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Eliza Bersamin Estrada (b. 1918 - d. 2016)

As the eldest of 15 grandchildren (I along with 3 other cousins), was asked to remember our Lola this past Saturday in Los Angeles.  She will be missed, but she lived a very full and interesting life:

To me, Lola was a larger then life personality that lived with us when she first came from the Philippines, taking care of my brother and I with so much energy and patience.She taught me the wonders of paper mache and handmade flowers, made my plain clothes look fantastic with embroidery, and filled our times together with hymns, songs and chatter that blended so many of her stories.  Her sense of style was unique.  And her quest for love and kindness was strong.  I looked forward to her weekly calls and voicemails she would leave, announcing herself as ‘This is Your Lola Eliza’ as if I would not know!

Her laugh was infectious even when she called me by my mom’s or aunt’s names and most times, by my brothers’!  Always with a giggle, her dentures falling out as she laughed so hard.  She could be happy or sad or not feeling well, but her words were positive and hopeful.  

She had these great hands that were always busy and up to something—the initial ring she wore all those years nestled on her finger.  That ring, I could stare at for hours and I always asked her to tell me the story of that ring, which would lead to a new memory of the Philippines.  These hands would make adobo, sew, shuffle through her favorite things, pull out old photos to show me from her Bible so, I would ‘try to keep the history alive’ she always said, sitting in the car contently (and most times sleeping!) as I took her with me to do my job returns, and to a craft store to ‘just look at things.’  

This is how I think of her.  

A search for a photo of her I had taken a while back led me to a letter she had written to me: 

'I hope you are doing well and happy enough.  You and I have oval shaped faces so sadness and sorrow doesn’t fit us.  If we are sorrowful our faces will become long—laughter will off set the shape–so smile and laugh, it will make you look glamorous! Bye. God Bless you—Lola’

Thank you Lola for showing us so many wonderful things!  And thank you for being the life of the party.

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Location Location Location: Thank you to Bas Fisher Invitational's Perfect Nothing Catalogue & @omiamifestival for the resident poet invitation today. Had an inspirational time exploring & creating something special in this fantastic setting. #andmadebirdfriends #basfisherinvitational (at Matheson Hammock Park)

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Am pleased to announce that I have a limited edition run of a curated selection of some of my collages from a new project I started a while back. They are in a fun DIY Poster Book form. Link is in my profile to Etsy and here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AelanaCurran (at Miami Beach, Florida)

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happy to be a part of this! @clarkgriffiths @caneelbayresort

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BANQUETS & BIZZINESS

Solid time last week working with Stephen Sanacore Photography & Creative Jackie Biro...styling the new Banquet Menu with Chef Andy and his Team at the Waldorf Astoria Boca Resort. Learned so much about their own styles and working rhythms, but mostly the fact that even after 5 days, I still couldn’t find my way from my room to the elevator. #evenifmylifedependedonit

Thanks for laughing, putting up with my spastic micro-managing & not minding when I shined things up.  Beautiful history and fascinating property.

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Some Monday new things...

http://aelanacurran.com/this-was-sick

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Super soft Polaroid tests for backgrounds...air was crisp & quiet that day, feet bit wet, chasing last lights.

aelanacurran.com

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Rainy mornings & various levels of V. deep procrastination.

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Bad Stylist

...to the time I got bored sitting in for lighting.

Cosmo Magazine.

Somewhere in Montauk I believe. Photographer: Nick Onken

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Taking time to work on new things + ignoring life for days ='Stories that might not be true about people who may not exist...'

www.aelanacurran.com

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Odes to Miami

Ongoing series with passing thoughts about the transient, and often sun brained city I love.

Link to website:

http://aelanacurran.com/odes-to-miami

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Slow as molasses re-starts, when work, travel and life get in the way. #truthsbetelling (at Lincoln Road Mall)

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Found my old cyanotype prints when purging life...remembering him today & all the fun adventures we had + pure happiness in the v. simple things before health and life got in your way. #losgusanos #beensolongcantrememberexactly

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Orlando whirlwind.  Wyndham Rewards. The Selby, PI & C-NY, ESW Productions.

Something about stacks of waffles, inflatables and a trip to a Tiki Bar?

Orlando, you are another mini-van filled planet and I’m sorry I bothered amazing Molly producer with really dumb questions, mostly about finding outlets and when I was going to paint a life ring, errr, once I found it.  Good times.

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This was Los Angeles for Bed Bath & Beyond Outdoor Furniture (otherwise known as ‘men mostly holding things in wind, Aelana carrying things up a hill and watering plants before 8am).’  

Good people, bizzy fast shoot.

Photographer: Philip Harvey

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#truthsbetelling

A new collage series have been working on for some time, on a subject that is both personal and reflective of many the harsh, relentless realities of domestic abuse.  A reality that I discovered so many of us share yet keep secret for various reasons…mostly different levels of fear, or not even realizing the confusing world you’re living in.  ’You made me do this because of your poison,’ became my norm and I didn’t even think it was abnormal.  

A kind person told me once that I should not write it down, because it’s something that you want to forget.   Another said I had to fight to stop what cycle I could.  I chose to record through collage. Today I see it as exposing and understanding the truths that I was made to believe were my own, or slowly accept because I thought things would change…not knowing that the actions forced on me, or that I convinced myself of, were not a reality at all.  Realizing that I was living with someone else’s absolute lies, fears and sadness taken out on me first emotionally then physically is a hard truth to face. Most importantly, understanding that many others shared experiences that were creepily similar and often harder then my own. This was difficult to learn but comforting to know. 

In the end these were not my truths at all, but the awful sad realities of someone I loved and harmed me, who now is just something that is part of the story of me, good and bad.  

As I’ve learned, there is no prescribed time or way that will make healing go faster, and each of us has to find our voice the best way we can.  Speaking out does makes room for peace.

I hope this series says something to you, or most importantly, helps show that violence can sneak up on anyone, any age, any gender at anytime.  And it is not ok.  Be safe and know your rights.

http://truthsbetelling.tumblr.com

http://aelanacurran.com/collage

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VI-Nice

Project I worked on for the USVI with Eric Zucker of Tell-Tale Pictures.  

3 islands, 10 days, ghosts at a few hotels (I swear), lost flip flops in the sugar cane due to sticky mud, always a blast with Eric and his crew.