Fabián La Rosa

Art Appreciation

Argentinian artist Fabián La Rosa is known for his still lifes and portraits.

Of his paintings, my personal favorite is that a little boy dressed as Zorro standing against the wall next to a child's sketch of Zorro and a taped notebook paper with the letter "Z."

You can see more of his wonderful paintings HERE.




Zorro via iamachild

Pears via arteinformado

Untitled via conchigliadivenere

Sources: http://www.zurbarangaleria.com.ar/expos/larosa/larosa.html; http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2010/08/fabian-la-rosa-argentina.html; http://iamachild.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/fabian-la-rosa-1970-argentine/; http://masquenoticiasblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/nueva-muestra-en-coleccion-alvear-de.html; http://www.arteinformado.com/Eventos/60397/fabian-la-rosa/

 

Tracey Lane

Art Appreciation

Tracey Lane is an Amerian artist known for her textured paintings of birds, horses, flowers, and trees.

She captures her subjects in their natural state, but presents her subject while distorting the background in order to make it the focus of the painting.

Of her paintings, I personally like those she does of birds.

You can see her wonderful paintings HERE.

Waiting via artfan24

Rose Colored via artfan24

Come to Me via southwestart

Sources: http://traceylane.com/; http://www.pryorfineart.com/; http://artfan24.blogspot.com/2012/12/tracey-lane.html; http://codaparkcity.com/artists/tracey-lane/

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

Music Appreciation

Twenty eight years ago, English hard rock band, The Cult, released "She Sells Sanctuary," a song about "finding solitude in a woman's arms."

Many of us, who have heard the song, probably associate it with something memorable. Take my coworker, for example. He remembers listening to "She Sells Sanctuary" driving through the desert from El Paso to Austin, Texas.

I remember appreciating the song from a mix tape a college student from my dad's class had left at the house. I didn't dare but listen to it with my Sony Walkman; growing up in a conservative house, I thought I was going to hell.

I do remember watching the music video late at night on MTV, and thinking, "that girl is pretty." It probably took me another ten years to figure out the girl was actually Ian Astbury, the lead singer of The Cult.

Watching the music video now, I'm able to appreciate it more and even catch things I didn't notice before. For example, is Ian Astbury dressed as English political icon Guy Fawkes?

MORE THE CULT: http://photographywritingandmore.blogspot.com/2012/05/cult-love-removal-machine.html

Sources: http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-cults-ian-astbury-talks-about-songs-ignoring-t,79785/; Wikipedia

13th Game of the Season

Continued

Only three games left in the season.

On Saturday, my son's little league team, the Yankees, played against an evenly matched team, the Astros. Both teams played hard, and in the end, both teams tied at 5.

My son performed quit well. He did have a hit, but was tagged out while advancing to third. While playing second base, he caught a pop fly and tagged a runner.

His stats so far:

Game 1: AB: 2 H: 2 R: 0 RBI: 2
Game 2: AB: 3 H: 2 R: 1 RBI: 0
Game 3: AB: 2 H: 1 R: 0 RBI: 0
Game 4: AB: 3 H: 2 R: 0 RBI: 1
Game 5: AB: 4 H: 3 R: 1 RBI: 2
Game 6: AB: 2 H: 0 R: 0 RBI: 0
Game 7: AB: 3 H: 3 R: 3 RBI: 4
Game 8: AB: 3 H: 2 R: 1 RBI: 0
Game 9: AB: 3 H: 1 R: 1 RBI: 1
Game 10: AB: 3 H: 2 R: 2 RBI: 3
Game 11: AB: 3 H: 1 R: 1 RBI: 0
Game 12: AB: 3 H: 1 R: 1 RBI: 0
Game 13: AB: 3 H:1 R: 0 RBI: 0
Total: AB: 37 H: 21 R: 11 RBI: 13

F. Scott Hess

Art Appreciation

By now, many of you know I enjoy realist painters; especially, if they incorporate a touch of surrealism in their work.

While surfing the art blogs, I came across F. Scott Hess' Floodplain. The painting depicts a woman giving birth in isolation in the pre-dawn hours. On a blanket over muddy ground, she sits in pain as she pulls her baby out of her.

F. Scott Hess was born in Baltimore in 1955. He is known for his realistic paintings that have been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally. His paintings tell stories, and some of them can be a bit frightening or disturbing.

You can see more of his work HERE.

Sudden Storm (1987) via iamachild

Dark Horse (2011) via artweek

Floodplain (1999) via ultramassa

The Colonel's Daughter (2006) via artodyssey1

Similar Artists: Jorge Santos

Sources: http://www.openmuseum.org/museum/show/46; http://www.koplindelrio.com/content/f-scott-hess; http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2009/10/f.html; http://artweek.la/issue/december-19-26-2011-double/article/f-scott-hess-in-transit1

Justin Timberlake ft. Jay Z - Suit & Tie

Music Appreciation

Justin Timberlake is about 5 years younger than me (I actually had to take out the calculator to figure how much older I was to him), but there is something about the kid that I absolutely admire and respect. I admire him because he is true to his art, and I respect him for his creativity and his contribution to music and society.

In past posts of my appreciation to music, I usually provide a background on the artist. Well, we all know and, if you are around my age, have followed Justin Timberlake.

He needs no introduction. He needs no background, because we all know his extreme talent.




Source: Wikipedia

Evan Wilson

Art Appreciation

While researching Vincente Romero, I came across one of Evan Wilson--an American artist known for his realistic paintings of interiors, landscapes, still lifes, and portraits.

What caught my eye of Wilson's work was the use of light, which makes his paintings so realistic--for example, the porcelain vase in Sunflowers. Of course, what caught my attention and admiration was his painting of a beautiful fair skin lady laying on a silk kimono and sheets titled Lillian.

You can see more of his beautiful work HERE.

Sunflowers via artodyssey1

August Morning via loverforbooks



Lillian via artodyssey1

Sources: http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2010/01/evan-wilson-evan-wilson-was-born-in.html; http://www.evanwilson.net/

Candlebox

Music Appreciation

If you are about my age, you'll probably remember coming across a deal offer by either BMG or Columbia House for "free" CDs. Yes, CDs. Before iTunes and mp3s, we bought or borrowed CDs from friends to record on cassette tapes. These club membership allowed us buyers to stock CD rack with the tunes we liked.

It was great. You'd fill out the CDs you wanted from a catalog, mail it, then wait to receive a box  addressed to you. It was like opening a birthday present. A day could be easily lost listening to the CDs.

One of those CDs I remember ordering was Candlebox's self-titled debut album. And although I heard each track in that album, my personal favorites were Change, You, Blossom, and Far Behind.

Released twenty years ago this summer, Far Behind was a song written in tribute to the late singer Andrew Wood of the Seattle grunge band Malfunkshun. Wood overdosed on heroin.

Source: Wikipedia