Animal Portraits

We had a free pass to a local wildlife park today so I took the chance to take some animal photos. It's fun to pretend to be a little kid and go, "oooooo lookie at that animal!"

42 Wallaby Way, Sydney 

llama, llama

llama, llama

deer.

zeedonks (zebra/donkeys)

Bison spam

Scottish cows are adorable

"Those who throws objects at the alligators will be asked to retrieve them. "

A very serious capybara

Hippy Alpaca

Game Piece Rings

We all love board games.

Although I was usually the one complaining about how boring they were, most people have fond childhood memories of family game nights. For my second metals project this semester we had to bezel set three rings with the theme metamorphism. At first I couldn't think of a single object to bezel set which seems silly because I am the queen of objects. All my bookcases at home are covered in objects, heirlooms, action figures, souvenirs, things I take a liking to and refuse to part with... I was grabbing random things until I noticed the monopoly pieces I had sitting on my shelves.

My idea of metamorphism at first was very literal.

The Evolution of Travel:
Shoe (walking) -> man on horse ->  cars.

Yet, I noticed as I was working on the pieces I became more interested in the idea of memory within the piece themselves. Not only of those who have used them before, but also how the physical pieces changed and got worn as I worked with them. These rings also have the ability to change as time goes on and as one wears them in their day-to-day life. The metamorphism changed.

Other pieces I've made for friends:

My Nana

This was the second year my Nana wasn't there for dinner Easter Dinner. Only three Easter ago she was fine, and a few months after that she didn't who anyone or anything was anymore. She died back in January, and my grandmother held a small memorial for her before Easter dinner. This was what I read, a page from my sketchbook I made the day after my mom told me she passed on. 

I wish that I listened more, maybe I'd feel like I knew you better.

Easter

Easter for me always means going up to NY, and the neighborhood were my mom grew up. Unfortunately we didn't end up going up for the weekend, and are only going up for the day, so in lieu of that here are photos from other trips up there from the past five years (2007-2011).

for my grandfather ^

Family Photos

One of my biggest influence is family photos. I'm the official family photo hoarder.

These are just a few of the thousands that I have. 

   

I've always had this fascination with the past. Many of the important people in my life are the figures I've never really met, and these photos are only way I've gotten to know them, and to understand a bit of their stories. Some of my favorites aren't the ones you expect, the faded colors, the private moments, these photos are the evidence of my past.