CANVAS
SEPTEMBER 2015
Issue 4.
PHOTO FEATURES
NATHANIEL ATAKORA DIONI RODRIGUEZ
DEAR ART, an open letter to a disdainful lover
NEED TO RELAX? CHECK OUT OUR PICKS FOR
10 MOVIES TO WATCH ON YOUR DAY OFF
September 10 2015
CANVAS Behold your canvas, paint your story. P
editor in chief Patrick Kiel
P head writer Precious Kirby
M Art Director Michelle Lorduy
Website canvasmagazine.co tumblr canvasmagazine instagram canvas.magazine Special thanks for making this issue possible: Dioni Rodriguez, Nathaniel Atakora Martin, Lauren Henry, David McClellan, Nasiru Barrie Cover photo by Dioni Rodriguez
Contents
PHOTO BY NATHANIEL ATAKORA.
6.
The Back To School Play list
7.
Patiently Rests My Soul
10.
Dear Art, You Are a Bitch
12.
11 Questions with David McClellan
16. Nicaragua 22.
My Name is Dioni
28.
10 Movies to Watch on Your Day Off
30.
Nathaniel Atakora Martin
The
Back To School Play list 1. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL-PINK FLOYD 2. STRONGER- KANYE WEST 3. SOCIETY- EDDIE VEDDER 4. NO STRESS- LAURENT WOLF, ERIC CARTER 5. FLAWLESS REMIX- BEYONCE, NICKI MINAJ 6. LANDED ON MARS- ATLAS BOUND 7. I WANNA GET BETTER- BLEACHERS 8. DIANE YOUNG- VAMPIRE WEEKEND 9. A COMET APPEARS- THE SHINS 10. S’COOLED- BLOOD ORANGE
Kanye’s face is our actual mood when walking into school
6
Patiently Rests My Soul Where the flames burn auburn in the chill of the night Patiently rests my soul, for the eve of first light Notice not I, the cold that endures But wait for the sun whose golden glow assures Whether ivory flurries or ashen toils Whether light stops, turns back, and recoils Patiently rests my soul, for the eve of first light Whereupon a dark wave, crumble four walls of white Patiently rests my soul, for the eve of first light Care not I, the harsh rain that swallows But wait for the sun whose golden glow follows Though lightning cracks and the tide arises Though black as night the harsh storm devises Patient is my soul, for the eve of first light - Lauren Henry 7
11 Questions With David McClellan, Artist and Illustrator. Talks on artistic growth, inspiration, and how sometimes looking at other’s art may inspire or just make you depressed As a basic question, please state your employer and how you started working there. I work for Avalanche Software which is part of Disney Interactive Studios, and we make the video game Disney Infinity. I decided to work for them because I had friends there who told me it was a great place to work, and they were right. I also do illustrations for books on my own time. Recently, I illustrated my first children's book called "The Boy Who Spoke to the Earth" by photographer Chris Burkard.
When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in illustration? I was majoring in graphic design in college, but soon realized that wasn’t quite the right fit for me. The illustration department was in the same building, and I would walk by their studio and see what they were working on, and I knew that was what I wanted to do.
12
There’s this preconceived notion among certain groups of people who don’t really see art as a suitable career, because they don’t think it generates a stable income..Did you ever encounter people who would try to dissuade you from choosing art as a full time occupation? The only person who really tried to talk me out of an art career has been myself. When I was thinking of a career as a full time freelance illustrator, it really didn’t seem like a career with a stable income, and it really isn’t. It seems like even the most successful illustrators these days still have to supplement their illustration career by teaching or something else. But we now have this huge industry of film and games where there are many opportunities for artists to have fairly stable employment, so I don’t think it’s quite as risky as it was for previous generations. These days, it’s not like any career path really guarantees anything anyway.
“No matter how much you already know, there is always more to learn, and new ways to see and understand things, and that is exciting to me.”
What kind of formal education or schooling did you go through? I have a bachelor’s degree in illustration. My college illustration instruction was a great starting point, but there is so much more to learn than what you can process in those four years, so I have continued to study through going to painting workshops, and I studied drawing at a classical realism atelier for a while.
You create digital paintings, do you prefer this medium over traditional painting, or do you feel like you tend to have more freedom with the former? Which programs do you use? I mostly use Photoshop. The digital medium is the most forgiving medium, so if you can imagine something, then you should be able to create it. It’s a faster medium for me, and I can just fix the problems until it’s perfect if I spend enough time on it. It’s a little like having super powers or being Neo in the Matrix. And, you can be very creative with digital because you can try so many iterations and experiments very quickly without having to start over every time. With traditional mediums the super powers go away a little bit. Everything becomes harder.
But the traditional mediums have an appeal and a charm from being handmade that digital obviously doesn’t have, so in some ways, it is easier to make your work appealing when you work traditionally. I like both, and I encourage digital painters to also use traditional media because I think it gives you a better foundation than if you only did digital. But like I said, digital allows you to try things you would never try otherwise, so I think digital skills can improve your traditional skills as well as vice versa.
What was the first professional and serious project you endeavored as an illustrator? How did you land this gig? I guess it was pretty soon after graduation from college when I got a few book cover jobs from local publishers. Looking back, I think those first few book covers look really amateurish, and I really didn't know what I was doing yet. Eventually I improved enough that I got a book cover commission from Harper Collins and I think that was the first time I really felt like I was a real illustrator. Every job I have ever had came because someone saw another piece that I had done and wanted something similar.
What’s an important tip for individuals who are serious about studying art, who are having difficulty creating their portfolio to present to colleges and universities? What’s something they can do to make their work standout? Well, different schools look for different things, so it’s hard to say what specifically should be in a portfolio. But the main thing is to make sure that it’s your best work and only your best work. Portfolio reviewers look for your weakest piece because that’s what they think they are more likely to get from you than your best work. You know how you a hear a song or two from a new musician and really like it but then discover that was their only good song? You probably are not buying that album. But what if the album has 10 solid tracks? You buy it. The thing is that to get those 10 good tracks, the band may have had to try 100 different songs and only the top 10% made the cut. That applies to building a portfolio. Do 100 drawings and show them the 10 best if they even want that many. Don’t feel bad that you had to do 10 bad drawings for every good one. Having those top 10 will be worth the effort.
13
Do you ever go through days where you have artist’s block, where you don’t exactly feel “inspired” or just not in the mood to draw? How do you work through that?
I’ve noticed from your work that you paint a lot of natural scenes, what are your favorite places to sketch?
As an environment artist I have to be able to portray all different types of landscapes so I try to get a good variety Yes, all the time. Most of the of experience from sketching, time, especially if it’s just a so really, I guess the answer “not in the mood” thing, you is anywhere I can find some just have to do it anyway, interesting shapes to play the same way any other paid with. Really it’s just nice to professional shows up to get outside and away from work even if they don’t feel my desk once in a while. like it. Looking at other peoIn the past did you see yourple’s work can sometimes self doing what you do now? be inspiring or depressNo, but I was never quite sure ing. That may or may not help. If it’s been going on a what I would be doing in the long time, I have found that future so that’s more a matter more education like taking a of me not seeing the future at workshop and learning some all rather than things not going according to plan. I have just new things usually gets me pretty excited about creating always tried to develop whatagain. No matter how much ever art skills I could so that I would be ready For anything you already know, there is and be able to be flexible as always more to learn, and the situations may necesnew ways to see and understand things, and that is sitate. It’s probably better to actually have a plan, but plan exciting to me. on the plan changing.
For many young, up and coming artists, they tend to feel lost, needing a sense of direction...What insight can you give someone who’s trying to develop and create their own artistic identity? Probably just be patient. Some young artists may be prodigies and may know exactly what they want to do immediately but I really think those are rare. I wasn’t like that. I think for most artists art is a lifelong journey, and an artistic identity comes much later. But in the meantime, look for schools and teachers that teach good design principles. I used to think it was good drawing that mattered but now I realize that it’s drawing with design in mind that makes the difference. Good design makes things interesting. And, most artists are all using the exact same principles of design to create good art. The technique varies and is often unique to the artist, so many teachers don’t want to show their students their techniques because they think that will create clones of themselves. But good visual design is almost universal and nobody owns those concepts exclusively. Find instructors who are willing and able to teach good design, and then your own technique will develop as you try to apply those design principles to your work.
Then, when you finally figure out what it is that you want to say in your work, you will have the tools to do so. -MICHELLE LORDUY
David’s illustrations from the children’s book “The Boy Who Spoke to the Earth”
Nicaragua
By Precious Kirby
E
Earlier this year my sister dragged me to the mega-church she regularly attends, even though I,being a free spirit, don’t particularly enjoy organized religion. I sat there thinking about everything other than God, when suddenly my attention was pulled from my absent minded thoughts by the mention of the word “mission trip”. Now of course all I saw was the opportunity to help kids in need, the whole “advertising for God” aspect didn’t really appeal to me all that much. I then turned to my sister and said “I want to go to Nicaragua, I want to help”. My sister looked at me like I was delusional and said “We will talk later”. Six months later, I was boarding a plane with nineteen other people I hardly knew. I didn’t know what to expect from this trip, but I knew that I went to search for something. I believe I found it. On the plane there I listened to the rest of the girls giggle and chide the few boys we had in our group. For the sake of this mega-church I will not say names, so we will call my leader “Pug”. Pug came off as a very sweet, down-to-earth person who dedicated his life to God. I admired the fact that he wasn’t a complete bible thrower. He appeared to know the other children pretty well. The girls were familiar with each other too; I was the only outsider. This made me feel extremely uncomfortable so I hid behind books I wasn’t really reading. Eventually we arrived in Nicaragua, and to say I was shocked is an understatement. Everyone appeared to be poor, compared to what I see on a daily basis back home. There were no large buildings of any sort, everything appeared a bit worn down, even the people. I sat on the bus next to a girl named Kay. She was funny and you could tell she was the wilder one of the group. Of course her and I would become the closest, since she reminded me of home. We quickly got to the missionary home we would be staying in. The building was large, with very few doors. The room we stayed in was filled with about twelve beds and each of the girls rushed to claim one. Of course in organized religion, everything has to be organized. *Insert long sigh* 18
There had to be a leader between each set of three girls. Thanks to my luck, I ended up sleeping next to a ‘God junky’ who thought she was better than everyone. While the other girls would socialize, I would sit in my bed and write in my journal, judging everyone in my own words. The girl that ran the missions home,Sarah, was quite a timid,shy girl. She stuttered when she talked and never quite knew what words to say. But let’s skip over these unnecessary encounters and fast forward to my quote on quote “God Moment”. It was my first day out in the field and I was assigned to the construction crew. Our goal was to paint the swing set outside the church in Crystal Reir. The church was the size of a living room and it was built out of cement rocks. The pastor was a nice woman who was very dedicated to her community. The people of the church all looked different, varying in skin tone and attitude. However, the kids were very friendly and referred to the American girls as “Gringas.” Of course I didn’t know this was an offensive term because I am just a stupid American, but eventually I caught on. While I was painting with several of the other girls, the children often stood next to us to have idle conversation. I didn’t understand a word they said, but I smiled and gave them hugs when they reached for me. They also took a liking to my blonde curly hair, most of them running their tiny fingers through it and laughing when a curl bounced back in place. I eventually learned some of their names and bonded with them over food and play. Then I realized that even though I didn’t speak their language, I understood them completely. It was like there was some universal language. When I looked at the smiling faces of the kids who didn’t have much of anything, I found a sense of purpose, with it, inner peace. That was when I knew. That was my “God Moment”. I knew that helping people was something I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. When we got back to the missionary home that day, I felt fulfilled. Something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Do you know that feeling where everything in the world seems right, like lightning can strike you and you’ll still be smiling ? That was how I felt. My excitement for the next day was already beginning to build as I laid in bed that night.
All my problems back home seemed to dissipate as I thought about the children’s smiling faces. The next day, I was assigned to medical team and I would be responsible for weighing the children. This excited me because I would be able to interact with them a bit more. As I sat down in my spot for the day, I watched the natives line up for the only medical care they ever get. This was humbling to me, I never realized how grateful I should be that I can go to the doctor any time I needed. I snapped out of my thoughts and watched a small girl walk up to me with her paper. I smiled, this was the start of another experience I was very happy to begin. After weighing 150 kids and watching them smile as I wiped their feet clean, I boarded the bus to take the team back to the missionary home. As we left, the children crowded the bus and waved goodbye.
Then I realized that this would be the last time I saw these children, because we would be going to a different community on Monday. I waved goodbye and blew them kisses. That night when I lay in bed, tears began to spring to my eyes. Over two days these kids had planted a seed in my heart, one that would only prosper if I continued to help. On Monday, we went to another community, this one was very different from the one before. The town was surrounded by a huge dump, it had a mountain of trash that was 500 feet high. The people of the town would scavenge through the trash in hope of finding metal to sell so they could have just enough money to feed their families. On our way there, we learned that the government had built this community and that none of the families had to pay rent.
19
We arrived at the small church, which had no ceiling. Once again there were people lined up at the door waiting for medical care. I volunteered to work on the medical team, since that’s where I felt most comfortable. I once again weighed the children and cleaned off their feet. Each of the kids looked extremely grateful and they called me “gringa”, eventually I got used to it and just giggled when they called me the offensive name. One little girl particularly caught my attention, she told me my hair was pretty and if she could touch it. I told her I liked her hair too and I used one of my hair ties to put two small ponytails in her hair. She laughed when she saw the hairstyle I gave her and then handed me a small hair tie of her own. I put in on my wrist and I didn’t take it off for the rest of the trip. This was one of the most touching experiences I ever had. As much as I would love to say that I came home and was like “I’m grateful for everything”, I didn’t. However, I can say I came home with reassurance, that the path I was headed down was indeed the right one. Most young people do not know what they want do, or if what they are doing is truly what they want. But after connecting with the kids and getting to know them, I knew I wanted to help children all around the world. After suffering through years of truly not knowing where I belonged, or even if I belonged for that matter, kids 5,000 miles away made me feel whole again. They made me feel like I mattered, something no one in New Jersey could truly make me feel. I want to say that all the sadness I had felt years before had totally disappeared, but it didn’t. Yet I came back with the realization that my existence wasn’t simply for myself, but for something so much greater than me. I was put on this planet for some reason and this trip was the first step to figuring out why.
21
22
My name is Dioni Rodriguez, I’m eighteen years old from Paterson, New Jersey, And I’m a photographer Photography has become such a major aspect of my life in such a short time; I started my endeavors in September 2014 with just a regular phone camera at The Weeknd’s King of The Fall Tour in Brooklyn. It was just a small time hobby at the time and never thought my photos were anything amazing, but then I got recognition from The Weeknd himself calling one of my photos “Outstanding”. It blew my mind. As time went on it became my art, my way of escape, my passion. I taught myself almost everything through just eyesight and playing around, I had little guidance. I do everything for the art aesthetics, I love creating visuals that make people appreciate little details. I also love covering concerts, just capturing the intense moments of an artist’s song and not only the look on their face but on the crowd’s is so gratifying. I want to be one of two things: A concert photographer or a photographer for a major magazine. I am currently attending William Paterson University with an Art Major hoping to realize those goals. It’s been eleven months since I first started and I have already achieved a level of success that I never thought I would’ve accomplished at this point. I have a great business partner, Stephanie Espinal (Twitter/IG: @x3Bluecity/@muaespinal), she is my main model and make-up artist, and a great graphic designer Gianna Volino ( IG: @byvolino). I also got a chance to work with Unique London, she is also a make-up artist who has worked for BET and is now currently working for Eyewitness News, and local businesses with big connections such as Of Hope Jewelry and A World Entertainment. All I ever achieved has been due to such a strong backing from my family and my friends, also thanks to Empire 23 and the support from my followers on twitter as cheesy as that sounds, total strangers believed in me since day one. 23
Dioni enjoys capturing casual and intimate moments of city life and its people.
24
25
26
26
“But then I got recognition from The Weeknd himself calling one of my photos ‘Outstanding.’ It blew my mind.” -Dioni Rodriguez
10 movies to watch on your day off You are going to miss a day or two of school this year. You'll get sick, forget a due date, or take that much needed break, either way you are going to miss a day. And if you were planning on perfect attendance, think again. On these days off you need to kick back, relax, and watch a movie. Here’s a list of 10 great movies to watch on your day off.
1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
2.
The Breakfast Club The coming of age movie of all coming of age movies. What better way to grow up than with Brian
Top Gun
28
3
8.
The Way, Way Back
4) Any Movie by Chris Nolan Literally, ANY movie made by Chris Nolan. That guy is a genius.
5.t
5.
Garden State
The sound track. Just the sound track
6. The Social Network
7.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
NIGHT CRAWLER
10.
MUD 29
HAILING FROM ALBERTA AND CURRENTLY BASED OUT OF VANCOUVER, NATHANIEL ATAKORA MARTIN HAS HAD ONE CRAZY YEAR.
Story by Patrick Kiel
He feels lucky growing up in Canada, especially for its beautiful national parks. “I have very fond memories of road trips with my family through Saskatchewan and Alberta. I feel like my relationship with photography and the outdoors are very connected. When I first started taking photos I found myself spending more and more time outdoors. After some time I began getting really into hiking and adventure photography. It’s hard to say which passion fueled the other. My camera and my desire to capture something beautiful has drawn me to some of the most beautiful places in the world, but often times it feels like my camera is just along for the ride.” Although Nathaniel always loved photography and road trips, he never saw it as a possible career. He only loved it as a hobby and a true artistic passion, but that all changed last year when he decided on a new career centering around his long time passion of photography. Now, Nathaniel has changed careers quite a few times. “I studied acting for a couple of years in Red Deer, Alberta, earning a Theatre Studies diploma 32
before moving to Edmonton, Alberta to pursue a Bachelor of Theology. All throughout my studies photography has been my escape and in the summer of 2014 I decided it was something I wanted to do full time. So I got a job apprenticing as a carpenter to fund my passion and in July of 2015 I left my job and moved to Vancouver to get my start in the industry.” Photography is a tough field. There are many great professionals out there and not many opportunities to get paid. Nathaniel is the classic artist who has struggled to get to where he is today, tackling different jobs for the sake of pursuing his art. As a freelance photographer, Nathaniel funds most of his travels, but companies have also worked with him. He has worked with Mercedes Benz, Tourism Nanaimo, Herschel, Oru Kayak, Heimplanet and Just Po. These companies line up with his brand of adventure and were excellent fits for him. “Instagram has been an excellent marketing tool, but it would be foolish to rely solely on it for work. I reach out to brands all the time, trying to land gigs. I do receive a lot of emails from potential clients, many of whom I have no interest in working with simply because their product doesn’t line up with anything that I shoot.
Reaching out to brands has brought me far more success.Being able to reach thousands of people at once is a very valuable asset. It seems however that brands aren’t willing to pay for that service, even though they see it’s value. It’s quite frustrating sometimes.” Nathaniel keeps his artistic integrity, refusing to work with brands that don’t align with his photography goals. He says, “I’ve even been approached by grocery stores and faucet companies, trying to get me to post their products on my feed. Usually a brand doesn’t care about your skill - they are after your audience. Often companies try to exchange my photos for product. Initially I was all for it, but when you have a ton of backpacks and no rent money it makes you question the business. Thankfully I’ve been able to sit and talk with great business people like Maurice Li and Rishad Daroo who have been instrumental in helping me learn the market and how to navigate it.” Planning great trips is another one of Nathaniel’s talents. His awesome adventures speak through his Instagram feed. “I’m always searching for remote locations.”, he says. He describes his perfect adventure as, “Areas that offer beauty at the expense of a good hike.” On planning, Nathaniel uses a ton of maps and spends hours googling various locations. Locals are his favorite resource, as they know the area and all its secret spots. His favorite adventure, “involves a glacier or an alpine lake. I’m often drawn to water. I find it intriguing and it often gives you strong subject matter and the potential of seeing some wildlife.” Nathaniel’s adventure vehicle, a Land Rover 4x4 aptly named Lil Rudy, was the adventure vehicle. Lil Rudy traveled all across Canada acting as a home base for Nathaniel and his girlfriends’ adventures. We asked Nathaniel to share with us his favorite story in Lil Rudy: “I took Lil’ Rudy to Great Central Lake on Vancouver Island. We found a private stretch of beach to camp and stayed the night. In the morning Emmalee was sitting in the back of the car preparing breakfast. I was out by the water taking photos and when I came back to the vehicle I came face to face with a young black bear. I calmly told Emmalee to get in the
car and shut the hatch behind her. Then I circled back around the car and got in. I was then able to safely photograph the bear from inside. That’s the kind of adventures I enjoyed in that car. She was rugged and a beast off the beaten path.” Unfortunately, Lil Rudy suffered a tragic accident recently and was left completely wrecked. Nathaniel is in the search of a better 4x4 that is fully equipped with a rooftop tent and just as powerful as Lil Rudy to create more memories with.
In loving memory, Lil Rudy, the adventure vehicle.
33
Nathaniel's Instagram doesn't disappoint. The most notable aspect of his feed are his triptychs. Every 9 posts on Instagram, Nathaniel posts a set of 3 photos which come together to form a triptych. A triptych is nothing new to art, it’s been utilized by painters for hundreds of years, but it is not commonly seen on Instagram. Nathaniel is one of the few who consistently posts these panoramic Instagram photos which all look beautiful independently and are jaw-dropping when all three posts come together. It has become a part of Nathaniel’s identity as an Instagrammer. He said, “Over time I found that it actually drew attention to my feed as a whole as well. It created some sense of anticipation with my followers and has caused me to be more intentional when I’m out shooting, not always framing shots for a square.” 34
We can expect great things to keep coming from Nathaniel. He is planning on hiking the Juan de Fuca trail and a trip to Northern California soon. But in the meantime, Nathaniel will keep with his road trips throughout Canada and capturing weddings in Vancouver to help fund all of these adventures. With his tripod, Nikon d600, 24-70 2.8, and 70-200 2.8 in tow, we can anticipate the great images Nathaniel will share with us on Instagram. Make sure to check out Nathaniel’s work. Instagram @nathanielatakora Blog: http://www.nathanielatakora.com/blog/ Tumblr http://nathanielatakora.tumblr.com/ Buy some of his prints: http://www.nathanielatakora. com/prints/