Hazard! Oil on the Beach

From my walk on December 14th. Appears to be a handmade sign stuck in the sand at the end of Lincoln.

St. Brigid's Catholic Church/AAU Building

One of the many buildings that the Academy owns. I jumped at the opportunity to see the inside when Erik Butler's class was doing a photo shoot inside the church.

The PH699 class and I enjoyed checking it out but were surprised to find it being used as a sort of warehouse for pillows and blankets that would eventually be donated to the homeless.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/13/BAGOHE7IPO1.DTL&hw=Brigid&sn=001&sc=1000

Wierd Lamp from Alameda

This is a totally cool lamp that I found at the Alameda Antique Faire today. It is in need of repair but that is probably what I like so much about it.

Virgin, San Xavier "Annex", Tucson

This is the life size Virgin that is inside the Annex next to the San Xavier Mission in Tucson.

San Xavier "Annex", Tucson

This was the little annex next to the Mission. It had all of the wonderful candles and stautes in it.

Ocean Beach, November 19th, 2007

9:02 am. The sky was so amazing and the waves were furious. I took a ton of photos on this morning.

Yummy, Yummy Latte

This was one of the best tasting Lattes I've ever had! I got it at the Specialties Kiosk near Montgomery & Market. The barista also makes faces.

Foam, Ocean Beach, November 11th, 2007

It is sad at the beach. The foam is thick and sort of goopy. There are clumps of black tar like substances and big dead jelly fish.

Notice, Ocean Beach, November 11th, 2007

Only Qualified, Trained Persons should be cleaning contamination from the beach...

Closed, Oil Spill, Water Unsafe

This is from above Sutro Baths. Ironic that a tanker is going towards the Golden Gate. November 8th, 2007.

Ocean Beach, November 8th, 2007

The tracks are from the rescue buggies.

Kewpie in the studio

This was taken with my little Pentax point 'n shoot camera on the window sill in my studio at about 1:30 this afternoon.

Kewpie Bride & Groom

This cute little couple was in an antique store in San Juan Bautista. Their clothes are made of crepe paper. I really wanted to buy them but the asking price was $85. Too steep for my pocketbook!

Hope, Tintype

This is the other image that will be in the Virgin show at Galleria Tonantzin in San Juan Bautista. The show goes from November 15th - January 13th.

Belief, Polaroid Transfer

This is one of the images that will be in the Virgin Show at the Galleria Tonantzin in San Juan Bautista.

The opening reception will be on Saturday, December 8th from 5-7pm. There is a symposium about the Virgin in Art in which I will be presenting my work.

Mildred Howard

www.conversations.org/story.php?sid=37

Bottle House at diRosa

I was thrilled when I found out we would be able to explore the outdoor sculptures on our tour on Wednesday. Typically that area isn't included in the tour. Luckily I had my little Pentax point and shoot digital camera. It was a very bright day so it was difficult to see what I was photographing but was pleased with a couple of the shots.

Another Image of the Virgin

Just thinking about the call for entries for a Virgin Show in San Juan Bautista. Shot this on Saturday.

Clouds in Santa Fe

This image was taken from the parking lot of the Marriott Hotel on Cerrillos road on Friday eve, September 28th. Oh how I love clouds!

White Tuna Tataki from Kazu on Judah

This is my new favorite roll. Its original name was Tuesday Night Orgasma Roll but apparently that wasn't pc. It is YUMMY!

Work A Day Exhibition

Here is an example of the project that I will be showing at the Blank Space Gallery in Oakland http://www.blankspacegallery.com/

Ocean Beach Seascapes
When I was invited to participate in this show, I agreed without hesitation. I am very familiar with the process of making photographs every day, I’ve done it for many years. However, I decided to choose a subject other than myself this time. The ocean near my home, a place I frequently find myself venturing to and being captivated by was a logical choice.

The process of going to the same location as well as using the same film and camera every day created the structure for this project. I have lived near Ocean Beach in San Francisco for more than 20 years and never tire of its allure. I am drawn to the mild climate and the beauty of the prevailing overcast light.

I used a Holgaroid (plastic camera with a Polaroid back) and Fuji instant film for its simplicity, convenience and instant gratification. The images are purposefully imperfect mementos. The vignetting, inherent to this camera, isolates the area of the scene and acts as a sort of portal; a shortcut to a memory, an experience or a feeling.

These images act as a resting place for me; a meditation of sorts. Liberating my cluttered mind from commitments, obligations and responsibilities. I am for the moment able to feel calm and peaceful while methodically recording the subtle shifts of the scene and surrendering to the silence and beauty of this place.

The images here represent only 9 days out of the past three months of what has become a long term project.

Another Virgin looking up!

I finally found another Virgin statue that is actually looking up instead of down. I photographed her in the back yard this morning. It was very overcast (the light I love to shoot in!)

Marionette from Alameda Antique Faire

She is so beautiful even in all her decay. I love her face. Joseph spotted her at the Antique Faire in Alameda on Sunday. And for $20 we took her home!

Painted Stone by Joseph's Mom, Judy

These are really cool! She paints faces on the rocks. We received two in the mail and a photograph of a pile of them.

Cerrillos Turquoise Ring

I bought this in Madrid, NM. It is hand made by an artist who lives in Madrid.

Jake, 2001 by Raymond Meeks

I put this photograph on layaway at the Photo Eye Gallery in Santa Fe. I love this image. But what is really cool is it is printed on continuous tone film so it has this very special luminosity. I can't wait to pay the 'puppy' off and get it home so I can admire it!


http://www.raymondmeeks.net/index.cfm

San Damiano Retreat Center Virgin Statue

This beautiful statue lives amongst the rose garden in the courtyard at the San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville.

Still my favorite

I think this is still the most sucessful image of the Virgin series that I've been working on. I love the perspective and the ambiguous background not to mention the shallow depth of field. It is difficult to get back here with the others because they are all looking down so if I shoot from this perspective you will only see the top of their heads. hmmmmm.

Perhaps it is time to take her out of the studio.

Creepy Doll Tintype in Exhibition

My creepy doll is in an exhibition at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Colorado called Alternative Processes.


I have always been drawn to subjects that have an inherent historical feel to them. I enhance that feeling through employing historical photographic processes. In this case I have used the contemporary tintype process. I project a positive image onto a metal plate that has been coated with a light sensitized emulsion and then I develop the plate in a reversal developer. The combination of the emulsion and the special developer produce the beautiful antique like highlights.

I am interested in photographing childhood toys as a way of connecting to the past and in an attempt to trigger memories that are missing from my mind. Creepy Doll represents childhood memories that I cannot recall. I have no memory of my life before I was five years old. This calm yet haunting image also undoubtedly references 19th century post-mortem photographs of children.

http://www.c4fap.org/exhibitors/2007Alternatives/ExhibitorsAnnounce.asp

Ocean Beach Walk

Ocean Beach shot with my holgamod/roid and fuji instant film (100). This was around 1:30pm today on my walk. It was very foggy but the sand was luxurious. There were more people than you might normally find on a foggy day at the beach which led me to believe it may have been sunny elsewhere.

I plan to do this daily for the next 30 days.

Broken Virgin

She fell and her head broke off in my studio. I decided to "document" the seperation. I wasn't pleased with the result. I found it uncompelling. So I crumpled the polaroid up and magically it became much more interesting. Hard to tell in this scan. The polaroid now looks distressed much like the actual statue.

Stanford

Here is a shot of Stanford. He is a betta fish. Unfortunately, he is a little camera shy. Hopefully he will become more photogenic once he is more comfortable in his new home.

Enigmatic?

July 5th, 2007
8:30pmish

holgamod/roid
black & white fuji film
20 clicks

Taxidermy Fox

Taxidermy Fox at the Alameda Antique Faire. Many of the booths provide lovely still lives.

I shot this incognito (from the "hip").

I love the Holgaroid. Next time I think I'll shoot color film as opposed to Polaroid. That would be easier. No drying time needed.

Sorry Out of Gas Today Sign

Alameda Antique Faire shot with Holgaroid.

Poor (Dead) Lucy

World Wide Pinhole Day, 2007.

The Virgin Mary in the background. Lucy dead!

Lucy must have known...

Here is Lucy just hours before her death...

Virgin Variation

Another ebay purchase. This was shot with the 5d and macro lens in my studio today. She is sweet.

Sweet and Innocent Mary

I'm still not tired of photographing her. I'm still not sure what I'm trying to capture. Perhaps I will know when I have found it. I think it is interesting that I am coming back to statues/sculptures. I'm certainly not a stranger to the subject.

Am I searching for something that doesn't exist?

I am fascinated at how different she looks in all of the photographs. Can this be related to my self-portraits?

The anti-landscapes look interesting hanging next to the virgin portraits in my studio.

Silk Thread Spools

I can't seem to get away from photographing on that old farm table. These are some vintage silk thread spools that I got for
50 cents at the Alemeda Antique Faire.

Funerary virgin

She is so dramatic with the black backdrop. The light is from the window in my studio. This image was shot at about 6:45pm on Saturday, April 7th.



The image on the right is a close-up of the same statue on Wednesday, April 4th at about 12:40pm.

Royal Child

Here is another shot of the little statue that I picked up at the antique faire for $10. This is with the 5d and J's macro lens.

2nd gathering of artists at Carrie's

We had another wonderful art gathering at Carrie's tonight. Bobbi, Larry, Nicole, Carrie and myself were all there. Bobbi & Nicole shared poems. Carrie shared her lovely little urns with wax and text objects (so beautiful). I showed 2 new Virgin Mary photos. Larry talked about his involvement and thesis project at the GTU.

Prague Child

This was also acquired yesterday at the Alemeda Antique Market. I walked around for about 4 hours, mostly just looking. There were gobs and gobs of people and nothing really caught my eye.

This sweet little statue is quite small and broken on the bottom so it was cheap!

Funerary Statue, Virgin

This is one of the few items that I found interesting yesterday at the Alameda Flea Market. I bought this from the French Woman from San Francisco. I couldn't decide which image I like better. The one on the left was taken on the old table in my studio and the one on the right was taken in front of the window but the light was somewhat flat (around 2:00pm today). These were taken with the 5d as the 10d is out for repair.

Tintype of the Virgin Mary Statue

This is the Tintype that I made in my demo for class on Friday, March 30th. I used a 35mm color slide that I shot last week. The AGplus emulsion was expired by about a year but it still seemed to work o.k. I'm hoping to make some more tintypes soon.

Virgin with the 5d

Here is an image of the Virgin Mary Statue that I shot with the canon 5d in my studio last Wednesday, March 28th.

Virgin with the 5d

Here is another image of the same Virgin Mary that I shot with the 5d last Wednesday.