Postcards

Photo: August 22, 2016

What a treat to come home to all these postcards - from different people and different places. Before I left on my trip I got involved in #CLMOOC and one way the group has of connecting is via postcards. Although we collaborated on a variety of projects which were in a constant state of evolution as each brought their own ideas and talents and connected through learning about each other through introductions, there is something special about having something in your hand, something tangible.

I'll be sending some out shortly and will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for interesting postcards to buy and send. From me to you, from you to me - a very direct connection.

Getting Inspiration

I've had this ceramic piece for a long time. One can see the artist got his inspiration from nature - the sun or a flower - in either case there is energy bursting forth. It, in turn, inspires me - the colour, the form and the asymmetry.

I've been immersed in #clmooc - making, reading, getting inspired by the creative people who have chosen to be part of this group. It is a bit like playing jazz where one member starts a melody; someone else catches it and riffs off it, remixes it and gives it a whole new slant.

Sometimes you have to zoom in close, pay attention to details to get the gist of an idea, to read and respect and retell - variations on a theme. It can get quite dense as the rhythm of a twitter chat can be fast and furious.

This coming week is a break week - a time for quieter colours and rounder lines. I'll be off on a trip getting inspired by the countryside, by music and by the many thoughts that are replaying from the encounters I have had via #clmooc.

Here's hoping for robust wifi!

Voice

Photos: July 21, 2016

My blog is morphing. I've been participating in CLMooc - a flurry of making, connecting, collaborating - with participation in a +Google Community, twitter chats, a Facebook group and even connecting in the real world through postcards. One can participate on any level from lurking to being very active. I love being part of this as it stirs up my thinking, has me reflecting and pushes me to try new things (apps, attempts at visual arts other than photography...). I've been reading more blogs and have been pondering many ideas. Some of my musings will inevitably burst out here.

One way of participating is via the Daily Connect - a suggestion / challenge of an activity to do which helps foster this community. Yesterday's was to send out your voice. It made me think of the whole idea of "voice". While I have not sent out my physical voice - I have been sharing my voice through this blog for years. It is a place where I express my ideas - Through My Eyes has been much more than my photographs.



It's a place where I capture moments of beauty, where I experiment with genre. It is a place where I have taken some risks with my sharing - going beyond my comfort zone.



It's a place where I nibble at the issues that bother me - where I voice my opinions.



It has opened my eyes to beauty in the strangest places and found stories - and a place to voice them. It has been a place where I have shared my passions.

As a teacher I always wanted to help students find their voice, be that through writing, the arts... We have so many possibilities - even more now as the ability to create through digital media is possible even for very young students. So here is my latest risk - a snippet of my voice for the #DailyConnect - a day late.

A couple of thoughts on/in my voice

Remixing

I have featured this sculpture on my blog before, but today I was looking at it with new eyes. I have been involved in CLMOOC and read Karen LaBonte's thoughtful blog post Pondering Remix. It made me think about ownership, about using other people's work with respect and about when it is appropriate and when it is not . This sculpture is itself a remix - using an actual imprint of the newspaper of the day. If you go to the photo on Flickr you can zoom in and see it in more detail.



Here is a detail - showing the back of the newspaper. Is this an infringement of copyright? The sculpture is by John Seward Johnson and I discovered he has done a similar sculpture using a Philadelphia newspaper. We walk a fine line between what is acceptable and what is not and in this litigious society there seems to be a push to claim almost anything as something to patent or copyright. I was glad that the recent court case about Stairway to Heaven resolved that Led Zeppelin did not break copyright.

Here are some of the questions Karen brought up

• What does it mean to “own” something composed we’ve composed? If we are remixing someone’s composition, then where does that ownership begin and end? Does it matter? (If not, why is intellectual property law such a booming field?) Is ownership in the intention or act of communicating? In the product?

I'll add some of my own -

• When is it honouring someone to do something "inspired by"?
• When is it just copying?
• In an era when it is so easy to take and remix, how do we teach students the importance of supporting artists (writers, musicians...) by paying for their work?
• I heard recently that the Eiffel Tower has a copyright on any photos taken at night. Photographers who post night time shots can be sued, especially if they charge for these shots - when is something in the public really private? (an article from my friend Barb: http://artlawjournal.com/night-photos-eiffel-tower-violate-copyright/

I am all for a the concept of sharing. In fact virtually all my photos on Flickr are there with a creative commons license (I would like credit for them, though). I do think when I photograph artwork as above - how will this image be used by someone else? Will they give the artist credit along with the photographer? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Sushi

Photos: July 18, 2016

Dinner with hungry friends
Growing girls
Delighting in exotic tastes

In this global world
We share our foods
Our cultures



Blending flavours
Remixing to create
New combinations

World news
Highlights anger
and difference
Let food be our guide
As we remix
Build on
Share
To create an
...even better

This week I'm building and creating with others in CLMOOC. Online communities can be very powerful catalysts of creation.

I had dinner with a wonderful friend whose daughters are of two racial backgrounds. They, too have been remixed - creating a combination that is more than the sum of their parts. Looking at them, I have hope for the future. We shared food of another culture, music of a time long ago, spoke two languages and smiled and laughed and look forward to next time... à la prochaine.