Terror on the Subway

It was just an ordinary day at the subway station.

Shoppers returning home from a long day

Catching up on the news before getting on the subway.

When a strange Talking Head appeared out of nowhere. Nobody seemed to notice at first. Then every started screaming and running. Panic hit the subway station. Pandemonium!!

Then nothing!!

fabulous vivian

Ok Fabrigos, I can't wait any longer. look at this fabulous Vivian shot.

Want to  know how I did it?


I am going to tell you anyway.


 It was taken at a storefront on downtown Queen Street. I think its an insurance office. There is a large plant growing in the office. I don't know how I got the green to be so vibrant--is it the black coat I am wearing or flash from the camera??
That the courthouse in the background.
Hope you like it!


I am going to take some more shots today or tomorrow.


karenwhostilllovesvivian

more vivian

outside on a sunny day.  My grandson thought it was the shadow of a Christmas tree.

reflections1

My husband and I went to the local warehouse store. I couldn't resist the mirrors. It's his phone.
thanks for looking.


karenoftheIlovevivianclub

Sharing with others and playing nice in the sandbox...

We have been having a back and forth between the Fabrigos about the work of Vivian Maier  and her photography. I had never heard of her before but was inspired by her story.

She took pictures that she never shared with anyone. Great art photography. She made art just for herself.

I have also been wondering why people can not just play nice in the sandbox... which means to me just be thoughtful towards others. Don't throw sand!

Of course it is not always easy to do we can be petty human beings sometimes but on the average I try to strive to be nice.

I wrote an email in response to Karen's enthusiastic challenge to take pictures like Vivian. To look at the world through the lens of our cameras and include ourselves in these shots. Vivian included herself in many of these shots. Perhaps the original selfies that we see everyone doing today and plastering on social media. But somehow not the same. Her selfies to me were not intrusions into the world but inclusions. She placed her self in the context of the object of the photo.

This was basically the email below and Karen asked me to post it. I did edit it a bit and added a few more sentences.

"I had a friends daughter over yesterday afternoon to teach me how to use my silhouette cutter. I bought over a year ago and have played very little with it. My friends daughter designs cards and framed pictures using software to make a vector drawing, imports it to her machine software and then cuts from paper. It is a hobby job for her but much thought and work go into creating these works of art. 

We had a wonderful afternoon talking art, how to use the machine, aspirations and dreams. Part of our talk was making art, making money from art, the compromise of time put into art versus sale price, making art for art sake and what is art. It was totally exciting and inspiring to talk to someone who I used to teach Sunday school to as a peer. 

Long story but here is the point. I shared with her our art as a group and shots of our individual work, and I shared with her Vivian. I showed her some of the things we dyed last summer and my encaustic. She left feeling pumped by our work and Vivian's story. 

It hit me that part of the fun of this journey is sharing and discovery. A 25 year old came over as a favour to her moms friend. We interacted and shared our work. I did learn about how to use my machine but the best part was sharing our ideas and suggestions and leaving each other with an appreciation as peers. She even suggested another visit to work on stuff. That is pretty amazing....

I so have needed the encouragement of our group, the support of where we are at in our life journey's and in our art work.

How come the stereotypical betrayal of great artists is angst? Why can it not be the joyful, inspired happy spirited sharing person? 

So the challenge to myself is more of the "artists just wanna have fun" attitude. (think of Cyndi Laupers girls just wanna have fun ) And if it is not fun then why do it? 

So away with the would of's, should of's and could of's and on with the fun. Share what you know and rejoice in others success. Be a part of the Play Nice in the Sandbox Movement. "

So what do you think? Do you make art to make you happy? Do you make art to make money? Do you make art for ???? reason. Or is it a combo. Do you share what you know? or do you closely guard your process?

Karen has added a very interesting signature line to her emails starting with her name IE Karenofthe.... (add in a comment)

So I think I will adopt the light hearted intent and sign of as, 

Jooftheartistsjustwanttohavefunmovement.....

Happy Birthday Vivian Maier

I just realised that Feb, 1 is Vivian Maier's Birthday. She would have been 90 years old.  A very auspicious start to our challenge -don't you think???

Several years ago, I took an SLR photography class at Niagara College. That was back in the day when I was clinging to film photography. What a fool!!

 I am not ever the first on the bandwagon when it comes to new technology. I wait a long time before changing or embracing. In fact I still have a flip phone and I was reluctant to get that until my family insisted.(and that was because I was driving perpendicularly to a tornado with my young grandson in the car--completely oblivious to all of the weather turmoil that was surrounding our lovely sunshiny drive and also completely unavailable and unreachable --but that's another story). My reticence  has recently become a problem since I am trying to join instagram. We went to the Bell store last night to see if I could change my SD card in the flip phone to Mike's old cell phone so that I could join instagram. Well--it turns out that my flip phone doesn't even have an SD card-does not work!! So that means that if I want to do some instagram photography I need to get another phone contract-more money. Or use My husband's phone. Might not happen.

Anyway, after the photography course, I spent the summer taking a lot of photographs. I remembered this photo when we started our Vivian Maier Challenge.

Detail

These pics were taken at Morningstar Mill in Thorold, Ontario. The mill is built beside Decew Falls, which is well worth the visit. It is a flour mill that is being restored. My father had spent many years as a volunteer at Morningstar mill. He was a carpenter and he helped to build and repair many of the buildings at the mill. He always loved to build stairs and he rebuilt the stairs at the mill. This doorway leads into the staircase.  Dad had been in school only to the fifth grade but the geometry of stair building was one that he understood and loved. Any staircase that he built were mathematically absolutely correct!!

After my father's death I felt very comfortable at the mill and I have several photographs that I took there.

The photos above were taken at the mill at the doorway to the staircase. That's me--neatly framed in the window pane and surrounded by the white building!! I don't know if I still have the negative. I just took a shot of the print on my digital camera.  I remember that I was disappointed with the hex flashes in the top corner. They don't bother me anymore-in fact I kind of like them now. And that was in the Red hair day!! You can have any colour you want!!

So this is the first pic that I am going to enter in our Vivian Maier Challenge. I think I am off to a good start!!

Thanks for stopping by. Please feel free to join our challenge and share with us.

Karen