Category: Pas De Berlin

An afternoon in Upland

8/21/2015

Selections from our concept photo series Pas de Berlin are now on exhibit with Erns Lab, a new arts space in Upland! Also on exhibit are several of my recent acrylic works, and my creepy creatures in cages.

Erns Lab, the latest brainchild of artist Erns Valdez, is an eclectic creative environment, offering a photography studio, equipment rental, and studio space. The Lab will also be hosting classes, workshops and small private shows and events.

The Captain. The Bat. The Lab.
Artists Erns Valdez and Todd Powers

Erns, an award winning gallery director (and producer of the Mindclouder Music Festival) has recently relocated his arts business from Pomona to Upland. His last arts space, Loft Beats, was voted 'Best Gallery in the I.E.' two years running by Inland Empire Weekly. We loved working with Loft Beats in Pomona, and we believe Erns Lab will prove an equally rewarding experience.

This exhibit will run now through September 24, and every Thursday Erns Lab is open for the Farmer's Market in Historic Downtown Upland, so if you're in the area, be sure to check it out!

Stay tuned for more on our collaborations with Erns; we've got big plans for the future!

Forward Motion

2/21/2015

On February 20th, as part of my exhibit with UCLA Geffen School of Medicine, I gave a talk to the students, in the Gallery at the Learning Resource Center. Below, are some of the notes from my talk, re-worked into a blog. Photos of the talk, portfolio photos of my artwork, and work from our Pas de Berlin series are courtesy of Todd Powers.

My name is Jen, I am a professional artist, and I live with Lupus and Fibromyalgia.
I became symptomatic at age sixteen; I was diagnosed at twenty-seven, and I have since spent the last ten years learning how to navigate a relationship with my illness.

That it is a relationship, or that it can be seen in that light, is a fairly new concept for me; in the early years following diagnosis, I approached Lupus more as a battle to be fought, and initially this was helpful to me (it’s far better to fight, than it is to simply give up). But recently, I’ve been learning how to engage this facet of my life in a more productive manner.

I continue to be surprised at how helpful it actually is --helpful for me and for those around me-- to actively engage this subject: It is helpful to paint about my illness, write about it, talk about it, create conversations about all the ways this illness influences my life and my choices on every level.

For too many years, I’d deliberately avoided doing any of that --Lupus was already taking so much of my time, and I resented it. Lupus had already stolen so much of what used to be my life, and I was angry about it. I wasn’t willing to give her anything she wasn’t already taking from me, by force. I didn’t even want to talk about it.

It took me a long time to see the extent to which my relationships with my illness reflected my relationships with myself, right down to the avoidance, the anger, and the resentment. I realized then, that I had a lot more to work on than just the physical aspects of chronic illness: I needed to do more work on myself, as a person --and along the way I discovered that doing this kind of work, to better myself emotionally, resulted in my doing better, physically. Intrigued, I continued along these lines, and have since continued to improve.

Through my work (painting, writing, assemblage, and collaborations), I began to explore the ways my illness was re-shaping, and forcing me to more closely examine, all of my relationships --with my body, within my mind, and also, my relationships with others.

My relationship with my body

‘The Lines Unread’ belongs to my Silence series. This body of work examines the ongoing transformations in my life, and my work, as a result of living with Lupus and Fibromyalgia.

The works in this series are all mixed-media; inclusions of graphite and ink are particular allusions to loss of function in my hands. Before my illness, pencil and pen were my tools of choice; as my illness progressed, use of such fine instruments became more difficult and painful.

At that time, I let go of keeping a daily sketchbook and handwritten journal, and turned instead to more abbreviated art forms, which required less use of my hands --abstract sketches in crayon, and spoken word --performance poetry.

In addition to the figurative sketches in ink and pencil, many of the works in this series have my poetry written in pencil, ink, or both, beneath or between the layers of acrylic gesso and paint. ‘The Lines Unread’ is the title of my poem, within the painting, bearing the same name.

My relationship with my mind

'‘To Anger’ is part of my Dine-in,Take-out series. The origins of this series reside in a loose collection of abstract crayon sketches, created in 2004 and 05 --the time when my function was most impaired, and sketching often required controlling a single crayon with both hands. Economy of line was critical,

requiring me to work in more direct, less detailed, techniques. Such blunt visual communications left me little space to equivocate, and forced me to terms with emotions long interred, and issues which I had been previously unable to tackle with any honesty.

Lupus and Fibromyalgia forced me to stop --physically and mentally-- for the first time, in my life. Before chronic illness, I had not realized the extent to which I was being driven, by my own pain, anger, and avoidance. The crayon sketches helped me to work through some of that. In 2011, recreating the crayon sketches into paintings helped me to work through a bit more. Writing about this series, at the present, I find myself doing that work, yet again.

My relationships with others

‘The Fruits of Self-Compassion’ belongs to my ongoing narrative series, Reaching. Unlike the works of previous series, which look to the past, Reaching is firmly established in the present, with an eye to the future. The characters in this series express forward motion --reaching for that which is higher, within themselves and in their environments.

As visual elements, the exaggerated shapes and sizes of the hands in these works communicate the complicated relationship I have with my own hands: I no longer take my hands for granted.

I am keenly aware, day-to-day, of what my hands can do --I find myself carefully planning each day’s activities, and routinely mapping out entire weeks or even months in advance; I do this not only to make the best use of my hands, but also to allow for energy levels, mental acuity, and pain management.

There was a time when I didn’t think I’d ever regain function, especially not to this extent. I am deeply grateful for this, and always mindful of what it means, to have hands, and to be able to use them.

Also present in this series are themes of growth, from within. Each of the works in Reaching is inspired, in part, by a particular relationship in my life, which has endured and grown stronger in spite of, or because of, my illness. Life with chronic illness has taught me many valuable lessons, including who my true friends are, and what my true priorities have become. I have also learned how to ask for help; that has never been easy for me. More importantly, I've learned how to receive help --not the same thing.

Forward Motion

In addition to my ongoing solo projects in acrylics and assemblage, I've begun a series of collaborative concept photography projects, with fellow artists in various fields who also seek to tackle painful personal issues through their work.

These collaborations have been highly rewarding: Through these projects, we seek to encourage a determination, within ourselves as well as others, toward courage, healing, and forward motion.

Photos on exhibit with Forward Motion include selections from Pas de Berlin, a series in concept photography, spanning twelve months of collaborative work themed on a seven stage model of the grief and healing process.

The full series guides our viewers through eight different landscapes, breaking down the various stages of grief into visual elements, and creating a narrative of courageous recovery.

Currently on exhibit, are photographs from two of our eight separate sets: Efface, a dance terminology ('shadowed'), describes the frightening pain and guilt often referred to as the second stage of seven; Epaulement ('shouldering') explores the fourth stage --heavy feelings of sad reflection, isolation, and depression.

Pas de Berlin Contributing Artists:

Jen Raven ~ Creative Direction, Concept Artist, Costumes, Properties
Todd Powers ~ Photography and Editing
Ande Castaneda ~ Makeup and Hair Artist
Berlin ~ Dancer / Model

Special thanks to Ted Meyer, Artist in Residence at UCLA Geffen School of Medicine; and to LuAnn WIlkerson, Assistant Dean of Education, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine.

Artist Jen Raven, and LuAnn WIlkerson, Assistant Dean of Education, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine.

Epaulement and Avant

12/29/2014

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More photos from our 'Pas de Berlin' collaboration project, including the creation of Berlin's custom choker, cuff, and 'wings' which followed her through all three looks:

'Epaulement' set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
costumes, properties, accessories Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

Creating the choker and cuff accessories for Berlin's costumes:

'Avant' set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
costumes, properties, accessories Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

We shot all three of these looks, on two different locations, in one day ~in truth, it was a very long day. To compliment the costume changes, MUA Ande Castaneda also created beautiful, unique concept makeups for each of the three separate looks:

As always, I had plenty of assistance from the Studio Cats:

Follow the links to see more photos from our 2014 'Pas de Berlin' collaboration:
'Danseuse' set
'Joyeux' set
'Coda' set
Behind the Scenes, 'Pas de Berlin'
About the Artists: 'Pas de Berlin'

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Evolution of a dress

12/13/2014

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'Danseuse' set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
armor by Todd Powers * dress and shoes Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

Preparation for the 'Danseuse' set of our 'Pas de Berlin' series began several months in advance of the shoot itself. One of my greater concerns was safety: I wanted Berlin to pose en pointe for at least part of this set, which was to be shot outdoors --not an easy task, on its own. To avoid possible injury to Berlin, we decided to lighten the weight of the dress, and shorten the hems (of all seven skirts) by seven or eight inches. It killed me, the thought of cutting up such a lovely dress!

Model Berlin tries the dress with the pointe shoes for the first time. We all agree; the dress is too long and heavy for pointe work, especially outdoors, on uneven ground. The hems must be sheared.

Flashback: Todd and I discovered this dress at a local Goodwill in 2007, and it's been a useful addition to the costume closet ever since --from the Kern River to the cover of Bakotopia Magazine, this dress has been there, done that.

photos by Todd Powers
models Jen Raven, Devin Riane, Jaden Snow

I was loath to cut up such a pretty dress, and wanted to pull a few more great shoots out of it, before getting out the scissors. We asked model Lucy Cruz to do a final shoot with Todd, and I also asked Ande Castaneda to get a shoot in, with model Berlin.

Kern River Shoot
photographer Todd Powers
model Lucy Cruz

After Lucy and Todd were done with the Kern River shoot, the dress was beyond filthy. We gave it a hot shower, then soaked it in the tub with boiling water, laundry detergent, and oxy-clean. After repeated rinses, we wrangled the soaking dress onto a custom Berlin-shaped dress form, to dry. We had created the custom form a few weeks prior:

For our purposes, we made some changes to the recommendations given in this Threads tutorial. We used crumpled newsprint instead of poly-fill, for example. And we fitted a length of PVC pipe in the center, before closing it up at the base.

After the dress dried on the form, it was sparkly-white and fit Berlin's waist like a glove. One more shoot with the pretty dress, as-is, before the alterations:

Thank you, Ande!
Chaise Lounge Shoot
Photographer and MUAH Ande Castaneda
Model Berlin

A lot of work went into the alterations. Close to ten inches came off the hems (all seven hems), and even more came out of the front left side. I airbrushed the dress using fabric paints, and sewed nearly a dozen silk flowers just above the cut. We decided to paint the pointe shoes white, so that they would show up better on camera. After some experimenting with different paints on an older pair, I decided on Wolfe FX body paint in white; it performed the best out of all the paints I had to hand.

Day of shoot: Todd and Berlin nailed it. Our months of preparation totally paid off, and I was doing a happy dance behind the scenes.

'Danseuse' set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
armor by Todd Powers * dress and shoes Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

Behind-the-Scenes video of model Berlin, directed and produced by Ande Castaneda

Just before the opening for 'Pas de Berlin' at the TES Gallery, Todd further altered the dress and armor, to fit Lucy Cruz, who modeled the costume at the reception. He added black fabric paint to the dress, and new armor fittings.

Pas de Berlin Reception Shoot
Photographer Todd Powers
Model Lucy Cruz
Armor by Todd Powers

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Evolution of a skirt

11/28/2014

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Leading up to our shoot in Cambria, I had been working on this skirt, on and off, for over a year. And what a fantastic end result! With the right model, MUA, and photographer, a year of piecing and sewing is made well worth the effort.

'Joyeux' set, 'Pas de Berlin' Series 2014
model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
scale mail Todd Powers * skirt Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

But long before the construction of this skirt began, the fabric itself was being weathered for me by an unsuspecting army of models; the yardage for both underskirt and over-skirt have provided background,

property, and costume elements for dozens of Todd's photo shoots over the last seven years. This yardage has been through every kind of shoot, from studio to location; this fabric has been dragged through the dirt, drowned in the Kern River, wrapped around models, tacked against two-by-fours, and hung from the rafters.

I often prefer that my costume fabrics be properly worn and weathered before I begin construction; I like the way they drape, and move, after they've experienced the world a bit and have developed some character of their own. There are ways to speed up the weathering process in the shop or studio, but given how much shooting Todd does, it's easier for me to toss my yardage into his props bins, and let the Todd and the models take it from there.

After removing areas that were a bit over-worn, or torn, and cutting out the largest pieces for the two main sections of the over skirt: The smaller and connecting portions of the over skirt were pieced together using scraps culled from the remaining lace yardage. Over sixty different bits of lace were pieced together, to create the entire over skirt, which also has ribbon channels sewn into the front and back, so that it may be ruched higher for a different look. The three-tiered tail addition to the skirt, which is detachable, required an additional two dozen pieces of lace yardage for it's overlay. All of the trim was sewn on by hand. A black cotton underskirt, beneath the blue polyester skirt, provides stability and comfort for the entire garment --three skirts in all.

Of course, Studio Cat had her part to play, in this costume's construction:

I set out to create an elaborate costume piece that would adjust, to fit many different sizes; the side laces can be drawn tight or let out, and the box pleats in back can easily be let out or taken in; the waist in the cotton underskirt is quilted, partly due to the piecing of the lace yardage on top; this waist is strong, and holds basting stitches easily, so there is no damage to the outer skirts. Also, for the purposes of this shoot, the hem of the skirt was raised a full six inches --again, easily done thanks to the cotton underskirt, and no damage done to the delicate, weathered polyester. This skirt stood up to a romp in the ocean and the climb of a massive boulder, on location:

BTS: 'Pas de Berlin ' team on location in Cambria, Ca 2014
photographer Todd Powers * model Berlin * MUAH Ande Castaneda
scale mail Todd Powers * skirt and accessories Jen Raven
concept direction provided by Jen Raven

'Joyeux' set edits, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014. photos and editing by Todd Powers

Want more? Full collection of BTS photos from 'Pas de Berlin' here!
Read more about this year-long project here and here!

Todd creating the scale mail top for our 'Joyeux' set

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Eye Spy . . .

11/24/2014

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'Coda' was the final segment in our 'Pas de Berlin' series, and my preparation for this shoot began months in advance. A backdrop canvas had to be painted; set and costume pieces had to be built, schedules had to be coordinated. After the shoot, the set and costume lilies were dis-assembled and re-made, into individual works of art, for the gallery exhibit.

Portfolio shots of my Lily creations by Todd Powers:

Lilies on display in the gallery, with the artwork:

In-studio creation of the lily vines; individual elements are altered, painted, assembled, and then re-assembled:

On set, day of shoot: Backdrop and props are set up, just before Model Berlin arrives in makeup, courtesy of our skilled makeup artist, Ande Castaneda. Berlin has to be further altered with body paint, moss, costume vines and lilies, before the shoot begins:

'Coda' was shot in three separate segments: First, Berlin becomes acquainted with Lily, representative of her hard-fought, and hard-sought, transformation (she is 'seeing' her pain, recognizing and accepting it). Next, we remove the Lily prop as Berlin dances, embodying the Lily spirit (relying on dance, she works her way though the pain). Finally, Berlin is re-created; now a fierce, powerful Lily, she is stronger for having embraced and accepted all parts of herself -both light, and dark (by taking ownership of her pain and grief, she also gains control over these strong energies; she now has the skills to bend those strong energies to her own will, use them as she sees fit).

'Coda' Set, 'Pas de Berlin' series 2014 *model Berlin * photographer Todd Powers * MUAH Ande Castaneda
costume, accessories, properties by Jen Raven * concept direction provided by Jen Raven

"I found I was able to be comfortable using the movements of my dancing experience to draw emotion into my modeling. It was rather healing. I took a step back and realized in some aspect this (modeling) is like dancing. In ballet or lyrical, whether I was having a good day or bad, I would portray that into my choreography, and how ever you may have danced that day, your raw emotions poured out for everyone to see, who understood. In some shoots I found myself crying or tearing up after, it was like a performance I poured my heart into, a performance that was rather healing for me. This was the right way to heal, the method I’d been searching for. I began to eat right, exercise, travel, I met some amazing people (from the art community) who continue to stay by my side, and most of all I began to heal, to sleep again at night, to forgive myself, to just. be. happy. for myself. I genuinely still am. I didn’t realize how dead I was as a person until I met the right people who set me down a better path. I am forever grateful. Art does save."

~excerpt from 'A Broken Recovery' by Berlin

We named the final shot of the final set 'Coda' and it was used in creating the event graphics for advertizing the exhibit:

I am so very grateful that I had the opportunity, to experience this marvelous, year-long collaboration. What an amazing team. What an uplifting experience it has all been!

See more behind-the-scenes photos and video from this collaboration here!

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Pas de Berlin: Behind the Scenes

11/9/2014

Our exhibit opens this weekend at The Empty Space Gallery, and we can finally share all of our behind-the-scenes photos, collected over the last twelve months!
This has been an incredible adventure. I love these people, I've loved working with them, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with them on this project.

Behind-the-Scenes photos from location shoots two, three, and four,
Hart Park, CA. April 2014:

BTS photos from location shoots seven and eight,
Cambria, CA. September 2014:

BTS photos from in-studio shoots one, five, six, and nine,
The Raven's nest, CA. Nov. '13 - Oct. '14:

Lovely Behind-the-Scenes video footage captured and edited by Ande Castaneda:

'Pas de Berlin' Photography Exhibit
Photographer: Todd Powers
Model: Berlin
Makeup and Hair Artist: Ande Castaneda
Concept Direction, Costume and Set Design: Jen Raven

Read more about this exhibit here!

Pas de Berlin: A Year in Photos

11/7/2014

'Pas de Berlin' is a unique collection of concept photography, captured by photographer Todd Powers. Spanning twelve months of work themed on tragedy, courage, and recovery, this body of work creates for the viewer a stunning visual narrative, following the progress of a young woman, Berlin.

As she dances her way through a series of eight different landscapes, each representing a new stage in her journey, Berlin boldly takes on the grieving process, and breaks it down into visual elements, determined not only to heal herself, but also, hopefully, to help others who are grieving find peace, as well.

This innovative team is rounded out by makeup and hair artist Ande Castaneda, with concept direction provided throughout by Jen Raven. Together, they have created a body of work which chronicles twelve months of collective curative exploration.

For more information about this series, including behind-the-scenes photos:

Epaulement and Avant Sets
Danseuse Set
Joyeux Set

Coda Set

Behind the Scenes

'Pas de Berlin' exhibit photography by Todd Powers
Model Berlin - MUAH Ande Castaneda - Concept Direction provided by Jen Raven

Artist Bios:

Jen Raven is an artist in acrylics, assemblage, and the performance arts. She holds a degree in English Literature; her awards include an Arts in the Community Grant from the Arts Council of Kern, and three consecutive Empty Space Awards for Best Gallery Exhibit. Raven has most recently exhibited with Bunny Gunner Gallery in Claremont, Loft Beats Gallery in Pomona, and The Gallery at the LRC, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine.

Todd Powers is a concepts photographer with a fine arts background. He studied printmaking, figure-drawing, painting and sculpture at Bakersfield College. Powers has exhibited his photography with Loft Beats, Pomona Arts Colony, and with The Gallery at the LRC, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. His work has been published in Bakotopia Magazine, The Bakersfield Californian, and Fashion Bombshell.

Berlin is a dancer, model, and Biology major at San Diego City College, studying toward becoming an Emergency Room Physician. She has had over eight years of formal dance training in various styles, with a focus on ballet and lyrical. Berlin has appeared in several publications, including ICING Magazine, and continues to work as a model throughout Southern California.

Ande Castaneda is a Bakersfield native, working in Southern California. A self taught makeup artist and formally trained photographer, she also holds four various certifications, two Associate's degrees, and is working toward her first Bachelor's degree in English (with Single Subject Prep), as well as her Cosmetology license. Her work can be seen in music videos, blogs, movies, and magazines internationally.

Lovely Behind-the-Scenes video footage captured and edited by Ande Castaneda:

November 7, 2014: The Empty Space Gallery will open an exhibition to the public featuring The transformative photography of Todd Powers.

'Pas de Berlin' is a unique collection of concept photography, spanning twelve months of work themed on tragedy, courage, and recovery. This body of work creates for the viewer a stunning visual narrative, following the progress of a young woman, Berlin, as she dances her way through a series of eight different landscapes, each representing a new stage in her journey.

A local photographer, who studied Art at Bakersfield College, Powers says he prefers concepts to any other form of photography; "I find concepts to be creatively satisfying, and enjoy the challenge of communicating ideas visually --allowing elements within the photo tell a story, through sets, costumes, lighting, and body language." In this, Powers says he is fortunate to be working with model Berlin, whose skills as a dancer (trained in ballet and lyrical styles) lend extra dimension to her performance as a model. Says Powers, "She knows how to translate her strong emotions into movements. That's a valuable skill for a concept model."

In creating this body of work, Powers also collaborated with makeup artist Ande Castaneda, who cleverly combined both traditional beauty, and high concept looks, to stunning effect on model Berlin. "I had been looking for an opportunity to color outside the lines a bit," Castaneda jokes. The fourth and final artist to take part in this project, Jen Raven, expressed gratitude for this opportunity to work with such a dynamic team. In addition to providing concept direction throughout, Raven created many of the costumes, accessories, and properties for the shoots --some of which will be on display in the gallery.

Exhibit runs November 7th through the 29th, 2014.

Please join us in celebration of 'Pas de Berlin' at our artist reception on Saturday, November 15, from 2-5pm. There will be music, refreshments, and a short video segment of one of the shoots, created by Ande Castaneda.

An afternoon in Upland

Forward Motion

My relationship with my body

My relationship with my mind

My relationships with others

Forward Motion

Epaulement and Avant

Evolution of a dress

Evolution of a skirt

Eye Spy . . .

Pas de Berlin: Behind the Scenes

Pas de Berlin: A Year in Photos

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