Acknowledging the fact that this is “Reality TV” I base my opinions on the footage that was shown. How much do we really know of what really happened as interactions are contextualized and abbreviated.

As a artist I most certainly thought that this show would show more of the process of creating a piece of art and it’s relation to the artist and his/her’s surroundings as this is what interests me the most. Last night’s episode has caused me to lose all faith that this was the goal.

Having said that, every artist that has appeared on this show is a winner in the sense that they have gained fresh new viewers of their work and have made connections that they might not have otherwise.

The final item in my most recent renovation of the studio has arrived.

I knew this microphone was going to be big but that didn’t stop me from being totally surprised after opening the box. The design is quite pleasing. It immediately reminded me of 1940s-50s style electronics used to record the radio dramas I love to listen to.

As it hasn’t been hooked up yet I can’t comment on the recording quality. So I must hurry and finish building my desk so I can dig into recording some good quality audio commentary for my upcoming videos!

During my experiments in manipulating time over the past year, I have been using a fairly simple Logitech HD Webcam. Able to shoot in 720p/20fps with a very small footprint, it has served its purpose well. But, what that camera lacks is what I most desire: visual clarity and vibrancy in color.

The vibrant colors spread on canvas and crisp lines carved into paper will be captured much in higher quality with the latest tool added to the studio.

This crazy little powerhouse has me giddy. Capable of shooting video in full 1080p/60 to 600fps and  8MP still photographs.

My Nikon has been used reliably for almost three years now. It’s been dropped, kicked (accidentally), lost then found and submerged in the Little Miami river in two separate canoeing events. Still works great.

The Sayno gives incredible detail and color with less noise and distortion. I’m already going back and rephotographing all my work.

Here is the first 1080p footage I took upon opening the box.

I am very pleased with the quality of the photographs and video. This gives me more drive to film and create. Also I don’t have to be tethered to a PC, so I can go outside and film! It’s about time.

Amidst all the flurry of excitement in the studio today, I find many creative ideas rushing through my imagination. I must go write them down…

In the meantime you can look at my videos to date at http://www.youtube.com/user/jabinya

After a few days of brainstorming and experimenting my studio is now equipped with multiple spots I can sit down and immediately start filming while painting and drawing. This will let my frame of mind wander into the piece quicker than having to spend a 1/2 hour to position the camera and get ready to film.

If you have followed my work for any amount of time you know that I my favorite part of the human anatomy is the eye. A fascinatingly complex organization of organic cells that allow us to interpret light as it bounces around us. Without auditory output they still speak to me. I’ve drawn quite a few eyes in my time but it is only now is that I start numbering them. This is the first in a series I will continue till cannot draw anymore.

Since I’ve recently got my video editing software up and running on Windows 7, my recent videos have been a test to see how quickly I can produce a time lapse video from start to finish.

Yesterday’s footage was filmed, edited and posted within 3 hours.

Today’s video has taken approximately 7 hours. Twice as much time due to spending more time on the piece, hence being a longer video with more effects.

I’m far from finished with this one, after waiting for this layer to dry, I’ll go over it with paint and refined linseed oil.

When 2009 started I had a clear vision; to create art, have a large body of work before year’s end and have fun doing it.

Now that it is the last day of the year, I look around my studio and see that it is packed with paintings and drawings. I feel very good about the past 12 months, I’ve had a blast in the studio, met so many new friends, and learned so much. I can only hope that 2010 will be just as interesting!

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My first paintings of 2009 expressed my fascination with monochromatic and extreme contrasting color. That series of 12″ x 12″ portraits were exhibited at the  APW’s Gallery World of Imagination Vol. 2. show.

In early spring I began using skateboard decks as my canvas and explored value. The finished result exhibited at APW’s Gallery Art on Record show Vol. 2.

Not too long after that I found myself painting a series of portraits on vinyl LPs.

While painting ‘GaGa’ I filmed my very first time lapse video.

I then started to work on larger canvases.

My interest in extreme contrast returned as I worked on my largest canvas size to date; the first of the series; ‘PRIMARY CONTRAST’.

Next came a mixture of large scale portraits.

Spring had arrived, the air was fresh and my energy still had not reached it’s peak yet. A lot of this excess energy was poured into abstracts and portraits.

The camera watched while ‘APPROACH’ took shape:

After having worked on a increasingly large scale I felt the need to turn in the opposite direction and started smaller versions of some of my favorite portraits, the remaining of which I plan to finish in 2010.

Continuing the series ‘PRIMARY CONTRAST’,  I started the paintings SNEERIN’ and SMILIN’, both of which will be completed in 2010.

as Halloween approached and Fall began it’s slow hold on the weather, my subjects varied:

By this time the many late nights of work combined with a haphazard sleeping pattern began to catch up with me. I suddenly felt drained of all energy and new ideas. My creative work pretty much stopped as I took some time to rest, recuperate and refresh my imagination.

Time passed and in mid November as I was perusing Twitter, I found the #Draw365 project. A group of artists creating and sharing a drawing almost everyday, totaling 365 drawings.

I started with much fervor, participating everyday. My painting work almost ceased during the early days of this project. The drawings were a refreshing exercise to work with, but I missed the easel. Then came the struggle to try and manage painting and drawing together without feeling regimented or stifled. I’ve reached a better balance now but I am still working on it.

This period left me with a number of assorted pieces.

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2009, what a full year it has been.

Acrylic paint has been my primary medium in 2009. My understanding of it has increased and I feel very comfortable using it. Next year I will continue to use acrylic while moving into oil paints and other unknown areas.

Graphite and charcoal have emerged as a secondary medium that I enjoy throughly and will continue with.

2010 looks very interesting on all fronts. Looking forward to it!

Happy New Year everyone!