"The Dust Maiden"

I revisited a folder from 11/11 - when I visited my friend Dale and worked with Jane Love again.  That experience was so unique and fast.  I was able to see things I hadn't seen before and create some images that really gave me a great memory to come home with.  I'm the kind of person who plans very little (but has ideas)...and I love shooting in locations/outfits for HOURS.  I sometimes have to STOP myself from the free-flow of creativity....

I felt this image here felt a little like a dust storm.  My life right now is a semi-strong dust storm...where I can't see much in front of me but I'm still moving and standing on the rock which is a solid foundation.  In these moments - I have much to be thankful for and MEMORIES that can NEVER be taken away. 

"The Dust Maiden"
Model: Jane Love
Designer: RFD by Rachel Frank
MUA/Hair: Jane Love
Assisted by Dale Ralph
Denver CO
11/11/2016

Tuesday TipTricks!!!! : "Using WINTER as the perfect excuse to create"

WINTER.
IT IS COMING.

So, I'll be the first to tell you - it is NOT my favorite season!!! I don't like being cold and I don't like wearing 5 layers of clothes to STAY warm.  My winters here in texas turn into flannel pants every single day.  It is the warmest thing I own for my legs.  Go figure. 

However, I like to take that 3-7days we might be locked in our house for ICE (long story, short story, Texans have crappy roads in winter) and make some art!!!

So my biggest TIP or TRICK today is - let winter work FOR you instead of against you!!!!

Below you will find images throughout last winter and what I experienced as a TEXAN who really dislikes winter.  I start with making art from icicles and then merging into a fun project with Rachel Frank, Jane Love and Justin Hardesty in Chicago IL.   

 I was able to push myself artistically even when the bitter cold was sweeping across my face, hands and eyeballs!  The wind off the lake was SO STRONG i couldn't even open my eyes.  I had to walk BACKWARDS!  In the end, I learned that relationships mean just as much to me as the art I create.  These people in this blog have touched my life in more ways than one and I'm so greatful for them.  So, even when I travel in WINTER I find love, happiness and creativity. 

artwork made of icicles on our house.

18 (or less) degrees - Chicago IL - Model: Jane Love  Designer: RFD by Rachel Frank

working around the blizzard. - Model: Jane Love - Designer: RFD by Rachel Frank

enjoying our wintertime - together.  Chicago IL

our moments on the frozen lake - no photo shoot here - just plain crazee wind!!!!!

making snow angel art

making memories with friends - even if I dislike winter!!!  I love Justin!!!!!

Tuesday TIPTRICKS:
-When winter hits, what are you going to use for your next project?  Snow? Ice? WIND????
-Share your art with someone who hates winter, see if it inspires them.
-What is your greatest memory from winter? (be it traveling or relationships) 
-Don't let WINTER shut you down this year, find ways to bring the light and joy into gloomy weather.  Make it fun and make new relationships!!!! <3 

Much Love

Jen
 

How to scare your friends and prove a point!!!

Ah, After Dark!  You’ve heard me mention this many times.  It inspires you!  You meet new people and your start getting into the groove about how far you can be yourself with these new people you have found.  

I was having a great conversation with my roomie at the time the LOVELY Rachel Frank  before all the classes started.  I had mentioned in passing that if I did not have pink hair I would go completely invisible.  I would be completely (and I mean completely) INCOGNITO!  She wasn’t so sure about that though…she seemed to think if someone really knew me, they would recognize me.  I decided it was time to prove that point and get inspired to do something wacky!!!!

I asked this lovely designer if I could have her style me up in her designs really quick like…and even do a touch of makeup so that I would be undetectable but also living my secret desire to be a “character”.  For some odd reason in my mind, I think After Dark was the perfect place to pull this off.  After all – I was only putting into action everything I had been taught. 

I grabbed a black wig I had brought and the rest was all designs & makeup by Rachel Frank. 

My commitment to character:

-completely covered my pink hair

-no glasses at all, I was blind – I mean blind!

-rachel and I wear the same size shoe, I even borrowed her shoes!

-took off my wedding ring and replaced it with her bunny rabbit ring

-borrowed rachel’s black bag and inserted by super color purse into it. 

I basically did everything to shed EVERY object in my personal wardrobe to make this happen. 

I began to get really really really excited to start scaring people.  At first though, I had to walk around like I fit in and was supposed to be there.  Now, mind you – I thought Brooke Shaden would be the funnest to scare, but I wasn’t sure where her class was.  Being blind and all, I was kinda hoping they were in the vicinity with a sign so I would find her class faster.  Would you believe…that as I came down the stairs I heard her voice and saw a blurry figure with long hair?  Her entire class was sitting at the bottom of the stairs learning about the $10 wardrobe.  TEE HEE HEE! 

I couldn’t see if anyone was staring at me because I was blind and I liked it that way.  I had to remind myself to maybe not even smile for a while just in case!  I found my way to the back of the class and plopped down to listen to what Brooke was teaching.  I was half-listening and half-thinking to myself as to WHEN to pop this on her.  I have this thing about NOT wanting to be disruptive so I had to carefully find that perfect moment to appear and “re-appear”.   I remember she took a picture and brought it around…and I leaned in as if I could see the image (I could not) and I giggled in the back asking a question of the girl beside me who DID recognize me when I spoke.  Then I waited some more…oh the JOY of what will happen….what will she do? What will she say? LOL

Brooke took another picture demonstrating the lighting and model and subject.  She asked everyone to come up and take a look at the camera on the tripod.  I slowly made my way up there as she commented “Come on all you slow people in the back!”…

I approached the camera and got in really really really close so I could actually REALLY see the image and then I looked at her with my eyes and said “I’m not slow!”.  The reaction on her face was priceless.  First, confusion for a second…then…a “wait what?’  At this point I can’t help laughing because the look on her face was true surprise.  Then the moment was over! She saw who I was! HAHAAH!!!!!  I told her “I’m just commiting to character, which you totally get right?”  Here is a picture of what I feel parts of her reactions were…they were truly priceless….

Then she was like, you totally have to leave my class!!!  I actually DID want to step out of the way now that I had proved my point and had a laugh.  She continued with the class and I continued on my way giggling that I’ve had so much fun just putting this together and proving a point to myself and teaching myself about character.  It was truly priceless.  I won’t ever forget that.  (yes, she DID forgive me later out of character---hahah She thought it was BRILLIANT.)

I began to move forward in a few of the other areas at Union Station and scared a few more people.  Brian Demint walked past and gave me a friendly hello til I pushed him further to recognize me.  Then he exclaimed “you look norrrmalll!!!! There is hope for you!!!”.  Haahahah!!!  That too, was priceless.   I definitely got a few more giggles in as I moved forward with my quest.  While I was finishing my scare with Dan Frievalt…Brooke Shaden walked past again and completely gave me that look of “you are totally freaking me out I’m SO not talking to you!!!”  Bahahah!!!  Ah, life is good!

I scared both Dena and Brian Demint - and this was a still from a small video capture by Muja Rupam

This next one I couldn’t stop laughing – even when I re-tell the story.  My friend Kelly told me I should follow Presley around and see if she would recognize me.  I took it a step further.  I obnoxiously tail-gated her while walking behind her.  I remember she walked into the room but then had to run back out for her phone charger!  I stayed literally on her until I bent over laughing at the stairs outside because she turned around and was like “excuse me!”  Then I said “heeeey”.  Hahaah!! I was like telling her I was purposely following her soooo close to the point of “personal space” being invaded that it was just too funny to bear.  She recognized me and forgave me, I think ? Did you Presley? LOL haahahaha  

Ok so after all the shenanigans – I realized I needed a decent picture of myself to capture this moment.  Thankfully the lovely Tonja was going to her next class and I asked her for a few minutes of her time and she obliged!  I finished out my character with a quick photo shoot and the results were so amazing! THANK YOU TONJA!!!!  

Image by Jason & Tonja - Designs/Styling/MUA: Rachel Frank, RFD

Thanks to everyone that made that last After Dark special.  I know I can be a handful, but doggonit I had a blast!!!! WOW!!!!!  Thanks to everyone that made this happen.

Credits:

Clothing/Makeup: RFD by Rachel Frank

Photography: Images by Jason and Tonja

Location: After Dark Education, Union Station Hotel St Louis MO

p.s. thanks to EVERYONE i scared - it was a blast. :) And to those that recognized me? THANKS! 

Full body shot by Jane Love (on her phone) 

And for the words in a more ANIMATED version, less texty............
herez a quick video comment!!!

When the storms wake you up.....

Part of our journey we shared in Saint Louis this year was impending tornados that apparently came through the city and caused alarms to ring in our hotel at 5:30am.  I had just gone to bed at 4:30am working on backing up all of my images onto an external hard-drive and making sure my laptop was a bit more cleaned off.  I was enjoying the last few moments I had in my room with the roomies asleep and the darkness filling the space. 

At 5:30am...and crazee siren went off and said there was a tornado warning ...and that we needed to proceed immediately to the basement.  I woke up....at first confused....was this a TEST????

No, it was not.  I scrambled around FREEZING cold cause it was chilly in there...and digging for my shoes cause I figured wherever I was going...I would want shoes, a light jacket, the hotel room key and my phone.  At first, I was just going to laugh it off and hide in the bathtub, but mama Jane insisted that her phone said this was all legit and that we needed to leave FAST! 

I'm not a morning person. 
I'm not a nice person with lack of sleep.
So I was angry.

Not at anyone.....................
AT THE TORNADO.

We got to the basement....and about 60 seconds later...the warning had passed.  We walked through passageways like ... THIS - you know tons of skylights, windows and things that break when tornados come through.  The entrance to the basement was down the stairs and through a door...whilst passing through atriums, sky lights and more.  You can see how that might have fueled my anger.

 I should have just crawled into the bathtub i'm thinking..................

We make it back to the room and make insanely loud sobbing noises because the tornado has robbed our sleep and we silently pay homage to our 5:30am wake up call with a funny pictures. (Thanks to Rachel Frank)  I love these ladies. Through the madness of the storms - we still found much laughter.

We also had a casualty of war....when the sirens were hitting Rachel lost a nail in the bathroom.....lol

Morning came fast...and so did our checkout time....we awoke around 10am and I was just like OH CRAP!!!!! we have to check out!!!! I got a late checkout by a miracle and we spent the next 3 hours singing, packing and getting ready to say good bye. 

In my moments of "despair" I figured in order to laugh at myself later - I would "save" my camera gear before I left the room for the tornado .  Mind you, the window is RIGHT THERE and so are the curtains.  I merely scooted it around the table...and abandoned it.  *facepalm*  Notice the dissaray of the stuff...and the forcibly thrown shoes and props around the floor.  Yes folks....
Here is what I did when I left the room....

I found that we could have a good laugh....and being that my whole season this spring has been NOTHING but freaky deaky storms every time I travel...I had to do nothing but laugh...and pack...and sing En Vogue all that morning.  When they say FREE YOUR MIND and the rest will follow?  For realz yo.

For fun moments...and waking up moments....I relied on my sense of humor to give you what I call..."Fashion-ado"....or "Rachel-nado"....because our room did look like a tornado anyways.  Such great fashion to be had and much fun to have followed those 4 days at after dark.

And this my folks...is the beauty out of storms....you may be ANGRY....frustrated....a little delayed....but you are guaranteed to have laughs and stories to tell for the rest of your life.  I wouldn't take that back for anything.

But there's MORE.

Because apparently the storm system was ongoing.....I was at the airport for my flight and we had THREE warnings of tornados while there.  Every time I turned around...there was a warning and telling us to get away from the windows.

I should have been a storm chaser, in another life.

Thanks for letting us fly out....even with all the tornado storms....so glad that the system passed so I could get home for Adventure part 2. :) 

I end this story with this.....you WILL have storms...........
you WILL have delays...............

but find a way to laugh - it always helps. :) We did!

This was my "i'm so mad at that tornado for waking me up at 5am look"............

Thanks for reading everyone.............

What the latest funniest travel story for you? <3

Jen

Tear sheets from Giuseppina!!!!!

I'm so excited to SHARE the lovely images of Rachel Frank and her AMAZING DESIGNS!!!!
I took the liberty of creating some art long with her stuff to fit into the magazine!

I hope you enjoy it!!! I just bought the print and digital! :)

Super fantastic!!!!