Wednesday, August 22, 2007
DON'T HATE ME
don't hate me because i never responded to your mail...any of you...because sometimes i don't get it till 8 months later...as in this case here. i just got back from holiday and grabbed my backlog of mail. when i looked closer (down on the ground next to the mail box) i found this waiting for me. it's only from JANUARY!!! so, don't hate me because crap like this happens from time to time. sometimes it is good to follow up with an e-mail too because the wind can't blow that out of my inbox...at least not yet.
now that i've updated the blog, i'm gonna go open that letter and read it.
don't hate me because i never responded to your mail...any of you...because sometimes i don't get it till 8 months later...as in this case here. i just got back from holiday and grabbed my backlog of mail. when i looked closer (down on the ground next to the mail box) i found this waiting for me. it's only from JANUARY!!! so, don't hate me because crap like this happens from time to time. sometimes it is good to follow up with an e-mail too because the wind can't blow that out of my inbox...at least not yet.
now that i've updated the blog, i'm gonna go open that letter and read it.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
F I J I BOUND
this monday the 13th brings departure once again...only this time it is Fiji and the island of Kadavu as the destination. why Fiji? i'll tell you why...i was on a kayaking trip about 5 years ago through tony and his company TAMARILLO where i had one of the best holiday experiences of my entire life. on that trip i met a very interesting man named Petero who decided to share with us a snippet of his life one evening after dinner...a story he had not shared with anyone since it happened to him 8 years prior.
after the story ended, everyone at the table was visually and emotionally moved. this effected me in a very visceral way which, to this day, gnaws at me with a sense of passion.
i decided to put an end to this gnawing sensation once and for all with a letter to Petero asking him if he'd approve the act of me turning his story into a film. The response i ended up with was not the one i expected, so i now find myself taking the first step on what is sure to be a long journey of making a film about this interesting fijian man, Petero. photos to share upon my return.
this monday the 13th brings departure once again...only this time it is Fiji and the island of Kadavu as the destination. why Fiji? i'll tell you why...i was on a kayaking trip about 5 years ago through tony and his company TAMARILLO where i had one of the best holiday experiences of my entire life. on that trip i met a very interesting man named Petero who decided to share with us a snippet of his life one evening after dinner...a story he had not shared with anyone since it happened to him 8 years prior.
after the story ended, everyone at the table was visually and emotionally moved. this effected me in a very visceral way which, to this day, gnaws at me with a sense of passion.
i decided to put an end to this gnawing sensation once and for all with a letter to Petero asking him if he'd approve the act of me turning his story into a film. The response i ended up with was not the one i expected, so i now find myself taking the first step on what is sure to be a long journey of making a film about this interesting fijian man, Petero. photos to share upon my return.
Friday, August 03, 2007
LIPSTICK ON A PIG ?
so, its friday again and all i really had to look forward to this weekend was another film shoot with clare and the gang. then it got better when i was asked to join the guys from work for a quick 'drink' in town after we hit the gym. cool, it was lookin up and rather interesting. sweet, i'm down for that.
that all changed in an instant when one of my co-workers wigged out and went into child mode...which in turn put me off of going to work out and put a bad taste in my mouth for what i was hoping would be an interesting night out. screw that, i don't want to be around people like that and neither should you.
i came straight home with plans to go to the gym by myself at a slightly later hour when i was in a slightly better mood. just as i was about to walk out the door, i realized it was friday...gym closes an hour earlier. that didn't stop me though...i just got my exercise in the house instead.
then, from a conversation with a pleasant person earlier in the day, it dawned on me as to what i was gonna do with my evening now that i had no plans.
i'll hang art instead! why should these things be leaning up against the wall collecting dust in a corner...why not appreciate them? sure, my walls have that unfinished drywall look that you know and love...but ya know, i just don't care anymore...it'll get done when it gets done and in the mean time, i'm gonna view some art. i might even go so far as to embrace the unfinished look and call it done...nah, on second thought...i want normal, painted walls at some stage.
the first painting is one i painted when i first arrived in New Zealand back in 2001. the white symbol you see in that painting was influenced by the KORU which symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace. i designed it based on the Koru after a local Maori friend advised me it would be unwise to just nab an image off the web for a logo. not wanting to incur any potential bad juju down the line, i opted to be inspired by the concept and came up with my own take on the Koru which ended up becoming my logo for Nature Library.
the second painting (which is partially made of wax) i fell in love with over in Australia where i was on a diving expedition with my buddy mathieu. it is a painting by artist Jenny ValMadre which we stumbled upon while visiting the museum there in Cairnes. if you get a chance, buy some art...you won't be disappointed.
seeing this art set against the rough unfinished background of drywall, i can't help but think its like putting lipstick on a pig. oh well..., at least i own the pig.
so, its friday again and all i really had to look forward to this weekend was another film shoot with clare and the gang. then it got better when i was asked to join the guys from work for a quick 'drink' in town after we hit the gym. cool, it was lookin up and rather interesting. sweet, i'm down for that.
that all changed in an instant when one of my co-workers wigged out and went into child mode...which in turn put me off of going to work out and put a bad taste in my mouth for what i was hoping would be an interesting night out. screw that, i don't want to be around people like that and neither should you.
i came straight home with plans to go to the gym by myself at a slightly later hour when i was in a slightly better mood. just as i was about to walk out the door, i realized it was friday...gym closes an hour earlier. that didn't stop me though...i just got my exercise in the house instead.
then, from a conversation with a pleasant person earlier in the day, it dawned on me as to what i was gonna do with my evening now that i had no plans.
i'll hang art instead! why should these things be leaning up against the wall collecting dust in a corner...why not appreciate them? sure, my walls have that unfinished drywall look that you know and love...but ya know, i just don't care anymore...it'll get done when it gets done and in the mean time, i'm gonna view some art. i might even go so far as to embrace the unfinished look and call it done...nah, on second thought...i want normal, painted walls at some stage.
the first painting is one i painted when i first arrived in New Zealand back in 2001. the white symbol you see in that painting was influenced by the KORU which symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace. i designed it based on the Koru after a local Maori friend advised me it would be unwise to just nab an image off the web for a logo. not wanting to incur any potential bad juju down the line, i opted to be inspired by the concept and came up with my own take on the Koru which ended up becoming my logo for Nature Library.
the second painting (which is partially made of wax) i fell in love with over in Australia where i was on a diving expedition with my buddy mathieu. it is a painting by artist Jenny ValMadre which we stumbled upon while visiting the museum there in Cairnes. if you get a chance, buy some art...you won't be disappointed.
seeing this art set against the rough unfinished background of drywall, i can't help but think its like putting lipstick on a pig. oh well..., at least i own the pig.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
"DINNA DINNA" day 2
the town burned as i headed down to our 9am crew call...but not before i could pull over to capture the moment.
the rest of my day looked like this. luckily, beyond all those blacked out windows, it was ugly and drizzly so i guess it was a good day for a shoot after all.
vic mans my camera as conrad looks on. in the background, mel, clare and matt all man their posts. all went exceedingly well and i hear good things about the footage that was shot.
the town burned as i headed down to our 9am crew call...but not before i could pull over to capture the moment.
the rest of my day looked like this. luckily, beyond all those blacked out windows, it was ugly and drizzly so i guess it was a good day for a shoot after all.
vic mans my camera as conrad looks on. in the background, mel, clare and matt all man their posts. all went exceedingly well and i hear good things about the footage that was shot.