Here is a sneak peek at what is brewing in the land of Love, Christine Jewelry. This year I'm trying to get back in the swing of things with the jewelry line. A few years ago when my momma and I first started to make jewelry it got a lot of great response in a really short amount of time! Covers of magazines and interviews lined up! BUT, then life got really busy and the jewelry had to go to the back of the line. BUT, I want to get these special creations out into the world again.
I don't really wear jewelry but, I do wear this stuff. To be honest, I have a hard time parting with it. Haha. There is a certain charm to them and I think a big part of it is the collaboration with my momma. She is this incredible little japanese woman (once a model in japan, a world traveler, a creative master who sang sweet beatles songs to me when I was a baby and won prizes in high school for her geometric paper folds) who now lives in a tiny town in Missouri and finds small treasures in which she fashions into mini art pieces. Sometimes I will design the jewelry and send it to her and she will make it or we look for items together and brain storm on new pieces, other times we come up with our own designs from our findings.
I think the thing about this jewelry line that makes it special is that we are both into the idea of the history of the piece. Nostalgia. Romance. I love to imagine the life of the charm, chain, pearl, gemstone. Imagine the women and girls years before that had twirled the chain around her fingers, held onto a charm, looked at her reflection to adjust an earring. How many spring breezes, summer suns, autumn leaves? Teardrops, raindrops, wine drops fell on each piece? Each of these one of a kind necklaces are a mixture of new and old materials, but, always, the centerpiece is the treasure: the stepping stone into another life time, a locket of life.
More later.;)
Model: Erin Smith (and just one of me with my favorite necklace I'm going to have a hard time parting with: a fake red gemstone covered lipstick on a string of pearls) Photography/Design: moi
My amazingly beautiful and creative mother creates jewelry with me. Sometimes I send her drawings and she will make the necklace and sometimes she just does it on her own and I do it on my own and we still end up making similar pieces. I have a whole line of one of a kind vintage jewelry. I like to think of it as wearing moments of history around your neck. Imagine what that piece went through, who wore it, who loved it, and where it came from-and to think, all of that history is right there.
If interested in purchasing, please email me and I'll let you know what is available or not! I'm putting up an etsy account soon! If you can find the last issue of Elle Girl, you just might see some of these on some girls! :) Neat! And also some star is wearing a necklace on the cover of a T.V. Guide. So bizarre to think where these lil' guys travel too. Some of them are roaming around New York, London and LA right now on the necks of more history makers. Fascinating.
Once I was supposed to have an interview with Daily Candy about my jewelry, but I didn't know what it was so I kinda blew it off. Whoops. Silly silly silly. Now that I have an assistant (the amazing Christina) in L.A. helping me take care of stuff--I can start to get the ball rolling on the production aspect of all my billions of projects. High five! LOVE! Christine
I made this for my sweet momma when I was in Kindergarden. Why did I draw Saturn and the moon?! I love children's art. And, you know what?! I always signed my artwork with "Love, Christine" when I was reeealllly little! I didn't even know until this summer when I went home to my parents house in Missouri and looked through some old things. Speaking of which, here are some pictures of me when I was little doing the same things I'm doing now. Hah. Not much has changed except that I can fit in those red shoes. I think we know what we love to do when we are kids. Just think about things you loved and why---sometimes you find your answers there as well.
The theme today is OTHER DIMENSIONS WITH CATS. :) Lovely Cat(herine), me, and baby cat above-in different dimensionssssssssss! Ooohhhh! Love! Christine
This is a vid. of my presentation at the Pecha Kucha Montreal at the Society of Arts and Technology. I was a little nervous because it was in front of a billion people and I had to scramble the presentation together that day so I didn't present it as eloquently as I had intended too, oops! But the reason why I was so nervous (well I wasn't super nervous but I was feeling a little unprepared)is the project gets so complicated because it touches so many different topics so it's hard for me to talk about because I'm still working on it! It was SO hard to cut it down into just 7 minutes, just briefly skimming the surface of much deeper ideas/theories/studies--BUT simply---my photography reinterpreted by me and Antonio Ringor. I'd rather perform it than talk about it, but, talking about it made a bunch of people check it out and listen to the music and the music was created with the same intention as art---for people to enjoy! :) VID by Catherine Morely. Love, C
Here is how the presentation should have sounded:
SYMMETRICS The synthesis of sound, vision-music, and art.
1. Hello my name is Christine Hale and I am a musician, designer, photographer, illustrator and writer/poet, an astronaut and a garbage man. Okay, not those two things but metaphorically speaking I’m exploring the universe of creativity and moving stuff around (which is what garbage men and women, do). Most of my work is created under the name Love, Christine, because my work is made with love--with the hope to inspire, enlighten and make people feel good through healing and change. But that is a completely different Pecha Kucha presentation called “empathetic creation and interpretive studies”. Tonight I shall be talking about one my latest projects called SYMMETRICS.
2. Symmetrics is name of my project (it acts as the title of the photography as a whole and also the band name), but it also much larger concept. Symmetrics creates an atmosphere that stimulates the audience to not only take part in what is created visually, but also to become involved in the experience emotionally. It’s about utilizing different arts and senses, working together to inspire the interpretation of a single concept. I could call this project Synesthesia, but symmetry is the most important factor, which you’ll learn more out about later.
3. In this case, the logo and tagline defines Symmetrics as the “synthesis of sound and vision, music and art”. Here I’ve created what I call the “transformation logo” which pretty much gives a visual of the concept: two different ideas merge, balance, and create something new--which expands outward, growing-- and eventually reconnects, just like the infinity symbol. We are inspired to create by other creations which were also made from inspiration, thus: CREATION>INSPIRATION-so the cycle continues.
4. The project initially began with my photography. I wanted to capture natural and man-made/industrial architecture working together, an image of beauty. To further express this idea, I arranged the photographs symmetrically—which I feel actualizes and represents my idea of beauty. The fundamental rule of Symmetry is a balance and harmonious arrangement which creates beauty—another concept/definition obviously significant to the name of the project, Symmetrics.
5. I created a contrast between night and day so that both extremes could be felt. So here we have a very stark, modern building, surrounded by fog. It blends together to create a dreamy outer space feeling--an empty and cold kind of silvery beauty.
6. And here we have the night photographs with the tree as the main focus highlighted with the man-made lights and stop lights-which has created a warm glowing sensational beauty.
7. During the set up for one of my gallery shows, I started to realize that these photographs had not only warmth and emotional value, but also they created sound. This inspired me to bring the visual experience to another level by creating music that sounded like the photographs.
8. I contacted my friend Antonio Ringor who is a very talented musician and we set to the task of reinterpreting the photographs using synesthesia and symmetry. We both play many instruments (I play the cello, violin, piano, clarinet, etc.) and he is talented pianist and guitar player and music theorist-so we had many tools (or musical paints) to work with. I really love working with acoustic instruments because the way you experience them is different from synth and the way their sound waves affect you are more emotional-- which conveys my intent.
9. We placed the photographs in front of us and then I would instantaneously come up with a tone or melody based on the composition, color, or movement within the photograph. For example, I looked at this picture and said: this sounds like this (sound) or I would say “what is the sound of grey”? (sound). Then we chose an instrument and tone and recorded it.
10. The music is based on loops and layers-so it still has a symmetrical foundation-which I think falls under the minimalist school, but eventually grows and changes, using different schools of music and merging them together. For example this song starts off with a repetitive loop but then at the end I’m singing jazz riffs. (play music)
11. As I continued to research the symmetrical qualities of sound and color (frequencies and wavelengths), I stumbled upon the world of sound and color therapy and healing. So-there is yet another element to the project with includes a barely audible layer of “healing”. Perhaps you might have heard of Masaru Emoto who did the studies on positive and negative thought energy and how it affected water crystals. His purpose was to show that even our thoughts have an energy and effect and positive thoughts create beauty.
12. There is layer of “thought”, where I found a crystal bowl player to intensify my positive thought waves and I sat next to the mic and imagined the words love, peace, happiness, joy. I visualized the audience feeling good when they listened to the music in different situations. I know it’s a very abstract concept, and I’m not sure it will have any effect, but, my intention is to really change the viewer (positively) through my art. Right now those layers are being mixed and mastered into the tracks, so what is available is missing that element, except for the last track—that track was intended to inspire. You don’t need certain instruments to do sound healing, you only need to have the right intention and focus.
13. Now, I’d like to focus more on the process. The music is just like the photographs in that they can’t just be listened to by passing glance, there are so many things that make up the song by the end and so many twists and turns. Some songs abruptly end or change quickly, others keep a continual flow and glow so it is important the viewer has a chance to make time for each song and photograph.
14. In doing so—in sitting there and really focusing on both music and art-you end up getting lost in another world, a place where you can become inspired or create something based of your experience; To say something, to make something, to play music. To find creativity in another way.
15. Which is another of my main goals in this project: to inspire audience participation. The performance consists of the framed photography, so the viewers have a chance to get a closer look at it, while it is also projected on the wall behind us so the viewer can follow the color/structure composition.
16. Then we perform the music with timed loops and tracks. Ideally I wanted the performance to be as raw and real and live as possible-but, hopefully in the future I can create what I like to call my “intuitive orchestra” and the entire thing can be as true to the moment.
17. There is a website with the music and the artwork displayed called www.symmetics.org and I’m encouraging people to submit their work. So far I have a fellow in London, Joseph Scott, who by chance stumbled upon the project and was so inspired he created music based on the photography and an artist in Tokyo, Smith, who listened to the music and drew at the same time and even a musician here, JP St. from Sweet Mother Logic, who remixed some of the music and I added new vocal tracks to it! As you can see the INSPIRATION>CREATION cycle of Symmetrics is in full swing!
18. The idea is to grow from this project and include everyone! To travel to different cities and have shows with artists and musicians displaying their work as well and to have those viewers become inspired from their creations-to have many different bands called Symmetrics all following the same rules of creation.
19. We create art to express something, whether we know it or not, and while this project was done lucidly and free flowing, the main intention behind it was intended for audience to develop and experience emotional empathy and in that I hope they experience something new and different and become inspired to create.
20. It’s all about Inspiration, working together, knowing we continually contribute to the pool of art/music/creativity which in turn contributes to the growth and evolution of society--for the better.
Top two pix I took of Simon for the MusicPlus video! :) And the bottom two pix Simon took of me for the Music Plus Video! :) (I'm supposed to be a "guy" drummer but I have dainty hands.) AND, in my mission to create something every night...I'm way too tired, so I found a loophole: Sleepy things in the dark talking about being super sleepy. Totes: totally. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! (Normally I put my signature on photos and art, but I'm too sleepy to do it. Mind stamp, brain stamp, heart stamp a roo.)
Woke up, fed fish, ate les framboises (raspberries) and french toast, played with more pictures of Simon et Moi. Super Fun. Speaking of "SUPER" the 5 ALIVE "SUPER CRAZY ALIVE" is really funny.
I love pancakes! I love Escher Dashiki! I love flowers, fields and birds!
So I'm a day off. Oops! I've been in a food coma the past two days. So much delicious food and people flowing in and out of this house, sleepy sunshine on the porch, fluffy clouds peering in at me from my window. Last night Erica and Simon made amazing sushi, and then this morning we had amazing pancakes. So good that the above picture is what breakfast looked like after .2149 seconds. The pancakes sky rocketed to the depths of my stomach, lining my soul with sweet maple syrup. I had REAL maple for the first time up here in OH!Canada and it is the best thing ever. MM!
Today was a really fast and slow day! I needed to switch gears a little bit: worked on these photos, started a new song with a really fun finger picking, did a little writing, had my business, bank and finances organized and consolidated by the amazing Peggy Yen. I decided that I was a creator of matter, of the seen and heard (art, music), Peggy deals with dark matter ( the unseen: business, money, etc.). We balance.
My writing is found under THE BLUE SHORTS on my blog. It's a collection of very short contemporary stories all starting with "THE". They're very frank, sometimes stark but softened with shimmery femininity. I like to toss in some abstract ideas, images in my mind, sometimes they are harsh, other times full of love. Some just prose, others more poem. Anyway, I love creative writing and reading and I am blessed to know and have some very amazing writers as my friends. Sometimes if I'm feeling less visually productive I won't work on any art or music that day (like today) and I'll write what is flowing in my head, conversations and ideas. Do you ever find yourself narrating your life or reciting a book from the depths of your mind? When I stop to think about it, this is where they come from, usually brought on by certain incidents that have happened in my life.For example, the inspiration for this piece below is from a mosquito I killed. I was feeling a little tense, I don't usually kill bugs, and through the writing I was able to explore deep deep down why I did it. I was able to even do a little forgiving and understanding because the fuel for writing creates metaphors of our own internal struggles, wishes, dreams and I had been feeling a little hurt by some people in my life. It's amazing how the perspective can change from just moving over a tiny bit. I redid this poem over and over for about an hour. It's still settling. I used to believe firmly in first creation without editing--so I really should show the before and after (of everything I do actually!) to show how your creative endeavors evolve and how you find yourself evolving as well.
The Mosquito
I killed the mosquito. We decided it was okay to do it.
Elephants beat at flies, volcanoes burn and bubble, trees fall and a spine is snapped, monkeys spear bush babies in their sleep. First no, then yes! YES! It bit me earlier and I was itching, hearing it's tiny wings whine: diseases sleep us you the future blood on my pillow an open window welts mothers tiny arms needles in black fur the open chest cavity the wetness (it was shimmering, quivering the exposed heart afraid and alive) and your ovens: rosemary and butter, my hands under skin rubbing cool autumn in with surgical gloves salt eyes brushing my face against the collar like making love to flowers the secret corridor in the castle pushing up against the chair I kept thinking there was more of you, even though you had left kept crawling back into the bed with the light guillotine
Could we sit at the table, get to know one another first?
I felt mosquito wings on my cheek, a very soft and gentle wind, like cat paw. You were just tiny and delicate, hungry for something you needed, hungry for me because I happened to be there under the lamp, in the light.
There are more on the ceiling. There will always be more, in the warm and the wet. You forgot, didn't you? Lemongrass and screens, honey. Protect yourself. We do the most damage.
-Christine Ohara Hale
It's so convenient to have blogs, because you can write from anywhere and the blog is there for anyone at anytime to see. Our personal domains and websites are our owned land, blogs are public space, the free poles you can put your signs on, the walls to paint, the grass to lay.
YESTERDAY: I got some french books yesterday, started to study my verbs and using flashcards. Ah! I love geeking out on everything. The guy at the store asked me if all my books ( I bought a big giant fattty fat Dreamweaver 3 book too) were for school. Silly man, silly man, I laughed and said in a smooth buttery velveeta cheesy way "The school of life, man."
I found this wonderful shop on St. Laurent called Frenco, it's all natural shop full of bins of spices and beans and teas. Because it's all in the open air, the smells stir around, dance, jazz the senses. I bought a tiny self-serve bag of dried blueberry tea and some dried bananas for 66 silver candadian maple leaf pennies. Life is good day by day, treasure by treasure. I will admit that I've been feeling a little blue lately, but, it's important to let that out in my art and write about the good stuff here. So, just for a reminder, my life is not insanely happy and exciting at every moment, but, the moments that are I want to give my gratitude for and share them. :)
This is from a series I am working on called IN THE PARK. You can see more if you click the image. You can see more of everything if you click the images. Hopefully they don't have those borders on them---or do they? Let me know if you see one! YUCK! :)
OH! I also helped a friend feng shui her apartment, we started with the first step: making a blueprint of her place and mapping out her areas then we talked about what she felt was lacking in her life and what she wanted to improve and---this is the really fun part, things that she had already done that matched up with feng shui theories. I've started to do mini-counseling sessions with some people lately, it's cool, I love imaging and branding ( I am a "specialist", it was an official job title!) and to integrate that with personal identity is even greater: helping people find their identity by covering different areas of their life. This is a major project I'm working on slowly but surely. Chapter one is in the works. I know this will take me a while to do and really define this job, but, we'll get there eventually. One of the millons of things I love to do: help people make their dreams come true by helping them find themselves. It's good to have outside perspective that comes with advice! :) More on this later. Right now I'm calling it Personal Identity/Imaging/Branding because we are our own mini corporations!
Ohara Hale is a Montreal based artist, illustrator, children's book author, gig-poster maker, animator, director, graphic designer, singer/songwriter/musician and dog and pizza ( together or apart) enthusiast. Although born in Hollywood, she spent her youth in the American midwest, her formative years in Los Angeles and various other parts of the universe, and her best years ( so far ) in Montreal, her official goldernhearthome. When she has serious conversations about her visual work such as "Butts Over Butts" or anything to do with Pizza + Art, she can't help but allow her brain to barfjoy exclamation marks all over the inside of her skull. It doesn't sound like that is a good thing at all, but, it's a good thing for all. Her visual work and books can be found all over Google, bookstore shelves, international galleries and bedside tables of friends/lovers/strangers/futurefriends and her music work/voice can be found in various containers where pop and/or punk music can be heard/seen.
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