Santiago, el Capital

Hey, remember that time when it wasn't minus three million degrees and snowing outside? Yeah, me neither. Like cassette tapes, encyclopedias, and a Canada before Stephen Harper, you may have a vague and fuzzy memory or impression of this long bygone era, but can't quite be sure it ever existed.

And in the absence of weather permitting one to go outdoors and shoot photographs without frostbiting your nutsack and other extremities, I continue to mine the archives: may I present photos shot during our first two days in Santiago.


Cops were out in force EVERYWEHERE, as it was election day.




A staple of the pedestrian ave, shoe shiners. Those of you who watched a recent season of The Amazing Race might remember a challenge involving these guys.


Business is slow.




The missus, trying on hats.








A bit of light leakage on this roll...


Changing of the Guard at La Moneda.




Mote con huesillos, a traditional Chilean summer drink with wheat, sugar/ honey, and dried peaches. Refreshing!




Seriously, the cops were EVERYWHERE.






Juxtaposition of old and new.







Photos above: combination of digital, and film shot with a Nikon FM2n.

THE BEST STEAK... ever

Since our return from S. America, I've been dealing with some unusual extreme exhaustion - I can't stay awake past 9pm most nights. I'm beginning to wonder if I didn't catch some weird parasite or something. Calling all my doctor / medical professional friends (or folks that watched House a lot): is this a plausible explanation? Have I got some weird S. American energy sapping tapeworm?

I suppose the more likely explanation is just that my general lack of fitness (more like FATNESS) is the cause of my lethargy, and I just need to exercise more. Le sigh...

On with the photos. These were shot during dinner and drinks at Dada Cafe in Buenos Aires. Dada was a hole in the wall, dive bar kind of joint, but with a fully stocked bar, great service, and hands down, THE BEST STEAK I have ever eaten in my life. Cooked to absolute medium rare perfection, and mmmmmmmelt in your mouth meatasticness. Oh man, I would fly back to Argentina just for this steak.














These empanadas were not from the same restaurant as above, but rather just a window display we encountered on our walk back to our hotel.




The boutique hotel we stayed in. Lots of character.

Life Drawing & Valentines Day

Back from Ottawa. Apparently there was a stabbing/ homicide right by my office downtown yesterday, which maybe isn't the best way to celebrate Valentine's Day. But of course, neither is falling down a flight of stairs (hitting EVERY STEP) and spraining your toe, which I managed to do in rather clumsy fashion. Gotta keep life interesting somehow, I guess. Frick.

Anyways, here are the scans from this week's lifedrawing session. I'm not terribly happy with how they turned out, but that's cause I suck at drawing. There were folks that did full on detailed watercolour paintings of the model's faces that just blew me away. One day, I hope to get to a tenth of that skill level.









And while we all SHIT ON how commercial Valentine's Day is, Anita and I have taken to celebrating it in non-commercial ways. Rather than join the 'anti-establishment, I'm not gonna do ANYTHING to express my love' troupe, we've gone the route of accepting V-day as another means to show an extra bit of love and attention to each other (over and above all the things we do normally every day). Sappy, I know. Sorry. But ooh, look! ZELDA!

Life Drawing at Sandy Hill - Sneak Peek

Venessa and I took in the Life Drawing session at Sandy Hill in Ottawa tonight. I love how they run this weekly session. Always filled with great, friendly and welcoming folks, and the models are always top notch. Plus it's only 4 bucks to drop in. If you're in the area, you have NO EXCUSE for NOT going on Wednesday nights.

This is a sneak peek (photograph) of one of my sketches. Will post proper scans of all sketches when I get home later this week. Stay warm!



Note, the dude is so far off to the left because there were two models in the frame, but I don't have the skills to even finish sketching one before the pose time is up, let alone get both done.

Tripping the Streets Fantastic - Exposure 2014 - Fluevog!

We went to check out the opening gala for Chris Tait and Julie Vincent's Tripping the Streets Fantastic: New York City, at the Peanut Gallery (downstairs, John Fluevog Store on Stephen Ave). A few of you likely know Chris as a former purveyor of photographic plunder at The Camera Store, and possibly as a talented street photographer with a penchant for getting punched (seriously, ask him about that time a peeing elf gave him a good knuckling).

Anyways, you should go check out their exhibition and see the interesting divergence that these two take stylistically as they showcase their street work from a recent trip to New York. Nice work!


Mr. Tait, obligingly posing beside some of his framed 'bathroom turned makeshift darkroom printed' photos.




Cody - Whiskey, Leicas, Guitars, Cigarettes, and general belligerence.










Jessica - Cody's sister. Has 'Kimchee Fried Rice' tattooed on her arm. In Korean. Awesome.




You know you're doing something right when you elicit this reaction.


This isn't what it looks like. Unless of course you think this looks like Cody jabbing his keys into the back of his Leica to unjam the film leader. Cause that's exactly what this is. Insane.ity.ishness.iance.ology. Yep.

And because we all know if I put a link to the website for the exhibition on the Exposure Calgary page, you'll be too lazy to actually click on it, here it is. I saved you the effort.

THE PEANUT GALLERY
Lower level, Fluevog
Tripping the Streets Fantastic:
New York
February 1 to March 30

New York City is the subject of the second year of Julie Vincent and Chris Tait’s five-year project looking at life and moments on the streets of big cities internationally.
Following on their 2013 London exhibition, Julie and Chris travelled to New York City in May, 2013. New York is a decidedly different city from London. The inhabitants of New York echo the bigger-than-life, loud, ebullient culture and history of their city, from its wild highs to its devastating lows, to its in-yourface approach to everything about itself. Join us for a walk through the streets and alleyways of one of the oldest cities in the U.S. New York City is the second in a series of four cities. Two other international cities will be presented in 2015 and 2016, with the artists’ presenting a retrospective of their work in 2017.
207 – 8th Avenue S.W., Calgary
T: 403-265-1970

OPENING: February 8, 5 – 7 p.m.
CLOSES: March 30

Onion Heads - Go Canada Go!

I was watching a bit of the opening ceremonies for the Sochi Games, and there was a segment in which inflatable floats of the colourful onion shaped domes of St. Basil's Cathedral danced around in retelling the long history of the great motherland. While we have not yet been to Russia, the sight did bring back memories of our time in the Ukraine four years ago, where we saw numerous Orthodox Cathedrals with similar architectural styles that Anita lovingly refers to as 'Onions Heads' (when literally translated from Chinese). I know this association of Ukrainian holy sites with Russia may irk those following the ongoing protests against that Yanukovych conman, but this isn't a political blog, sorry. Politics notwithstanding (gay rights, Putin's undue influence on Ukraine, widespread suppression of civil liberties), here's hoping for a safe and successful Olympic games. Go Canada Go!

Also of interest - my favourite part of the opening ceremonies was when the Jamaican bobsleigh team entered the stadium to a loud cheer from the crowd. Cool Runnings!!








Photos taken with a Diana Mini. I can't remember the film stock (probably some Kodak Portra or other) - converted to B&W, or toned blue, because my scanner sucks at handling colour negatives, and I couldn't get any usable result in colour.

The Kraken!

Unleash the Kraken! Not really. It's just a regular octopus. I've been feeling incredibly bored and uninspired lately, so needed to do something artsy... Hope you enjoy this mixed media sketch - Pentel pocket brush pen, Conte, and Shinhan Touch Markers on Strathmore 11x14" Toned Tan Sketchpad.

Kung Fu Bok Choy - The Year of the Horse

Happy Lunar New Year to you all, or as Dean would say, Kung Fu Bok Choy! Wishing you all good health, happiness, and prosperity in the Year of the Horse. Now give me all your money in a red packet! Seriously. I need your money. Somehow, I forgot to sock away a third of all my earnings from teaching last year, and so come tax time, I'm going to owe a CHA-CHING amount of money to Emperor Harper's royal coffers. Choi Sun Yeh (the Chinese God of Prosperity) needs to pay my bank account a visit, STAT!



And while my cholesterol levels are going to disagree, my stomach says that the only thing better than celebrating Lunar New Year with a delicious feast of Hot Pot, is to have it twice in a three days (I'm salivating over tomorrow's feast already). Especially in this bitchingly cold weather.