Jacques Louis David

Hello again! It's been a while since I last posted anything and I apologize for that, my loyal readers. I recently just got back from Europe, visiting Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and several other amazing cities and have not even been able to wrap my head around all the amazing art I saw. I had the opportunity to see paintings, sketches, architecture and sculptures that many people have only dreamed about seeing in their lifetime.

The first artist I'd like to spotlight from my whirlwind trip is Jacques Louis David. I had the chance to visit the Louvre in Paris where, in addition to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and many other famous works, houses many pieces by David. For those who aren't familiar with David, he was a highly sought after French painter in nineteenth century France. He is arguably one of the most well-known Neoclassical painters but probably best known for his paintings of and for Napoleon I... yes, that Napoleon.

[image http://www.jacqueslouisdavid.org/]

Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Consecration of the Empress Josephine

Seeing this painting first-hand was amazing. Not only do I remember studying every little nook and cranny of this masterpiece during high school and college art classes, it's also my mother's favorite painting so it has a very special personal meaning for me.

The first thing that stood out to me was the massive size of this painting. I could not believe how big it was! That's me in the photo to give you an idea of scale (I'm about 5'2" depending on the shoes I'm wearing that day). The painting is about 10 meters wide by approximately 6 meters tall.

The subject of the painting is also very interesting. Napoleon, being the modest man that he was, declared that he was the new Roman emperor and leader of all of Europe. The pope traveled to Paris to confirm Napoleon's new position. While David wanted to paint an accurate representation of the event, you'll notice that he has Napoleon crowning his wife, Josephine de Beauharnais, rather than Napoleon receiving the crown from the pope. That's because Napoleon wasn't actually crowned by the pope - scandalous! Napoleon didn't want to be subjected to an allegiance to the pope or Catholic church, so in reality he took the crown and crowned himself. David didn't want to paint this disrespectful action, so instead he painted the lesser coronation of the empress.

Oath of the Horatti

Just around the corner in the Louvre was my second favorite painting from David, the Oath of the Horatii. You may recognize it from your old high school art class because it's basically required by all teachers and professors to study its style, elements and themes. But again, look at the size of the painting - it's huge! While very beautiful, the story behind this painting is probably the most fascinating aspect about it.

The painting depicts three members of the Roman Horatii family. According to the story, the three Romans had been chosen for a ritual duel against three members of the rival Curiatii family in order to settle disputes between the families' two cities. The painting depicts the three brothers of the Horatii family swearing allegiance to Rome in front of their father.

This was a very important scene at a very tumultuous time - it was just five years before the French Revolution but people could sense a major change coming. The scene, similar to many other paintings created during this time, urges loyalty to the country rather than family, church or other special interest groups. Because of this, Oath of the Horatii became a defining image for the revolutionaries and democracy.

Check out other Jacques Louis David works and information at http://www.jacqueslouisdavid.org/

Jim Marshall Series

I have finally decided on a couple of photos for my Jim Marshall Series. The photos that stood out and had the most impact on me (which also happen to be some of my favorite music icons) were of Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Keith Richards. I am definitely really excited to get started on this series. Not only am I excited to pay tribute to one of the best photographers ever, but also to musicians that inspire me.

So far I've got the background down for my first painting, which will be the Jim Morrison piece. I'll show off my progress as I go, so check back soon!

Inspirational Story of the Day

I think reading at least one inspirational story a day really helps to change perspectives and teach people (and me) what life is really all about. I came across this interesting article on Tonic.com about a LA based graffiti artist named Tony Quan. He was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, leaving every muscle in his body paralyzed except for his eyes. Using the latest technology and the support of the art community, "a group of artists created a gadget, costing about as much as an iPod Shuffle, that lets Quan continue making art using only his eyes."

Zach Lieberman, the inventor of the technology, tells NPR, "He can plot points. And from plotting points, create letters. And from creating letters, create words. And then color the words, shade the words, extrude them in 3-D, add different features."

Tonic.com also has a video of the device in action, which is truly remarkable.

http://www.tonic.com/article/paralyzed-graffiti-artist-draws-with-his-eyes-video/
[image tonic.com]

Joanna Geeting: Make-up Artist

I recently created a painting for Joanna Geeting, a professional make-up artist. Check it out here. Joanna has done make-up for a number of independent films such as The Black Album ( a zombie movie with one of my favorite 90210 alums, Jeremy Jordan), Secrets of a Hollywood Nurse and The Bitterness, music videos and concerts for the bands Pic Vicious and The Deal, fashion shows for prominent Los Angeles designers, celebrity photo shoots at Smashbox Studios, and more. She was gracious enough to sit down and talk to me about her personal artwork and how she became the artist she is today. You can also see examples of her work throughout this post.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Joanna Geeting and I'm a professional make-up artist. I do make-up for the entertainment industry including film, television shows, music videos and runway shows. I do personal make-up too, for weddings and other special events, but my training, my interest and my experience are in entertainment.

How did you become a make-up artist? What sort of training have you done?

I started doing make-up in high school when I would put make-up on my friends before school dances. From there I sort of graduated to weddings and other special events and realized that this was what I wanted to do. I attended the Westmore Academy of Cosmetic Arts and studied all forms of make-up like special effects, beauty and avant garde. I've also worked at beauty retail shops - that experience has helped me learn more about colors, skin types and practice application techniques which have really helped with my career.

What artists inspire you?

Rick Baker, the famous special effects make-up artists, is one of the main reasons I got into make-up. The work that he does is immaculate. He is able to completely transform a person into a creature, a corpse or bring out their best features to make them angelic. He's done things with make-up that nobody had ever done before and very few people, if any, will be able to repeat. I hope to one day reach the levels of Rick Baker.

I also love Andy Warhol. I've found his work and his life so interesting. I like to think that I channel some of his artistic energy when I'm applying make-up.

What's your favorite type of make-up to do?

I enjoy special effects but my favorite type of make-up is beauty. It's all about turning the person into a work of art, using their natural beauty and facial features as my canvas and making them look and feel as beautiful as they can be. But the real trick, and difference between other types of make-up art like fashion and avant garde, is not to transform their natural features but bring them out. For example, with high fashion make-up one might put several layers of make-up on a model to completely change their facial features. But with beauty, I'll use shades, colors and textures in order to enhance natural features like someone's cheek bones, lips or eyes. Make-up is a decoration, not a mask.

Do you consider make-up a form of art?

Doing make-up is definitely a form of art. Like a painter you have to be able to select the right colors and textures in order to create your piece. Also, I find doing someone's make-up is just as relaxing as painting a picture. And when you see the happiness and excitement on their face afterward, it's extremely rewarding.

Why did you decide to be a make-up artist rather than expressing yourself through other mediums?

I enjoy other forms of art, like music and painting, but I have always thought make-up was extremely rewarding. When I finish my work I can step back and be very proud of what I just created, but when the client looks in the mirror and sees their personal transformation for the first time, it's extremely gratifying to know you can make someone so happy and, at times, more confident.

Christian Bolesta: Artist and Teacher

My goal is to have a weekly feature where I am going to post an interview with artists that not only inspires me but who I also want to highlight in the hopes they will inspire others. The first in my series is of my good friend Christian Bolesta who is an artist and special education teacher living in Germany. I had a great interview with him and was able to get insight on his job, how he helps inspire art in unique individuals and why he thinks art is important for all of us to have in our daily lives. He was also kind enough to share some of the artwork from his students in Germany.

1.Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Christian Bolesta and I live near Frankfurt, Germany and attended a college to study special education in Heidelberg. I'm working in a group home for adults who are mentally and physically handicapped. My job is to accompany my clients through their daily lives and offer them different therapeutic activities like swimming, hiking, making music, making candles and painting.

2. Why do you think art helps your students express themselves?
The different art-projects are helping my clients to encourage new and creative ways of dealing with their problems and reflecting on themselves.

3. Do you think art is essential in everyone’s daily life?
Most people are dealing with "art" everyday. A painting is art. All handicrafts that a child does in kindergarten are art. What a surgeon is doing in a hospital is art. Even designing a toilet can be art....and every kind of art is interesting to someone.

4. What kind of art projects do your students enjoy most?
Being creative, whether with painting, photography or making music helps me to express my feelings and my lifestyle to the people around me. I want to share my experiences with others and want to help other people to find themselves in the art.

6. What is your favorite type of art to practice?
I like playing guitar, drums or singing everyday at home. I also travel frequently and take pictures on every trip. I'm painting whenever it’s raining and or when I'm relaxing at home. So it really depends on where I am and in what mood I am in. I think the most of them like working with acrylic paint. It’s got bright colors, has a nice consistency and dries very fast. Painting on large canvases is the most fun for my clients. They can express themselves by big movements and let their emotions flow. The paintings are usually abstract.

7. Who are some of your favorite artists?
I'm still fascinated by gambling and bars - that's why I love the artwork of Michael Godard. I also like his "rock star" attitude. When art is too sophisticated I lose interest. It should be understandable for everybody. On the other hand I love the old masters like Michelangelo. The Sistine chapel in Vatican City is just breathtaking.

I'm also a fan of some of the amateur art at http://www.kunstdepot24.de/ - It’s all young art-students from Berlin who are selling really nice copies of famous paintings for a nice price. I’ve bought a few pieces for myself and my students.

8. What are things that inspire you as an artist?
I'm traveling a lot, especially between Germany and the United States. I'm trying to translate all the different experiences onto canvas or through guitar strings.

9. What do you think is missing from the art world today?

The dialogue between all types of people and social classes. I'd rather go to an exhibition of kindergarten paintings than to an exhibition of an arrogant-wanna-be-artist that sells expensive paintings that a monkey could have painted.

10. Where can people learn more about your students' artwork?
You can see the paintings and buy all kind of colorful candles and woodwork in our store at the workshop of the "IB Behindertenhilfe Hessen" in Grävenwiesbach, Germany or at our store in Usingen, Germany.

Name: Marcus Country: Germany Age: 40

Name: Angelika Country: Germany Age: 27

Name: Fahim Country: Afghanistan Age: 31

Name: Yvonne Country: Germany Age:34

Name: Arzu Country: Turkey Age:25

Name: Janel Country: USA Age:36

Name: Fahim Country: Afghanistan Age:31

Name: Yvonne Country: Germany Age: 34

Bergamot Station

I read today on LAist that they are considering turning Bergamont into a train station or expo yard. Bergamont is one of my favorite spots in LA. Not only do I sometimes go there during lunch to escape my hectic work schedule, but it's full of great art, atmoshphere and culture. I think LA needs better public transportation but not at the expense of the local community and it's cultural assets. One solution could be a train station nearby so that people that live in other parts of LA who might not otherwise get to visit the galleries can stop by.

http://laist.com/2009/03/10/expo_line_transit_yard_or_cultural.php

(photo-theandrewsgallery.blogspot.com)

Why Art?

So this is a picture of my art box. My Aunt bought it for me a few years back from an estate sale. Yes, it belong to an old man that passed away, but from the looks of it he seemed to be an accomplished artist. I still have his original clip arts that he taped into the box. In some ways when I open that box to paint, I do feel like I am continuing his passion for art.. It's kinda cool- Hope you enjoy the pic..
A lot of people have been asking me, "what inspires me to paint the people or objects that I do?" For me, I never really think about what I'm going to paint - I usually just get a feeling or desire to paint someone or something. I might hear a quote from Bob Dylan and that quote gets me through a hard day - so I will paint him. Most people think that my art may seem a little "dark," but actually I think it's quite the opposite. Most people who know me or have meet me know that I am a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of a girl. Doesn't take much to make me happy and I enjoy nature/people/happy things! But we all need that outlet to express our feelings - If it's anger, sadness or just wanting to express yourself, I can do that through my art. My art has become my therapist; with a brush in my hand I can express what I'm feeling and put it down in front of me. A lot of the paintings that I have done are inspirations from other artists, musicians, actors, anything that makes me feel "inspired," and that is the best feeling to have.
After starting this blog I've realized making art is truly what makes me happy and I need to explore and go beyond my skills of what I have already accomplished. I am hoping to start taking my own pictures, experiencing new things and developing paintings off of them. We shall see how it goes!!!

Getting Started

I realized this past weekend that I need to get my butt in gear and get my artwork out into the big world. So many people have been asking me for personal paintings and taking pieces I have done right out of my living room. I thought to myself, why don't I make this whole art thing my #1 career.. Starving artist? I say bring it on....