Guitarist & Singer Pierre Bensusan - Oct 13

I was fotunate to not only meet French guitarist & singer Pierre Bensusan but also to attend two of his concerts this past week at CSUSM. He was absolutely wonderful and his music was divine. It was very moving and relaxing all at the same time. I was amazed to watch him play and hope he is able to come back to our campus again. As I sat in the dark theater, I closed my eyes and was taken away. He literally played the hell out of his guitar and I was amazed as I watched his fingers move about the guitar. The only way I know how to explain it is to say "he played the shit out of that instrument and I've never seen anything like it." No wonder he was voted the greatest guitar player!

I now play his CD continously and am transformed when I hear it.

Chicano Park San Diego - Oct. 13

Today I attended a very unique presentation about Chicano Park.

This event took place at the Clarke Tuesday evening. It was a small crowd but very interesting subject matter. I learned about the process and the struggle that Chicanos went through to not only create a beautiful park full of interesting murals but I also learned about the struggle they endured to own it. The park is full of wall murals about their struggle and about their culture and beliefs. The panel consisted of several chair members of the board for the Chicano Park and all of them were either artists or activists who have been participating in the project since it began in the 1970’s. The project reminded me very much of the artist Professor Avalos recommended me to research, Diego Garcia. Both his work and the work in the Chicano Park are very politically charged. My next goal is to visit the park.

I have often admired the art of the Chicano culture because of the rich colors and symbolism but as I research further about murals and Chicano/a artists, I am learning to embrace the art and culture even more.

Portrait of an Artist - Diego Riveria Film Screening

I am currently working on a wall mural project at the child care center on campus so Professor Avalos has recommended some materials for me to research. He forwarded me the documentary film titled, "Portrait of an Artist - Diego Riveria.

I screened this video once but then had to go back and review it again because I wanted more time to see the images of his artwork. Riveria is a wonderful artist but most importantly, he is a great artist to research because all of his work was very politically charged.

I've always wanted to find a means to make my art more than "just a pretty picture" and much like Simon Silva, Diego Riveria is an artist who does this. He uses his art to communicate his views and make a stance in what he believes. Th film talks about how respected he was but also how he worked on projects that were stopped mid-stream because other officials did not approve of his views.

Teatro Izcalli Anthology - 9/30

On Wednesday, 9/30 I attended a great comedy act presented by Arts & Lectures. It was a latino/a comedy act consisint of about 10 various theater members of Izcalli. All members are local community members and most were graduates of UCSD or California State.

The performance consisted of several short skits about family, life and what's like to be a Latino/a in today's society. One skit was a take off from the tv show "Seinfeld" in which George and Jerry are exaggerating how devastating it would be to "drop a tortilla". One of the acts consisted of all the actors playing out different characters attending a rehab to break the Latino lifestyle. The mediator for the rehab session was in character of "Frida" the well known Latina artist from Mexico.

The audience enjoyed the nice change of pace in having comedy as part of the education circuit.
Parts of the performance were in english and parts were in spanish but it was a performance enjoyed by all.

Southern California Indian Basketry -9/24

I attended several presentations about indigenous cultures but the event presentation by Lydia Vassar on 9/24 in the courtyard of the CSUSM campus was quite interesting and informative. Lydia had guest volunteers who were children from her school and as she presented and educated the viewer about various native plants, the children demonstrated how weaved baskets, art pieces and tools used to gather chia seeds. We learned about plants such as juncus, deergrass, etc. She also spoke about preserving the plants so that they continue to grow back each year.

It was a very hot afternoon out under the canopy on this day, but the audience was engaged and interested in the days events.

Simon Silva- Art as a Means of Inspiring

This evening I attended a wonderful lecture and artist talk given by Simon Silva who is an artist and writer. His talk was so inspiring and his work was riveting. His use of color is what initially drew me but I was also captured by his narrative storytelling and his talk of nurturing ones roots. He spoke of family, morals and childhood. He talked about how the rough times in his life was what built character and made who he is today. He talked about the importance of a multi-culture society we are and how we must embrace it, how we are in reality, related to one another.

Something that struck me in his talk was he listed all the things that art isn't. For example, it isn't a filler class in your schedule, it isn't a hobby, etc. Then he went all to tell what art really is. In my mind I summed it to be "art is my religion."

Film Review: The Soloist - 9/15/2009

In class we reviewed a clip from the "Shawshank Redemption" film about the moment in prison when inmates get an opportunity to listen to music and to relate to the outside world. This moment in the film is very moving and it is a wonderful example how music is universal and how it can change the world.

Following this film, I screened the movie starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx entitled "The Soloist". It is a current film and reminded me very much of the scene I mentioned above except the entire films shares with the viewers how music enriches the lives of many but more importantly how it enriches the lives of two men from different worlds. Downey is a news reporter who is miserable in his divorced, rat race, stressed out world. He stumbles on Foxx's character who is a mentally ill homeless man. Foxx is a very skilled musician and lives to play his music. It is literally what keeps him alive. The story shows how these two men meet, become friends and eventually find themselves needing each other. The common thread is music. Music that is good for the soul.

To take a look at some of my past work, please visit:

http://www.jamuse.com/ViewPortfolio.aspx?userID=5166

After reviewing several artist-painters and how they apply paint to create a grunge type style I decided to focus in on grunge web sites. This is definitely the style I enjoy most when doing any kind of graphic design because it allows me to apply layers much like I do in painting as well as combine various styles together. I once had a professor who tried to steer me in a direction that would force me to pick one style and stick with it. I always had trouble with this notion and fought it. I've now stumbled on the style I enjoy the most. I feel it has a "creative" appeal and really is "design". So much of the "corporate look" bores me to tears whereas the grunge look is more expressive and depicts the style of the artist whether he/she be a painter, a graphic artist or even musician. Grunge is the look for today and I expect it will be around for sometime.

The website that led me to this image as well as many other exciting web designs is:

http://sixrevisions.com/web_design/30-beautiful-examples-of-grunge-in-web-design/

Artist - Alejandro Martinez--Pena

An artist I stumbled on that inspired me is Alejandro Martinez-Pena. His paintings are not pictorial but are very abstract and colorful. His work inspires me to loosen up with my painting and to try and not be so literal and realistic. I was able to relate this to my website project because I was intrigued with the texture and feel of each piece. It reminded me of the grungy, yet colorful backgrounds I have been choosing for my page backgrounds. Most of the backgrounds I've used have been close-up images of rust, paint, water drops, etc.

The website link for this artist is: http://www.martinez-pena.com/page1.htm

http://www.martinez-pena.com/page1.htm

Art Walk Experience - Artist Jacqueline Shaw

On Sunday I attended the Art Walk in Little Italy and was just overwhelmed with the diversity of art and design everywhere. There was so much to look at and so much to take in and it was far better than reviewing art online. One of the artist that caught my attention was Jacqueline Shaw. She is from Mexico and her work is amazing. I find myself being drawn to the style and it appears to me to be somewhat of a grunge painting style and I enjoy it very much.

After viewing her work at the show I came home to check out some of her other works online.
http://www.jacquelineshaw.blogspot.com/

Her work has some surrealism in it but I love the use of various layers of images that are combined to create a mood or perhaps tell a story.

Her work makes me want to pull out my easel and brushes! This summer I will be attending CSU Summer Arts in Fresno and I look forward to painting.

Hearts of Stone

Holy Cow! I attended an artist talk this evening through the Arts & Lectures Series and I was so impressed with the artist's work as well as her talk that I had to go to her website and learn more. The artist, d.goth, paints beautiful pieces of work by painting on broken stones. She either finds naturally broken stones or she breaks them herself but then looks at them to see what she can see within the breaks. They are somewhat of a fresco type painting but are so incredibly beautiful. She has inspired me to try this medium but I was also able to really relate to her artist experience in that she uses art as a therapy and she shares that the art comes out of her. The style also reminded me of the grunge style that I am applying to to the website I am designing for this class. The style is not a clean, "corporate" style but it has a sense of "grunge" appeal. The unplanned and unexpected is what makes the art so beautiful.

Ms. Goth gave her talk and then had everyone join in and paint indivual pieces of abstract art that she will later construct into one large community heart for the "Race for Life" event. Ms. Goth is a poet as well. I encourage you to check out her work. She is a local artist who also gives workshops.

http://www.dgoth.net/

We also discussed the upcoming Art Walk in Little Italy so I plan to attend that as well.
http://www.artwalkonthebay.org/

Grunge Resources

I went searching for backgrounds to use for my webpage and discovered a whole new world of grunge textures and fonts.  I was excited to see that I could upload the fonts to my computer and use them for not only my webpage design for this class but also for other projects I work on.  I'm always drawn to the juxitposition of the grunge look mixed in with a feminine style.

This search also inspired me with my love for photography. I absolutely love to shoot images and can't get enough of it but this search inspired me to start looking at and shooting textures I see.  I didn't realize how absolutely beautiful a rusty pipe could be or a street light pole that has paint chipping away.  This past weekend my husband was redoing some plumbing in our kitchen I zeroed in on the texture, color and beauty of some water drops in our sink that had rust particles mixed in with it.  My husband thought I was nuts when I wanted to pull out my camera.

By reviewing this artwork on the web it has encouraged me to look differently at materials in my everyday life. I'm now starting to see the artistic side of them.

I am also attracted to grunge fonts.  They seem to catch my attention more because they are edgy and realistic looking.  Commercial type fonts often bore me and in some cases can be less effective in communicating their message.

Some of the sites I found helpful are:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/29/grunge-style-in-modern-web-design/

http://webdesignledger.com/freebies/50-most-extreme-free-grunge-fonts

David Carson Web Video Review

In researching information for my graphic design paper I stumbled on a video talk by David Carson. I was so impressed with his talk and his explanations about his style that chose to blog about it. In doing this research I am not only learning about the history of graphic design, learning about particular graphic designers but I am also learning and finally defining who I am as a graphic artist and what appeals to me. I am discovering that I like "dirty typography", that I dislike the commercial, clean corporate look even though it is often called for, and that I like the type of graphic art that is messy yet communciates reality and the true message that is to be conveyed. David Carson showed examples of garage doors that say "no parking" but points out how one of them is more effective than the other. He shows magazine spreads from TIME Magazine that clearly cross boundaries and lose their objectives. He shows spreads that on one side depicts a horrific image of New York on Sept. 11 while the opposite side of the spread depicts a happy, inappropriate image. The line I most respected that Carson says is, "it would have been better to just have a blank page" on the opposite side of the image. It would have been more effective.

To view this awesome video to to: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/david_carson_on_design.html

A&L Event - Monday, 2/16

We had a wonderful Arts & Lectures event on campus called Ain't I A Woman! last week and it was both entertaining and educational. I was impressed by the the singer/actor named Taylore who dramatically portrayed various African-American women in our history. As she spoke, sang or acted, a core ensemble consisting of a cello player, pianist and percussionist played jazz music in the background. It was uplifting, emotional and very inspirational. The Core Ensemble received a standing ovation from a full house of students and community members. I was pleased to be a part of coordinating this wonderful performance but mostly pleased that I was able to sit in the audience and enjoy it!

Arts & Lectures - Latina Dance Project

Last night I attended our first A&L event of the semester and it was a great way to start off. Four Latina women were our guests and they did a great job of not only educating us but also entertaining an audience of about 140 people. They sang, performed, danced, and spoke about their work. Videos where shared and at the end of the performance we had a Q&A period followed by students getting on stage and learning some of the group's dance moves. Great audience participation and great questions were asked.

The basis for performers art is women in the latina culture and how they seek empowerment. The work was inspired by a cultural myth and then taken to depths that provoke thought and hopefully better understanding. The women wore outragious costumes, rapped music and spoke about topics from plastic surgery to human sacrifice.

Very moving and worthwhile performance and a great teaser for the big performance at MiraCosta on Friday night.

Social Issue Brainstorming- Diary of a Teenage Runaway

What makes a young teen leave home? What makes a young adult, a child, decide to give up what he has so that he can shiver on the streets, starve for food, turn to drugs, prostitution and often suicide? These thoughts crowd my mind. I worry about our children, their children and the future of our community. So many young people are living in cardboard boxes, panhandling for food, becoming ill and leaving their belongings, homes and family all behind.

Perhaps they don't understand what lies ahead. Perhaps they don't understand fear. Perhaps the fear they have stems from home. Are they being abused, molested or beaten? We as a society, all of us parents, grandparents, teachers, law enforcement, librarians, store clerks, truck drivers, brothers, sisters and doctors, we need to wake up and find out what is happening to our youth. Some teens may appear to be confident and strong but they need our help. They need to know they are loved, that they have a future, a chance, a right to be here. We need to encourage them, support them and love them. They are but children approaching adulthood, not yet the adults they may think they are. Why do they leave? What can we do? What are signs of a trouble teen? Where can we find them when they run? Where can a teen find help?

The issue of teenagers running away from home is growing and is of concern among the local high schools in southern California. Teens don't know where to turn or where to go. Parents don't know how to help. Law enforcement can't help. Resources are limited.

Inauguration 2009 - New Day in History

What a historical day today was and I was so pleased that Professor Chance acknowledged the importance of living in the moment and allowed us to view President Obama's speech during our first day of class.

I sat in my seat thinking about what I might tell my grandchildren one day. Would I remember what I was doing when the first black man became president? I wondered if my two grade school children were being allowed to experience this special moment in their school classroom and would they remember where they were on this day. I thought about my oldest son who was starting his first day of college today and feeling he must be overwhelmed and trying to find his way around. I remembered and thought of my oldest daughter who passed away in 2006. I thought about how she would have loved to be here today and witness this change in history. Of all our family members she was the one who so strongly believed in equal rights. She was merely 16 when we lost her but she was a fighter, an activist and determined leader. I wondered what she would be telling me today so I thought and sat some more. She would be proud today and beaming with joy.

Being a caucasion woman, I imagine what parents of African-American children are telling their children today. Perhaps today they became confident that they two can be anything they want to be. I have always encouraged my children to follow their dreams and to reach for the stars. I've never for once thought that anyone or anything could stand in their way. I've never had to take our skin color in consideration. I haven't had to worry about my citizenship. I feel for those who have worried and suffered but felt a since of hope today, for today embarks change. Change is good.