Puppet Photography

I've been getting professional-like photography gigs lately, as people have been impressed by my picture taking prowess ;). ha. I say professional-like, as they're not paying, but as favors to friends. I'm Chaibaba and Machete's unofficial concert photographer, I took some publicity photos for David Atkins of Go4 Design (with his Canon Digital Rebel, which was SWEET), and I took some shots of my friend Nancy's life size puppets for her portfolio. Here are a few of those that I am particularly pleased with.

Second Installment of Pittsburgh Dinosaurs

This one is located in Aspinwall, north of Pittsburgh, at the intersection of North Ave. and Center Ave.

Emo Kid Finds Religion

*disclaimer: the owner of the blog does not necessarily hold the opinions represented in this comic.

Allegheny Observatory

I went for a drive this afternoon with the idea of going to Riverview Park up above the North Side, I don't know if it's considered North Side or Observatory Hill or Perrysville or what, but I drove up. Eventually I ended up on the top of the hill at the Allegheny Observatory.

There were some families out sledding. It was a perfect day for sled ridding. It wasn't that cold out (in the mid to upper 30s celsius) but the snow was still there. The places where the snow was melting created some neat visual effects. The ice melting from the trees and dripping onto the snow gave it a dappled look.

Marketing Design Does It Again (Or, There's a Sucker Born Every Day and One's Me)

I still have so many commercial jingles memorized and associate real songs with the commercials they were used in (America the Beautiful= America's Best Eye Glasses, Elvis song= doodle bear, etc.) A friend said, you are exactly who these commercials are targeted too...very impressionable. Well, I mentioned how packaging really gets me, here's a fizzy fruit juice I just had to get after seeing the bottle, Fizzy Lizzy: Fruit Fizz with Body:Yes, it does say "Gently SHAKE my hips Before placing bottle to your lips"

Dinosaurs Around Pittsburgh, First Installment

PPG Glass Building Stegosaurus


WQED Building Mr. Rogers Tyrannosaurus


more to come...

In Case of Apocalypse, Go to Chatham...

...they're prepared:

drinking water container to be reused as a commode, found in the basement of coolidge hall, chatham university....odd...

Walking to Work...

25 degrees celsius. brrr. but the sun was shining!

Friendship is one mind in two bodies

text source: http://www.ambrosebierce.org/dictionary.htm
photo: me 'n' john the revelator

pt 2

Inspired by Iron Butterfly

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (In the Garden of Eden) lyrics, by Iron Butterfly

In-a-gadda-da-vida, honey,
Dont you know that I love you?
In-a-gadda-da-vida, baby,
Dont you know that Ill always be true?

Oh, wont you come with me
And take my hand?

Oh, wont you come with me
And walk this land?

Please take my hand!


this is a sketch i did in my notebook then added overlays of color using the freeware Inkscape

Introducing The Working Poor Blog

new blog up for pittsburgh band the working poor-- check it out!!! or else!!! http://pghworkingpoor.blogspot.com/
http://pghworkingpoor.blogspot.com/
http://pghworkingpoor.blogspot.com/
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http://pghworkingpoor.blogspot.com/

Feeding the Pigeons

Finished off a bag of dove seed. Have a slightly larger back of wild bird seed left, but in this cold it will be gone soon. Anyone want to donate to the feed the pigeons fund? just for the colder months ;)

Insomnia

the view from my bed at midnight

Tactile Learner

the people who talk about pedagogical theory say that some students need to be doing something with their hands while learning in order to focus and pay attention. to their minds, doodling in class can be a help rather than a hindrance. i hope they're right since this is what i did in my class....hmmm

My nonstop Sunday

• 10:30-12:30 am: Unitarian Universalist service, followed by social hour
• 2:00-3:30PM: The Working Poor performance, Carnegie Library, followed by checking out two books and evening up my accounts with the library
• 4:45-7:00PM: Barista Jam @ Simpatico
• 7:55-9:30PM: Persepolis (GO SEE IT!)

The Power to Change

I've been thinking a lot about Rev. Dr. Johnnie Monroe's sermon at the MLK, Jr. Day event at the Union Project. I'm going to recap some of what I took from that talk in the hopes it will move you as much as it did me.

Monroe quoted the Bible, James 1:23 Be not hearers of the word only, but doers.

The challenge he brought forth was moving from hearing to doing-- WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TOMORROW MORNING TO BRING ABOUT THE CHANGE THAT IS NEEDED IN PITTSBURGH?

He assured us that "The power to change is in this room tonight." He said that change could be brought about by people of all races who are not afraid to stand up and call out for justice.

Monroe offered some direction of how to accomplish this:

1. Utilize the power that we have and not be afraid to talk about power and use power
2. Tell about the God who is able to turn things around and rely on the same.
3. Go back to the mosques, to the temples, to the churches, and carry the message for change.

He brought the challenge directly to Pittsburgh: PITTSBURGH, IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE MOST LIVABLE CITY, MAKE YOURSELF THE MOST LIVABLE CITY FOR BLACK AND WHITE AND BROWN

So, let's be the change this city needs.

Sumi-e

These are some paintings I did in Sumi-e, or Japanese Ink Brush Painting. I never got real far with it, but I enjoyed doing it. I found grinding with water to be very relaxing and put me in a good state of mind to let myself paint without worrying about how it would turn out. The ink comes in rectangular blocks, and it releases a sandalwood scent when you grind it on the ink stone and mix with water. I stopped doing sumi-e only because I ran out of the rice paper that I was doing it on. I was in the South Side and ran into an art store recently and bought a whole roll. Do you think I should take it back up?

Willow Tree

Plum (apricot) tree

Shitake Mushroom

Dandelion

Bamboo