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Indigest Magazine

My interview for InDigest Magazine just came out today (yeah!) You can find it here.  

I've been busy in the studio working with new techniques.  Here is a little sneak peak. 

I should have some of the new images up in the next few weeks.

It was my birthday on the 18th and we had a big soiree for it.  Even though it was full of photographers (like my husband), I somehow didn't get into any of the pictures. 

California Trip

 We went on a trip to LA and Palm Springs to check out the California scene at the end on January  

where we stayed at the swanky Downtown Standard Hotel 

 surrounded by high rises

 and drank amazing coffee at Lamill

 but between the museums, galleries, art fair, and photo studios

we got very tired and decided to relax on our last day

 at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs

I almost forgot the Santa Monica Pier

 but we made it once during our trip

just in time to see the best sunset I've witnessed in years.


*Sadly, I lost my camera which is why all of my pictures are a mismatch of Instagram and iPhone.

Project French Polynesia

My new obsession is the French Polynesia.  I've decided it is the perfect place to do my intensive project due to the extreme impact global warming and tourism is causing on the islands as well as the tensions they have with France.  It is still part of France and even though the Polynesian people want to be sovereign nation, they are dependent on French subsidies which the French still provide as an "I'm sorry we used your country as a nuclear test site 210 times".

 There is also the love/ hate with tourism due to the large number of exclusive resorts that are owned by international companies that don't allow much profit for the Polynesian people and destroy the fragile eco system.  

 Due to the isolation of the islands, many people travel here to live out their explorer or Robinson Crusoe fantasies.  

 For my project, I am going to travel to the French Polynesia and act as an anthropologist by collecting notes, photographs, as well as stay with and interview the residents of the islands.  By doing this I am exploring the idea of continued colonialism and how it is not only played out through government but also through tourism. 

 I am excited to see how the google images and vacation brochures I collect before hand plays off of the information I collect by going off of the tourist track.

 My collected information will become a low-res magazine that will expand upon and reference the body of work that I create around this project.

 so excited :)

New Year

 The studio was getting a little out of control so I built a little storage area. 

 Neat.

 First painting of the year.  

Fancy beer at Tilia

Making Christmas cards

 It's fun to be crafty

If I could have found neon stamps, my life would be complete.

More from the Portland road trip

 View from the Vista House that overlooks the Columbia River Gorge

One of the many waterfalls at the Gorge. 

 ...and another.  We saw 4 large ones in all.  There were also tiny ones that you would run into.  It's like the whole mountain just leaks water.  You could spend days exploring all of them but it was wet and my mom can only handle so much.

My opening at Breeze Block with the gallery director Paige in the middle and one of her interns on the right (I feel bad that I cannot remember her name for the life of me)

The Chinese Garden in downtown Portland.

It had lots of tiny trees

Little Bird Bistro in Portland.  They had a silver gilded ceiling.  It was amazing.  But I am still kicking myself for not getting a picture of the Ace Hotel lobby where we stayed.  

Boat installation at the Portland Art Museum.  

Billings MT

None of my pictures from in the mountains turned out.  The few that I took were either blurry or not interesting.  It was difficult to capture the grandeur that you feel driving through these tall mountains at 80 mph so instead here are cows somewhere in WY.

Sunset in the Black Hills

And Devils Tower

Portland Show at the Breeze Block Gallery...

My road trip to Portland was amazing.  1900 miles through mountains and rolling plains.  And Portland was better then I ever imagined.  It will indeed hold a special place in my heart.

                                     

(Photo by David Anderson)

...more to come

Minnesota State Fair

Summer camping a Lake Pepin

Must be close to show time...cause I'm running out of space