Herb Williams Wins Next Star Artist Competition

American artist Herb Williams has been announced as the winner of the 2008 Next Star Artist competition (www.nextstarartist.com), the global search for the visual artist with the highest potential for success in the art market. The winner of the competition was chosen by a panel of fifteen judges that consisted of influential people from various sectors of the art world.

Herb Williams is a Nashville, Tennessee based sculptor whose innovative use of crayons to construct highly tactile and engaging sculptures are impressive to say the least and attracted plenty of attention from the Next Star Artist judges. According to his website (www.herbwilliamsart.com), Williams is the “only individual in the world with an account with Crayola”. As the winner of the competition, Williams will receive an amazing promotion and PR package that includes, amongst other things, a solo online exhibition, an online media blitz, and three months of mentoring, advice and promotion by art consultant and art market analyst Nicholas Forrest.

“The reason that I created the Next Star Artist competition is that I come across so many fantastic artists who either do not have the skills to promote themselves or are just not in a position to take advantage of the promotional opportunities that are available. I would like to congratulate Herb Williams for winning the first Next Star Artist competition and would also like to thank all the artist’s who entered the competition and wish them all the best of luck in their future endeavours” Nicholas Forrest (founder of Next Star Artist competition)

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For more information visit the Next Star Website at http://www.artmarketblog.com or email Nicholas Forrest at info@artnotice.com

As you can see its dark and very late but I worked on this painting and I wanted to post an up date. I knew I didn't have much to do to get it finished but just getting around to finishing it seemed like a chore. I don't want to just paint when I'm painting these paintings, I want everything to be right. So I put off starting to paint when I know folks are coming over or  if I know I'll be pulled away.

But you know how it is.... if you wait till the time is perfect, you'll never finish.

I'll get a better photo tomorrow when the out door light is good. This is a bit washed out on the top because of my strong overhead painting light.

acrylic/canvas 24"x32" (click on image to enlarge: double click to zoom :)

Remember, the most beautiful things in the world

are the most useless;

peacocks and lilies for instance.

~John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice , 1851

Hello my little pretties. :) I hope all is good in your worlds. All is good with me. We worked on Drayton Island the last couple of days, and today was one of rest and renewing of energies. We spent the holiday weekend crossing some major projects off the list...and that is a good thing.

I am having my nightly glass of red wine..tonight 'tis Me'nage a Trois. So many things I think of chatting with you about, but one can't say it all, can they? Hmmm...this morning my lilies spoke to me as I walked by, asking me to tell our their story...so I will.

I found this quote and liked it...peacocks and lilies. hee, hee. So many other things could be added to the list of useless, but beautiful things...eh? Useless though?

back to the lilies....

We used to have a beautiful huge tree right by the front door, but a few years ago a hurricane damaged it beyond saving. Though, I was saddened about the loss, the opening did allow the sun to touch the earth once again. Much to my surprise, when summer came again, large blades of green pushed through the earth. In time, revealing what had been silently sleeping...waiting for the awakening light. Beautiful wild lilies...thus, my quick study of wild lilies in a jar painting! I had no idea they were there! I found out they are native to Florida and are called "rain lilies"...don't you just love that! They are blooming again right now.

Sadly, another huge tall 75' pine tree had to come down too. Unbeknownst to me a wisteria vine lived way in the top. In time, the rain and sunlight revived the vine, and now a simply divine wisteria bush grows where the pine once stood. Some of you may remember the painting called It's a New Day. Well, that painting and others are from that bush and the creatures that come and go...such as butterflies, bees, or the little warbler in that painting.

Okay, so why am I going on and on about storms, trees, flowers, and sunlight? Well, I think at times this is a perfect analogy for our lives. We all have and will experience what seems like upsetting changes..without sounding too corny ...the hurricanes of life. Yet, often as time passes..wonderful and magical things start stirring within our hearts and unfolding in our lives, due to the change...things previously unbeknownst to us!

I could say a lot more, but I think not tonight, for it is late. Besides, you know dear hearts..you already know!

Wonderful and magical things are within all of us! I leave you with this quote:

The windows of my soul

I throw wide open to the sun.

~John Greenleaf Whitter (poet 1807-1892)

I opened the windows of my soul

then the light came again

and now,

my heart is like a wild rain lily

unfolding, blooming, and hopefully revealing...

Love and Light to all,

~gypsy-he♥rt

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]]> http://sheilamorley.wordpress.com/?p=136 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:13:04 +0000 Sheila Morley http://sheilamorley.wordpress.com/?p=136 Orchard Lake St. Mary's Fine art show JULY 25-27!!

Voted top 100 in the US! LOTS of cool one of kind art. The entire show is about art.

Some of the exhibitors only show their own work at this show!! YES! They work all year for THIS show!

I will be there EVERY afternoon with GLASSACT! (and my work; marbles, beads, and paper weights!)

We are demonstrating bead making, and many other sculptural techniques all made with GLASS!!!

eye candy for you....at auction

Come say, HI!!!

Sorry I haven't posted any art today.  Of late, I've tried to post something everyday.  However, today the frogs have taken up all my time.  They're quite unruly. 

[Top of the post:  the frogs at home]

Gluetrap

single channel video, 10'09, 2008

"Long time, no see" as Melanie McQuoid has so aptly named this landscape photograph.  With Mt fuji seen ever so fainly in the background, the eye meanders through all the layers of the photograph before resting finally on Mt Fuji.

Rangoli. . .
This is one of the most colorful branch of art. . . I was unaware of its beauty before 2001. When i came medical college Gaya.Got opportunity to watch. . . It attracted me. . . Next year i participated in it. . . . Got 1st prize. . . This was first Rangoli of my life. . . Everybody appreciated. . . Cant forget that day. . .Now my real journey started here. . .

What is this. . ?

Rangoli. . Rang+aawali. Rangon ka sammishran. . . Rangon ki chhata. . .Sometimes also called " ALPNA ".

In this art we make the design on the floor. . . Not with water colour. . . But with the colourful rangoli powder. . Dust. . . Rice. . Grains. .Pulces. . . Haldi powder Sands. . . Husks. . . Abir. . . Burada. . etc. And it can be decorated with the flowers like marygold,rose petals, and other flowers depending upon availability and work. . .Diya is also used sometimes. .

Rangoli..
Its famous in south india. . . Kerala is famous for it. In "Onam Fest.". . . They sail boat. . .And make the floor colourful with Rangoli. . . We people are always attracted of it.

Trend. .
Dear friends. . . Its design has changed from time to time. . . Generally ornamental and geometrical design are made. . . But with advancement in fine art. . . Its style also changed. . . Previously i used to make ornamental design but now the people have started to appreciate the rangoli with some theme and modern style. . . But still the ornamental design is famous. . . And its theme and work depend upon the situation

Where you see Rangoli. .

In festival like Deepawali, Bhaia dooj ,Marriage function , Pooja ,Inauguration function.. etc. You often see the art of Rangoli. . .

How to give better shape. . ?

Dear friends. . First make rough sketch in paper with your thinking. . .Or you may buy some books for it, Now draw rough diagram on floor with chalk. . . Start to sprinkle the colourful powder from centre to periphery from you thumb and index finger,otherwise you will feel difficulty to put dust at central part. . . Mixing of the dust is an importent part. . . It brings reality to your art. .Add 3D effect. And theme of the Rangoli is soul of the art. . Without theme, Rangoli is colourless despite colour .Its importance, in reality is in competition. . . Where hundreds of the artists have diff. theme.

Dear friends any quarry in "Rangoli".You may ask. .

Abhay

"The Magic Pill" - RA DAY, 6 July 2008, Edit F, originally uploaded by fine-grain.

"The Magic Pill." Well, there's really NO "magic pill", but for me with combating Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), my weapon of choice is Voltaren, thus the big-"V". It is an OK choice for AS.

However, there are OVER 100 types of Arthritis out there now!!! One source claims 171 types of Arthritis exist. Thus, depending on what you have, certain drugs may or may not relieve the swelling and pain.

Here in Malaysia, there is a launching of National RA Day...6th July. This is good because it will help bring awareness to the general public as well as help those who suffer from arthritis, and in this case, Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I wanted to do my part to spread the word, make people aware, and do something creative with my art photography to advertise the National RA Day.

If you are concerned about, experience RA, or know someone who suffers from RA, then please, get yourself educated on this disease so you can help yourself, or someone you care about!

What I couldn't quite understand, however, was why would they hold an Arthritis talk-event in the early morning, and 8:30am is early for many of us, because it takes longer than that, some days, to start feeling halfway human and moving looser.  1PM  or 2PM would be a better time to have an Arthritis event, well, in my general opinion.

On a different note:  If you publish a blog from Flickr, DON'T believe it when it says it failed to publish the blog.  It told me that three times, and I came to WordPress and it was published three times.

And this is the stream of consciousness!

This might be the pond where I threw my keys, from which I caught three fishes.

Pixel swims into so many of my pictures.  Here he is all colored with crayon.  He usually lives and swims in this painting.  "Il faut refaire la meme chose, dix fois, cents fois ...." Degas said.  I took it very much to heart.  I've lost count how many times I've drawn Pixel.  ("You must redraw the same thing, ten times, a hundred times....")

[Top of the post:  Pixel with Colors, by Aletha Kuschan, pencil and crayon]