Engagements | Downtown Dallas Skyline | December 2015

Yay! I can finally share the engagements!  They were keeping it a secret until they told everyone! Yippee!!! I've known Kateryna since she was a young girl and now she is all grown up! Congrats you two!

The Promoting Passion Convention Part 2 - Bathroom Art

Promoting Passion Convention Day 2

I don't know.  There is a trend happening in my creative life for a couple of years now!  I end up making some very fun and very amazing images in various bathrooms. :)  Be it in stalls, walls or whatever!  Here we enter day 2 of the convention where the classes had a range of topics and things.

I remember showing up for the photo adventure I think, but don't have any evidence that I was there. :)  I think I was there mostly to watch and soak everything in.  I'm ok with just soaking.  Not everything had to be documented for me to enjoy myself.  I think I documented more the FIRST day than the second day.

The notes I took from day 2 go like this:

From Jennifer Thoreson:
Apple - people get the story right away.
Onion - there are layers, people stare longer and try to understand.

(rough notes)

Mitch and Shalem's "Love is Love:
I was soaking in the consults with the couples...because it was good to have a detailed question and answer open for discussion moment!  "Be true to the purpose".

Ok, so now back to the bathroom!!!!
After most of the classes and lectured ended - I grabbed Marsha and ended up in the bathroom where everyone was earlier in the convention photographing.

I looked at what Marsha had brought and decided on the white gown first.  It felt a bit modern with the lighting going on in the back wall area!

 

 As if Marsha wasn't already gorgeous enough - her hair was just addictively AWESOME!  And the dress itself was gloriously angelic almost. :)

 

Course, Marsha knows me a bit by now ...so she brought weird goggly things for me to play with!  I thought it was so neato with a super mod feeling.  I loved the blue lips, the crazy hair and the bug eyes.

It was quite a few moments here...where we had some visitors....

and finally...ending that part of our session with a little running around!

 

 While i took a break and waited for the panel session or somewhere in between... I convinced Amani to become Sia-like behind the fabric on the stage.  Just another weird flash vision that came to me during the convention!

 And as things came to a close...Marsha and I re-convened with some more ideas...and some I still haven't put together as of yet!  But I just have flow that happens.  Not everything has a story for me right away.  I just play with images and ideas until something finally HITS me! :)
Here are some of our weird things including other attendees of the convention!

 

But then, I forgot to mention that by this time..MeRa had made it to the mountain!  I was able to grab her for a few minutes before the final evening adventures.  Below here Brooke is setting up to capture her in some way of which I have no idea what the story was - I just knew it involved water, hair and a pane of glass. :)  

 

What a joy to see both Brooke and MeRa all in one place.  I adore those two women.  Both have been people I've looked at for examples of communication, story-telling and BIG HEARTS!!!! <3

 I ended my night with a creepy mask and working with Sally and her daughter Marsha.  We had a great time and just played.

 

Teasers from San Diego!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am back from San Diego this week!!!!
I wanted to share a couple of teasers with you...I'm so excited to share this amazing wedding with you in the next few weeks....

enjoy!

The Promoting Passion Convention 2015: where WEIRD happens - part 1

Actually, WEIRD isn't too bad of a term if you know me.  I'd like to think I'm pretty out there and weird.  No matter where I am....THERE I am.  I try to immerse myself completely into something to learn, grow and be challenged.  When the Promoting Passion Convention came online...I guarantee you i was among the first to register.  I adore Brooke's spirit.  I adore being around like-minded people.  I knew that when she did a convention it would bring more people that I would meet and understand...and vice versa.

I for the life of me didn't remember if I had EVER been to North Carolina, but I figured why not now?  I was eager to reach out as soon as I could for room-mates and car-mates to drive from the aiport to the mountain.  I cannot say enough great things about both sets of ladies that I got to meet!  I'm so glad to have car-mated with Kyla, Rachael and Kristin!  And my roomies: Samantha P and Ani.  I feel that each person I got to be in close contact with were SO SPECIAL because we were all so like-hearted and like-minded.  That was so so so GREAT!  Ladies, you are awesome. 

We arrived to the mountain WAY after the sun went down...and I was so eager to get there knowing there were pre-convention convention things going on!  We made it JUST in time for dinner and ran over to the main hall to see a circle forming.  After I checked in and started eating like a mad woman...I had this URGE to go...."duck....duck.......... GOOSE!"

 As the arrivals began, our circle just got bigger and bigger and bigger.  We were starting to say things that were "surprising" about us...but I never got to say anything.  So, I just immersed myself into watching everyone else squirm and then we broke for the movie! :) 

I have to say it is always REFRESHING to see faces that you have seen ENDLESSLY online....but to see them in person?  Do you know JOY?  Well JOY is what I felt.  So excited to see all these faces together.  To see Brooke smiling and knowing she was working and playing at the same time. LOL!!!! 

I was fully excited for the INTIMATE setting we had created and just open to have fun and learn more about myself and others.  Creativity comes in so many forms...and I appreciate how different we all are in that.  But, we also have this commonality you know?  Was I really HERE for the next few days?  What would happen...what would it become?  What might I create? :) 

DAY ONE:  

I think the BEST opening statement I could have ever caught was being my unique WEIRD self. :)  Even among weird people I FEEL WEIRD!  WEIRDER!  I try not to let that dictate how I communicate - so this time I just let it all go.  I put down every expectation - every fear - every worry.....so I could be my VERY true and authentic self.  And I also determined at every meal - I would rotate tables and sit with different people EACH TIME.  Did anyone else do that?  I did.  I wanted to make sure I allowed myself to listen AND be heard all in one swoop.  :)

The fog and rain were a bit much for me at first...I simply forgot to pack ANYTHING remotely warm.  As the time went on and I realized how far we had to walk and how many STAIRS we had to climb...I changed my outfits every day to reflect that. lol!!  That last day though - I had my finished outfit already picked out. 
I was excited to hear from Mitch/Shalem about their creativity and how they approach ideas/photography!

One thing about their class - is it was over way too fast! haahaha! We didn't get to do another look because we simply ran out of time - but I had a blast getting to know their passions. :)

I don't recall what the rest of the day held....but I'm pretty sure it was awesome....especially towards the night-time when I met up with Mika.  Mika shared a fear with Brooke apparently and then shared a fear with me.  While watching Brooke work outside in pitch black and rain - I went back inside to talk to Mika again about facing the fear.  We walked out after finding an ice light to LIGHT her (because by now it was pitch black outside) and assisted by Krystal helped Mika with her very own photo shoot near the woods.  To the naked eye, you dont' see what is really happening.  You don't see the tears or the shaking...you see a woman FLYING in/around the woods facing the very real fear.   She will have to tell you the FEAR that faced.  I just know I was lucky to talk her into coming outside NEAR the woods, much less INTO the woods!!! :)  
(she saved that for post-convention)

As she kept leaping in the shot...she seemed to get less and less nervous about THAT area.  I loved that.  For me, I was watching someone face their fear using baby steps.  Just getting OUT THERE and facing it.  Thanks to Mika for trusting me to capture that moment...even if it was cold, rainy and dark! :)  Oh, and she borrowed Brooke's dress for it. :)  TEE HEE HEE!
Thus ended the evening for me....

My next blog will be part 2 :) 

Passionates, have you written about your experience yet? :)

Love Jen

TEASERS from the Lord of the Rings wedding!!!!

Welcome to the small teaser blog from the Lord of the Rings wedding!  They had soooo many cool items, decorations, themes and LOVE.  I am always inspired by couples that really try to be themselves during their celebration.  This day was as unique as THEY were. :)  I can't wait to share more with you!  But for now...enjoy some more teasers!

Let's catch up shall we?

I do have a lot of things to share and write about....but I will get to Promoting Passion another time.  ...I do have much to share on that topic as well as some images I enjoyed making.

Today's blog....

Will the mountains speak just as much as the ocean? 

I find complete peace in the sounds of the ocean.  I cannot explain it...I just know it.  Every chance I get to STARE into the ocean...I will do it.  My last stare-session was in Maine this summer....with at least several different types of beaches I got to visit.  It was a huge personal accomplishment for me as my adventure is to always go see a few new places and maybe meet some new people.  Well, I did it!   Enjoyed many version of the waters.

Enter the MOUNTAIN of the Promoting Passion Convention....

When I was at the Promoting Passion convention we were completely covered in fog/rain for 4 solid days with the 5th day being an open sky with clouds moving fast out of our way.  It is called "Heavenly Mountain".  Now I felt a different connection there.  After being shielded from view for days...I was able to stare out and see just why they called them "blue ridge".  Just amazing really.

 Here is a time lapse I did of our stay there...in key points of our viewpoints on the sunniest day of the trip.  I stayed a whole extra day to enjoy the area....and boy.... did I!

I hope to report back these next 2 weeks about the mountains I'll be experiencing and the ART we will make from them.  I still remember the first time I flew to Seattle and sound the GRAND mountain staring back at me.  I said hello.  It smiled back.

Mountains? See you soon!

Inspiration for "Resident Evil" photo shoot last summer!

I'm going to share my inspiration for last years' photo shoot with the always AMAZING Jane Love.  
I took an idea/look from the opening cinematography scene of "Afterlife" and ran with it.  I just love re-creating or having fun with ideas spawned by characters that already exist.  

Here we have....the lady in the street....

We were able to pull this off in my backyard in pitch black of night.  We matched the wardrobe as closely as we could and then she turned "zombie" for me!  Thanks Jane for always rolling with my ideas!!

Love Jen

Our publication in Haute Couture Chicago!

We've been waiting!!!  Our team from Madison WI that got together on a dark dark night...and had to create in almost complete silence and darkness.  We put together a set of outfits and scenes that were inspired by the movie "The Cell" and some pieces from Amadeus. 
We coined it "Cellmadeus".

The purpose of these images are to explore a story plunged into darkness yet finding the beauty of the spirit within the characters and fashion.  I am so excited these images were chosen for TWO different magazines and the creatives that put these together are just fantastic! :)

So I give you... "Cellmadeus" published, part 2. :)

The Heavenly Mountain....

I don't have a lot of time today...but wanted to share some amazing fun times with you from the heavenly mountain - Art of Living Retreat in Boone NC!  We had an AMAZING time at the Promoting Passion Convention and some of the classes left me in tears with inspiration and encouragement.  It was everything I needed in this moment and in this time. :)

I look forward to the next year...and where things will take us as dreamers!