Tar Pits Park Photograph Series

 

http://www.kcoulourides.com/TarPitsPark.html

 
     I finished my series of Tar Pits Park digital photographs this past fall in 2011. This was a series I had been working on for a couple years while living in the Miracle Mile District. I would regularly take walks to the park for serenity, creativity and inspiration. The scent of tar smells of home and relaxation. My urban aromatherapy if you will. Now that the series is complete and I've moved to another part of town, the tar pits park resonated nostalgia in my mind.
      My inspiration for this series stems from how tar connects us, the living, to the dead of the last Ice Age. Our current environment interacts with the tar in ways that are individual to each element of the park. Tar is beautiful in all of its forms and takes on a glistening reflection of its colorful surroundings. Tar can be dark and mysterious holding the mysteries of the past, or rainbow and organic; coating and floating on the current day.

To view the series go to http://www.kcoulourides.com/TarPitsPark.html

Rose Parade 2012!

     This year was my 21st year working on the Rose Parade. Every year I am excited to begin the challenge of decoration week, though this year was more challenging than previous years in a different way. I came into the 100 hour work week already tired from holiday hubbub and end of the year freelance gigs. Additionally, this year I was training a new supervisor and did not have the ultra experienced co-supervisor to lean on. I very much enjoyed training my new co-supervisor and felt confident in my abilities throughout most of the crazy week. The only thing lacking for me this year besides my physical energy was the lack of artistic input I had on the decoration the float. Given that I was made the head cheese of my float for the first time and I was training my co-supervisor, the level of difficulty was perfect for the both of us. It was a very manageable float, and in the end I think that is why I found myself a little bored this year. This year was about people, management and the volunteer's experience and less about the art. The art is what has always feed my passion for the Rose Parade. The large scale of the production and the beauty and artistry of the float is always amazing.
     Though this year the art was less satisfying for me I still learned many lessons about team and project management, working with corporate clients and teaching volunteers decoration skills while still having fun. The 2012 Rode Parade may not have been what I thought it would be for myself, but it was still a rewarding experience.