Here is an image from the first set of negatives. No portfolio pieces yet. The setup up for making these seems to be working so far. Although I found the voltage to be lesser here than in the States. Not sure if it’s for economical reasons or just the area I am in.
All posts by Kristi
Camera Oscura
I open the double glass doors to a building that was built in the 900s AD that now housed an artist studio. The interior was decorated with low oblong brick arches and cobble stone floors. The camera oscura was situated just across the double glass doors and darkened with two very thick red velvet curtains. The feeling you got in this space was as if you were a 15th century alchemist studying notes from their book in the dim light. The camera oscura was lined with shelving to the ceiling full of esoteric and miscellaneous photographic equipment left by it’s previous users. To my left a shelf was stocked with brown chemical bottles and miscellaneous equipment to mix photographic chemicals. To my right was a wood board that was created as a makeshift table to do your developing in. To the far right of that was an enlarger for photographic prints. The table space was just enough for my device as well as the photo chemicals trays. I almost felt like a time traveler – bringing a device and a photographic process that was relatively futuristic into a space that was there since the 900s AD.
Landspeak
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The following article was one that came up recently on my facebook feed via Orion Magazine. It’s posting couldn’t be timelier with my residency in Greve. I have taken a lot of inspiration so far, so much so it’s taking me a couple of days to get through this article! I have never run across an article so inspiring before.
Beltane/First Day of Greve
Happy Beltane!
Finally I am able to blog! Things have been crazy with traveling and work in between. But I traveled through London and arrived in Italy OK. Everything in Italy is a lot more organized than I anticipated it to be – which is reassuring.
Tomorrow, I will be doing my first exposures in the studio here and to test out the device. I’ve found some really awesome flowers today on my first walk around the property.
The other Americana artist here is really nice. He’s acting in a film and asked to film my process which I think would be really cool.
I haven’t worked in the studio yet, I had some graphic design work to do today and intend on doing some exposures tomorrow hopefully. I’ve been working on my artist journal and finding inspirations.
Yesterday, was a really crazy day. I woke up at 4:45 am and left for the airport in London to fly to Florence. I met up with my driver/caretaker who drove me to Greve. This area is absolutely amazing and I’m excited to be here and make art. I definitely feel at home here. 🙂 I unpacked, went into Greve to pick up food and came back, got dressed and went into Florence for an art opening of one of the caretaker’s friends. Came back, had a bottle of wine and worked on some more graphic design stuff and skyped quickly with my client whose based in Dubai then went to bed around 2:30 am.
Photos from London 2015
Click the image above to see my photos from London.
Bon Voyage!
On Sunday evening, I will be leaving America to head to my first stop! London! I am so excited that this is finally happening! God bless the universe for being kind to me in terms of money, after working hard these past 6-9 months on my graphic design work, I’ve made enough to be able to attend this residency. And I definitely need a break! My last “vacation” was in September when I went to Canada for the week and I got sick… so it wasn’t really a vacation lol. Then I will be heading to Greve in Chianti for the month of May and Paris the first week of June to celebrate my parents’ anniversary.
I’m excited to be creating more artwork. The last time I created work was around this time last year when I was still in Longmeadow.
The Bees Knees – 42 Maple Contemporary Art Center
This past Tuesday I drove 2.5 hours up to Bethlehem, NH to drop off my artwork in the mountains! My pieces, Pine Needles, Pine Needles #2 and Seaweed were accepted into a really cool exhibit called the Bees Knees. The exhibition was focused on bringing awareness to the Bee depopulation and supporting locally organic products and honey. I really wish I could attend the reception because it sounded really interesting, but it is on the first day I am going to be in Italy so I won’t be in the country.
The drive up to Bethlehem, NH was interesting – although long… – it was fun to drive through the Franconcia National Park and see the mountains and valleys and gorges, etc. I hope the weather would be a bit better for pickup day because I would be interested in stopping by some of the sites in that park – it was raining when I drove up to drop them off. I’m sure there will be a formal press release out next week.
Product Photography: Model Shoot
Project: Product Photography Shoot
Year: 2015
A photoshoot for my product photos for the hyarts shanty program experience.
Product Photoshoot
Today I went to Lincoln Woods Park in Rhode Island and did a photoshoot with a lovely model named Morgan. The shoot really came together and I LOVE how the photos came out! These will be used on the website and printed materials for the shanty (and future opportunities) this summer. Stay tuned for the edited versions in a few weeks! I have a set edited already which you may see a preview of on instagram, but I am not quite sold on it.
Disasters!
Holy smokes!
The past month and a half has been nothing but disasters with ordering things for my selling opportunity and residency in Italy.
It started with the custom printed boxes that I ordered for the larger items. The website had a technical issue and I had to update the design. I thought the change went through but when it finally did, it ended up showing an old design. I emailed customer service right away and provided them with the correct update. All was well.
A week later I receive my boxes, everything was great. The color pay off was passable even though it was a bit lighter than expected, BUT the back of the box the phrase was cut off. They refunded me half of the cost.
Then, I go and order my postcards for the selling op. Everything goes fine until I notice a typo (my fault) but had no idea that the company had a hold option. This was on a Sunday night, so they weren’t in office. I emailed them the correct version and thought it was taken care of, but it had gone to print before it could be corrected. However, the customer service person responded 3 days later saying they had reprinted in courtesy despite the customer service person I spoke to through their website said otherwise! Phew. I had ordered more than wanted, but I feel like they’ll sell, so it should be okay.
Next I order the bags for the shanty. They come and it is a deeper color teal than originally pictured. I knew that color is hard to be accurate on the internet. But it was significantly darker in person. I return the bags no problem.
Next, I order transparent stickers for the print bags. Everything seems to go through OK. But with everything that’s happened so far I panic since it was hard for me to see the transparency went through on the preview on their website. Customer service said it was OK.
After, I order the chemicals for the residency from a place in Europe (to save on shipping). The payment went through but the connection broke and I didn’t get a confirmation order (crap). So I emailed the company right away and they took care of my order the following day.
NOW, I unroll a print I ordered from fedex copy and print a few weeks ago to prepare for an exhibition in NH. I inspect the print and noticed it was streaky (not pixelated)… as well as the width being an inch off. Called fedex and they gave me attitude about my complaints. I sent the file in at 18×25.5 and it printed 17×24. I wanted 18×24. Yeah, I get constraining proportions will get you the 17×24. But you don’t give a customer 17×24 if they ordered 18×24. 17×24 is a TOTALLY different size. Now it won’t fit my frame, and it’s streaky so I can’t exhibit it. They will reprint it. Normally if a file is a bit longer, they print longer. You don’t change the size completely – you stretch it to fill the gap. 17×24 is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT SIZE!!! As a photo this is a big deal!
I’m nervous about traveling after all I went through with ordering things.
A year ago today
I had a whole post for today. But I didn’t have the heart to post it. It’s a been a year since we parted and my heart is still very much there.
Arnie! (now Arnedette)
Last Fall during my Biophilia residency in Wakefield, QC/Ottawa, CA I found an Imperial Moth on the ground during the last day of the residency. Apparently these are pretty uncommon so it was cool to see such a creature. 8 months later, just before I go on my next residency this wonderful creature turned into this gigantic moth! She is happily laying eggs. Perfect symbol for my life as well, as it too has been going under metamorphosis and is about to take flight.
