My new baby!

I have a new baby!
(Well, new to me!)

It’s an Agfa Isolette II, made in Germany in the 1950s.

I have film in it.

Now, I just have to find a place to get it developed!

An old camera shop?!

On my way to the dentist in the city on Wednesday morning, I saw this camera shop. I was running late, so I couldn’t stop.

I have walked down this street many times and never noticed it before.

What the heck is wrong with me?!

I have to go back there soon!

Ohno Camera Works.

Drawing class

Remember the Surrealism drawing class that I took?

Well, my class will be having a group art exhibit after the summer.

These are my two pieces that will be included.

One is a graphite drawing of Anna Belle as giant. It matches another student’s drawing of a giant dog sulking on the sidewalk.

The other one is of a woman with sakura for her head, watercolor and collage.

The class was fun and I got a great deal out of it. We even took a field trip. From the photos from that trip, I was able to do the watercolor of the cherry blossoms.

The imagery bothered some of my classmates, but the professor thought it was great for the show. It really stands out among the other artwork. Besides, the dean of the art department praised it when he stopped by to see the collection.

Even if I didn’t want to show it now, it’s a little too late!

Travel/work scams – Cruise ship art auctions

Accepting a job overseas is a big deal!

It’s a decision you can’t make lightly.

One of the most important things about taking a job that requires you to relocate is to make sure that the company is reputable.

I’ve been hired directly by a Japanese prefectural government. So, let’s just say that I’m not worried about being scammed by my employer.

Albert Scaglione, the founder of Park West.

Cruise lines like Carnival and Norwegian are rather infamous for having art auctions such as Park West Gallery. My dad and his wife take a cruise every May, and I’ve had to steer them away from these scams.

Common complaints about these auctions include fraudulent misrepresentation, and deceptive trade practices. Not just deception about values, but outright forged signatures on the artwork!

Poor Dad almost bought a “Rembrandt“. Yeah, right…. and I have a part of the Hollywood sign to sell you.

But if you think that it’s bad to be scammed over by an at-sea art auction, imagine working for one!

It ranks right up there with those door-to-door magazine subscription vagabonds.

Here’s an excerpt from “Park West Auctioneers & Associates – Nightmares at Sea“;

It takes two or more months for the auctioneers to discover they have been deceived, by which time Park West has extracted a couple of months of slave labor out of them at no cost to themselves. These auctioneers and associates are expendable. When they decide to quit after seeing their first pay check, which as often as not is a statement of how much they now owe Park West, they are replaced by the next crop of willing suckers seeking a quick and easy buck.

I feel very sorry for anyone who would seek employment with this company.

Before you interview or take a job with any company, check them out! Do your homework and check with the Better Business Bureau. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable doing business with them, don’t take the job!

Now I don’t feel so helpless about the situation in Japan.

My poster

I’m fighting back for my Japan!

I was feeling really helpless that I couldn’t do anything to help (I talked about it here.), but that’s changing.

Yesterday, my friend ‘K’-chan happened to run into Andrew. She and another Japanese person on our campus are making -t-shirts to raise money for the Red Cross. They needed help setting up to receive payments online, and to possible make a website (not just Facebook).

Well, I’m an art person and I’m pretty savvy with online selling via eBay.

So… Now, I’m a part of this ‘Hungry Tiger’ project.

The beginning of the website.

I worked most of today on the website, then the poster. I was careful to teach the others about using this web-building software and to be careful of copyright laws.

Tonight, a student came in from our of town to shoot a promotional video. FOR FREE!

Actually, all of us are working completely for free. The company that is printing the shirts is doing so for only $0.30 each. So, the rest of the t-shirt price will go Japan. 

I feel really grateful, because now I’m actually doing something with my hands and my minds for the people in Tohoku.

Hopefully, tonight I can sleep with peace in my mind.