Oogie Boogie

For the past few years, I have painted various characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I first start with projecting an image of a character and tracing the image on plywood. After tracing the image, I start layering--first with the background and then with the character. Using a jig saw, I trimmed around the corners and added finishing touches.

Oasis - Wonderwall

Music Appreciation

I was a freshman in college and the girl I was dating had a cassette tape playing in her car of Oasis. The song I remember her singing to was Wonderwall, and she knew every lyric to the song.

Released on October 30, 1995, the song was written by Noel Gallagher and performed by his brother Liam Gallagher. The music video featured the band using the various instruments included in the song along with clowns which may be a subliminal message of the song.


  via Oasis

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderwall_(song)
https://prezi.com/f6oxipskvbut/music-video-analysis-2/
http://reflectproductions.blogspot.com/2010/11/music-video-analysis-wonderwall-oasis.html

Co-Play is an Art... Anime Weekend Atlanta 2015

via beatdownboogie

Cindy Press

Art Appreciation

I came across Cindy Press, a well known and respected freelance fashion and portrait artist, while surfing the web for Peter Max. Before becoming a full-time artist, she was a fashion designer for Neo Max, clothing inspired by Peter Max.

Her current watercolors and oils present of attractive women in sensual and empowering settings. You can see more of her work HERE.

Gossip (2015) via toyastales

Sources:

http://cindypress.com/home.html
https://www.artfinder.com/cindypress
http://www.saatchiart.com/cindypress
http://parimastudio.com/blogs/the-blog/30182275-cindy-press-and-new-works
http://toyastales.blogspot.com/2015/05/art-of-day-cindy-press.html

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation

Music Appreciation

"We are a nation with no geographic boundaries bound together through our beliefs we are like-minded individuals sharing a common vision pushing toward a world rid of color-lines"

I was thirteen years old and dancing when I first watched Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation music video on MTV. I knew all the words and the moves like any other kid did at the time.

The music video was directed by Dominic Sena and featured a cool military-funk Janet Jackson in a post-apocalyptic warehouse setting. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.



via JanetJacksonVEVO


Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_Nation
http://www.metrolyrics.com/pledge-lyrics-janet-jackson.html

HAPPY #BTTF DAY!!! - OCT 21, 2015

I guess this comes close to the hoverboard I was promised 26 years ago: http://amzn.to/1W4zVdb.




via MovieClips

The Dead Zone

Film Appreciation

The Dead Zone is probably one of my favorite thriller films. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, was directed by David Cronenberg and starred Christopher Walken.


  via Paramount Movies




Sources:

http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/34684/en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dead_Zone_(film)

Cosplay... Is An Art: BlizzCon 2013

via MLZStudios

Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Film Appreciation

Released on October 19, 1990, Night of the Living Dead was a horror film directed by Tom Savini and starring Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman. The movie was a remake of the 1968 horror film by George A. Romero.

via Horror Trailer HD

Sources: 

http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/38407/en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead_(1990_film)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7uEhZMuZGAJytb7t0nt_rQ

Vladyslav Mouk (Ronin)

Art Appreciation

I don't recall how I came across Vladyslav Mouk's art work; however, I was captivated by the sensual and erotic images.

You can see more of the illustrator's portraits and infographs HERE and HERE.

via darnellcashville

Sources:

https://vk.com/moukart
http://vmouk.tumblr.com/
https://plus.google.com/115437493077887762077/
http://gramlove.com/user.php?id=334379684&name=vmouk
http://lustandlovely.tumblr.com/post/73853901071/mouk-art
http://weheartit.com/entry/group/40043528
http://darnellcashville.tumblr.com/post/77909648362
http://justmalachi.tumblr.com/post/118654021563

Paul Strand

Photography Appreciation

Paul Strand was an American photographer and filmmaker known for his early abstractions and establishing photography as an art form in the 20th century. Early in his career, his work was promoted in Stieglitz and Steichen's 291 art gallery and photography publication Camera Work. He's also a founder of the Photo League, a group of New York photographers known for promoting social and political causes through their art.

You can see more of his photos HERE.

Wall Street, New York (1915) via bostonglobe

Rebecca (1922) via washingtonspeaks

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Strand
https://www.artsy.net/artist/paul-strand
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/S/strand/strand.html
http://www.philamuseum.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/arts/paul-strands-lifetime-of-photography-at-philadelphia-museum.html?ref=design&_r=1
https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2014/11/22/paul-strand-making-photography-modern/GQlHLKr84n9iffRcpGPeoM/story.html
http://bolsh-july.livejournal.com/52153.html
http://washingtonspeaks.blogspot.com/2012/11/sex-and-serials-at-national-gallery-of.html

Cosplay... Is An Art: DragonCon 2012

via beatdownboogie

Puppet Master (1989)

Film Appreciation

Two words: Scary Weird. Yet, I remember being very scared when I watched this movie as a kid. Perhaps it was because we had a few puppets around the house, but none that looked like Blade, Pinhead or Leech Woman.

The direct-to-video movie, Puppet Master, was written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall and directed by David Schmoeller. The movie starred William Hickey and Paul Le Mat.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppet_Master_(film)
 

Minni Havas

Art Appreciation

Minni Havas is a freelance fashion illustrator from Finland. Her drawings are best recognized for its photorealism mixed with imaginary settings.

You can see more of her work HERE.

via hand.fashionary.org

via featherofme

Chillin (2009) via koningstuff

Sources:

http://minnihavas.fi/
https://instagram.com/minnihavas/
http://cargocollective.com/minnihavas/
http://www.design42day.com/visual/minni-havas-illustrations/
http://agentpekka.com/artist/minni-havas/
https://marialyng.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/minni-havas/
http://hand.fashionary.org/post/89131527020/minni-havas-fashion-illustrations-minni-havas-is
https://alyshiabensch.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/minni-havas/
http://wearesodroee.com/2013/12/28/minni-havas/minni-havas-5/
http://www.roomsmagazine.com/artpeople/minni-havasthe-photorealistic-helsinki-fashion-illustrator
http://www.featherofme.com/minni-havas-fashion-illustrations/
http://koningstuff.tumblr.com/post/6561050093/minni-havas

Todd Stringer

Photography Appreciation

I don't recall exactly how I came about Todd Stringer's photographs, but it was one of his models, Erica Jay, that first caught my attention.

Stringer is a respected photojournalist and fine arts photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee with a diverse portfolio.

You can see more of his photography HERE and HERE.

Erica Jay via bigorangemichael 

Sources:

http://www.toddstringerphoto.com/
https://www.facebook.com/toddfstringer
https://twitter.com/toddstringer
https://500px.com/toddstringer44
http://iconosquare.com/stringerphoto
https://www.patreon.com/toddstringer?ty=h
https://about.me/toddstringer
http://naked-yogi.tumblr.com/post/100083894278/stringerphotos-cam-damage-by-todd-stringer
http://bigorangemichael.tumblr.com/post/92341628019/toddstringer-erica-jay-by-todd-stringer

Gottfried Helnwein

Art Appreciation

Gottfried Helnwein is an Austrian-Irish visual artist who is known for his provocative photo-realistic images of children. His images explore not only sexuality and victimization but also historical and political issues.

You can view more of his works HERE.

Epiphany III - Presentation at the Temple (1998) via youstrangepeople

Kiss II (1998) via anitakunz

Murmur of the Innocents 13 (2009) via coffeecigarettesmagazines

Sources:

http://www.helnwein.com/
http://www.theartblog.it/gottfried-helnwein/
http://coffeecigarettesmagazines.blogspot.com/2011/08/gottfried-helnwein.html
http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/problem-child/?_r=0
http://www.helnwein.com/texts/selected_authors/article_3983
http://youstrangepeople.blogspot.com/2012/03/gottfried-helnwein.html
https://anitakunz.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/gottfried-helnwein/

Cosplay...Is An Art: London Super Comic Con 2014

via SneakyZebra

Jean-François Millet

Art Appreciation

Born on October 4, 1814 in Gréville-Hague, France, Jean-François Millet was a French painter best known for his paintings of peasant farmers.

Millet is one of the founders of the Barbizon School of painters, which was part of the Realism movement. The major theme for Barbizon painters was the French landscape, especially the area around the Forest of Fontainebleau.

One of Millet's famous paintings is titled The Gleaners. It's a painting that portrays the daily struggle for survival of peasants who clear the field of grains left after harvest.

From the Barbizon movement came Impressionism and the practice of en plein air painting. Millet influenced many future painters such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Eugène Louis Boudin, Georges Seurat, Salvador Dalí, and Vincent Van Gogh.

You can learn more about Millet HERE.

The Gleaners (1857) via commons.wikimedia.org

The Bather (1863) via conchigliadivenere

Academie masculine (1837) via if-hommes-nus

Sources:

http://www.jeanmillet.org/
http://conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/jean-francois-millet-1814-1875-french/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Millet
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/millet/
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/millet_jean-francois.html
http://thepalmhq.blogspot.com/2009/04/song-of-lark.html
http://agustinmarinschz.blogspot.com/2011/04/jean-francois-millet.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Millet_-_Gleaners_-_Google_Art_Project_2.jpg
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bfpn/hd_bfpn.htm

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Film Appreciation

Known as one of the best horror films in cinema history, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was written and directed by Austin native Tobe Hooper. The low budget film also starred one of the original "scream queens" and University of Texas alumni Marilyn Burns.

The film was controversial and banned due to the onscreen gore, yet it grossed over $30 million dollars at the box office.

Sources:

http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/31028/en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Texas_Chain_Saw_Massacre
http://variety.com/2014/film/news/marilyn-burns-who-starred-in-texas-chainsaw-massacre-dies-at-65-1201276500/