painting what i know

I've decided to begin painting what I know....

I've always painted what i like, beautiful images that take me to other places.... but have realized that I would like to be a fine artist.... even before commercial art, fashion illustration, etc. I'd like my art to be taken seriously , stand the test of time.

So I'm going to paint what I know, by drawing out my memories and stories onto canvas... tell more about my life. Make portraits about what I've experienced, but as i make them, think about what I hope for.

So far, this portrait of my family and this self portrait, I'm working on, are showing me a side of my talent i haven't seen before, and so.....

i feeL inspired.

Record machine and Self-portraits

SO... it's been a good couple weeks.... i got myself a record player from the 60s, so i can listen to some warm tunes while i work... so excited to collect records.... it's be something i've always wanted to do.

Also, I have started my first self -portrait... a purple rendition of myself... I'm stoked to see it through.

Dear OLympics,

Funny, I never thought about The Olympics much until it became all the rage, news, hype, as 'they' arrived in the city I am currently living in.

Not only was my perspective especially unique , because I worked in the downtown hub for the people of the world to use as their playground/place to get fucked up, but because of such perspective - I realized a lot (first hand) about how messed up our world really is.

For two weeks straight - 3 fuLL weekends - I worked Thursday , Fri, Sat, Sunday in the heart of the party, at Subeez Cafe, on the corner of Homer and Smithe. A huge castle-like bar in downtown Vancouver, that can seat probably 200 people.

I opened the restaurant each day at 9am. And observed people busting in at 9am ,day in and day out, demanding double Caesars they chased with coffee, and wearing the same clothes they'd been in the day before.

I know the Olympics is a big deal for Canada and Vancouver, because the world is noticing us, giving Vancouver a reason to party, etc ... but for me, None of it felt Right.

The amount of money flooding in through Subeez' doors - spent all on alcohol , in the daytime, day after day- in parallel to the money flooding into 'The Olympic' ceremonies, Canada Apparel , stupid souvenirs etc, I found incredibly lavish, exuberant and seriously disturbing.

THis Money$ could be helping people!!! Instead the wealthy of the world are competing against each other, flapping about their 'colours' and 'signs' - to prove WHat?? That we are better at sport than you? We can out party you?? We can chug a pitcher of beer quicker than you?? We can host a better OLympics than you??

A poor seat at the opening ceremonies went for around $800 - you received a cardboard drum, a weird paper cloak, and some other crap.... I would find these drums scattered around the bar in the morning - people throwing them out , garbage, garbage.

Did anyone ever think of making the Olympics a minimalist event? Were it was only about the sport, the coming together, and putting all that money towards a good cause??? Banning together like that to help the world!?? Rather than get shit faced, while celebrating athletic excellence, which , to me, is completely hypocritical anyways!!

My blood boils as I write this. I don't know much about much, but from where I was standing - in the middle of ALL of it - Everything felt wrong and off balance... As I witnessed people from around the world gorging on their own egos, and on so called 'National Pride', with booze and cheap gimmicks.

We should have a flag for The World - and be coming together like that to help each other out! Not compete against each other and litter The Earth with puke - beer cans- and cardboard drums!!

Yes Canada landed 'On top' of the Olympics , taking the most gold ever won, beating The Americans over and over, etc. etc,. but I'm curious to see how Sweet Healthy Vancouver handles this Hangover, and I'm curious to see how The World can survive much more of this idiotic behaviour.

Sincerely,

Robyn Waffle,
aka: disturbed by what I just witnessed.