madshutterbug (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
madshutterbug) wrote2014-09-06 07:07 pm
madshutterbug) wrote2014-09-06 07:07 pm
Entry tags:
State of the Artist
Marjai is an old, dear friend and one of my Muse. Alas, she no longer dwells nearby geographically, so our sessions are spaced out in time. A couple years ago, she expressed an interest in doing a session utilising one of our livestock water tanks, assorted hats, cigars, and booze. Or at least a looks like booze, if not the real thing.
So we did.
Now, her visit coincided with the recent arrival of Sydney Subaru Outback the Younger and my interest in photographing both Sydney the Elder and Sydney the Younger together. Primarily for sentimental reasons, you know. And I decided one portion of our session would cover the rather cliché subject of women and automobiles. That is, women wearing primarily what they were born with and automobiles. Despite the cliché nature, good sport that she is Marjai accommodated my request and so here we are, a portrait of Sydneys as it were.
This also followed a brief conversation with Ed A Guy Your Age (link to his blog there), an interesting bloke who patronises our Haile Farmers Market booth occasionally for goats milk, goats milk cheese and other odds and ends as we've got them. Discussing the acquisition of Sydney the Younger Ed mentioned that in his experience, many Subaru owners seemed to be a bit odd. This, he allowed, coming from himself, and certainly not a derogatory comment as he rather appreciates the odd. I did think about this later, and may need to agree with him. At least, such other Subaru owners as I know particularly well. Not a large number, that, and yes, we all seem to sport some aspects of the Odd.
I allowed to myself as to this bit of Odd and Subaru connection when I reviewed the photos from the session while reassuring Houdini that the Sky Grumblers wouldn't be coming inside after his Magnificent Tail (one of our summer thunderstorms approaching at the time). Reassuring Houdini put me in mind of two things, one being the Subaru advertisement campaign featuring the Barkleys, a family of Golden Retrievers as well as other dogs. The theme in these ads summed up with 'Subaru: Dog Tested, Dog Approved.'
Houdini certainly approved (approves) of Sydney Subaru Outback the Elder. He is a bit disappointed with Sydney Subaru Outback the Younger as Sydney Younger has now yet allowed Houdini within for a ride. This is more due to our decision to hold off until we acquire seat covers. Sydney Younger has leather seats, you see, and we'd rather not have Mr. H climbing across the leather. Leather seats isn't a feature we went looking for, and further when the sales representative mentioned them our response was we preferred cloth. So no selling point there. Obviously there are other points in Sydney Youngers favour as we did purchase him. Just... leather seats are nice but not vital.
Dog Tested, Dog Approved popped into my head as I reassured Houdini about those pesky Sky Grumblers, reviewed photos, and of course (we are talking about the Odd here) my mind said to myself, Myself, you could title these Nude Tested, Nude Approved.
Sydney Subaru Outback the Elder and the Younger by madshutterbug on deviantART
I suppose I could, at that. Might be truly Odd as well to do so and dedicate the naming to Ed, since his mode of transportation is bicycle.
However, Hats. Marjai brought a couple, I provided a couple, and on a rather warm August day we proceeded to photograph in the water tank after walking around a bit to do the Automotive theme pieces. One of the hats is her pith helmet; she uses this one often with some of her Steampunk outfits.
Intrepid Explorer by madshutterbug on deviantART
Marjai is a diverse person, gamer, cos-player, costumer, geomapping engineer... Another is her fedora, a well used traveling hat. I also brought out a black hat I call the 'Gamblers Hat'. We will visit some of those images later.
The Red Hat is my contribution, and I've used it before with other models. This time I quite consciously kept in mind the spirit of the poem 'Warning' by Jenny Joseph. This poem inspired the formation of the Red Hat Society. The first two lines are:
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
Go, look it up if you've not read it. Really good. And, while a purple dress does not feature in the photographs, the hat does feature a purple band and bow.
I Shall Wear... a Red Hat by madshutterbug on deviantART
Red Hat Meets Hen by madshutterbug on deviantART
Not all of the photos feature hats. And while this one isn't the one, there is a portrait of her that I swear she channels Colombo...
Portrait of Marjai by madshutterbug on deviantART
We worked for a couple hours. Besides the Subaru photos, we made a few using Littlejon Deere tractor. While we worked alongside the trees with the livestock tank, a power company line crew started working out on the road at the junction there, where the power lines branch to come onto the Ranch and go across the road and further down the road. It's a fair distance from where the Studio is, and while they may have seen us as well (power line follows our private road and passed overhead where we worked) they probably didn't (good bit of foliage cover in line of sight, which in fact the power company needs to come trim back to the edge of their right-of-way).
That covers recent work. Also on line is clearing up the clutter in Studio in order to resume matting and framing pieces. The Autumn Start to the Art Festival Season is almost upon us. Progress is the next challenge. First showing will be at Necronomicon in the Art Show, 3 to 5 October in Tampa. Then I've some 'time off' until the first two weekends in November. 1 to 2 November will be the Micanopy Fall Festival, and the next weekend 8 to 9 November will be the Gainesville Downtown Art Festival. If you are in the area(s) come on and see the shows! Seeing the Art Show at Necronomicon will involve purchasing a membership to Con, hence the link to their site. Micanopy and Downtown Gainesville are both open to the public.
So we did.
Now, her visit coincided with the recent arrival of Sydney Subaru Outback the Younger and my interest in photographing both Sydney the Elder and Sydney the Younger together. Primarily for sentimental reasons, you know. And I decided one portion of our session would cover the rather cliché subject of women and automobiles. That is, women wearing primarily what they were born with and automobiles. Despite the cliché nature, good sport that she is Marjai accommodated my request and so here we are, a portrait of Sydneys as it were.
This also followed a brief conversation with Ed A Guy Your Age (link to his blog there), an interesting bloke who patronises our Haile Farmers Market booth occasionally for goats milk, goats milk cheese and other odds and ends as we've got them. Discussing the acquisition of Sydney the Younger Ed mentioned that in his experience, many Subaru owners seemed to be a bit odd. This, he allowed, coming from himself, and certainly not a derogatory comment as he rather appreciates the odd. I did think about this later, and may need to agree with him. At least, such other Subaru owners as I know particularly well. Not a large number, that, and yes, we all seem to sport some aspects of the Odd.
I allowed to myself as to this bit of Odd and Subaru connection when I reviewed the photos from the session while reassuring Houdini that the Sky Grumblers wouldn't be coming inside after his Magnificent Tail (one of our summer thunderstorms approaching at the time). Reassuring Houdini put me in mind of two things, one being the Subaru advertisement campaign featuring the Barkleys, a family of Golden Retrievers as well as other dogs. The theme in these ads summed up with 'Subaru: Dog Tested, Dog Approved.'
Houdini certainly approved (approves) of Sydney Subaru Outback the Elder. He is a bit disappointed with Sydney Subaru Outback the Younger as Sydney Younger has now yet allowed Houdini within for a ride. This is more due to our decision to hold off until we acquire seat covers. Sydney Younger has leather seats, you see, and we'd rather not have Mr. H climbing across the leather. Leather seats isn't a feature we went looking for, and further when the sales representative mentioned them our response was we preferred cloth. So no selling point there. Obviously there are other points in Sydney Youngers favour as we did purchase him. Just... leather seats are nice but not vital.
Dog Tested, Dog Approved popped into my head as I reassured Houdini about those pesky Sky Grumblers, reviewed photos, and of course (we are talking about the Odd here) my mind said to myself, Myself, you could title these Nude Tested, Nude Approved.
Sydney Subaru Outback the Elder and the Younger by madshutterbug on deviantART
I suppose I could, at that. Might be truly Odd as well to do so and dedicate the naming to Ed, since his mode of transportation is bicycle.
However, Hats. Marjai brought a couple, I provided a couple, and on a rather warm August day we proceeded to photograph in the water tank after walking around a bit to do the Automotive theme pieces. One of the hats is her pith helmet; she uses this one often with some of her Steampunk outfits.
Intrepid Explorer by madshutterbug on deviantART
Marjai is a diverse person, gamer, cos-player, costumer, geomapping engineer... Another is her fedora, a well used traveling hat. I also brought out a black hat I call the 'Gamblers Hat'. We will visit some of those images later.
The Red Hat is my contribution, and I've used it before with other models. This time I quite consciously kept in mind the spirit of the poem 'Warning' by Jenny Joseph. This poem inspired the formation of the Red Hat Society. The first two lines are:
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
Go, look it up if you've not read it. Really good. And, while a purple dress does not feature in the photographs, the hat does feature a purple band and bow.
I Shall Wear... a Red Hat by madshutterbug on deviantART
Red Hat Meets Hen by madshutterbug on deviantART
Not all of the photos feature hats. And while this one isn't the one, there is a portrait of her that I swear she channels Colombo...
Portrait of Marjai by madshutterbug on deviantART
We worked for a couple hours. Besides the Subaru photos, we made a few using Littlejon Deere tractor. While we worked alongside the trees with the livestock tank, a power company line crew started working out on the road at the junction there, where the power lines branch to come onto the Ranch and go across the road and further down the road. It's a fair distance from where the Studio is, and while they may have seen us as well (power line follows our private road and passed overhead where we worked) they probably didn't (good bit of foliage cover in line of sight, which in fact the power company needs to come trim back to the edge of their right-of-way).
That covers recent work. Also on line is clearing up the clutter in Studio in order to resume matting and framing pieces. The Autumn Start to the Art Festival Season is almost upon us. Progress is the next challenge. First showing will be at Necronomicon in the Art Show, 3 to 5 October in Tampa. Then I've some 'time off' until the first two weekends in November. 1 to 2 November will be the Micanopy Fall Festival, and the next weekend 8 to 9 November will be the Gainesville Downtown Art Festival. If you are in the area(s) come on and see the shows! Seeing the Art Show at Necronomicon will involve purchasing a membership to Con, hence the link to their site. Micanopy and Downtown Gainesville are both open to the public.