Stuff I've been doing & whats coming ahead...

The Gals from the short film entitle Candy Girl.

My photography world is getting interesting...

     Greetings & Salutations my friends! I had just started this blog not to long

ago , & I guess I've really been busy making my craft to the next level . Im having so much fun , Im meeting very cool people who enjoy my photos and I've also met amazing photographers that inspire me along with all the people Im inspiring. If this is all I give & get back the most amazing feeling of joy, I am truly blessed & satisfied!

     The photos Im showing today are from a project I did with a team of amazing young talented girls. All in their early 20's , come together to bring the vision of the filmmaker of this project creative director & writter of this short by Krystal Rose , my daugther . : )   I document this story  behind the scenes to capture these photos along the way. What I love about what Im looking for with my third eye Iris my camera; is I like to capture the actor, the model , in their truest form , this just looks so natural , because it was natural.

Candy Girl : Madeline M. / Blonde Candy Girl : Madliene Sweeney

     I had no idea what I've been capturing when I first started with my "3rd eye Iris" . What I did know is that , if I saw something interesting, I was gonna catch it; and I think I found something in this photo , friendship.

     

     This one is a favorite . The make up and background really worked well together. I also had a beautiful model , Madeliene is such a sweet gal , and she loved workin with me .

           This is The Candy Girls with a street musician in Hollywood .

     Whats happening next with MaryAnn K. Photography ?

     Well , I have got alot of fun ideas , Im just running with my imagination ; so it's always exciting . Im now taking on the pin up world and just see if anything happens . I also love the fantasy whimsical stuff as well and the Goth scene is pretty cool to me too! So Im excited to be working with a bunch of beautiful models , inside and out . I know these women as artist , and various ladies I meet out in about , like at Pin Up parties , I will ask to be my models as well. So very excited to show you what else I can do. Im really enjoying this craft. I really love photography. : )

     Thanks for listening as always , it means alot , more to come of whats happening with MaryAnn K. Photography .

                            Peace & Love !

                          MaryAnn K.

What I've been up to lately Boyz & Gurlz!

Darla Foster

     What Im doing & what Im about to embark on, you ready?

     Greetings & Salutations ! It has been a while since the last time I blogged me thoughts on whats been goin' on . This is a fairly new blog , so please bare with me in getting it up and running . Since my East Jesus experience , since all the art shows , since my photography became a reality , since becoming a RAW artist of Los Angeles , opportunity came knockin' at my door . I am blessed . I have two photoshoot projects and recently got asked to work on another so now three . Do I honestly know what Im doing ? NO! I go with the flow , but most of all I love the challenge . Theres no denying now that I do good work , that people genuinely love my work . You can sit there and contemplate on , "How can this be ? " or " What ? People like this stuff ? " If the people who like your work , tell you this and want to work with you , then why think dought ? I realize I have this amazing ability to capture a subject in my third eye Iris and create a beautiful photo . Its the greatest feeling in the world!

     I am so excited to be working on my most recent project with a team of woman that are major talents in my eyes . Its an honor to be working with these gals . What is even more amazing is that they feel the same about me . I will be working on this photoshoot , and a short film on the story of this shoot . Im not gonna give away any of the details , cuz I want it to be a surprise! I will be submitting these photos to some magazines so excited to see if they get on the cover , that is the goal ! The other photoshoot Im doing , as of right now , I don't know what thats going to be just yet . The model has put together a group of us to do this project so I will keep you posted on that .

     In the meantime , I have been just taking my camera out to play and on this outting  , my camera Iris and I went to band rehearsal LOL! Yes amoungst all my crafts I am also a musician in a rockband . While we went to my drummers house , which is literally right around the corner , while the guys set up and get warmed up I will , step outside and hang out with the drummers wife Darla . Her and I have a good time talkin , she introduces me to her horses a really cool gal . What I love about photography is getting to know my subject , I don't know if its because I always film people , when I've been at The Hive , but I guess Im just realizing I like to get to know people and capture their true essence of their being . While I was chatting with Darla , I got this shot of her talking to me , I feel I captured her naturally without having to try to pose for the shot at all , just comfortable hangin' out shot. Darla is a true cowgirl as you can see from the picture above .

Portrait shot of Darla

     Inconclusion to me thoughts , as a dreamer , to other dreamers out there that are afraid to try , or you make tons of excuses to why you can't , all I want to say is you can! Make the time , stop getting in your own way , and just DO IT!!! Practice is all you need and applying yourself is the key . The doors are open in the Universe right now , walk through , I promise you won't be disappointed . I walked through those doors and I am doing , and its the best feeling in the world!

     Thanks for listening , it means alot !

                                Maryann K. : )

          

Where Im at ,at this moment...

     I have become a RAW natural born artist of Hollywood !

     Greetings & Salutations ! Since the last I left you , I had been doing my first art show , and now Im doing my second art show with an organization called RAW natural born artists . They have these all across the nation , theres one in Chicago , New York etc. all cities nationwide. Hit the Raw linky to check out there site and submit your work , from art,painting,photography,music,performing arts , if your talent is any of these catagories , you can submit your work an if they think its the shstuff you will be a featured artists at there show. They have these shows every month.

     Honestly , I can say , I wasn't expecting my life to go from just an idea to step out of my shell heading out to a art gallery in Los Angeles , trying to do a documentary on artists of L.A. to becoming a photographer/artist in an art show a year later . Like I have said before in past blog posts , I have never really thought of myself as a photographer. Now , on my second art show , that really is a special one to me being its in Hollywood my hometown at a club I use to hang out in when I was a young hottie rocker girl back in the 80's , I realize that I AM!! Just because many may look at you like,"who are you?"," your not what you say you are , you have no experience " , is a bunch of bullshit! Excuse my language , Im just very passionate about how I feel about neysayers saying this to artists with dreams. I just want to say , I am proof that you are , who you say you are , if you believe it , and you work toward it and the work is evident , then YOU ARE AN ARTISTS !!! I am here to tell you ,those who laugh at you or snub you , just don't believe in dreams ; because anyone to tell you negative thoughts on something you love , well they have never dream't a day in there life , and I hate to say it thats most of society . We live in a world where its about what your occupation is ,how much money you have , keeping up with the Jones's , how big your house is , what kind of car you drive . None of this stuff matters to an artists with dreams . We will live in a box to fulfill the dream , we will starve for the dream .

    In conclusion to my thoughts and everything that is going on in my life ; to all artists who battle with societies thoughts on what is a REAL ARTIST . I say to you this , IM DOING IT! Bottom line . If I can do it , so CAN YOU! I didn't go to school for photography; honestly the last class I had in photography was when I was in high school , that was over 20yrs ago ! So there you go ! If you are out here in Los Angeles , please join me at this art show , it would mean alot ! We'd have a fun time . Here's a link where you can buy tickets , remember ! august 10th ! 8pm-11pm Hope to see you there!

Click here to buy tickets to the RAW Show .

& this linky to my RAW ARTIST PROFILE

                                           Thanks for stopping by and listening it means alot! : )

                                                                XOXO  Maryann K.

Joining Promise Tangeman on a Random Kind of Monday !

                                                                                                                              

     Greetings & Salutations ! Its a Random Kind of Monday

     Hello everyone ! Today I was surfing around the net , and saw Promise Tangeman's post on her Random Kind of Monday, so she asked us to join her and I thought , why not! I hope you'll join her on this, its really fun and spontaneous , shes a fun gal I can tell , and very talented check her blog here at this linky k ?Random Monday with Promise

     So here we go with the Random thoughts of The Maryann K :

                       I didn't know I was a photographer until now , it took being in two art gallery shows to 

                       realize it ( I kid you not ! ) LOL!

                       I just found out a couple of days ago that my father is 3yrs younger than my mom , when

                       I was always told all these years he was older than my mom , my mom was 21 when she

                       had me so you do the math ( no wonder he took off , he was 18! )

                       I realized that I want a Jeep Wrangler or Sport vehicle , Oh yes , it will be mine ! 

                       determination gets you there , I will have it ! 

    

                      I love when people like my work , its  good feeling . I like having fans of my work.

                      I don't like when its extremely hot outside , it makes me imagine Im on Mars .

                      My cat is like a dog ( everyone thinks this of there cat LOL!)

                      I met my hubby in the late 80's , we were rocker/metallers so we had the crazy rocker hair

                      the whole bit with the clothes you name it , and we met at a rock club in Hollywood he 

                      was the singer in the band that played that night .

                      I love filmmaking ! I want to make films like Rob Zombie's Devil's Rejects . yeah , I 

                      Im sick LOL!

     There it is! My randomness for this Monday ! Everyone swing over to Promises blog and join in the fun , its fun to participate in random . Have an awesome day and thanks for stopping by .

                                                     Loves,

                                      

                                        Maryann K.

                                                

                       

Morning Pages time with Jamie Ridler !

                               Morning Pages with Jamie Ridler in July !

     Greetings & Salutations ! I decided that this month Im gonna do Morning Pages with Jamie Ridler . Since discoverying Jamies Blog about 3yrs ago , she is so nice , so sweet , her sister is so nice as well Suzi Ridler , and meeting women like these gal , it makes you realize that their are women on this planet that are really nice , which I wasn't really meeting in my life . I hermitize myself away from people , I close myself in , meeting interesting people who inspire me , give me hope , and just cheer you on is really all I need , even if I never meet them in person , although I hope to someday.

     Today I want to talk about the fine line of keeping yourself in check . What I've discovered in my own world , is that your family ain't goin' nowhere ! You can run , but you can't hide LOL! I have always struggled with my family . Since I was a little girl , I was always looked at as " The Confussed Girl ". You see , I was born in 69 , during this time alot was going on in our world. There was war and there was predjudice toward anyone who wasn't , " WHITE " . The color of my skin is not very dark , in fact , Im pretty white , but my nationality was not caucasion , Im half mexican and half thai , so it was a little difficult growin' up because the kids I grew up with in the town I  lived in at the time , were all raised to think in a predjudice way . I understood it wasn't their fault , it was how they were raised , and I understood that at an early age . A child knows when they see it very young and I saw it everytime I would meet someone at the playground or at the park , I would have a great time with a kid and when the parent saw they were playing with a child that wasn't caucasion , the parent would come over and tell their child they needed to go over here or there , and the poor kid wouldn't understand why.

     When I was a teenager , it was a little more abraisive . I remember I had moved from Hollywood/Silverlake area where I lived all my life until that point. I had just turned 13 and my parents wanted me to get a good education in a good public school , so my parents decide to buy a house in a town near Pasadena called Arcadia . I understood one thing about this town . Most of the people there were wealthy . I came from a poor side of town to a uptown world , that I didn't think I would fit in and I didn't by any means . I went to junior high , knowing no one , I remember I was such a loner for a while . I remember that , kids would start conversations with me like this : 

    Kid : " Hey so where are you from ? What school did you go to? "

    me  : " I just moved here from Los Angeles . "

   Kid  : " Oh eeew! That place smells your lucky your living here ! "

    me  : " Well it wasn't that bad . "

   Kid  : " What are you ? "

    me  : " What do you mean , I don't understand ? "

   Kid  : " You look like a beaner . Am I right ? "

    me  : " What ? What's that ? "

   Kid  : (laughs out loud )  " Your mexican right ? "

    me  : " yeah Im half . "

   Kid  : " oh god! whats the other half ? "

    me  : " The other half is thai . "

   Kid  : " Oh God! I feel sorry for you ! " laughs and ends conversation.

It was a tough road from 13-17 . Although theses kids started not to care about nationality , it was like they became their own person , so predjudice started to die down in high school . All my girlfriends were pretty much latin or asian or a girl from sweden , it was always ethnic gals , the WHITE girls wouldn't even think to be my friend , and if they did , we had a private friendship that I would respect.

     My thoughts this morning , come from the predjudice I deal with in my family . Even though I survived the harsher predjudices in life that I experienced growing up as a kid . I realized that predjudice is everywhere , whether it be race , color or creed , family I discovered is beyond predjudice most the time . I have always been an artists , and my family don't think thats a career . My grandmother , really see me as a " Hippy " She's told me before that her favorite grandkids are the one's that have the best jobs and she's even pointed out , who her favs are , and of course , Im not one of them. I think I stay away from my family because we don't have much in common and I speak my mind on politics and history , and they always get angry with me and tell me where to put it . So its rare I see any of them . I just want to live a life where I can just do my art , be the artist I choose to be , I don't need anyone to tell me their proud of me although its nice to hear , but I just want to make my art and celebrate with others who love art as well . If I can get that out of life and the people I meet , then I can have a smile on my face all the time. I love my family, but I also don't need negative vibes either.

                                                Thanks for stopping by an listening , it means alot!

                                                            MaryAnn K.

Can't Believe Im on my way !

           My first Art show with my photography/art & so much more comin' !

     Greetings and Salutations! So here it is everybody! I was so blowin' away when I walked into the art gallery and saw my photography and my artful frames . I didn't know what to expected because all this just happened so fast . I never really saw myself as a Photographer . Even though I've been a picture taker for many years , and people have always told me that I should be a photographer , Im always sayin', " Nah! I just do it for fun ! " I took myself seriously with my film work , Im very proud of myself with my film work . I can honestly say I see myself as a "Documentress ". I have always loved documentary films , so for me to be working on two documentaries at the moment , is the best feeling in my life. I thank my dear friend from high school Souixsie Hall , who saw my talent and kept pushing me to submit my work . I kept trying not to saying stuff like, " No , Im not professional , Im just a wanna-be artist." She then gave me an email and said , " Just submit something , see what happens ? " I said , " O.K. Suze I'll do it ." And well here I be , in a art gallery , thanks to Souixsie !

                   My high school friend , who believed in me Souixsie Hall .

     Its funny how you can step away from people , because you close yourself in , become a hermit because you feel that everyones just out to judge you because you believe in living artfully , and what I mean by that is , because you choose a life of selling your art . Living in the creative world . In society , well at least in the world Im in ; people don't take kindly to , " My kind ! " If Im not famous , if Im not making thousands of dollars selling my art , then . " IM NOT AN ARTIST! " Its that simple in  

" SOCIETY'S TERMS ! " Living in Los Angeles is also hard , there's lots of competition , alot of amazing talent !

 

                   My mother who was very proud of me in my endeavors

     I am not very close to my mom . As much as I would love to be , her and I have always had our differences through the years . I always remember how much she loves me , when I told her what I'd been up to , she was shocked to see that I did this . I have never really given her anything to be proud of me for  , it was nice to give a little bit of that.

    In conclusion to this chapter and off to the next chapter in this artful journey , I've learned I have to stop believeing that this is all impossible or that Im not good enough . Maybe thats how an artists always feels. The lesson Im learning , is it doesn't matter if you think your not good enough , what matters is that you tried and see where that takes you ; because if you don't try , you'll never know. Im proof of that . Look at this photo I took , my work is on a wall with other amazing artists that Im proud to be beside them , and theres people looking at my art and walking by my art , and buying my art . I had sold one of the photos there that night . What an experience to remember an my artful world has only just begun .

My photos on paper , and creating ART !!!

Onward & Upward to a place called , " Living my Dreams ! "

     Greetings & Salutations ! This is my newest blog , or I should say my film & photography blog. Again , I want to say thank you to those of you who stop by and read my thoughts on what I think lifes about . Theres alot of neysayers in the world , especially to us artists who fight to stay on the dream path . Everyday life , the " Usual Grind " can bring you down and test your mind . But remember , to smack yourself out of it and keep trekking along , don't give up , fight your sad thoughts about anything thats happening in your life thats bringing you down . Stay focused . You can't fail you , because the neysayers would love if you did & its not about THEM its about YOU!

     The last post I spoke about what I was up to . I am working on some photos to have displayed at an art gallery here in Los Angeles called , Chocolate and Art show . Very honored that they want my photography at their show . Its amazing! So Im not only giving them my photos to display but Im using my mixed media techniques I've learned through the years . I am making the frames all just... cool! I will show you as this creations evolves . As of right now , I have printed my photos , got them made at Kinkos I wanted quality printing , that I don't have yet , at home . They came out fantastic! Now I have painted acrylic paint , gold onto the ducks you can barely see it in this photo , but it will pop out once I put the apoxy resin all over it , its gonna be so neat can't wait!

     I hope that what Im doing will inspire you to realize that you can make your art come alive . The more you do , the more people will recgonize your talent , and before you know it , you have fans of your work , you start to get respect for it . Im not saying that theres not gonna be people or fellow artists that aren't going to judge you . That unfortunately comes with being an artist too folks ! Just keepin' it real here , but if you understand , that you wouldn't be tryin' if you didn't understand that its all part of it neway , then I still would be at home locked up in my desert house , just doing stuff and no one knowing about it . I say Hell with that! Tired of not letting myself out and seeing ,meeting people who feed me with their art , and passion for it , telling me their struggles in life to keep their dreams alive. I love knowing by stepping out of my shell , that Im not alone , and I have amazing friends who inspire and believe in me everyday.

     I will be posting real soon then next step of these photos soon , thanks again for listening and stopping by , it truly means alot.

                                                Hugs & Kisses ,

                                                    MaryAnn K.

New Beginnings! Welcome to my film and photograpy world!

     Hello Greetings and Salutations! Welcome to my first post on my newest site , entitled , " Film & Photography by MaryAnn K.  

     I am so excited for this next step in my creative world. I have to say , its a bit overwhelming being that , if you would have asked me 3 years ago , if I thought for a second I would be doing what Im doing right now in my life , I would have just laughted at you and said , " No Way! " I started through the mixed media world on Youtube with artists such as Suzi Blu , Tam Laporte , & Connie Hozvicka to name a few. One day , I saw these ladies doing how to videos on Art Journaling for women , and how to heal yourself through mixed media art . I then joined these women on the journey of videomaking through  healing art , while I healed myself of the painful things that were going on around me in my life and helping others, I found that eventually I had healed myself without knowing it , I thought ; I need more? Something was missing. Then one day I was in my Youtube world and I noticed that alot of people had spoken how Los Angeles didn't have an artist community like New York has . I then did my research and decided I was going to attend the Los Angeles Artwalk that happens every 1st thursday of the month. I found that no one knew? Los Angeles not only has a art community but they even had streets in downtown L.A. that had signs sayin, " Gallery Row". I thought , " No one knows about this, its time I let the world know, that Los Angeles has tons of art and amazing artists in it !"

I find , " The Hive Gallery ! "

     One day I decide to seek out an artist , I start talkin' to an artist on facebook , I told her , I loved her art and would love to do a documentary on her as one of the artists here in Los Angeles . Her name is Yuki Miyazaki , she says , " sure! meet me at The Hive! " I then head out to downtown to meet her and I not only meet her , but she introduces me to the owner and curator of the gallery , he's known as the King Bee Nathan Cartwright. He then asks me , " Are you gonna film the night? " I said , " Sure! I'd love to thanks! After the video I had done for the art show the night I went , he told me he would like me to be a temporary artist resident , which started me on the next part of my artful journey.

My 1st video for The Hive Gallery show called, " Bee-rotica "

Where I'm at today 

     After a year of working with The Hive Gallery , I started working on a film collaborating with my
daughter , who is attending Cal-Arts . This film is a documentary piece with an artists here in Los Angeles named Amanda Sage .

What Im doing at this very moment 

     I have been working on a documentary on a place called East Jesus , here in Slabb City , California .

This piece is very precious to me . I have met so many interesting souls here . They inspire me , and I admirer them for the life they have chosen , because It takes a very strong soul to live the life they have chosen . I am always very humbled by this place and its people who live there. This place turned junk into art , and these people who live there protect this place , they loved the founder ,Charlie Russell who passed away in 2011 . Since then a friend , named Frank Redford , took on the job to keep East Jesus going in memory of his friend . 

     My photography will be displayed in Chocolat Art Gallery here in Los Angeles at there June 22nd show. I am honored and excited , for this is my very first art gallery show where Im showing my work , not just filming the show .

My photography work of East Jesus , that will be at the Chocolat Art Gallery on June 22,2012

                                                   This is one of the art views in East Jesus

This was the volkswagon van that Charlie travelled & lived in before finding East Jesus

              
                                This is the curator of East Jesus , an amazing guy, Frank Redford