The garbage needs to stop. Humanity needs to wake the fuck up.

http://www.chrisjordan.com/

Please look through the Message of Gyre photos. And understand that something needs to change.

Beware the sock thieves

DSC_0665
Originally uploaded by breathe out

I have internet again at home. I can tell that this is a good thing because I've been up for a couple hours and all I've succeeded in accomplishing is getting dressed and putting the clean dishes away. I haven't even made coffee or eaten yet. The net has been thrown around me and pulled me in and I don't think I can escape from its clutches.

And frankly, I don't think I want to.

These last few months sans internet has really made me see what I've been missing out on. Well, and the program I'm in has already shown me the enormous possibilities. There is so much more beyond my email account and facebook. I've spent about 2 min on fb, just long enough to find the links of classmates blogs/websites and have been perusing their work. And from there I found more artist/designer/illustrator blogs....and slowly the whole morning has drifted into me becoming a serious blog creeper.

I'd love to update you now on some of my work, buuuuut I've been keeping all my finished projects at school for fear of losing them and the instructor suddenly needing to see them. But here's my Optical Illusion, if you hadn't seen it on Flickr already.

There's such a lack of art on here, my art blog. Man. I suck.

It's not because I'm not doing art though. Even when I'm not working on a school project (which is often, I work on projects while I'm at work), I'm doodling some random idea that I hope to do at a later date...you know, whenever I have time.

Anyways. This lack of meat in this meatless blog is because I still don't have internet.
So try not to hate me? Just have a little patience. My landlord said something about internet being connected on Tuesday. And then I'll flood this shit to pieces. To pieces. Uhm yeah.

I AM A STUDENT AGAIN!

This is going to be short, because I'm in the library and am unsure if class is in 10 min or an hour and 10 min. So really each moment counts. Or I walk there, and walk back. Meh.

Anyways. All that we've done so far is whet my appetite and drive my impatience up to get going. Yesterday we opened up our 'colour kits' which ended up being a big box of pens, pencils, charcoals, prismas, pastels, paints, paints and more paints. Oh, and handed out a class curriculum. Today started with my first "Photography for Designers" class, which began with opening up and setting up our new Nikon D60 cameras and lens kit (I apologize for not recalling which lens we received). So now I've just become more excited and ready to actually start doing some actual art!

I guess it will have to wait though..as this afternoon brings Introduction to Marketing. As dull as it sounds, I respect that it's what I probably need most since it's what I know the least. Anyways, off I go!

Shameless, guiltless.

A major fire is once again raging in the Okanagan valley, destroying homes and forcing hundreds of people to evacuate. And once again the same feeling washes over me. Apathy drips down my face, leaving it expressionless. Houses are being burned to the ground. But as long as everyone is safe and sound, I am calm.

The logic and reasoning that explains why you should take caution in building your house in the sand...should apply to building your house in the neck of dry woods. When a storm comes and washes your home away, should you have not built it upon the rocks? Granted, it's impossible for our populations and cities to relocate into climates where no such disasters could happen. But we need to understand that it's not a tragedy anymore, it's nature. It's powerful, it's unstoppable, and it's amazing.

Forest fires are natural. They're supposed to happen every summer, small and quick, to wipe out the underbrush to allow room for new plants/trees to take root and grow. Smokey the Bear made it impossible for these to happen; so the underbrush builds up and up so that when one day when the conditions are right the hills alight.

I feel we should stop acting against nature, trying to control or prevent her occurrences. She is a force far stronger then we can comprehend. Think of how many lives and homes would be saved if we spent time and money in planning how to live with fires, storms, and hurricanes, rather then trying to push against them, to 'prevent' them. Because as we all know, the battle against nature is a losing one; the more you hold her down, the higher she'll leap when given her moment. And with global warming, it's only going to get worse.

Please note, that I'm not making myself an exception. I'm moving into Vancouver and fully understand that the fault lines are preparing for a massive earthquake one of these days, years, or decades. I know that Vancouver would sink. It is a risk I'm taking, fully. If such happens, I'm hoping that I will have learned some basic wilderness survival by then, and then, we'll go from there.

Finally...

All they said was that the successful applicants would be notified the week of May 18. Not how, or when. So Monday goes by, Tuesday, Wednesday...by Thursday negativity and doubt had settled upon me like a 300lb weight. I didn't sleep that night. On Friday morning I tried not to watch for the mailman, fearful of seeing him empty handed. Even worse, I didn't hear him come by.

As I left for work at one, I thought I had better check the box, just in case. Tears had pre-welled up in my eyes, believing the worst.

And there it fcuking was. A big white envelope. I, of course burst into tears of excitement.

I was accepted into the Illustration/Design program at Capilano University!
I have achieved one major step towards my dream. Now...I better get back to work.

Enter Stage 2

I spent a full 8 hours pouring over all my old sketchbooks, paintings, and art projects. I sweated and I fretted, but I got it done and submitted my portfolio early. Last week I received a phone call inviting me to the interview and testing day next week. This means I successfully made into the second stage of the process!

They get about 120-150 portfolios for the program every year, and from those they select 50 to be interviewed. And from that 50, thirty students are selected for the first year class. Based on those odds, my chances are still quite good, but I'm not going to celebrate just yet. I'm trying to focus on the 'Laws of Attraction' based on The Secret. Though I find the book almost silly and over-simplified...I figured I don't have much to lose by trying it...though if I'm accepted I hope it's based my talent and skill; not my 'willing and wishing' it into existance.

In other news, Ryan and I are starting a foster-to-adopt program for a beautiful young adult pit-bull next weekend! His name is Bronte, and he's 5-6 years old. Probably the sweetest dog ever.


Just cause I want to show him off, here's a photo I stole off his adoption webpage. I've become quite passionate over this last while about the issue of adopted vs pet store/backyard breeders, as well as the discrimination against pit-bulls. I wish I could take care of every lonely little furball out there. I'm sure that once we buy a house (with yard), I'm going to be the foster mumma of all time.