New Jersey Picnic, 2am

Inspired by

Artist Spotlight: Barbara Robbins

Drive By Shooting

All of Barbara's photos are taken while driving (herself).

17th Street.

"The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating — in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life."
-Anne Morriss

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for...dive bar bathrooms. Among other things.

From Z's bed.

(phone) photo fix.

There has to be something said for the constant availability of my cellphone's camera when I come upon a --as I do nearly twenty times a day-- spontaneous Kodak Moment. Also, despite the poor quality, I kind of like the weird coloring and texture of each photo. Thus, I will have a daily (phone) photo fix...starting now.

about 4pm, home

Learn to Read.

It's a little upsetting to me how many of my friends and associates do not read. It's also fairly embarrassing to admit that I was one of these people a little more than two years ago. I blame it on college... Since living in New York City and taking the Subway nearly everyday I have re-discovered my love for reading. Not only does the commute time fly by (and the annoyances stay at bay), but I've found that both my imagination and grammar have expanded. Inspiration does not have to come from things you see, touch, hear, or taste, but also from things that your mind can create from the plot, prose, and images written in the pages of a novel. I truly fell hard...amazed by the emotions that a single book can drag out of me.

Learn to Read (some of my favorite authors):
If you are into Humor: David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler
If you are into Pop Culture: Chuck Klosterman
If you are into Sex, Drugs, and Money: Bret Easton Ellis
If you are into Learning: Malcolm Gladwell, A. J. Jacobs

If you are into Crazy: Chuck Palahniuk
If you are into Classics: John Irving, John Steinbeck

For some help to find a book (Thank you Sarah!):

http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/search

Personal Archives.

(Mom and I in Madison, Wisconsin. Fall of 1987)

As you can see, I've been taking photos since I could walk. Since then I've studied photography in London, graduated from the University of Massachusetts Anherst with a BFA, taken photos for various websites, magazines, headshots, and exhibits.

All of my past experiences affect the way I think and design now; thus, a look at my (more recent due to computer issues) personal archives...

and more...

"Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!" -Pink Floyd

"...We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.” -Anais Nin

Music Inspiration.

On Friday [the 13th] I went to one of the most stimulating shows of my life: Bassnectar. I have been to countless concerts and festivals in my day, but nothing quite compared to the beats of this DJ, Lorin Ashton. The multi-faceted sounds, the flow, and the music samples he uses --from The Pixies and Smashing Pumpkins to Hip-Hop-- are so well put together it's outrageous. When you aren't moving you are staring in awe at the video show behind and Lorin's waterfall of hair. Afterwards a few of my friends and I had the opportunity to meet the whole crew in the "Greenroom" only to find that their kindness matched the talent...sadly I don't have the opportunity to hop on the last leg of their tour like some of my freelancing friends (boo 9-5's)...wubwubwub. Please do yourself a favor and take part in this musical revolution. Learn More: http://www.bassnectar.net/

If music be the food of love, play on. -Shakespeare

“I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till I drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion.”

-Jack Kerouac

Editorial Inspiration.

There is something about a shiny new fashion magazine that makes girls -not unlike myself- quite giddy. I take a lot of inspiration from editorials because they often push the envelope and envelop all that is NOW. It's amazing how many people it takes to produce a single editorial [not even to mention pre- or post-production] :the photographer, stylist, make-up artist, hair stylist, light coordinator, prop designer, set designer, multiple assistants, and coffee gofers... I am especially intrigued by editorials when the artistry (and the story) of the images overshadow everything else. Here are some that made me double-take:

Art Inspiration.

The key to being a good designer is to gather inspiration from everything around you. Throughout this blog I'll be posting art, photos, food, advertisements, editorials and etcetera that I find beautiful, unique or inspirational in some way. Such as:

Home Sweet Brooklyn.

We found it! We found it! The perfect place to make our home. With that said, it's hard to make an apartment feel like home without investing a lot of time and money into it. The key is to refresh the things you have, while adding flea market finds, the random Ikea and Pearl River Mart elements, and LOTS of paint. While paint can be expensive, it is certainly the cheapest way to completely re-vamp a flat space and make it your own...

BEFORE:

The key was to take advantage of the amazing lighting and high ceilings, while creating separate spaces within the large living area...This was done (without too much calculation) by creating defined living, dining, kitchen, and hallway spaces with furniture and paint...

AFTER:

The living room walls are painted with Eucalyptus Leaf and the hallway and kitchen walls are

painted with Orange Spice.

I'd say the apartment is about 90% done. It is the perfect place to have anything from a small dinner party to a rager, but my favorite thing to do is to sit on my couch with a cup of coffee on Sunday morning, with the sun shining through all SIX windows, and watch the train roll through to Manhattan...