I started sketching more regularly later in the spring to challenge myself, but soon after, making sketches became a way to relax.
Read MoreVisual Response
Sketching to Let the Mind Wander
Although simple, doing a sketch is hard work.
Read MoreRevisiting Fundamentals with the Sktchy App
I have been enjoying sketching a great deal lately, and in my next blog post, I will share some of my favorite April Sketches and will do a follow-up to my experience using the sktchy app.
Read MoreMaking Room for Boredom: Getting Out of the Social Media Grid
We live in a time when consumption justifies our existence. We don't exist unless we show our possessions and abilities. For a while, I was struggling to adjust to that idea, but not anymore.
There are times when life hits us hard, making us put things in a different order. Suddenly, what once seemed innovative and exciting, it's just not. When we become used to hitting a 'delete' key, taking a break or starting fresh shouldn't be difficult, but it actually is!
I started taking breaks from social media when I started focusing so much on techniques and style. Being on social media for nearly ten years, investing so much energy into that process, deleting my social media accounts, was liberating. No longer I have the need to show off, which is excellent!
Social media was making me exasperated. I began hating how I kept comparing myself to others, feeling rushed as in a hamster wheel. I discovered how striving to be creative was losing its luster. There were a dependency and a false sense of accomplishment I didn't like. I was not critical with what I was doing, and In fact, I felt I was adding to the noise.
Being off the social media grid leaves me with nothing to prove! I feel excited to get bored again and keeping a sketchbook. With boredom, I get a relaxed state of mind that prevents me from being envious or insecure about what I do. I get a new appreciation for daydreaming and building ideas on what I want and not on what's subject for approval.
Scrolling is Not Creating
On this post, I reflect on artists adjusting their social media habits
Read MoreSketching with the Sktchy App
This isn’t a review, just a quick note on my first impression using the sketchy app.
Read MoreExtracting Motifs from Classic Films
For any visual artist, classic films can represent an excellent source of images that serve as inspiration.
Art Lessons on YouTube: The Demystification of the Artist?
For the past few years, probably sine 2015, YouTube became my go-to place to learn, indulge, and get inspired.
Read MorePandemic Blues: Letting Go
What if you could have a 101 with the 15-year-old version of yourself? - I hope this helps young artists.
Read MoreStill Life as a Daily Activity
I have given myself the task of doing a still life a day.
Read MoreWhat Happened to Music Videos?
Music videos were a great incentive to create pictures in my head, and with this post, I'd like to share a few that have always stuck in my mind
Read MoreVisual Response to ’Touch of Evil’
My observations on 1958s Touch of Evil, a film by Orson Welles.
Read MoreVisual Response: Two Ladies with Their Pets
In this post, I point my attention to a set of portraits painted at the turn of the 20th century depicting two similar subjects and styles; two young women looking confident and embracing their pets.
Read MoreVisual Response: Wall Builders and a Pretty Lady
This is my visual response to two paintings I saw at The Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, CT
Read MoreSome Monologues
A movie is the combination of well throughout compositions, a collective effort to bring a story to life. With this post, I want to make attention to the role of acting and share some memorable monologues that have stuck with me over the years. For me, a monologue makes a captivating pause to reflect on the story. Acting monologues can be inspiring and contemplative, and these are some of my favorites.
Sunshine, 1999
This monologue in "Sunshine" is fascinating. We see how a man reads a collection of letters written by the patriarch from each generation to his son. What struck me was the reader's father giving advice on living detached from pride and security, while newspapers are crushed with old furniture in a garbage truck.
To The Wonder, 2012
This poignant voiceover read by actor Javier Barden feels like a personal prayer. An internal dialogue with God as it’s overlayed by powerful scenes that make us reflect on the frailties of humankind. To The Wonder is a film directed by Terrence Malik, a director with a rich cinematic voice well worth studying, and this video essay is a good starting point
Cinema Paradiso, 1988
Framed by an old wooden door, Alfredo shares “The soldier’s story ”with Toto, which foreshadows what’s to happen between Toto and Elena. The visual simplicity in this monologue and the way Italian Actor Philippe Noiret delivers his lines with pauses and burst enthusiasm really brings it to another level.
As we are saturated with images and technology is good to discover new alternatives to be uplifted and inspired. Actors have a tremendous power to do just that when they deliver monologues.
Creative Collisions
It's actually stimulating when two art forms combine to make something distinctive.
Read MoreDarkness and Shine
I just love to see people challenge their creativity and develop unusual concepts.
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