Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam 10th Anniversary

It's officially 10th anniversary of Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam at Lovin Cup. Once again, deaf/hard of hearing and hearing poets/performers will take turns on stage throughout the hours, which will be ASL interpreted and English spoken interpreted for the deaf and hearing audience. Of course, it's free to the public. This interactive deaf and hearing world performance has been entertaining the public in unique ways that are rare to see: the presentation of both, deaf/hard of hearing's ASL and hearing's English work. Come down and see the one of the kind performance event from 2 PM to 5 PM. Please spread the words. It will take place at Lovin Cup in Rochester, NY.

"Proud and Gay" and "Rainbow Flag on My Back" Digital Photos Accepted for Exhibition

Two of my digital photos got accepted by the jurists to be exhibited at National Technical Institute for the Deaf's Dyer Arts Center. The exhibit titled "Cultivating Connections: Growing Communities in the Flower City" will start on November 2nd and will continue until December 15th. 

The two photos are LGBTQ pride related and deaf culture. "Proud and Gay" is a photo of my friend wearing a rainbow tie and he signed "Proud" and "Gay" at the same time when I took the picture. I then manipulated the image by removing the color of his body and only kept the rainbow tie in color (rainbow). I removed the background and added a light blue with textures on it around the person.

"Rainbow Flag on My Back" is a self-portrait of myself holding the rainbow flag on my back while leaning on the wall. I manipulated the work with tricks that enabled it to become more aesthetic: transparent white spray paint as light shining on me, softened the image, added little sharp edges, and adding subtle paint splashes on the wall around me. 

Here are the photos for you to look at. You can click on the to see the larger.

Dangerous Signs at Little Theatre, Fringe Festival 2018

On September 21st, 2018, I and the cast members as Dangerous Signs performed our "Beyond Words" show at the Little Theatre for Rochester's annual Fringe Festival. The poems, songs, and skits were very political and powerful: gun violence, Black Lives Matter, Me, Too, immigration issues, LGBTQ rights, and so on. The crowd turned out pretty much a full house and it was a success. 

Dangerous Signs is an ASL (American Sign Language) performance arts group. I performed several skits, poems, and songs with the group, using ASL, on stage. We did "Hold Fast to Dreams" by Langston Hughes, "Freeze" (anonymous about gun violence", U2 "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way", and several more. The show was directed by Luane Davis Haggerty.

Here are the pictures. You can click on them in order to see them bigger.

Two Self-Portraits for NTID 50th Anniversary Exhibit

Two prints of my self-portrait came in the mail from an online printing service. I opened the package and my God I was stunned by the excessive beauty of the work. The two work are printed at 16x20 size. 

National Technical Institute for the Deaf will exhibit these two photos for their 50th Anniversary event coming up this early June. The jurists chose the two work. The art exhibit will showcase artwork by deaf and hard of hearing artists from all over the country. I am indeed honored and excited to become part of the big exhibit during the 50th Anniversary. As the fact, I am an Alumni and enrolled the institution in 1983. This artwork contribution will only make me feel special, for I was a student there back then. 

Enjoy the picture below and you need to click on the picture in order to see it bigger.

As Orin for Little Shop of Horrors

I performed as a bad dentist Orin for Little Shop of Horrors that took place at MuCCC theatre downtown Rochester from April 26th to April 29th. This production was directed by Luane Davis Haggerty, which American Sign Language (ASL) was used among the deaf/hard of hearing/ASL-skilled hearing cast members; spoken English words were used with songs and spoken lines onstage. There was a live band onstage, which they were fabulous. A plant Audrey 2 had sign language person and two sign language persons (when grown the largest toward the end of the show). The puppeteer Tess did the tasks amazingly. 

I had a great time acting as a stupid, ridiculous, arsehole Orin with lines that were hysterical and acting that turned out exaggerated as mean, idiotic, and funny. This character I was in made me see how a person with that kind of personality really look like and act like in real life out there (say...you know...our leader in D.C. - sigh). I was able to act like the bad dentist when thinking of Grinch in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and Alec Baldwin as Trump on Saturday Night Live. That kind of thinking enabled me to be funny and mean at the same time, which is rewarding for me to be able to do so. I also went beyond just using ASL when acting as Orin. I created sign language that are not usually used during regular conversations with the deaf/hard of hearing/ASL-skilled people out in the public. I created sign languages that were home-made by myself. 

For example, "Oh, Seymore, I'm flying now!" I used my two hands and had them next to my left and right side of my head, and then moved them like wings of a bird, flapping them up and down, showing that my head is really flying as "High" due to the laughing gas. This kind of creativity enabled my character to be much more hilarious. All in all, acting as Orin, the bad dentist, had been a great and favorite character I have ever acted in. 

I shall thank Annette Dragon for photographing me as Orin. Enjoy the pictures. In order to see them larger, you need to click on the pictures. 

Digital Photos for Online Marketing

I discovered an online photography marketing, meaning sell photos for a few bucks or more. As the fact, I don't expect to make a lot of money or go into instant fame. Just that I want to get my digital photo work out there as much as possible. I joined Foap and Adobe. I just uploaded into Adobe with only 4 pictures, but they are not ready to be submitted for approvals yet. I have many others that need higher resolutions and bigger sizes. 

Here are some of my digital photos that I will post into the online photo marketing. Enjoy!

Meanwhile, to see the pictures bigger, you need to click right on them.

Orin, the Bad Dentist, Little Shop of Horrors

From April 26th to April 29th, I will act as a bad dentist Orin for Little Shop of Horrors production. The show will take place at MuCCC downtown Rochester. This production will have deaf/hard of hearing actors who will use American Sign Language (ASL) when acting the characters and singing the songs. As Orin, I will use ASL and my voicer, Azmeer, will speak and sing the whole Orin lines. Luane Davis Haggerty is the director of this production. I have been rehearsing lately and it has been really fun to act like an asshole man, Orin, the bad dentist, which isn't even my personality in real life. The songs and lines are hilarious. I even laughed when I began reading the lines and trying to memorize them. I even created really funny sign language in Orin's words. I am looking forward to performing at MuCCC.

Here is a poster with details.

Clicl on the image to see it bigger.

"Machines" Digital Collage

For two days, I had fun taking photos of machines or electronics around me in my apartment and out in hallways and other rooms in the apartment complex where I live. I manipulated 15 images of these technologies with awesome special effects available in PicsArt app. I then got all of them into Photo Editor, which I then put them all together into a collage. It was fun to play around and try things when doing the work. 

As the fact, I have always been fascinated with machines, electronics, LED displays, and so on since childhood days. I thought to myself by saying, "Why not take photos of them and make a collage of them in a computer with digital special effects?" Finally found the time to do that. 

Enjoy "Machines".

Click on the pictures to see it bigger.

Video of "Science Fiction" and "Transformed Selfies" in YouTube

I have been creating videos. I completed two of them. One is titled "Science Fiction" and the other is titled "Transformed Selfies".

"Science Fiction"shows artwork of extraterrestrials, spacecrafts, robots, and other sci-fi images. There is also an electronic music I created that plays strange science fiction or futuristic soundscapes. I have always love science fiction since childhood days and still do. Enjoy this video by clicking on the hyperlink below:

https://youtu.be/edk9lXv5-AQ


"Transformed Selfies" shows digital photos of myself that were manipulated with computer special effects. These self-portraits convey different characters of the person in the pictures. There is an electronic music that plays simple looped soundscapes. Similar to Cindy Scherman and Robert Mapplethorpe, these work are influenced by these two great photographers. Enjoy this video by clicking on the hyperlink below:

https://youtu.be/Ka1IbWUMnA0

Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam at Lovin Cup

On March 3rd, Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam took place at Lovin Cup. I as an MC and also a performer and John Roche, also an MC and performer, ran the show. Hearing poets/performers and deaf/hard of hearing poets/performers took turns on stage to present their work. Two great interpreters: Cindy Gilchrist and Denise Herrera spoke deaf/hard of hearing performers' work in English for the hearing audience who didn't know how to read American Sign Language and also interpreted the hearing performers' work in American Sign Language for the Deaf/hard of hearing audience who couldn't hear the spoken words too well. The interactions among the hearing and deaf worlds during the whole event created a sense of warmth, support, and understanding of one and another. This unique event only occurs every year and this year is the 9th year of the show. 

The Jam was a success with great packed crowd. The performers were: (hearing) Collen Powderly, Grace Flores, The Mental Graffiti, Miriam Lerner, Michael Czarneki, John Roche, Nick Eckerson, and Bart White; (deaf/hard of hearing) Dangerous Signs, RH ASL Choir, Matt Schwartz, Vicki Nodquist, Eric Epstein, and Eddie Swayze. 

This event was supported by RIT College of Liberal Arts, English Department, and NTID Interpreting Services as co-sponsors. 

Here are photos of the event.

 Eddie Swayze

 Dangerous Signs

 Matt Schwartz

 Miriam Lerner

 Colleen Powderly

John Roche

Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam (9th year)

This is the 9th year of the poetry event titled Def Meets Deaf Poetry Jam taking place at Lovin' Cup in Rochester, NY (Henrietta area near RIT/NTID campus). John Roche, former Liberal Arts faculty at Rochester Institute of Technology, and myself will lead this event. John is responsible for recruiting the hearing poets/performers and I'm responsible for recruiting the deaf/hard of hearing poets/performers. This event shows the two worlds performing along each other: the hearing culture and the deaf culture. English spoken words would be spoken by the hearing people and American Sign Language (ASL) would be used by deaf/hard of hearing people on the stage. Those performers will take turns to do their readings or skits. This unique event has been going on for 9 years. This show gets jammed with a big crowd as popular. Two interpreters will help along to translate the hearing performers' English poems into ASL and the deaf/hard of hearing performers' ASL into English - making this become total accessible for everyone. The 2 interpreters will be Cindy Gilchrist and Denise Herrera. 

Click on this image to see it bigger

Besides being the MC, I and John will do the performances. The deaf/hard of hearing performers are Matt Schwarz and his high school students RH Sign Language Chorus, Vicki Nordquist, Eric Epstein, and Dangerous Signs. The hearing performers will be Grace Flores, Miriam Lerner, Bart White, Michael Czarnecki, Nick Eckerson, Collen Powderly, and Mental Graffitti.

As Orin in Little Shop of Horrors

I am currently rehearsing as Orin, the bad dentist, in Little Shop of Horrors. The production is directed by Luane Davis Haggerty. I will act in this production at MuCCC (Multi-use Community Cultural Center) downtown Rochester, NY from April 26th to April 29th. I will use ASL (American Sign Language) while acting as Orin in this production. I am excited to act like a mean boyfriend to Audrey, hurting people's teeth, getting high with the gas, and dying - all in ridiculous and funny ways. After the performance at MuCCC, the production will go to Rochester's Geva Theatre in the summer either in June or July. 

"I'm your dentist and a success. Say ah. Say ah. Say ah. Now spit."

Click on this picture to see it bigger.

Two Self-Portraits

Created two new self-portraits digital photos. One is "Eddie and Bayou" and the other is "Polar Bear". 

For "Eddie and Bayou", I took a shot of my cat Bayou with iPhone. I then took a selfie with iPhone. After that, I  used a new free app called Photofox. It is an app that enables to blend in one picture into another picture. Henceforth, I blended my face and Bayou's face together. It was a challenge. It was difficult to make it match with the size, alignment, and color. I erased the right side of my face and erased the left side of my cat's face. Once put together, I transferred the work into PhotoEditor. I then played around the special effects that were available in PhotoEditor. I solved the problem by creating a special color filter, which made the work become yellowish/bluish/orangish. This helped make the work become more interesting. 

Click on this to see it bigger.

For "Polar Bear", I took a selfie, wearing a white animal winter hat and a blue tooth necklace without a shirt. I then used PicsArt app to add the cracks around me, the glowing effects off my face and hat, and used Vintage effect a little in corners of the photo. I then played around the effects and when I used Solarize, it changed the picture into wild color effects, which surprised me. The Solarized picture made it more dramatic. So, I kept it that way without adding more effects. Therefore I ended up keeping two of the work. One with the cracks, glows, and vintage effects, and the other with the solarize effect. 

Click on these two to see them bigger.

Cecelia Play Script Editing and Feedback

Retired English instructor Peter Haggerty from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf took the time to edit and give feedback on my play script titled Cecelia. It's a science fiction play about a genetically-altered deaf woman. I handed the script to Peter and asked him to take a good look at the work. He came over and we sat down together to discuss the work. I learned a great deal. I'm looking forward to polishing it up. The main goal is to have an informal stage reading of this work, then hopefully, get it produced as a full show down the road.


Here is the picture of the script and feedback/editing notes from Peter and myself.

You can click on this to see it bigger.

"Extraterrestrial Communion" Story with Watik, the Alien

I have been writing a short science fiction story titled "Extraterrestrial Communion" for a while. In that story, the main alien named Watiki meets the human race. As the fact, the creature does not look any close like ourselves biologically and physically. It is transparent, glass-like, and inner organs can be seen through its skin similar to jellyfishes. It also glows iridescent blue. I want to show what the creature really looks like out of my mind. I drew the alien with plain pencil on white paper, then took a photo of it, then added the special graphic effects to it on free online PhotoEditor (similar to PhotoShop). Enjoy, Watiki, the alien from far, far away.

You can click on this to see it bigger.

Self-Portrait as an Alien

I took a photo of myself with iPhone. I then put the picture of myself into free online PhotoEditor (similar to PhotoShop). Then I manipulated my face. I used the tools available in PhotoEditor to pinch my nose and make my eyes become bigger. I also enlarged my head. I also made my neck a lot thinner. I made my mouth larger with the same tool.My right ear became pointed similar to the Vulcan race in Star Trek. I then used "Paint" tool to paint all over my face in blue at 10-20 percent transparency, which enabled the skin to look blue very well. I also painted the eyes green. I also painted my hair and facial hair in pink. I then removed the background and filled it black around my face. Then using the "Paint" tool, I used the tool's variety of splashes and spots that were available, which I was able to create the stars, star clusters, and nebulas in variety of colors. Lastly I painted the whole face and stars background in light white at 10 percent transparency that made the whole image look like full of glow. Henceforth, I became an extraterrestrial from far, far away. Enjoy the photo.

                                                     Click on this photo to make it bigger.

Three Self-Portraits for World Photography Organization

I submitted three self-portrait photos to the World Photography Organization, which is over in Britain. I chose the three best ones for the contest. If chosen, my work could be exhibited over there down in London plus it could become part of traveling exhibitions as well. 

If you want to see the contest, here is the site address: https://www.worldphoto.org/

Here are the three self-portraits. Enjoy!

                                          You can click on those photos to see them bigger.