9/30/05 Self Portrait of the Day

9/29/05 Self Portrait of the Day

9/28/05 Self-Portrait of the Day

A priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a bar. The bartender says...What is this, a joke? ~ Unknown

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.~ Groucho Marx

I know the world isn’t fair, but why isn’t it ever unfair in my favor? ~ Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes Comics

From now on, I'll connect the dots my own way. ~ Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes

That's the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!~ Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes

9/27/05 Self-Portrait of the Day

9/26/05 Self-Portrait of the Day

I've got to play with butterfly lighting more - without the glasses of course and maybe from the other side or looking up or something. It de-emphasizes the double chin. This was taken underneath a couple of floodlights that were on the outside of a building.

Liz - it was really nice seeing you today. You always give me energy. Hope I was able to add something useful to your class tonight. As my daughter says to her girlfriends - LYLAS*.

*Love You Like a Sister

9/25/05 Self-Portrait of the Day

Go here to see gallery with completed grad project pieces.

9/24/05 Self-Portrait of the Day

Packet #2 WILL be done today. Nic Armstrong and the Thieves are helping me along.

9/23/05 Self Portrait of the Day

My mom drove over an hour by herself to see me today. It's her first time making the trip without my dad. We had breakfast at Pauli's. It was nice hanging out. Do we look anything alike?

Look Not Mournfully

Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)

Just figured out how to put up a website on my ftp server ... well, this new web gallery anyway. These photographs are some that I have made over the last few months that I'm rather fond of. Take a look if you get a sec. You can also get to it from the "Links" menu on the right.

9/21/05 Self-Portrait of the Day

9/20/05 Biographical Photo of the Day

As of today I have decided that my posting criteria is that my images are biographical - they no longer have to have me in them, but they do have to be about me. This is a panoramic view of where I live.

9/19/05 Self-Portrait of the Day

9/18/05 Self Portrait of the Day

CSI rules!

9/17/05 Self Portrait of the Day

And thou shalt in thy daughter see, This picture, once, resembled thee.

(Ambrose Philips (1675-1749), British poet. To Miss Charlotte Pulteney in Her Mother's Arms (l. 7-10). . . New Oxford Book of Eighteenth Century Verse, The. Roger Lonsdale, ed. (1984) Oxford University Press.)

9/16/05 Self Portrait of the Day

"[I]f the elites are excluded, a broad private demand for works of art can occur only when the basic material needs of a large proportion of the population have been satisfied; and this is more likely to take place during periods of economic growth than in a depression."

Art and Commerce in the Dutch Golden Age

Michael North

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

5. Self-actualization

4. Esteem Needs

3. Belonging Needs

2. Safety Needs

1. Physiological Needs

Art kind of fits into 3,4,&5 on Maslow's list for me. It helps me to feel like I belong to a community. When I'm not creating I get the feeling that I don't belong with this community. I need to prove that I belong and creating like my friends helps me to feel legitimate. My confidence is bolstered when I get productive feedback about my work. I get the impression that my work is better than I think it is at times. And it definitely is the catalyst (through going to grad school) for self-actualization.

Would more people create if their baser needs were being met? What about the children in the film Born into Brothels? They were creating photographs, but were their physiological and safety needs being met?

I know the quote from North's book is talking about the society at large. The Dutch Golden Age was a time of economic growth, and art was looked upon as a commodity. This was the first time in history that art became secular and found an audience in the middle class. Is art looked on in our society the same way it was then? Is there an elitest view of art currently in our culture? Do we have master artists anymore? There was competition between artists in the 1600s - does that still exist now?

9/15/05 Self Portrait of the Day

9/14/05 Self Portrait of the Day

I think I come across as being very serious most of the time. At least that's my perception. I do, however, really like to laugh. My husband makes me laugh when he does his Beavis and Butthead meets the Godfather impersonation. Stay tuned for a sample within the next several days.

Love, kisses and all that jazz.

9/13/05 Self Portrait of the Day

It's nice being married to my best friend.

9/12/05 Self Portrait of the Day

Polydactyly

List of polydactyl people

The History of Me

This is me 32 years ago. My mother was 24 and my dad was the same age I am now. I had no concept of age here and sure as heck couldn't foresee what was going to happen in my future. Little Caron grows up to go to college and grad school? Pshaw! That'll never happen - at least not with the thought process that my family had. Little Caron grows up to have three children and lose two. Little Caron grows up to get married and subsequently divorced and then married again.

I wonder sometimes if there is a big book with our life stories in it somewhere. I'd like to think that nothing controls me except me -I consider myself a Stoic Existentialist. The older I get the more emotional I get. However, I'm no bleeding heart. I have empathy when it's deserved and sympathy never. Ok, maybe I'm a bit hard-hearted at times, but I've got my own problems and can't afford to take on those of others. I am loyal when it comes to my friends. If you accept me and I want you in my life then you've got a friend for life. (Man! Where's this coming from tonight?)

Hey! Here's a short video of the photographs I made yesterday if you would like to see them.

9/11/05 Process

Second time's the charm. As it turned out, Friday was a get-back-in-the-saddle day. I hadn't done any shooting except with my digital camera for a couple months. I was trying to force an elaborate still-life, but all that was really in me was a simple one - or rather, several simple ones. I had a couple days to think about what I wanted to shoot and went back today to make some more images.

One of the things that helps me to get ideas for shooting is to go look at books and magazines about art and photography. So, yesterday when David and I were hanging out together we ended up at Borders. By the time we left I had a couple ideas of what to do. I didn't replicate those ideas exactly, but went with the flow with what felt right while shooting. I ended up with three images that I feel pretty good about. The photos at above highlight some of what I was working on today. You can go here to see me talk about how I felt the shoot went; and you can go here to see where I shoot. I know when I've had a good day shooting because I am completely exhausted when I am done - I'm beat.

9/10/05 Self Portrait of the Day

My Process

Click here to see me talk about my thoughts on today's shoot. It was forced and not meant to be. Nothing went right today - at least not as planned. The stairway had been repainted and wasn't as bright as I had remembered, I brought the wrong film (Type 59 color instead of Type 55 b&w). I forgot how to load the Holga and wasted a whole packet of film. Of course, it wasn't a complete loss. I gave Dana's daughter a lesson in exposure (she's taking a beginning photo class in college). Gave me practice explaining myself in case I want to teach someday - reinforced that I probably should steer clear of the profession. I would probably have been better at it if I wasn't trying to focus on creating. I had the wrong objects - it was more of a supposed-to thing than a feeling thing. I'm going to think on it and perhaps go back later this weekend sometime. I know things happen for a reason and I'm trying not to be too frustrated, but it still hurts that I couldn't get something done today. Damn!

The History of Me

How I look has always bothered me. I don't see myself as a great beauty. My eyes are shaped weirdly and my ears stick out. My hair is too fine. yadda yadda yadda. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin. I attempt to do this by using my brain, stuffing my head in books, and attempting to be intelligent. I think I am attracted to people that have the physical qualities that I would like for myself - dark thick hair, brown eyes, olive skin. I've always liked my nose, but I am attracted to people who have more prominent noses. I like the looks of Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek, Barbra Streisand and my husband. I like the strong ethnic look maybe because it implies a strong heritage. I feel so plain sometimes, thereby lacking in heritage. The possibility of finding my heritage is a huge pull with the Genographic Project.

(This is my high school graduation picture circa 1985)

9/8/05 Self Portrait of the Day

9/7/05 Self Portrait of the Day

The History of Me

Freshman in high school ... look at those big 1980s glasses and that cheesy profile picture. Hey, I can smile.

9/6/05 Self Portrait of the Day

Scream montage here.

WWLTV Baton Rouge, LA Live Video Feed

9/5/05 Self Portrait of the Day

My dad and I did the cheek swabs for the Genographic Project last night and this morning. I'll put the tests in the mail tomorrow; and the results should be available six to eight weeks afterwards. I'll be able to track the process of the results online by inputting my ID number on the website. It'll be cool to see where my distant ancestors have been in the world. I hypothesize that part of the journey included Eurasia because of how my eyes are shaped, but we'll see. I'm always interested in learning more about myself, and I think this project will help me see traits (both physical and behaviorial) that could connect me to an ancient unconscious. It'll be interesting to do research after I get my results back that are specific to times and places along my distant journey. I especially like how this is a way for me to connect with my dad on a different level. Thank you, dad, for doing this project with me. It was great having you and mom here overnight! I love you both. ;-)

Take Two

a la Pink Floyd's The Wall

9/4/05 Self Portrait of the Day

9/3/05 Self Portrait of the Day

9/2/05 Self Portrait of the Day

Someday Baby

Hurricane Katrina Info

Click here to go to Hurricane chat at www.nola.com

Click here to go to Wikipedia Hurricane Katrina entry.

9/1/05 Self Portrait of the Day

The book: Art and Commerce in the Dutch Golden Age by Michael North.