I am both Sepia and in Color. This is a Gen Y Lament.

Its 7am and I’m in a cafe watching the sun rise already supping on my 3rd coffee waiting for the moment where I have to walk to where the bell tolls for me and time waits for no man.

You can tell I’m very much made of the Gen Y mould, as I’m over it. Only 5 weeks in and I’m ready for a change.

Perhaps this lament is inspired by reading the Viva section of our herald featuring an article about 20 something females doing ‘it’ all and doing ‘it’ now.

“It” being Art. Whether its photography, writing, acting, painting, designing or all everything, ‘It’s” Art. And I want in.

Right now all I teach is music. All day. Everyday.
Truly it’s great when I’m not in the mood I’m in now. But while I’m feeling it, I will write, and then I will never forget I was once inspired and idealistic.

Here’s the magnet: Music is my reality, but art is the force that is attracting me to my true self.

All this reading about the photographer for the Frankie mag makes me want it. The fight, the competition, the industry battle. The lights, the action and me being the one to say it.

I want to live in Barcelona in a crumbly old shack (totally idealised I’m aware- the crumbly and Barcelona combination is probably not that attractive in reality- but for now when everything is more textured and coloured with lazy hues in my dreams, I want it) and paint. I want to be the photographer for the covers of the Frankie mag (I have already done a few I could choose from to last at least 4 months). I want to teach art to tired old men and bring passion and reason (the purpose kind- not reality based). I want to battle it out for exhibitions and show my work in the Biennale di Venezia.

Or at the very bare minimum least- I want to have paint splatters as my manicure again. The closest I get to art.....is whiteboard markers.

I think this entire lament really truly boils down to teaching from some shockingly designed year level workbooks. They range from all colours of the rainbow for easy visibility and have centred size 12 Times New Roman font with pixilated images and clip art borders. It’s clearly depressing. Surely it’s not regarded as quality Duty of Care and correct transmission of curriculum to teach content from such ugly manuals? (Yikes, I’m aware I sound like a gay man on a labour site).

Perhaps this is also me flexing my newly built graduate teacher wings and planning my school domination.
Next yr I will teach (wait.... ((word change)) inspire....!) from books with all the correct aesthetic principals and I will be paid (albeit minuscule- which is a fortune when you have nada) to do it. Wow.

But for now I shall go against my very Gen Y nature and stop idealizing and settle back to my current reality and wait till I have the guts to pay a dog to eat everyone’s homework.

Random Inspiration

Snaps of freedom, passion and beauty.

Early in the morning is precious. Its really living. This morning the fog was out. God had placed the best filters in the sky and I wore barefeet. 

This was taken at the residental banquet at college. That year I was the yearbook photographer. I also have the habit of lying down to a)get the right angle and b0 resting while getting the right angle.

Hands. They are raw, naked and honest. You can't hide them. They do everything, They are emotive. You can tell so much by a persons hands. These are kush's hands. I don't even think she will remember this shot. She was mid-gesture, in a heated moment talking about what she was going to speak about at church that weekend.

The VW, beauty, perfection and my passion. This was taken on christmas day 08. We were volunteering at a soup kitchen and when we were walking out I saw this car and melted. I have had a mild obsession with vw's since I knew what a car was. My dad is a Hot Rodder with a garage bigger than his house- so a daughter with a vw fetish doesn't bode well for his fourtune.

Anyway I ran up to this car and the nice old couple inside, gushed a bit and nearly got batted over the head with the lady's umbrella. Perhaps I took it too far. Anyway I got this pic.

Time to get yo' praise own

So Im switiching it on and switching it off.
Breathing it in and breathing it out.

Im sick of complaining and being cranky and sensitive to anything negative. NO MORE!
I was going to write a note last week that....well complained really. About everything.

but HA.

Stick it.

So here it is.

I am loving this semester. I have 3 classes and 2 of them are Visual Arts ones. Rough I know.

My studio class has lead me down an interesting track- I was entirely schitzophrenic (I know I can't spell) and couldn't decide on a "thing" till I was wrestling with it so much that I *gasp* actually thought to give it to God and BOOM! Its now his and what I'm doing now is too great and intelligent that I couldn't have done it in my own strength, haha- truth, it actually has maths everywhere- I figured out the golden mean of the tabernacle to see if it matches up with Fibbonaci's philosphy of numbers and turned it into an abstract series.

We have a exhabition on June the 3rd. My first one. you see us teachers wern't supposed to be part of the graduating exabition cause its just for the BA's, so pish pash to that- and we have started our own one. And Im proud to be a part of such a multifaceted talented artists clan. seriously I think that we are on the brink of greatness here. You need to see it.

Speaking of multifaceted, I love that God has created in me (in all of us) multifacets. I love that I am not just one side of a box. There is a crazy art freak in me, a SAM leader/turn up to church board meetings late/meet with the president and embarass myself in me, a teacher who want's to teach rascals, a girl whos just a tad scared to grow up, a musician that needs to do more, and a operation hotness in me.
But I guess what I love more than....well multifaceted me.. haha, is the fact that God has created friends that meet all my needs. And that is total truth. Some may not be the best influence on me and some might be to much of a good influence, but still I have friends that I can call mine and for that I am entirely grateful.

Also I am free. here we are in a world that is in total bondage, I think of Joseph Kony's invisible children, the AIDS victams, orphans still waiting, those torn by war, those in spirtual captivity and those in my backyard in bondage of their own making.
I have this gift of freedom but with blessings come burdens so I am also grateful for my journey that I am now equipped to help in whatever way I am lead.

So there.
I am making a public pact to this week stop getting down when Im looking up. Seriously, I have such a temptation to be cynical and disappointed and ....well whatever. So NO MORE!

...and I encourage you to get yo' praise on too.

Lets be a magnet for attraction, not distraction.

Toni and David

I grew up with Toni and her 2 boys- Aiden (her son) was my partner to my first school ball. She is an passionate, intelligent woman and to see her married to a crazy man that matches her stride for stride makes me believe in love finding you wherever your at.

NZ moments

These photo's were taken at home- in NZ.

When I was on Prac at Orewa College, I would get a lift with Dad. He would drop me off at the local beach and I would start the day right. 

These photo's were taken at the marina at the end of my road. 

Theology and Ministry Graduation Class 08.

This was an 'accident' shoot. My sister was graduating and asked me to go along as the 'mum' to watch her get her photo taken. So I truddled along with a book, perched myself at a park bench, held all her stuff and was content to watch from afar. Until she ran up to me in desperation- the professional photographer they booked never turned up. So insert me.

Beaches around australia

Ok I'll admit. I may prefer Australian beaches. Here's some beaches and sea scapes around australia.