I discovered that 2 of the challenge blogs I have been regularly taking part in have ceased to be this week. Dear Sandy has given up – too much work and a real drain on her time. She has been running them for 2 years though and we all know what a job it is doing the challenges, never mind planning and orchestrating the whole thing, especially when they’re popular, as TGIF and SaWo were. She and the challenges will be missed…

I have been making fabric bookmarks as presents for friends for xmas, painting and designing my own personal xmas card. I finished a large mixed media canvas and am looking for a title or name for it. I shall photograph it tomorrow and ask for your help in the naming of this beast!!

In the meantime, I am quietly disgusted that my DD’s situation continues, along with the daily harrassment by the bullies. I have logged most of it on my other blog and as she turns 15 tomorrow, we’re having a breakfast party with her best GF and chilling.

Maya Romanoff - A wall covering from the archival Inspiration collection, 2010

Maya Romanoff – A wall covering from the archival Inspiration collection, 2010. I am inspired by the collaborations they have done over the years. Read more here: http://budurl.com/MayaRomanoff

What about the Bedazzled Wall coverings – oh dear! www.mayaromanoff.com

The commisioned beaded murals remind me of the caviar beaded tees Charlotte Tarantola and I used to do together.

Relógio feito em Javascript usando Canvas.

LINK

Via Javascript News

more motion distortion stills

*Vivi Yip Art Room, 28 May 2009

Oversized doll heads of little girls dominate the canvas, surrounded by vertical and horizontal lines, and graphic shapes that seep and melt around them. Whimsical creatures who seem to stem from childhood fairytales, peer out of the crowded background, inhabiting the frame. The palette is subdued, with regular sweeps of muted brick reds and matte mustard greens. Part comical, with strains of anime, Badruzzaman’s creations deconstruct human interactions and personalities, always with the slightest dash of discomfort for the onlooker.

On canvas is where Badru plays with elements to adorn his paintings, such as foliage and snaking lines, creating a more tangible impression of space. Extensions of the artist’s graphic design background is apparent in the cubic shapes, hexagons and squares, and tiled spatial details of his pieces. The 27-year-old Yogyakarta-based artist, with his clean and defined lines, is inclined to provide the two-dimensional impression of a sleek graphic novel rather than a work of brushed acrylic upon canvas. But Badru, a native of Lampung, was never predisposed towards comic books or the like, his main influence being the street art that run rampant on the walls of Yogyakarta.
“Our attitude, our instinct,” he said, “was just to paint.”
The artist rarely displays his works, this being only his third exhibition. Though when he does, he prefers to express himself on a larger scale, saying “It seems such a waste to place my themes on a small canvas.”
His paintings veer more towards female characters, whose visages he bases on young women who enter his reality. While his male figures, possessing clown-like features, originate from the playful experimentation of his imagination. But these are not pictures of mirth. There is a sense of melancholy behind the children’s faces and, though resembling jesters in a royal court, Badru’s men hold something sinister behind their smiles.
“People have their own characters, I paint them accordingly,” Badru said.
Though the characters who appear to menace his central characters and invade the background change with each new canvas, one makes a routine debut – a bile-green rotund shaped critter with sharp, eager little dentures. Badru has no name for his creature, simply calling it is a symbol of egoism.
“I feel free to criticize people on canvas,” he said,” without them understanding that I have criticized them.”
His themes, Badru explains, all stem from personal experiences. Life’s daily fluctuations, minor joys, tediums, aches and interactions all play a part in Badru’s final pieces. He dips into his past and uses the memories to actualize his canvas. “I find more satisfaction with personal themes of love, friendship and day-to-day life,” Badru said.

Of a painting entitled “Girlfriend: Saving My Dog”, Badru had drawn on his experience with a former lover, depicting a beautiful woman-child with crimson pillow lips and sad bedroom eyes. In a larger  ontext, Badru does touch on universal themes, such as the desire to be accepted. “Hi…”, one of his earlier works, is a painting of a red-headed girl-child with an unadorned background and Badru’s personal favourite.
“She is a person who is lonely at heart, not accepted by the society around her,” Badru explained.
“I see myself as this newcomer, in a strange place, looking for someone to befriend,” he continued. He offers hope for his protagonist in the shape of a little bird that flies above her, playing with a strand of the little girl’s tresses between its beak. Although there remains some paintings that Badru considers too personal to be displayed for the public to scrutinize or enjoy.
“There are pieces which I’d prefer to keep for myself,” Badru said. “It is similar to how some people keep diaries, except mine is on canvas.”

Badru’s pieces can take up to 2 weeks to complete. Concepts, colours and timing are all swayed by the artist’s moods.
“Emotion plays a factor,” Badru said. “If I am feeling emotional, I tend to use warmer colours.”
With each piece, Badru begins with a rough sketch on paper before spilling his images on to canvas.
“I feel the power [on the canvas] to be more creative. I can add and embellish,” said Badru, who never limits himself to adhere to the original sketches he draws.
Badru has simple ambitions – to introduce his art to the public as he utilizes the canvas to release his past experiences and emotions. What he strives is to maintain a style that is unique to him.
“It is hard to accept comparisons to other artists because I try so hard to create my own style,” said the artist.
Badru, who has no formal training in fine arts, continues to develop his art, finding new techniques, adding and playing with dimensions to add to his eccentric tableaux. When he first started painting, his works were plainer, focusing only on the main characters. His backgrounds were rarely garnished with the detailed landscape and cacophony of critters as they are now.
“I feel I want to try something new, to change the composition, the layouts,” Badru said of his newer pieces. He surrenders to the process of creation, unburdened by style trends or themes that are popular in the art market.
“What is important is to be as creative as possible,” Badru stated. “As for the art being good or bad, that is up to the public to judge for themselves.”

by Alex Kerenski
24″ x 36″ Acrylic and Graphite on Canvas
Original Available

© 2009 Q44z, All Rights Reserved

No lyrics this time. My mind is in a brain twisting mode. Hidden puzzle, puzzle me. It’s not bugging me, because I feel I am in the flow. I just have to play with it. I will tell you when I figure it out. This could mean I will take a little time-out…………………..

I’m sitting in front of the white canvas. I kinda feel happiness. I really don’t understand it and try to focus. Wow in a second I see a lotus. I already lost it. This is just the surface.

(Hmmm, I guess I am still lyrical.)

It’s easy to create a unique work of art with a photo canvas. It’s a way to create something that will last for decades and all you need is your imagination – and some digital photos, of course. There’s no need to paint, draw or sculpt, but you can still create lasting memories from your photos. If you have thousands of photos on your hard drive or in your memory card, then it’s time to do something exciting with them. Instead of simply emailing a few to our friends and forgetting about the rest, we can use our digital photos to create unique photo gifts.

As the name suggests, a photo canvas is a canvas with your digital photo on it. It’s like the canvases that hang in the National Gallery. It is woven and stretched like those canvases; the only difference is that it has your digital photo printed on it. When it comes to creating a photo canvas, size doesn’t matter. They can be as small as a paperback or as large as a computer screen, or even larger.

Simple Or Complex Photo Canvas Ideas

Many people go for a simple photo canvas. That’s a canvas with a single photo printed on it. This is a great personalized gifts for commemorating a loved one, or highlighting a picture of the youngest member of your family. However, you can do even more than that. If you’re a whiz with photo editing software, you can customize your photo before you send it to be printed. Don’t like the background? Change it for something more tasteful. Get rid of red eye and use an air brush effect so that the photo looks its best.

Some photo editing programs have lots of artistic effects, so that you can make your digital photo look like a mosaic, a painting or another style of art. You can use photo editing to combine several photos too, though there is another way. Why not upload a batch of photos and get a photo canvas with dozens of photos. A photo collage is a much better than sticking them to a noticeboard with push pins. Creating this kind of effect is a great way to commemorate a special occasion where you take lots of photos, such as a wedding, anniversary party, graduation or special birthday.

You don’t need to limit yourself to a single photo canvas. You could also do a whole series around a theme and link them together. It will provide a real talking point. If you live in a scenic location, why not take several pictures from slightly different viewpoints and then hang five, six or a dozen photo canvases together. It’s a spectacular way to use this form of art.

Don’t forget to choose your photos carefully, especially if you are using a single photo. Make sure that it really is something that you will be happy to hang on your walls. Once the decision is made, you can relax, secure in the knowledge that you have something totally unique. And there’s more. A photo canvas also makes a great gift for a loved one. After all, you’ve got to use those digital photos somehow.

“In any society, moments define time for a people and the bombing of the Murrah Building is forever etched in those who lived in Oklahoma City – and America. Upon moving here a decade after the bombing, I visited the Memorial frequently, and through the seasons, the cold, hopelessness of a stark winter gives way to the exhilaration of spring, the enthusiasm of summer and the reflection of fall, where I find this tree – a symbol of the inner strength of the Oklahoman, the American – constantly in my viewfinder. This collection of images morphed into one somehow inspires hopefulness, knowing the loving power of community.”

The above description is of the 16 x 20 “Survivor” Giclee, available now on weber-creative.com for the 2009 holiday. Order today and get FREE SHIPPING.

Este sábado llega un evento sin precedentes ya que este tipo de eventos no abundan tanto por aquí y son demasiados underground.

Dicho evento llamado “I Love Hip Hop” nos presenta a uno de los pioneros del hip hop, del tornamesismo, fundador de la Def Jam Records y Dj de Africa Bambata Jazzy Jay.

Este es un evento que reúne todo lo que actualmente representa la cultura del hip hop en un mismo concepto, diseñado para todo tipo de público, ya que mezcla los componentes  urbanos contemporáneos e históricos, tanto artísticos como culturales, la gran diversidad y las múltiples facetas del hip hop; como género musical, como estilo de vida, como moda, como fenómeno cultural, como movimiento social, etc.

También se busca proponer al público una versión actualizada y fresca del hip hop y al mismo tiempo mostrar algo de la historia y los orígenes de este movimiento, presentando así a artistas nacionales e internacionales, celebrando la expansión y crecimiento que ha demostrado el hip hop en nuestro país.

Por otra parte les doy aviso que en esta fiesta Canvas estará presentando su ultimo numero del año que será su revista #13, con increíbles sorpresas de su parte.

Este evento es representado por Masare Records, Canvas, Rane, Serato, Casa Hilvana, Nylon, Upper Playground y muchos mas.

Por ultimo les dejo el video del evento, topenlo!

Para mas info

www.masarerecords.com

www.canvas-mag.com

Para los que no topen a Jazzy Jay aquí les dejo una breve biografía acerca de el

Jazzy Jay creció en las calles del Bronx junto con el movimiento contracultural de la década: el Hip Hop. Bajo la batuta de Afrika Bambaataa, comienza su carrera a los 13 años, bailando y tocando en las “Block Parties” y en pequeños clubes,  poco después empieza a presentarse en los lugares más de moda de  NYC. Miembro de la Universal Zulu Nation, grabó junto con Bambaataa uno de los éxitos más grandes del hip hop, que en la actualidad prende cualquier pista de baile y acompaña las mejores rutinas de baile de  B-Boys:   “Planet Rock”. Fue el  primero en llevar el hip hop a la radio a través de la estación KISS FM, donde conducía un programa de 3 horas y se volvió tan popular que se expandió hasta llegar a la Radio One de la BBC en Europa. Jazzy Jay fue fundador de Def Jam Records junto con Rick Rubin y el famoso empresario Russel Simmons. El primer sencillo de esta disquera fue “It’s Your’s” de T La Rock y Jazzy Jay. Mientras estuvo en Def Jam, trabajó con  grandes artistas como LL Cool J, Beastie Boys y Public Enemy. Poco después Jazzy desarrolló sus habilidades como productor y así fue que fundó su propio studio, dándole espacio a personalidades como Fat Joe, Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, entre otros.  En el 2000 Jazzy entró al salón de la fama de Dj´s de Technics y colaboró en el documental de tornamesismo “Scratch” el cual fue estrenado en el Sundance Film Festival en 2001

Calligraphy and Arabesque post graffiti on canvas – Volubilis series 

Nuno de Matox 2009

nuno de matox

Ramsey Nasr. Ik moest gisteren onwillekeurig aan hem denken toen ik Leonard Cohen live op DVD zag. 1970, Isle of Wight. Ik weet niet waar het aan lag. De krulletjes en nonchalante ongeschorenheid, denk ik. 

Ze hebben meer met elkaar te maken dat je op het eerste zicht zou denken. De een is een halve Palestijn, de ander een hele Jood. Ze schrijven allebei gedichten, maken allebei muziek. De een al wat beter dan de andere. Maar allebei hebben ze iets waardoor je naar hen wilt blijven kijken.

Ik heb maar 2 herinneringen aan Ramsey Nasr. Ik heb namelijk nooit echt iets van hem gelezen, of nooit veel naar hem geluisterd. (Met Cohen ligt dat wel even anders)

De eerste was ergens op Canvas. Nasr vertelde verhalen, mooie verhalen. En Nadia Dala onderbrak hem keer op keer met een irrelevante vraag. Ik wou gewoon dat ze hem liet uitspreken. Sindsdien heb ik een grondige hekel aan Nadia Dala.

De tweede keer was in de KVS. De première van een show van Behoud de Begeerte, met Ramsey Nasr en Mauro Pawlowski in de hoofdrol. De voorstelling was gruwelijk slecht, dat mag gezegd zijn. Het geheel straalde enkel wanhoop uit, met een tikkeltje hysterie en een enkele mooie scene. Pawlowski leek, zoals zo vaak, volledig onvoorbereid (wat hij me in een interview ook bevestigde) en Nasr probeerde het hele spel op zijn eentje te redden en redde het niet.

Hoe zou het nu met Ramsey Nasr zijn?

PROBEERT U HET OOK ALLEMAAL EENS!

Ik temperde mijn eerste verontwaardigde reactie direct. (Alleee, wat komen die gasten nu in Phara doen? Ochja, ‘t zal in het kader van de talrijke en constante herhalingen  op de Openbare Omroep zijn.) Toen ze heel kort herinneringen opgehaald hadden en Phara overging naar het volgende onderwerp dacht ik zelfs nog, moeten ze die mensen daarvoor nu naar de studio halen?

Phara en Lieven bleken echter als laatste onderwerp nog een lang promopraatje voor poker in petto te hebben. De 21-jarige tweelingbroers Matthias en Christophe De Meulder bleken namelijk de eerste Belgische professionele pokerspelers van PokerStars geworden te zijn, de grootste online pokersite.

Kijk, daar word ik nog eens ouderwets door geërgerd. Enorm. Pokeren blijft tot nader order nog altijd een kansspel (al deden Matthias en Christophe de grootste moeite om ons ervan te overtuigen dat het een behendigheidsspel is, ze hebben hun les goed geleerd), kansspelen zijn al jaar en dag een bron van financiële miserie en verwekkers van verslaafden en een groot deel van onze nog niet eens twintigjarigen blijkt vertrouwd met pokeren online.  Wilfried Martens en Mia Doornaert (Mia!!) zaten er kritiekloos vertederend bij te glimlachen (Mia trok haar mondhoeken zelfs nog wat hoger toen ze op de monitor merkte dat ze in beeld was en Wilfried deed zich voor als een jajongensditoudjeweethelemaalniksvanvancomputers  (o)pa.) Lieven Van Gils probeerde er nog even een kritische opmerking tussen te gooien, maar deze ging compleet verloren in het wervend reclamepraatje van jongens die betaald worden door de gokindustrie.

Zucht. Hoe komen de programmamakers er bij om pokeren een podium te geven? Heeft de firma PokerStar zichzelf voorgesteld en uitgenodigd met als troef ‘Kijk es de tweeling van man bijt hond!’ (sinds Helmut Lotti weten we dat dit gebeurt) en indien niet, dan vraag ik me echt af wat de actuele/maatschappelijke/politieke/ relevantie is van dit onderwerp. Tenzij het aanzet zou geweest zijn tot een kritisch debat. Tenzij Martens en Doornaert uit hun krammen geschoten waren, er de wet op kansspelen bijgehaald hadden,  of hun bijvoorbeeld gevraagd hadden of er ook belastingen betaald worden op de gewonnen bedragen. Maar dat zou natuurlijk allemaal niet sympathiek staan. Of erger: de kijkers en de lieve pokerjongens zouden kunnen denken dat ze oud(erwets) en achterlijk zijn!  En net terwijl ze nog volop bezig zijn met sympathie te winnen en zich hip en jong voor te doen.

Trouwens, die comapatiënt, daar is ook iets mee. Ik geef het u op een blaadje.

(En wat gaat het schrijven me toch heel gemakkelijk af wanneer ik op mijn paard zit… 5min.)

Het gesprek kan u hier bekijken.

Malak El Ezzawy, one of our favorite local evening wear designers, tributes the “Little Black Dress” this fall with her limited edition collection.  What I love, is that it is a perfect addition to my LBD post (posted a couple of weeks ealier, click here).  As mentioned before, the LBD transcends time and trends and is the perfect “throw it on and still look chic” dress.  A staple in every woman’s wardrobe, just like a man’s white chemise.  Below is a sample preview of her limited edition collection, more on this Facebook link, and in store at the Melodies Atelier at 24 Tharwa St., Mohandeseen, ground floor.

Malak’s LBD collection is full of lace, as we call it in Egypt, dentelle.  The dress below worn by Menna Shalaby is a dentelle top with a chiffon and tulle skirt and a sexy low back.

Menna Shalaby wearing Malak's LBD

This LBD is the perfectly structured tube dress, which I believe, will be flattering to many.  The dress is very futuristic (which I don’t usually like, but this is cool).  I also love how the designer utilized both polka dot and stripped prints on one canvas.

Polka Dot & Stripped Structured LBD

This matte paillette, aka sequined, one shoulder LBD is IT! The fall season is all about embellishment & sequins, in addition to asymmetric dresses.  I guess this LBD is an ALL-IN-ONE must have!

Matte Paillette One Shoulder LBD

I decided to end this post on the perfectly simple, yet sexy, LBD.  The uniqueness of this dress comes not only from its simplicity but its texture.  Velvet is a material that faded away for a while, but is back it style and feels very rich.

Perfect Velvet LBD

After a year’s hiatus from painting, we’re back. I had been creating paintings with Romeo since 2004. As I added horses to my herd, each learned to paint. We all painted happily for several years together. But after a while, I thought that we all might need a break from painting. It turns out I was wrong.

During the break, I shifted my focus from creating paintings to finding pressure-free methods to help rehabilitate troubled horses. After much study, practice and experimenting, I’ve come full circle.

As it turns out, teaching a horse to paint is one of the best ways I’ve found to restore their sense of logic and trust in the world. It seems that when my horses are allowed to use their mouth and hooves to manipulate their environment, it gives them a “voice.” I’ve found when the horse has its voice, the “trust issues” dissipate and give way to a very focused and attentive being.

My herd of four voiced their opinions about painting as I was preparing for a local art show, where I was bringing Romeo to paint. I needed to create a few new paintings for the show and wanted to have each painter represented.

Not to anthropomorphize too much, but I’d swear they missed painting. Each horse painted with such zeal and enthusiasm and stamina that they wore me out. The next day, Raleigh, my young Clydesdale that was practically imprinted on painting, would not leave me alone the day after painting. He kept staring at the easel and hanging his head over the gate, looking at me with the begging eyes of a Labrador retriever with a slobbery tennis ball in its mouth.

And DaVinci, my gelding recovering from post traumatic stress, painted with such focus (on a blustery day) that when a cluster of frenzied grocery bags blew past him, he didn’t even notice. This in my opinion was a miracle, or he was so “in the zone” that nothing else mattered.

As for me, I realized how much I missed creating with them. At the art show, Romeo and I painted with water-based acrylics on 11×14 in. watercolor paper. I really enjoyed the different effects created on this particular paper. My usual medium is canvas. It requires a different technique that takes a little longer for the paint to dry (in high humidity) to create the look I want. The paintings on watercolor paper offer a new freedom for both of us.

So for a fresh change of medium, we’ll be celebrating our return with a new line of paintings on watercolor paper. You can see our latest works on the Art Gallery page.

Enjoy!

-cw

RENOWNED women artists achieved excellent sales at the first two art auctions of this week, while paintings by traditional bluechip male artists such as Brett Whiteley, Charles Blackman, Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker have been passed in or sold for a fraction above their reserve…. From The Australian. Full story

This site may contain information about: shopping square. The blog is also related to: paris shopping.

I love love love Christmas! It’s my favorite time of the year, for sure. Well….other then my own birthday. But really, it’s awesome. I especially love singing Christmas songs and giving gifts. I like to make other people happy!

That is why I’ve started the Pritteful Palette Christmas Sales! Every few days, I will be posting a new item that is up for “Christmas Sale”. If you are looking for a gift for someone, or maybe one for yourself (there’s nothing wrong with the one for me one for you concept in my mind) then you should make sure to check my Facebook Page for the latest updates. I will also try to post the updates on my blog for those of you who are RSS subscribers, but don’t have a Facebook.

Merry (early) Christmas!

Here are my latest Christmas deals:

]]> http://totebag.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/tannis-hegan-tote/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:19:41 +0000 elizatruitt http://totebag.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/tannis-hegan-tote/

Tannis Hegan Rectangle Bag.

Canvas and leather. Made in Canada. Via Lark.

Contemporary FINE ART Original PAINTING,acrylics on 100% cotton stretched wrapped canvas.Size: 60×80 x1,7 cm.(23,6×31,5 x0,7 in inches)Handpainted.

Original, not print. Painting is signed in front and at the back. Dated.
Impasto style.
The sides are painted, so there’s no need to frame it.

I use a gloss varnish to add shine and to protect the painting from harmful UV rays and dust.

I am Member – EBSQ art association .
Each of Nataera’s paintings comes with a COA (Certificate Of Authenticity). The COA lists the title, medium, size, and other useful information. Each painting has an identification number associated with it which also appears on the COA. Finally, the COA is signed and dated by the artist-Nataera. The COA is your assurance that the artwork is a one of a kind original created by Nataera.

Shipping via post-office is 45 $ (7 days to arrive).
I do and i have Shipping insurance for it.
I pack all my paintings with great care.
Tracking number – automatically provided by www.laposte.fr/colissimo
If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will get back to you promptly

YOU CAN SEE MORE MY PAINTINGS AND BUY IT ON ETSY SHOP:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34921542

To many visions, to many illusions, to many opinions, to many confusions brought by my own idealism founded trough mechanism or dualism. To many voices of choices invading my mind of emotion in this blistering storm of synapsonical devotions. To many hopes crumbling down in rustling noises. To many measures turning into high voltage pressure. Growing like hungry herds of swirling words making my head spin around, 400 miles a hour. Devour my thoughts of childhood innocence. To many questions is the essence of the mind blowing violence. To many guidance, to many transience which defines my actions. And all these words make it worse of course. To many ideas, to many wishes, to many bridges to cross. I nearly feel lost and then it’s happening. My mind is pitching, twitching…twitches……twitch….switch to total meltdown…………………………

Well, my head is clear now. That’s the positive thing about having a total meltdown.

Fated to be a white canvas. Waiting to  be painted.

Today, I present you with something different.  Taking it all back to where I started, canvas.  But these minis are just the hors d’oeuvre ahead of the meatier main course. Bon appetit!

Angelus leather paint on canvas

Like in the F-Word, will you pay for your meal? Make me an offer and they’re yours.