Easy Steps for a colorful and textured painting

1. Paint canvases solid colors

2. Lay all 3 canvases next to one another and use painters tape to dictate your design

3. Using a sponge, do circle like motions. (I purposefully did not mix my colors on the pallete so that each circle stroke would do its own blending on the canvas)

4. Take off painters tape

5. Wala!

© C. Stephenson

In honor of this amazing individual here are some of his words, although this doesn’t even scratch the surface of his writings,…

“To Express Yourself in Freedom, You Must Die to Everything of Yesterday.  From the Old You Derive Security.  From the New You Gain the Flow.”

“Let the Spirit Out.  Discard all Thoughts of Reward, All Hopes of Praise, and Fears of Blame,  All Awareness of One’s Bodily Self.  And Finally closing the Avenues of Sense Perception, Let the Spirit Out, As IT WILL.”

“I Lay on the boat and felt that I had united with Tao: I had become one with Nature.  I just lay there and let the boat drift freely according to it’s own will.  For at that moment I had achieved a state of inner feeling in which opposition had become mutually cooperative instead of mutually exclusive, in which there was no longer any conflict in my mind.  The whole world to me was unitary.”

” The Knowledge and skill you have achieved are after all meant to be “forgotten” so you can float in emptiness without obstruction and comfortability.”

” Classical methods and tradition make the mind a slave-you are no longer an individual, but merely a product.  Your mind is a result of a thousand yesterdays.”

” Art is never decoration, embellishment: instead it is work of enlightenment.  Art, in other words, is a technique for acquiring liberty.”

” A teacher is never a giver of truth-he is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself (herself).  A good teacher is merely a catalyst.”

Inspired by the Born This Wall Ball & the Song Hair – Lady Gaga.

The city was buzzing with excitement and anticipation prior to Lady Gaga’s concert last night. People camped out all night, started filing in at the break of dawn, all things that hardly ever, close to never, happen in Bangkok. Lady Gaga is such a huge idol, particularly because of the size of the LGBT community here. Suffice to say people came with high expectations, completely dressed up in Gaga-esque  costumes and most left completely satisfied with her performance.

What was most amazing to me, other than the showmanship expected from Lady Gaga, was that I left the concert was with a clear sense of respect and understanding for what she stands for. Under her outrageous outfits, provocative performances, and crazy show concepts – she actually stands for something. Despite knowing that her lyrics are provocative, when you consume media you spend more time focusing on the controversy surrounding her instead of what she’s actually saying.

The concert and her interaction with the audience, she would stop and give ‘talks’ to her little monsters, acting as a mentor, illuminating her desire to empower them and represent: freedom, individuality, gay rights, defiance, and self-love.

The show itself integrated a storyline, a huge castle, numerous costume changes (who’d expect any less?), and all of her biggest hits. She did some risky things infront of a Thai audience, but counterbalanced them nicely when she expressed her thoughts and feelings regarding the country. Praising the welcoming atmosphere and the acceptance of the LGBT community particularly the ‘lady boys’ stating that she wished she had somewhere this welcoming growing up.

The show she put on met expectations, but what was better was that it served to highlight her contribution to the music and political world. It also showcased her as a personable character (particularly towards the end of the concert). Paws up!

Model-turned-artist Meredith Ostrom added a naked twist to a party for composer Michael Nyman as she stripped off and created a piece of performance art.

The 32-year-old former girlfriend of Duran Duran keyboard player Nick Rhodes covered her naked body in paint before writhing suggestively on a canvas behind a screen at the Sketch bar in Mayfair.

After finishing her creation, the paint-splattered blonde covered herself in a black robe before revealing the very intimate artwork to the crowd which included Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, Michael Portillo and Dan MacMillan.

She agreed to the special live performance to celebrate Nyman’s exhibition and the Russian Anglo Arts Festival (Anglomockba) to be held in Moscow next weekend.

Meredith split with Rhodes in February after seven years together but the former couple have remained close and the 46-year-old even put in an appearance at the launch of her Naked Soul exhibition last month.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1174285/Naked-artist-used-body-paint-canvas-bizarre-live-performance.html#ixzz1vzyW8Qjk

]]> http://openhousebcn.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/openhouse-barcelona-art-shop-design-gallery-lets-play/ Sat, 26 May 2012 17:41:09 +0000 openhouse http://openhousebcn.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/openhouse-barcelona-art-shop-design-gallery-lets-play/

via : absurdom

“…the most memorable concern of mankind
is the guts it takes to face the sunlight again.”

-Charles Bukowski

This image was merely just inspired by the lighting. Loved the way it completely made her face and skin glow.

So, I’m mainly going to post all of my favorite images to start with, if you’d like to see my entire portfolio up until this point, check out my facebook. www.facebook.com/SalvationPhotography

Also, any feedback is always much appreciated! Any personal requests of what YOU would like to see are also appreciated as well! Stay tuned for more to come!

Sincerely,
Kelsie Victoria
Salvation Photography

]]> http://fiercerthanyou.com/2012/05/26/great-british-fashion-stamps/ Sat, 26 May 2012 17:39:07 +0000 Fierce Lives Here http://fiercerthanyou.com/2012/05/26/great-british-fashion-stamps/ Johnson Banks designed a set of postage stamps that celebrate the last 60 years of british fashion.

Article VIA Designboom : Click Here

via : gnam box

After the preview for the press on May 9 was yesterday and today the opportunity for the public to get a first impression of the new Stedelijk Museum. For an empty museum there was a remarkable number of security personnel. “You are protecting space?” to paraphrase the main character of Mike Leigh’s Naked. But it must be said, it’s a true photogenic building, maybe the most fundamental requirement of a museum in a time of visual culture. September 23 is the Stedelijk really reopening. A new government in the Netherlands, a new Stedelijk in Amsterdam. The tide begins to turn.

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam – preview (May 2012).

Pepperpot Creatures, 2010

The Peace Palace

Well, we accidentally only saw the back of the Peace Palace. That would explain why it wasn’t terribly impressive. There was, however, this pile of rocks:

Walking through the palace gardens….

Sculptures in the shopping area. The duckman is by Hans Van Bentem, the artist we saw at a museum in town.

It’s a lush and green city, with huge, sweeping trees lining the streets in some neighborhood. Many parts of it reminded us of New Orleans, like this shot of the tram tracks:

Ah, the beach. We walked all the way out on a pier, checking out the surfers, windsurfers and fishermen that were hard at it, despite a coming storm. We were also treated to watching a seagull destroying a crab. That seagull was not messing around.

And finally, because I’m a sucker for outdoor markets, we traveled to the De Haagse Markt, which purports to be the largest market in Europe. They had sweet potatoes, which I have not been able to find in Germany, and I’m wishing I had bought some to bring back on the train.

swing : kamila szejnoch. memorial to the berling army soldiers, warsaw, september 20th, 2008

I’m so excited about my new cake find. But not just cake, oh no, this is an artist who makes cake – cake art! Sprinklebakes is the blog from artist Heather who has worked with a lot of media but is now working with sugarcraft, yay. These shortbreads are really beautiful and innovative. I’m going to send off an email to her and to talk about it, and hopefully get some inspiration for my dissertation! I was so excited that I bought her new book and I shall report back soon.

Well, I’ve been so busy with college… I haven’t updated in almost a month! Thankfully, I’ve pretty much finished my FMP now. I just need to sort my sizes out, and then I’m printing on Monday. The deadline is next Friday, so I have until then to finish my books… But that won’t take long. I’m so happy.
And then I have a week off college! Hopefully it’s still sunny then!

Some of the work I’ve been doing for my FMP. (None of these are finals. Also including the top photo!)

Pink- Before. Blue- After. (To fit water)

And a random photo that I took on Thursday.

It’s been so long since I just went out to take photographs. I feel like everything I’ve been doing has just simply been because I need to for my work. I haven’t been ‘enjoying’ photography as much, and I really need to get back into that. I kind of want to start another 365, but I just know that I won’t be able to keep up with it. And especially when University starts in September… I won’t have much time then. I may start one in January, depending on how the university year is going.

It’s our exhibition on the 19th June, and then I finish shortly after that… Then I can just relax and take photographs of whatever, whenever…

Life isn’t black and white
But various shades of gray
And anyone who does not realize this
Has never truly lived a day

>’’<          >’’<          >’’<          >’’<

In the blink on a eye, the motion slowed down, when she opened them up, what did she find? But a new place, but how could this be? And safe? I guess she shall see. It was somewhere, but nowhere, then everywhere, it seemed. She felt for her kitty, but kitty, was not in her arms! “All alone, oh no!, and my kitty, she’s gone!” But no, that was not so, there were voices and song, from the outer reaches of space, as well as next to her face, the voices did call out, both sweetly, soothing, and strong.

In her confusion, she grasped out, for something or anything to hold on, but her body was gone! Instead, her shape was replaced by two spirals, spinning and coiling, in opposite directions, like roman candles on the fourth of July. She saw, to her surprise, she was beautiful, and the voices agreed.

>’’<          >’’<          >’’<          >’’<

Next post: May 28, Monday

Absolute green is the most restful colour,
lacking any undertone of joy, grief, or passion.

- Wassily Kandinsky

]]> http://dianewallacestudio.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/the-magic-kingdom/ Sat, 26 May 2012 17:28:01 +0000 Wallace Studios http://dianewallacestudio.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/the-magic-kingdom/

We just spent a week on vacation.  No Disney involved.

Near a lake, in an area not far, but so completely different from our home on the edge of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.  It was a quiet, lovely week.  Reading, sketching, walking, watching the sunset, talking, laughing and enjoying the days despite some clouds and showers.  Capped by a spectacular dinner at a restaurant with a rather amazing waterfall to complement our dinner conversation.  Glass House Wine & Bistro Bar at the Ledges Hotel (See my Blogroll for a link).

We found a walking trail along a river near a small town.  Lush, verdant, freshly mowed paths were cradled between the hills.  The first pair of blue birds took my breath away. (Prior to heading on vacation, I had painted the above bluebird from a photo I’d found – synchronicity?)  A blue so stunning even my favorite Daniel Smith watercolors, fresh from the tube, seemed wishy washy.  Mesmerized, jewel-toned, the blue was so saturated I could barely keep the binoculars on them.  And, they were everywhere.  Blue streaks before my eyes like ribbons flew.

Baltimore Orioles, often perched at the tree tops against a blue sky background proving the color theory that complementary colors sing when placed next to each other.  Common Merganzer Momma in the river with her five babies appearing to walk on water trying to keep up with her in the current.  We watched from behind waist-high purple and white wildflowers, keeping our distance in order to not interfere.  Yellow warblers flitted through the trees like free canaries, calling loudly as we disturbed them.  Navy sequined Tree Swallows sparkled with iridescence in the sun as they returned to their nest boxes.  Orange butterflies, yellow butterflies, black and blue butterflies.  Colors so vivid, they put a graffiti artist to shame.  The sounds of river and birdsong more beautiful than an orchestra.

Inspiration, exhilaration.

Disney makes a fortune from the Magic Kingdom.  I am driven to make art.

“Circle of One Growing Apart” — Image by kenne

Circle of One

Look at us,
we look alike –
similar lines,
curves,
colors,
so much in
common.

We came together
sinking
to be one, 
a symmetry of 
differences
reflected
in the other
as a circle of one. 

Connected by
the rhythm
of wave lines,
slowly becoming
lost
in a moving maze –
drowning
in a sea of
self indifference.

Look again,
our eyes looking
beyond the other –
connections weakening
in our
once upon a time
circle of one.

Our circle of one,
now a reflection,
a hurtful delusion
of what was,
leaving only
a few lines
connecting
the symmetry of
pleasure and pain,
vanished as a whole.

Fabric
of the whole
lost,
no longer
a balance
between
pleasure and pain,
now a distant
Dylan sound,
“Behind
every beautiful thing,
there’s some
kind of pain.” 

kenne