Artist Spotlight : Mahikol Torres

In recent weeks we've looked at a variety of different types of art. Including graphic design, watercolor, and jewelry design. But this spotlight is going to be looking at photography. Our photographer of interest today is Mahikol Torres. Who has an interesting photographic gallery of self portraits. His instagram also shows some of his work.

When I first browsed his galleries there were a couple of images that struck me as interesting. Partially because of the depth as well as the content. This meant that it was a little complicated when it came to selecting pieces to share with you here. But I found that some of the same ones that piqued my interest had some interesting stories.

Probably one of the most impressive images to me was this one to the left. He calls it Oberon. I was impressed and curious about how it was done. I first assumed it had been done using blacklight reactive makeup, or maybe a photoshop. But I later found out that it was just glitter that refracted creating that effect. In fact, when I asked the photographer about what his favorite image was, it was this one. His response was very thorough, and it added more character to the image by providing background.

He personally feels drawn to the Oberon photo. He classifies it as one of those pictures where he wasn't sure if it would look good. Because there was no way to know how it would turn out beforehand. He feels that it came out as great as it did, because he rolled with his idea. He's also fond of this image because it's a record of makeup that he wore in a play. This gives the image emotional value. Mahikol also believes that the dark background really pulled his face away from all recognizable objects leaving you to wonder where he is or who he is. Some people have told him it makes him look like an alien or spaceman.

That's one of the fun things about photography though. Like all forms of art it can be interpreted differently by different people. When I saw this picture, the first impression was that it was a look at having trouble getting  the camera to capture what you see in your mind. Which to my eyes seems to be a valid idea. But I had to giggle when Mahikol said it actually is a play on the idea of shooting oneself.

Playing with ideas and being creative when you're taking photographs can be difficult. Partially because traditional photography restricts the elements available. Yes there are tricks that can be utilized to make silly pictures, but they don't always work the same way.

The trick of the picture to the left is the camera angle, and the play of light. By using a candle there's a lot of the image left in darkness, so the true location is unknown. At least, that's my opinion. I think it's a lot of fun to try and figure out what motivates people to explore their art. I asked Mahikol about this, and he had a very interesting answer.

Mahikol was a theater major in high school, and realized the productions needed better marketing. So he picked up a camera and started taking photos. He realized that he enjoyed taking them, and was surprised at the positive reactions people had. This experience inspired him to look into courses and tips that have helped him to build up his photographic skill sets.

While doing this he became interested in a skill building exercise that recommended taking self portraits, removing the need for other models. Mahikol has found it to be an enjoyable way to explore photography. He doesn't have to worry about the model getting bored as he takes his time and works out the details of an image. As he's gotten more comfortable with this his interest in character creation, fueled by his time as an actor, has given him inspiration to work with makeup and get more creative in his photos.

So that leads us to one of the most important questions that I ask people. A question that I lovee to ask artists is what they would recommend to someone interested in attempting their own hand in their field. Mahikol, like the others had a positive response:

For anyone interested in exploring this, the best advice I have is to just do it. I spent so much time at first worrying about perfection. Everything had to look great. I had to know everything about the lighting and my camera before I would dare try it, but as I mentioned, some really great shots came from experimentation. 

Have fun with it! Really, go crazy! Try out new things! Use anything you can find! And don't worry if you don't "have a space" to shoot. Tons of my photos were captured in a bathroom, with the lights off. The black background allowed me to really disconnect from any recognizable objects and make it more about the character, me. 

This is a great way for an artist to get to know themselves and really find a sense of style. And these photos also make great profile pictures!

If you've enjoyed what you've seen here, please head on over to his online gallery to see more of his work self portraits: Mahikol Torres: Self Portraits. His instagram is also available as a place to view his work and see some recent pieces that may not be in the gallery yet. I know they were mentioned earlier, but it doesn't hurt to remind you. Have fun exploring!

Music Monday : Change it Up!

Mondays are a time to get started over again. We survived last week, and now, whether we're ready or not it's time to get started on the next one. With that said I was browsing my music library and found to my delight a section I haven't been listening to of late. Some people might classify it as Gothic Rock. But I'll refrain from labeling it. Just know that I'm sharing this selection of tracks in the hopes it will brighten up your work week.

Battlelore : Horns of Gondor

Ayreon : Carried By The Wind

Blind Guardian : Hall of The King

Queensryche : Another Rainy Night

If you've noticed that this weeks list only contains 4 songs, I applaud you on having visited more than once. There's a reason for there only being four songs this week. The fifth song I couldn't locate a video for. So if you're interested in the fifth song check out the web and look up the group Celtic Frost. The song I wanted to share is called "The Ursurper". I hope you have a great week and I look forward to seeing you next week! Stay Magical!

What's on Screen? Goblin

I have to admit when a friend of mine messaged me and recommended that I watch a show that is currently being shown in Korea I felt a little bit of skepticism. I worried that the subtitles might distract from the action on the screen. I worried that there might be missing subtitles. I worried that it wouldn't be something of interest.

But I decided to go ahead and started watching the first episode. A week later and I've seen every episode that has been aired so far. (13) Which is an accomplishment since I'm not always interested in keeping up with a show.

If you're not interested in spoilers and simply want to explore the show blindly, please go here : Goblin, otherwise continue below. I'll try not to write too much.

image from http://www.hancinema.net/

To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect. But I have to admit that the show pulled on my heartstrings frequently enough that I was shocked. It's been a while since anything I've been watching moved me so. I cried a lot, I laughed a lot.

I have to say the storylines are entwined, and it's amazing that the depth isn't distracting. I love the layers of the characters. there's a lot of curiosity, and mystery. Tons of things to be interested in learning about,

I recommend it if you're in love with the idea of how different fantasy ideals are represented in the media. I suppose if you watch Supernatural, Grimm, or remember Charmed and Buffy you may find it interesting.

I'm babbling but I don't want to ruin it for you. But I give it a great big approval stamp.

EDIT: As of 1/24/2017 I've seen all 16 episodes. When I wrote this there had only been 13 available on the site I watched on. But again, totally worth watching the whole thing. The last 3 episodes provided all the closure I needed. I'm much happier (and soggier, I cried so much).

Music Monday : Let's Let Off a Little Steam

And when I say steam, I mean steampunk. I haven't really mentioned the genre in a while, but I thought maybe it would be fun to have a nice look at it this week. After all, it's one of my favorite ones of late. It's fun, creative, and frequently tells stories. Onward to the inspiring selections!

I will fair warn you that the first song might not sound like much on the version linked here. But if you go to their site and give them a proper listen, they're truly smashing! I hope you have a great week! Stay Magical!

Faerabella : Blood On My Sleeve (Check out the finished version, seriously it rocks!)

Voltaire : The Straight Razor Caberet

Vernian Process : Into the Shadows/ The Curse of Whitechapel (2 songs on one video)

Deathwatch Beetle Repairman : The Carny of Mr. Dark

Hello January!

What are you doing? You're really lost aren't you? (Of course the month doesn't know why I'm asking, but hey, c'est la vie. I just can't believe how quickly it's going.) Oh, and happy friday the 13th!

January has thus far been a rather unique experience. I've been blessed with random odd events that have helped to break up the monotony. What monotony I hear you asking. Well, let's just say the boring routine of my day job. Not that my job is bad.

So yeah... to further improve today a transformer blew ... 😞 #blackout #transformer #dailylife #howcanwework #yaysarcasm #sharing

A video posted by Katie Boofer (@almostafairygodmother) on Jan 3, 2017 at 3:08pm PST

Last week we had a blackout, a snowstorm that sent kids back into our building, and a snow day. The black out was the result of 3 transformers blowing. It was jarring to have all the lights go out on us while we were trying to work. But it was survived. Then we had one day of normalcy, before things just quickly went downhill thanks to Mother Nature.

Then this past weekend we had a great time at my girlfriend Amy's house. We started working on the characters for the tabletop campaign. Meaning now I can write up the rest of the dungeon I was working on not too long ago. We also watched movies, and went to the mall.

I have also been enjoying the treats that entered my life thanks to the holidays. I'm sure most of you don't really give a fig what I got new in my life, but I want to share some of the wonderful things with you anyway. I'll have to do that soon. I just have to decide what item's would be of interest to you.

I've also been working really hard on my crafts for the Victorian Era Craft swap that I joined on instagram. To be honest I'm feeling a little intimidated, because I'm worried my crafting skills are not up to par with everyone else. I'm not a cross stitcher, I'm hardly a quilter. But I do like to make toys, and if I can get this jewelry project to cooperate soon that would be really wonderful.

And let's see. In final fantasy online my character finally had enough money to get herself a room. I't so exciting to have a place to decorate. It's not the same as second life. But seeing as I'm only playing Final Fantasy when I'm visiting, it's just something to do for fun.

I miss playing second life, but until I get my computer issue sorted... things don't look good. Mostly because I'm not on a machine that can handle the demands of the program without crashing. Then there's the wonderful issue of the hinge starting to go on the screen... but I don't want ot think about that right now. Thanks.

I finished my bag of halloween skittles, a fact that actually made me want to cry. I mean... it shouldn't have taken almost a full 3 months or more to eat a bag of skittles. But it was comforting to have them around, because I could pretend it was October again, or that it was much closer than it is. But it's not.

Anyway I'm rambling, you guys have a great weekend and stay magical!