an update.

I am alive! swears.
I plan on making a triumphant return to the blogging world very soon as there are many things to say and paint.

I'm currently in the process of organizing my life. This takes time.
I convocated. Im now Lauren Saunders, B. Sc., MBA.
I moved to suburbia with a handsome boy.
I travelled to Torontoland, Canada, to be foolish and run amuck with my bestie.

Back soon!

listening to: ROSTAM - wood

friendship time

 A busy month, week, weekend. There are so many things I have to actually write but have only been able to find the time for random post-it notes and to do lists. Alas.

Yesterday, myself and K decided to have a little photo adventure, as the Kristen and Lauren of old would have done. We decided to play down by the harbour and arrived just as the sun was setting. I present my favorite pics of the day! I did do some Photoshop editing but the colours were pretty ballin before I even got to that. It is just a colourful place.

St. John's harbour and Signal Hill

Kristen. The best pic of ever.

Me. flailin about as per usual

downtown.

After a slightly dragged-out hiatus, I have finally completed a new painting!

This is my city. It is my interpretation of downtown St. John's. I thought Signal Hill was a little too accustomed to getting the attention so I decided paint the view in the other direction. I took a photograph of this spot last winter.  Although I used it as a guide, I never wanted the painting to look exactly like my photo. I like to think of painting as an outlet to communicate my own unique expression of what is real. I use different colours, geometric shapes and smudges, but usually try and keep the overal layout of things the same.

I'm generally pretty pleased with this one thus far. I really like the colours. Specifically some the accents (bright red and mint green). I am totally digging the fact that it worked out like I wanted. Up close, it just looks like a pile of colours and shapes. BUT, from far away, it actually look like what I want it to look like! Downtown St. John's.

Hope everyone is having a glorious holiday with fam and friends! Merry Christmas and Merry wishes to all that you may be celebrating this time of year!

above my bed. it is actually fairly gigantic

Painting Soundtrack: Fionn Regan "100 Acres of Sycamore"

I swear I am working on something.

paint on the floor. blackberry on the paint.

November was a hectic month. School and work and wonky life events kind of took over. Here is a preview of something I was finally able to get into. Time to be creative again.

listening to - Junip "Howl" 

"It's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen."

I came across an article on The 99 Percent today entitled "Making Big Decisions and Mastering the Consequences" and thought I would share.  I love finding connections between business, creativity and life and when I read articles like this one, I can't help but see the overlap.

My favorite part of the article was when the author mentioned that when decisions are made, one must "understand that you will shape the outcome". You do not just sit back and see how things unfold, you must actively engage to ensure success.

she colours up the sunshine hours.

Lately, as an artist, I have been completely and hopelessly uninspired. I have started several paintings but they are all just sitting in my bedroom (aka art studio and hermit cave of emotion), unfinished and kind of unfortunate looking. I have one half started boat and a night skyline that I painted over an abstract that turned out looking like a gigantic vagina (Win?). I'm going to blame this slump on overall busy-ness, with school and work (new job!) and general self analysis that I always seem to get myself caught up in.

So I figured, considering I have been a total blob and haven't been up on my blog posts or painting endeavours, I would share with you a few of my favorite pieces as of late (normally, found by my scouring of art blogs and reading of various magazines and online articles).  I usually just post what I find to my Pinterest account and come back and have a look when I'm feeling like starring incessantly at the blank canvas is just too much to handle. It helps! My apologies for not having the names of all the artists available (horrible of me). I forgot to tag them when I added the images to the Pinterest account and now I cannot seem to find the permalinks. Blasted interwebz.

Here's to increased artistic and intrinsic motivation!

Behold!

Artist unknown. via allthemountatins

Willem de kooning. Pirate untitled II 1981

Next three paintings are by an artist named Michael Cina. Check his website out here. Seriously, his work is some of my favorite. Love the color choice and textures. 

Trying Is the First Step To Failure,  Michael Cina

Via PublicWorks exhibit

Leave the Future Behind,  Michael Cina

Via Public Works exhibit

Draw Near, Michael Cina

Via Public Works exhibit

Note: I have been meaning to go to Kent Building Supplies and buy a shit ton of wood to use instead of canvas. I love the way the acrylic paint sits on wood. Got some fun ideas for projects!

A collaged map by Matthew Cusick. Check out some more via BOOOOOOOM!

 Sean Clark

Unknown artist. Via The Edit

Note: You would think I had a thing with skeletons or something? Not the case at all really. I was just extremely impressed with the color choice on both of these pieces. Very unique and wonderful. Couldn't help but totally love skeletons for these two.

Zoe Pawlak

Listening to: Joni Mitchell- Conversation

Note: title adapted from lyrics from Joni Mitchell's "Ladies of the Canyon"

ups and downs.

My days, my years, my life has seen up and downs, lights and darknesses. If I wrote only and continually about the "light"and never mentioned the other, then as an artist I would be a liar.

Censorship is the tool of those who have the need to hide actualities from themselves and from others. Their fear is only their inability to face what is real, and I can't vent any anger against them. I only feel this appalling sadness. Somewhere, in their upbringing, they were shielded against the total facts of our existence. hey were only taught to look one way when many ways exist.

I came across this letter from Charles Bukowski the other day, as I was distracting myself from schoolwork. It really got me thinking about things. Well, re-phrase.. it got me thinking about something else only somewhat related to the above statement. Bukowski wrote this letter in response to the removal of his book "Tales of Ordinary Madness" from the Public Library in Nijmegen. A reader had complained about its unacceptable, sadistic, content and thus, the book was removed.

I firmly believe in freedom of speech and love Bukowski's writing (in all forms) so this post has nothing to do with disagreeing with his letter. I think his reply was perfect and I agree with it 100%. His book should never have been removed. But the particular passage stated above made me think about how I choose to write and how I choose to live. I have seen both lights and darknesses but continually write about seeing beyond sadness and living in a world where you can achieve your goals and you canbe happy about being here in the first place. Has it become too much to want that life?

There is a theme in my blog posts (maybe because I often write to cheer myself up). I write them to remind myself that there is a part of me that is so wise and rational when I'm being an emotional nut bar.  My entries are often positive messages about achieving goals and overcoming obstacles, etc. etc. But, because I choose to write (publicly) about the lights and not the darknesses does not mean I have not seen dark times or that I do not acknowledge their existence. I just like the idea of someone randomly reading my blog and feeling a little bit better. maybe even a little motivated.

Why is it that we choose to remind one another that not everything in life is ideal.  Who set the bar on expectations for what life is supposed to be and how we are to accept ourselves?  I have been made to believe that I am reaching for some kind of unattainable version of contentment. But, what is wrong with wanting something, LIFE, to be unordinary and spectacular and joyful? Recognize the bad. Life is constantly going to be throwing obstacles and stressors our way. Do not allow yourself to be shielded from the "facts of existence". But that doesn't mean you have to be jaded or cynical or mean to anyone who chooses to believe that life/society is generally good. The positivity of others cannot hurt you.

Life is hard. It's frigging scary as hell and filled with a lot of negative. But it is filled with so many wonderful things too! What is wrong with choosing to focus on those wonderful, positive things if it gets you out of bed in the morning?

Someone recently shared this on Facebook. Sorry for lack of source!