeable future (I'm still figuring that out).

Late that afternoon I met with Anne-Marie and Hannah Nissen (Surface Design major) to finish our cardboard chairs for Design. Let's just say that our chair is never going to behave the way we want it to... Oh, well: we tried.

Thursday: That day, all I had were two assessments (Karen's in the morning, Rod's in the afternoon)--and one heck of a cleaning job. Both assessments went well, and after my assessment with Rod, I dove in and started cleaning out my shelf in the studio--while listening to Tchaikovsky (Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor). After dumping a whole lot of stuff (mostly foamcore), I still had a large Bean bag that was so heavy that I only made it as far as the Kings Place Mall before calling a cab.

Rod told me that he'd come across my blog--and he liked it. Like Peter and Karen, he said that there was a definite voice behind my writing. So Rod, if you're reading this, hi!

In the evening, I got a note via Facebook from Peter (he sent it to all the members of the photo studio's Facebook group): he's having a potluck/party this Tuesday (which happens to be his birthday). Right away, I decided that I'll bring vegetarian burgers (preferably homemade--here's the recipe I'm going to use. I plan on doubling it.). I might bring something to drink, and I'll definitely bring my violin. From Peter's message: "Bring friends, intoxicants, food, instruments and good cheer."

Friday: Although I didn't have class yesterday, I still managed to be fairly busy. Yes, I took my sweet time that morning (though I got started on whipping my violin--which hasn't been played much in the last eight months--into shape for Tuesday's potluck: I don't want to have to tune it every couple minutes. I'm going to tune and play it every day between now and Tuesday: welcome to violin tuning boot camp.), but once the afternoon hit, I didn't stop. Most importantly, I paid my first-ever visit to WhiteFeather's studio. I'd been wanting to visit since FVA year, but couldn't due to the workload and life getting in the way (the usual). But it was worth the wait. WhiteFeather spent most of my visit scrubbing her worktable (today's lesson: the edge of a playing card makes a good scrubbing tool). I had a blast exploring the room that is StudioASAP (formerly Studio 4ward), chatting with WhiteFeather as well as asking questions about the art that I discovered, some of which was made during her time at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), and much of which I recognized from her blog (either because she'd posted a photo or because she'd written about the piece in question).

If I'm into a topic, I'm fairly good at retaining information. However, I often don't realize how much I've remembered until I'm using that information in conversation. My visit to StudioASAP was one of those times: I recognized several pieces because I'd read about them in WhiteFeather's blog (hot ticket), and I commented on them. She told me about the pieces in question, the successes and failures, and how she's thinking of using the failed creations in the future.

Afterwards, I went to the college (which is literally a hop, skip and a jump from StudioASAP) and started work on my own project. I won't say much (or anything at all) due to the fact that because this is a public blog, anyone could read this, and I don't want the people that this project is intended for to read about it before they've seen said project. However, I will say that it's a thank-you present.

WhiteFeather scrubbing away in her studio.

Some of the awesome stuff I discovered in WhiteFeather's studio, including a piece of plexiglass that she etched by machine (she made the design in Adobe Illustrator).

Some more awesome stuff.

Wouldn't you love to have a floor like this?! The floor of StudioASAP (and my feet).

 Today I plan to shop for ingredients for the burgers (I need black beans, walnuts, a red onion and canned corn--not the creamy kind), and will make them some point between today and Monday (I have a feeling that the flavour will be better if they sit for a day or so).

anyone up for a Last Class Bash, NBCCD-style?

I go home on Tuesday. Yes, really. Last year I went home a whole week early and this year, because things were organized better, I thought I would have to stay in F'ton until the seventeenth. But that's the day when the teachers are supposed to have their marks in, so many of my teachers pushed their assessments for my classes to this past week--and three finished classes the week before. The only assessments I have this coming week are combined assessments for Photo History/Communication for Visual Artists (Monday at 1:30) and Lighting: Available Light and On-Camera FlashTech/Photographic Digital Imaging (Tuesday, also at 1:30). And then I'm FREE until January fourth, 2011. Mom will pick me up after my last assessment.

I still have a couple of assignments to finish for Communications and Digital Imaging, but I'm not worried--Tom and I worked on the layout for my CV this morning, and I have to add some stuff to my Communications blog and finish Digital Imaging some point before my assessment.

Besides schoolwork I'm going to be busy writing cards (four of 'em, to be mailed on Monday), helping a classmate with an assignment for Communications, baking a surprise for my studio, and sleeping in (the usual).

As I mentioned earlier I had some of my assessments this past week, so here's what went down:

Monday: Although I didn't have an assessment, I did go to a potluck that evening at Karen's apartment. I arrived really early, but got to help set up. Her place is stuffed to the gills with awesome artwork, including two pieces by Adam MacDonald (him again...), which really excited me.

Wednesday: Creativity in Photography assessment: Remember those meetings that I had with Adam this past spring? Well, turns out I've still got work to do to free myself from the old ideas that have held me back for years. Although I do take a lot of closeup photos and try to abstract the subjects, my style is still very realist and what I see on the camera screen is what I use as the end product (I try to make the colours as accurate as possible). When I was little anything went: if I wanted to wear colours that clashed, so be it. If I wanted to paint in a way that would destroy the brush over time, go for it. But as I got older, like many people, I settled into what I considered "safe" (without realizing it) and I was afraid to venture out beyond that rut that I got myself into. Last year it started to catch up with me, and although I'm trying to undo the old ideas, it's about as easy as playing something by Paganini. In other words: it's extremely difficult. However, NBCCD is one of the best places in the world to unlearn the ideas that are holding me back.

Thursday: History: Although my assessment won't be until Monday (History/Communications combo), this one is significant. Most of us hadn't done our final presentations last week, so this class ended up being (hold onto your seat) FOUR HOURS LONG. But it was okay--we even got to have a pizza party due to the fact that we went straight through lunch. I'm very happy with my presentation on Julia Margaret Cameron: it went smoothly (unlike my last powerpoint that was based on an essay--ugh) and I covered a lot of ground--including hunting down info on the collodian process because I'm a "how did they do that" junkie and like to find out the process behind a work of art or a technique. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I'm so into photography: you've got everything from daguerrotypes all the way up to today's digital photos that have been enhanced in Photoshop.

Film and Darkroom Techniques/Photoshop: Tools and Techniques assessment: Since Drew teaches both classes, he, like Karen and Rod, decided to combine assessments for those classes. I've only seen marks for his classes, and I have As in both. But although seeing the mark is really cool (especially with my dismal marks last year), in the diploma program the grades are just letters and numbers: outside of NBCCD, no one's going to look at my GPA, which Drew stressed. What matters is whether I'm producing quality work and am learning what I'm supposed to learn (check and check). (Grades matter like you wouldn't believe in FVA: if they're dismal the chances of getting into the diploma program are slim.)

Yesterday I didn't have classes, due to Photoshop finishing last week (hello, sleeping in), but I still went to school because due to the fact that I won a scholarship and will only have to pay a few hundred bucks in January (NBCCD maybe cheaper than a lot of schools, but it's still expensive), I was invited to a small, informal ceremony with my fellow winners (various scholarships) and some of the staff (Drew was taking photos) in the library at noon. After that I spent the rest of the afternoon working on homework in the small computer lab.

I also talked with Peter about doing more darkroom work. Drew mentioned in his assessment that Film and Darkroom Techniques is the only film course the college currently offers (unlike Mount Allison University: their photography program is still a hundred per cent film), but I decided that I'd talk with Peter before giving up. He said that in the second year of the diploma there are four independent study projects, which would be the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about film and the darkroom. But don't worry: I'm still in love with digital. It's just that I'd never truly realized how cool film is. And maybe I could combine the old technology with the new.

I fell head-over-heels in love with the darkroom when I did the Photography Media Explorations in FVA this past spring, and now love it about as much as the MOO's horn section or the BSO's violin section. In fact, I'm considering making my own darkroom: Tom still has his old equipment, and I might convert a room in the house (the guest bathroom, perhaps?) into a darkroom (if it's the guest bathroom I'll have to have a look at the fan situation: it's powerful enough for everyday use, but since I'd be dealing with chemicals that aren't exactly healthy, I'd want to see about improving it--especially if I'm developing photos in the middle of January and don't want to open the two windows--brrrrrrrrr...).

I don't think I mentioned this, but NBCCD is considering scrapping their darkroom. The colour one is already gone, leaving the black and white darkroom--and unless the students speak up, it will be history, too. I don't know how much time we have left, but it's not long. When my classmates and I were filling out the evaluation forms for our classes, some (if not all) of us used the one for Film and Darkroom Techniques to say how much we love the darkroom and want the college to keep it. I'd be really upset if I came in and found that the darkroom was no longer there.

Because the BSO's Nutcracker Weekend is next weekend and I've got that ballet on the brain, here's one of my favourite pieces: Journey to the Land of Snow, a.k.a. A Pine Forest in Winter. Enjoy. And GO VIOLINS!!!!



Remember the video that I posted last week of the MOB's recording sessions for their latest CD? Well, I found a full-orchestra version of the Polonaise from Christmas Eve. I admit that I prefer the MOB's version (those darn French horns. Also: the ending's a bit different.), but it's still really cool. And even in the orchestral version the brass section gets a pretty strong part. No wonder the MOB wanted to include it on the CD.

One week until the Met's first radio broadcast of the season (Verdi's Don Carlo)!!!! GO MET OPERA ORCHESTRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!




PS: Last Class Bash is UNB's celebration of the last classes on the weekend before final exams start. There's one at the end of the fall semester and another at the end of the spring semester.