Getting Back in the Habit

After reading a blog post by a good friend of mine I was inspired to look up the old blog I had started during a college course a few years back. Countless login attempts and numerous sleuthing hours later I finally signed on and began the blog you are currently reading.
Thanks in part to the inspiration that is thedreadpiratethinks.blogspot.com and in part to my insomnia I have decided to give the keyboard a whirl once again. I don't expect much in terms of good grammar or sense making but rather hope that this can be a creative outlet. One in which I can place thoughts, musings, and artistic endeavors.
Let the blogging begin...again...and yet again.

Pocky

I just felt the need to share this amazing treat with you. Pocky, delicious chocolate covered biscuits. So friggin good, especially after a long day. I'm pretty sure that they come in a variety of flavors but I've only been able to find the chocolate ones. Albertsons baby. Albertsons carries them. I'm stoked. *note to self, thank Katy for telling me about the deliciousness that is pocky. Where would I be without her?

Artistic Breakdown

This evening...or technically yesterday night, I had an early final in my Psychology of Women class. We had the option of either writing a paper (pass!) or doing a project telling our story. Our story being who we are as a woman and or who we want to be. Of course I chose the project. I didn't take an art class this term and really needed to release the beast. And that's just what I did. Bleh
I created a scrapbook and selected certain parts of my life I was willing to share with the class. I got up and began presenting and everything was going swell when suddenly I get to the page about my family members alcohol addiction. I totally lost it. Suddenly tears were just gushing and I was trying to hold in the shaky breathe between the sob like cry that was about to happen. I quickly said "let's move on" and turned the page but it was just to late.
It's funny really. I'm able to talk about this issue but to actually get up in front of a group of people (some who I know, some who are familiar, and some who I will never see again) just triggered me.
Of course I set in motion a bit of a sob fest. The next few people to follow me had mini breakdowns as well. I guess I'm just cool like that.


P.S. I spent twenty minutes trying to make blogger load my pictures right side up...screw it

Soggy Birthday

I know, I know, I promised I would begin blogging again. This time I have no excuse...although a flooded apartment does hinder Internet activity. And here I am the victim of not one but two flooding experiences.
Yes, while I was gone for the month of December my bedroom flooded. This led to minor damage, a few ruined books and a destroyed sheet. All in all things worked out well and all that needed to be done was a shampoo.
That was really a minor incident in comparison to what happened next. I woke up February 11 to another Birthday. I went about my morning routine and headed to my first class. After sitting through two hours of psychopathology of childhood, and getting a rather unwanted visit from 'mother nature', I hurried myself home.
I started a seemingly harmless load of laundry when suddenly I heard a strange noise. Bubbling was coming from my bathroom. All at once water was everywhere as both the toilet and shower began to overflow. I ran out to the garage and stopped the wash and grabbed as many extra towels as I could find.
Great. My birthday had come down to a day of unwanted overflow. HA! With no way of reaching my landlord I stopped the overflow and cleaned up. I had another class to attend so I made a barrier of towels, left a note, cleaned up and went to my night class. I drove home after class imagining the horror I would find. To my relief all was well, for now.
After being reassured by my landlord that the plumber was coming the next day I went downstairs and began some homework. Weariness began to set in and I decided to check the bathroom one last time before bed. Flooded. And in the kitchen too.
I ran upstairs and woke my slumbering land lady. After she gave me a five gallon shop vac I ran back down stairs. I worked until 3am cleaning up the water and repairing my barricade of towels.
Finally sleep overtook me. But went I awoke, only hours after I had hit the sack, I took three steps and was standing in water. I quickly ran up stairs again. After being told that the plumber would be here in one hour I ran back downstairs and quickly began shop vaccing the water.
Luckily, I hadn't put the bedroom back together yet so nothing was in there to be damaged by the water that was now soaking the carpet, yet again. It took me quite some time, and many trips to empty the water from the vac before it was cleaned up again.
The plumber snaked the pipes only to pull out a giant clump of roots/branches. I was glad to know it wasn't a massive ball of my hair but having a tree growing in the pipes wasn't good either. :P
So, this years birthday was pretty soggy. But I did get a month free of rent out of the whole ordeal. Plus, Dustin the carpet cleaner ;) was a welcomed sight to my water filled eyes. Now the carpet is clean and dry and I can put everything back together...when I get around to it. ;P

I'm back bitches!...and wet carpet stinks

'Ello to all. I know it has been quite some time since my last blog but that's what happens when you don't have Internet access. But now I'm back in a-town and have a new computer so blogging should pick up.
Unfortunately, in my absence, the bedroom in my apartment flooded and I'm trying to get the carpet dry and clean along with all the clothes and other various items I left on the floor. Oie! Hopefully I'll gain something from this experience...such as to clean up and not leave shit lying around! HAH!
Anyway...just wanted you to know that I'm back in business.
Have a wonderful day!

Book: Morgan G. Photography

For the Digital Media Foundations Book (Final) Assignment, I choose to work with images from my gas mask project. I used the basic set up to start with (8 pages, 5x7inches, 300 ppi) but I added four columns to help me with my layout design. I brought my margins in and began placing frames and text boxes on my pages until I had a layout I found appealing. Then I chose my images and dropped them into my frames. I copy and pasted my artist statement into the first text box and used the link option to let the text flow from one box to another over all of my pages. I wrapped the text around a few of the images on different pages to give it a more professional look. I also added drop shadows to some of my images to make the pages more interesting and visually aesthetic.
All photographs were taken by me, Morgan G., I hope you enjoy.

Doll Face

I think that this video speaks tons about the medias influence on the individual and the culture as a whole...I also think that the imagery is very striking and powerful. Kudos to the maker.

Adobe Bridge

Morgan G. Photography


Just follow the above link to view all of the images I have created for my digital media foundations class.

Table of Contents

I created this table of contents based off of the design template on the DMF web site. I spruced it up a little however, by adding images that I felt were more visually interesting. I enjoyed learning how to use InDesign, especially how to place images behind text and changing their opacity. I definitely think that that is a technique I will use for my final project.

Classic Advertising

While working on a project for my Photography class I found myself drawn towards 40's and 50's style advertising. Everything from the models to the text makes these advertisements so appealing. These are some of the images I used to lay down a foundation for my own project.




I absolutely love this ad. It's basic and limited in its color palette but I think that makes it more vibrant and powerful. It also used a wonderful repetitive diagonal line. You see the diagonal in the models pose, as well as the vacuum, and the drawings of the model in three different positions. These lines help move the eye to the GE company logo at the top right corner as well as down to the text at the bottom of the page. They also strategically placed the dark band across the page to separate the text and image, yet this also is what makes them work together.





This is another classic ad. Again you see a somewhat limited color palette and a great use of form. The text and the model almost form the letter T. This set up helps the eye to focus on the most important pieces of the image. The Budweiser text and the drink itself in the hand of the model.