hello, hello.

Hello, hello.
It's been a while since I last posted.
I'd like to keep this blog updated with art related activities, but I haven't been involved with much recently. I've been working like crazy ever since school let out.
Yesterday I had a photo shoot with a friend of mine, Blake.
I haven't done one, aside from joking around with a friend or two, in nearly a year.
Like I've said numerous times, I lost my love for photography. The important lesson I learned is that if you lose something, there's a possibility you can find it again. My love/hate relationship with photography is never ending.
Anywho, here's what I'm doing to these photos from yesterday:

I find that showing the before and after of manipulated photos is rather interesting. I wanted to share with people who may find this interesting as well.

Ok. I'll post again when I do something art related.

-ashleycoppolino

Being welcomed back to high school

Tomorrow is the Alumni Panel at the high school. I was chosen amongst approximately 320 kids that I graduated with to come back and speak about college.
I questioned why I was chosen. I wasn't "invisible" in high school, but I also wasn't on the top of the cheer team's pyramid. When my name was spoken, I was 99% of the time associated with photography. So I guess it was a shock to some to find out that I didn't pursue that in college. From what I know, I'm the only one on the panel that went to a community college.
Look at me, though. I had such right goals for myself and was on the right path. Of course I was expected to "go far in life". Instead, I made my way through school & only applied to two schools & one being Nassau. Then during my firs week of Nassau I realized that I needed to leave. So I applied to Marymount in Manhattan and got accepted. Now I feel like I'm back on track. I basically started the college search a year late & am now behind on a semester of school that I'll haw to make up in summer or winter courses.
They basically called me back because I'm a lesson for fellow students and can show my story as motivation for other students to take the college decision making seriously.
It was the subtle way of saying I fucked up in high school.

-ashleycoppolino

Visiting STAC

I'm extremely happy I went to visit the high school today. I missed Cestari immensely, so I'm happy we got to catch up and whatnot. Aside from her, there was no one else I wanted to see but Luke & STAC.
When I was about to graduate, I was worried about how much I'd miss STAC. Coming back today made me realize something important; moving on is an amazing feeling. Although I left my best friends in STAC and I left great memories there, my time is over. It felt like an "over staying my welcome" situation. I felt like I didn't fit. I liked it. I've moved on. STAC has totally helped me for my future and I don't regret one day, so it's cool to see how life just goes on and how something that heavily impacted me will heavily impact other people.
I don't really know where I was going with this, but I wanted to say that it was nice seeing everyone today.

Until we met again...


-ashleycoppolino

another daily practice

I started a 366.
You're probably thinking, "why must she choose 366? It's 365. She's trying to be original."
But you're wrong. If you weren't thinking that, disregard the following attitude.
I chose 366 because I want it to be more than just one year. Yes, that one day makes a difference to me.
I started on November 11, 2012, which was my last day of being 17. I will continue it until the day I turn 19.
There's more to it than just a year of my life.
Last time I completed a 365, it was to prove to myself that photography is my passion, but it was mostly to see how things change.
I'm 18 now, and I need to start making constructive decisions that will lead to my successful future. I don't doubt that my dreams will come true, because I believe in them too much. So this is my 18-year-old life. A lot is going to change, I know it. I start school on the Upper East Side in January & that in itself will be a huge change. I want to break my comfort barrier and do things I wouldn't normally do.
You can see it for yourself: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleycoppolinophotography/sets/72157631999850622/

-ashleycoppolino

Charlotte

I met Charlotte today. Charlotte, a 54-year-old woman on line with her husband waiting to get in to ABC's Live With Kelly & Michael show. While waiting on the two hour line, Charlotte turned to me and started a conversation. Somehow, it led to how she has two children: a daughter who is a freshman at RI State & a son who is a sophomore at Penn State.
Our conversations scattered from teen parties to snooki's boobs. She was genuinely good company. I continued to tell her the exciting news about attending school in Manhattan that eventually led to how I have the goal of working in television. She was so interested and looked at me like I had a purpose. I never saw someone look at me like that.
She said I am going to make it far in life and that I'm on the right path. She wanted me to thank my parents for raising a wonderful daughter. She was proud that I have a head on my shoulders and I make good decisions.
"What's your last name?"
"Coppolino."
"Ok, Ashley Coppolino. I'll remember that and I'll look for you in the credits of movie and television shows. You'll be there, I promise."

We were led into the studio and placed in our seats. The best part about the front row all the way to the wall is that the staff hangs out there. Charlotte was a few seats over from me but kept smiling as if she were a close friend. I turned away and no more than ten minutes later, I see Charlotte talking to the stage manager.
"She's dedicated! She's been dreaming of a job in this field! Sir, I wouldn't just recommend a stranger!"
She then pointed to me.
For some reason, Charlotte has had this crazy impact on me. I went to this same studio a few weeks prior and my mom was trying to get me a job as well, but Charlotte was different. I just met her and she completely understood me.
She hugged me goodbye as she was heading back to Pittsburgh.
"Ashley Coppolino, I'll listen for your name when you're nominated for a Grammy!"
Thank you, Charlotte. If I ever have the pleasure of seeing you again, I'd thank you in person.

-ashleycoppolino

hello there-

I didn't exactly know why I hit "new post" on this blog, but I did anyways. Here I am typing, and I'm not going to stop now.

I guess life has taken its toll on me. I'm definitely not a happy person right now, despite how I may pretend.

College sucks. I need to get out of this one and into another one.

I'm not posting because I want pity, that's not even close.

I'm posting because I realize that I should have had my shit together before I graduated high school. I can try to wag my finger in front of your faces and say "don't screw up, blah blah blah" "don't do what i did, blah blah blah" but that would go in one ear and out the other.

I haven't done art lately, which is my biggest regret.

That's the reason I got on blogger anyways. I wanted to see what you STACies were up to. Looks fun.

I miss it. 

Anyways, I'm going to go back to being a college student and write my paper.

p.s.: i'm not an ex-stacie, let's get that clear. i'm a stalumni. ok? good.

-ashleycoppolino

Collage.. College.. Ugh.

I'm collaging my way to college. I think that's a good way to put it. The whole end of the year thing is bugging my brain, so I collage. Collages are a visual representation of how my mind works.

I started with the above. I basically ran through the STAC room after everyone left and collected what I could find and decided to make a mess out of my living room floor. It was all out of anger.

I took ideas away, I kind of contemplated it a lot. But I went with the, "get shit done" attitude.



This is the end product. I tackled a 24x36 piece in a day. Minor details were added a few days later. But this is it. It turned into a search for identity I believe so. I'm proud of it, despite all the hidden anger I involved somehow.

On the last day I worked on this, we ordered Chinese food in STAC. I love fortune cookies, so ofcourse, I cracked it open. It said, "We don't know who we are until we can see what we can do." My reaction: Holy Shit. It's my life. So I placed it on my favorite color, the teal, and I put it right above my favorite photograph. Ta da. Art.

A couple of days later, Luke gave me a canvas and told me to make a collage. He said, "when you look at a building, it looks like a box. When you look closer, it looks like a bunch of boxes. But when you look at a cathedrial, it has a shape. And when you get closer, it has amazing detail." Basically, something that looks one way when it's far, and has a different experience when it's closer. Ok, well..

I made this piece that I didn't like. I was basically doing it to satisfy Luke (sorry Luke), but I realized that that shouldn't be my reason for making art. I ripped it off the next day.

Here's the outcome. You see the newspaper and how it's ripped? That wasn't my intentions. The newspaper was originally towers and that's what I tried ripping off. But since I'm a professional glue sticker, it didn't want to get off at all. So I left it. I was angry, once again, and I was flipping through magazines with sizzors in hand picking random words. Luke said to stay away from words (which is my favorite part of collages, and although I love Luke's advice, it gives me two options.. his choice or the opposite. I chose the opposite). So the collage is mostly words and one visual that pretty much sums the whole thing up. I picked these five words, & coincidently and it formed a sentence. This was before I decided to look closer at the newspaper.

I was in my car with Courtney (my community) examining the piece I did out of anger, and she was looknig closely at the newspaper. We noticed a bunch of words such as: "exploding", "killing me", "criticism", "misunderstood", "lunatic", "wandered", "broken", "self-reference", "disrespectful", "screamed", and yes, "photography". The piece has my name all over it. We decided to box in the words.

In the end, I have completed Luke's task. You get a different feel for the piece when your far or close away.

I started a project at home now. I guess my art is all over the place. See what happens when you move the damn lens from your face? There's actually a world out there.


more to come.
-ashleycoppolino