TOKEN ART MAGAZINE
ISSUE #004
March - May 2011
Andree Sticlea * Visual Artist Casey Muir-Taylor Photography Cody Davis Photography Isabelle Dow Photography James Liu Poetry
*: This month’s featured cover artist **: This months’s featured artist(s)
Mareva Nardelli ** Photography Marissa Yaple Photography Matthew Eriksen Photography Rebecca Mahoney Photography
Rhian Lues Illustration Rosa Furneaux ** Photography Shelby Tanner Photography
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message from the editor
To the loyal members of the Token community, Welcome to the fourth issue of Token Art Magazine! The Token Staff and I would like to apologize for the rather long wait in releasing this issue. As most of you know, Token is run by a group of student dedicated to spreading the influence of art. However, because we are students, schoolwork also serves to be a large priority. Regardless, the Token Staff does its best to consistently maintain Token as well as update its readers to the best of its ability. We would also like to point out that Token Art Magazine is NOT a photography magazine and we, in no way, discriminate against any art forms. We encourage a variety of art forms , including music, dance, and film. Help incease the variety in Token by spreading the word to your peers! We hope you enjoy the following edition of Token Art Magazine and eagerly anticipate the arrival of more submissions. Sincerely, Your Editor
Nhu Nguyen
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Nepheliad
Nepheliad was a cloud nymph, and I wanted to depict her as white cloud, trapped between the earth and the sky.
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ANDREEA STICLEA
A 17 year old visual artist from Timisoara, Romania.
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ANDREEA STICLEA I am an aspiring filmmaker, who believes in the power of stories, of fantasy and myths. Through my art, I want to make people understand that we are never too old to believe in stories, to create, to live an artistic life. I am inspired by myths, dark fairy tales, paintings, landscapes, emotions, films, everything I see and feel. Before I discovered photography and cinematography, I used traditional mediums to express myself. I still draw and paint a lot, because I find it very personal and emotional.
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The Birth of Tales
I have always been fascinated by stories, especially the ones that have been passed down from one generation to another, because it always makes me wonder where it all started. Trees, in most cultures, symbolize the center of the Universe, and I associate this with the birth-place of stories.
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ANDREEA STICLEA
Twister
One of my favorite films is The Wizard of Oz, and this photograph was inspired by the opening scenes of the film, which were shot in sepia.
The Puppeteer
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I love playing with shadows and light, and this is how this picture came to life. The little white paper bird seemed to come to life as I pulled its strings. It’s quite fascinating how the simplest of things become animate through motion.
Mystery
This concept was mostly inspired by opera and theatre. I love the idea of a mask – something that can give you a new identity, while hiding your true one.
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CASEY MUIR-TAYLO A 20 year old photographer and visual artist from Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
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Where the Books Go
I wanted to portray a whimsical story about what happens to our books at night as we sleep and what we would find if we wake up among their mischief. This was my first shot with lighting equipment, and I was pleased that shadows worked especially well.
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I’ve Not Read the Newspaper in Months
The title for this piece comes from the Allen Ginsberg poem “America.” I wanted to do a piece to literally show the old cliché “Black and white and red all over.” I think the contrast works here, and I also feel it makes some social commentary on the media and how it really covers and surrounds us entirely even though we are oblivious with our shielded eyes.
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CASEY MUIR-TAYLOR
I am an English major, Creative Writing minor at Birmingham-Southern College. I have always dabbled in photography, but within the past year, I’ve really delved into it. I am currently debating on whether or not to change my major to Art with a Photography concentration. I prefer to have concepts with my work and to allow a story to be evident. That is what I struggle with most as a photographer. I look to song lyrics for inspiration as well as poetry. My favorite song is “Carry Me Ohio” by Sun Kil Moon, and it has inspired so many photos I’ve taken. Art breathes new life into my soul. When I complete a photography session or an editing session, I feel refreshed. It gives me confidence because I know that I have talent and promise with what I do.
CASEY MUIR-TAYLOR
Venus
I have started a series I call American Gods (from the Neil Gaiman novel), and this was the first such entry into it. This could be one of my favorite photos I’ve ever done. My friend, Audrey, is a natural model. She portrays the Goddess Venus. Venus portrays longing, desire, beauty, and sensuality, and I feel this photo captures all of them. 14 www.tokenartmag.com
Bibliophilia
This photo represents my love for books. I really love to use books in my photos because I find them to be versatile props. I really wanted a delicateness to the photo with the lighting. It’s pretty much a straight-outof-the-camera (SOOC) shot. I didn’t edit much at all. I am currently doing a 365 Days project (a photo a day), and this, like most of my photos, is for that project.
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Weeping
After getting out of the pool that hot July afternoon, I asked my boyfriend to pose for me underneath the weeping willow trees in my back yard. The golden sun gave his skin this burned golden orange color and the green of the leaves just exploded with the golden sunlight. I stress the word golden because that’s exactly what it was. That golden green color of the leaves is my favorite color in the world because of this photograph. 16 www.tokenartmag.com
CODY DAVIS A 19 year old photographer from Prairie Grove, Arkansas, USA.
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CODY DAVIS
The world is full of limitless possibilities and my job is to push myself in the direction I want go. I don’t believe in wasting time; no matter what the situation is, good or bad, I must embrace the situation and learn from it. With every move I make and every thought that goes through my mind, I evolve as a human being into something much greater. Today I know more than I did yesterday and tomorrow I’ll know more than I did today. No one else has the same thoughts, feelings or experiences as myself. I feel like I appreciate the fact that I am a unique, one-of-a-kind human being way more than others. I want to show my audience how I perceive this vast, unknown world; I want to take them on adventures.
Addictions
This photo shows both sides of addiction. Visually, it’s almost glamourous; a bunch of attractive junkies sitting on a bed, smoking cigarettes with the late July afternoon sunlight pouring into the window. Even though it looks appealing, just look at the emotions on their faces: they’re trying to subside their problems through these addictions but they’re only digging them deeper into this hole.
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CODY DAVIS
Olivetti
Every Christmas my family gathers at my great-grandparents’ house for lunch. Every year it’s the exact same. This past year, 2010, I just got fed up with hearing my family talking about hunting and the latest football game and decided to go explore my grandparents’ attic. Since I was a child I had wanted to do this. I found old school textbooks from the 1940s-60s, old Christmas decorations that they had stopped putting up sometime in the 70s, and god only knows what else. I had been waiting to explore this place my whole life and getting to do so most certainly a more adventurous way to spend my Christmas.
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Dancing On Rooftops
This photo is essentially me releasing every built up emotion going through me at the time. I was stranded in New York City and hadn’t danced in a month (my favorite thing to do) and I was just a complete train wreck and I went to the roof to smoke a cigarette just like a always do and I just turned on my ipod and danced so hard with my camera in hand and this is what I ended up with.
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ISABELLE DOW A 16 year old photographer from Massachusetts, USA.
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ISABELLE DOW
I am a fifteen year old photographer from the East Coast. I love being around people and I usually pass my time taking photos. My camera goes just about everywhere with me. I’m currently a sophomore in high school so most of my time is (unfortunately) devoted to my classes, however I also enjoy activities such as going to flea markets, co-running my school’s photography club, drawing, reading, working at the public library, and constantly browsing the internet. After high school I plan to attend a four year college, although I’m still unsure about what I want to study. To be honest, just about anything can inspire me to take a photo. A magazine article, a song on the radio, a fellow photographer’s flickr stream, my friends, drawings, and poetry are probably the most inspirational forces in my life. My parents are really focused on me getting good grades and when I get too stressed out I like to take a minute and just go out and take some photos. Often times, I find that my best work happens when I least expect it. I like to leave things unplanned and see where I end up. Art is a part of my daily life. It records my feelings and experiences, my thoughts, dreams, and aspirations and puts them out in the world for every24 www.tokenartmag.com one to see. I love the way art makes me feel.
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SPRING FEVER A photo editorial by Isabelle Dow.
“My friends Jess, Mikayla, Rachel, Sophie, and Tanya had a spring themed photoshoot created especially for my submission. We had a great time making paper flag chains, walking through the woods, and basking in the sun!�
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ISABELLE DOW
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JAMES LIU A 17 year old poet from Germantown, Maryland, USA.
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What we give takes away
So many people thirst for power, for superiority. It is a human instinct that a long history of violent conflict has instilled in us. However, we seldom stop to think the cost that comes with power, and even when we obtain it, we find only that we have lost even more. Power, unchecked, is a wildfire. Flames, like the sun, give us life, but they also bring destruction. In this piece, power consumes the speaker’s identity and loved ones.
O Power Accursed I beg you leave these hands unstained The greater blade, the heavier As sunlight bleeds through the windows Drawing eyes to every stigma Every crack In the mask That feasts upon my silent name And their eyes Will never close again, to dream O save me Let me go
I am an artist, but more so than just one that writes poetically, or paints masterfully. My true artistry is done in the human heart and mind, and my thoughts and ideas are my tools of the trade. Though self-expression is an important aspect, there is more to art than just the self. To show others another world and bring them into it is my goal, to foster a bond of empathy with my audience. Art is a powerful avenue to the truth, a truth which we can only hope to glimpse with shared insight.
“If Token is about gratitude, then I have much to give. The voices of others, artists or not, that have touched me thus far are everything. What are we but creatures born of each other? This is my token, and I hope it’s worth something.”
I am inspired by people, people that can understand one another and change the world with but a spoken word or a stroke of the brush. The impact the genesis of the simplest idea can have upon the world never ceases to amaze me. These ideas breathe, they grow, and they create the most impossible constructs. That this capacity is in me, too, takes my breath away. I am inspired by people, people that can understand one another and change the world with but a spoken word or a stroke of the brush. The impact the genesis of the simplest idea can have upon the world never ceases to amaze me. These ideas breathe, they grow, and they create the most impossible constructs. That this capacity is in me, too, takes my breath away.
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FEATURED ARTIST
Paper Boats
One foot drawn in the fantasy of a carpet lake. This picture is about the beautiful world of dreams. The idea came to me in a dream the day before the photoshoot.
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MAREVA NARDELLI A 27 year old visual artist from ReykjavĂk, Iceland.
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MAREVA NARDELLI I am a half French/ half Icelandic selflearning photographer. I can never resist postprocessing my pictures. Most of my portraits are self-portraits because I am too shy to ask people and practice on them. Absolutely everything can be a source of inspiration...the books I’ve read, the movies I’ve seen, different types of music, other photographers, painters, friends and family, and my boyfriend. Most ideas come to me in my dreams. Art has been a huge importance in my life. Since I can remember, I’ve always had an interest in the arts, may it be theater, painting, ormusic, I’ve had some experience in many fields of art but it’s photography that is really the most influential to me at the moment. It helps me see the beauty in everything.
The Sleeper
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Firework Kiss
This picture is about true and spontaneous love. It was taken in the winter, when all of ReykjavĂk is illuminated with Christmas lights. My boyfriend had come out with me while I was taking pictures for my 365 portraits project and this happened in between the takes.
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The Eye
What if I could see, in the great tornado of life symbolized by this winding hair, that there is just nothing else but me, alone in an empty world? This picture is one of the very few times when I had a model. I created this pieced also for my 365 portraits project.
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The Luthier
This picture was created to advertize my boyfriend’s creation, a beautiful archtop guitar. Building a guitar can be a very intimate thing, so I wanted a very intimate scene and atmosphere for this picture. I also love surreal art and seeing how the guitar shape reminds me of the shape of a woman’s body, this was the perfect occasion to create a surreal piece. www.tokenartmag.com
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The Lovers
The characters on this picture are alone, intimate and peaceful. They give a feeling of floating, not needing anyone else but themselves. Sometimes my boyfriend and I are those people.
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Lady Clumsy
The idea behind this picture was simple, I wanted a situation that didn’t seem completely impossible but at the same time is very unlikely as the pose is pretty “acrobatic”. I love reading, and more often than not I almost ended in the same situation because I couldn’t take my eyes off a book. The painting is from Icelandic artist Ragney Guðbjartsdóttir.
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The Shower
This picture is about my love of photography. Using my analog cameras, the Holga and the Fisheye, as props. And using my digital camera to take the picture and create a completely surreal scene.
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Tangled
So easy to cut the link between those twins: it becomes suddenly so perfectly fragile and strong at the same time. The models are my cousins Camille and Émilie Sales.
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MARISSA YAPLE A 17 year old photographer from Frederick, Maryland, USA.
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Sunburst
I actually took this one with a phone. While on a road trip over the summer, we made a stop in Newport, Rhode Island and went on a sunset boat ride. I love the silhouettes and how candid they are.
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MARISSA YAPLE
Ever since I can remember I’ve been doing all sorts of artsy things. I’ve made jewelry, glycerin soap, friendship bracelets, and so on. I hadn’t thought about photography until my freshman year, but as soon as I took Photo 1, I was hooked. I’m pretty down-to-earth and I love laughing and being with friends. I’m inspired by both simple things and abstract things. I like taking pictures that could make people think. I want people to enjoy my pictures and I want to shoot the sort of stuff that sticks with people. Art for me is a chance to make both myself and others happy. I love what I do, and I try to take pictures that others can enjoy, too. I like being able to show people the simple things that they may not have thought much of before seeing my photography.
Shadow
I took this in New York City on the 4th of July. When I first took it I didn’t think it was very good- I was close to deleting it. After I took out the color, I saw how cool the shadows and sun rays were.
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MATTHEW ERIKSEN An 18 year old photographer from Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Suaimhneas
Serenity is bliss. Taken in the beautiful country of Ireland.
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MATTHEW ERIKSEN
Matthew Eriksen is a senior in high school with a strong love of photography and passion for creating. Throughout all four years at school he has fully taken advantage of every opportunity available. In addition to being enrolled in numerous art classes (Art Foundation, Illustration & Design, Photography, Adv. Photography, Digital Imaging, AP Studio Art, etc.), he served as Treasurer of the BHS National Art Honor Society, volunteers as a Digital Imaging Instructor at a local elementary school and has excelled in both traditional analog and digital photography. Art is like nothing else. It’s the only time where mistakes are encouraged and creativity is a must. It is that freedom which inspires me each and everyday to continue to learn all I can about photography. Passion plays a heavy role in success. Whether you are achieving your dream of becoming a third grade teacher or maybe even an accountant- you must have the heart. Without love and desire to accomplish your goals, nothing you do will be worth it. As I look through the lens of my camera, I am reminded about the world’s endless possibilities that it offers to us daily. As a lover of photography- I try to capture the most intriguing and conceptual images that the natural and modern world provide me with. The world and its people are my inspiration. My photography is a direct representation of myself and the environment around me.
Heroine
This is one of the first headshots I ever shot, and probably one of my favorites. It showcases how strong women can be; inside and out. Her eyes are the gateway to her unyielding heart and mind.
Upon a Star
Many dare to be different. But only a select few come out on top.
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Dreams in Polaroids
Photography is such a huge part of my life, and it almost seems like I’m beginning to think in photographs. I used an old Polaroid picture held up to my face to show this. The fact that the Polaroid seems to be making my head see-through shows how much of an impact taking pictures is having on my life and thinking process. Made on January 11, using layers and some cloning, as well as an old photograph.
RE
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EBECCA MAHONEY A 14 year old visual artist from Atlanta Georgia, USA.
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REBECCA MAHONEY
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You could say that I’ve always been the “creative” type—drawing, writing, and painting are how I’ve always expressed myself as a child. A little over a year ago, however, I picked up my small, digital camera and began taking pictures of objects in my house from interesting angles. I developed slowly in my photography until April 2010 which was when I received my Nikon D40 camera. By October 2010, I had figured out how to edit photos properly, and I had become comfortable with doing self portraits which is almost entirely what I work with now. Obviously, I’m still learning and growing as an artist as well as a person. I hope to one day go to art school (SCAD is my first choice) and become a photojournalist or graphic designer.
Forever Reaching
One of my favorite things to do after a difficult day is a low light photoshoot. The day I did this (February 16 2011) was a very difficult one, because there were so many troubling things that were going on in my life at that point. The fact that I am reaching out in the picture shows how I wanted to grasp onto something normal and familiar during those times of change and distress.
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Neverending
I’m fascinated with the universe. The idea that it simply goes on forever, with so many possible worlds and galaxies, has always held a sense of mystery and intrigue for me. This photograph represents the oppressive size and the “weight” of the universe. It was created on February 3, 2011, by using an overlay of stars I found on the internet.
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RHIAN LUKES A 20 year old illustrator from Manchester, England.
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Art as just always been a huge part of my life, from being around 2 years old I was drawing constantly, up until 20, the age I am now. I’ve always claimed I wanted to be an artist ‘when I grow up’, something that clearly never left me. Art makes me feel like I’m part of something, like I have a place in the world – something I think everyone feels, whether secretly or not – and it gives me a sense of confidence that I might not have elsewhere in other aspects of my life. It gets me excited and spurred on, and it inspires me.
Drawn in black ink, with a fine point pen – my drawings are always of people I find interesting or inspiring. My drawings represent my love for line and detail and texture – I always aim to create atmosphere and to evoke some kind of feeling from the viewer. It’s always hard to explain why I draw anything, as I’ve always viewed drawing as a sort of primal urge that some people don’t grow out of. I guess the reason why I draw is because I love it most importantly, and the sense of satisfaction after I draw something I’m happy with is so amazing.
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FEATURED ARTIST
One Who Loved Not Wisely
Creating emotion in a photograph without a face to show it on can be challenging. I wanted this photograph to recognise sadness, mystery – and beauty. The light was so beautiful that evening that I decided not to edit any of the photographs on the computer, and instead leave them exactly as they came out of the camera.
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ROSA FURNEAUX An 18 year old photographer from Rural Norfolk, England.
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ROSA FURNEAUX
You can call me Rosa Joy. A big sister, a book lover, a piano player, a jazz singer, and a hopeless romantic. My love for photography came on so fast that I think I’m still catching up with it. I’m a literature student who believes the universe is made up of stories, not atoms, and I want to create worlds with my photographs. I steal inspiration from people I pass in the street, music on the radio downstairs, newspaper clippings, dance rehearsals, and the changes the seasons make on the tree outside my bedroom window. Everything which has been taking up space in my head that day is put into the photograph I make in the evening. To be at your creative best you need to have experienced as much as possible, so I see living life to the full as an investment in my inspiration. Photography feels as natural as breathing now. It lets me release what’s bottled up inside me in a positive, beautiful way. Picking up my camera has also connected me to the environment I live in, and I am constantly amazed at the way the earth continually changes around me. I try to not simply document my surroundings, but describe them. In my photographs, the natural world doesn’t just supply a backdrop to the subject; like the model herself, it is involved in the emotional impact of the picture.
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Photosynthesis
I wanted this photograph to be homage to my rural surroundings and to feel earthy and natural but delicate and light at the same time. Surrounded by golden flowers, the girl looks as though she could have risen straight from the soil. Originally, I had planned to pose entirely naked, but I wasn’t brave enough!
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The House at Pooh Corner
This was one of my favourite books when I was younger. I was given another copy recently, and re-reading it I found an unexpected amount of wisdom. I wanted the photograph to have the same feeling of magic and suspense I had found in the book.
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Unnatural World
The juxtaposition between the girl’s stillness and the slight swing of her hair is intriguing. She seems hesitant to step out into the beautiful garden, and as viewers, we feel like we’re still missing something. This is in fact my sister at a local garden centre – we spent the afternoon thinking up the different stories behind the photograph.
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Reflections
This photograph has been sitting in my head for months, waiting for the right moment. I took it the day I finished my final college exam, and looking out at the sea felt like looking out at the rest of my life.
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The Intimate Conflict
This was taken on Easter Sunday. The bells from the village church rang out across the fields all morning, but I wanted to be alone. In the photograph, her face is hidden, but there is a locket around her neck and her headband imitates a laurel wreath. Despite the stormy sky, there is light in the distance.
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Metamorphosis
In lots of ways, this photograph embodies my own metamorphosis from city- to country-girl. (I used to live in London.) I feel most at home when lying in a field.
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SHELBY TANNER An 18 year old photographer from Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Graveyard
This photo represent the evening in a graveyard and the beauty of it all. Even though it is a very sad environment, there is still a piece of mystery in the graveyard of beauty.
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SHELBY TANNER I am an eighteen year photographer who creates to inspire others. Photography is what defines me. I have been taking photographs since I was fifteen years old. I can’t put it into words about how much photography means to me. I love it so much and plan on doing this for the rest of my life. What inspire me are the different seasons, mostly summer. I am also inspired by other photographers and their work. Another thing that impacts my work is the things around me. Art affects me greatly. I spend most of my time planning photo shoots and editing photos. It has made me more observant and more creative.
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Young Love
This photo represents young love. This photo was created at the Jacksonville Beach on the pier at sunset. It was created because of a shoot I did with a young couple who was celebrating their two year anniversary. I wanted the sun to be centered between them and I added a soft tone to the photo to add that fairytale romantic look
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This photo represents true beauty. Beauty is not in the face; but in the heart. A lot of people forget this and I wanted inspire people to look at people’s inner beauty instead of their outer. It was created using finger paint. www.tokenartmag.com 71
Issue 5
Deadline: July 31, 2011
For submission details, go to www.tokenartmag.com
The Dark Forest
by Andreea Sticlea
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www.tokenartmag.com Š 2011 T.A.M.