not much of an artist

snakeandapples: Hello there, Ladies! It’s giveaway time! I’m...

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 18:47:43 -0400

No, seriously. Winners must be 18+.

Raspberry Turbo Glider Waterproof Vibrator. 10 are being given away!

And the Gold Bullet Vibrator. I got it for free from ToysinBabeland.com and don't have a need for it so it's a bonus 11th giveaway!

snakeandapples:

Hello there, Ladies! It’s giveaway time!

I’m of the opinion that all women should be free to have orgasms, so I’m conducting a giveaway for just that purpose! Ten lucky people will receive a Turbo Glider Waterproof Vibrator and one lucky person will receive a Gold Bullet Vibrator. All eleven vibes are new in package and have not been opened.

How do I win? What are the rules?

Reblog this post once. Multiple reblogs will result in disqualification and likes do not count.

You don’t need to follow me in order to qualify.

Have your ask box open on Friday, April 12th so I can contact you and get your address.

I will ship internationally.

Because of the nature of this giveaway, please be 18 or over.

Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm PST on Thursday, April 11, 2013.

Winners will be selected Friday, April 12, 2013 using a random number generator. Winners will be contacted via ask box April 12th. Please respond quickly when contacted so I can mail the vibrators out as soon as possible.

Good luck!

And if you want a bit more information on the vibrators…

Turbo Glider Waterproof Vibrator description from GoodVibes.com:

This firm, waterproof vibrator features several rows of sensation nubs topped with a mushroom-shaped head that is perfect for applying pressure on the G-spot. An excellent choice for both beginning and more experienced vibe users, these chic, sleek, see-though toys feature a strong reliable motor controlled by a multi-speed dial. A great toy for external clitoral stimulation or internal G-spot stimulation.

Gold Bullet Vibrator description from Babeland.com:

Treat yourself to luxury without breaking the bank-the Pure Gold Bullet vibrator gives you a healthy dose of glamour in a tiny, powerhouse package. Just slip this discreet vibe in your purse, and with a turn of the adjustable-speed dial, you’ll be golden. And it’s splashproof, so it’s perfect for the shower. Also available as part of the Gold Standard Kit.

uk-music: ♡ Marina and the Diamonds | Lies (Acoustic) ♡

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 17:20:17 -0500

uk-music:

♡ Marina and the Diamonds | Lies (Acoustic) ♡

dahlstrom: I have two extra signed copies of The Land of...

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:54:21 -0400

dahlstrom:

I have two extra signed copies of The Land of Stories that I’m giving away :) I was lucky enough to go to three signings, and I certainly don’t need three signed copies of the book. The rules are super-simple:

I’ll ship anywhere.

Likes and reblogs both count.

You can enter up to three times.

You don’t have to be following me, although, hey, it’s always nice.

Please don’t enter if you already have a signed copy. Obviously there is no way for me to check this, but just don’t be a jerk, okay? Let other people have the chance.

I’ll use a random number generator to pick the two winners on August 8th! Winners will be notified via their askboxes, so make sure you have yours open.

Good luck!

dahlstrom: I have two extra signed copies of The Land of...

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:54:15 -0400

dahlstrom:

I have two extra signed copies of The Land of Stories that I’m giving away :) I was lucky enough to go to three signings, and I certainly don’t need three signed copies of the book. The rules are super-simple:

I’ll ship anywhere.

Likes and reblogs both count.

You can enter up to three times.

You don’t have to be following me, although, hey, it’s always nice.

Please don’t enter if you already have a signed copy. Obviously there is no way for me to check this, but just don’t be a jerk, okay? Let other people have the chance.

I’ll use a random number generator to pick the two winners on August 8th! Winners will be notified via their askboxes, so make sure you have yours open.

Good luck!

dahlstrom: I have two extra signed copies of The Land of...

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:54:08 -0400

dahlstrom:

I have two extra signed copies of The Land of Stories that I’m giving away :) I was lucky enough to go to three signings, and I certainly don’t need three signed copies of the book. The rules are super-simple:

I’ll ship anywhere.

Likes and reblogs both count.

You can enter up to three times.

You don’t have to be following me, although, hey, it’s always nice.

Please don’t enter if you already have a signed copy. Obviously there is no way for me to check this, but just don’t be a jerk, okay? Let other people have the chance.

I’ll use a random number generator to pick the two winners on August 8th! Winners will be notified via their askboxes, so make sure you have yours open.

Good luck!

Picasso exhibit at the AGO

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:30:58 -0400

http://www.ago.net/picasso-masterpieces-from-the-musee-national-picasso-paris

Note: All linked pieces were my favourites from the exhibit. But it’s true. Paintings cannot be seen through a photograph. They can’t. Must be in person. Camera, filters, your computer screen takes away from the painting.

First of all, if you haven’t seen it, you should, it’s worth seeing. Keep in mind I’m not saying this as an ultimate fan or in a “IT WAS SO GOOD YOU NEED TO SEE THIS AND THIS AND THIS AND ISN’T PICASSO JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING?!” way either.

I’m saying this as someone who wants to be a somewhat educated person and likes to take advantage of the opportunities given to them… you need to see it. (Also, if you have a Chapters Plumrewards card, you get a discount!)

Anyway, now that I’ve sounded like an absolute snob, onto my thoughts on Picasso.

First things first, you need to know that Picasso’s not exactly one of my favourite painters in the world, not because I don’t like this paintings… I just don’t connect with them in any particular way.

So, I was never the biggest fan of Picasso; to be honest, I never understood it. Cubism* fascinated me, and his Guernica that I saw in Spain is one of the most intensely affecting paintings that I’ve ever seen… but I mean, other than that, other than an almost morbid fascination and curiousity, I’ve never delved deeper, and never taken the time to.

This exhibit made me. Mostly because of the audio tour (which again, for only $5, so worth it.) Because you know, the audio tour will speak about a painting or a sculpture for at least 1 minute, so you’re standing in front of something for at least a minute or two. (Which is a surprisingly long amount of time!) And, what I’ve learned, is that Picasso takes time.

It’s like any other artist that doesn’t immediately handle paint in a semi (or very) realistic way (like Goya - one of my faves), but like Rothko. It. takes. time. to appreciate them.

I do think Picasso is a genius though. Not so much for his actual paintings, but for what he tried to do with them. His fame is not in his skill (although he did have that), but in how he tried to transcend his medium beyond canvas and paint.

We’ll elaborate on that one by one.

1. He did have skill.

Oh, he did. And fuck, he was so good too! And it frustrates me a little, because as someone who vehemently tries to capture that all the fucking time in my own paintings, I envy Picasso’s handle with paint, and I hate that he didn’t do more semi-realistic paintings to show it off. (So that I could envy it more. It’s a weird cycle.)

2. I liked that he was a little bit of a fucker.

First of all, he was a cocky dude, eh? I mean, not so much during his blue and rose periods (maybe), but afterwards… he was all about being a rebel for the sake of it. And telling the public to shove it up their ass, basically. I like that.

He also had so many fucking women to fuck! Marriage (a long one too), affairs, mistresses, two mistresses battling over him, other women on the side, illegitimate children… God, he was a cheating scumbag. (I mean, a NINE YEAR AFFAIR! I’m sure his first wife Ogla wasn’t innocent or unaware but… still!)

But, on the other hand, I did love how with every new woman came a new style. And how every woman is represented in a very distinct way. It just tickles me in the romantic-tortured-artist way.

He also created a sculpture of a woman out of kitchen appliances, and I realize that everyone back then was sexist and played into gender roles (hell, many still do), I just don’t appreciate the implications (of his art and what it said of his perceptions).

3. transcending his medium (or whatever I wrote above that sounded pretty and profound, but doesn’t make sense when you read it closely.)

Many artists feel, many artists twist an emotion out of the viewer. Many communicate their profound pain and sorrow and anger. As someone who leads with her heart more than her brain, these are the types of artists that I connect the best with.

With Picasso, he did this, yes. But too little of it. (Apart from his blue period - which is one of my favourites for the above reason) andthis beautiful beautiful piece that took time to appreciate it, but now is probably one of my favourite pieces... ever.) … I overuse parentheses.

And, he could also replicate. (I’m talking about his skill again, whatever). I mean, he could emulate many styles, which I think still takes skill, and whatever - this means more to me than I’m willing to admit, so I’m going to stop talking about that.

But, anyway, what Picasso tried to do… is he didn’t want his paintings to be just paintings. (Not in some profound emotional sense, again, my deal with Picasso is that he thought too much) But in the physical sense. He wanted sculpture/paintings**, and paintings/sculptures, wood chiseling/paintings, and whatever else he did. He always wanted to go outside of the typical definition of painting (not even in subject or style, though he did do that), but outside of paint and canvas. That’s what I mean by transcending his medium.

Now, that’s pretty fucking genius and ahead of his time, also rebellious. And I appreciate all of it.

But this is what I mean, by when I don’t connect by brain, but by heart. For me, Picasso just used his brain too much. My favourite paintings will always be the ones where he’s not trying to prove or make a statement. I will love the ones during his friend’s death, of his mistresses’ sensuality, of his reaction to war and massacre.

*I can’t find the link, because I forgot to take the name of the painting down. But it’s in a cubist style, and it’s a painting of a chapel or a church of sorts. It’s unfinished, but it’s one of my favourite cubist paintings.

**I can’t find a link of it, because I forgot to take the name of the sculpture down. But it’s basically a hollowed out silhouette of a woman’s head-bust. Read that sentence again. Yeah, that’s right.

Oh, and 5. I liked how his paintings are titled in a non-genderspecific way. Two figures, instead of a man and a woman. I realize that it was part of his ambiguity/abstract artistry.

But in a world where gender labels are so prominent and viewed so important, and also a world where these same labels are acknowledged and argued and fought for as a spectrum, not a box… that was significant for me.

Now, I do want to say that I don’t think Picasso is God. Unlike any of the other professionals that I listened to on the audio tour. Nor am I smart enough, patient enough, intellectual or knowledgeable enough to analyze. But, I do really like him.

That’s it. I had more to say on Picasso, but I slept on it (I went to the exhibit yesterday), and I must’ve lost it.

Besides that, I wandered into other parts of the AGO. Zhang Huan probably intensely emotionally affected me in such an immediate way that I’ve rarely experienced. He does these memory doors out of wreckage and ash paintings, and fuck, it may not nearly be as genius as Picasso, but (for me, at least) it’s certainly got more heart. I had to sit down, looking at one of his pieces. (***The name of which I unfortunately didn’t take down because I was shaking.)

On a sidenote about art. I really wished I appreciated photography more. Berenice Abbott, I’m sure, is as phenomenal as people rave, but I just couldn’t appreciate it.

Also: I don’t get the big deal about David Hilne? (That’s not the name, I thought it was, but either my penmanship or my memory needs to improve, because a Google and AGO search doesn’t produce any results.) Anyway, there was this whole section dedicated to him with interactive video, pull-out paintings and whatever, and they were pretty… but they weren’t that great. Ah well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, eh?

Also: There’s a Frida & Diego exhibit this October. I’m going to see it. I’ve already made plans.

In other news, Frank Ocean comes out, which I appreciate immensely for its visceralness. And it’s significant because.

veranoviajando: New Artist Thomas Allen Michigan-based artist,...

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 17:20:01 -0400

veranoviajando:

New Artist Thomas Allen

Michigan-based artist, Thomas Allen, specializes in book sculpture. Ironically, many of his “book-defacing” sculptures have been featured on the cover of novels, including The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (which looks quite interesting) and is a contributor to the Wall Street Journal.

bookspaperscissors: littlebeard: it’s even more amazing once...

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:34:20 -0400

bookspaperscissors:

littlebeard:

it’s even more amazing once you read up on how they managed to do it too.

tacticalshoyu:

Silent World by Lucie & Simon have captured some of the world’s most populated cities completely devoid of any human activity.

In their series ‘silent world’, paris-based, franco-german artistic duo Lucie & Simon use tricks of the photographic trade to render the world’s busiest cities free of cars and even people. Neutral density filters allow photographers to limit light entry without closing the aperture or increasing the shutter speed. the higher the F-stop reduction, the greater the effect, allowing for super-long exposures which make moving objects like people and cars essentially invisible, while only immobile structures remain. extremely high level filters are used by NASA to analyze star patterns. via

forwhenifeellikesharing: from Serpens by Guido Mocafico Naja...

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:11:49 -0400

forwhenifeellikesharing:

from Serpens by Guido Mocafico

Naja nigricollis, Dendroaspis viridis, Atheris squamigera, Dendroaspis jamesoni jamesonii (2003) and Naja pallida (2002)

This photo series is absolutely stunning. Beautiful color, light, and composition. Three of the art blogs I like featured it today.

ambientclouds: Hong Sungchul is an artist who creates large...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:35:25 -0400

ambientclouds:

Hong Sungchul is an artist who creates large scale 3D work that consists of numerous elastic strings with an image divided and printed across all of them. When the strings are hung together in order, the final image is represented beautifully.

actegratuit: Emma Bennett

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:12:00 -0400

actegratuit:

Emma Bennett

"Love is hard to believe, as any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to..."

Thu, 31 May 2012 19:36:32 -0400

“Love is hard to believe, as any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?”

- Life of Pi (via joannay)

tacticalshoyu: Skycatcher Wallpaper. A monumental wallpaper...

Thu, 31 May 2012 17:15:00 -0400

tacticalshoyu:

Skycatcher Wallpaper. A monumental wallpaper made from 88 thousand images of the sky above Amsterdam (taken from Luna Maurer’s sky-catcher project), created by Jonathan Puckey and Luna Maurer at the Museum De Paviljoens, 2007. Each vertical strip is exactly one day and contains 144 images and you can see the duration of the days change by the size of the blue bar (daytime).

farewell-kingdom: Thor Lindeneg

Wed, 30 May 2012 19:40:21 -0400

farewell-kingdom:

Thor Lindeneg

actegratuit: Mike Turner

Wed, 30 May 2012 17:14:40 -0400

actegratuit:

Mike Turner

artistswanted: Herb Ritts | The J. Paul Getty Museum Herb...

Tue, 29 May 2012 19:35:30 -0400

artistswanted:

Herb Ritts | The J. Paul Getty Museum

Herb Ritts, the man who put Los Angeles on the map as a premier location for editorial shoots and revolutionized fashion photography, will be celebrated by a Retrospective of his iconic works at The J. Paul Getty Museum in LA through August 26th. As a photographer emerging in the 1980′s after a classic shot of Richard Gere, Ritts went on to transform celebrities into legends and define the images of super models, actors and musicians alike. Following it’s presentation at the Getty, this exhibition will travel from Cincinnati to Florida through June 2013.

Click here for more information on Herb Ritts at the Getty »

narhmemento: Artist : Alex Box

Tue, 29 May 2012 17:15:18 -0400

narhmemento:

Artist : Alex Box

devidsketchbook: Artist Russ Mills

Mon, 28 May 2012 19:36:01 -0400

devidsketchbook:

Artist Russ Mills

ianbrooks: Private Moon by artist Leonid Tishkov and...

Mon, 28 May 2012 17:18:02 -0400

ianbrooks:

Private Moon by artist Leonid Tishkov and photographer Boris Bendikov

These romantic images depict the relationship between a man and a fallen celestial object, an affair that would last the rest of their… well his life, at least.

(via: My Modern Met)

sonofvictoria: Photograph of Walton Ford By Martin Schoeller

Sun, 27 May 2012 19:32:35 -0400

sonofvictoria:

Photograph of Walton Ford

By Martin Schoeller