Quote: Walt Whitman

 

This Years AFA Art Buy Ambrotypes

Here are this years submissions to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts buy.

14x14 Inch Clear Glass Ambrotype, Tree Abstract, Elk Island National Park, Alberta, 2024

14x14 Inch Clear Glass Ambrotype, Keyera Alberta Envirofuels Petrochemical Plant, Edmonton, Alberta,  August 2024

11x14 Inch Clear Glass Ambrotype #2, Keyera Alberta Envirofuels, Edmonton, Alberta, 2024

14x14 Inch Clear Glass Ambrotype, Calgary Cityscape, Calgary, Alberta 2024

11x14 Inch Clear Glass Ambrotype, Boilers Keyera Alberta Envirofuels Petrochemiical Plant, Edmonton,  Alberta, 2024

Burma/Thai Earthquake

 

"Art Acquisition by Application 2025"

I have submitted my "Art Acquisition by Application" buy-grant for 2025 to the AFA (Alberta Foundation for the Arts).  Hopefully they accept some work again this year, which would make it 3 years running.

In 2022, they bought 2-8x10 inch Ambrotypes ($2000), in 2023, they bought 1-8x10 inch Ambrotype ($1000). I hope they will buy some of the larger, higher priced 11x14 and 14x14 inch Ambrotypes submitted this year. 

I use all the buy money to purchase Silver Nitrate for the AMBROTOS KANATA project.

Retired!!!!

 

Fire and Ice

Quite a send off on my last night at work. Tons of fresh snow and the flare is going strong I work at a petrochemical plant. 2 hours and 45 minutes until retirement. Going out with Fire snd Ice!!

Room in Khlong Toei

I might be staying here, rooms run 6000-8000 Baht plus air and water, so maybe $600-$700 CAD a month. Fridge, microwave, bot water, air, bedding and CLEAN. Most importantly it is near the area where I shoot THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY series, in Klong Toey Slum, Bkk, Possibly within.walking distance.

$10 000 CAD Should More Than Cover Expenses

1421 CAD Air Ticket, lets say $1800 CAD or 3 months accommodation. I should be able to do the entire trip for $5000-7000 CAD. Plus the money used for donation work at the Dump. $10 000 in the banks for possible extra expenses should cover things.

Back to Thailand!

 

Bought Some Art Books

Today’s art book buys, all used, around $66 CAD.

Swimming Felt Good!

I am enjoying my workouts! I went to the gym/pool today the third straight day and have gym/pool visits already planned for Friday and  Sunday. I think it is very possible I can reduce my weight from 240lbs to 200-210lbs, and increase my aerobic conditioning and maybe my muscle mass and flexibility.

3.5 work shifts before I am officially retired!! So I will have more time to exercise.

Improved physical conditioning should help my photography, especially the AMBROTOS KANATA project.

Note* I always wondered how people could be so comfortable at freestyle swimming (front crawl) that they could swim over lakes, or across the English Channel. It always tired me out, hurt to do the stroke. Today was the first time, I kinda felt comfortable doing front crawl. It seemed easier, even calming. I enjoyed it, and kinda felt bad when I stopped to climb into the hot pool. Easy freestyle swiming is weird sensation when you have been swimming all of your life and you make that discovery at 60. I hope this feeling continues and gets stronger. Allowing for longer and longer swims with FLIP TURNS :)!!!!

Othello 2015

I have never been a huge Shakespeare guy, but my tastes may changing and improving!!

Otheloo 2015

Books For Gerry

 

Things Falling Together

 

Link: 4 1/2 Until Retirement

Soon will be able to devote myself full time to my photography. I have only 4 1/2 security work shifts left till retirement. Scared about leaving work but excited about the chance to make more photos.

www.gerryyaum.net Main Picture Website

Link: First Ever Flip Turn

 

Flip Turn

8 More Shifts!

After tonight, it will be 8 shifts till retirement, after 30 years onsite as a guard. It all feels so strange, dreamlike and not real. Saying goodbye to a lot of good people now.

Video: Homemade Exhaust Fan Build Completed

It might not be pretty but it works! This version is also much more durable than my previous cardboard box setup. The woodworking tools are coming in handy. Many more better built projects ahead!

Back to Meditating?

Had a thought. I wonder if they still do Buddhist Meditation at the local Temple. I studied there years ago, might be time to return! Lots of meditative years ahead! I HOPE!

Workout’s Begin

So am starting my workouts to get into better shape. If I want to do AMBROTOS KANATA into my seventies, I need to be in much better overall physical shape condition.

Cheaply Exhaust Fan System for the Darkroom Trailer

With 10 shifts until I am unemployed (retired). I need to get my wet plate trailer up and running!

Been working on a simple homemade exhaust fan. I tried this last year with a cardboard box and it did seem to work but the box broke down as expected. When I ran it the fume levels/smell did seem to go down in the trailer. The fan looks shitty but works fine, a $15 CAD Goodwill find.

I decided to upgrade the box to 1/4 inch plywood. I found a very old board in the garage, it worked fine. Put some paint on to help preserve things.

The two exhaust fans sit in the plywood box then exhaust the fumes down a flexible plastic pipe to a hole (used for the power cable) to outside. My trailer door and roof vent allows new air into the trailer. It will be completed in a few days, then I can test it out.

Every year the trailer gets refined and upgraded. This years trailer should be the best yet, I am having a bit of work done on the ”BEAST“ 1 Ton, which I use to tow the “FREDDY” the darkroom trailer. When both are 100% I can start to make Ambrotypes again. I need to do some shooting before I go to Asia for two months of photography.

Michael and Me

Tried copying a Michelangelo head. Rather tough as you can imagine. He draws with such assurance and has a lean in the head that I do not understand.

Michelangelo 

Me

More of a 3D Drawing Attempt

Tried something a little more 3D in nature. I am getting a bit of a feel how these drawings are made, but the images are still a mess. From a YouTube video.

All my expressions are off, everyone looks like they are smiling and sinister.

Drawing, Fun but Painful

Drawing is fun but painful. I have an idea what I want to create, a concise plan in my mind but then my skills do not match my vision and I fail miserably, that is a tad painful.

Here are more attempts today to draw a female face. I am watching lots of YouTube vids which is helping somewhat.

Oh well, we will keep plugging away, and see where that gets us! If I can keep at it, in a year I will be better!

Note* I am trying to recreate a moment, a feeling I saw and felt in 2003, at an outdoor area in a brothel in Cambodia. The utter loss and life of a worker there. She was drugged out and forgotten. A completely lost person, theorem into the sewer of time. Here face has haunted me for years. Someday if I can learn to draw, I want to make a colored pastel or painting of her in that  moment.

Note** I have often read Vincent Van Gogh’s writings, where he speaks of how difficult it is to draw. I get that now. It’s only going to get harder and more ugly as I try to draw more difficult things.

Note*** These are really bad but better than what I could do yesterday! So I guess that is something.