Miriam Sweeney Artwork
We love Miriam Sweeney and her art. She loved art as a young woman, but then started a family and so art took a backseat. Re-engaged with art in the past five years or so. Her city map pieces are about her love of place and all the memories she has of places she has been with the people she loves. Her egg shells and bees work is about the fragility of life. Her map and memorabilia pieces are about the lives we lead and all the history packed inside. If I recall correctly, the three lines on some pieces are about her three sons.https://www.mbsweeneyart.com/See @mir_sweeney on Instagram.“Drawing inspiration from city aerial views, my work explores the urban landscape that sit somewhere between order and chaos, structure and collapse, expression and control. Seen from above, its pieces emerge like a puzzle, each with its own personality. I paint playful, textured curvilinear shapes to capture the city streets, its landmarks, the droning sounds of traffic, the chitter chatter of its cast of characters. I hope to evoke the feeling one gets when flying into a new place for the first time, when we try to take everything in, or reflect on the lasting impressions of authentic connections, special places and their unique stories.”Photoshoot at Baker Street on June 23rd, 2024.Transcript of Recordingkeyword: featuredartistsTranscript of Recording from June 23, 2024 at 1911 Baker StreetMiriam Sweeney, Tom Paper, Mina de Almeida, Victoria Nguyen00:00Um, okay. So can you marry him? Thank you for joining us.00:04I turned on our little recorder here. Um, and I'm here with Victoria while Mina is out for the moment.00:12Um, so tell us about this piece. Is part of a series.00:16Yes, so, um, this is the smallest one out of the three.00:20I have the 48 by 48, or 50 by 50 that I sent you.00:24This one is um, 36. And that one's 24 by 24.00:29And, um, I made the, I made these after our trip to Ireland last year.00:38We spent, that is 25 days, um, just gallivanting and, and, and, um, you know, visiting and really learning all about, like, the archaeological Well, I should say, the theme of the, the trip was more archaeological, because Bill, my husband, likes to, um, he likes to do research, how we go anywhere.01:06And it's always, they're always historical researches, you know. And, and so, um, what I got out of it were just these, everyone talks about Ireland being green, all of that.01:19But what was most, um, was most, um, really fascinating to me, where these huge, just just gigantic boulders, of, of of slate and bastled, you know, all over and, and they've got these um stones that they put one on top of the other.01:43And for a long time we would see pictures of them.01:45And I thought that they were, you know, to divide, um, divide the the farms, but they're actually there to cut the wind and keep the topsoil.01:56Um, and, and so I thought that these represented how I feel about Ireland and the Irish people.02:08You know, just the grit, the toughness, the solidness of them, and just the no nonsense, but also, there's a lot of grace in just how they do things.02:19You know, they're very resilient and they're very practical, and they're very, um, and I almost think that it's because, well, the question is, is it them, or did the environment kind of just shape or shape them that way?02:35You know, have you seen The Man of Aaron? No, um, it's, it's, um, it's a movie from the 1930s.02:42It's actually a docky movie from the 1930s. So it was filmed by this man named Clarity.02:47And I think, actually think that he comes from the long line of the um, ferocious, ferocious flarities of Venemara in Ireland.02:54Anyway, um, you watch that film, and then you understand why the Irish are the way they are, their resilience, their toughness, the way they had to to live like this.03:07The, it's a film is filmed in the, the, the movie is the, it's filmed in this UM island called Inish.03:13More it's, it's one of the air and islands, the biggest ones at it, UM, in the air and, and it's called the most uninhabitable place on Earth.03:24But people live there, and you go there, and it's like, time has kind of, you know, stood still from a moment, like, like, 50 years didn't go by for them it.03:39And, but it's just a greediness and, you know, I-I don't know how to explain it what's the movie called again man of aaron man of aaron E-R-A-R-A-N-A-R-A-N okay okay a man of aaron and um we just um I-I didn't take my MY husband thought that i would come home and paint pastures of green and and FIELDS of green it's not how you removed no and and it's it's because it's what I would I-I took in from that just these landscapes of slate and and rockiness and and and greediness and and probably because you know my dad was.04:23A geologist, and so I'm just more, um, I don't know.04:31I-I look at rocks I-I do like I-I-I like them so I-I think it's just left over From what i remember memories i think so a lot of what i brought.04:44Are um.04:47The THEME is memory nice, all right let's shoot this this we, gotta shoot this in two pieces so we're gonna go ahead and shoot this half.04:58And now we're gonna do you got it? Or do you okay?05:03So we're gonna turn it around and then, and then go that way, if that makes sense.05:14So, miriam, after the fact, these these, this will get stitched together into one image.05:19So we have, I have a team who who post, processes all the images that we shoot here.05:26Um, which is great. Can you make prints? We can make prints.05:32We won't do you like you can. If you wanna use this to make prints of this, you can, and we'll figure out something else.05:37Say, I have a couple of pieces. I I've been looking for a photographer to shoot them because I wanted to make Prince out of them.05:45And I-I just you know they have, a hard time because of the glare aha well you'll see i mean we'll see, that's we're we're certainly concerned about that or the exposure, but I don't mean, look, we can go look at this right now.06:01And, and it looks, this is pretty good, and it looks a little more warm and pinkish here, but when we actually upload it, it's pretty true.06:12Oh, absolutely.06:16Um, okay. So let's shoot this guy.06:21All right. So we're done with that, so we're gonna trade out.06:33I can't believe you've just been doing this for a few years.06:37Is this the next? Oh, sure. Any, any, which one we'll do it size wise.06:41Ultimately, got a.06:46This one is called, um, dear Mary.06:51And I went to, I love flea markets cause, you know, there's always speaking of abstract I mean, you just never know what you're gonna find.07:09Can we, can you come back your way a little bit?07:13Oops, my person.07:15So the work keeps moving.07:27I wonder, what, because of this lift, do you think it's even like Is, is it kind of tilted up like this?07:39Um, well, we, we can, we can check.07:47Close. Yes, I mean, it's a little.07:58I think we should, we should leave it. I think it's gonna be, we're gonna monkey around with it, and it's gonna be not worth it.08:13Um.08:45There you go. That looks good. You know what? I didn't do when we just, when we just shot, I didn't focus.08:54Oh, I in in my head. I thought they would be pretty similar, because it looks like the same.09:01Well, let's just double check.09:06It looks pretty darn good.09:20Now I think we're fine.09:23Okay, all right, we'll get this one.09:28So tell us, tell us about this.09:31So this is, um, about, this is dear Mary. Aha M-M-A-R-I it stands for mary bell um and then in the back actually there's A-A little or should we shoot the back if you like there's a little story, behind that no so i Found, a yearbook from the forties um in a bin.09:56The flea market and i want. You know i, love collage because it reminds me of being five years old again, you know, paper, scissors, glue, and, um, I'm gonna focus on this thing.10:07I started ripping up the yearbook because I wanted to create.10:10It was, um, a yearbook for It was Mary bell's, your book basically, did you, you didn't know Mary Bell?10:16No, no, it just, um, it had dear Mary Bell everywhere.10:19So, dear or dear Marie, they called her M-A-R-I marie sides anyway um And, in the middle, of.10:29Um you know ripping, it, apart and putting it together i started to feel SAD because this was this woman's you know, full, like four years, you know, which were the four, the formative years, right?10:42The most, the years that we the figure. Can you do it?10:46Turning around? We'll do the the other.10:53Sorry, oh no, that's okay. Like the years that shape your, you know, the first half of your personality.11:01In any case, I felt sad about it, but then, at the same time, I felt happy knowing that I, you know, gave life back to it.11:10And then I kind of, um, we told her story because throughout the yearbook I found out that she was part of the garden club, aha, um, and she wanted to be a stewardess, um, and all of these things.11:28So the back there, there's, um, a picture of Rita, and it's, um, oh, that's not Mary on the that's not Mary.11:37Actually, mary is in the front here. It's her picture up there on the upper right.11:42Yes, that's Mary. There's, those are letters, actually, that were from the yearbook, you know, um.11:49And then I found the one, the one African American girl in the whole class.11:55So I made a heart out of her. But I just thought, you know, if you look at the faces, see like, where are these people?12:02Now, you know what I mean, have I run? I have, I do.12:06I know some of their families, you know, I mean, I'm sure we've come across, right?12:12So it's a whole life is a whole ecosystem of people.12:17And so I put the picture of Rita in the back, because my mother in law's name is Marie, and her sister's name is Rita.12:27Aha. So I call this piece Dear Mary for all the Marys that we all know.12:32Aha.12:43Right. So so I-I missed it so the Woman on the back is reader the Woman.12:48In the back is rita and what is she to any of this?12:50Was she in the year book. She was in every, every everybody there, every face there was in, it was in the yearbook.12:56And I put Rita in the back, because Rita, and, and Rita is my mother, in, law sister, and, um, and her, my mother, in, law's name is Mary Marie.13:10Okay, so I just thought, because we know sweet all have mary's in our lives.13:15I call it Dear Mary, for all the mary's in our lives.13:19But then I found a what a girl named Rita addressed Mary Bell in the yearbook, and I cut her face out and put it in the back for fun.13:29And, and, and so did you get the yearbook because of Rita?13:32Like it just happened that Rita was in the yearbook, and we said, you had a connection to her, not a connection to Rita, just, it's just a name.13:40Reader Oh, oh, okay. Oh, oh. That's another Reader Yes, I don't know any of that.13:45That is a yearbook from the Forties.13:49It's amazing. I just, I just thought it was so it was, it was kind of sad that I tore it apart.13:59But then at the same time, I felt happy that I gave it new life.14:03Then I actually invented a whole life. Her whole, like her whole teenagers.14:08I invented, reinvented for her.14:12This looks like National Geographic Maps. Yes, love it. Love it.14:20This one also, um, I found a National Geographics.14:27Did you wanna refocus? I did. Okay, I won't put it.14:32Find this interesting, actually.14:39Here it is. Just a second.14:51You found this. I found this in, in the same flea market.14:58Um, see, I opened it up. It was big, right?15:04And.15:07Just really cool stuff. And I kind of said that I tore it apart now.15:12But anyway, um, I this one is called, this is a series.15:20There are six of them. I sold the first two. So this is three and four.15:25Um. It's called road trip nostalgia. A little bit closer to you.15:31The closer, then, then then we get less of the outer edges.15:36That's fine.15:43That's good.15:45It's called road trip road trip nostalgia. Um.15:49And it reminded me, do you remember, oh, there's something in the the back to when you get it down.15:57You remember when, um, you we were kids and parents would take us.16:09I suppose.16:13I'm sorry. Our conversation is disjointed here. Now.16:20All right, let's focus on this.16:29This is one of the more satisfying parts of our process.16:32Is this right here, where we get to make it focus.16:42Okay, ready.16:45Hold on just a second. I wanna go look at this.16:48Okay. So who are these people? So, um, in the maps, I found these pictures San Francisco family, but look at them.16:59They're interracial, and I don't know, does it look like sixties, maybe or sixties?17:06And I just imagined that they went on road trips across the country, um, and the kids probably sat in the back of a station wagon without seat belts, you know, right?17:20And, and you just, the mom just sat there and watched the world, and I could hear the music like, I remember when we first came to this country, my dad would take us, you know, again, geology.17:34See, he took us to the Hoover Dam, which wasn't fun at all, because, you know what?17:40Kid wants to go to Hoover, to the Hoover Dam.17:43He took this to, um, I write the Dead Sea, the salt, salt, sultan, sultan, sultan, sea.17:51I mean, all these random places that then we did like, for a series of years, we went to all the national um, yosemite.18:00And he used to make us sing, um, patriotic music, your dad, yes, so that we would learn to be Americans.18:10So I used, we used to sing Purple Mountain, just in America.18:17Well, was us in the, in the backseat of our station wagon, and we would sing, I mean, I mean, aha, like all these patriotic music, john Denver Country Road.18:34So anyway, I put, I just imagine that they had did the same thing.18:40And when I found those pictures, I had to put them in the back to just just for fun.18:47And you said, you sold some of these already? Yes, I sold two of them.18:52Did they have mementos in the back of that?18:55Love that. So I made six because I-I found SIX pictures and i would return them but i don't know who they are and it's just um but i wanted TO keep them together you know with the maps I'm think.19:10I'm, again imagining there. I'm reinventing their memories.19:17I mean, it really, it sounds like you, you, I mean, you are a story teller.19:23You're, you're, you're telling us stories. You're, you're right. You've found these things about people.19:30And that, I mean, even the high school yearbook, it's a, it's a tale of all sorts of stories, right, mary.19:35And, I mean, there's so so many things you can, you can read from just a simple note to marry.19:42You know, she, there's that letter over there above. She's talking about wanting to be a stewardess.19:50Aha. And, and, um, when she's talking about the poppy garden that she's tending, go ahead, you know.19:59And if you can, just, I just, sometimes I wanna be a warrior.20:03And, and, and, and go in time and, and, like, just just take a peek.20:10You know, what's her day? Like a life in the day of Mary is the, um, I don't mean to be literal, but is the gold piece there is that?20:22Is that what? What is, is that meaning anything?20:26Is that the sun? Or, oh, yes, just the sun in the sky.20:29And that's, I mean, in all the landscapes, I-I just have three three lines and A-A-A circle for sun and sky and i always do three small UM things in threes because i have, three boys and so it's Always everything is, always in threes.20:52Are any of your. Boys um are they Grown, are they yes i Have a 28 Year, old in LA.21:00He is, um.21:02He's in software sales. I told you about Marcus in New York City.21:07Aha. And, um. But remind me, what's he doing the New York City?21:11He is, um, um, he's trying to be in finance. He's an analyst, right?21:17He's I-I you know he's got to work his way aha so That's.21:24Easy he's booking um for J-L-L, oh right the Real, estate and then um my third one, was in chicago so now he's at usf and i would i mean none of them are artists yet my third one actually, um, he's UM, he's an architect, architecture major.21:48UM, but he is also an animator. So he is currently doing a music video for UM Have you ever heard of?21:59I'm I'm not well versed on these UM News musical talents.22:05Artist But, um, he's called Um June. Larry, june.22:11I'm not sure. I'm also not hip to anything that's happening.22:15Oh, I don't know about that. Come on. I don't know about that.22:18His name is Larry. June. Anyway, he's supposed to be, like, very, um, health oriented, although I listen to his music, and, you know what is health oriented music?22:33Like? It's rap, but he tells people to drink smoothie, except that it's like, gonna make a joke about that, but it's real.22:42And then he but it's, this is a different, this is a different couple, isn't it?22:48This one. This is the same couple. Same couple.22:53But look at them, right? I mean, just look at them.22:57What, what were their names? Where do they live? I know they're from the city because some of the, um, the postcards in the box, but the postcards didn't have, like, a name or anything.23:11No, it's an address. Um, no, no, no. It's just like, you know, like, like, postcards you you you pick up, um, during your travels.23:19They weren't sent anywhere, but, um, you know, it's like back in S-F you know just all right so i think, we're done with this smaller that's now we're ready for the largers.23:39Actually, I can have your help.23:53And, and let's not bring it up, um, what's that? Would it be easier this route?24:02Or I think that, I think that way. But I think if we're gonna need to take a we're gonna need to take a thing out.24:08Um.24:11Do you wanna lift? Or do you wanna, do you wanna up?24:16You want to pull out? Okay.24:31Just a second.24:34Is that it? Okay, great. Awesome.24:38I'll take it out.24:42What?24:44Sorry. One moment. Do you think? Do we need adjust anything on the screen before we bring it over?24:50No, we can bring up. Let's, let's, we can bring it.24:52Um, thankfully, there's nothing on the back of this one.24:58Oh, how do I Okay.25:04You, OK. Yes, much better. OK. Help me out.25:10I didn't know coffee with the things I can help migraine.25:16It's better than aspirin. Really open that opens up your um, just let it down for for the minute blood flow, you can hold on.25:26I think we're gonna do this in four pieces and trying to get UM.25:33One, right? We'll have the background on, on two sides, whatever it is.25:40We're shooting.25:49Exactly, exactly. Okay, maybe even a little more.25:59I mean, I can take this thing off too if you cause, I think I'll give enough.26:06So does that work? So, okay, um.26:14I need focus.26:19Just checking my exposure always.26:26Now we did several smaller pieces. And now moving onto the this little hair, or something that I see here.26:34Oh, you can just check that out. Oh, no, it's part of it.26:37Oh, it looks white. No, it's part of it, but it just looks light white.26:42Oh, okay. Oh, with a light.26:49What medium is acrylic Credit. Are you holding it? I am holding it.26:56I know it's kind of wobbling right now. Um, I don't think we have much choice.27:00Um, I hold on to.27:15All right, I think that's good.27:21Okay. So we'll shoot this in four So here we go.27:25There's.28:05Okay. Looking at one thing real quick. So that was.28:12That line. This line wasn't completely straight. It was a little like this.28:17Do you think I'll be? Okay. Okay, I rotating it again.28:42Okay.28:46Really great.28:48Is that? All right. Me. Um, victoria. Okay, with this.28:53I want to care. So.30:10Right.30:12Okay, that's it.30:32You need get a long ways to go here.30:36That is true.30:38Ha, ha, ha, ha. Let me what, okay, what? Thank you.30:43Hey, is this smaller? Is this the same?30:48This is, um, okay. This is a little. It's, it's, it's more rectangular.30:58Yes, that it's 2 " bigger than this might be able to move when there.31:06If you just, let's try this.31:15No.31:19I got a teeny tiny bit to give up above. We'll see if it does anything doesn't.31:26Well, the perfect.31:30Now, okay, now I gotta adjust the I need to bring it this way.31:37Forget. It's okay.32:02I think we need to use up. We need to come, come my way, right?32:09Let's come as.32:17Okay.32:22Even a little bit more of this on your side.32:27Sorry, you bring it a closer to you showing. Okay.32:37The problem is now, but the top is showing.32:41It's But you know what they can do with that? I they've gotten good at that, like the fact that we don't have a background up at the top of the, the page here, um, I mean, they'll, they'll, they know how, they know how to deal with that.32:57So if we're here, yes, more than halfway.33:04All right. So now we definitely have to focus.33:10I like this. Like, the lessons, beautiful.33:15Thank you.33:18So the areas that are higher does that correspond to, like, the actual topography?33:25Oh, no, the play. Okay, I noticed it. I would like that to be, but it's like, so hard to forget that part.33:34No, I just, um, it's A-A lot of when I-I do these maps the one like the ones upstairs it's more meditative and I-I just pour paint over and over again so it's not necessarily maybe how it gets so even um Oh even, as, in, like, the top of it um flat it's.34:02It's. Like, sculpting it sculpting it you know as you're, pouring you're sculpting of the shape of of the tile, acrylic, acrylic.34:15Oh, amazing.34:16You must use a lot of paint then, huh?34:20Ha, ha, ha, um.34:25So here you should be good. Do you want to move it a little closer to you to use up the little extra sliver there?34:35I Um, why not just to be safe?34:43That's good.34:48Okay.34:51You know, it feels like I grew up in the Twin Cities, so I kind of know Chicago.34:56It feels like winter, like snow covered all over it. It feels cold.35:04I don't know if that's what you were going for or not, you know?35:07I mean, I, when I think of Chicago, I think of steel and denim, aha, you know, like the people that, again, that hardiness, those people that worked up in skyscrapers.35:19She had brought their lunch and had lunch hair. That's, and that's kind of what I was going for.35:24Is just the, the denim and the steel and, and I've gotta show these guys the, um, picture of the San Francisco more recent the, the, the one that, that you didn't bring.35:40Oh, I'll send you a video also, actually, I don't know if I send that video to you.35:47Is there anything on the back of this that we wanna capture?35:52Okay.36:02You guys have to see this one.36:06This, this one feels like a Pride San Francisco is that was at the intent of it.36:14(415) 699-5330.36:23Um, here's, wow.36:29That's the Pride one. The, oh, it's really fun. Rainbow.36:36It should be. Was that one commissioned? Or did you So this one?36:41UM, this one is not exactly. No, this. This was supposed to go to UM and and and exhibit in UM at the very building, UM.36:53And I couldn't finish it in time, so I gave them something else.36:58But this was supposed to be for the June Pride Month, but I didn't get it done.37:03Oh, gosh, next year. No, it's, I'm, I'm just gonna call, I'm doing a series of them.37:11I'm gonna do like, um, um, just neighborhoods to go with the big, the big canvas.37:20I'll have smaller canvases, and I'll just, um, divide them into neighborhoods.37:25And I'm gonna call them painted ladies, as in, I did like the painted ladies.37:30And all the color of the ring. Nice. I love it.37:35Where did you go to school?37:38I went to cow and to Bell. So we're done. We started doing art and stuff the last few years.37:45Really believe it. No, I don't believe it, actually. Okay, wow.37:51Oh, like, I thought that one was the heaviest one, actually.37:57So we've done all of those pieces. I'm gonna before we do that, I wanna consider, I'm, um, shooting the one that's upstairs.38:13I don't know. Um, do you want to wait? I can bring you another one when I come back on the 20 third I-I have is it like, my like mine, is it not that one but i have, different i mean IT'S a san, francisco but it's not the same color.38:32Not the same color scheme, um, of this one. This, let me show you the color skin.38:40And it's the same. It's kind of like yours, but it's, um, it's got one less color there is.38:50Aha.38:52I don't know if we're gonna be shooting again on the on 16 august.38:57Um. But, um, I just thought, because since I wasn't sure if, now, I'm just hesitant to take it off the wall now that it's resting.39:09I can also take, I know yours is specific pictures, but I can, I can take one.39:18No, no, it's all right. I look, we'll, we'll shoot again so I can get it if I want to.39:22I already did take a picture of it. Um. So I'll have one to put in the exhibit of ours, so it just won't be as high resolution as all the others.39:32But that's okay.39:33Um, okay, let's Um. Now we're gonna shoot those, but I need to, this is gonna take a few minutes, because I've got to, um, do light box out.39:44Shoot that. Do you want me to to take the acrylic?39:47Um.39:50Let's, um, actually, let's, let's, or before I forget, this is for you.39:58I have an extra copy of this, and I think you might appreciate that.40:01What do you know who Jim Shine is? No, he had a map shop in North Beach, and, and then somehow he got this treasure trove of pictures from this photographer named He, he's on the cover.40:18And then Jim did this whole book in honor of this guy in his photographs.40:24And he made, and, and he even made a map, ken Cath Cart and, and I, and I'm, I'm, can't remember the origins of the map, which is on the cover, but he goes through this whole thing to explain all the iconography on this map.40:38Oh my God, it's beautiful. And I, I'm actually look, so you're welcome.40:46You're welcome. I-I-I-I saw the way to go through this wasn't it san francisco mark?40:52Hopkins.40:57Here's my here here's My other copy.41:02Oh, see, can cat, cat card? Can cat card?41:06Um, all right, let's, um, let's put the other, um. When you can look at that for a second, I'm gonna get the other play box.41:28Okay.41:31Let's put the other thing back on.41:36By the way, that um piece you have upstairs.41:40It's gonna be in, um, a little cop like it's not a coffee table book, but it's gonna be in a book, um.41:47And I'll, I'll give you a copy of it as well.41:49That's, I'm supposed to get it in November.41:54Okay, um.41:57And they did shoot a picture of it, so maybe I'll give, you know, I'll email you that one.42:05Maybe that'll work too. Okay, so you don't have to take it down.42:09Okay, awesome. Um, all right, let's bring one. Let's just, let's just bring it over.42:16And let's just look at it right now, under the through the lens, and see what happens.42:19You measure just, I don't think this is gonna be good, but I think it's gonna be much better to shoot it on the side.42:29Actually, we're not doing like a three D thing, right? Okay?42:43But as we know, it's wider than, it's narrower than 9 ".42:48So, so we, we're not gonna get it full frame because of, because our lens and, and we don't need to do the macro, I don't think not worth it.42:56It's not worth that.42:58You want to I-I let's just let's see, what this looks like.43:12Well we also need to need to adjust um the f Stop, HERE to get more depth of field um hold on.43:25Stretch my brain when i and now i got.44:00God she's, even got just a map of Chinatown, chinese. You quick, white, sure.44:18And seeing it looks like smitches on the inside, in this angle, the camera might not pick it up.44:29You sleep here. Do you see that? I think that looks like it's on the inside.44:37That's fine.44:40I just put those on yesterday, and it came from the box.44:45I used.44:58Sorry, sorry. I, I'm sorry. I just realized what I did.45:03Oh my gosh. No, no, we're, we're all just trying to figure it out.45:09It's all good. We're figuring out, um, I don't think this is, I mean, we can take this picture, but I don't think it, it's, it's gets, what, what, what the, what it is as well as it's going to if you get it from the Do you want me to.45:26I can take, take them off with the Willops. Well, we may, but then, even still, we're gonna, I think we need to shoot this way to, in some way to see, oh, you know, to see the, although you you said it's intended to be hung on the wall, um.45:43Or you could, you know, like, these are things that just kind of you could sit on a bookshelf.45:48Aha. So I-I what i what I'd like for people to do is to look at it and go oh what is, that and look Some more right they're they're bees aha and they're important to our biodiverse it is right so important one of my employees for my consulting room was a beekeeper.46:10He's been for 20 years. You've written several books. Oh, really.46:14So I and I was a big save bees.46:20Um, okay, well, um.46:26We can shoot. Let's, let's shoot this. We might as well, since we're here, but I think we're gonna, I think we're gonna get out the light box and shoot that as well.46:36Um, I probably should white balance on this.47:32So he mainly lived in the Bay Area then, since he moved.47:36Um, we live in Davis.48:16It's effectively the same thing.48:25Okay. Um, yep. What's going to shoot this?48:35Okay? And then we'll shoot, let's, we'll shoot the other one, and then we're gonna get out the light box.48:42After that, I was gonna say, tom, did you wanna take a picture everyone's hearing?48:48Oh, thank you. Yes, thank you, thank you. All right. You met all our visitors.48:53Yes, we have visitors.48:57We love having meals. All right. So, um, you know, you're not gonna get out of this.49:04Sorry.49:08Um, let's see here.49:13Um, mean, can you come over there? Sure.49:17Let's see here.49:20There you go.49:23I'm gonna come over here. How about? Oh, I'm in the way.49:26Let's see here.49:28Okay, ready.49:30One, two, three.49:32Okay. Great. All right.49:35That was a squeeze.49:39Oh, that's sweet. Alright, Nice.49:44Um, all right.49:53Okay. Okay.49:56So did you want to take these out? Then, as she was saying for for the light box photos, I think so.50:03I-I-I think so what do you think Um we don't have we don't have to it'll it will we'll put them, up on their sides and then we might put them at an angle well i can kind of guess my question is then, like, is this, I know it's like.50:21For practical reasons, but is it also kind of like a bit heat part of your artwork that it is in this display, um, but it's, you know, feel free to remove them, because I also have pieces like that without the frame, and I just, um, resin them.50:39So they're just free standing egg shells.50:42Campus I see, I see.50:49May be easier to prop with the with the frame on.50:58That's a good point. A lot easier.51:03Okay.51:09Okay.51:14All right. So now we're gonna do the light box. This will take, this will take a couple minutes.51:21Um.51:25Thinking, how are you doing for time? Oh, good. You good.51:30You sure.51:32Okay. I'm thinking, babe, calculating, basing, but you don't know what I'm thinking about.51:39Guess what I'm thinking about? Do we have enough time to set everything up?51:43Well, I'm kind of, I'm, I'm feeling, I'm feeling regret about not photo shop, not taking a picture of the one upstairs, because, cause like, we're all set up and you're here, I feel like I should do it.51:53Um, what do you think up to you? Absolutely. Let's do it.51:59All right. I know Eleanor was having reservations because of the weight area.52:02Can we carry it down?52:05It's gonna be heavier than any of these, right? A lot heavier.52:11No, that's, that's discretion is the better part of valor. So we'll, I don't want to do that.52:17All right. So we'll do the light box house. Fine, but I don't.52:20Thank you. That's what I that's, I don't why I had it I-I really I-I really don't wanna carry that upstairs so what have you Doing that you all right so we can leave that.52:36Or or we gonna go up one, if you have one i don't know if we have an extra.52:41I mean, we can use one of these. Why don't we just leave it for the moment and, and we'll, let's gonna take a couple minutes turn this off, UM, we can turn off the lights for the offer.52:57It's kind of a different UM tripod setup now to get the light box out.53:03So.53:06Um, tell, tell me about the UM egg shells. What was the inspiration behind that, those pieces?53:12So, um, these, this, um, was actually a set. Um, I had a bigger piece like this, a 24 by 24 with, with the egg shells at the eggs, oh, cool.53:25Ease in it. Um. And, and then I had those little ones surrounding it, you know, like, oh, that was supposed to be the interesting the, um, what I was supposed to exhibit at the JCC, you know, within the theme of Martia Roots, which was, um, um, you know, about the environment.53:48And, but I sold the big piece. Oh, you did I turn those in?53:56I love the idea of bookshelf.54:00Those on right, like the bookshelf or on their own.54:06Beautiful. It's just, it's just kind of fun. And, you know, um, I-I was thinking of the fragility of our ecosystem and bees how they play into that or the role in it or the role that they play, I should say.54:24And, you know, the egg shells, um, cause I had a lot of eggs shells, and it represents the fragility, fragility, yes.54:41This is always a more venture to remember how I do this.54:48Okay.55:23Okay.55:33I had a tutor, um, when I was sort of relearning photography at sammy's camera, and, um, this was right before the pandemic, and he used to like, like, he would go so slowly, and I was like.55:52Just move things where they're supposed to go. And he was like, he just very slow and, and, and like, it only took me a few times when I was, like, hurrying.56:02And then all of a sudden, you know, I've, I've, I've hit something, or broken something, or whatever.56:08That's happened. Enough as it is.56:17Okay.56:51Um, can I take this? Wanna take this always up.58:27That's great.58:33Can you turn that back on, please? The light box a little on the that that thing all the way, you know.58:44That's great. I'll buy.59:20I'm sorry. It's just absolutely it's sort of more for sure.59:27Oh, where are you? I think that's be perfect.59:30It's very on game too. It's very good on game. Oh.01:00:27I think this thing is just too big.01:00:30You do. Well, it's, it's, I mean, it's kind of unwieldy, but I don't know exactly how this is all gonna gonna shake out.01:00:38Oh, oh, this looks narrow, okay, but that won't it was there.01:00:44So I just like, I just.01:01:09I suppose there's some chance that we might have have time.01:01:14After all.01:02:49I'm not gonna do that. Okay, great.01:02:59Are you all packed up?01:03:03You get great.01:03:05Okay.01:03:12Okay, Let's do, um. So let's grab one of them.01:03:35Is there kind of a right side up? Or, um, not necessarily.01:03:41This is either top or bottom. Okay, just so the screws are either top or bottom.01:03:46I think if we do it like this, we might be able to feel a little bit more inside.01:04:20Okay.01:04:26Okay, I suppose I can just, we can just shoot straight on.01:04:59Are those ducks?01:05:01I don't know. I was just wondering about them.01:05:05It sounds like just, or duck. Ha, ha.01:05:11It's cute.01:05:13All right. Um, do you wanna, um, victoria, do you wanna stand by the Um.01:05:41You know, are you feeling okay? Better? Better, much better.01:05:47Always scary.01:05:50Like, no, I'm gonna have to go home.01:05:55Um, thank you.01:06:40All right, let's think about, um.01:06:46Okay.01:07:06Well, I don't know. I'm not, I'm not as worried about the white pals quite yet.01:07:10Just gonna, let's see this.01:07:54When we think about that.01:08:14Three. Bring the box a little closer, so it fills up more of a screen.01:08:18Bring the camera closer to the box. I'm sorry. I bring the art piece inside the box closer.01:08:24Um.01:08:27We can. Um, although we're, I'm just like, I don't know if that.01:08:36Do we like that view? Should we be sort of closer?01:08:40Like, dead on. Um, like looking more, instead of looking out, looking down on it as much, I guess.01:08:49How many.01:08:53How many shots are we gonna take in picture?01:08:58It's, it's totally it's all to us.01:09:02Gosh, those other ones look dark.01:09:07This is the, this is the hard part about this, the beautiful it photograph.01:09:18Well.01:09:27I think for sure we need one head on, and then the other angles are kind of up to us.01:09:34Aha, head on, meaning, meaning, but, but more at the same level, at the same level.01:09:43I agree with that.01:09:45So show, do you wanna put another, do you wanna put another milk crate underneath it and raise it up?01:09:52So then we'll be I wonder, what about your little film?01:09:55I have those. I have those. They're in a little the right, the right over there up here, although I think we're gonna see them.01:10:06You you can.01:10:07I try it. I think we're gonna, I think they're gonna become visible.01:10:11But, right, because the thing is clear itself.01:10:16Let's see too tough.01:10:32You crank it down, or do you have to move? Oh, no, I can go down.01:10:37I can go down that. Oh, not too far.01:10:44But.01:10:50Well, I guess we can decide, do we, is it okay to have the little cause?01:10:57What? What would the other solution be?01:11:02We could bring this lower, but then we couldn't use this, where we were just, we couldn't use this, which means there would be less light dancing back.01:11:22They can also be, theoretically, just kind of edited out. If it's the pro, huh?01:11:38Give us a challenge more. I think if we do really do it head on, we wouldn't get so much of the death.01:11:48Aha, great. Well, I-I really wanna see like i think that's a lot that's more interesting the shape of I'm thinking do all about now like traditionally head on first, we can do explore the different angles after.01:12:12But why not I-I-I think we should put a crate underneath it because then we're Not to not have to worry we're not dealing with anything else, um.01:12:27But it's still, well, that's that we're still gonna have the lip.01:12:31We're still gonna have the lip to deal with.01:12:34Um.01:12:38Let's try this. Let's try it. We're gonna just take the we're gonna take this thing.01:12:45Okay.01:12:50Let's take this off.01:13:19Um, can you employ that for me? This, this thing. Employ this.01:13:25And I need to, because I, I'm just okay, move a little bit.01:13:29Okay, I'll write it back on.01:13:31Do you want this one as well? Maybe I think so.01:13:36We've been here before. We didn't think you're gonna get here today.01:13:40Problem solving. As we go, each piece of it's different. Um.01:13:51Now we're gonna have to turn these down, huh? So I'm turning the intensity knob, right?01:13:58So I'm doing, I'm, I'm not down. I'm I-I it's pointing up okay talk.01:14:05About.01:14:13All right let's see, here.01:14:32Wow you i Mean. See, how you know you were just, were just missing all the, um, like, when I look at it here, I when you look at it there, it all this gets washed out, right?01:14:50You can't really see it anymore.01:15:19Well, let me shoot it. Let's just shoot it and see what it looks like.01:15:29If I change the eyes of that.01:15:39Do you wanna do the white balance?01:15:55You can lean it.01:16:01Okay. Good. Balance.01:16:05Very good. Really, very good.01:16:12Okay.01:16:26Well, that is better. Look at that. All of a sudden, on the right side, you can like, you can see through in a much better way than we could before.01:16:37So now let's go see if we can get that exposure out of here.01:16:42-.4 that's a lot better.01:16:48That's a lot lot better.01:16:50That's like.01:16:54That's like, really good.01:16:56I think. I mean, it's like, I can now see the outline of the, of the, of the acrylic.01:17:05I, I'm, I'm happy with that.01:17:10Shall I remove?01:17:25Gosh. And I don't like it here at all. But I but I like the finish result, which right?01:17:34Photographers have said this like, you know what matters is what, what you get, not, not right here.01:17:40So I guess we'll just shoot it.01:17:42Let's take it out.01:17:46Let me remove these.01:17:53And of course, everything else gets taken out. But even this, I felt like this was so why are we not like I-I thought I oh you know what's happening i think THE black in the card is bouncing off oh my gosh.01:18:11Oh my gosh. That you're right i think it. Looks ok like THAT.01:18:25Miriam what do you think that was great all right. So now We'll try different vert, couple versions of this.01:18:37And do more straight on, like you.01:18:40No, sorry. Hold on.01:18:46It's not level, huh?01:18:49Something seems off.01:18:55Well, they can fix that though. Um, I just.01:19:05Is that about? Very good.01:19:12Um.01:19:26Oh, it's on straight and see what they're stringing this thing.01:19:32Oh, that's the wrong way.01:19:45You let me see.01:19:48It doesn't work straight on to me, cause I'm seeing more of the critic on this side.01:19:54Aha, so much.01:20:00Well, hey, we got this straight on one from, from, um, when we were looking down at it.01:20:06But all right, so now you wanna turn it the other way.01:20:15Did you focus? Aha, I'll do it again. But they're so.01:21:00Okay.01:21:02Um, for me, I would just like to see it in call.01:21:10The first one that we shot was a little more like this.01:21:13Okay, so this, I think we see a little. I see.01:21:16Got it great.01:21:19Okay.01:21:22Hi, I'm going here. Feeling good, better. Thank you. Good. Thank you.01:21:29How's the shooting going?01:21:32Good. Good. You use the TV.01:21:36It's getting very stiff. Hahaha. Exactly. We don't have to cover around the girl ipad.01:21:44That's good.01:21:46That's only good. Yes, tom can see was happening. But really, where manning the computer, who made those eggs?01:21:56Are there yours?01:21:58That's cool. Do you wanna go any, any other I-I mean I-I we wanna do the other two so.01:22:08Because then i think it will get TO fidgety if we have more time to make it that it's really amazing.01:22:20Hey, I'm mini mean, can you get the other.01:22:25Um, I think I go for a walk time. Okay. You don't have to know my earphones.01:22:32I thought I-I-I did but they in your purse or the person you took yesterday look i was looking good i don't know i see you thank.01:22:44You bye bye Bye i have a good walk. Thank you.01:22:48OK. So Tom.01:22:56Is there a topper, bottom mirror? Um, yes, but, but she's got it.01:23:01Okay, either.01:23:03The screws are top, I think this way, right? We'll see more of this story here.01:23:13So head on first.01:23:18Now do we need to white balance if the coloration of the item is different?01:23:22Or do you think we're we do with books, right?01:23:29I think so.01:23:32Well, you wanna take it and see what it looks like like without.01:24:05Shall we? Good with that.01:24:11Okay.01:24:18May I get the life. Oh, sorry.01:24:40So, victoria, I guess we're happy having the, having the light panels here.01:24:49I think we read it, um, because this is down, um, there, but that angle.01:24:57I actually don't know more. It bothers me that.01:25:01I don't know if, I mean, they'll cut it. I know they'll cut it out.01:25:06Is there?01:25:07Okay? I feel like lights getting stuck underneath there. But all right, oh, will that go to see?01:25:17This is all obsessive compulsive behavior that, that is that is constantly corralled.01:25:27Okay.01:25:37Well, I just think this is like a hundred miles better than what it was when we started.01:25:43Do you marry him? What do you think I-I thought it was all good you thought it was good at the beginning when it was a polaroid i I'm I'm I'M just IN awe of what you're doing i think THE only thing that's nothing because this is kind of still looking down on it And if we were.01:26:06Can I get back to the live view?01:26:09I think if we were straight on, we could see a little bit more of the the middle.01:26:15You should also turn it around. Turn it, um, you mean, like that.01:26:19I on. If you want, well, I can bring the camera down, or you can prop it up.01:26:24You, you want prop it up, I, or you just like put, um, do, um, the strip the whole So then we would miss this.01:26:31Oh, I see here. Um, I think it might be easier.01:26:35If we just adjusted this guy, you'll bring it down, cause then if we get crops going, okay, right?01:26:43It works. Full.01:26:44Can warm, although this is where, like this is about my a little higher, you mean, chilter, a little um, height up.01:26:54I think.01:27:07I think that looks good.01:27:11That's okay. I'm not.01:27:17If one of us is happy each time, it's really good.01:27:28All right, focus.01:27:44Wool.01:27:47Okay, we go.01:27:58Okay.01:28:13I wanna try one. Where you turn it even more moral, bleak.01:28:19Yes, yes.01:28:27Sorry. I just wanna make sure they have enough room to have something.01:28:32Push it back.01:28:33Okay, okay, yep. All we focus.01:28:49Of course, you know, the distance from here to here is, so it'll be interesting to see if the higher F stop gives us our depth of field.01:29:03So now we'll go, let's go look. It'll be in focus.01:29:07When you squint, it's when you squint. You can see both near and far in focus.01:29:12That's why you squint. And squinting is the same thing as turning the F stop into So we should, this should be, and it's not see.01:29:23So what's going on.01:29:29Huh?01:29:31Oh, I know why. Because I'm in live you.01:29:37That's pretty good, right? And now we should go over here and get the same kind of thing.01:29:42And we did, yes.01:29:45And I also we celebrate around ha, ha, ha, ha ha.01:29:51It's a little things that make up the big picture, really.01:29:53Hey, real, across the board.01:29:57Okay, do you wanna do what I say?01:30:01I mean, I-I-I like this view this view um so, let's.01:30:09Take A, liking please how sorry.01:30:18Oh Sorry?01:30:22So do You, wanna. Do one here? And then, exactly. Yes, exactly.01:30:37Miriam, we we, um, for Pixium, I've been interested in the possibility of taking images of things that, like, like a globe, um, or a three dimensional object, and, and having it be available on Pixium.01:31:01Like to see it, um, in, in, in a, in a version that you could spin around, like, like, like a truth, a true three D-A true three d yes yes exactly um and for.01:31:17And and a month ago we were going down the rabbit hole of that so the this is um, in the, in the vein of that, um, but go ahead.01:31:28Sorry.01:31:31Um.01:31:34But I've kind of decided to not not keep going on that, because I've got a lot of other things that, that I'd like to do with Pixium that are two D That would be nice.01:31:46And this is just three years. It's hard. It, it it.01:31:51You know, you gotta take 250 images of something from all angles in order to build a three D model of it.01:32:00Do you hear? Thank you. Like, it's your head on above, below.01:32:07It's like animation.01:32:09It is. Yes. Then they put it all. I mean, the end result is really cool, but it is just like, very time consuming as well.01:32:18And we haven't perfected the process yet. But the process, I feel like, okay, I got them one more.01:32:39Actually. Can you give us the first one?01:32:42The, the first one we did. I want to do the really oblique angles on this one.01:32:53So can I see?01:33:10Well, let's all we need to do is the, the, the, the, the, the harder angles on this one.01:33:17Yep.01:33:19Is this, or here, you can feel a little bit of a butterfly, or the be, or, like, more extreme, like that.01:34:11Okay, all right, you know, let's do the last guy.01:34:29What are these called?01:34:33I don't have, they don't have names for them.01:34:37You have a better name. Let me know. Fragility, delicate, something.01:34:46I can't I, I'm thinking of the killer bees on the Saturday Live.01:34:51Do you remember that? No, this you were, you were, you weren't even born.01:34:57John Belushi Dan Echoy.01:35:06This is a little little boy. Um I-I looked at this and so oh They always say which comes first and she get the egg but i always ask what about The bees there you?01:35:22Go I-I thought that was So cute you know he was like mom what about the bees oh there could be some bird in the bees thing happening too because of the egg shells oh birds bees fragile burden is.01:35:52You seem to be very popular. So I think I'm gonna be making more, really, the these, the be, things are, yes, they, they the, um.01:36:00The bigger sizes are more popular, like, bigger than these, but you do, oh, I um, as big as the, the smaller one.01:36:11City. Wow.01:36:12Wow.01:36:14I guess you guys are eating a lot of eggs.01:36:18We were because, um, it was on PETO for a while.01:36:23It's not available, by the way, you cannot sustain that diet.01:36:27I mean, bread is a main and, and the sugar and big group.01:36:34All right, these are nice, big eggs too. I know when you talk some really, um, nice.01:36:43I get these eggs from this woman at the farmers market.01:36:47And she also has duck eggs, which I haven't been. Um, I, I'm not that um, adventurous to try yet.01:36:56But, um, she's got, um, duck.01:37:00I'm looking for something heavy. Careful with um, how you cook duck eggs?01:37:06Because you can't have the Victoria here. Anything.01:37:08Put that, put that, just lay that on top of that song.01:37:13You're like, no, is that?01:37:18I mean, they're gonna grab that. That's fine.01:37:44Let me just look at this.01:37:59It's nice.01:38:05Wonder.01:38:07At certain angles, you can see the ridges of the box reflect in.01:38:12I wonder if they can, um, add that out, like the last one there.01:38:15This one. You see that line, which, um, on the left side, all the way through you we're seeing, like the bottom of this, reflect off the bottom of the Oh, you see, it's right here, that line.01:38:33Oh, oh, oh, that, that's, that's my little device there. Or, I think that's just like the, the edge, oh, this thing, or what?01:38:48One of the edges of the box?01:38:51Oh, interesting. It's the So it's the sides, isn't it? The.01:39:02The back.01:39:04But is the goal to eliminate the.01:39:10The box, the clear box entirely? Or it's not the clear box that were that we're seeing?01:39:19It's, it's, I think it's shadow. It's a shadow.01:39:26It's the other side.01:39:31I don't think we're gonna get rid of that.01:39:34Not today.01:39:38All right, shall we keep going?01:39:58How do you usually, um, sell your art or find new audiences?01:40:05Um, you know, it's odd, but Instagram, oh, oh, yes, that's a huge And, um, I have a couple of friends who, um, good friends.01:40:18Oh, word of mouth is already huge. Oh, it's awesome.01:41:03Okay, I got that.01:41:10I'm sorry. They, they had a dinner party and, and so she had a dinner party for her collectors, and they purchase them.01:41:20Oh, they're amazing. Oh my gosh, that's great. Oh, cool. So you brought it all, you brought everything to.01:41:29Well, I was, she was gonna have, she was gonna have, um, an an exhibit.01:41:35But, um, that evening, when I dropped them off, she had a dinner party, and one of the collectors bought off four pieces.01:41:41Oh, wow.01:41:42So they never even got up on the walls, which I'm kind of sad a doctors.01:41:48I wanted to be curious.01:41:51I think that's a good problem to have. Ha, ha, ha.01:41:56That's a good problem. Um, okay. I think we're done. I think we're done.01:42:01Thank you.01:42:04We're grateful. Beautiful on the side is amazing.01:42:09How, how do I tell people? What do I tell them?01:42:12Just tell them.01:42:14Just tell them like, now, it's just, sure, okay, great. Sure, so much.01:42:20Well, we won't be up on that. Your stuff won't be up, and you gotta give me two weeks, um.01:42:26But, but actually, I think you do is you do, is there an exhibit of yours up with, like, one thing in it, or something like that?01:42:32I think, anyway, I-I-I think THERE'S something once um i said um Sarah, yes but it's not as, good as it's gonna be when we have all this stuff so so much.01:42:47We're grateful this is this fun For us. This is your Tom.01:42:52I wanted to know, um, she asked a victor to ask, how many pieces I should bring to your, your party?01:43:01I was, what's, what's reasonable for you? I-I was well looking at the size of the room i think i can BRING a large pieces that okay and i, have.01:43:12Easels um they all prop up um and the two London pieces I have are, um, not as large, but they're about the size of those two.01:43:24And then, um, smaller pieces. Um, you know, said, have like, radiation.01:43:29And, um, will you bring those? Oh, yes, I'll bring, I'll bring lots of these.01:43:35I have lots of, okay, um, because these are really inexpensive.01:43:40So they just, you know, it's great.01:43:43We'll open up the room. I mean, the night before, like, if you wanna come the day before, after 04:00 or so, we'll probably open, and then we'll be open all day on the sixteenth.01:43:54If you show, whichever it's convenient the night before, that's easy.01:43:58Yes, okay, um, because that's when you will all be like, setting up, right?01:44:02Well, I think so we're trying to make, we're making this up.01:44:05But you go, so seems like you shouldn't do it, like, the absolute day of, oh, but, no, that's great.01:44:12And then, so I would, I thought I'd bring mostly maps and these, um, unless you have A-A-A different theme that you'd like or that that you are thinking of um it's it's It's, really you All right, I'll just, I'll just bring A-A radiation of of different um size and um and.01:44:39Then um that's, it, i mean is there anything that you like them i don't need anything more.01:44:44I don't think, um, no, we, we just need to put it all up on the site.01:44:49And then, um, as far as the, the, your exhibit goes.01:44:54So, no, I think we're shut. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you.01:44:59It'll be helpful if we write down the names of her pieces.01:45:02So when it goes up on the site, you'll have information.01:45:07We can give that to Miriam, and she can your You can also, you'll be able to access the site if you want to, but if you email it to us, you can write it in there.
