Tourmaline .

Toy Photographer, Blogger, Resin Crafter, Toy Photography Historian

Toy Photography: How to, Why, its Roots & More! Featured

Hi there!

I’ve been using toys and miniatures in my photography since 2008. My work in this field hasn’t always been good, and sometimes it’s still not. But sometimes it’s really good. I’ve had my work in publications and galleries across the globe and I’m very passionate about the subject of toy photography and its deep roots. Because of this I research and write about toy photography and related subjects pretty often and maybe just maybe, you’ll find this info useful in your own life and work.

Let me know if there’s a topic you’d like to see here. More will be added in time.

– Tourmaline .

*New*

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Color your World: Orchid

This week, the color is Orange.

  • Between now and whenever you have the time, share a post inspired by the color(s) on your own blog or social media. A poem, flash fiction, photo, drawing, whatever you’d like!
  • Link back to this post and include your post link in a comment below so that I can share your link next week.
  • Tag your blog post ‘coloryourworld’ so others can find your post in their WordPress Reader.

Check out the CYW home page with links to all weekly challenges as they post.

Read more

Color your World: Orange

This week, the color is Orange.

  • Between now and whenever you have the time, share a post inspired by the color(s) on your own blog or social media. A poem, flash fiction, photo, drawing, whatever you’d like!
  • Link back to this post and include your post link in a comment below so that I can share your link next week.
  • Tag your blog post ‘coloryourworld’ so others can find your post in their WordPress Reader.

Check out the CYW home page with links to all weekly challenges as they post.

Read more

EcoRelics, Jacksonville, FL

Went to a very cool antique store this past Saturday. EcoRelics sells architectural salvage, reclaimed construction materials and antiques.

That makes for a wonderful photography opportunity. Well I mean, and also is a good place to buy all those mentioned things, but I came away only with photos this time around. Check ’em out, and then go check out the store too if you’re in the area!

Click an image to open the gallery.  Read more

Hans Bellmer – A Doll Day Feature

Today, August 2nd, is Doll Day and in realizing this I knew I had an interesting opportunity to talk about Hans Bellmer, an artist I recently came across while researching another post to come.

Bellmer was a surrealist photographer in the 1930s. In his work he almost only photographed life-sized dolls he built beginning in 1934 with the help of his wife. The dolls were made of wood and metal skeletons covered in plaster and paper mâché. His work is quite surreal, and also intriguing. It is believed that much of Bellmer’s work stems from his own childhood trauma. The images seem to reveal that pain.

I’ll admit, viewing many make me uncomfortable. This is because I empathize with the state of the doll in each image, and in a way, with the state of mind of the artist. This lends a lot of power to images of toys and dolls. We can see ourselves within these representations and experience emotion along with the inanimate objects.

I’ll leave the googling of other works, and theories up to you, but here I’ve chosen a couple that I find quite captivating.

Hans Bellmer, 1934
Hans Bellmer, 1936
Hans Bellmer

See more surrealist figure work of this time period here.

Let me know what you think of this artist and his work, and separately, in the spirit of doll day, share all your memories of dolls in your life.

Follow me on instagram to stay up to date with what I’m up to. You’ll be the first to see what I’m researching and creating. Just click the screenshot.

Color your World: Neon Carrot & Olive Green

I knew I hadn’t posted last week, but I was sick yet again and had to let some things fall by the way-side. That just means we have a double feature this week!

 

This week, the colors are Neon Carrot and Olive Green.

  • Between now and whenever you have the time, share a post inspired by the color(s) on your own blog or social media. A poem, flash fiction, photo, drawing, whatever you’d like!
  • Link back to this post and include your post link in a comment below so that I can share your link next week.
  • Tag your blog post ‘coloryourworld’ so others can find your post in their WordPress Reader.

Check out the CYW home page with links to all weekly challenges as they post.

Read more

Making a resin house that lights up!

My quarantine brain hasn’t been the most creative, but I did finally make this cool house out of epoxy resin the other day! It’s filled with flowers I hung and pressed to dry, alcohol ink and glitter! Watch the whole process in the video below.

 

 

Epoxy resin, alcohol ink and flowart from The Epoxy Resin Store here: http://www.theepoxyresinstore.com?aff=11

Get 20% off your order with code TOUR20.

Find the other supplies here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/tourmalin…

 

Let me know what you think!

Robot explaining something to a fear stricken figure sitting on a couch, toy photography by Tourmaline .

Color your World: Navy Blue

This week, the colors is Navy Blue.

  • Between now and whenever you have the time, share a post inspired by the color (s) on your own blog or social media. A poem, flash fiction, photo, drawing, whatever you’d like!
  • Link back to this post and include your post link in a comment below so that I can share your link next week.
  • Tag your blog post ‘coloryourworld’ so others can find your post in their WordPress Reader.

Check out the CYW home page with links to all weekly challenges as they post.

Read more