Peter Cetera - Glory of Love

Music Appreciation

If you are my age, then you'd remember this song and associate it with Daniel LaRusso and his love interest Kumiko in The Karate Kid II (1986) movie.

Shortly after leaving the band Chicago, Peter Cetera recorded his solo album Solitude/Solitaire. "Glory of Love" was his first hit single and peaked at number on on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1986.

Source: Wikipedia

Marko Mavrovich

Art Appreciation

When I was a college student, I enjoyed going to museums and looking for the works by impressionists like Henri Matisse or Camille Pissarro. To me, impressionists want their viewers to be participants in their work.

For example, one can easily picture themselves in Marko Mavrovich's painting titled Angels Over Venice or strolling along a road in Avalon. The paintings purposely allow the viewer to add their own emotions and interpret their own experiences.

I came across American impressionist Marko Mavrovich while walking through a gallery on a cruise ship. The painting on display was Resting in the Studio, which depicts the painter's brushes along with a bottle of wine. Perhaps the wine was in celebration of completing an art piece. Maybe the wine helps the artist paint. It's up to the viewer to make the story.

Mavrovich gets much of his inspiration from the Mediterranean painting oceans and hillsides.

You can see more of his work HERE.

Resting in the Studio

Angels Over Venice via doina-touchinghearts

Avalon via doina-touchinghearts

Red Chairs via liveinternet.ru

Sources: http://gallerymarko.com; http://doina-touchinghearts.blogspot.com/2012/07/marko-mavrovich-paintings.html; http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/tulyachka/post166572681/

Maná - Como te Deseo

Music Appreciation

"Mariposas bailan en mi pecho, El calor no se dispersa amor..."

I'll be honest. The only Mexican music I knew was my dad's music. He'd listen to Juan Gabriel or José José. These guys were known for romantic ballads. Meanwhile, my mom would listen to Tejano music such as El Grupo Mazz or Selena.

So, personally, I didn't care for my parents music. Instead I turned my attention to MTV. As a teen, rap and hip hop was the thing and boys like me liked it. So, imagine me, a short Mexican American, wanting to be like Mike (Michael Jordon) or the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) wanting to leap as high as possible to touch the rim and rapping at the same time.

It wasn't until college when I was exposed to Mexican rock. The first song that I heard was Como te Deseo by Maná. I became a fan very quickly of Mexican rock and even Mexican pop music.




via WarnerMusicMexico


Source: Wikipedia

Thomas Kinkade

Art Appreciation

A couple of months ago, while having dinner at my in-laws, we were discussing my personal preference in art. During our conversation, my mother-in-law mentioned Thomas Kinkade to which my response was that I didn't care for his art. As I said it, I turned behind me and saw that my mother-in-law had a Thomas Kinkade curtain hanging on the wall.

I attempted to explain why he wasn't one of my preferred artists, "many of his artwork look alike. It's either of cottages, bridges, or landscapes."

When I was young, I remember walking into a Thomas Kinkade gallery in San Antonio. The store was crowded with people who found his paintings spiritual because of his use of light. In reality, the technique Thomas Kinkade used was not something spiritual but rather known as chiaroscuro, where the artist uses strong contrast colors.

Nonetheless, the "Painter of Light," did contribute to art in how to mass market printed reproductions. It's estimated that 1 in every 20 American homes has a copy of his paintings.

The Christian artist was born on January 19, 1958 in Sacramento, California. Kinkade died of natural causes; although, autopsy found a combination of alcohol and Valium in his system.

You can see more of his work HERE.

Christmas Moonlight via christmasvillagefun

Cobblestone Christmas via christmasvillagefun

Autumn on Mackinac Island via keepersathome

Sources: http://www.thomaskinkade.com; http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2010/11/thomas-kinkade-effect.html; http://christmasvillagefun.blogspot.com/2012/03/thomas-kinkade-and-easter-art.html; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/12/thomas-kinkades-troubled-past_n_1421117.html; http://keepersathome.blogspot.com/

Alex Krivtsov

Photography Appreciation

Alex Krivtsov is a Russian photographer know for his black and white images that captures beauty, style, and emotions.

You can see more of his wonderful photography HERE.

via thats-my-pointe

via tanisto-whisper

via beautyloveandsoul

via luceplace

Sources:
http://alexkrivtsov.ru/
http://alafoto.com
http://www.photoforum.ru/user/364/photos.0.0.0.date.desc.0.0.0.1.en.html
http://beautyloveandsoul.blogspot.com/2010/06/alex-kristov.html
http://luceplace.tumblr.com/page/372
http://mejores-desnudos.blogspot.com/2008/03/ver-web-de-alex-krivtsov.html
http://thats-my-pointe.tumblr.com/post/39327770473
http://tanisto-whisper.blogspot.com/2009/03/alex-krivtsov-photography.html

Boris Vallejo

Art Appreciation

If you're around my age and have the same interests as me, you've seen Boris Vallejo's work in movie posters, video game covers, and sci-fi paperbacks.

The Peruvian-born American painter and illustrator Boris Vallejo is best known for his fantasy paintings of male and female barbarians, such as Conan the Barbarian and Barbarella.

You can see a lot more of his work on his website HERE.

Mermaid Couple via artodyssey1

Black Unicorn via thomasandv

Wings of Night via artodyssey1

Sources: http://www.imaginistix.com/; http://thomasandv.blogspot.com/; http://5-ladies.blogspot.com/2010/11/boris-vallejo.html/; http://thomasandv.blogspot.com/2013/11/boris-vallejo.html; http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2013/08/boris-vallejo-and-julie-bell.html; Wikipedia

Alex Alemany

Art Appreciation

Spanish artist Alex Alemany is known for his surrealistic paintings that incorporates realism with symbolism. For example, his painting "Poema Imposible" features a cloth holding a sea, which would be impossible to capture the beauty of the sea with a cloth.

You can see more of Alex Alemany's beautiful work HERE.

Poema Imposible via impressioniartistiche

Musica via maherartgallery

Sin Titulo via danceswithcolors

Vida secreta de los espejos via maherartgallery

Sources: http://www.alexalemany.com/; http://webneel.com/25-magical-realism-paintings-and-realistic-still-life-paintings-alex-alemany; http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2009/07/alex-alemany-alex-alemany-was-born-on.html; http://www.rogallery.com/Alemany_Alex/Alemany-bio.htm; http://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2012/04/alex-alemany-1943-spanish-hyperrealist.html; http://surrealistisch.blogspot.com/2013/01/lexalemanycom.html; http://impressioniartistiche.blogspot.com/2013/01/alex-alemany.html; http://maherartgallery.blogspot.com/2012/02/alex-alemany-1943-hyperrealist-and.html; http://danceswithcolors.blogspot.com/2012/10/dwc-hyperrealist-artist-alex-alemany_20.html