Sunday, November 29, 2009

Don’t look back...


... always look forward, and never quit...

This was the advice given to me by my hero, Mr. Ivan Chermayeff, whom I had the great pleasure and honor to meet at the home of a friend here in Paris this evening. What a wonderful man!

I brought some of my work with me and asked him for an honest critique.... and he gave it. Overall, my work is good, he shared some tips and advice with me that I have taken to heart and will remember for future projects. He was sweet enough to let me ramble a bit and he was very open with what he was working on. This is a man who is passionate about his work and he said he could never think of retiring... Amen for that!

I grew up with his work, we all have... when you look at the scope of what he has done in his lifetime... and you'll know it when you see it... it's coming from him. NBC, National Geographic, Mobil... the list goes on... I told him that what I love about your work is that it is so basic in its shape and form, and yet so simple and so symmetric. He said that is very hard to do... to keep it simple, yet keep it to the obvious.

What have I learned from this? I will quote the man himself, "Draw a lot. Work hard and be as self critical about what it is that you are doing. Don't be put down by not doing something. Don't let it stop you from going further."

I want to thank my dear friend, Barbara, for her hospitality and generosity... gros bisous et merci beaucoup!

Oh, I see myself in a brand new way...

Monday, November 16, 2009

Clouds...


These past months, and more particularly, these past few days, I, and many others, have had the honor and very special privilege of being witness to an amazing man's life, Alice's dad, The Reverend G. Daniel Little.

I only had the opportunity to meet him once, at Christmas dinner with Alice's family. He immediately embraced both Christopher and me, with a warm hug and welcome. His obvious joy at spending time with his family was matched by his wit and laughter. It was a wonderful evening, one that I will cherish.

Over the past year and a half, but especially during these final hours the family has been able to stay in constant touch with each other and their many friends and colleagues through several social networking sites: CaringBridge.org, Facebook, and Skype. The outpouring of love and support has been uplifting, not only for the family, but also for those of us who have been caring from afar.

His grand-daughter, an awesome woman in her own right, wrote the following as her FB status:

When the cloud of Witnesses becomes the witnesses on the Cloud, their power is so much more tangible. If only virtual hugs could be real...

If only they could be. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire family. Thank you for sharing this very inspiring and touching moment, and for allowing us to give back the love we have all benefited from throughout Dan's journey.

...something's lost, but something's gained, in living every day...

Monday, November 9, 2009

What do you want from life?


My answer to that is to always hold my muse close. The creative spark and all that goes with it, when it is elusive, is frustration to the extreme. It has been way too long; writing, shooting, designing... I finally feel free to express again. And, THAT, was the whole reason to start this blog... to give me a place to get my yayas out.

This past year has been shit on shit. One thing after another. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. Take a look at how many posts I have made these past months and read them. Seriously... read between the lines.

Well. What happened? What turned it around? Without giving it all away... Me. I happened. I needed to practice what I preach. I needed to pull myself up by the bootstraps. I needed to kick my own ass. I'm good. I love what I do. I just needed to remind myself of that.

I need to thank a few people. Alice. Alison. Kathleen. Catherine (for your youth and life before you... AWESOME!). Brad, LYE... UB & AS. I also need to thank someone from the past. Mr Dennis Warner. My high school photography teacher. Apparently, he took quite a few lost souls under his wing and, recognizing a passion, taught us to see, how to look at things differently. And, he cared. One-on-one discussions. He was truly a teacher.

I've recently reconnected with an old high school friend via Facebook. I know, I know... Facebook, again. This was a good friend. To me, he has always been JohnMan. We hung out. It was the 70s. We were all young, we got high, we laughed a lot. We had a good time. He was also another student of Mr. Warner's. He's now an excellent photographer in his own right. Through brief conversations, he told me he was doing a show in Maine and would I be interested in contributing a few of my photos? He saw my Sri Lanka photos (see side bar). No hesitation. Yes. The proceeds will go to the local Good Shepherd Food Bank.

If you happen to be near the CMMC, Central Maine Medical Center, stop by and visit the Annual Craft Fair on High Street, Lewiston, Maine on November 20th from 8am to 4pm. Take a few minutes to look around. Say hi. And, even if you don't buy a photo, consider dropping a buck or two in the can. Hard times; a simple gesture can make it better.

I still have a lot to go through. Legal BS... meh. The courts will decide. I have some big, fat decisions to make. BIG. FAT. Can anyone say crossroads? Rebuilding my foundation is my top priority right now. My passion has always been networking and friends. And real, true friends, will always be there, no matter. This has been a reflective year. Thank you, my friends, for being there. Really. You made a difference and one day, I hope I can give it back.

How to end this one? No question! :-)

Or, a baby's arm holding an apple...

Saturday, November 7, 2009

My sweet embraceable you...


I am a very lucky woman in that I have some really great friends, one of whom got in touch the other day and asked if I wanted to go to see a full dress rehearsal at the Opera National de Paris. How could I possibly say non? The performance was three ballets, Amoveo, Répliques and Genus, each very different. Each very moving.

I have never been to the Palais Garnier. I've gone by it, thinking one day... the exterior is exquisite, la Belle Epoque in all its glory! The interior, with its stairways, balustrades and gilding... sumptuous. But the ceiling in the theater itself? All Chagall... it took my breath away. I love his motion, colors, expressions... inhale, exhale, sigh...

I have never been to a ballet, so I didn't know what to expect. The first performance, Amoveo, was color and movement, the troupe was dressed in rainbow colors and the background had lines continuously being drawn horizontally and vertically, while changing colors. The main dancers were beautiful to watch; so supple, so graceful, so erotic... The music was Einstein on the Beach.

The second performance, Répliques, is making its world premiere tonight. The choreographer is Nicolas Paul. It opened with a black, satinée background. White lights back lit the top, the troupe came on stage, their reflections shimmering in the background, then leaving slowly with just the main dancers remaining. The top lights went down low, and they embraced, now lit from the side... the shadows they cast melded them into one as though they were breathing each other in... so sensual, so soft, so seductive... I will admit, the tears were running down my face...

Intermission and a chance to see the interior... the Moon Room, the Sun Room, the promenade... sensory overload. All too soon, the bells chimed and sent us back into the theater.

The third performance, Genus, was created for the Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris in November 2007. At 44 minutes long, it incorporated an interesting use of film and screens that dropped, separating the dancers from one another, yet all the while they shadowed themselves, movement with movement.

I was mesmerized by the background dancers, the women were held horizontally, and still, while each screen came down. They held that pose, the screens were transparent, the concentration, the strength each one had... This was a magical evening. I must go back, I need more of this.

The evening, because it was a dress rehearsal, was surrounded with press; photographers, videographers, and journalists. We were on the floor, row 9... it was great for me to see the activity of the final test run in action. The clicking of the cameras in the front rows, I could see them checking their shots, the movement they made reflecting the dancers, flipping cameras effortlessly from side to side... my passions are showing... I am in love with all of what goes into a production like this. I have so much more to learn and there is so much more to see. Any opera fans out there, tell me, please, what should I see first? The opera I saw with Sting and Elvis Costello last year blew me away. I need more... It was a wonderful evening.

Above all, I want my arms about you...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

In the still of the night...


Had a lovely surprise today...

On a rainy November afternoon I received a bouquet of sunshine... the thought behind it is very much appreciated. Thank you for the smile you brought to my face.

Simple gestures...