Waylaid

Tags

arts, school

May 6, 2012

I started this post a few days ago… actually I just put the title down and hit save; A client came by for a photo session.

May 8, 2012

The title explains the problem. A stream of interruptions that has kept me from putting fingertips to keyboard, the essence of twenty-first century pen to paper. Intersections dissecting days for the last few months. Everything seems partly started, partly finished. Glass. Half full. Half empty. Drink up!

May 10, 2012

Just taught my last Fundamentals of Photography class for the term yesterday at The Vancouver Institute of Media Arts. Zipped down to Arts Umbrella to donate of a piece of work for Splash. I have a softball game later tonight, No time to finish this today.

May 11, 2012 1:28pm

Got back in from shooting headshots and office photos for The RSC Group. Now I’m off to David Cooper‘s to prep some files for him while he’s shooting in Ontario.

May 11, 2012 7:58pm

Dinner. Some TV. Bed. I’ll get back to this in the morning.

May 12, 2012 10:10am

Our dog woke us up in the middle of the night in a bit of shock. She has a hip problem and I think she’s dislocated her back leg. We’re off to the vet this morning to have it looked at. Poor thing was sleeping on my lap for the last 2 hours. I’ll finish this later.

May 13 2012

Figures it’s the 13th. First photo session of the day down. Dropped a lens. Broke it. (this is a family show but I’m thinking f-bombs). I’ll finish this later, probably going to find a replacement or a stiff drink before my afternoon shoot.

Burnt Orange Campari

May 14 through 20 2012

Engagement, wedding and birthday rings I’ve made for Sarolta.

A blur mostly. Sarolta and I taught a class to the senior photography students at VanArts. Had a softball game. Shot a few people. Celebrated my 17th wedding anniversary with a dinner out.

May 21 2012

Our computer is a bit messed up. Off to the shop to have it looked at.

May 26 2012

How did that happen?

May 27 2012

I forgot to post this yesterday.

That ring thing

January 8th 2012. It felt like my first day off in three months. Sarolta was in a yoga teacher training class and I was sitting at home watching a recording of PowerBlock on Spike TV when she called me at 12:30. “Lolo’s in labour!”. Lolo had asked me in November to make her a family ring to celebrate the upcoming birth of her son, some months away, and given my nature I waited until the eleventh hour. In the end I made it on the day her son arrived, which sounds so much better than I procrastinated. A bit of backstory; when I’m working with gold I’ll often use the lost wax process but I didn’t this time because of the work Lolo’s father does. He’s an ironworker. He forms metal with flame and hammer. I couldn’t see him playing with wax and puddles of alloy. He would heat, hammer, cut, bend, reheat, bend and hammer more, braze, file, sand, hammer in a texture and polish. There would be no spinning of molten metal into a plaster mold. This ring was made using his processes.

To make the ring I melted down pieces of family jewelry that hadn’t been worn for a while. The family birthstones were set in the ring yesterday, on Valentine’s day.

I’m so glad Lolo’s dad has met his grandson.

Salute,

Ross

www.nuovofresco.com

How do you wrap a goat?

It’s not easy. They have a peculiar shape with odd angles and they don’t really stay still for long. They jump some height with seemingly little effort, can climb walls and they eat everything, paper and ribbons included. If by chance you find a docile one willing to sit wrapped under a christmas tree its silhouette and the sounds it makes would give up the contents of the wrapped package well before you’ve had a chance to shake it.

I vaguely remember travelling with my dad and his brothers to visit his other brother in Prince George, winding up on a farm, leaving the sunroof open through which a goat jumped and ate the back seat of our rental car. I wish I was there to hear the excuse given to the rental company when the car was returned.

Mom has always wanted a goat. I’m sure mom’s neigbours don’t; I’m not too sure you can keep one in a subdivision in Courtenay anyway.

Sarolta found the perfect way to give a goat for christmas and still remain on the lawful side of any city zoning laws. OXFAM delivers goats to communities that need more goats.

Merry Christmas Mom and Evan!

Love,

Ross and Sarolta!

Free Portrait

I joined a team of talent this year and this is how I’m spending my Saturday:

December 10th, 2011 at the Carnegie Community Centre

Last year we were able to meet and photograph over 400 people in the Downtown Eastside. This year we are hoping to meet, photograph and give framed portraits to over 600.

In 4 simple steps, Free Portrait Vancouver:

1. Finds someone in need

2. Takes their portrait

3. Prints their portrait

4. Gives their portrait to them

For the past two years this event has been such an amazing experience for everyone involved and we were able to build many relationships with the less-fortunate living in and around the Downtown Eastside.

First Saturday Open Studio

I’d like to invite you to explore the open studio of the artist that open their doors on the first Saturday of the month. This coming Saturday would be that day.

Generally the studios are open from noon to 5:00pm, in my case, I’m only open until 3:00… big Christmas party.

Drop by!

The participating artists can be found on this website:

http://www.firstsaturday.ca

Cheers,

Ross

http://www.nuovofresco.com/

Art for Life 2011

The 18th Annual ART FOR LIFE Fine Art Auction

Rocky Mountaineer Station - 1755 Cottrell Street, Vancouver BC

Act 1: Lots 1-15

Performance by Public Dreams

Act II: Lots 16-30

Performance by the Drag Queens of Vancouver

Carlotta Gurl, Coco, Joan-E, Milan, Robyn Graves & Summer Clearance

Act III: Lots 31-45, featuring Andrew Salgado’s It Is The Fear That Keeps Us Awake

Finale Performance by Bif Naked

Event tickets: Available now!

$75 Early Bird Tickets available until October 31, 2011

$90 Regular Price

“The 18th Annual Art For Life Fine Art Auction and reception will showcase a collection of 90 artworks valued close to $200,000, donated by Vancouver’s top artists and galleries. 100% of art sales benefit the Vancouver Friends For Life Society.”

“The Vancouver Friends For Life Society serves as a catalyst to enhance the wellness of individuals living with a life threatening illness by providing complementary and alternative health and support services.”

So here’s some video I made of past years:

"Move over Vie, Here's the Viaduct" - 12"x24" mixed media on panel 2011

I’ve been donating work to this event for as long as I’ve been calling myself an artist and I consider this event to be where I started. Four years ago I saw how artists blend charity with creativity and I’ve not found anything that suits my sensibilities more than that.

It’s a heck of a party!

Ross

www.nuovofresco.com

Road

Rob, Ken, Rick, Barry, Trevor, Ashley, Matt and me.

Don’t know the beginning or the end. I just jump on.

Okay I’m just going to say it! I shed a tear when I see a powerful piece on So You Think You Can Dance.

The Eastside Culture Crawl was great this year. A bunch of folks from different times in my life came by. Nelson dropped by. He knows me as a photographer. Makes sense. It’s what I’ve done the longest.

some of the rings i've made

Gail came by. The last time she saw me I was a goldsmith. True, it’s one of the things I did from 1994 to 2002. I made our wedding rings and I made a few more pieces recently by private commission. Neither Nelson nor Gail had seen the recent work until last weekend.

Cone on an orange field - 2011

I was talking to Katie. She’s in a band. She’s a musican, photographer, artist type. She’d just watched a documentary on the Vancouver punk music scene which lead to a conversation about the types of music we listened to as kids. I gave it some thought and most of the music I listened to was on mixed tapes that were passed around by the guys at the top of the page. Most of the cassettes were unlabelled and the artists unidentified. Perhaps it was a precursor to the illegal file sharing of today. I listened to artists that started the hip hop and electronic music movements. Some of those artist are Afrika Bambaataa, an originator of break-beat deejaying, jazz musician and electronic artist Herbie Hancock as well as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious five. I gotta give thanks to Run DMC for teaming up with Aerosmith on their version of Walk This Way. Before that, there was no way our little redneck music store would special order anything by The Sugar Hill Gang. In the 80′s in our little town it was glam rock and hair bands and that’s it!

Before rolling metal and swinging a camera I was a breakdancer, part of a dance crew with the guys at the top of the post. Each of us with strengths in particular areas. Ken could spin at speeds nobody else could hit. Trevor’s transitions from top rocking to floor were sic. Rob had fluid waves. Ashley was the youngest of the group, a child that always got a reaction from the audience. Matt, Barry and I shared acrobatic floor routines. Rick was the best of our lot; a talented locker, popper and the only one of us that could pull out a windmill. The breakdancing craze faded for us in the late 80′s as grunge took over.

G.P Vanier Secondary School logo by Barry

I hadn’t given much thought to this for almost 30 years until I started silkscreening some t shirts again recently. Twenty four years ago Barry designed our high school logo, which they still use, as well as the logo for the school’s radio show that was broadcast over the PA system during homeroom on Friday mornings. I missed homeroom on Fridays; I was part of the radio production team. Before last month, the last silkscreens I pulled were Barry’s designs.

I haven’t heard what has become of the old crew, Rob left for university and after university returned to the valley to log sustainably using draft horses. I lost touch with Ken, Matt and Trevor when I left the valley. I heard Ashley’s family moved to Langley. I worked with Barry ten years ago on my friend Martin’s feature film. Barry has gone on to star in numerous Oscar winning films and recently picked up an Emmy award. Rick was acquitted of murder in California and was gunned down in Vancouver in front of Gotham restaurant after being released from a 3 year prison term.

I continue to live life floating from whim to whim. You never know where your road ends up.

Ross

www.nuovofresco.com

Culture Crawl tonight!

I don’t have a great deal of time to think up a clever post. I have ink on t-shirts I have to heat set and stickers to put up under the work on the walls and a table to set up so the food isn’t on the floor and some garden lights on the side of the house so people can find our backyard studio space and I need ice to keep some things cold and I really should shower.

Drop by if you can. The details are on the image below.

1 class

Josh Martin from 605 Collective (one of the photos I took in David Cooper's workshop)

I’ve worked with David Cooper for close to 15 years now. For many of those years he’s shared a studio with another photographer, Larry Goldstein, who I’ve known for my adult life. I don’t think I could ever call them peers; they’ve been lifelong mentors. I think it could be said David is Canada’s best Stage and Dance photographer although it would never come from him, he is a most humble person. From Larry I’ve learned the importance of consistency, quality and attention to the finest of details; There is no way I could be an equal there.

When I was in high school I decided to take a visual arts class in place of Algebra. It meant I would have fewer options for university entrance; It was the only argument I recall having with my mom although I’m sure she remembers more…

A few weekends ago I did a little behind the scenes video of David’s dance photography workshop at his studio. I’ve taken his workshop in the past and it was one of the best learning experiences I’ve had using a camera. The depth of his skill he passes willingly to others in a calm and measured manner. One of his student in this class was a metallurgical engineer, he said in his field he has nobody that does work he aspires to do. He walks on job sites with people that carry guns. He walks with people that have killed people and are there to do so again if needed. I realized the choice I made to take Mr. Western’s locally developed Visual Arts 2D class in place of Algebra in 1987 was right. I’ve been able to work with people who’s images inspire me and more importantly, those people I get to count as friends.

Thanks!

Ross

www.nuovofresco.com

Creamy Carrot

"Cone on an orange field" - 2011 serigraph and acrylic on panel 16"x20"

Who thinks up names for paint chips?

This December will be the 6th year we’ve lived in this house. A half full bucket of Creamy Carrot paint was left in the garage by the previous owners. Fully intending to make a trip to the recycling depot as part of my studio cleanup for The Eastside Culture Crawl this weekend I was stopped by the colour of the drips on this can. Not wanting to waste this find, I used it to underpaint a serigraph of a road cone I was using as a t-shirt design; anything to avoid the less pleasant task. Cleaning.

Drop by my studio at 830 Union Street in Vancouver during the Crawl hours of see it live. (It’s not live really.)

Friday November 18th from 5:00pm to 10:00pm and Saturday and Sunday November 19th and 20th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

Ross

www.nuovofresco.com