99 Feelings

How many feelings do you feel in a day? My answer to this question is lots. The next question would be how or did you express these emotions? I find that some days I keep them to myself, confined in a small space that sooner or later is likely to explode unless I channel them into something like art or dance.

Mitsy Sleurs found her expression in porcelain doll figures based on the from of a Russian Matryoshka doll. She created 99 unique dolls based on 99 unique feelings and emotions to help her express herself creating an emotional self portrait. Her work is beautiful and speaks to everyone. Enjoy!

Artist Studio

"Without the studio, however humble, the room where the imagination can enter cannot exist." Anna Hansen

This video is a fabricated look into the studio of the artist M.C. Escher. Created by the Spanish artist Cristobal Vila who imagined this studio space based on his geometric and mathematically inclined work. This film is a beautiful and poetic glimpse into a studio filled with inspiration and intrigue.

Down The Forest Path

I have always felt slightly self conscious about my artistic process.  I often paint over sections and start over covering up flaws and mistakes under layers and layers of paint. For awhile the thought of showing a work in progress (WIP) sent me into an anxiety ridden panic attack but I eventually decided that I was ready for the challenge.

 

I had this particular painting well thought out before I started so I felt reasonably confident that I could get through it without any massive mistakes. I was also experimenting with different coloured under painting as I really wanted to bring out the depth and richness of the forest foliage.

 

In the end I managed to capture the light shinning through the leaves onto the path. This painting gives me a sense of peace and tranquility and reminds me of adventurous days in my childhood.

This painting is for sale on Etsy

Edible Art

Here is a quick awesome video of a guy in Qingdao, Shandong, China making beautiful candy art on a stick. His only tool is a large ladle but his designs are intricate and fun! Enjoy!

Sketchbook Project (Limited Edition)

For the past six months I have been working on my contribution to the Art House co-op Limited Edition Sketchbook project. I chose the theme "the Secret and how to tell it" and dove into the project without a game plan, colour scheme or chosen style.

 I expected it to turn out really random but through the process of haphazardly creating I found similar tangents and styles were developing in my work and how I approached my topic. Some of the more meaningful pages are rudely interrupted by random birds and what not but that is part of what I like about it so much. It's a sketchbook and therefore random! I have also honed my skills concerning water colour pencils and a slightly more illustrative style that developed during this endeavor.

 The journey has been fulfilling and I honestly cant wait to get started on a new one. It has been a great side project to keep my creativity flowing and I will be joining the sketchbook project for 2013 for sure!

I have now mailed my sketchbook to the Brooklyn Art Library where it will be exhibited along with roughly 5,000 other sketchbooks in the storefront reading room. In the fall it will be published online and reach an even greater audience. 

I enjoy this project because it gives my art the chance to reach a wider audience and if my sketchbook is appreciated by just one person then it was all worthwhile. 

Thanks for stopping by, leave me a comment if you have anything to say about my work! 

Asylum

I have always found great beauty in the decay of aging buildings and items. When I open an antique book I think of all the others before me that held that same tome in their hands, examining each page and studying the words written there. I get the same feeling when I walk through an old building; I think of all the other souls that have walked down those same halls and stood in those rooms, their stories delight me and my imagination. As time ticks by there is a constant cycle of decay and renewal and I think it is important to stop and reflect on ages past and find the beauty in even the most dire situations.
This video was created using over 35,000 still photographs of and abandoned Asylum. Opened in the 1920's this Asylum was closed down decades ago and has remained untouched since the last employees departed. A porthole into the past and the horrors of that time accompanied by an original score this video highlights the delicate beauty of the imagery that is left.

Asylum from Drew Geraci on Vimeo.

Cain's Arcade

This video proves that even in this digital age kids still prefer to play with the box. Cain is a 9 year old boy who made his own arcade from spare boxes and tape. He has prizes and tickets and even month long fun passes that can be purchased for a mere $2. His first customer happened to be a film maker who was inspired by the vision of this young boy. He decided to find Cain some more customers by making this short film and advertising an event facebook. They surprised Cain with a flash mob of customers making his dreams come true.
Cain's imagination and creativity is a reminder to us all to dream big and make time to stop and play. The look in his eyes as all of his childhood dreams come true warms my soul and brings a smile to my face.

Make It Count

As I fumble around in search of happiness and the meaning of life I sometimes find myself caught up in routines and rituals that don't serve any true purpose. How many hours do you waste in a week? I sit in front of the TV, then I sit in front of my laptop and then I sit in the car and wait in line at the bank and then I spend the rest of my week wasting more time. I am exaggerating a little as these things are somewhat necessary but what would your life look like if you made every minute count? What would you spend your time doing?
These film makers took Nike's slogan "Make it count" and their film budget and decided to travel the world until their money ran out. See what your life could be like (if someone handed you a pile of money) if you made every second of it a new adventure!

Old Man And The Sea

I have always loved stories. As a kid I loved books so much that my parents would threaten to take them away from me if I didn't clean my room. My love for books started very young and I remember snuggling up beside my dad so I could examine the pictures as he read me my story. For me the illustrations were always very important and added a separate narrative and layer to the tale.
This video illustrates the age old story of the Old Man and The Sea using nothing more than white paper and a black marker. The illustrations are fluid and loose and tell the dramatic tale very uniquely. I hope you enjoy your story time today!

Piano Stairs

Life is full of choices, some are difficult and some are easy and some we don't even think about. I have often found myself thinking "I should have taken the stairs" while standing in a crowded elevator that is stopping on every floor, but the simple fact that I had a choice didn't occur to me until it was too late. We all know taking the stairs is a healthful choice for the able bodied but for the most part many of us are perhaps too lazy or simply too preoccupied to even consider the option.
This video shows an experiment in which taking the stairs is turned into an interesting and fun experience. The novelty of it caused more people to consider their options and use the renovated staircase. If all stairs where like this I know for sure that you would never catch me on an escalator again!

Old Age Athletics

I have spent a considerable amount of time complaining about my aches and pains. Whether it is sore muscles, stiff joints, minor muscle tears or chronic pain I feel the need to share exactly how my body is feeling. Since the onset of my chronic pain over two years ago I try not to talk about my pain but as it is there constantly it tends to enter the conversation on a regular basis. Some days I feel depressed and defeated by my pain while other times I am determined to push through it. This quick video features a group of elderly men in Singapore who don't let their pain get in their way. After watching this I was embarrassed that I have ever complained at all. All I can say is that I hope I am as agile as they seem to be when I hit my 8th decade on this earth!

Big Bubbles

Blowing and playing with soap bubbles was probably one of my top ten favorite things to do as a child. On hot summer days my sister and I would spend all day playing with sidewalk chalk, skipping rope, running through the sprinkler and blowing bubbles. I remember watching them slowly float up to the sky and examining one I caught on my soapy hand, marveling in the colours reflected across it's surface.
In honor of our childhood musings here are some adult size soap bubbles. Take a five minute break from your day to enjoy the finer properties of soap!

Giant soap bubbles - Bulles de savon géantes from Ebullitions on Vimeo.

Animated Dancers

If you are a dancer, have know a dancer or used to dance you understand exactly what competition season means. It means extra rehearsals, dancing on stage, late nights in theaters and many missed days of school. In honor of this crazy and exciting time for all of the young dancers here is an animated dance video that combines my two loves, art and dance!
Enjoy!

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Moreis Lessmore

This short film is beauty at it's best. It plays with your childhood fantasies and takes you on a thoroughly engaging journey that will leave you with a smile on your face and a happy heart. There is little else I can say that will do this film justice so take a break from your day and immerse yourself in the story of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Moreis Lessmore!

Morning Yoga

While I have always appreciated the gentle flow and meditative influences of yoga I never thought that it was for me. As a dancer I have spent many hours lunging and stretching and I was under the impression that I would be bored by it. These feelings changed when I saw this video, which has prompted me to explore the yoga world and integrate it into my life.
For me yoga is about breathing and stretching and making your body and muscles work together. Wholeness is the ultimate goal. I have been spending at least half an hour a day working through my body pains following different online yoga videos and intend on working my way up to an hour. This is my third week of yoga and while it hasn't fixed my body it has helped me feel less broken and at peace with my physical situation.
Here is the video that started it all!


How do you start your mornings?

Keep Calm and Carry On

The internet is wrought with copyright infringement and misleading terms of agreement which has lead certain images and videos to go viral, spreading like wild fire across the world wide web. We all laugh at the dog videos and marvel at the art but often the origin of these works are lost in the linking, sharing and re-linking of these images.

This video traces back to the origin of "Keep calm and carry on" which was originally a war propaganda poster created to promote calmness amongst the people but was never released. Found in a book shop decades later it has now become an iconic image of the 21st century and inspires people daily to push through the tough times.
What inspirational quote inspires you to get through your day?

Night Sky

If you live in the city there are certain natural wonders that are obscured by pavement, buildings and lights. City lights block our view of the night sky and milky way and unless you travel into the country it is a spectacle that you will miss out on. This time lapse video displays the night sky in all of its glory. The mesmerizing beauty of the milky way will make you want to spend a night laying out under the stars. Take a break from your day to enjoy this natural beauty!

Making Sense

Not everything has to make sense. In life we are always looking for a reason, for the cause and effect but unfortunately it doesn't always exist. I recently painted a portrait of a girl with Spaghetti hair. When my family saw it they started asking questions: "Why is there spaghetti on her head? Is she angry? Why did you paint her? How did this happen?" The truth is I don't know. The image appeared in my head and after a few weeks I felt the need to get it out and onto a canvas. Maybe I was hungry and craving spaghetti but the point is that there isn't always an answer to life's questions and occasionally you have to accept that some things just exist.

Visit Betty on Etsy

Bicycle Chain Sculpture

Classical sculpture featuring the human body has been created and admired since the creation of art. There is something admirable and mesmerizing about the human form. South Korean artist Seo Young Deok has explored the human form using bicycle chains. He welds the miles of metal chain together to create extraordinarily detailed figures that resemble classical sculpture despite the unconventional material. This video is of his solo exhibition.

Alphabetti

One of the first rules of life that we learn as children is "don't play with your food!" Eventually after much harassing from our parents we learn that the dinner table is not the place for that sort of fun. We sit up straight and learn how to twirl spaghetti, cut chicken and use chopsticks.
Ironically playing with food is so much fun! For some it is a visual organizational game based on colours and textures while others blow bubbles in their milk while making mashed potato forts.
This particular game requires intellect, creativity, good spelling and a can or two of Alphabetti soup. This organized Alphabetti competition required its participants to write an uplifting phrase from a can of soup. Perhaps playing with your food is not so bad?

A Week in Japan

What does a week long vacation in Japan look like in 4,000 photos? Mike Matas took almost 4,000 photos and turned them into a stop motion video to illustrate his travels. The food, people and places come to life in a series of still photographs that manages to capture the pure essence of daily life.
I love everything about this video and hop that you take a few minutes out of your day to watch it!

One Week In Japan from Mike Matas on Vimeo.

Missed Connections

One of the most fascinating things about humanity are the connections that tie us together. Whether it is a quick glance from a stranger or the embrace of a childhood friend we are constantly making connections.
Spohie Blackall has been illustrating these interactions prompted by Craigslist's Missed Connections forum. Missed Connections is where people post about their meaningful interactions hoping that perhaps they may be reunited with their mystery person. It is sweet and bitter all at the same time and provides a unique perspective on humanity and its relationships. Sophie's illustrations are personable and detailed giving you a peek into each of her character's stories. Inspired by love lost and found, her illustrations bring New York City's Missed Connections to life.

Handmade Portraits: Sophie Blackall from Etsy on Vimeo.

Visit her Etsy shop to see more of her work!
www.etsy.com/shop/sophieblackall

Some Thoughts on Pain

It has come to my attention that I don't know how it feels not to be in pain. I am not writing this to complain about my life because I know it could be much worse. I don't have an incurable disease and my pain does not completely inhibit me from participating in life, but it is there all the time.

I started this relationship with pain when I was 16 and dancing as many hours as I could in a day. The pain was only really apparent when I was dancing so I chose to ignore it and continue to work my ass off. Gradually it became more unbearable and I began to medicate with advil at night to take down the inflammation in my hips and back.

For the past two years I have been experiencing chronic back pain. Chronic pain has its own separate category. Chronic pain follows you around daily never leaving your side. Some days I can almost ignore it and other days it has me curled up in the fetal position with tears streaming down my face begging for mercy. I can't take drugs for it because they destroy my digestive track so I have had to learn to manage it. This chronic situation prevents me from walking long distances, standing for periods of time and dancing every day the way I would like. That said I do walk sometimes and dance as much as my back allows me so it isn't completely debilitating.

I just wish I knew what it was like to wake up feeling good. I wish I could stand and walk across the room without feeling discomfort, and of course I wish I could do some walkovers and huge back bends. How would I feel if I didn't feel pain. What if I could take my common excuse, "oh, I can't because of my back" out of my vocabulary?

Life would be beautiful for sure but there is something I have learned from all this agony. I have learned to appreciate and live in the moment. When I'm in pain I approach it as a challenge, something to overcome. I take a bath or lay in bed reading and try to appreciate the moment for everything that it is both good and bad. Chronic pain is part of my life and although I am occasionally overwhelmed, I have come to accept this.

The biggest thing that chronic pain has changed for me is the way I approach dance. I used to take it for granted and push my body towards perfection every single day despite what injuries were acting up, but these days I am so grateful for every plie and develope. When I dance I move like it is my last day dancing and I do it for me. I do it for the little girl that wanted so badly to be a ballerina. Every time I dance, I dance for her.

Pot hole Gardner

Growing up I spent many hours playing with my doll house and all of the miniature furniture in it. Creating my own little world was always a treat. The Pothole Gardner does just that out in busy city streets, creating small gardens in cracked pavement and pot holes. Sometimes it is just a rose bush in the cracked cement and other times small shrubs are accompanied by miniature furniture creating a small haven.
As a social experiment it is interesting to hear feedback from people passing by. I love how these gardens brighten up the streets creating small oasis in unexpected places, however they are not very practical and are unlikely to make it through the week. I commend the Pot hole Gardner for their innovative ideas and short term gardens that bring a little novelty to the world.
Watch this segment from their documentary "Holes of Happiness" to see the joy that these miniature worlds bring!

What if The World was Perfect?

If the world was perfect there would be no war, hunger, disease or poverty. It would be sunny most days but snow on Christmas eve and everyone would have access to food, water, shelter and a cell phone and computer.

But what does perfect really mean? I constantly find myself trying to attain what I deem as perfection in my dancing, art and basic life. I know it is unattainable but I desperately want to be as close as possible. To be perfect is to be "entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings." This sounds like a pretty amazing ideal but like communism it doesn't work in the real world. If we were all perfect we would all get along, never disagreeing or starting an argument. Would there be no difference of opinion? If we never got sick would we appreciate our health? or maybe that appreciation would be part of our perfect world.

I could dissect these things for days but as much as I love the idea of perfection I have come to love so many imperfect things in life. I still strive for perfect technique in dance but I have found with my paintings that some of my 'mistakes' turn out to be beautiful works of art. Mistakes lead us to solve problems and force us to think differently about our situations.

Sometimes the real beauty of life lies in our disagreements and struggles. They are what make us unique in all of our imperfection. I still think the world could strive to be a little more perfect but today I am going to enjoy my less than perfect life and hope you do the same.

Wonders of Nature

I find mid-winter (January to February and sometimes March) sucks the life out of me. I become grumpy and tired and just want to curl up in bed with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate. Summer is but a distant memory and going outside involves way too many layers of clothing that end up cold and soggy.

In the warmer months I spend as much time as possible outside and take frequent weekend trips to the forest where I marvel at the beauty of Mother Nature and provide ample food for the mosquitoes. This three minute video clip reminds me of those wonderful summer days and shows nature at her best. So take a quick break and marvel at nature's wonders!

We Were Wanderers On A Prehistoric Earth from James W Griffiths on Vimeo.

Public Art

As years pass cities and towns can become a mass of grey and brown decaying structures. Industrial buildings are built for function and not esthetic beauty and over time rust and dirt eat away at whatever paint was originally there.
A group of artists in Braddock, Pennsylvania are working to change the esthetics of the aging steel mill town to one of creative artistic beauty by painting the buildings, bridges and store fronts and creating new works of art. This takes the art out of the galleries and puts it in a place that everyone can enjoy in a town that desperately needs a face lift.
Using mis-tinted paint Maya Hayuk creates architectural and linear designs in unlikely places with unlikely colours. This authorized graffiti has created small corners of fine art in unexpected ways.

Handmade Portraits: The Public Art of Maya Hayuk from Etsy on Vimeo.