Amazing Artisan- Afro Celotto

This week's Amazing Artisan is glass artist Afro Celotto. Mr. Celotto works in his studio on the island of Murano. The beauty found in his pieces is boundless. They encompass multiple colors and shapes. I enjoy watching how he is able to pull the hot glass into so many shapes. Once the glass cools it is interesting to see what the final colors are. I am thrilled video of Mr. Celotto is found online.Below are a couple of videos of Afro Celotto at work. Enjoy.

Spirit Jump

My buddy, Amy, told me about a web site called Spirit Jump. Spirit Jump connects a person battling cancer, or another debilitating disease, with a person who is interested in raising the spirits of someone in need (AKA Spirit Jumper). What a wonderful idea! The site is run by two ladies who have been personally touched by cancer. I am excited to be a Spirit Jumper. I am a big believer in doing for others in need. We all have times in our lives when we could use something to feel better about ourselves and our lives. Spirit Jumping helps both the reciever and the giver at the same time. It is a win-win proposition.

Amazing Artisan- Yaacov Agam

This week's Amazing Artisan is Yaacov Agam. Mr. Agam is one of the leading artists in the area of kinetic or polymorphic art. To be fully appreciated, his art needs to be seen in person. As you look at his paintings, you see one image. As you physically move from side to side, the image changes. The image is different from the one you see on the opposite side. I like to guess how the initial image I see will change before I see what it becomes. Mr. Agam also creates wonderful sculputral art. Sone of the most famous are his fountains found in Tel Aviv and Paris. I am excited to find out that one of his fountains is at the Tampa Convention Center (we will be visiting there this summer). I plan to take lots and pictures and hopefully some video.

I wish there were more videos of his work. I did find a couple of short ones on YouTube. Enjoy!

8 Things

I was tagged for this meme by Creative Queen. Thanks Queen Katherine. It was fun to think of my answers.

Here's how it works:
I have to answer the questions below, then tag 8 other blogs I like and ask if they would do the same. You must let them know you have tagged them and to link to the blog that had tagged them. Here goes:

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1) School getting out for the summer (Let's just say I am not a 5:30 AM kinda girl)
2) Working at Project Graduation on Saturday
3) Taking more PMC classes
4) Using more of my yarn stash
5) Taking an Alaskan cruise in 2010
6) Traveling to Tampa/Sarasota to check out Ringling College of Art and Design
7) Going to visit my mom and sister and meeting their new fur baby, Hanna
8) Letting Robyn drive me around for a change

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1) Called my mom for her birthday
2) Helped to distribute the Project Graduation T-shirt to the seniors
3) Took a picture of my latest completed hat to be donated to Children's Hospital in New Orleans
4) Took Robyn to get her driver's learning permit (We have to go back again since they closed in the middle of her application and the computers shut down)
5) Watched Cara play DDR while eating yogurt
6) Made cream cheese mashed potatoes
7) Washed 2 loads of clothes
8) Ignored my messy house

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1) Keep ahead of the dog hair on the floor
2) Enjoy cleaning my house
3) Tap dance
4) Play an instrument (Mom was right when she said I would regret quitting piano lessons)
5) Lose weight
6) Visit New York more often
7) See my mom more often
8) Take away any pain, sorrow, or frustration for my girls

8 Things or Shows I Have Watched:
1) Project Runway
2) Top Chef
3) So You Think You Can Dance
4) House
5) Jon and Kate Plus 8
6) The Princess Bride- 1,000,000 times
7) The Quiet Man
8) When Harry Met Sally

For the 8 blogs I choose (in no particular order)
1) NFall2rt Design Studio
2) Mamaslittlemonkeys
3) Maggie's Crafting Adventures
4) Nothing Like It
5) Dogmaw Glass
6) My Gypsy Goods
7) Contrariwise ramblings
8) Just My Rambling

Amazing Artisan- Mark Shapiro

This week's Amazing Artisan is ceramic artist, Mark Shapiro. Mr. Shapiro's work is wonderful. I love the colors and shapes he creates in his pieces. The images are abstract and modern, but the pieces themselves are mostly traditional. I enjoy the diversity in his work. Mr. Shapiro's work has been shown at many galleries including the Smithsonian, the International Museum of Ceramic Art, and he is a regular exhibitor at the International Expositions of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art. His web site, Stonepool Pottery, has a lovely gallery of some of his pieces. I took pottery classes on the wheel for several years and am in awe of the beauty and originality of his work. I hope his pottery inspires you as well.

Top Droppers for April

This year has been flying by. I can't believe it is May already. I want to thank everyone who has stopped by this past month. It has been fun sharing myself with you. My top droppers for April have wonderful blogs. Check them out!

Silver Sachet
Split Rock Ranch
Youniquely Chic
The Beadings and Buttons of Randomcreative
Duck and Wheel with String
Unique You
My Heart Voice
Pat's Encaustics - Art in the Wax
Contrariwise Jewelry
Maggie's Crafting Adventures

Sunday Stealing

Occasionally I run across a meme that intrigues me; one that offers different information from the norm. I enjoy checking out the site, Sunday Stealing, as it scopes and finds some of the best memes on the Internet. This is today's meme...

Sunday Stealing: The Twenty Firsts Meme

First Job: working at Pasquale's Pizza. I remember we had double knit shirts and no amount of washing could get the pizza smell out of them.

First Real Job: I am going with the first job I had in my field of training...a Speech Pathologist at LeBlanc Special School.

First Favorite Politician: Teddy Roosevelt. He seemed to be quite the character.

First Car: Olds Cutlass Supreme

First Record/CD: I know this is not the first one, but the first one I can remember is "Rockin' Robin" by the Jackson 5.

First Sport Played: Ping Pong

First Concert: Boz Scaggs. I love me some Boz.

First Foreign Country Visited: Mexico...Juarez to be exact.

First Favorite TV Show: "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color". I remember an argument I had with my grandfather over me watching Wonderful World of Color and him watching Ed Sullivan. He won the argument.

First Favorite Actor: Bobby Sherman from "Here Comes the Brides" I was so nuts about that show. Preteen love...

First Favorite Actress: Julie Andrews

First Girlfriend/Boyfriend: Artie

First Encounter with a Famous Person: Astronaut Wally Schirra

First Brush With Death: Pulmonary Embolism in 2003

First House/Condo Owned: Right after we were married- Lake Charles, LA

First Film Seen: The first one I remember anything about is "Goldfinger" (James Bond). I doubt I really saw much. My parents used to pop huge grocery bags of popcorn and we would go to the drive-in. My sister and I eventually fell asleep in the back of the station wagon, but I do remember a woman in Goldfinger who was painted gold. The first movie I remember completely would be "Paint Your Wagon"

First Favorite Recording Artist: Bobby Sherman (I was a geek) "Julie, Julie, Julie Do You Love Me..."

First Favorite Radio Station: I don't remember the station, but it was a rock station in Lake Charles, LA

First Book I Remember Reading: "When Homer Honked" I would check this book out over and over when I was little. My parents later found a copy for me. I cherish this book.

First Meme You Answered on Your Blog: Get to Know Your Friends meme on February 8, 2009

I am not going to tag anyone with this meme. Play along at your own risk and have fun :)

Amazing Artisan- Christian Faur

This week's Amazing Artisan is Christian Faur. Mr. Faur is inspired to create in many different media but the one that most fascinates me is his "crayon art". He uses crayons to create beautiful 3D images that up close don't appear to resemble much, but as the viewer moves back, the crayons form marvelous images. To get just the right colors needed for his visions, he pours his own crayons. In doing so, he is able to play with shading and other nuances in his art. Mr. Faur also works in oils and wax (encaustics) as well as in fiber and fabric. I wish I could provide a video link or embed images of his work, but I cannot. A link to his web site, Christian Faur, will take to his wonderful world of color and his unique ways of creating images of art.