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music |
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Pomplamoose - Little Things |
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 I've begun purchasing National Geographic magazines from thrift stores for 50 cents a piece. I scour through them for interesting images that I may be able to use for references in my art. When I come across a potential reference I extract it with an exacto blade and add it to a folder I've started. So far I have the following categories: Adults, Children, Animals, Landscapes, Architecture, Objects. It's good motivation to begin painting again. Yesterday I painted for almost six hours straight for the first time in months. It was a slow process with rusty results, which is incredibly frustrating. But with the substandard outcome came a grim satisfaction. Making art is not like riding a bicycle, and my skills go dormant if not practiced regularly. Onward I will trudge.
I have registered for an intensive nine month make-up artist course at a college here in Montreal. The first semester covers the foundations (har har). Make-up through the decades, fashion, wedding make-up, and a shit-ton of theory. The second semester covers special effects make-up for film, television, theatre, circus, parades. I'm very excited about the second half. We will work with prosthetics, airbrushing, blood and gore, and so much more. I will be the photographer for all my make-up artistry, which will save money as well as be quite the learning experience. I may already have a job lined up in the field for November as my friend Mat is co-founder for Tableau D'Hote Theatre, and offered the position to me. Though to be fair, the make-up for that play seems like it will be me having a lot of fun making the actors grungy and dirty looking. It's an encouraging start nonetheless. It's a competitive field, but I feel as though I have certain advantages that come from all the courses and work I've completed to receive my BFA. It's a field I can keep using my creativity and skills in, while making money. I won't be stuck in a cubicle, but travelling and constantly meeting new people and making contacts. It's contractual, so I may have free periods to continue with fine arts. And, if it doesn't happen to work out I at least didn't invest years of education into it. This is what I am currently looking forward to.
The downside is my current situation. I am having money troubles. I cannot find a job, which is worrisome. If I lived two hours away in Ontario I wouldn't have a problem getting something temporary. But to even acquire the simplest jobs in Montreal one has to be bilingual or French first. Most frustrating part is that I understand French well, and can read it. But when it comes to structuring sentences I draw a blank.
I am also intensely isolated and lonely. I miss everyone I used to see on a regular basis when I had classes. I miss having a routine. Part of me wants to go out and be social, and simultaneously I am anxious thinking about it. I miss my family too, though I did get to see my dad, step mom, and brothers recently. My dad needed to renew his passport, so off to Ottawa we went. ( In Reverse Order )
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