Sheila Bocchine, Photographer

This delicious martini was had at the yelp.com party in September at Radio Milano. Lit by candle light, this pinhole was actually 45 minutes long! I though it was the perfect image to post today, for my 29th birthday!

Today on this new day of the week, and first day of the month, I am celebrating a new year! Isn’t that exciting! I haven’t been able to stop smiling all day… and I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night. I could not concentrate on the task at hand, sleeping, so I lay awake almost all night daydreaming of all the new adventures this year will bring. The last day of my 28th year was fantastic! I saw The Black Jacket perform at Modified and stuck around for Phoenix’s own tv show called: Inside Creative Minds. I didn’t even know the show existed until last night and I definitely plan on watching their past episodes. The night ended with my favorite beer, Framboise, at the Lost Leaf with some good friends.

I decided I needed to spice things up a bit in this 29th year, and will do one crazy thing each week. It doesn’t have to be wild-out-of-control-crazy… just something new or uncharacteristic for me… and then I shall blog about it! I’m also adding new features to my blog, so be on the lookout for those changes.

Oh my gosh! This morning we got our carpets cleaned. WOW! The whole process was fascinating. We have a black lab, so that means lots of black hair, everywhere… no matter how many times we vacuum, black hair is on everything! The carpet cleaner sucked up every last piece of black hair from our carpets and they look brand spanking new! I wish they could suck all the hair off Shadow, ha!

This truly is a wonderful day, thank you for all the birthday wishes I’ve already received today. I will make sure to have a delicious piece of cake for you this evening!

This is an interview about my pinhole photography!!! Thanks for checking it out!

Click here to read the whole interview.

The Soop is a site that covers art, culture, fashion, lifestyle, music and trends. We are not trying to take over any news sites that are out there. More to give a voice to the local arts, the cool, the hip, the trendsetters, movers and shakers, but most of all to help grow the community.

If you didn’t see the exhibit that opened last First Friday at The Bragg’s Pie Factory on Grand Ave, you’re in luck!  There will be another opening on November 7th from 6-10pm.  Please come look at some fantastic photography, a beautiful day of the dead installation and ‘Armada 2012′ a spaceship installation (if you came to the exhibit last month, please come again, just to see the spaceship installation, it wasn’t up at the last opening).  The theme of the show is ‘Mysterious: simultaneously arousing wonder and inquisitiveness’.    There will also be amazing live jazz music as well!

Hooray for pinhole photography!

In August I was part of this really neat event called Ignite Phoenix.I gave a presentation on pinhole portraits. It’s 5 minutes long, with 20 pinhole portrait slides. Watch it if you like! You may need to turn your volume up pretty high…

I apologize if you’ve been to my website in the last week, for it was down. Not down for maintenance, it really just disappeared! It was totally crazy. But I am so grateful that it’s back!

The openings on October First Friday were fantastic! Great turnouts, amazing jazz and t’was a night filled with conversations about art! Afterwards some friends and I went to check out the bar at the recently opened Sheraton Hotel. Absolutely Gorgeous!

During a wild storm this summer in Phoenix, a very old Saguaro cactus was struck by lightening and fell to the ground in Papago Park. Gary and I went to document and pay farewell to this giant desert dweller with memorial photographs. It had over 14 arms and 46 holes (home to many desert creatures)… and those numbers are just what we could see, who knows how many more arms and holes were on the other side. Farewell gorgeous beautiful cactus! You will be missed!

Wow, there are so many amazing things happening right now! It’s a very exciting time for this pinhole photographer!

OPENING THIS FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK, OCTOBER 3rd:

*I curated an exhibit that is opening on Friday October 3rd, 6-10pm, at the Bragg’s Pie Factory on Grand Ave (just south of the Roosevelt/Grand/15th Ave tri-section). It’s called ‘Mysterious: simultaneously arousing wonder and inquisitiveness’  and features 10 local photographers, an installation and day of the dead alters. A jazz band will be playing and Ashley Celeste will be giving readings. I hope to see you there!

*Also opening this Friday is Chaos Theory 9, at Legend City, 6pm to Midnight. 521 West Van Buren, just a few blocks south of the Mysterious Exhibit. I look forward to this exhibit every year! I’ll have a HUGE pinhole portrait in the exhibit! I’ll be getting to this opening around 10pm.

Two neat things that have happened in the last week:

*We photographed a wonderful event at the Polly Larsen Gallery in Scottsdale last week for Envita and Fullness of Life Foundation. I really love those two organizations. There is such a wonderful energy when you’re in a room full of people who love helping other people. If you’re sick and you’ve been told there is nothing else you can do besides die… don’t listen to them!!! GO TO ENVITA!!!! Their alternative practices give new hope to patients. We’ve been donating our time to their organization for 2 years now and will continue to support them. If you check them out and like what you see, they are having a benefit concert at the Orpheum Theater on October 25th. Gary and I will definitely be there!

*Rainbows From Heaven a fabulous little shop on the NE Corner of University and Rural in Tempe, has an Oxygen Bar! Yes, an Oxygen Bar. Gary and I have been twice since Friday night. On Monday’s from 3-7pm they have Oxygen Bar Happy Hour and you can get 15 minutes of delicious, fresh, flavorful (or plain) Oxygen for only $5!!! We’ll be going every Monday. After 15 minutes you feel so good and the energy boost is quite nice.

During a wild storm this summer in Phoenix, a very old Saguaro cactus was struck by lightening and fell to the ground in Papago Park. Gary and I went to document and pay farewell to this giant desert dweller with memorial photographs. It had over 14 arms and 46 holes (home to many desert creatures)… and those numbers are just what we could see, who knows how many more arms and holes were on the other side. Farewell gorgeous beautiful cactus! You will be missed!

What a wonderful weekend I just had! It actually started on Thursday evening when I went to see my friend Allison Gee give a lecture on Art Appraising at Art on Boston, an art gallery in Chandler. Allison is amazing. If you have art that needs to be appraised, she is definitely the woman to call! Her knowledge of art is astounding and I always learn something incredible from her. Even her thesis work was fascinating, it allowed her to be alone in the conservatory in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with one of Michaelangelo’s earliest sculptures. The best part of her lecture was that she gave me new hope! People are buying art… maybe not so much in the United States right now, but the rest of the world is buying art!

Friday night was equally beautiful when an Intenders Circle happened in my apartment. Thank you friends who were able to make it. I hope you had a blissful experience and that I’ll see you at the next one. I was also gifted the most incredible massage by Ashley later in the evening.  I also learned how to breathe a new way, which I practiced all weekend!

I spent Saturday and Sunday, really doing nothing. Thinking, breathing, daydreaming, relaxing, and watching some television. Today I am refreshed and feel wonderful!

Phoenix!  I just wanted to let you know that First Friday (October 3rd 6-10pm) is coming up and there are two not to be missed exhibits!  I will have new pinhole work in both exhibits.

*Bragg’s Pie Factory – ‘Mysterious: simultaneously arousing wonder and inquisitiveness’. I curated this exhibit and it features 10 local photographers, an installation and day of the dead alters.  Opening night will be complete with a fantastic jazz trio and readings by Ashley Celeste.

*Legend City – ‘Chaos Theory 9′ Quite honestly one of my favorite exhibits of the year!  It’s a wonderful mix of the best local artists, in a gorgeous space!

I don’t know if you can tell what this is without an explanation. I saw a bunch of bugs floating in some water in one of the cactus holes. So naturally I wanted to pinhole them. I think this pinhole is so neat with the bugs and the reflection of the sky in water….

During a wild storm this summer in Phoenix, a very old Saguaro cactus was struck by lightening and fell to the ground in Papago Park. Gary and I went to document and pay farewell to this giant desert dweller with memorial photographs. It had over 14 arms and 46 holes (home to many desert creatures)… and those numbers are just what we could see, who knows how many more arms and holes were on the other side. Farewell gorgeous beautiful cactus! You will be missed!

TODAY is a great day, I can already tell. I woke up in the most marvelous mood, so full of life and energy. I rested well last night. Before I went to bed I started re-reading a book I started a few weeks ago ‘The Code’. A super powerful book indeed, already I can feel a difference by just recalling what I read. The first 40 pages alone answered so many questions for me.

If you’re into intentions and manifestations, join me this Friday!! I belong to this wonderful group, The Intenders Circle, we get together every other Friday evening for delicious vegetarian food (potluck style) and then to share our gratitudes and intentions. I promise you’ll leave with a smile on your face, with new friends and renewed energy. Words cannot describe the experience, you’ll just have to come with me!

During a wild storm this summer in Phoenix, a very old Saguaro cactus was struck by lightening and fell to the ground in Papago Park. Gary and I went to document and pay farewell to this giant desert dweller with memorial photographs. It had over 14 arms and 46 holes (home to many desert creatures)… and those numbers are just what we could see, who knows how many more arms and holes were on the other side. Farewell gorgeous beautiful cactus! You will be missed!

This pinhole is on the balcony of Sol Y Sombra. We went here for a yelp.com party in July. Super excellent restaurant. There was a chicken dish that may have been the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back!I’m leaving today for two weeks, not sure if I’ll be able to post during my vacation!We’ll be in Santa Barbara until Friday, we see Radiohead on Thursday night, then we drive up the coast to Palo Alto to see Samantha and her family. If you’re in SF and want to meet me for breakfast at Cafe Gratitude on Sunday August 31st at 10am, let me know. It’s the Irving location. Then Gary and I want to go shooting in Golden Gate Park, please join us! Then we start our trip back home!THEN! ON Tuesday morning I fly to Missouri! So Concordia, I can’t wait to see you! 10 year high school reunion here I come! Yipeeee!!!!See everyone soon!!!!!!

This pinhole is on the balcony of Sol Y Sombra. We went here for a yelp.com party in July. Super excellent restaurant. There was a chicken dish that may have been the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back!

I’m curating and exhibit in October at the Bragg’s Pie Factory. Last night I went to measure the space and found out I have more space than I thought. I also found out the show will be up for 2 months! That was really exciting! One month is not enough time. If you miss the opening you’ve missed the exhibit.

I’m a couchsurfer and belong to a few of their photography related groups. I recently found out about this social art project: So We Say It’s pretty rad and I’m definitely going to participate. Here’s what Larry had to say about the project.

I’ve had an idea in my head for a long time about temporary graffiti using post-it notes and after talking to a few people I’ve finally set it all in motion. I then thought this would be a great place to bring it as I know how creative everyone is on here.

It’s called “So We Say”. Anyone can take part. All you need is a pad of standard yellow (or any other colour) post-it notes. You write down your favourite quote, lyric, personal thought (absolutely anything!)and you can include a little doodle. It can be in any language. You rip it off the pad and stick it in a public place (bus window, shop door, cash point, on a library book…anywhere that someone will find it!). If you can, get a photo of it quickly. I realise this is hard, but a camera phone/small camera is useful.

I’d love to get loads of people involved around the world, and get post-its on landmarks etc.

The idea is that its all temporary. It can blow away in the wind, or have the message ruined by rain, or someone can simply take it or chuck it in the bin. All to establish that moment of connection between a complete stranger and the message that you have written.

Can everyone tell the NEW TIMES that I should win an award? I’d be most grateful!
AWARD: Best pinhole portrait photographer
WHO SHOULD GET IT: Sheila Bocchine, www.sheilabocchine.com
If you fill out their online survey, the very last line, line 107, allows you to write in your favorite whatever they forgot. That would be awesome, thanks! Here’s a direct link: http://phoenixnewtimes.com/polls/bestof08/

This beautiful pinhole scene was found at Malee’s Thai Bistro in North Phoenix at a yelp.com elite party! Sunburst and Rainbows? How could I resist!

I don’t have much to report. I’ve been lying low. It’s been a time of solitude. I’ve felt the need to stay indoors and watch LOST, gymnastics, or to meditate. Gary’s been making dinner every night at home and we’ve been sitting on the couch gazing at the screen. It’s been really nice, and obviously a needed break.

I’ve been… kinda mopey lately. Somethings been bothering me and I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m excited about that. Everything I’ve been waiting for and working towards is about to come to fruition. That is a wonderful feeling.

So in other good news! I found out yesterday that LOST season 4 is on the abc website, well actually all 4 seasons are on there. So Gary and I started season 4 yesterday. I am pretty impressed with the quality of the episodes and the only annoying thing is that every 10 minutes there is a 20 second commercial, so I have to get up off the couch and hit continue. It doesn’t go from commercial to episode… HEY! ABC! Can you fix that for me? Thanks!

Can everyone tell the NEW TIMES that I should win an award? Best pinhole portrait photographer!!
AWARD: Best pinhole portrait photographer
WHO SHOULD GET IT: Sheila Bocchine, www. sheilabocchine. com
If you fill out their online survey, the very last line, line 107, allows you to write in your favorite whatever they forgot. That would be awesome, thanks! Here’s a direct link: http://phoenixnewtimes.com/polls/bestof08/

Gary and I leave for vacation next week. We’re going to Santa Barbara, CA for two days, we’ll be seeing Radiohead there as well. Then we’re going to drive up the coast and visit my friend Samantha, her new husband and baby in Palo Alto. I’m as excited about that as I am Radiohead. Then hopefully we get to spend Sunday in San Francisco, afterwards starting the drive back home. On Tuesday, we leave for Missouri. I still have to buy my plane tickets. I was hoping some buddy passes would pull through from friends, but none of their airlines fly into Kansas City… bummer. So that plan is to fly in on Tuesday and leave on Sunday. We’ll be home for Concordia street fair, to see my family and hang out with friends, my 10 year high school reunion, to see my brothers music venue, and to document Concordia in pinhole photographs! I am excited about that!