Happy Hols fr the Flatlands!

I am writing you from the little teeny town of Millet, Alberta (just outside Edmonton). We have been in the deep freeze (-30 C) since I got here but finally it has gone back up to -1 C...BRRRRR!!! Luckily the friends I am staying with, Sue and Garry, keep it warm and cozy no matter what the temp is!

No lack of Xmas Cheer here!

I have been taking myself on some BRISK walks for the first time in several weeks! Being an avid walker, I try to get one in each day but my Nov/Dec Schedule just wasn't allowing it. If there was an errand I needed to run within walking distance, THAT was my exercise for the day! So this going for a walk just to go for one has been awesome...despite not being able to feel my legs by the time I got back! 

A Sub-zero Jaunt 

Much of my time here has been spent attempting the art of...doing nothing! I was feeling myself getting pretty overwhelmed several times the last couple months and it scared me a little. Each day flew by so quickly because I was constantly in a rush and feeling behind, filling up every minute of the day with productiveness. Time passed so quickly and there were so many days that turned into a blur with no human contact! Not how I want to live my life. 

So far, I have laid on the couch and watched movies (sans iPhone, laptop and day timer), walked with no destination, hung out with friends for several hours in a row and taken a long, hot bath. This has not been an easy task for my Type A personality! Whenever I feel that panic that I should be doing something more productive, I tell it to SOD off and get back to enjoying it, while it lasts:) Next on the list...reading a book!

“Keep your best wishes, close to your heart and watch what happens.”    

- Tony DeLiso 

Had to bring my oceans with me!

Two of the reasons why I have always wanted to run my own business was to have freedom and independence but I feel like I don't have either mainly because I don't know when to just call it a day (passion!). This means I am not taking my camera out to shoot for the hell of it like I used to or making enough time to see friends, take road trips, volunteer and do yoga! 

I find myself seeking security and balance...dare I say, structure? Think there's some changes comin' round the bend!

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." 

- Albert Einstein 

Fave Bridge, Millet, AB

Would love to hear what some of your new year's resolutions are. What changes do you want to see in your life? Are you nurturing your soul? And if not now...then WHEN?! What a perfect time to get the ball rolling. 2014 for me IS the year of BALANCE! 

I leave you with a wee video interview from the RAW Artists Showcase I did a few weeks ago. No comment except that I need to expand my repertoire of adjectives beyond "GREAT"! 

As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read my ramblings and all your support and feedback this past year. Means MUCHO! I hope you are surrounded by love and warmth and this is your happiest holiday ever! No matter what this season brings us, we always have something and someone to be grateful for. 

“We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don't have something better.”   

- C. JoyBell C. 

25% off Metal and Wood Prints!

I know it's short notice BUT have been selling my wares at a market (Make It!) for the last 4 days and unable to even fathom a sitting at my computer during this time!

ALAS, my metal and wood printers are having sales so I am extending the savings onto you!

Any image that you find on either my Etsy site (www.huggerofseas.com) or my Portfolio site (www.traceytomtene.com) can be printed on metal or wood.

In case you haven't seen what they look like yet, here are a few photos from images I have printed so far!

It is hard to convey in a photo what they look like in person but to describe the metal printing would be to say that the image looks like it is printed on glass. The depth is magnified and the colour pops making it a very bold piece of art. 

The wood warms up the image and where there is lighter areas, you can see the grain of the wood coming through. No print ever looks the same as the grain is different on every one.

If you would like to take advantage of this sale, click here for metal prints and here for wood prints! Then at checkout, enter 'CYBERMONDAY' to get 25% off!

This probably won't happen anytime soon again (or ever)! Offer expires midnight tonight Pacific Standard Time!

Thanks to all those who came out to Make It this past weekend and for supporting handmade, local artisans.

My last holiday market is at Portobello West at the Creekside Community Centre (Olympic Village) 11-5 Sat and Sun! See you there:)


Much-o gratitude,

Tracey

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” 

― Thích Nhất Hạnh

Just hours left to...

Get your tickets to Raw Artists Vancouver! See more info at bottom of posting:) 

My Studio (and me)...somewhat polished!

Welcome to all who signed up for my newsletter this past weekend at the Eastside Culture Crawl! Was great to see you there and what an amazing turn out...I don't think I ever could have fathomed that many people 'crawling' through my space, but it happened:)It was a rather nutty few weeks leading up to it..the usual mayhem that one experiences when preparing for a show! There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done nor hours in the night to SLEEP! I have to say that my fellow artists are some of the hardest working people I know...if it were only just creating the art, this would be enough, but one wears so many hats: entrepreneur, social media maven, tax expert, marketing genius, graphic designer, inventory & supply specialist, administrator, bookkeeper, publicist, sales rep..the list goes on!

That is why it is bloody awesome when The Georgia Straight, our local news and entertainment weekly, asks for your info so they can publish an article about your jewelry!

See it here. 

TRACEY TOMTENE 

1000 Parker Street, suite 204 

The local photographer’s oceanic imagery and other travel shots appear under domed glass on delicate, Old World–look jewellery. Behind every piece is the artist’s clear love of the sea, journeys around the world, and nature and its conservation. Even in tiny form, on pendants and earrings, her pictures of everything from sharks to surf to cherry blossoms and, yes, even Thai elephant bums, have a transportive magic.  

Must-Have Piece: You have to love the story behind the round, copper Boat Portal, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia ring, with its shot taken through a porthole (it comes on an antique-ish locket, too); for the local beach-lover, opt for the English Bay, Vancouver necklace, set in a teardrop of vintage-style copper-plated brass.  

Target Crawler: The Lonely Planet crowd, frequent fliers, and those who dream of joining them.

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Prior to that Make It Productions, interviewed me as their Designer of the Week! The full article is here. Come to Make It at the PNE November 28th-December 1! Event details here.

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So back to The Crawl...I sold 3 large pieces: ('Stubby the Pigeon' left, 'Shiny Waves, Hawaii' and 'Short Walk, Long Journey, New York' above), along with oodles of jewelry, wood blocks, prints and postcards!                                                                 
I had JUST received 'Stubby' the day before and this was the biggest I had ever printed him (30x40) and on wood, no less! 

I was so stoked to see him that large and what's more, that people wanted to take him home with them:) 

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So that's one event down, and 3 to go! Up next is RAW Artists Showcase!

I will have street, surf and travel photography from New York, Hawaii, SE Asia, New Zealand and Mexico printed on wood and metal as well as set in jewelry.

Just HOURS left to get your tix (deadline is  Tuesday, November 19th midnight)!

For tix (just $15) and more info, cruise over to this link: 

http://www.rawartists.org/traceytomtene

There will be 40 artists participating from several different genres: film, fashion, performing art, music, photography, art, hair and make-up! Feeling pretty lucky to be participating alongside such amazing local talent! 

I REALLY appreciate your support and hope I see you there:)))

And....

4th Floor, 1000 Parker Street, Vancouver, BC 

And so it begins...

Autumn in Vancouver!

It is that time of year again!

#OHMYGADIHAVESOMUCHTODOINEEDEIGHTEENOFMETOGETITALLDONE!

That's right folks...it's holiday market season!

If this wasn't enough, Mercury is in retrograde. No one needed to tell me that as it started off with me first spilling tea on my external keyboard (all keys still work EXCEPT the space bar - NBG!) and then going to feed my cats, instead of spooning their food into a dish, I spooned it into the garbage?? Perhaps I was on another plane. An out of body experience? I am going to blame it on planetary alignment (and my brain being on OVERdrive). This is also the second time I've had to write this blog because it disappeared into thin air the first time. BOLLOCKS!

I have been making an effort to do a short meditation/breathing exercise both in the morning and before I go to bed. I think it is helping..we'll see how much cat food goes into the garbage and how many more keyboards I need to recycle when this is over. Yeeks.

My biggest print yet (on metal 24x36)! Will be making its debut at Culture Crawl!

So, here is what I am preparing for!

First up, The 17th Annual East Side CULTURE CRAWL

Holy Dinah! I can't believe I finally get to do this one! I was never able to participate before because I didn't have a studio in the area designated for the event. But as I mentioned in last post, now I DO! My friend, A Cagey Bee aka Kris Brownlee, informed me of a spot next to her in a collective space with a shoemaker (Renee Macdonald of Westerly Handmade Shoes), a jewelry maker (Christi York of Buenos Style), a print maker (Kari Kristensen of Fortune's Cap Studio) and a nutritionist (Justin McKeen).

I glommed onto it almost immediately! I have found it to be MUCH more productive this way as there is no Internet there and I can strictly focus on my craft...and my apt looks much more like a home vs. a work space now:)

Here are the deets:

The Eastside Culture Crawl is an annual 3-day visual arts festival, that involves artists on Vancouver's Eastside opening their studio to the public. This event involves more than 15,000 people visiting painters, jewelers, sculptors, furniture makers, weavers, potters, printmakers, photographers and glass blowers in their studios.

WHEN

November 15th from 5-10 pm

Saturday 16th from 11-6 pm

Sunday 17th from 11-6 pm

WHERE

#204, 1000 Parker Street.

We will also be having a sneak preview night on Thursday, November 14th from 6-9 PM.  A good chance to browse before the crowds start getting thick!

English Bay Sunset, Wood Print 24x24

Next after that is RAW: ArtistShowcase. 

This is gonna be a DOOZY!

There will be over 40 local, hand-picked artists participating: runway fashion shows, live bands, performance art, an art gallery, a short film screening, libations and of course hobnobbing! Not to mention an after party til 3 AM!

Every ticket ($15) purchased through my profile (see below) contributes to my entrance fee (and supporting me to get my work out THERE!).

This is my profile link - please also feel free to share with friends:

http://www.rawartists.org/traceytomtene

It's going to be QUITE the soiree!

DEADLINE FOR PURCHASE: November 19th at midnight and remember tickets have to be bought through my profile to be counted!

RAW's mission is to provide up-and-coming artists of all creative realms with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity so that they might be seen, heard and loved, exposing artists across the US, Australia, Canada and the UK.

Here is a promo video, filmed at the launch event in August:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9YJf5x2Oa0

EVENT DETAILS

19+ (2 pieces of ID required)

$15.00 online

Doors open at 8pm, first show starts at 8:30pm

WHEN

November 22nd, 2013

From 8:00PM to 3:00AM

WHERE

Gossip Nightclub

750 Pacific Blvd

Plaza of Nations, Downtown

North Shore, Oahu Earrings

Make It Vancouver

This will be my sixth Make It show and every one just keeps getting more awesome to participate in. Make It fuses indie shopping (250 of Canada’s hottest urban artisans and designers), a fully licensed bar, live music and delicious food to create a dynamic, upbeat experience. There will be something for everyone: fashion, accessories, art, jewelry, baby items and home decor!

Now with more Food Carts and a Beer Garden! Don't miss the largest Make It ever!

EVENT DETAILS
$7 at the door
Get your early bird discounted tickets here.

WHEN

Thursday, November 28

10am to 9pm

Friday, November 29

10am to 9pm

Saturday, November 30

10am to 6pm

Sunday, December 1

11am to 5pm

WHERE

PNE Forum - 2901 E Hastings Street

Maple Leaf Photo Ring

And lastly, but NOT least-ly, PORTOBELLO WEST!

Shop from a wide variety of local goods ranging from Fashion, Jewelry, Accessories, Art, Sweets, Baby items, and more. There will be live music and food carts to keep you going all day!

EVENT DETAILS

$2 at the door (children 12 and under are free)

WHEN

December 7th and 8th

11-5PM

WHERE

Creekside Community Recreation Centre

I will be displaying large scale wood and metal prints - new work from Hawaii and Mexico, as well as photo jewelry and wood blocks.

Sigh. There we are. One more thing to cross of the list! Hope you can make it to any of the above and if you're not in the Vangroovy area, I know you'll be there in spirit.

Happy Halloween!!!

Tracey

My One and Only...

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

SUMMER MARKET!!

Hope you are having as fine a summer as we are here in Vangroovy. The weather has been PERFECTION. Which I think is also a pretty good excuse to be lagging behind on my blog posts, don't you? ;-D

Just wanted you to know that I will be at Viva Vancouver this Saturday on Robson and Granville St.

It runs from 12-5 PM and I shall be in the Blim Market area.

Here is the FB Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/639954192687988/

I will have some new work from California, Mexico and Hawaii in the form of prints, jewelry and wood blocks! New WB sizes debuting are: 12x12 and 12x16. 

12"x12" 
Pacific Ocean, North Shore, Oahu

12"x16" 
Ohope Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

Along with many other new images, this Shark Teardrop Necklace (comes in cuff links, earrings and as a ring too) will be making its debut in blue (previously avail only in green).

For every Shark necklace that sells, I will be donating $5 to Fin Free, an organization helping to end the mass slaughter of sharks for shark fin soup and ensure their continued existence. 

Blacktip Reef Shark, Hawaii

Will have these too:

6"x8"Marilyn Monroe Statue, Palm Springs, CA

6"x6"North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii

And here are a few images I am transferring as I write this:

Kits Beach, Vancouver, BC

Waikiki, Hawaii

Kits Beach, Vancouver, BC

In other news...I am now working from 1000 Parker St. If you've seen past posts you know that it was getting a wee tad crowded in my apt. and high time to separate work and home by getting my own studio! Pics to come:)

I leave you with one of my favourite excerpts from Moby Dick (one I couldn't fit on a wood block):

“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off — then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.” 

Happy rest of the summer! xo

TT

www.huggerofseas.com

Stop and Smell the Ocean..(and shoot surfing in Hawaii)!

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." 

- Albert Einstein, E=MC2

Pupukea, North Shore, Oahu

I am 'stoked' for the next posting I get to share with you.....

The last time I was in Hawaii was when I stopped to visit my Dad en route to my big Southeast Asian Adventure in '08! It was my second time shooting surfing at the North Shore and just fell deeper in love with the people, the culture and the sport. If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you'll know that I went on to shoot surfing in Bali at the end of that sojourn and returned the following spring for more and also shot in Rockaway Beach, NY in '09 and '10!

Legendary surf photographer, Art Brewer, held a workshop in Puerto Rico in 2011 and it killed me not to go (as it was during a 'not feeling well' phase). Michael Clark and Brian Bielmann also started a workshop on the North Shore of Oahu the year after that but I simply could not do it physically or financially.

Fast forward to now...I may not have a million dollahs, but I FEEL like a million dollahs (and had some Aeroplan Miles saved up)! And NOTHING was going to stop me from going this year! 

Luckily for me, my Dad is usually in Waikiki in February at the exact same time the surf workshop with Brian Bielmann and Michael Clark was on again - so off I went!

View from editing nook - Dad's in Waikiki 

I arrived in Waikiki a couple days before the workshop was to begin. I got to spend some quality time with my Dad, catch up with my cousin Barb who was vacay-ing there and sync myself up with the relaxed Hawaiian island vibe. A bit of a challenge for a Type A, but I think with more time there, I could really perfect this;)

Turtle Bay Resort - our classroom!

The 4 day workshop commenced on February 14th - a day to celebrate 2 of my greatest LOVES: surfing and photography! I leapt out of bed every morning well before 6 AM to make the beautiful sojourn to the North Shore from 'Town' (Waikiki) and didn't hit the sheets until well after midnight when all my edits were ready for the next day's critique. The exhilarating negative ions from the waves coupled with the excitement of shooting world class surfing made me forget ALL about any sleep deprivation I might have been having:)

Students hailed from Canada, Bermuda and all over the US. We all had very different background stories but each of us shared a burning passion to shoot surfing and learn from the best. Which brings me to our instructors...

Brian Bielmann, is a world renowned surf photographer with 20+ years experience shooting along Hawaii's North Shore. He has travelled with the likes of Kelly Slater, Andy Irons and many others to surf spots all over the world and is also well known for his prolific underwater images shot in place like Teahupo'o, Tahiti. His work has been published in National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone, not to mention every major surf publication you can name. He is a contract photographer for Transworld Surf and Volcom but also shoots for the likes of Red Bull, Billabong and Quiksilver. On top of this, he is a super swell guy with great energy and wicked stories! See more of Brian's work at www.brianbielmann.com. 

Photo: Brian Bielmann 

Michael Clark, is an internationally published outdoor photographer who specializes in adventure sports, travel and landscape photography. His imagery can be described as bold, dramatic and timeless. It's not hard to imagine that Michael used to be a physicist when you see not only the technical accuracy of his imagery but also browse through the various books he's written on subjects like digital workflow and location lighting. National Geographic, Red Bull, Sports Illustrated, Outside, Men's Journal and The New York Times are counted amongst his many clients as well as Apple, Adobe and Nikon. All this and one of the most well-meaning and thought-provoking people I have ever had the pleasure of conversing with. See more of Michael Clark's work at www.michaelclarkphoto.com.

Photo: Michael Clark

Needless to say, there's no two photographers I would want to learn from or shoot with on the North Shore of Hawaii!

When the light and swell were at their best, which was a LOT of the time, we were on the beach shooting and in between that, we were getting critiques on our work, learning the technical aspects of Lightroom from Michael (since he literally wrote a book on it), finding out what makes a good surf image or intently listening to stories about Brian's wild surf trips and the tales behind some of his epic shots.

Photo: Ben Reed

Brian let me borrow his 600mm lens for the duration of the workshop. The longest lens I had shot with there had been a 300mm on a cropped sensor. So this was an absolute dream and wouldn't have been able to get near the shots I did with my own gear. Here are a few selects!

See the full album here.

Do not be afraid of death. Be afraid of the half-lived life.  

- Laird Hamilton, Big Wave Surfer 

Photo: Brian Bielmann

     

Because the swell was so big, Michael and Brian decided that it was probably best to learn how to use the underwater housing in the pool at Turtle Bay Resort, where our classes were being held. Brian's daughter, Tea,  was our model and brought a couple mermaid tales to wear. Since there was an extra one just lying around, I got to be a mermaid for a wee bit too - another dream come true to cross off the list (and the perfect pic to use as a profile photo for my Hugger of Seas Etsy Shop)!   

We took over 2000 pics in the pool because we didn't switch from continuous mode back to single shot mode! This ended up being a very happy accident as I could make the material we created into a quasi stop motion vid. Seriously, this was the most FUN I've had in a long time, and will go down as one of the most EPIC days I've ever had!

Surf Photog Workshop Hawaii - Underwater Housing from Tracey Tomtene on Vimeo.

One late golden afternoon, we all had the pleasure of shooting Chelsea Yamase, a local Hawaiian model and surfer. She was AMAZING to photograph as it is pretty tough to get a bad shot of someone who looks like this! Photographing her made me want to go and do 100 squats STAT...why would be evident in the photos below! ;)

Surfer Chelsea Yamase

Clockwise: Michael Clark, Brian Bielmann, Marlon Carias, Bun Chan, Ben Reed

The last day of the workshop was stellar. We shot almost all day at Banzai Pipeline. The likes of John John and Nathan Florence were out in the water and the day finished with a SWEET North Shore sunset.

Pro Surfer John John Florence, North Shore, Oahu

Last Set, North Shore, Oahu

Whale Breaching, North Shore, Oahu

As always, after an amazing time with a great group of people, it was hard to say goodbye! But I was comforted by the fact that I would be back up in a few days when my friend Marj would be arriving from San Francisco!

L: Brian Bielmann C: Moi R: Michael Clark

I would not hesitate to recommend this workshop to anyone! It was the perfect mix of knowledge and fun. Michael and Brian went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that we got our money's worth and then some by packing each of our days with surf photography wisdom and goodness. I came away from it with new friends, mentors and fantastic memories from one of my favourite places on the planet.

More info can be obtained on the workshop by contacting Michael Clark.

After the workshop, Transworld Surf ran some of our images on their blog. They also posted this one on their Instagram feed, which garnered over 10.7k likes - eeeeeeeeeeeeeee:)

http://instagram.com/p/XWG8OrJm6l/

Later that week, Dad and I celebrated my birthday with our friend Karen at the Mai Tai! She is my 'Hawaiian Mama'! We met way back when I was visiting Dad on my 20th birthday in Hawaii...we all look the same now, non? ;)

1995 and 2013

1995 and 2013

Marj, who I met in Bali back in 2008, lives in San Francisco and flew over to spend the last 5 days there with me.



She was my surf sister in Bali for 2 months, so it was very fitting that we would meet again in Hawaii! Upon picking her up from the airport, we headed straight north!

Unfortunately, the weather went a little wonky for the time we were there so we didn't get much beach/surf time but on the bright side, we did get to meet Jack Johnson at a local fundraiser for the Elementary School in Hale'iwa, thanks to the Brian Bielmann connection!

Jack Johnson (left)!

We got to catch some waves, do some dancin', catch up on all our stories and have some chill time on the beach once we got back to Waikiki.

All in all, the trip oozed with goodness. Not only did I get to shoot surfing (which would be more than satisfying enough), I got to spend quality time with my Dad, my Hawaiian Mama, my cousin Barb and surf again (after a 4 year hiatus) with one of my long, lost best friends and surf sistas!

GRATEFUL.

"The appearance of things change according to the emotions and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves. 

- Kahlil Gibran, was a great artist, writer & poet

See the full Hawaii album here.