Stacey Sexton - Model

the 4 photos above taken by Sarah O'Driscoll

 Stacey Sexton is a 20 year old model living in Toronto. She was born in Newfoundland but moved to Toronto 2 years ago to pursue her career in modeling. Stacey has done very well for herself in the past two years.

 Stacey's mother agency is "Nam" in Toronto. She is also signed with "Dulcedo" modeling agency in Montreal and "Wizards" in Tokyo.
 Stacey travelled to Tokyo to model for two months last summer. She worked almost every day that she was in Tokyo. Shortly after she moved back from Tokyo, she came to visit Montreal and got signed with an agency within two weeks of being here. While here in Montreal, her agency gave her the opportunity to travel to South Korea and model for a month. Of course, after a couple days of thinking it over, she accepted.
 Now after being in South Korea for a month, she just made her way over to Australia to do a campaign there and she will be flying back to Newfoundland after that to spend her Christmas Holidays.
 I think this is just the beginning of Stacey's career. She really has something special and has a lot of photographers wanting to shoot with her.

 Here are some of the photos she has taken:

And all you montreal-ers will definitely recognize this one as it is posted all over the metros and buses! This is Stacey in the Joshua Perets campaign:

SARAH:
9:37pm
here goes
what made you want to start modeling?


STACEY:
9:41pm
well, initially i was in love with fashion, i would stay up so late on weeknight during school just going through collection after collection on style.com, i never thought about modeling at that time, i guess i had too many other things on my mind.. and plus it was all such a fantasy world, and very out of reach from our tiny island newfoundland.
as i got older, i would hear remarks all around "you look like a model!" or "you should model!" , and i thought.. well maybe i can but in newfoundland there really isn't much going on in the modeling industry, a few hair shows here and there, but i knew i didn't want to do that forever, my hair would be torn to bits.
after highschool i wanted to pursue fashion design, because it was the one interest that stuck with me all throughout highschool and did some modeling on the side, not really expecting anything out of it, but moreso doing it for fun .
as the months grew and grew, i would skim through my friend jenna bermans (a fellow friend from st. john's, originally from south africa) modeling photos, she had been to so many places in the world and i wanted to do the same, what a treat it would be if i could ever modeling and travel the world at the same time!
i would also spend lots of time going through editorials, seeking out poses and photoshoot ideas. modeling is such a fun profession, you get to see yourself as you've never seen yourself before, as i am a shy person this is particularly interesting because whenever i have gone through hair and makeup and the outfit is put on i can transform, taking on a certain role
and with visions of the photographer and makeup artist you can create timeless pieces of art and that is what is so cool about it all!

SARAH:
9:51pm
awesome!
okay second question
do you consider modeling to be an art form? if yes, how so?

STACEY:
10:03pm
i believe 100 percent that modeling is an art form, as is acting, i would think that modeling is just acting without words and moreso using your body and face to evoke emotions, ideas and messages.
as with a brush stroke that creates the line on a canvas, a model makes lines with her body to produce a pleasing shape to the eye, s(he) takes what mother nature gave her/him and uses her beauty and uniqueness to her/his advantage

SARAH:
10:06pm
have you enjoyed all the experiences you have gained through modeling? and what was your favorite experience so far?

STACEY:
10:10PM
of course! it really is a different world than the one a normal person lives in. i enjoy being a normal person on my days off though...
it's really fun, you get to travel and you get to meet a lot of people and these people could be potential friends, especially in the cases where you are staying at a models apartment or with a roommate.
i've really learned to grow as a person, moving here to toronto really has set me apart from my shyness, but as soon as you start modeling you meet so many people and you are in the spotlight, you are in front of that camera for hours on end and you can't hold back, and you have to shine amongst those other models, i will always be the quiet girl, but taking risks and getting your personality out there is really important in this business.
this is a great profession but not to say it doesn't come with it's ups and downs. traveling for long periods of time, it's so cool to be seeing all of these wonderful things but along the way i am wishing that my loved ones could be with me to see these things!
plus long hours and early wakes, and you need to keep yourself energized along the way, eat healthy , drink lots of water, exercise and take great care of your skin because your body and your face is what got you there in the first place!



SARAH:
10:20pm
and what was your favorite experience to date?

STACEY:
10:35pm
my favorite experience to date was definitely tokyo, japan. I stayed there for three months and i had the best time of my life. this was my first trip and i was unaware of what modeling would be like in another country and also what my agency would be like, but they were so nice, they treated me so kindly, i was put in an apartment with another canadian girl who was actually a fellow east coaster, she was from cape breton, it was a lot easier to relate to each other and we had an awesome time, walking around tokyo, experiencing the night life and just getting to know each other.
japan is such a cool city, you really learn to appreciate their culture, it's a really clean city, their food is awesome and the people are soo unbelievable nice to you!
i would recommend anyone to go there. :)
they love really cute girls over there, girls with small faces and big eyes, and i guess i fit the bill pretty well. i did alot of lingerie/sleep wear, along with clothing lines and even tv commercials!

SARAH:
10:36pm
Thanks so much Stacey! See you soon!

-Sarah

Richard Hope - Photographer

Here's a portrait I took of Richard, taking a picture of...well, Richard. Apparently his skating is just as good as his photos. The rest of the photos in this interview were shot by Richard.

-Name/Age/Type of Work/years practicing

Richard Hope/23/Action sports photography/6yrs


-How did you get started?


When I was in high school my best friend had received a film SLR from one of his neighbors. We both used it to photography each other skateboarding, and by the following Christmas I was asking my parents for my own camera. I got a Nikon film SLR and that was the beginning of it all.


-What draws you to the type of work you do?

I'm drawn to shooting action sports because of 2 things, the amount of talent this area of sports has, and the amount of work that goes into getting a single good shot. The feeling you get when you see someone spin and flip over top of a 60foot gap, or seeing them dance around on a tiny little rail is really profound and amazing just to watch and capture. To get that good shoot is usually more work then the general public would ever image. Sometimes its laying down cement or bondo to fix a crack before a rail, or chipping ice off the steps of a staircase. You get to see all the work you did to make the shot, something not to many other people will see in the photograph.

-If money was no object what kind of project would you like to get involved in?

If money were no longer an option, I'd really love to make my own skateboarding/snowboarding/skiing film. It takes years of filming and traveling around to produce a full video, and that drains on the bank a lot. Add in camera gear, and other serious equipment like generators and floodlights and the budget for a film continues to grow.

-Where do you find your inspiration?

Most of my inspiration comes from the environment I'm in. A lot of spots (the name for anything location to do tricks at) have their own unique story. Some extra challenge for the riders or myself and i like to show that in my photos. Maybe its grated metal stairs, or a 10foot drop to rocks. Outside inspiration comes from my friends, magazines and of course the internet.

-Have you ever collaborated with another artist in your work, if so where did you find this person and how was/is the experience?

I've worked some graphic designers, and as well other photographers and filmers when on locations. But for the most part I do all my work myself. I think its pretty hard to see an end result in my head for something and then have to work around it with someone. While two heads can be better then one, sometimes I only want to hear my own ideas so I can create my own work.

-Can you give us a brief rundown of the equipment you would bring to the average shoot?

I have two setups I'll take with me for a photo shoot;

The Big Bag
3 Nikon camera bodies (D200, D70s, F65)
5 Lenses (10.5mm Fisheye, 19-35mm, 50mm, Lensbaby 3G, 80-200mm)
4 Flashes (Sb-28, Sb-80dx, 2x Sunpaks)
4 Light stands (light weight aluminum) 
5 Pocket Wizards (3x Plus II, 2x Multimax)
Extra batteries (both camera and AA)
Cords and other miscellaneous gadgets including a right angle viewfinder 

The Small Bag
1 Nikon camera body (D200)
5 Lenses (10.5mm Fisheye, 19-35mm, 50mm, Lensbaby 3G, 80-200mm)
2 Flashes (sb-28, sb-80dx)
2 Light stands (light weight aluminum) 
3 Pocket Wizards (2x Plus II, Multimax)
Extra batteries (both camera and AA)
Cords and other miscellaneous gadgets including a right angle viewfinder

-With all the different styles of photography what made you decide to focus on skateboarding?

There is an unlimited amount of things to photograph in this world, and I wouldn't say i focused directly on skateboarding. It was just the thing i was always doing with my friends in high school, and after-wards. I like to think I'm more focused on being an 'Action Sports Photographer'. Doesn't really matter if its a winter board sport or summer, freestyle moto-x, or even MMA fighting. I like action, its pretty simple. The faster it is and more complicated to understand whats actually going on, is truly the best part and what keeps me shooting. Some people have no concept of what you can do with your body other then just running and catching stuff. I can truly appreciated the effort and commitment it takes to perform tricks and I love capturing that in a photograph.

-Was there any other types of photography that intrigued you like skate photography? If so, how would you compare the feeling you get when you produce a good skate photo versus something else?

 I love nature, its by far the coolest thing on this planet. If shooting actions sports doesn't work out then I'll start to focus on shooting wildlife and landscapes. I have a 12yr background in the Canadian Scouting program and earned the highest award in the program call the 'Chief Scout', so being outside is what I'm passionate about. I plan to work outside for as long as I possibly can, before green house effects ruin everything on Earth.

-Working outside the studio in an unpredictable enviroment, especially when the sport your photographing is illegal in some areas, means there has to be some crazy things you’ve experienced. Any story’s you’d like to share?

Stories, the BEST part of the subject matter I photograph is just that. I've collected a lot of those over the years, getting kicked out by the Police, RCMP, security is just a small part of the hassle we can get while trying to 'work'. I find other civilians and by-standers provide the best stories. Simply because they can either be completely amazing or completely pissed off, and I've met a lot of both those groups. I once got screamed at by some women claiming her blind husband fell down a set of stairs because we left a pile of snow at the top of the stairs last year. (we had never been to this place before..) The filmer was able to film the last few choice words she had for me before she stomped up the stairs and kicked out the jump we had made for the rail. And on the opposite side of that are the nice cops. We had built this quarter pipe against the support leg for an overpass bridge, which happened to be directly beside the local Police station. It was 2am, we had the generators blasting full power, all the lights, and my flashes going when these two young cops stumble down part of the snow covered hill. We all expected to get kicked out. But they explained how they thought we were tagging/painting on the cement. Once they saw what was going on they actually asked us if they could stay and watch for awhile, and that until someone actually complained they had no reason to make us stop.

-Scott

Andrew "DJ F.U.N.K." Ward

- Age/Type of Work/years practicing

30 / DJ-Producer / 10 yrs

-How did you get started?

I started producing music after hearing DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing." Years later I started DJing a radio show at CJLO Concordia Radio.

-What draws you to the type of work you do?

I love music.

-If money was no object what kind of project would you like to get involved in?

Probably some kind of large scale audio/visual production with burlesque dancers and ukuleles

-Where do you find your inspiration?

I try and find inspiration in everyday life.

-Have you ever collaborated with another artist in your work, if so where did you find this person and how was/is the experience?

I have collaborated with quite a few other artists both in music and other media like photography and film. Most of the time these projects get organized through networking, friend of friends, student projects, and occasionally more professional projects. EVery project varies depending on the people involved in the creative process and how well we all get along. I've seen some disastrous projects and some really inspiring stuff too. Collaborations are a great source of inspiration regardless of the outcome.

-How would you describe your style of mixing?

Under Construction

-How long did it take from when you started, to playing your first show in front of a crowd? What was that night like?

It was pretty quick for me. I had only been mixing for a few months before I was put up in front of an audience. It was nerve-wracking but I loved it.

Below is an advert for weekly event Andrew participates in called "Grilled Cheese Thursdays" It takes place at Blue Dog on St. Laurent and yes, like the name says you can expect a complimentary cheesy sandwich to accompany all those cheap drinks. So get down there asap and enjoy the end of your semester! Don't forget your dancing shoes.

-Scott

Sascha Tamsin Bravery - Painter

I first met Sascha in the summer and since then her and I have constantly been discussing projects, bouncing ideas off one another and enjoying a couple beers along the way. This energetic Aussie has a love of life that's obvious in the work she's done. I've always been curious to find out her secret to it all and in the interview below you will see how I started scratch that surface.

- Name/Age/Type of Work/years practicing

My name is Sascha Tamsin Bravery I am 24 years old. You will find me, predominantly, drawing pictures of strange things, something I have been doing ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

- How did you get started?

I grew up as an only child on a farm in a tiny, quiet rural beach side Australian town, so really all I could do was roam the country side, hang out with my grandma and use my imagination until my brain exploded. I was always encouraged to be creative as a kid and was always fascinated with my grandmas art books. I drew pictures to entertain myself and as I have grown up, instead of growing out of it, I believe I am most definitely growing further into it. 

- I’ve seen your drawings and I’ve heard your stories of photography, would you say you’re a multi-faceted artist or is there a medium you favor over of the others?

I enjoy playing with a lot of mediums to articulate my work. However I find more pleasure in drawing than in photography. Even if I cant realistically capture a subject like you can with photography, I still prefer the personal touch drawing allows me to have when creating something with my imagination from scratch. 

- In that case, what is it that draws you to painting in the first place?

An unfailing, unfathomable magnetism that I cannot explain nor escape. 

- If money was no object what kind of project would you like to get involved in?

When I don't have money, ideas of what I want and what a need speed through my mind relentlessly. But there has always been one thing that I would truly love to put money towards. I would love to own my own studio apartment above my own gallery. But something a little more realistic is just having enough money for more exhibitions and supplies. I have a really strong desire to create my own creative project in the near future that I wont disclose at this point as it is still really in the rough stages, and I have no idea where in the world I will be next so it will have to wait and grown quietly...

- I appreciate the disclosure, I know how satisfying it can be to unveil a project once its had time to develop. How about the ideas? Where do you find your inspiration?

I look mainly to books- art, illustration, poetry, biographies of famous and prolific figures in history and really anything with odd and interesting images or text. However most of what I draw (if not from imagination) comes from magazines and random free street press. I love National Geographic and an awesome magazine specifically filled with art called Empty magazine. I could also spend hours on the internet sifting through images on ffffound and art blogs such as Booooooom!, behance network, fecal face and supersonic electronic just to name a few. I also find inspiration in other artists and illustrators, signs on the street, writing in toilets and other everyday things.

- Have you ever collaborated with another artist in your work, if so where did you find this person and how was/is the experience?

My work has featured in a few collaborative exhibitions, ‘Extra Cheeese’ was one my favorites, it is an annual Australian, Sydney based exhibition run by a dear and very talented friend of mine called Daniel Dittmar. My work was chosen two years in a row to be a part of it. I felt really privileged and a little star struck by the talent my work was surrounded by. A lot of prolific Aussie artists were featured in those exhibitions. the best and most unique part of ‘Extra Cheeese’ was the fact that our medium was a pizza box, so everyone created these phenomenal paintings on used and greasy pizza boxes. It as held at a myriad of different and predominant galleries so that was pretty special for me. I also helped out with another friends dream called Junkyard, which was a huge success, hosting over 50 artists from all over Australia- we even had a guy from Montreal featured too! Junkyard was a concept exhibition, with live music performance art, fashion and of course collaborations of artists with completely different and astounding works. I have had so many special opportunities to work with some really amazing Australian and international artists whilst living in Sydney. Each and every one inspired me to continue what I do, work harder to develop my style and each has given me valuable experience and motivation. It is really eye opening to work with others who have completely different styles than your own.

-Scott

Miles Vernon - Band

Here is a great up and coming band named MILES VERNON. They have a dreamy-like, low-fi sound.
The members of Miles Vernon are Deidre and Emily. Emily was born in Newfoundland but raised in British Colombia. Deidre was born and raised in Newfoundland.
It is an incredible story... how they met.
Deidre and Emily met through mutual friends in Montreal only to realize upon meeting that they had been childhood friends at a very young age. Their parents were friends and had set them up on a couple play dates. They never heard of each other after since Emily's family moved out of the province. Who would have thought 15-16 years later they would meet again and form a band together!
They are incredibly talented! Listen here !

Here is an interview with Miles Vernon (Deidre and Emily)

SARAH:
What made you guys start to make music together?


DEIDRE:
Right time, right place, right people!

SARAH:
What music inspires each of you?
DEIDRE:
Usually whatever I happen to be listening to at the moment in ma vie....currently am loving jazz vocals of Nat King Cole, Sufjan Stevens, Wu-tang, some dub-step, Dusty brown, Radiohead...and the list goes on!
EMILY:
Old folk music, old bluegrass...or any music that talks directly to my soul..

SARAH:
Do you plan to record a whole album anytime soon? What sound do you want to accomplish with an album?
EMILY:
Currently recording our demo now! We are trying to emulate individual moments and feelings of our lives through sound..

SARAH:
What other kinds of art do each of you make? Does it have any influence on your music?
EMILY:
I currently study fashion at LaSalle college.
DEIDRE:
I'm also a visual artist and I enjoy clothing design as well. I think we're both creative individuals who try to find the beauty in everyday and everything and translate that into our art, which does include our music among our other artistic endeavours.

SARAH:
Any big plans for your band in the next year?
EMILY:
Yeah! We're going on tour across Canada in June 2011, starting from St. John's Newfoundland and driving west to Victoria British Colombia. One home town to the next!

Check out MILES VERNON play at Dakota Bar on December 9th:

-Sarah

Erika Arbour-Nevins - Painter/Drawer/Photographer

 Photos by Sarah O'Driscoll

This is Erika Arbour-Nevins, a great friend of mine and a wonderful artist. She is from Gaspesie, Quebec. Erika has many ways of working. She paints, draws and is also really starting to take photography seriously. She is great in everything she does. When I first saw Erika's work I fell in love immediately. This girl has some serious talent! She received her bachelor of fine arts at NSCAD in 2004. She is currently working as a photo retoucher and is signed with Dulcedo modeling agency.  She is making a lot of art on the side.

Here are some examples of Erika's watercolor portraits, I find these to be some of her most interesting and unique pieces:

Here are some other paintings and drawings that Erika has done:

Lastly, here are some examples of Erika's photography:

Here is a stop-motion video I recorded of Erika drawing last spring : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma_PhG7fsY0

Here is an interview I did with Erika regarding her artwork:

ERIKA
9:24pm
ok so shoot me them questions

SARAH
9:27pm
okay so the first is when did you start liking/enjoying art in general and why?

ERIKA
9:30pm
well my parents have told me i always loved drawing and making crafts
as i kid (that i can remember) i loved coloring, painting - with whatever, sometimes in the summer i did it with water on the floor outside and it would dry, then id start over and over
but mainly i guess high school i became aware that i really enjoyed it, had a talent for it, and wanted to do something that had to do with art with my life

SARAH
9:32pm
did you take many art classes while you were in high school?

ERIKA
9:33pm
i took a couple. it was a general art class. for a year or so i did nude drawing classes every sunday
i had a great art teacher for a year, but when i did IB, she got really sick, and we had a replacement teacher ,who was a terrible teacher. so i feel like i didn't take a class really when he was teaching. i was mainly doing things on my own, researching a lot of artists, known or unknown
(the IB is a two year program where you take 7 subjects for 2 years, and i had a "art research workbook course." it was art making, your own projects, had a little show, and we had to keep an art journal, very frequently)

SARAH
9:38pm
are you glad you got your degree? and can you explain exactly what it was that you studied?

ERIKA
9:40pm
i am glad, altho i wish i could have had more time/money to keep going a year or two. there is just so much to tap into!
there are definitely things i wish had been done differently at my school, because i feel a bit lost, as my degree is so broad but i don't regret a second of it.
My degree is a bachelor of fine arts interdisciplinary
i studied photography, painting and drawing, and dabbled in so many things! i did welding and metal work, i did some printmaking, sculpture(not very much tho) some bookarts, weaving (loved it!) and probably a lot of stuff i can't remember right now
my main focuses were definitely photo, drawing and painting. i started drawing a lot more once i left school tho, since i didn't have as much access to studios and facilities

SARAH
9:43pm
what inspires you?

ERIKA
9:43pm
so many things
friends and the relationships we create with people - whether it be your parents, a stranger ,a lover, a friend really interest and inspire me
how our past and present affect our interactions
nature
industrial things
fashion
art
some poetry
and individuality.

SARAH
9:45pm
where would you LIKE to see yourself in ten years

ERIKA
9:47pm
in ten years i hope to be fully making a living out of something i enjoy doing, and can be creative while doing it! hopefully i can still be modeling and making money, taking pictures and drawings. if i do none of that i will be disappointed in myself
i hope to have shows in galleries, sell some works, publish some and be able to live comfortably and happily with what i do
it could be so many things

SARAH
9:52pm
thanks girl! <3

here is Erika's website: www.erikaarbournevins.com

ENJOY!

-SARAH