Summer BBQ at the Factory on 5th



--------- photos by Elaine A. Russell, taken after the Factory on 5th -Summer BBQ

This past Saturday, there was an artist "meet and greet" as well as a fabulous Summer BBQ at the Factory on 5th. Lots of people arrived early in the afternoon and stayed long after sunset. Amongst the delicious brats, dogs, and even steak... potato salad, tabbouleh, chips.... fruit salad and desserts ( and of course, drinks of your own bringing )..... there was lots of conversation, laughter, enthusiasm, and stories............. Excitement about the resurgence of shows at the Factory. A Grand Re-opening !!! coming on July 24th.
More info to come...


getting charged up

photo by Elaine A. Russell



Getting charged up ....for a couple more shows --which is awesome. I am going to be participating in a photo show, and also the Grand Re-Opening of the Factory on 5th. Both shows are coming up in the next few weeks... so stay tuned for details.
On a side note...
I have finally caught up with most of my mixed media projects. This is very cool, because I'm kinda OCD, and now I can work on new projects without feeling guilty about old projects that I have never finished. It's just the way it is.
Also on a side note...
Today I went to eat at the Korean BBQ place on Central (http://www.koreanbbqhousenm.com/index.html). The only time I had sushi, and liked it... was when I was pregnant with my son (a lifetime ago) when we lived in Mississippi. I have been to several sushi restaurants since then... but never found any I really liked, until tonight. The sushi was fabulous. The wasabi was awesome. Even the iced tea was good. It was a little pricey ( dinner worked out to be $16 per person )... but it was really good.



what's it all mean



top photo and middle photo by Elaine A. Russell, bottom photo by Kristin Russell/ treatment by Elaine A. Russell

so what does it all mean. pop stars, icons, and ordinary people amongst us dying at alarming rates.. or so it seams.
trash magazines predicting the end of days... money troubles, world issues, hunger, joblessness, fatique, health problems, troubles and tribulations....
not that this is anything new. we have been having issues since we arrived in this world.
do you trust the culture of the day >> the scientific and knowledgeable minds that be ?
do you rely on tradition, religion, that which speaks to your soul...
do you sit on the bench of life and wonder... what is happening in this world.. can I effect a change... am I all that I can be in this world....
and then there are tensions that cause us to snap and argue with those we love. to inadvertently hurt one another. crisis and failure. ebb and flow. high and low tides.
what is the answer ... is there an answer... and some would say -- what was the bloody question ?
today is a flux of emotions. common sense tries to prevail. the heart speaks louder and louder.
be gentle and caring with one another.
do the best you can.
let go and release that which is left.


to bokeh or not to bokeh


........................ photos by Elaine A. Russell

I know. Sounds like Shakespeare. But it's not.
Bokeh is actually a term used a lot in photography clubs and such. Many photographers argue on what it actually is... and there has been great debate on it.

If you look at the Wiki article, it explains it fairly well.. but it can still be confusing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh
Or -- here is another article that is pretty interesting... http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm
And here is an awesome FlickR group that is all about bokeh http://www.flickr.com/groups/bokehwhores/


If I am understanding the term correctly, bokeh is essentially the "fuzzy effect" or blur that you get in your photos... usually in the background.
Now. This is NOT to be confused with using a shallow depth of field to take close-up photos. Yes, the background may be blurry, but this is not automatically bokeh.
For me....bokeh is more of an emotional feeling that you get when you see the blur in the background. What response does it evoke ?
As examples, the first photo I would consider bokeh. The light is iridescent and sparkles with the "fuzzy effect" in the background of the twig of willow.
The second photo ( echinacea plant ) is cool... but it is really a close-up of the flower that emphasises a shallow depth of field, and not necessarily bokeh.
Let me know what you think .......

pain in the ART?!


photos by Elaine A. Russell



Pain is an unusual thing, because it's all relative. You could have a screaming headache.. then bump your foot... and all you feel is the foot pain. It's an over-stimulation of the nervous system. Too much information so to speak...

For the past week or so I have had some pretty impressive pain associated with my neck and shoulder. I don't know what I did to start this process... but it must have been a doozy.

I have been seeing an acupuncturist, and for the most part, I know things are getting better. Slow.... but better. This past night though... all I want to do is scream. It just hurts. And it has hurt for too long. And so I try to occupy my mind with other things. I have cleaned the house, watered plants, got caught up on the laundry and the dishes, listed some stuff for sale on-line.. etc. I even made banana bread.

The only thing that has really kept my mind off of the pain is playing with my photos from the other day. So .... here are some more.

more about Art Days



photos by Elaine A. Russell

So -- more about "Art Days." Sometimes writer, artists, etc get a block... and need to work it out.
For the artist, it can be extremely stifling, and makes you feel like everything you've done.. you should burn... and such. Time to be an accountant... or whatever.
Then, common sense chimes in.. and you know that if you don't do art, you'll shrivel up and die.
So ... you try to fix things.
One way to do that is to make a pact with a fellow artist/ artists.. to do art days. This is where you go out and just sketch or photograph or whatever.. anything that interests you. No pressure. No... it has to be perfect. No.... can I use this to sell eventually. Just for you. Just for fun.
These photos were taken at a strip plaza on Menaul that has tons of really really cool metal sculptures. They are fantastic.

Annapurna wednesday is fine with me

.................................. photo by Elaine A. Russell

Today I had my follow up appointment with my acupuncturist. He addressed my liver problems, pain in my neck and shoulder, and allergies today. While I am still pretty sore.. I can at least turn my head from side to side now.

As a treat.. my daughter and I went to Annapurna's Chai House http://chaishoppe.com/ for dinner.. and it was incredibly good (as usual ). Photo is from inside the restaurant. If you've never been there.. I highly recommend it.

looking up



photos by Elaine A. Russell, taken at the Factory on 5th

So. About a week ago I hurt my neck and left shoulder blade area. Yesterday is was so painful... that I finally went to see a doctor. Those of you who know me... know that I have to be dead or dying to go to the doctor.. so you can feel my pain.
I went to see a local acupuncturist and traditional chinese medicine physician. He is fabulous. And while I am still in alot of pain today.. I know that I am on the road to wellness.
I have also been taking sleeping pills for about 3 years now, because I have a terrible time getting enough restful sleep. Hopefully, with the help of this new guy, I can get off those medications naturally.
And, I have been having trouble with some liver failure... and that was one of the first things he addressed... so I am feeling better in general.
Things are looking up. In light of that.. I have posted some photos of the Factory on 5th that focus not only on my physical limitations at the moment ( fencing/ barriers )... but also on the beautiful skies towards a brighter future.

PrideFest 2009



...................photos by Elaine A. Russell


Ok. I have never been to Pride, but have many friends and family in the community... and it was simply awesome to go to the festival. Never have I been to such a big event, where people were loving, kind, polite... and generally happy. People who came to my tent were gracious, friendly, and complimentary of my work. It was fabulous.

OK... there was one girl fight near my booth. And the horses on display were a little fragrant...and I got massively sunburnt.... but it was great.

I have to tweak some of my photos from the event (mainly cuz I have a crappy lens with spots all over it )... but I will be posting them to my FlickR account ----> see link to the side, here.

way down south



photos by Elaine A. Russell, at the Factory on 5th



---as in the south end of the Factory on 5th building. I need to get keys from the owner and explore inside some more... but in the meantime.... here are some more shots in my on-going series.

I took a photo of the ceiling line inside the building. The wood tones are just amazing. Not to mention the whole..."feels like I am in the bowels of a ship"... feeling I get when I am in there. Cozy, safe, secure.

Then there is a photo of some of the industrial windows. I just love how they have chicken wire in them. And air bubbles in the glass. Wow. Fantastic. It reminds me of some of the windows in older buildings back east... which I adore.

Lastly, a photo of some chili peppers in the rock parking lot. Not sure how they got there... but they looked cool.

Thanks for everyone's comments on this series. Your feedback helps me to do better.

opening the door

massive door at the Factory on 5th. Photo by Elaine A. Russell

This week I am getting ready for a show on Saturday. It is the usual last minute RUSH. I am not sure that I will get everything done I had intended... in fact, I know I won't. But that's ok.
I am doing my best to at least finish the projects I had already started.. and then we will go from there. I also need to get tables for the show, and some folding chairs. But -- I did order a brand new show tent from DickBlick.com, and it looks fabulous. I also ordered a small-ish print rack to hold some of my photos.. so that is cool.

So -- why the title ? Because I am slowly but surely opening the door to my new artistic life. The door may be heavy, awkward, and hard to budge... like the massive doors at the Factory.... but they are wide open to the world ... and colorful... and totally me.