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Today’s Photo from Ted Grussing Photography: We are orbiting the sun and all is well

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Photography

… it was beautiful down at the lake today … winds were calm, spring flowers are everywhere beautiful and life was everywhere. In one back bay we turned the engine off and just spent time listening to the sounds of nature … and we got some nice shots.

Earth is still orbiting the sun and the sun continues to provide us with about 99% of our energy. It was warm on the lake today thanks to old Sol … still breathing and still loving this little planet we find ourselves on.

I love the shot of the great blue heron above as he flew up the lake with spring flowers in the background and as you can see in the photo below all is well with our great horned owl as she sits on the eggs in her nest … they will be hatching soon and then the task is to feed the young until they fledge and leave the nest.

This is it for the week … have beautiful days and carry into the weekend nothing but joy!

Ted

I know I do not understand this world,
This universe of life and growth and death,
I do not damn the Maker, saying still
Within myself that surely all is well.
The myriad stars shine nightly in the sky,
The earth yields forth her budding brood in spring,
And always dawn and noon and dark succeed;
Volcanoes burst and flooding rains descend,
And sprigs shoot forth where barren winter lay,
The piping winds bound through the bending trees,
And withered leaves again return to earth;
Soft lips grow hard and tresses gold turn grey;
Sweet babes are born, and stooping, aged men
Depart into the soft and silent night.
And not one jot of all this can I change.

excerpt from The Task by Max Ehrmann

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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com

In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.

Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.

More about Ted Grussing …

Fort Lewis College takes another step in reckoning with its boarding school history

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Native

Fort Lewis College prides itself on its support for Native American students. The college offers tuition waivers to students of Native descent, and more than 150 tribes are represented in the student body. But Fort Lewis is still reckoning with its past as an Indian boarding school and has recently taken some small but essential steps toward healing.

Last week, an art exhibit called As Seeds, We Grow closed after 12 months. The exhibit presented Native perspectives on the colonial history of Fort Lewis, especially boarding school atrocities.

The college presented As Seeds, We Grow in an on-campus gallery space at the Center of Southwest Studies. Dozens of art pieces from Native American students and Fort Lewis alums blended contemporary ideas with Native American tradition: handmade pottery, small paintings, colorful woven cloths, and a jingle dress.

Elise Boulanger is the curator of As Seeds, We Grow. She presented Native artwork at the exhibit’s closing on April 5, 2023.

“College president Tom Stritikus invited me to create an exhibit with students about their perspectives on intergenerational trauma related to the boarding school era,” said Elise Boulanger, the exhibit curator and a recent graduate of Fort Lewis College.

The exhibit also featured a poem written by Kirbie Bennett*, a Fort Lewis College alum, which was printed on a large sheaf of paper:

“… it’s heartbreaking to realize those children in those boarding schools in those unmarked graves are my ancestors & their prayers are still circulating in the air & some days I see them as sunbathed birds reaching for the sky & I cherish being an alumnus, but I know the same cannot be said for those children for my ancestors because what’s another word for having your tongue cut out having your hair ripped off having your heart stomped out….”
* Editor’s note: As a point of disclosure, Bennett is an independently-contracted news reporter for KSUT.

For Boulanger, a member of the Osage Tribe, curating the exhibit meant working closely with students while they created art from trauma.

“I had to focus on healing with the students and about their own personal stories with the boarding school days and intergenerational trauma in their family,” she said. “By focusing on cultural resilience, we could show that we’re still here and we’re going to school here. We’re a very important part of the culture on campus.”

Shenay Atene shared her art for the exhibit. She attended an Indian boarding school in her youth.

Controversial clock tower panels

The exhibit came on the heels of another very public effort by the college to address its complicated history with Native people. A prominent clock tower on campus displayed panels depicting college history. But the panels depicting the college’s boarding school history were offensive.

“They weren’t entirely truthful,” said Boulanger. “They were whitewashed; they said things about the Native students but didn’t fully confront why the boarding school was operating and what they did to bring the Native students there.”
In September 2021, Fort Lewis College held a ceremony to remove the controversial panels from the clock tower. According to the Durango Herald, the ceremony was attended by students, tribal leaders, and university officials. A drum group played grieving and victory songs while the panels were removed.

Elise Boulanger created original pottery for the exhibit where guests could leave notes. The description says, “I invite you to write a note of kindness to your ancestors or relatives on the left, Fort Lewis Indian boarding school students in the center, and current Fort Lewis College students on the right.”

“Every institution needs to take a look at its own racialized history and how that history impacts where it’s going,” said college president Tom Stritikus. “In Fort Lewis’s case, that clock tower panel presented a disingenuous, in some ways disrespectful, inaccurate view of the boarding schools that didn’t acknowledge the trauma that was created by the boarding school movement.”
The Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School operated from 1891 to 1910. Dr. Majel Boxer, Chair of Native American & Indigenous Studies at Fort Lewis, has researched primary documents from the early 1900s to document conditions at the boarding school.

“Fort Lewis Indian School had a school day that was highly regimented, and a curriculum that was meant to instill patriotism into the students, and so that children would start to see themselves as Americans. The school curriculum then included speaking, reading, and writing in English,” said Boxer in an online presentation she recorded for the Center of Southwest Studies.

From her research, Boxer learned about the living conditions of the Fort Lewis Boarding School.

“There were many moments where illnesses spread amongst the students, illnesses that even led to student deaths – which is why later on in the school history, Chief Ignacio prohibited or forbade their children from attending Fort Lewis,” said Boxer.
Ignacio was the Chief of the Weeminuche band of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in the late-1800s.

Closing ceremony

At the closing ceremony for As Seeds, We Grow, more than 75 community members gathered in respectful appreciation of the art. From around a drum, four Native American singers, all students, shared prayer songs. These same singers commemorated the opening of the exhibit in April 2022.

One of the drummers, Qoots Denipah-Cook, was there to help raise awareness about Indian boarding schools, which separated Native children from their families in a deliberate effort to erase the cultural identity of young people.

“We are oppressed people,” he said during an interview. “Native Americans did go through oppression, and we went through assimilation. Many families had their children stripped away from them. And when that happened, they were assimilated into Western culture. They lost language. They lost culture. They lost their practices. They lost the connection to the land.”
Following a short presentation on the exhibit from curator Elise Boulanger, one of the artists presented her work. Shenay Atene is currently a psychology major at Fort Lewis College, and though she is young, she attended an Indian boarding school. While Atene acknowledged that her experience may not have been as traumatic as it had been for Native Americans decades ago, she is still working through painful memories.

“I went to boarding school when I was six,” Atene said, gesturing to the purple jingle dress she’d contributed to the exhibit. “I brought [my jingle dress] here because I used to dance. As indigenous peoples, we are taught that our instruments of healing are alive. I needed to bring these out because they were with me during that time.”
As Atene spoke, the people in attendance were quiet, somber, listening closely. It was a fitting moment for an exhibit meant to educate those who don’t know about the traumatic history of Indian boarding schools. For those who know that history, and those living with its pain, the exhibit was a step along a path of recognition and healing.

“If you guys don’t know what (a) jingle dress is, it’s a healing dance,” she said. “I need this part of me to heal as well.”

From Naturally Dyed Paper, Kanako Abe Cuts Exquisite Works Connecting Nature and the Human Touch

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Art World News

All images © Kanako Abe

After several years of working primarily with white paper, Kanako Abe has shifted to color. The Seattle-based artist is known for her exquisite Kirie works—a traditional Japanese art form that translates to cut picture—and she’s recently begun to incorporate rich blue and gold sheets tinted with rust, indigo, and various materials foraged from forests. “When I dye the paper, I don’t know how the hue, color, or texture would turn out, but I just go with the flow, trust the process, and embrace the imperfection,” she shares.

This sentiment contrasts the impeccable precision of her compositions, which often feature silhouettes, hands, animals, or household objects encircled by delicate botanical filigree. The idea to pair organic dyes with meticulous cuts was born in the early days of the pandemic, when “in such state of the world, the attitude of trying to have control over something felt very stressful, so I started feeling out of alignment with my art making method,” Abe says. “This new method, which I’m still experimenting and exploring, allows me to meditate on a thought that the world around us is changeable.” The resulting works are as intricate as her earlier pieces, although they place greater emphasis on the limits and possibilities of human touch.

Head to Instagram for more of Abe’s papercuts and to peek into her process.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article From Naturally Dyed Paper, Kanako Abe Cuts Exquisite Works Connecting Nature and the Human Touch appeared first on Colossal.

A Church Is a Fitting Canvas for Tiffany’s Lock Bracelets

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Art World News

Navigate the next chapter of social media with brand leaders from VH1, duolingo, Unilever and more. Join Social Media Week in NYC or virtually, May 16–18. Register now.

To promote the launch of its Tiffany Lock bracelet collection, Tiffany & Co. partnered with Italian artist Pietro Terzini to create an art installation at the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) in Milan.

The installation features the words “Lock Your Love” in capital letters, with the “O” in each word being represented by a Tiffany Lock bracelet. It’s viewable now through April 15 in the Piazza del Duomo, where the luxury jeweler also has a store.

As part of the installation, German digital artist Timo Helgert created an art video that brings the billboard to life.

Earlier in 2023, Tiffany partnered with Snapchat to release a Tiffany Lock lens utilizing ray tracing technology. The sponsored lens allows Snapchat users to place a Tiffany Lock bracelet box into the environment on their device’s screen and virtually try on different versions of the bracelet by holding their wrist in front of their device’s camera.

Snapchat users can try the Tiffany Lock sponsored lens by scanning the Snapcode below using the camera in the Snapchat mobile application.

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Secrets of the Elephants Director of Photography Talks NatGeo Series

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Photography

Canon Jumps Into NFTs, Building a Digital Art Market Called Cadabra

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Photography

Canon USA has announced the development of Cadabra, a curated photography marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The Cadabra marketplace will “empower creators by connecting them to enthusiastic collectors who celebrate the art of photography through a shared appreciation for these digital artworks,” explains Canon.

Canon is the latest photography company to launch an NFT marketplace, following Meta’s announcement last fall that creators would be able to mint their own “digital collectibles” on Instagram.

The NFT space is still a confusing one for many visual artists. Some artists have made significant money selling NFTs, including Mike Winkelmann, known as Beeple, who sold a single JPEG image in an online auction for a staggering $69.3 million in 2021.

In its guide to NFTs, PetaPixel explains NFTs: “NFTs are verified using the blockchain, which is basically a transparent history of ownership, purchases, and trades that no one can edit and anyone can see. The blockchain ensures there will always be a trace from the current owner to the original creator.”

To sell NFTs, artists “tokenize” a digital good, like a photograph, and upload it to an NFT marketplace for sale. Artists have control over the sale of their goods without needing to make physical copies, while prospective owners become the verifiable possessor of a digital good via the blockchain.

CEO of NFT marketplace Bitski, Donnie Dinch, told PetaPixel that NFTs offer photographers new opportunities to earn money. “I think that the biggest reason is that you can monetize yourself easier,” Dinch said. “There’s a market for photography, but with the proliferation of things like Instagram, where a lot of photographers are putting out incredible content and getting tons of likes, but haven’t been able to convert that into paying rent.”

Canon Cadabra — While details are scarce, Canon’s new digital NFT marketplace, Cadabra, will provide photographers a way to sell NFTs of their images.

Concerning Cadabra, Canon hasn’t announced many specific details about how its new curated NFT marketplace will operate. Canon says it will share information about creators and Cadabra’s “first drop” later this year.

Canon is previewing its Cadabra digital marketplace at the annual NFT.NYC event that’s currently ongoing at the Javits Center in New York City.

“The digital art will range from landscape, wildlife, lifestyle, sports, abstract, and other categories to spotlight the stunning work of the invited creators,” Canon says.

At launch, the Cadabra marketplace will only be available in the United States, with additional availability arriving at an unspecified time.

Some NFT marketplaces require users to buy items with specific cryptocurrencies. Canon says that Cadabra will support cryptocurrency wallets and credit and debit cards. Digital art on Cadabra will be minted on the Ethereum blockchain.

Expanding beyond the digital space, Canon says that creators of all levels will also have the choice of offering purchasers prints with their initial drops, which Canon will fulfill, allowing the digital content owners to have a physical item to display.

Photographers interested in Cadabra can sign up on Canon’s dedicated Cadabra website to receive information as soon as it’s available.

This isn’t Canon’s first foray into NFTs. Last June, Canon announced that several members of its Canon Legends program minted a limited collection of photo NFTs on the NFT marketplace Immutable Image. “The Legends Mint” collection included photograph NFTs from accomplished photographers Sam Abell, Barbara Bordnick, Gregory Heisler, Ryszard Horowitz, Walter Iooss, Jr., Melvin Sokolsky, and Joyce Tenneson.

Ahead of Cadabra’s launch later this year, photographers can learn more about making money using NFTs in PetaPixel’s guide, “How to Create and Sell NFTs for Free.”

Reality-Mixing Ad Unleashes Digital Art on City Scenes

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Art World News

Navigate the next chapter of social media with brand leaders from VH1, duolingo, Unilever and more. Join Social Media Week in NYC or virtually, May 16–18. Register now.

Lenovo’s latest campaign celebrates digital artistry and creativity while introducing the world to its Yoga Pro 9i laptop (called the Slim Pro 9i in North America).

Led by creative agency SuperHeroes New York, the mixed reality campaign enlisted 3D artists who used Lenovo’s Yoga Pro 9i laptop to create assets for social media that feature real world landmarks and graffiti being transformed or redesigned in creative ways. The digital imagery can be viewed across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

The campaign uses digital artwork from eight artists: @origiful, @hati.hait.mas, @shanef3d, @eravfx, @marblemannequin, @mreGFX, @shutterauthority and @scaprendering.

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“For young creators, the city is their playground,” said Rogier Vijverberg, founder and chief creative hero at SuperHeroes. “Using their smartphone and newly available AI-driven 3D image capturing tools, digital artists can now place their artworks anywhere they like, creating work in a new category we are calling extended reality.

“The art of graffiti is actually turning 50 this year,” he added. “I am seeing this new digital street art project that we’re doing with Lenovo as an ode to groundbreaking creativity.”

In addition to these social media posts, the campaign will also feature a collaboration with creator community It’s Nice That‘s Shane Fu (also known as Shanef3d) and Bushwick Collective street artist Hoxxoh, who have created a digital version of a street art mural found in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Through this campaign, Fu will describe how he uses Lenovo’s Slim Pro 9i to create his art.

Daniela Idi, global premium consumer director at Lenovo, said, “Our goal with this campaign is to inspire a new generation of creators to take digital art to new places. Inspiration is everywhere and making high level executions is now more accessible than ever. To further support young artists, we are also organizing a mentorship program that lets aspiring 3D artists work with a Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i and connects them with the pros from our campaign.”

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Lomography Launches Lomo School: Online Film Photography Education

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Photography

The Lomographic Society has announced the Lomography School, promising an “analog education like never before.” For film photographers, especially beginners, it can be challenging to find the resources they need to learn about all aspects of analog photography and Lomography. The Lomo School delivers “everything from the analog basics to exciting experimental techniques” in one place.

The Lomographic Society started more than 30 years ago when a group of “happy-go-lucky” and “unruly” students joined to support each other’s creative photography endeavors. That idea expanded into the vast Lomography community of today, including Lomography’s various products, its magazine, competitions, and photo-sharing tools. Lomography’s shop includes a wide range of films, cameras, lenses, and accessories for analog photographers.

The new Lomo School takes the idea of supporting and supplying analog photographers to the logical next step, providing an educational resource that tackles film photography topics from the basic to the very advanced.

“This new section of our website is aimed at anyone and everyone with a passion for analog. Whether they’re someone who’s never touched a film camera before, someone who likes the look of Lomography but has no idea where to start, or an experienced film photographer looking to get more creative – everyone is welcome at the Lomography School,” explains the Lomographic Society.

Featured topics include multiple exposure photography, instant photography, film photography basics, film scanning, and different types of film. Many topics are available in the Lomo School, but if photographers can’t find what they’re looking for, they’re invited to email school@lomography.com to ask their “most burning questions.”

The Lomography School will grow and expand over time based on feedback. Lomography also hopes its new school will be an interactive space that provides analog photographers of all skill levels the tools they need to grow as artists and creators.

The Lomography community is already one million strong, and the new school will likely spurn new growth.

Film photographers are welcome to explore the new Lomography School and research nearly any topic concerning analog photography equipment and techniques. The resource is free for all users.

P.S. PetaPixel also recently published a trio of guides focused on film photography, including:

Image credits: Lomography

Amber Guyton, Blessed Little Bungalow | Cover Q&A

Apr 13, 2023 By Admin in Art World News

Amber Guyton of Little Blessed Bungalow and our April 2023 cover. Photo of bedroom: Brandon Grate Photography. Photo of Amber: Mecca Gamble Photography

Besides a stint in California, Amber Guyton is a Southerner through and through. Born and raised in South Carolina and now in Atlanta, she had a fintech and marketing career before listening to her mother and launching Blessed Little Bungalow as first a blog, then a design business.

At the upcoming High Point Market, Guyton will be speaking at several panels (“How to Become a Market Maven” on April 21, “Let’s Get Visible! Courses, Podcasts and Influencers for the Win with Tobi Fairley” on April 22 and “Why You Need a Sales Ecosystem Educational” on April 23) and leading a Suite Spot Tour on April 24.

Tell us about the bedroom design on our April 2023 cover and the project overall.

“My clients were newlyweds and sought my assistance with their new construction home in Goose Creek, S.C. Zaria was a repeat client as I designed with her bold magenta glam room in a previous apartment, but in their new home, I’d needed to combine their preferred design styles in a gender-neutral way, while still providing a colorful and cultural aesthetic that was welcoming and livable. The teal channeled upholstered bed and patterned wallpaper by Forbes Masters x Mitchell Black instantly made a statement in their primary bedroom. I loved working with this couple and giving their blank canvas build so much personality!”

Besides a stint in California, you’ve always lived in the South somewhere. What about the South appeals to you?

“I was born and raised in South Carolina, and my previous tech and marketing career has taken me across the country and back in Georgia, Texas and California. Nothing feels like home like the South. It’s made me who I am. The people are priceless. The history and charm are timeless. As much as I thirst for the big city and enjoy traveling the world, nothing compares to the Southeast for this little country girl from the Carolinas.”

A room design from Guyton. Photo: Kimberly Murray Photography

How did you get to interior design? What were you doing before you made the leap?

“I’ve always been a creative and enjoyed decorating my spaces. When I purchased a home in San Antonio, I moved in the day I closed and decorated the entire house in a week. My family and friends were shocked because they were expecting to help unpack boxes. My mom challenged me with the question, “When are you going to do this for real?” That ah-ha moment led me to create my blog, Blessed Little Bungalow, in 2016. At first, it was just as a creative outlet for me to share my home decor experience, and over the years, I decorated dozens of client homes through my hobby-turned-side hustle. In 2021, I decided to take the leap and leave my marketing and fintech career and devote all of my attention to my growing business.”

What activities or places do you recommend to first-time visitors of Atlanta?

“Being a boomerang Atlantan (lived here 2010-2015 and 2021-present) and a resident within the city limits, I love the people and culture in this melting pot of a metropolis. The best places to walk, eat, shop and people watch include Inman Park, Ponce City Market and the Beltline. Also don’t leave without experiencing some history (e.g. The King Center and National Center for Civil and Human Rights).”

What’s your favorite item or space in your own home and why?

“I don’t watch much TV and only have one in my home, but I love my Samsung Frame TV. I love how it is minimalistic and flush to the wall. When not in use, I have it on Art Mode and display different abstract and landscape artwork or photography on the screen.”

Is there a historical or art period that inspires you?

“Having lived in many smaller homes, apartments and studios, I love mid-century modern furniture as it’s minimalism takes up less space in a design while still adding warmth and character. There is usually an element of midcentury modern in each of my design projects, whether it be the shape of a chair, use of walnut and brass, or geometrical patterns included.”

Any interior design trends you’re loving right now?

“I will always be a lover of accent and gallery walls. I know folks are sick of them, but they don’t have to put them in their homes. LOL I think it’s a great way to create a focal point or create conversation in a room without a heavy lift in cost or effort.”

What’s your favorite travel destination and why?

“I’ve been to about 30 countries and my favorite stops have been Kenya and Italy. I know they are drastically different, but my heart is so happy in each place surrounded by the culture and people. During my visits, it’s as if time stopped and I felt how small I am in this beautiful world. In the U.S., my favorite cities – besides Atlanta – are New Orleans and San Francisco for the same reasons – history, cultures, architecture and FOOD!”

See also:

Jennifer Welch | Cover Q&A

Rebecca Ward | Cover Q&A