MY FAVORITE COLLAGES

Since our collages were due this week i thought i would write a small blog about my favorite collages from the class.

This first one is from Ryan Ozar.

This is a Music group called HIM (i have never heard of them). The overall final product is very powerful visually, it turned out very professional. The designs in the background are logo's for the group and the words are lyrics from some of Ryans favorite songs. Everything about the image is rather amazing. There seems to be many different types of blending options used(they provide the "glow" effect of such things as the HIM words, the fading in the background and the designs. Overall I think this picture could definately be used for an album cover, thats how powerful the image seems.

This next picture is from Robyn Jenkins.


First off, I dont even know how the light "glare" was created but it really adds something to the photo. I think thats the reason i like this image so much is because of the way the light looks. Also, i like the way she wrote "she's an insomniac". It has way more meaning by making some words smaller and others words larger. I'm not sure what exactly it is about this image that i like so much, i think its just the overall final image and the way it turned out.

The next image was done by Jeremy Chilton.


It may be difficult to see the detail in this picture but when printed the quality is unbelieveable. It is made up of many different peices of artwork from some kind of comic characters. According to Jeremy there is a overall theme going on within the artwork but i cant see it mainly because i dont know any of the people in this image. Overall, this work is just amazing and shows an incredible amount of photoshop skill.

It may be difficult to see how great some of these images are by only seeing them on the internet. When they are printed and framed they look mroe professional and have better quality/detail.

MY COLLAGE

The meaning of my artwork is based on a poem by Karla S, titled “A New Me”. The poem is below but can also be found at http://nickscape.net/recoveryzone/karla_s.htm.

A NEW ME

As I look to the sky

the faded moon I see,

It's just a mire image

of what my life used to be.

And to my left* is the sun

shining ever so bright,

It's a reversed image

that symbols my new life.

As I sit here soul searching

looking into the new grass grow,

I realize what I've missed

and my past that i need to let go.

I'm just like a new seedling

just starting to sprout,

Learning about my addiction

and what clean life's about.

I used to run far away

my feeling so empty inside,

I now know and realize

that I have nothing to hide.

Me I am a good person

and soon better I'll be,

With the help of my NA group

and my sobriety.

BY: Karla S.

*NOTE: For the purpose of my image I had changed the word left, to the word right. This allows the poem to be consistent with my image.*

The reason I chose to do my collage on drug abuse is because I have been affected by drug abuse in my life. Someone very close to me struggled with the disease for over 3 years and I saw first hand the steps it took, the hard work and the “new life” of being clean. It took a few hours of constant searching for the perfect poem but when I read “A New Me”, it was exactly how I saw this person in my life, where they once were and where they are now.

The way I interpreted the poem is the exact way I portrayed the image in my artwork. I see a dark figure with his/her back to the viewer. The figure is balckened out because the figure should remain as non-gender biased as possible to ensure this image can reach both males and females.

The moon and the sun are mentioned in the poem. The moon represents his old life and therefore the whole left side of the work is his old life. It has had the brightness adjusted down to ensure the viewer knows that this side is his old life of drug use. Also on the left is a large dead tree. The dead tree signifies his old life full of drug use which has died because his old life has died. It also provides a good contrast between the small seedling on the right with the left. On the right is the sun which represents his new life of hope and freedom. The small seedling has been planted on the hill on the right side of the picture. The seedling, as mentioned in the poem, signifies his new life. This new life is full of potential, just as though he is a new to the world ready to make a clean start at life.

UPDATE - BRIDGE BUCKS

Well it turns out that because i have 11 classes left to complete my degree (dropped calculus the first time around), i am still classified as a 3rd year. So needless to say i now have to purchase Bridge Bucks for the first semester.

The good news is i can buy $50 in the 1st semester (now) and then next semester when i am registered as a 4th year i will be able to exempt out of Bridge Bucks.

Oh well, i guess this is better than having to buy a full years worth. Im still frusterated at the fact that any student living on campus has to purchase them to begin with.

I ask myself though... what will the repercussions be if i didnt buy them at all?

I need to find out if i do buy them can they be used at the bookstore? I will have to dump about $500 on books in January for books anyway... i can just use the worthless Bridge Bucks to do that.

CHANGE OF BLOG - JON WOLFE

I was originally going to blog about my collage project i handed in the other day but decided earlier today(after nmed class) to write about something different. Now as i sit infront of my computer suddenly there is something else on my mind, Jon Wolfe and his family.

I lived in Fernie till the age of 16(grade 10), when my family and i moved to Edmonton. I tried as hard as i could over the next 2 years to get back to fernie as often as i could for visits and well... partys. In those two years i began to get to know people more than i had while i lived there. One of those people was Jon Wolfe. Jon and I were not best friends, we never hung out just the two of us, but I would always seem to come accross him at a party or a local bar when i came back for a visit. Jon was a great guy, everyone seemed to like him and he always had a smile on his face and a was in a good mood. Since highschool we mainly shared the occasional game of catch-up on msn and made sure we sent a few messages every so often.

This last saturday he was involved in a fatal car accident. He was on his way to Baynes Lake when his car hit a deer. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

I just wanted to give the Wolfe family my condolences and make sure that they know how great of a guy Jon was, and how many lives he touched.

RIP Jon Wolfe - You will be missed

VENT - $$BRIDGE BUCKS$$

If its not enough having to pay $4,000 + per year in tuition, $2,000 + for housing and not to mentions the thousands + on beer. But those lovable University Asshole's decided to make it madatory for all individuals living on campus to purchase $100 per semester in Bridge Bucks.

What are Bridge Bucks you ask... They are the worst method of payment on campus. They act similar to a debit card but you just have to swipe it and automatically you pay for stuff. What kinda stuff? Crappy Stuff!! There are only a few places that even accept them on campus. Coulee Junction, Fresh express and that Mr. Sub/Starbucks place - all of which i may have eaten at 4 times total in the last year. I mean these cards do not work at Subway, Hiroba or Jugo Juice. The only places i even like on campus.

First thing... even if i did eat at those places... i do not need the university to hold my hand to ensure i am going to eat properly. I still have a mother that can nag me over the phone. I rather like shopping and cooking my meals because it forces me to eat healthy. If i wanted to eat shitty deep fried fries and burgers all year then i would eat on campus.

Secondly... who the hell thinks that they can just implement a pathetic new fee whenever they want. I know for a fact that this was not in the contract for me when i signed on. As i remember reading in an email sent from Kim Fowler - it stated that no 4th year students needed to buy Bridge Bucks. Now in a recent email it says that 4th year students also have too.

Thirdly... we as students get raped by Universities all accross the North America already. Why must they continue to have their "Hands in my Pocket".

I plan on having a little chat with Kim Fowler about this today, because im hungry, sleepy, cranky and looking for a fight.

NHL - UPDATE

I just wanted to remind everyone that the flames lost last Saturday and the Oilers won.


will donimate the this year.

SCHOOL HAS "OFFICIALLY" STARTED - THE FIRST ALL NIGHTER

Well i just came home from an excellent Thanksgiving weekend; full of family, friends and well... food. Upopn my return i am greeted to an all-night cram session for a test the next day. I went into the exam with high hopes and a confidence fueled by caffeine. Needless to say the 15 multiple choice questions worth 15% of my total grade (1% per question) kicked my ASS!! I came home pissed off only to have to start a Operations assignment due today(another late night past 1am). Tonight i get to juggle studying for a Economics exam at 9am thursday and play hockey at 10pm. Over the weekend i get to study for another exam on Monday, and a New Media project due on Monday/Wednesday.

Today was the first class in the last 3 classes that my New Media teacher actually showed up for. He presented all of our self-portraits at the front of the class and to be honest i was amazed at some of the work. There was a lot of inciteful pictures, with deep meaning and they all seemed to show proficient use of Photoshop. Here are a few of my favorite works by some of my class-mates.

Original Final

Turned into...

I love the "cartoony" look for it. I like the colour and the lines, it just seems as though this artist has a lot of photo editing practise with photoshop. Probably my favorite in the class.

This next picture is also one of my favorites. I dont know exactly what about it makes me like it so much.

To me, this picture seems to be the most professional. There isnt too much going on, an dit also seems like there is a much deeper meaning than you can tell just from the looking at it. It doenst show up very well but the colour comtrast is really well done, the colour of her face with the flower. I also like the additional small strip on the right side, i dont know how she managed to make it, or what it means but it certainly adds something to the piece.

Here are a few other works that i particularitly liked.

THE BEGINNING OF WINGS, BEER AND THE GREATEST SPORT ON EARTH

Yup your right, it is October 4th today. Everyone knows what this day is.... right? Well, for those who dont follow hockey ITS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REGULAR SEASON IN THE NHL!!! Tonight the puck drops at 5pm on CBC to show one of the best rivalries of recent years the Maple Leafs and the Sens. Then, following the game The Fighting Seamen play their third game tonight against The Dragonz.