[rappels down the side of a building and breaks in through your window] did someone say star wars
Xuebing Du

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JBB: An Artblog!

titsay

tannertan36
Show & Tell
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d e v o n
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Stranger Things
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her

Kiana Khansmith

blake kathryn
Sade Olutola
dirt enthusiast
todays bird
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@theartofmadeline

oozey mess
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"

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@theviewfrom5ft1
[rappels down the side of a building and breaks in through your window] did someone say star wars
The different cultures that colour Toronto are evident in the array of languages I hear walking down Yonge Street: Portuguese, Korean and Urdu to name a few. I smell it in the aroma of Mexican, Indian and French cuisine that somehow coexist and create the most enticing scents. I see it in the bold patterns, sky-high platform boots and crisp, classic suits that strut the giant catwalk that is the city.
Mondays in Monterey
The first time I visited California I was seven-years-old. My family and I did the typical touristy things like admire the glamour of Hollywood and of course go to the happiest place on earth, Disneyland, which was the only place I really cared for.
Me, my brother and his girlfriend visited my aunt and grandparents in San Jose last week. It was his girlfriend's first time there, so we got to act like tourists all over again.
The first time I went to Monterey I was a whiny, impatient kid who insisted on being pushed around in my stroller. So, exploring the peninsula a second time on my own two feet was refreshing.
One of the must see attractions there is the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf. The moment you step on to the pier be prepared for a barrage of sample cups of clam chowder to be handed to you. So much that you'd be too full to actually eat at one of the 13 restaurants there.
We decided to get our grub on at the Old Fisherman's Grotto, which is said to make one of the best clam chowders in Monterey, according to reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor. But of course, just let your taste buds lead you to your destiny. (My review on the restaurant to come!)
OK, enough about clam chowder. Besides the food, Monterey boasts the views of its seaside escape. Rows of boats create angular silhouettes against the clear, blue horizon. Vibrant colours adorning buildings at the Wharf add an endearing quirkiness to the town.
Near the Fisherman's Wharf there's also a beach, just by the parking lots. Unlike land-locked San Jose, the weather in Monterey was warm enough to wear shorts and flip flops, but breezy enough to sit comfortably on the beach and stay awhile.
My aunt and I strolled along the docks where they harvested mounds and mounds of shrimp as seagulls slyly eyed them from the roof of a shack. On the other side of the dock a row of people sat patiently waiting for fish to grab hold of their line. It was a peaceful walk to ready us for our next stop; the 17-Mile Drive to the town of Carmel.
Photos taken by me with a Canon 60D (hehe that rhymes)
VANCOUVER – The battle between the B.C. Teacher's Federation (BCTF) and the B.C. government over contract negotiations has left many consequences.
A story I did on the consequences the BCTF strike has had on students in Vancouver.
Isabelle Docto reports on Fil-Can director Nina Lee Aquino.
My first official story on The Filipino Channel's Balitang Canada! Fil-Can director Nina Lee Aquino is promoting diversity in the Canadian Industry.
You can also read her story here:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/gadgets-and-tech/05/23/14/fil-canadian-director-brings-more-color-theater-industry
Russian photographer Jana Romanova created a series of portraits called "Azbuka" based on the shared letters from the Russian and Ukrainian Cyrillic alphabets.
A day in the life of a modern day Renaissance man
It’s the 46th annual Richmond Hill Winter Carnival and the scenery is a perfect picture of what Canada’s all about. The ground is covered in a fresh blanket of snow. Children with red noses hold their hands out to metal drums crackling with the warmth of a fire. Skates hang over people’s shoulders as they wade through the white fluff to get to the frozen pond.
To the right of the pond a peculiar character catches everyone’s eye. He’s a walking optical illusion. He wears a coat with a pattern of black and white squares that could make you cross-eyed if you looked at it long enough and holds a black and white striped umbrella to match. But what’s more puzzling are the three boot prints he leaves in the snow.
The Three Legged Man is just one of Peter Jarvis’s many whimsical and eye-catching personas. The 55-year-old performance artist has been a regular street performer in downtown Toronto, most notably for his portrayal of a robotic, bedazzled, Silver Elvis.
Despite the cold and less desirable conditions, this is not just a job for Jarvis—it’s a performance.
“If I can get an audience to a moment of stillness for 30 seconds, that’s a big amount of time for people to focus in this chaotic society,” he says.
His day starts at 6 a.m. to prep his costumes and any makeup he needs for the event. For the winter carnival he brings his Three Legged Man costume and his infamous sequinned Silver Elvis suit.
Jarvis arrives to the event in his regular attire of black jeans and a T-shirt. You wouldn’t know he has three legs, or was once Charlie Chaplin, nonetheless the metallic reincarnation of Elvis. But this seemingly ordinary person is nothing short of a modern day Renaissance man.
He credits his artistry to being the baby in a family of eight.
“When I was five my brothers and sisters would just say, ‘Ignore him and he won’t bother you’ and that just egged me on to find other ways to get their attention,” he says with a laugh.
His desire to be noticed brought on his love for impersonations of characters from his childhood. His favourite people to imitate were Fred Astaire, the American Broadway dancer, and Charlie Chaplin, the English silent actor who he says is his greatest inspiration.
“I based my whole career on [Charlie Chaplin’s] influence,” he says. “He ran his own studio, marketed himself, directed, wrote his own music and performed. I do all of those things to survive as an artist.”
Jarvis also taught himself how to dance at a young age by watching Soul Train, a dance show from the ‘70s, which influenced his mechanical movements for Silver Elvis.
“I figured I’d learn how to do the robot by mimicking the dancers on that TV show,” he says.
Chaplin’s effect on Jarvis’s career is seen through his performance of the Three Legged Man at the carnival. He is silent most of the time, doing grand, swinging gestures with all three of his legs as people of all ages stop and gaze with curiosity.
A little boy violently flailing a balloon sword slows down, captivated by Jarvis’s movements and, of course, his third leg. Even the boy’s mother is in awe, her jaw agape.
Jarvis says illusions are his inspiration for creating a character.
“That’s my hook,” he says. “If I can create a sense of illusion, then that sets the curiosity and wonder of my audience immediately.”
Orly Dinar, 48, a friend and fan of Jarvis’s work, says his performances always draw a crowd. “I think it’s because he’s different and because of how he moves and really portrays his characters,” she says.
Being a street performer is just one chapter in Jarvis’s story. He also teaches as a guest artist at elementary and secondary schools and helps other artists jump-start their creative endeavours.
Jarvis met designer Phil Sarazen 20 years ago and helped him find a market for his unique bicycle sculptures.
One of them stands magnificently on the ice in the middle of the pond like something out of a Dr. Seuss book—a giant bicycle with drums hanging off of its rainbow-coloured, metal limbs.
Children bang on the contraption’s hanging drums as Sarazen, 65, invites a parent to give the bike a ride.
Sarazen says his relationship with Jarvis is collaborative and that he’s learned a lot from his fellow artist.
“I’ve been really interested with the whole body, movement and dance in the last couple of years and Peter was the one who got me caught up in that,” he says.
Jarvis’s day winds down with heavy lifting as Sarazen helps him move the giant bicycle contraption on to a trailer. Walking on three legs all day has Jarvis worn out, but seeing joy in people’s faces makes it worth it.
“I perform because it does change people even if it’s just for one moment,” he says. “I’m just trying to bring people back to their sense of play and their imagination, which makes them feel young again.”
International Pillow Fight Day - 10 things I learned from the Pillow War of 2014
Yes, I can finally check casually joining a giant pillow fight with strangers off my bucket list.
Toronto hosted their pillow fight at Nathan Phillips Square where children and adults who are young at heart battled it out.
My friends and I marched through the streets to our battle ground. Mere mortals judged us with our pillows in hand, but they didn't know that these were our weapons, weapons that would bring us plushy glory.
Here are 10 things I learned from participating in my first Pillow War:
1) This is when you truly realize the weaknesses of being short (All the tall people had to do was wack-a-mole)
2) Ladies with long hair--tie that up. It's a nuisance during the fight as it obstructs your view for optimum pillow walloping and a nuisance afterwards because you'll have a million knots.
3) None of that maturity nonsense is tolerated. Release your inner child or get out.
4) Pillows are not ageist.
5) Pillow moshing is a thing.
6) The outskirts of the battle grounds are just as fun; especially for one on one battles.
7) Obtain a tall body that you can use as your vehicle to fight from above.
8) Children are vicious. Don't trust their cute faces.
9) Try and take a selfie while you're in the epicentre of the war. I dare you.
10) Hitting random people with a pillow while yelling out all of the stress inducers in your life is very therapeutic. (EXAMS, ESSAYS, UNIVERSITY UGGHH)
It was honestly such an awesome experience and it's the only type of war I would condone. Pillow War of 2015 come at me.
Botanical Hideaway
If you happen to visit Toronto in the winter and you want a break from the -10 degree weather (-22 plus windchill) take a step in to Allan Gardens.
The conservatory, which is located on 19 Horticultural Ave (around a 15 minute walk from the Toronto Eaton Centre), is free of admission. Once you walk in to the beautiful, transparent greenhouse you're transported to the tropics. The temperature is slightly humid, enough to go from wearing a puffy winter coat to a t-shirt.
Of course the main attraction isn't the temperature, but the colourful assortment of plants. A giant banana tree stands in the main atrium of the conservatory, also called the "Palm House." There's a "Cactus House" with many types of cacti to potentially fall into. The "Tropical House" is the most vibrant with different hues of pinks, blues, and oranges for you to take photos of. Make sure to stop by the pond to take photos of the turtles!
If there were to be a critique about the Gardens is that it only takes 15 minutes tops to go through. But you're free to chill with the flora by taking a seat on one of the many benches in the greenhouse.
Photo credits: me :)
Allan Gardens- Toronto
http://theeyeopener.com/2014/03/skirting-tradition-and-embracing-diversity/
Kirthiga Rajanayagam breaks boundaries in the fashion industry through her fashion show Project Diversity.
Check out my story about Ryerson's budding New Media artists and their exhibition META 2014!
A story about Ryerson student Rudhra Persad and how the United Way helped him establish himself in Canada.
A Syrian girl, Bushra al-Hassan, 4, injured from a government airstrike, cries at Jabal al-Zaweya village of Sarjeh, in Idlib, Syria, Monday Feb. 25, 2013.
Ya Allah.. I just wanna dry his tears :(
Those perfect, plastic mannequins in retail stores are nowhere near to showing the beauty of the different shapes and sizes that people have in real life. The "Because Who is Perfect? Get Closer." campaign by Pro Infirmis, an organization for the disabled in Switzerland decides to break society's expectations by replacing the homogenous, unrealistic figured mannequins of a clothing store with mannequins sculpted in to figures with diseases like scoliosis. This powerful video shows six people with disabilities being measured in order to create the mannequin with their body shape. The reveal of their life sized mannequins is compelling to watch as you see the model's reactions and the public's reactions to the mannequins. What do you think about this campaign?
Another instalment of the view from my dorm room window: Where'd the city go?
The view from my dorm room window