GABRIEL MORENO

Hello everyone! I just wanted to quickly share a really cool artist I came across.

Gabriel Moreno works with such basic materials: a pen and a brush.

However his illustrations are brilliant !

How does he do it ?

He begins in black and white, adding layers of color and images of other places and people "tattooed" into their skin. Flowers, birds, and faces organically expand from his subjects, as if a rush of creativity, or a dream, is escaping them.

His work is truly inspirational and unique. I encourage everyone to take the time and take a look at his work.

Dominic Boudreault

Dominic Boudreault is from Quebec, Canada, he's a Motion Photographer.

He is constantly "in motion " in search of a perspective that will transmit both the beauty and the speed of the world in which we live in.
 He devotes his time to transpose his vision into images and he's dedicated to make the necessary efforts for his vision to become a reality. 
His photography is simply breathtaking. I particularly like his landscapes!

Sunset from the top of Mont-Mégantic

Waterfall - Forillon National Park, Quebec, Canada

Dominic's The City Limits - Timelapse is simply amazing. It took Dominic over a year of his free time to make the video. His goal was to show the quality between the city and nature. All the locations which include; Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Manhattan, New York and Chicago, were carefully picked by him and researched ahead of time.

I really found this very interesting and I am thinking of attempting something like this in my culminating assignment, I similarly would like to show the flow of traffic . I'll keep everyone posted on how it goes!

Thomas Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade, America's most collected living artist, is known as "Painter of Light". The left handed painter from California, emphasizes simple pleasures and inspirational messages through his paintings. A devout Christian, Kinkade says he gains his inspiration from his religious belief. His goal as an artist is to touch people of all faiths, and to bring peace and joy into their lives through the images he creates.



Wanted to share with you all, the famous 'Rain' paintings by Kinkade which I received through E-Mail.

Stop at the picture for a second, and watch the Rain...



We all wish we could paint like Thomas Kinkade so below are guidelines I found on the internet that shows his style and technique.
The sixteen guidelines for creating the "The Thomas Kinkade Look".
1) Dodge corners or create darkening towards edge of image for "cozy" look. This may only apply to still imagery, but is useful where applicable.
2) Color key each scene to create mood, and color variation. When possible, utilize cooler tones to suggest somber moods, and warmer, more vibrant tones to suggest festive atmosphere. In general, create a color scheme for each scene that can be accentuated through filtering, DI treatments, or through lighting. Most of my paintings feature an overall cool color envelope, into which warm accents are applied.
3) Create classic compositions. Paintings generally utilize a theme and variation compositional motif. Heavy weighting of the image towards one side, with accented areas of interest balancing it on the other side. Allow the eye to wander into the scene through some entry point. Be aware of where the viewer is standing at all times. Utilize traditional eye levels for setting the shot -- that is, no high vantage points, off-kilter vantage points, or "worms eye view" vantage points. Generally focus on a standing adults viewpoint of the scene at hand.
4) Awareness of edges. Create an overall sense of soft edges, strive for a "Barry Lyndon" look. Star filters used sparingly, but an overall "gauzy" look preferable to hard edge realism.
5) Overall concept of light. Each scene should feature dramatic sources of soft light. Dappled light patches are always a positive, glowing windows, lightposts, and other romantic lighting touches will accentuate the overall effect of the theme of light.
6) Hidden details whenever possible, References to my children (from youngest to oldest as follows): Evie, Winsor, Chandler and Merritt. References to my anniversary date, the number 52, the number 82, and the number 5282 (for fun, notice how many times this appears in my major published works). Hidden N's throughout -- preferably thirty N's, commemorating one N for each year since the events happened.
7) Overall sense of stillness. Emphasize gentle camera moves, slow dissolves, and still camera shots. A sense of gradual pacing. Even quick cut-away shots can slightly dissolve.
8) Atmospheric effects. Whenever possible utilize sunset, sunrise, rainy days, mistiness -- any transitory effect of nature that bespeaks luminous coloration or a sense of softness.
9) A sense of space. My paintings feature both intimate spaces and dramatic deep space effects. We should strive for intimate scenes to be balanced by deeper establishing shots. (I know this particular one is self-evident, but I am reminded of it as I see the pacing of the depth of field in Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon".)
10) Short focal length. In general, I love a focal plane that favors the center of interest, and allows mid-distance and distant areas to remain blurry. Recommend "stopping down" to shorten focal lengths.
11) Hidden spaces. My paintings always feature trails that dissolve into mysterious areas, patches of light that lead the eye around corners, pathways, open gates, etc. The more we can feature these devices to lead the eye into mysterious spaces, the better.
12) Surprise details. Suggest a few "inside references" that are unique to this production. Small details that I can mention in interviews that stimulate second or third viewings -- for example, a "teddy bear mascot" for the movie that appears occasionally in shots. This is a fun process to pursue, and most movies I'm aware of normally have hidden "inside references". In the realm of fine art we refer to this as "second reading, third reading, etc." A still image attracts the viewer with an overall impact, then reveals smaller details upon further study.
13) Mood is supreme. Every decision made as to the visual look of each shot should include the concept of mood. Music can accentuate this, use of edges can accentuate this, atmospheric effects accentuate this, etc.
14) The concept of beauty. I get rid of the "ugly parts" in my paintings. It would be nice to utilize this concept as much as possible. Favor shots that feature older buildings, ramshackle, careworn structures and vehicles, and a general sense of homespun simplicity and reliance on beautiful settings.
15) Nostalgia. My paintings routinely blend timeframes. This is not only okay, but tends to create a more timeless look. Vintage cars (30's, 40's, 50's, 60's etc) can be featured along with 70's era cars. Older buildings are favorable. Avoid anything that looks contemporary -- shopping centers, contemporary storefronts, etc. Also, I prefer to avoid anything that is shiny. Our vintage vehicles, though often times are cherished by their owners and kept spic-n-span should be "dirtied up" a bit for the shoot. Placerville was and is a somewhat shabby place, and most vehicles, people, etc bear traces of dust, sawdust, and the remnants of country living. There are many dirt roads, muddy lanes, etc., and in general the place has a tumbled down, well-worn look.
16) Most important concept of all -- THE CONCEPT OF LOVE. Perhaps we could make large posters that simply say "Love this movie" and post them about. I pour a lot of love into each painting, and sense that our crew has a genuine affection for this project. This starts with Michael Campus as a Director who feels great love towards this project, and should filter down through the ranks. Remember: "Every scene is the best scene."
The list above is not all-inclusive, but is a good starting point for internal dialogue. These guidelines are not listed in order of importance, but are dictated off the top of my head. After painting for nearly 40 years, I still wake up every morning daydreaming about new ways to make paintings. Creating a movie is a natural extension of the picture making process, and hopefully my catalog of visual paintings, along with my visual guidelines in this memo will provoke dialogue, experimentation, and a sense of over-arching visual purpose.
By Thomas Kinkade.

Karim Rashid

What an inspiration, this is what I want to do in the future! I want to create an impact as large as Karim !

Karim Rashid is one of the most productive , designers of his generation. Over 3000 designs in production, over 300 awards and working in over 35 countries attest to Karim's legend of design. His award winning designs include democratic objects such as the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh Chair for Umbra, interiors such as the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia and Semiramis hotel, Athens and exhibitions for Deutsche Bank and Audi. Karim has collaborated with clients to create democratic design for Method and Dirt Devil, furniture for Artemide and Magis, brand identity for Citibank and Hyundai, high tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Swarovski, to name a few. Karim's work is featured in 20 permanent collections and he exhibits art in galleries world wide. Karim is a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review, IDSA Industrial Design Excellence award.

He holds honorary doctorates from the Ontario college of Art & Design and Corcoran College of Art & Design. Karim is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conferences globally disseminating the importance of design in everyday life. Karim's has been featured in magazine and books including Time, Financial Times, NY Times, Esquire, GQ and countless more. In 2009 Rizzoli released Karim's latest monograph KarimSpace, featuring 36 of Karim's interior architecture designs. Other books include Karim's guide to living, 'Design Your Self' (Harper Collins, 2006), 'Digipop', a digital exploration of computer graphics (Taschen, 2005), compact portfolio published by Chronicle Books (2004), as well as two monographs titled 'Evolution' (Universe, 2004) and 'I Want to Change the World' (Rizzoli, 2001). In his spare time Karim's pluralism flirts with DJing, art and fashion and is determined to creatively touch every aspect of our physical landscape

I found his designs very inspiring, bold & beautiful. Check them out!

Art Deco Artist - Arthur Radebaugh

So I had to do ALOT of research before I started my self portrait assignment and this something I came across during my research..

Illustrator, Arthur Radebaugh's (1906-1974), ultra futuristic depictions of vehicles in the 1930s are well respected in the genre, however, there is actually very little known about the artist himself.

His vision of the future was heavily influenced by the Art Deco movement - check out his use of vivid colours, geometric patterns, sweeping curves and streamlined design - it's classic Art Deco Style.

He described his works as "halfway between science fiction and designs for modern living."

He could easily be considered a 'concept car' designer by today's automobile design standards.

I love his sense of aesthetic - his depictions are incredibly moody, a bit dark and apocalyptic, but juxtaposed with a more promising, hopeful sense of the future.

And I especially love the sleek, sexy lines, so indicative of the Art Deco style.

Franklin Carmichael

Around 1912 a loosely knit group of artists began to paint Canada as they saw it. They journeyed all over the country to paint the wilderness with bold colours and a broad, decorative style. Despite the death of mentor Tom Thomson in 1917, these painters banded together as the Group of Seven in 1920 to become a new Canadian expression. Their vision shaped how Canadians saw their own country. The Group of Seven are most famous for their paintings of the Canadian landscape. It was succeeded by the Canadian Group of Painters in 1930’s.

Franklin Carmichael was, one of the group of seven, Primarily a watercolourist, Carmichael was the youngest member of the original Group of Seven.

As a teenager growing up in Orillia, Ontario, Carmichael worked in his father’s shop as a carriage striper. Working on the scrolled decorations of the carriages, he practiced his design, drawing and colouring skills.

Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945)

Bay of Islands in 1931 Oil on Canvas

Ken Gangbar

Hi, I'm going to be posting weekly blog posts for my tech class and to start off I want to share a personal favourite, artist and the inspiration for my porcelain installation. Ken Gangbar, is an artist who's work was introduced to me by my teacher, Thanks Miss! He has totally wowed me and I would love to share a little about him...

Ken is an artist who creates ceramic sculptures. Ken doesn't really use a specific method to create his sculptures and installations. His work is based on exploring new ideas and experimentation. His work is phenomenal, it gives a very exhilarating, but calm and content feeling. Ken uses a variety of organic shapes and different materials to create his work. Ken has shown versatility in a variety of ways: he has worked with materials like; porcelain, glass, metal, and wood and he has worked for clients such as: Rockwell Group, NY, Starwood Hotels, and Chapman Design Group, Toronto. He also has a studio in Toronto; KEN GANGBAR STUDIO INC. 50 CARROLL ST #101 TORONTO ON M4M 3G3 PH. 416-532-4284 Take a look around his site, who knows you may also become inspired.

I was introduced to Ken's work last semester, I knew nothing about him or his work but I saw a few pictures of pieces by him. I was inspired by his style and his work, After seeing his work, I became excited to make my porcelain installation.

I recently have had a chat with him through e-mail and I was afraid at first, but he's very friendly, down to earth and easy to talk to. I asked him a few questions;

What is the inspiration for your work ?

Nature, natural forces

What did you want to do as a child ?

archiologist

What is your background in the arts ?

in the blood, Sheridan college

What did you study before your present career ?

native studies, comparative development studies

Have you worked in any other careers/industries before thins one ?

With young offenders in a wilderness program, personal attendant care work, sales

What is your biggest accomplishment ?

sometimes just getting through a day! 2008

What is your favourite piece of art either that you created of someone else ?

no favorites

What advise would you give to young people who are aspiring artist ?

invite a mentor into your life, build relationships, become part of a creative group, peers are very important,

What’s your favourite food ?

Had sushi tonight. Many favorites

Ken's work is spontaneous, which is cool. The installations and sculptures he makes can be appreciated by people of all walks of life and I truly admire that. His work is very unique, satisfying to look at and I think it's amazing that despite being very calm and peaceful it has bold, striking, eye-catching quality to it.

Work Cited

kengangbar.com. 2/18/10. www.kengangbar.com.

El Anatsui

Hey guys, I want to introduce to you a very talented artist. His name is El Anatsui he is from Anyako, Ghana. His work is simply spectacular. His work has been exhibited in many worthy galleries across the world; Brazil, Japan, Germany, England, South Africa, the United States and many more. I just discovered who he is, and I'm sure there are some people out there who don’t know who he is.

So this is El Anatsui a contemporary artist. Although he has worked with a variety of mixed media for example; wood, clay, ceramic, he is well known for his cloth series. In recent years his cloth tapestries made from thousands of aluminum liquor bottle caps have become celebrated worldwide. In Nigeria the local distilleries recycle each other's bottles, the screw caps associated with each brand are discarded in the process. Anatsui collects them and other metals and materials to create his cloths. Through a time consuming process he transforms the different materials by sewing them together with copper wire into a cloth installation. He believes that metals have been stereotyped as a very stiff and rigid medium that is difficult to work with. His goal is to produce art and show the world; that metals can be soft, flexible and easy to stack, hang or pile.

Art grows out of each particular situation, and I believe that artists are better off working with whatever their environment throws up. - El Anatsui, 2003

This is just one example of his breathtaking work, titled 'Duvor (communal cloth)'. Made of of Aluminum and copper wire in 2007, it's dimensions are are Height: 400cm Width: 500cm.

In his career, Anatsui has explored the significance of the materials that surround us in daily life. Liquor bottle cap could be used as a symbol, not only for their shiny appearance, but also to remind us of the history of liquor. Europeans had once exchanged liquor as a product in exchange for slaves along the West African coast.
I have talked a lot about Anatsui's work with his cloth installations. I would like to show you a piece done by him that is 3-dimensional. Entitled Coal Pot this sculpture consists of a 15-foot iron cauldron filled with large pieces of Kentucky coal. The coal will, disintegrate over several years. As in many of his sculptures, the theme of transience is demonstrated by the choice of natural, decomposing materials. In Ghana, coal plays an essential part in the everyday culture: as a source of heat for cooking and a valuable natural resource. Coal Pot, connects African culture with the economy of Kentucky, where coal is also an important resource. This artwork was Anatsui’s way of bringing the two cultures together.

So now that you know a little about him I have some exciting news!
He will be working with the Royal Ontario Museum on a project about walls and barriers. Selected schools will also participate in this event. My school(Lakeshore Collegiate)will be taking part and I’m very excited! Personally his work boggles my mind it is just amazing. I think it is wonderful that he uses the materials in his surrounding and transforms them into masterpieces! I'm so awed by the amount of detail shown in his work. It's also very interesting to learn the history behind his pieces. The true beauty of his work is how he alters these hard, rough materials into flowing soft pieces. If there is something to learn from him it is patience. Last but not least I have to tell u that I am very touched and inspired by the fact that he uses his culture and roots as inspiration for his art and I think it's so cool how he puts a new twist on traditional African art.