Wall Decoration Ideas

Pinterest has been my latest decoration go-to page.  I know I'm not alone in this :)  I have a good collection of art and photography waiting for me to come up with a brilliant idea on how to display them.  We will be moving to a new apartment next month so I think I need to start figuring out what to do with my new walls.

Speed Painting: Inspiration

A friend of mine shared this with me and I was blown away by it.

I've been having all sorts of technical problems but the past couple of months but I have a new computer! yay! and most of those problems are gone.  I plan on coming back to blogging sooner that you can blink an eye.

In the meantime, enjoy this and be inspired...

A video worthy of an Oscar night...

I appreciate good acting and brilliant performances.  Time magazine posted this fantastic little video/interview featuring some of the nominee's on tonight's Oscars awards that is totally worth sharing...

By the way, I LOVED the lighting and the black and white.  Mmmm it made me crave studio portraits :)

Inspiration: Believe

Good reminder.... we take ourselves for granted sometimes.  

Believe you can and you will.

Self-Portraits in Art

Feather Eye

I had been hesitant on the idea of self portraits in photography for a very long time.  For the most part, I thought that self portraits were a conceited effort for self promotion.  Considering all the possible subjects there are for one to capture, I never thought of myself as a good one to start with.  I am average looking, average built, and certainly a typical thirty something woman trying to make the best of her life experience.  

A couple of months ago, I was alone at my apartment cleaning up my studio.  It's a small room where I keep all my DIY projects that I never finished, along with my photography equipment.  I then spotted some peacock feathers that I had bought some time ago, and then suddenly, I had the urge to pick up my camera.  The Feather Eye photo is one of my favorite fine art pictures so far in my store, and it turned out to be a self portrait.  Talk about irony.

Since then I had been reading on the subject.  Contrary to my limited assumptions, self portraits are a very important stage in the life of an artist.  We live with ourselves, and understanding our own nature is the first step for understanding anything else.

I can quote and share thousands of artists whose self portraits have turned out to be the cornerstone of their work.  Here are some of my favorites...

Vincent van Gogh was an avid self portrait artist.  He was a sensitive soul whose last words were "The sadness will last forever".  A troubled soul, van Gogh turned out to be one of the most influential figures in the Post-Impressionism art movement.

I was lucky to be able to see a small exhibition on her work last year, while visiting the MoMA in NYC.  Frida Kahlo's work is irreverent, unapologetic, and honest.  She used painting as a way of escapism, giving us a peak into her mind and soul.

Vivian Maier is probably unknown to most of us, but her work as an amateur street photographer  is stupendous.  She died in 2009, and after her death her work has come out and is rapidly becoming a favorite.  She held a private life as a nanny, always carrying her camera and not sharing her photographs with anyone.  It is said that she produced about 100,000 negatives throughout her life, documenting her surrounding wherever she went.  Her self portraits are that, intimate and simple.  I really like her style, showing that self portraits are as valid as a good street shot.

In love with Fonts

Yesterday I indulged in a good amount of doing nothing.  I made the mistake of falling asleep with my contact lenses on Monday night, and by Tuesday morning my right eye was as red as ripe cranberry.  The eye has been bothering me enough to not even stand a good read, so I declared a day of staying in bed and watch TV.  Luckily, I have my Netflix queue filled with a whole bunch of goodies, so I was entertained all day long.  And this led me to the most interesting documentary I've seen in a long time.

Helvetica.  Yes, the font.  I saw this documentary devoted to its history and popularity that caught my attention right away.  But, more than Helvetica per se, I was fascinated by the art that created it in the first place, meaning, the type design.

Of course, this is a very specific art.  It has to do with beauty and practicality, with language and the message that it represents.  The basic lines and curves arranged so perfectly, that it gives the impression of having a life of their own.  For example take...

 

This is the letter g in lower case in the font Bakersville.  I read a blog post that described it as fragile, gentle, delicate, soft, fashionable and fun.  And it is all these things! Now g lowercase in Bakersville is an instant favorite.  But one does not take the time to examine language with such detail, and we are missing out on beauty right in front of us.

I know this is a photography blog, and maybe you have no interest in the world about what I am writing about.  But I honestly think that in order to become better photographers, we need to pay attention to art, in general.  Be it in a font, or a drawing, or a piece of good writing, beauty will appear to us through any of these forms.  This in the end will give our eyes a sharp attention to spot beauty when is presented to us. We will have the ability to recognize it and not miss our next good shot.

Graffiti Art from the Art District

Hi guys!! Here are some more pictures of the graffiti art around my neighborhood in Miami.

I have some of the best for sale in my Etsy shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rustika?section_id=10067023

Pencil Carving by Dalton Ghetti

“The pencil tip is great; it’s like a pure, very homogenous material,” he said. “It cuts in the same direction, not like wood, which has a grain. But when I tell people how long it takes, that’s when they don’t believe it. That’s what amazes people more, the patience. Because everything nowadays has to be fast, fast, fast.”

... and this is how I fell in love with Mr. Ghetti's work.  I came across a NY Times article on his art, and was immediately intrigued.  The pictures speak for themselves, revealing this unusual art as magical as it sounds.

http://www.daltonmghetti.com/

http://www.facebook.com/DaltonGhetti

The first thing I ever win!

The Debutante

Today I received this super cute print from.  The artist is Laura from The Sparrow Moon, in Etsy.  I participated in a giveaway and I was really thrilled to know I had won.  I already have a good spot for it!
Thank you so much Laura.  Your art is truly adorable.

The Earth Without Art...

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Dans Serpentine: Beautiful Vintage Visuals

I stumbled upon this magnificent short, vintage French film and just fell in love with it.

After much research I finally understood the origin.  It is dated back to 1899 and it was shot by the Lumiere Brothers, the pioneers and creators of cinematography as we pretty much know it today.  Back in the time there was no color yet available for film, and it is said that the colors were added by hand, frame by frame.  It must have been an amazing experience to watch such visuals for the very first time, when it was first released.

The film was inspired by the work or Loie Fuller, an American dancer who made it big in France with her unusual artistry.  Fuller became at the time the image of the Art Nouveau movement.  The Lumiere Brothers heard about her art, and used it as a means to portray the wonders of cinematography.  The dancer in the film is not Fuller, though.

You can read more about all of this in Wikipedia here.

A Visual Treat

Get ready my friends, for here I will share with you some of my favorite visual artists from the Etsy community.  I will get directly to the artwork, since I have quite a selection today...

The Queen, by thisyearsgirl

Light My Way, by ellemoss

Musing the Goddess, by spalenka

Fairytale of New York, by irenesuchocki

Sleepy Lamb, by deutschemexicana

A most curious afternoon, by AlisonTyne

Orange Velvet, by jkldesign

2 Subject Charcoal Portrait, by JaneWittenberg

I selected these artists because somehow they have created art that have inspired me on way or the other. They each have a unique quality that make me want to be better in the art that I have chosen to pursue.

Remember that you can always check these artists shops by clicking the link below the pictures.

For the Love of Paper

When I was a little girl and my mom had to go out on a trip, she would always get me a little gift.  The gifts were always either socks or paper, don't ask me why.  And, although I knew what to expect, I would wait for them as if it was the first time.  The socks I used all until they either got lost, or succumb to the wear and tear.  The paper, I have kept through all these years.

I used to have pen pals with whom I exchanged letters.  I had a pen pal from Greece, another one from Finland, and I think I even got a letter once from Japan.  Wherever the correspondence traveled, my paper delivered the message impeccably.  I was very proud of my collection, and my mom was even happier to see her gifts being put to good use.

After my communication with my foreign friends ended, I used most of that paper to make little origami figures.  I still have a few of my early models as reminders of a simpler life, when all I needed was a piece of paper to travel around the world or invent a magnificent little creature.  I truly respect and adore the art of paper, and here I give you some beautiful examples.... for the Love of paper.

I fell in love with this mobile ever since I laid my eyes on it, by SpareBedroomStudio

Custom silhouette portrait, by jennyleefowler

Mesmerizing! This artist cuts her little paper figures, arranges them in magical composites for her photography, by theaterclouds

I learned about Mabona Origami some time ago while searching for origami inspiration, and I was very glad to see that they have an Etsy shop, MABONAORIGAMI

Such a handy and clever idea, printable cutouts to use as party decorations as many times as you need, by tomkatstudio

I really liked this Art Deco style handmade card, by Inviteddesign

Remember that you can visit each of these Etsy sellers by clicking on the link under each picture.

Support Handmade.... if you like what you see, drop a comment and visit the links!

It's Only Love

I found this video and I loved it.  A super cool animation effect filled with lots of love and heartache.... I guess we can all relate to that.  Enjoy!

A dreamy kind of Friday

I have been feeling languid and thoughtful lately.  While looking for inspiring imagery, I've had the tendency to reach for dreamy and subtle photography on items that are equally dreamy and subtle.  Here are my picks for this week's Etsy feature...

Hand Dyed Tea Tulle Skirt, by ouma

Girl's Dress with train and petticoat, by vintageprecious

King Size Eco Friendly My Lovely Dream bed set, by LovelyHomeIdea

The Strange Planet, by thegoodmachinery

Who you are Today...

✈ goodbye HI, a photo by SARAΗ LEE on Flickr.

I just came back from a two week getaway with my sweetheart.  We went up north to visit my sister and we had the most amazing time.


As I come back to my usual routine, I have been thinking about my present standing, who I am today, and what I stand for. This quote just popped into sight and describes exactly my state of mind...

You are at crossroads.  This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will eer make.  Forget your past. Who are you now?  Who have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have been.  Who are you now? Who have you decided to become?  Make this decision consciously.  Make it carefully.  Make it powerfully.

-Anthony Robbins

All things fluttery

I have a weird fascination with insects.  My dad taught me very early not to be scared of these odd looking beings, and instead encouraged me to respect them and admire their beauty.  Here is a collection of my favorite insect art in the Etsy community.

A mix of woodburning, pencil and paint by TheHauntedHollowTree

I LOVE this Brass Butterfly Ring by PhenomenaJewelry

This is something I would really like to learn.  Mounting real insects is such a beautiful way of adding nature to your everyday living.  By REALBUTTERFLYGIFTS

Fine Art Photography for me is one of the most fun and diverse collections you could ever have.  A lovely butterfly photograph by jessicatorres

You can access the shops of any of the these artists by following the link below each of the pictures.

Monday Quotes: Free Spirit

By R. Young

To change one's life:

1. Start immediately.

2. Do it flamboyantly.

3. No exceptions.

-William James