Girl with a Pearl Earring

Jan Vermeer
Style: Baroque
Lived: 1632 - 1675 (17th century)
Nationality: Netherlands

Photo of Scarlett Johansson in
'Girl with a Pearl Earring'
Film Directed by Peter Webber

I watched this movie last night for the hundredth time... I love it. Not just because it stars Colin Firth as Jan Vermeer the painter, but because each shot in this film is like a painting. Its stunning. The lighting is exquisite, and the soundtrack is beautiful. Just such a great film. See it!

'Gennine's Blog'...... Pick of the Week!!!!

What a yummy blog! Gennine also has an Etsy Shop..... I could spend a LOT in there. Good stuff.... Check it out.

Robots are cool.

Pencil Art by Jennifer Maestre

Jennifer Maestre is a legend. These are amazing!!!
I have taken a few sections from her Artist Statment:

'My sculptures were originally inspired by the form and function of the sea urchin.'

'To make the pencil sculptures, I take hundreds of pencils, cut them into 1-inch sections, drill a hole in each section (to turn them into beads), sharpen them all and sew them together. The beading technique I rely on most is peyote stitch.'

Music Video

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Distracted by child birth...

My other blog..... the most creative thing to do in the world- childbirth.....
Wee Kiwi

6 Days to go...

I have 6 more days of looking like I have a beachball shoved up my shirt.... Im guessing this Sat... Full moon, high tide. Wishful thinking right.
C'mon little man, out ya come!

Downhill- YEAH!!!!!

Funilly enough- Im in this one! Ironically we went with the guy who filmed it (Jason Naran).... but it wasnt posted on UTube by him.. ??? hmmmmm
Im the one in the white T, with a camera at my right side- at the beginning of the clip.
These are the pics I took that day- back in 2005!!!! lol

Photos By Kat Greager

Amazing stuff on a Bike

I am so blown away by this!!! Next up is to find a good example of downhill biking... my personal fav. I am looking forward to riding again.... woeful sigh... I wonder if the wee tacker will like riding!!!!

Otago Peninsula

Photo by Kat Greager

Easter weekend... the weather was finally clear... no wind, no sleet, no hail... and lots of SUN!!!!!!
We hung the washing out and set off for the Peninsula (the complete other side of Dunedin to where we live!)

View Larger Map

We went for a walk to Lovers Leap, and the Chasm.... VERY steep! Such a beautiful rugged coastline. To get to the viewpoint, you walk through some fields, with sheep and tussock, flax, ToiToi (pretty happy lookin sheep!)
And there was a shearing shed too.... recently used, but a pretty old building..

Photo by Kat Greager

Photo by Kat Greager

Photo by Kat Greager

The Tiny Art Director

You have to check out this blog- it's fantastic!!!!

A little girls critiques of her father's illustrations. Some pics are approved, some rejected, but the comments are just gorgeous! Straight from a childs mouth!

Here is a sneak at the critique:

The Brief: Purple Gatorade [The Tiny Art Director's Fish]
The Critique: Why did you draw Uger? [Her sister's fish] I hate Uger! Why is his eyes like that? It looks like he's mad.

What are you writing down? Grownups never lie, right Daddy?

Dad, that doesn't look like Purple Gatorade. Only mine looks like Purple Gatorade. You're going to scan it, and then when you're done with it, it's going to be scrappled up and thrown in the garbage. And then mine will be our final picture.
Job Status: Rejected
Our Final Picture: at right (see blog)

Dreadies Esp for Morgan.....

As requested (Im not obsessed with myself I promise) However I cant resist messing around in photoshop... not tooo much though :)

Me me me.... me me..

After years of me not being in any photos, I am always the one taking them!, I made an effort to play with a few last night. Searching through the MILLIONS of photos we seem to have accumulated over the years, and these are actually pretty current. I got stuck in to Photoshop though- couldnt resist. Actually 2 of these I took myself even. lol

Lanarch Castle Pics....

I thought Id start posting some pics.... even just some snaps about the place. I need to start using my camera again. So here it starts. These are 2 I took at Lanarch Castle.

Cameras of Interest......

Ever heard of Holga, or Lomo cameras??? They are FUN! Im not sure if they still are, but used to be sold with a roll of insulation tape as they are made of cheapy plastic and prone to light leak.
They are a 'style' of photo. Check out the website.... here are some examples of Holga, and here for Lomo
Actually this is a really cool global photo log.... Just click where you live and the photos people have uploaded in that area show up! pretty funky. WorldBrowser


So here are some pics of my film cameras (from linked sources)
Olympus OM40, apparently called an Olympus OMPC in some markets (I suspect USA, they have strange names for cameras.... why? The Canon Rebel, or 'Kiss' as it was called over there.... either name is bizaar whichever way you look at it.
ANYWAY- I love this camera, I have had it since I was 15. LOVE IT.



Another camera I 'aquired' through pure luck (thanks to an old ex boyfriends, ex girlfriends fathers friend- who had no interest in photography)... a Canon AE-1


Again- I LOVE this camera. I take it places I wouldnt dare take other cameras as it breaks you before it'll think of breaking itself.... and we as humans- heal well.... old metal cameras that arent made anymore- don't. It's also a lot of fun in the studio.... quite a bizaar feeling being plugged in to heaps of studio lights, with such a small camera! But this takes such crispy shots with its 50mm..... I have had a LOT of fun with this puppy. OOh and both of the above cameras are nice and small. Amazing to see them next to my nice but big clunky DSLR.... (comparitively)

A New Favourite....

Bil Zelman

Just visit his website- it's great. And also this very refreshing interview- Jump to Q & A. So nice to be reminded that it's not all about technique, and the 'gear' you have, but the moment, the connection, and your own style.

Sound Patterns...

This video is facinating... Warning though- it is best at low volume as it plays a rising tone.
I first came accross this concept 9 years ago when I was at art school, when someone was researching the effect of sand on a metal plate that had a vibration projected through it. Then recently a New Zealand artist 'Morag Stokes' work triggered my memory of it. Her work isnt related to this, but her photos and text paintings seemed to connect to it for me.

Foggy Day...

Photo By Kat Greager

So this is what we get in the middle (?) of Summer? I was amazed when I got up the other day to find there was no horizon. This is a shot from our wharf.... The temperature was about 15 deg...... However it was an Inversion Layer- and not 200m above this was blue sky!!!! and 21deg!!!! There were ships honking their fog horns out at the heads waiting for it to clear before attempting the channel. It was quite spooky seeing the Diamond Princess (a Massive cruise ship) emerge through. In the end the fog burnt off and it was a great day.

2008 Photos of the year..... They are Amazing!

A rescue helicopter prepares to hoist aboard surviving Japanese climber Hideaki Nara near the summit of Aoraki Mount Cook in New Zealand on December 5, 2008. A Japanese climber stranded for six days just below the summit had died just hours before rescuers reached him and a compatriot, local media reported. The two Japanese climbers were forced to huddle in a tent 50 meters below the 3,754-meter (12,349 feet) peak, as poor weather and high winds foiled attempts to rescue the men by helicopter. (REUTERS/The Christchurch Press/John Kirk-Anderson) #

Kerby Brown rides a huge wave in an undisclosed location southwest of Western Australia July 6, 2008, in this picture released November 7, 2008 by the Oakley-Surfing Life Big Wave Awards in Sydney. Picture taken July 6. (REUTERS/Andrew Buckley). #

You must go and check out the Photos of the Year- they really are outstanding. And SURPRISE!!!! a KIWI!!! Pity about the occasion the photo, another life taken by Aoraki.
Imagine the weight of that wave when it breaks- I hope the surfer managed to surf it out!