If you're in the Twin Cities...

You should come to this gallery show tomorrow, Friday November 12, 7 - 10pm!

A photographic underwater series by Rhea Pappas.
Live photo-shoot with models wearing hand dyed scarves by Wendie Zekowski and jewelry by Jamie Ingham.
Hair and makeup by FiveTwoSix Stylists




Here's the facebook event link.

Here's the 526 salon link.


It will be a great time! Hope to see you there!!

Limitations and Potentialities

Short-ish post, as I have very limited access to the internet for an indefinite period of time, but I didn't want to leave my readers hanging.

Matt's gallery show went spectacular! We had over 1,200 people come through Matt's exhibit studio in the Grain Belt Building, and he sold quite a few prints, and had even more interest for people buying in the near future. The real money type, like, "I want a 8 foot print of that image, no matter what the cost" type. So, I think it's very safe to say that it was an uber-successful show.


On a completely unrelated matter, I am growing. Everyone is usually growing every day, I realize that, but this is very significant for me. Much more significant than anything else I've considered significant before.

My spirituality, my peace, my sense of calm, figuring out who I really am, the nature of my essence... that understanding and that strong current of awareness, of consciousness, has been filling me slowly but surely throughout the weeks and months. But it really took the 'straw that broke the camel's back' to bring me to that most important point in my life. It was a slap in the face and a huge blessing in disguise. It was the turning point.

No need to go into the details, they are essentially unimportant, except to know that it was the turning point for me. Of course, of course, I have SO much learning and growing to do, and will always continue to progress for the rest of my life - for it is the journey, not the destination. But the dysfunction has ended, the denial has stopped, the running away has turned into running towards. Everything that has happened in my past, I am so grateful for - because it has brought me here, to this sacred NOW. I don't regret, nor would I change one single thing in my life. It has happened because I willed it to happen, and everything in the future will happen because I will will it to happen. It's about the cosmic design of the universe, and the subtle patterns within.

Now, I know some of you think this is totally radical, completely out of character, or just plain nonsense. And that's completely okay and wonderful. And you're right, this progression or awakening or consciousness (or whatever you want to label it) in me are all those things. There's no way I could ever really accurately describe what this is, because our - and any, every - language has it's limitations. These words are only pointers to the truth of what is and what I am.

Perception is the world, and the world is perception. We are not separate beings, we are connected and interconnected with every single thing on this planet. Every single thing. Our destiny is to merge with infinity.


___________________________

Matthew Scherfenberg.

size DOES matter

Look at these HUGE prints!

Sylvie is hanging 4 new prints in the Fahey Klein Gallery in Los Angeles. Seems that two of them are from our two sessions together.

The prints are larger than I am! I'm larger than life!


;)

All images Archival Pigment Prints,

43x56 inches

Editions of 10

www.faheykleingallery.com

___


Seeing these made me really happy today.

That, and I used another reel of 120 (Ilford HP5 400) in the Brownie on my Papa and my two cousins (8 and 5) today.

The frame I'm most excited for was an accident.

We had the pull out bed for my gorgeous and sassy 5 yr old cousin and I had her lay on it. I stood over her in order to try a different perspective and just stood for a while waiting for her to relax. She's been trained by her mother to have the "picture smile" and I hate that!

It looks exactly how it is: FORCED.

So I just started talking to her, and then started combining words that I thought she (or kids in general) would start reacting favorably to... like 'fuzzy-booger-pizza,' for example. To my happiness, she started cracking up, and I flipped the shutter, as I was continuing to egg her on. And then she had a beautiful, spontaneous, head-thrash-laugh off to the left side, and I flipped the shutter again. Immediately afterwards, of course, I thought to myself: "Aw shit. I didn't advance the film. Well..... Hopefully that double exposure turns out well!!"




Oh, and I bought a pink Holga 120GN for reeeal cheap on ebay. I might have bought a Holga GTRL (also pink!) instead, but I had not known of them or seen them before I bought the GN. Plus they were more expensive. Does the GTRL have an advantage over the GN in any way?




Oh my. A pink camera.
A cheap, plastic, bulky, toy film camera. A real eyesore.
No one is ever going to take me seriously with this in front of my head.
Why in the world did I get this thing?




Because this is going to fucking rock my socks, thats why!



Can you tell I'm excited?!


It's going to be fun!!!


I've already been researching so many "hacks" for the Holgas. It's going to be fun!!!
Have I mentioned that already?


But soon I need to learn how to develop my own film. And I need to get some hardware and chemicals. And then next I need decent scanner - I'm looking at an Epson 4490. I'm sure it all would pay for itself after a few dozen rolls at NatCam's processing price ($9 developing fee, $5.25 for CD, and $1 per frame) at about $22 for an 8 exposure roll, which really isn't that unreasonable.

Then, the next big thing after that is making prints. How much are those?
Whoa boy. I tend to get too ahead of myself.
I'll cross that bridge when I get there.



But until then, I have my holga oasis:

http://www.squarefrog.co.uk/

...sometimes web surfing pays off.

Fantasies

I splurged and bought my favorite artist's CD last week. Fantasies by Metric. Not quite as edgy as their last full length album, but quite possibly more intoxicating.

If you read Stephen's blog, you got the whole scoop on the attendance at the Nude in Minnesota 2 show. It's guaranteed to have a greater attendance tomorrow than Saturday and Sunday combined.

Here's some shots from the opening Friday night.




The "Torn" Series.




Unfortunately, I'm going to be missing most of Thursday night at the gallery and arriving quite late in the evening due to my last choir concert of the season happening on the same night. It will be a really fun concert. I will be the (highest) soprano part on You Could Drive a Person Crazy...



-------

Only one more week of school, including finals. Whoa, that flew by fast.

Less than 2 weeks and I will be on the road with Dave Levingston to Glacier National Park!!


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"Womb" by Matthew Scherfenberg.

Matt Blum

Had a lovely shoot with Matt Blum last night. The first time I set eyes on his work, I was instantly drawn to his style and perspective. It took some time to finally get together, but it was well worth the wait.

Here are a few samples. There's a few more on his blog, the NU blog, and there will be a few more in due course.





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All the Minnesota readers out there, come to the annual Nude in Minnesota 2 this Friday at the Northrup King Building!! Seriously, it's not to be missed!

Spring into Summer

I wish it was summer already! I'm tired of having hunched shoulders from bracing myself against the bitter wind! Enough already.

My summer plans are shaping up very, very nicely, with lots of travel and art planned. I finally have my flights booked! (For specific dates, locations and booking, please go to my two portfolio sites at Model Mayhem and at deviantART.) I'm hoping that there's a few more travel/shooting opportunities that I can squeeze into my already tight summer schedule.

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I attended, with Matt in tow, Stephen Haynes's wonderful gallery opening last night in Downtown Minneapolis. I thought the gallery was very nicely set up, and I thought it was well attended. Although I was so wrapped up in chatting with Stephen, Dave and Matt, and sipping on my wine, that after a refill or two, I don't seem to remember much of anyone else except for the 'tog trio. Funny how that happens. ;)




While there, I got to see good buddy Dave Swanson. It was sure good to catch up with him and hear his stories from Chicago. I can't wait for more stories this summer when we're up at the glorious North Shore.

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On Friday, Stephen and I finally got the opportunity to shoot again. And wow, let me tell you, that shoot was off the hook!! Seriously though, we got some amazing shots and I had a wonderful time combining forces once again.

Just a small sampling of the results that I love:







Art keeps the flicker of excitement alive in my eyes.

that's a wrap!

This weekend was very entertaining, to say the least.

I spent a good portion of the weekend hanging out at the Nude in Minnesota gallery show in Minneapolis (entrance view above). It was quite comfortable and energizing to be in that environment for an extended period of time. It really gave me a chance to concentrate on each piece and experience what the artist and that piece were trying to convey.

Schmoozing with all the photographers and models was a hell of a good time too. I have worked with 6 out of the 7 photographers that were showcasing, so we all get along very well. On Friday night, the opening, I also had the chance to meet and chat with Pistol Vegas, which was a real treat. I also got to meet Abigail Stewart, Daniela Kenzie, Dani Lion and a couple other fantastic models. :)

Speaking about fantastic models, Erin also joined me for the weekend event. It's unbelievable how her presence just lights up a room. :) She has a couple adorable cellphone pics, that I know I wont be able to resist posting here (just as soon as she sends me them.)

In between schmoozing, visiting and observing, I enjoyed my ample share of delectable specialty cheeses, Stephen's famous risotto, and copious amounts of small glasses of pinot grigio. I was very giggly by the end of the night. ;)

Saturday late afternoon, after the show, a few of us (Stephen Haynes, Dave Swanson, Matt Scherfenberg, Matt [Erin's friend], Erin and I) went to the Convention Grill, highly recommended by Stephen. Last time I was there with Stephen, I had a Caesar Salad. This time, I ignored all calorie counts (like I count calories anyway...) and went with the Grilled Cheese Club, fries and a monster Butterfinger malt split with Erin... omg. Sooo good.

Despite my dubious thoughts, some very special people in my life managed to make it to the show. One was my grandmother and her significant other, and the other was my high school sweetheart. All of them seemed pleasantly surprised about the content of the show, and were able to see past the "nekkid chick" and experience the intended artistic vision.

Overall, I think the show was a success for the inaugural Nude in Minnesota gallery show. There weren't a lot of prints sold yet, as far as I'm aware, and the advertising wasn't the best, but for the first year... I think we had a very good turnout. Needless to say, I'm very excited for next year.


Now, I'm in Dubuque Iowa, hanging out with the BFF until tomorrow afternoon, until my pottery class. Then I need to get my ass in gear and start seriously planning my midwest trip I'm supposed to be doing in the last week in May.


sigh. I'm a happy girl. :)


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The Gallery Show from the entrance view. Stephen Haynes.

Michael Sloane, from a swanky hotel in DT Minneapolis.