Gratitude 2013

I hope my Canuck readers had a good Thanksgiving today. Mine was incredibly uneventful and lazy--though I did get work done.

What I'm thankful for this year:

1. My decision to split my remaining eighteen credits in half
2. The fact that I'm so excited about APC and my project for that course
3. My apartment, the amazing view from said apartment and the awesome landlords
4. My passion for various political issues, from gay rights in Russia (and here in Canada!) to womens' right to choose
5. The fact that Prop 8 and a major chunk of DOMA were overturned
6. The fact that I finally have half a hard drive devoted to backup
7. The PBSO's concert this past summer
8. Trond and Greg's concert
9. The fact that I only had to wait three weeks to tell Trond how deeply the Sibelius second moved me
10. The effect that NSCAD has had on my art
11. The school's support system (yay, OSAS!)

This is a really good read (I would say "Happy Columbus Day" at this point, but the thought of how he treated Native Americans stops me): Christopher Columbus was awful (but this other guy was not)

NSCAD: fun/awesome things happen here

This weekend was my first time celebrating Thanksgiving away from home. But it wasn't too bad.

Monday: I spent most of the day in the darkroom, reprinting yet again for Intro Photo.

That evening, SUNSCAD held a general assembly (GA), which I went to. The main topic was the Framework for Sustainability and voting no confidence on the Framework (which FUNSCAD 1, the teachers' union, has already done. FUNSCAD 2 is the studio technicians' union, by the way.). It involved a lot of debate, several amendments and amendments-to-amendments of the "be it resolved" part of the motion, but the GA and participating in democracy without the unfairness that is prevalent in the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system that Canada uses (it's also used in most American elections) gave me a rush. This is what democracy looks and feels like.

Tuesday: We all reread this week's handout in class, making notes on things that we wanted to talk about, and then discussing them. We then watched a movie about the Nazi concentration camps and discussed that.

Since starting classes at NSCAD, I've been thinking about running for SUNSCAD, as I've been very inspired by what they do. The Student Union of NSCAD isn't afraid to get their hands dirty: they will fight for their school and the rights of their fellow students. Since I got my first taste of SUNSCAD on Orientation Day, I've been thinking about getting involved in the union--of actually running in the election, which is something that I've never done before. Prior to this year, I've never taken much of an interest in school politics (NBCCD's Student Representative Council, while they did an excellent job of representing their fellow students, wasn't exactly interested in challenging the status quo, which I understand because NBCCD is doing very well--they haven't had to deal with people not doing their jobs or a lack of money), so it's been a surprise to me as well.

So that day I told one of the executives that I was interested in running, and she gave me a nomination form. There are a bunch of positions that I could run for, including Media Arts rep (the division that the Photography Dept. is in) and Mature Students rep, so I chose randomly: Students Living in Residence rep.

Wednesday: We finished the perfect binding books. Mine didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, binding-wise, but they could've been worse: getting the width of the spine of the cover just right is a pain. Too loose and the book will fall apart (everything's just held together with PVC glue), too tight and the pages won't fit.

After class, I walked back to my place, as I hadn't packed my SLR and I wanted to shoot a roll of film. I shot the roll on my way back to school.

That evening was the first meeting of the NSCAD Dance and Movement Club where we actually danced. This meeting was more about exploring and experimenting with different ways of movement.

Thursday: Bob had planned to take us to the Dalhousie Arts Centre (home to Symphony Nova Scotia, FYI) last week, but we ran out of time. This week, we were able to make the trip. The show (which is a group show) blew me away, and I felt that if I were to truly appreciate it, I'd have to stay there much longer than I did. It was very avant-garde, modern and cool, and was comprised of many different media: photography, fluorescent bulbs, sound, glass, video...

Friday: That day was a working class, and I'm finally getting the hang of NSCAD's Saunders/LPL enlargers. After three years of working with NBCCD's Durst enlargers, I'm used to working with that brand and know what settings to use in order to get the results that I want, and I've had to transfer those three years of experience with one brand to another brand that works in a completely different way. I've learned that I have to use a higher-contrast filter than I did with the Dursts (I generally used either a 2.5 or a 3; with the Saunders/LPLs it's more along the lines of a 3 or a 4) in order to get the same results.

Due to all that work, I was late to the SUNSCAD election meeting. The meeting was mandatory, but only a handful of people bothered to show up, so the fact that I showed up was good enough. We were given the rundown of what's going to happen over the next few weeks and what we need to do.

Saturday: I spent most of the day migrating all my data from my old, orange-juice-filled computer to my new one with Tom's help.

Late in the afternoon, I started to feel the early signs of a cold. Me being me, I tried to deny that I was getting sick.

Sunday: Okay, yeah, it's a cold. Thankfully, I was still well enough to do homework.

I spent much of the afternoon shooting the final roll for Intro Photo and developing it and roll #2. I plan to print the photos on Wednesday afternoon.

That afternoon was also the Bangor Symphony's first concert of the 117th season. As a result, I had An American in Paris (which was on the program) going through my head for several hours. Here are some (more like three hundred and eighty-nine) photos that were taken during rehearsal and the concert. Most of them are good, especially given the fact that stage lighting is extremely high-contrast, and therefore very difficult to photograph in, but a handful of the photos left me wondering, "why did that photo make it into the final batch?" For some, it was the technical aspect that was missing (metering issues/blowout, motion blur that didn't look deliberate, occasional incorrect-looking white balance), but for others, it was more the artistic side that was lacking. Yes, it's documentary-style photography, but there's still an art to it.

But as a proud New Brunswicker, I love the fact that the BSO uses Sabian cymbals. Sabian is based in Meductic, NB, and they make some of the best cymbals you can get. Unfortunately, since there isn't anything written on the BSO's cymbals aside from the Sabian logo, I can't tell which model they are.



And because it's Thanksgiving here in Canada (happy Columbus Day to my American readers), here's this year's list of what I'm thankful for:

• SUNSCAD
• NSCAD
• The fact that SUNSCAD is very political and not afraid to get it's hands dirty
• The cool things that NSCAD students and supporters do (e.g., ANNAmotion LOGOmotion)
• The liberalness of Halifax
• The Bangor Symphony (and their awesome violin section)
• The Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony
• NBCCD
• My three years at NBCCD, what I learned there and the experiences that I had
• The NBCCD faculty, especially the photo faculty
• My knowledge of B&W film photography
• The fact that film photography is still taught (alongside digital) in art colleges and universities even as digital takes over more and more of the world
• My desire to learn
• The high quality of my artistic education
• My interest in Canadian politics

there's no place like home

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm home for the first time this year, and I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it feels.

Monday: This Monday was the first time that I was reasonably well-rested at the beginning of the week, which was nothing short of amazing.

We spent a fair amount of time going over our websites in Output (the final sites are due on December fifth). We also talked about the next assignment, calibrating a printer, which won't be due until a week from Monday, and shouldn't be too hard.

Although I'd started a drawing for my Drawing class (theme: surreal), when I read the handout that the class got that evening, I realized that I'd have to start over. Thankfully, Plainfield paper is just over 30¢, including tax. I wish the photo paper that I use in the darkroom was that cheap...

Tuesday: For Preparing for Professional Life, we're to find a mentor, and talk/email/go out for coffee with them a couple times a month throughout the course. My choice was a family friend and fellow artist: Helen Opie. I almost mentioned this last week, but because Helen reads this blog, I wanted to keep it on the down-low until I'd contacted her. I called Helen on Tuesday afternoon, and asked her--she said yes. And because we're friends, the conversation drifted from mentors to NSCAD (Helen lives in Nova Scotia) to the difficulties of making it as an artist--especially as a female artist.

Wednesday: Due to the fact that many of us were headed home for Thanksgiving, and wouldn't be able to do lighting homework that required a studio and flash units, umbrellas/softboxes/grids, etc., for several days, Drew decided to do a class on posing. We were to pick a bunch of poses from books that he handed out, and when we went down to the studio, we chose one of our poses (each classmate labelled the poses that he/she chose with their name), and directed Drew into that pose. Funfunfun!

That evening, there was a show opening at the City Hall Gallery, but I didn't go. Jeff Crawford (the technician for the Photo Studio, and a graduate of NBCCD) had submitted a piece, but due to a so-called "ghost" policy that the gallery has, the photo was censored. The policy in question concerns depictions of nudity in art--but you won't ever see it in print, hence it being a "ghost" policy. And that bugs me even more than censorship (if that's possible). If a gallery (not just the one in City Hall) doesn't want to display a certain kind of art, they should make that absolutely clear.

Click here to see the offending photo. And just so you know, there's nothing really shocking--Jeff's work is always very tasteful.

Thursday: Brace yourself. This week was the first time that I had actual prints to show for my project, so Peter and my fellow classmates critiqued them. In addition to 8" x 10" prints, I'd also taped thumbnails that I'd cut out of the contact sheets to a piece of paper that I'd torn from my notebook, showing which photos I'd like to pair together.

In our meeting that afternoon, Peter had some rather harsh words for me: this coming Thursday, I'm not to show my face in class. I'm to crank out the prints in the darkroom instead. And I'm going to have to work my butt off if my project is to succeed.

...which makes me very disappointed in myself: I can do a thousand times better than this. Although I'm responsible for getting myself into this mess, I still can't believe it's come to this. This is not FVA, which I finished with a 2.43 GPA (pass is 2.0, by the way). I can do better. MUCH better.

After class, Mom picked me up in the studio, and we drove to the residence, grabbed my bags, and drove home for the weekend.

Friday and Saturday: I've spent the weekend hanging out with my parents, doing homework, watching movies, dancing, staying up late, sleeping in...

Next Saturday is the simulcast of Anna Bolena! After working my butt off in the darkroom forty-eight hours prior, I'll need it. Once again, thank you, Metropolitan Opera, for being an important part of my life. GO FRENCH HORNS!

And now, the annual Thanksgiving List:

1. NBCCD--especially the Photo Studio
2. Teachers who give you a good, solid wake-up call when needed (yes, Peter, I'm talking about you)
3. Occupy Wall St., and similar protests around the world, like Occupy Fredericton
4. Indescribably beautiful music
5. Art that twists my brain and makes me say or think, "whoa!" (that one's for you, Adam)
6. The fact that I voted NDP in a federal election during Jack Layton's lifetime
7. The NDP Opposition--finally: a party that will hold Harper accountable for his actions, like it or not
8. The fact that I'm finally interested in politics (thanks, NDP)
9. My love of writing
10. The Metropolitan Opera and the MOO (especially their horn section)
11. ...and the Saturday matinées (less than two months to go!)
12. Twelve years of getting excited about the latest Harry Potter book or movie
13. My home and family

What I'm thankful for, 2010 edition

• NBCCD
• NBCCD photography studio
• NBCCD photography teachers
• The fact that this year isn't as difficult as last year
• Met Opera
• Met Opera Orchestra
• F'ton's art scene
• All the different kinds of art and ways of creating
• Music
• Dance
• Creativity
• The freedom that I have at NBCCD to do (almost) whatever I want creatively
• My parents
• The people who've influenced my art (visual and performing) over the years
• Activism

HAPPY (CANADIAN) THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!! 

the infamous third week = done (that was easy)

First and foremost, Week Three is done--without any mental/emotional scratches, bumps, bruises, scrapes, breakdowns, etc. YIPPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

What has happened: I've fallen even more in love with photography and the NBCCD photography studio; I'm now super-comfortable in the darkroom; I've developed two rolls of negatives (one roll of standard 35 mm film, the other a roll of 120 film, which we use in the Holga 120N cameras that we're using for Creativity in Photography); I've stayed after class far more often than I care to admit (but I don't mind: NBCCD is one of those places where I'm happiest, and I'm usually working on projects); and I've had a blast and learned a lot.

Yesterday I was at school until seven PM (TEN HOURS!!!). I had a Photoshop class in the morning (that was almost cancelled because no one could log onto their accounts because something was rather screwy with the server. After Drew cancelled the class, he tried logging on one last time--and it worked. So he took off running to catch the students who'd already left and told them that class was un-cancelled.), and then I developed the 120 film in the afternoon. Since I'd developed the 35 mm film during Drew's Film and Darkroom Techniques class on Thursday afternoon, I finished up with making a contact sheet of that roll. I then put the chemicals away (which meant either dumping them down the drain or putting them back in their respective jugs), turned things off, checked Facebook in the big computer lab, and (finally) walked back to MJC.

This week I'll do a contact sheet for the 120 film (for class), as well as making a print of one of the photos (said print won't be part of the assignment: I'm making it as a surprise for Adam--my FVA academic advisor--who posed for it).

I ordered my ticket to the Das Rheingold simulcast on Wednesday. I was so excited about it the night before that I didn't sleep well. Honestly! It's just a ticket. Okay, it's a ticket to two-and-a-half hours of music, singing, drama, a French horn section that is the best thing since the instrument was invented (including a favourite hornist who can knock my socks off in half a second), an opera company that's the best thing since opera was invented, and one hundred per cent pure happiness.

Here's a video of the Prelude. Make sure the volume is turned up as high as possible. And take note of the horn part--and then imagine it being played by the MOO's horn section. That's my cue to swoon.



They're also performing it on Opening Night, which will be streamed live on the Met's website this Monday starting at seven PM, six EDT. Since I have a high-speed connection here I'll listen--while watching a webcam of Times Square (it'll be simulcast there). I got the idea from a fellow commenter on the Met's Facebook page who'll be doing the same thing.

Since the weekend of the simulcast is also Thanksgiving weekend, I'll be going home afterwards (Mom will come up and we'll pack some of my stuff and then she'll drive me to the movie theatre).

Last week was the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, which meant that for almost a week you could hear music coming from just about every corner of downtown F'ton. And not just jazz and blues, either: there was folk, international music (I listened to a duo singing in Spanish and playing guitar and congas about half a block from school one evening), rock, visual art (including panels set up for graffiti artists)... And a lot of it was free, too. My favourite show was Reek Barrel from Halifax, which performed just past the intersection of Regent and Queen Streets on the evening of the eighteenth, and which blew my mind. See for yourself:

Fire Hoop

The Beat

Twirling Fire

They got the audience cheering, clapping, and screaming for the performers.

Last year was the first time I'd heard about the Festival, but due to the overwhelming workload of FVA year, I didn't go. This year I tried to make up for it and I think I succeeded.

TWO WEEKS TO DAS RHEINGOLD!!!!!!!! GO MOO FRENCH HORN SECTION!!!!

Gratitude 2009

Every year around Thanksgiving I write a list of what I'm thankful for and here's this year's list:

• Maggie Jean Chestnut Residence
• the fact that MJC is so inclusive
• home
• the friends I've met
• NBCCD
• my teachers at NBCCD
• the level of support at MJC and NBCCD
• Baxter
• the Metropolitan Opera
• the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
• the MOO's horn section
• the Met's radio broadcasts
• the Met's simulcasts
• music that makes me "think outside the box"
• visual art that makes me "think outside the box"
• my (artistic) parents
• opera
• dance
• the fact that my school is only about an hour and a half away from home
• fall colours
• Read's
• the Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra
• the fact that the PBSO plays in St. Stephen

Thanksgiving

Fall Colours

An oldie from last year

I'M HOME!!!! Mom picked me up at school yesterday afternoon and I gave her a quick tour (she's been there before but she didn't know which classrooms I used), and showed her the old elevator with a ghost story (which currently doesn't work because one or other of the doors isn't closed all the way).

I didn't check the news until after I got here so I was in for a serious shock when Tom told me that President Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize. While I'm very happy for him, I think it's too early to start awarding him something like that--he's only been in office for a little less than nine months. They should've waited a few years.

We have a new cat, named Baxter. He's named after Gov. Percival Proctor Baxter, "who gave Baxter State Park to the people of Maine," (from an email from Mom) which makes it an appropriate name for a Maine coon. My parents adopted him last month and the other cats have really taken to him (probably because he's a six-month-old kitten). And as I say, he's cute with a capitol C-U-T-E! He doesn't talk much but loves to play with a laser pointer and run through the house with some of the other cats.

The Maine coon is the state cat of Maine. Massachusets and Maryland also have state cats (tabby and calico cats, respectively).

Last night I stayed up too late dancing (the last time I looked at a clock that night it said 12:45). ...and screaming, and crying (I've been away from a quality sound system for too long--my computer's speakers don't compare). The pièce de résistance was probably the Prelude from Das Rhinegold, played by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra this past spring (I recorded it off the radio). That piece has a really strong horn part and when I played it for the first time in a month and a half, I almost broke down because I'd forgotten just how magnificent the MOO's horn section is (that piece calls for eight horns).

It feels so surreal to be home. Last night I kept expecting to see my desk, bed, window, etc., at MJC--I had to keep reminding myself that I'm at the family home.

Whether or not you're Canadian,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!