Hey, I like awesome movies

Sometimes my readers want to know what I'm up to on the weekends. What's my life like outside of my art? What do I do in my spare time?

Well, usually on weekends you can find me in masterclasses, hosting workshops or doing some guerrilla collaging. HOWEVER--this weekend I'm taking some time off and having some fun, and you should, too.

On Saturday night, I'll be attending the highly-anticipated premiere of the feature film, "My Awesome Movie." There's been tons of buzz going around town about this so I'm pretty excited to see if it measures up. It's made by a group called Family Contact; I'm big fans of these boys, especially one in particular. Check out the sweet poster and then check out the movie, too! Let's have a discussion post-film.

My Awesome Movie

Saturday, August 22nd

8PM

Cincecycle, 129 Spadina Ave, Toronto

$5.00 (what a deal!)

See ya there...

Craigslist Intriguing MC of the Day

I'm a big fan of the Missed Connections section on craigslist. I try to lurk on there daily, seeing if I was at the grocery store or streetcar at the same time as a MC. Did that one-second glance I shared with that creepy guy on the subway mean as much to him as it did to me? Am I the girl in the blue dress going northbound on Tuesday night who was looking fine? The only way to know for sure is to check the MCs.

My friend Velvet found an interesting Missed Connection for me.

(UPDATE & AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh dear. It appears this post expired before I discovered the art of taking screenshots. So in order for this entry not to be a complete waste, I will do my best to recreate this Missed Connection post. Ahem.)*

"Saw you at the eaton centre today. You walked by me, you were wearing some kind of black yoga pants, maybe loulou lemon, i dont know. I didnt see your face.
So if you can meet me at the eaton centre again today, you get a reward lol."

Now, I'd really like to believe that MCs can sometimes work out and some possible love connections can be made, that the chemistry between two strangers can be so strong that you both feel it right away, BAM. It's a nice thought. Sadly, I think most people on the MC section might just be out to get laid.

Not this guy. He's so unsuperficial, so willing to look past appearances, cares so little about looks that he doesn't even mind that he never got a good look at her face. Doesn't matter to him. I guess when love is real, it doesn't need a face. Just a good pair of spandex, ass-hugging yoga pants.

I'm really hoping that it works out for him. Never mind that the fact that he didn't see her face means that she almost certainly didn't see him at all, never mind that the Eaton Centre is a huge mall filled with hundreds of people, never mind that almost all girls own a pair of LuLuLemon yoga pants (not me, though--so that rules me out; sometimes life is really sad)--dammit, I want this MC to work.

So girls, if you were anywhere near the Eaton Centre this week and own a pair of pants, respond to this ad. Make this happen. An added bonus (beside the obvious of scoring this catch of a guy)? "You get a reward lol." Like he could sweeten this deal any more.

*I realize in my recreation that I'm lacking the author's particular essence, but hopefully you can get a look into the awesomeness of his post. The kind of guy you want to bring home to Mom. Sophisticated. I hope it worked out for him.

(please note that for future craigslist posts, I will be taking screenshots the moment they're posted, though it's pretty fun to try to recreate posts I read a month ago).

Cut it out, Lost

I want to share another of my favorite pieces with you guys, since I know you will appreciate them.

This piece is based on the hit television show Lost. While I'm a big fan of the show, this collage in actuality has very little to do with the show. Sure, Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly and Hurley are all featured prominently. However, the viewer needs to look past that to see what's NOT featured quite so prominently. The attentive viewer will note the lack of radical warfare, the lack of technological streams of consciences and the lack of third world influences. What is present? Jack and Kate used to reflect on gender divisions, Jin and Sun asking us to consider colonialization and the polar bear bringing ideas of commercialism in today's society.

You might notice this piece is unfinished in a few spots. Many of my pieces can take years to complete, as I have to feel the inspiration to work on them. If I had to pick a date, I suspect my Lost collage will be completed in 2011.

$475 US (as is)

PS--I actually got to meet (well, see) Evangeline Lilly and Dominic Monaghan at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, as they came for a film premiere at the theater where I work. My friend served them on bar, and said they were super nice and down to earth. They were some of the few celebs that even attempted to leave a tip and joked around with the bartenders. Evangeline was so pretty in person as well and seeing her made me an even bigger fan. Jeremy Piven, take notes on not being an a-hole in person.

PPS-- My brother and I have been trying for years to write a theme song for Lost. Mine is a snappy little jingle which simply states: "We're Lost!" Simple and to the point. Submit your best Lost theme song here--perhaps the winner will receive this collage!

Crazy Talk

This just can't be right. Some of you may know my (extreme) passion for The Sound of Music. I love it, can probably recite all of it, had my dreams come true when a sing-a-long came to Toronto, want to own a gazebo just to dance in it, the whole shebang.

I didn't even know they were planning a remake of TSOM. Bad, bad idea. Cameron Diaz as Maria Von Trapp? HORRIBLE idea. I'm assuming Julie Andrews was joking when she said Diaz was her first choice, or maybe just being nice. You know how nice Julie is. She just wants to please us all.

Here are my top three choices for Maria Von Trapp if , and only if, a remake of TSOM comes to life.

1.) Anne Hathaway

She can act, she's fresh-faced and sincere, and most importantly, she can sing. I could believe her as Maria. I think she's about to star in a Broadway show based on Judy Garland's life, so she's obviously got some kind of chops, and she also just seems nice. I wouldn't mind getting some ice cream with Anne Hathaway, though she might get creeped out upon seeing my collage of her (to be posted soon; have patience, readers). I could totally see Anne Hathaway rocking the nun habit and giving some advice to dear Liesl.

2.) Zooey Deschanel

Zooey can also act and sing; however, she usually plays the quirky best friend or love interest. This would be a huge leap for her, and be a big departure from her usual jazzy singing (which I really like). Zooey's also really cute and pretty like Maria must be, but not in a threatening way (a la The Baroness). This suggestion may be based on my huge crush on Zooey, but she'd still be a million times better than Cameron Diaz. I think Zooey would shine in scenes with the Captain, such as "Something Good." And man, she'd look really cute in Maria's blue dress.

3.) Lea Michelle

This girl is amazing. I'm a new fan of hers, thanks to a new little show called Glee, which, if you've seen me in the past 2 months or so, I've probably brought up in conversation to you. She's also rocked Spring Awakening and is obviously super familiar with Broadway and any kind of musical. She's also young, beautiful, energetic and classy. Lea Michelle would excel in the scenes with the kids, such as "Do Re Mi" and "My Favorite Things" and could also probably handle spinning on a mountaintop.

So there are my thoughts on a subject that is very dear to me. Let me know YOUR thoughts--who would you cast as Maria? Who would be your nightmare Maria? (I'd be pretty devastated if Jessica Biel got cast, and Megan Fox would be boycottable).

PS--If you're not convinced that a.)Lea Michelle can sing, or b.) Glee is going to be an amazing show, check out this. It's pretty much all my roommate and I have been watching for months and the reason I've tried to get my friends to start a glee club with me. I know if I watch this clip enough, I'll eventually be able to sing like her. Or handle the background vocals. I'd take that.

PPS--Who wants to be in a glee club with me?

Craigslist Post of the Day

Some people just have that talent to be able to write a craigslist ad for anything and you'll want it, have to have it. They use their words to paint pictures and to tantalize you, to make you want that 20 year old stove or that bbw.

This author below walks that fine, fine line between going a bit overboard with description and total alienation. As someone who tends to take paragraphs to describe one item, I admire his style.

I encourage you all to read craigslist, which is when you read the ads on craigslist.

Cut it out, Angelina

So as most of you know, I'm an artist who mostly works in the collage medium. I really like to do what I call "subversive collages," where I like to swing wildly between deep questions such as nature vs. nurture and more pop culture issues such as the promulgation of the entertainment world. Like I always tell people, it's not for everyone.

Here's a piece of mine from a few years ago. I have really fond memories of this piece, as I was just starting out in the business and I was still pretty naive about the art world. I think my innocence is really reflected in the work. The really great thing about this piece is that it's reversible--on the opposite is Jennifer Aniston. A lot of viewers have said that it's too daring or out-there, but I've never regretted that I went with my instincts. I've received many offers for this piece but it's too hard for me to part with it.

Offers begin at $400.00 US.

Swinging into things

Hello out there,

It's Day 2 of blogging and man, I'm exhausted. It takes a lot of work to make a site look this good. I have to give a shout-out to my friend Kaz for helping me set this up. It took literally weeks of talking and prep, and then to see it come to life--it must be how the Disney-Pixar team feels.

With my blog, I hope to focus on art in life--whether that be my collages, writing projects, neat projects that my friends are doing, cats, cooking tips, musicals, whatever. It's all going in here. I'm going to stay away from the "Dear Diary" format--don't come to my blog looking for a tell-all about me. I have my career to worry about. HOWEVER, I recognize the public nature of a blog, so perhaps once a month I'll let someone ask a personal question about me and I'll reply. Lots of fun stuff to look forward to!

With that, I'd like to thank you all for your warm welcome to the blogging world. I hope the day never comes when you cut me out.

1st entry

Hello friends, customers and fellow artists,

I have finally entered the blogging sphere, due to the urging of my agent and others. So here I am. Right now I'm just figuring out the ropes, but soon you will all be wowed. So bear with me for a bit--I promise it will be worth it. Let's get ready for the journey we will all take together.

SC