I'm retiring this blog

I've had this blog for around four years now, and I think it's time to lay it to rest.

The idea of blogging still appeals to me, which is why I won't be stopping all together. I just won't be updating on this particular platform.

Why does the platform matter? I feel like my vision for blogging has changed drastically since I first started four years ago, and continuing on this platform which is connected to all my previous posts would just confuse the overall direction I want to take. Kinda weird, I know. But do you ever feel like you just want to acknowledge the past, but not necessarily be linked with it? Like you want to grow and learn from it, but you also want to leave it behind?

This is where I'm at currently. I've just earned a degree in art history (!). My future is undecided and I'm not tied down to any one place or direction. I received a grant to make artwork in Europe for a couple of months. I'm nervous about planes and what to create - but at the moment, I'm just enjoying life as it is and finding the light in whatever it is I'm doing.




I'm also consolidating my web presence! Thank you for following me and keeping updated with my work and my life. Your support means more than you know! I'm still learning and figuring out what works for me. If you're interested in following what I'm up to, follow my new blog here: blog.victoriaelena.com.

I also finally have a website where you can find some of my photographs (but none of my traditional work at the moment): www.victoriaelena.com.

I'm also on Tumblr: quiet-quiet
Instagram: @victoriaelena_
Twitter: @victoriaelena_
And of course, flickr: victoriasmyrniotis


I've had a good run with blogspot! Blogging has given my artwork direction and purpose. Hopefully I'll find the same grounding on my new blog. Hope to see you there :)

365

18/365


19/365


20/365


16/365


17/365


21/365

I've started a 365!

If you're not familiar with the project, it's a fairly popular one over on Flickr. You take a photo a day, every day, for an entire year. Some people take all self portraits, others take different approaches; I'm attempting to do a mixture of the two.


So far I've been really enjoying making art every day :) The first couple of weeks were really more about getting into the rhythm of going out and looking for locations, noting when the lighting was good, and being playful with concepts. I'm already up to day 22 (time moves so quickly!), and loving it so far!

If you have the time, join me in taking a photo a day for a year! If anything, you'll have a cool memento to look back on for many years down the line. :)

Hope to see you on Flickr!

A Crown of Roses // A Birthday Post

January is my birthday month!

And since I haven't written in quite a few months, I owe you a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year, as well. :)


I wore those crown of roses the entirety of January 5th, especially enjoying my birthday and indulging in the attention my family and friends were granting me. I spent the morning eating delicious breakfast foods and picking out a cake at a bakery for later that evening. Later in the day, my parents surprised me with a trip to pick out an easel. :) It's sitting in my apartment now and already it's gotten tons of use. I spent the afternoon taking photos, creating a new tradition where I take a photo of myself on my birthday each year. And soon after we all left to dine on seafood and fancy drinks. ;)

It's been a couple of weeks since then. I've started my last quarter at University, which I'm very excited to be graduating from in March! I celebrated my birthday some more by going to the city and exploring the Louvre exhibit at the Legion of Honor. Have you seen it? They lived in some amazingly intricate decor during that time, and strangely it wasn't so long ago! I've also been balancing my time between cities and deadlines, and cooking a ton! What's been keeping you busy?



Here are some photos I've taken on my iPhone over the past few months. I'm lucky to live in such a gorgeous city, and I'm lucky I'm able to travel as often as I do. :) My favorite is just taking an afternoon drive with someone up along the coast, exploring new locations and picnicking somewhere new when the weather is favorable.

On a slightly different note, I've been thinking of dropping my last name in favor of my middle name. I've taken a few commissions and have approached and been approached by opportunities on the streets and at fairs - and spelling out my Greek last name for clients has always been a mouthful. I'm always afraid someone will misspell it when trying to find me online. And I've also noticed people online don't always know how to refer to me; the 'v' in 'vsmyrniotis' does not always signal my first name to people right away.

I'm slightly worried people will not know who I am with the new name, though. Do you have any thoughts? Maybe if I make an official announcement everywhere it would help? I've recently found a few photos of mine on tumblr with thousands of notes, and it's made me question my decision to drop my last name.

Some of the photos can be found here, here, and here.

Hope all is well with you!

Victoria

The Countryside

Hollister, California
August 2012


I love country living. I think the sky is beautiful when it's half lit and half encompassed by darkness. You can't see that when you're in the city. The buildings or the trees or mountains obscure the horizon line and the sky fades quickly into sunset, almost all at once.

In the country, there's that pivotal moment
where you're able to look up and see the sky split
right down the middle.

The stars are pretty spectacular there, also. I always tell myself I'll take photos of the stars, but when you're laying out on the haystacks and watching them, you really aren't compelled to move and disturb the quiet.

July 4th, 2012

Revisiting Old Concepts

Taking a break from oils and having some fun with ink ♥