My friend Joe went to NYC in December to take in some theatre and do a little shopping. He sent me pictures ofBergie's windows....the composition and detail is off the friggin' chain! Their budget must have been outrageous. I use to dress windows for a store on Newbury Street in Boston (Newbury Street is the equivilent to New York's Fifth Ave in terms of shopping), so I have a deep appreciation for the art of visual merchandising. I don't know if I could have even fathom anything like this!!
I first heard Rokia Traore in my car listening to NPR.
She sang a rendition of "The Man I Love"...the old Billie Holiday/Peggy Lee standard. Her version sent a chill up my back and brought a tear to my eye. I hurried home and immediately downloaded the song from Itunes. Her voice is compelling..."slinky and breathy". In her current album "Tchamantche" she uses traditional African instruments along with acoustic and electric guitar, giving her sound a unique appeal.
One of my very best girlfriends from Atlanta spent 2 weeks with me recently. She is a fellow artist - I've known her for years. She's always threatened to do a portrait of me and during her visit she finally did. I love it..
I haven't had a sale on Etsy all month (boo-hoo, sniff, sniff)...thank goodness I particpated in a craft show earlier this month or I could be very discouraged. Anyways...I thought I do a little self promotion. I made this collage with Picasa 3 of some of my very favorite pieces.
For a limited time, I'm offering Free Shipping on all purchases.
Going through my "favorites" at Etsy, I realized I have this "thing" for women artists. I'd say 95% of the art that moves me is created by women. Lucy Calhoun is among those women artists that has a definite point of view of which I share. Her paintings are endowed with tenderness, movement, a sense of joy, and a connection to the earth.
I asked Lucy to describe her paintings:
"For me these paintings are a way to create a tangible vision of what I would like to see in the world. I believe in the Law of Attraction, so I'm putting a lot of love out there in my art, since what we focus on becomes our reality. "I Assume the Produce is Organic" is a sort of playful piece that has an undercurrent of body awareness, acceptance, and joy. Most of my work includes embrace and affection of some kind, and I pay close attention to colors, using combinations that really sing to me."
Lucy says she is inspired by other artists, musicians, and all creative people and their work, as well as psychology, anthropology, different cultures and times.
You can find Lucy's work at: Lucy Calhoun Original Art Works, and www.myspace.com/lucygrapefruit
I love using Picasa to enhance my digital photos! It's so user-friendly and better yet- it's FREE. Well, I just downloaded and installed the latest version. While playing with all the new enhancements, I discovered you can make movies with Picasa and use the application interface to upload your movies to YouTube. Heres' my first attempt at movie-making with Picasa 3!! It's a little blurry - but you get the jist.
One of my dearest friends is an incredible painter, sculptor, and poet. A Renaissance woman in the truest sense. Her work is rich, thoughtful, and dream-like. The colors are vivid, yet earthy. She says of her paintings, "My paintings depict moist, rich dirt, cracked, dry clay, and sand. Hummingbirds flutter, opening soundless dreams. I am dancing in the sacred circle of life."
Omzahara's work reaches for and touches every one of your senses. See some of Omzahara's other works at her U*Space Gallery.
My obsession with earrings goes way back. It started in 1973, when my hair stylist mom suggested that I let her cut my hair. I had a head full of uncontrollable, unkempt curly hair. So, apprehensively I let her cut my curly locks. And she cut.... and cut and kept cutting. I ended up with a close cropped curly pixie hair-do that I wear til this day. It was cute, manageable and low maintenance. But, I have to say I was lookin' kinda boyish...since I had no figure to speak. I was 5'5" weighing all of 98 pounds-looking like an adolescent lad. Huge earrings were the answer to my androgenousness. That where my obsession began. When I discovered I had the talent and skill to create my own fabulously huge earrings - It was ON!
Blossomingtree! I thank everyone who took the time to leave feedback and kind words of encourgement. I think I'm getting the hang of this blogging thing, but I know I've still got a lot to learn.
Holla!
I was introduced to Lark's works on the "Etsy Artists of Color" website. Ya' know how you are just drawn to certain artists? - their work not only touches you, but grabs you emotionally. That's how I am with Lark's portraits. They draw me in. This series of portraits are based on Lark's grandmother, Julia and her journey from Guatemala to the U.S. in 1940. Lark has written a wonderful narrative describing Julia's journey and the people she encounters. If you'd like to see more - go to www.calderon-gomez.com/ or http://www.larkcalderongomez.etsy.com/
It was a scary thing for me to start this blog...believe me...I was overwhelmed with all the gazillion options. Widgets, and templates...oh my!
So, in celebration of my overcoming my fear of blogging, I'm giving away a pair of earrings (of your choice) from Aku's Ear Ornaments. Just leave a comment letting me know what you think.
I'll randomly choose a winner on Sunday, September 28. Oh, and if you liked to be featured - let me know...we'll make it happen!
So, in celebration of my overcoming my fear of blogging, I'm giving away a pair of earrings (of your choice) from Aku's Ear Ornaments. Just leave a comment letting me know what you think.
I'll randomly choose a winner on Sunday, September 28. Oh, and if you liked to be featured - let me know...we'll make it happen!
When I sit down to create, I've GOT to have music in the background. Besides lifting my spirit, I'm able to visualize the music, the beats, and all that pours over into what I'm doing. MySpace is a great source in discovering new music - That's how I found Sara Tavares. She is of Cape Verdean ancestry and is very in touch with her African Roots. Her album "Balance" is a mix of Portuguese fado, Brazilian bossanova, jazz and soul.
Okay, so this is my first attempt at blogging. Actually this going to be a micro-blog cause I can be on the lazy side sometimes. I'm blogging primarily to promote everything and anything "artfully wonderous"..... but its' also a platform for "whateva"... random observations, shared sources of inspiration, and promoting other artists, musicians and craftspeople. So, be patient with me while I get the hang of this....
My first entry: I'm no longer a Blog Virgin....ta-da!
My first entry: I'm no longer a Blog Virgin....ta-da!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
