sixteen

They caught the killer of my cousin and charged him with second degree murder.
Rather then feeling celebratory in the success of the justice system, I feel sick.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/01/09/chiasson-charges.html


The fucking kid was sixteen years old. Six-fucking-teen.

A kid killing kids.

Together Green

The other day Ryan and I set up to do some art, and there in the newspaper Ryan had spread on the paper was an ad for an art exhibition at the Arts centre in Mission. The theme is Livining with the Forest, and anyone could enter. Since we didn't have anything done with that theme, we decided to pull together and get something done in the 3 days before the deadline. I had two days off, so thus we pulled out everything we had to get it done.

We submitted them yesterday, so hopefully we'll hear back today or tomorrow if they're accepted into the show. If they are, you'll HAVE to drive out here to see them, and maybe buy one of them.

Together Green

It's a 1 x 2.5 ft canvas roughly, all acrylic.

Campaign for Real Beauty

A sketch done lately after watching a special on anorexia and bulimia. It terrifies me how common it's becoming. I really admire Dove for their Campaign for Real Beauty, but I feel it's not enough.

I read an article that discussed the Campaign, and how Dove is actually taking a hit in the market for it. Yes, watching a commercial with real women lifts self esteem, but women are not buying their products. Women are still more inclined to buy the products with the over photoshopped thin women in the ad. Why? Because we STILL want that "perfect" body. Why would buy something that advertises what we already are?

The change needs to come from us. We need to love ourselves, before the corporations start selling to us. But if we're so stuck on the ads they sell us, how are we to change our views? It's another circle we'll have to break.

So this is the new year

We stayed in, just the two of us. A big bottle and half of red wine, and a bottle of tequila. Sketchbooks and pencils scattered across the table, music playing in the background. The countdown came in quietly. A shot upon the hour ensured we weren't too sober, and that I was in bed early...though Ryan stayed up to enjoy a s nowy naked hot tub.

Everything about this year is going to be different. No resolutions, but plans and action to get things done.

Starting with finished projects, and accomplished goals.


...and here is Heather's completed tattoo. This writing goes with it much more.

This was my gift to Kathi this Christmas. It's 8x11 graphite on sketchpaper. It was drawn from an old photobooth photo that I found in my shoebox. And by old, I mean we're 15 or 16. It's frightening to think that was 6-7 years ago.
Man, and I thought I was so young.

Article.

I know this is the second post in a row without art, but, I needed to provide the updated article.
Just so someone can read it, maybe someone will know something. Maybe the killers will be caught.

Maybe.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Dispute+spurs+fatal+stabbing/1072186/story.html

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2008/12/13/7739551-sun.html

sustains+stab+wounds

We woke up this morning curled up close, fighting the cold biting at our toes. The fog was resting against the window pane, tears of rain streaking down the surface. I let you go. The emptiness of the room grew heavy, so I buried myself into the blankets.

The phone rings. My mom's voice shaky, "I have bad news."

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sustains+stab+wounds+downtown+dies/1067082/story.html

This is the article describing how my cousin was killed last night. So stark, so dry, so empty. Just a clip in the paper, just another act of violence on our streets.

Sometimes it's so hard to keep faith in the good of humanity.
Lately it seems that we are what we are not because we have the largest minds, but the largest egos. And it's truly beginning to disgust me.

Options

This was the first design for the tattoo. I'm putting it up to show the original writing, which I like much more. The design around it, makes me think of a spider, so that's why I made the second design. Maybe I can do some photoshopping to put the best of both together?