Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole


Artists have a unique opportunity to affect the viewers and listeners of their works on a deep level, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (pronounced caw-ma-caw-vee-vah-o-lay) is a musician who did just that. Known more commonly as Braddah Iz or just Iz, Israel was a native Hawaiian singer/song-writer and activist. Born in 1959 Israel was known by family and friends as a gifted musician by an early age, performing at just ten and going on to form a band—The Mahaka Sons—where he would begin his rise to fame. Iz created music that separated itself from the "Hawaiian music" created for tourists in the century after the annexation of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, going back to traditional roots and actually representing native Hawaiian culture. I decided to highlight his art because I grew up listening to his music and I feel that it represents my culture very well (and sounds beautiful).

Many may have heard his version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" but may not have heard his other work which reflected his feelings about the treatment of Hawaiians and the islands in recent time. I think that the history of Hawai'i is overlooked, that the islands are written off as a fun tropical vacation and that many of the problems that resulted from the illegal annexation and following statehood are ignored. But Iz's music, which is beautiful in its unique sound, mourns the damage, urges change, and offers a look into traditional Hawaiian culture not easily found elsewhere. I chose Iz because  of the expressive, honest feelings his music evokes, the important subject matter of his songs, and a deep personal significance his music has to me.

On his website a detailed, personal biography written by his producer offers insight into his rise to fame and includes a brief discography.

NPR's Renee Montagne published an article about Iz that includes quotes from him, remarks from close friends, and details of the end of his life (I particularly enjoy this article as it makes reference to an important concept in Hawaiian culture: the idea of 'mana').

And finally I would like to invite any readers to listen to the following pieces: his cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and his song "Hawai'i '78". In comparing the two I think it is easy to understand his feelings and how he expresses them in his music, it is also an excellent example of how he incorporated ancient Hawaiian music (in this case chanting) into his own. The phrase repeated throughout: "Ua Mau ke Ea o ka 'Āina i ka Pono o Hawai'i" means "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness", it is a phrase of great cultural significance that is reflective of the connection ancient Hawaiians had to their land, a phrase that Iz sings beautifully mournfully.

Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono

Picasso!!!!!!

Image result for picasso www.googleimages.com

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, print maker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright who spent most of his adult life in France. There are so less words to describe his work of art. He was born in Spain and died in France. He always involved his life around his work and how he would creates so beautiful paintings without thinking. He had an unique talent to turn one image into another without putting too many thoughts into. His work of art amaze me like how he understood his work of art and took it to the next level. There is so much information regarding him and his work over the internet. One of the biography is:

1. https://www.biography.com/people/pablo-picasso-9440021

This site gives majority of life journey story as where he grew up and where is learned his work of art. Also, his goals towards his dream paintings. This site is helpful and informative in learning about Picasso's life.

Second website I came across was:

2. https://www.artsy.net/artist/pablo-picasso

This site has information on Picasso's work of art and what each means. It is basically like a art gallery where you look at different images and get amazed by it. Most interesting thing to me was it had the prices to the images which explains how important each art plays its role.

Third website that I cam across was:

3. https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/pablo-picasso

This site plays its role in different ways. It had more of images which Picasso had worked on. One of the images from this website is this: 
Pablo Picasso, Mandolin and Guitar, Juan-les-Pins, 1924. Oil with sand on canvas, 55 3/8 x 78 7/8 inches (140.7 x 200.3 cm)
This image is named: Mandolin and Guitar.

After reading the title of this image, the word guitar grabbed my attention and  I look at the image right away and saw the guitar. Sometimes, when you don't understand the image but when you read the title then everything comes together. This is what is unique about Picasso and I like the work of art because it makes you think deeper into the image because you never it could be something else or another thing.


Another image: Pablo Picasso, Bird on a Tree, Dinard, August 1928. Oil on canvas, 13 3/4 x 9 1/2 inches (34.9 x 24.1 cm)
Bird on the tree

Every image of his art is so special to me. In my humanities class, I saw videos of Picasso's work where he would draw his painting from the very start. You can see the overall process of one image turning into another. He was so talented that he didn't need to think, he would just move his hands then there is an another image that you can recall.

Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly


Dale Chihuly is an artist from beyond. He creates such beautiful master pieces by blowing glass. Blowing glass is an art in and of itself. There are a lot of techniques that can be used to create intricate bowls, flowers, vases, pitchers, etc. 


Above is a shot of Dale Chihuly's infamous Bridge of Glass located in Downtown Tacoma, WA. He blows the glass out to make it look like flowers, and when Chihuly places flower-like bowls in the ceiling, he turns them upside down (open flower part down) to get the full effect of what the art looks like. He shines light onto the pieces either from above or directly behind to illuminate the colors of glass. 


I decided to choose Dale Chihuly because when I was young, I was inspired by his ability to blow glass and create such beautiful masterpieces. I wanted to learn about Mr. Chihuly and how he created blown glass. I decided to take a WWU Glass Blowing Class the first quarter I attended Western Washington University. I was amazing that there were so many techniques that one had to learn in order to blow glass. It is not easy to do; however, it is fast and fun. You learn new techniques from each glass blower. I highly recommend this class to anyone who is interested!! 


Dale Chihuly's Website
This link goes to Dale Chihuly's Website. On this website, you will find that Mr. Chihuly has an outstanding variety of glass pieces that catch an audiences attention. If you pay attention to Mr. Chihuly's artwork, he tends to place a dark background behind his glass artwork because it enhances the colors of the blown glass that he has on display.

Chihuly Garden and Glass
On this site, this site talks and shows what Mr. Chihuly's Garden of Glass is located, what it looks like, and a list of all of the events that will be held there.

Biltmore Exhibit (Day & Night)
If you ever get a chance to visit the Biltmore House and Gardens, this is a sight to see! When I visited this, I was shocked at all of the amazing art Chihuly had created. I enjoyed taking photos of his artwork so that I could remember the scene at a later time.

Katsushika Hokusai



Katsushika Hokusai

One of the most recognizable artists in the world, his paintings are known for their waves, and Mt. Fuji often being located somewhere within the picture.

I chose to feature Katsushika Hokusai, most commonly known as just Hokusai because I have found his work to be fascinating, and important to me since I was in elementary school. I was dissapointed to see an artist that has given me a great appreciation for the intricacies of nature not featured on this blog. He is famous for his woodcuts and has been described as influencing themes of Claude Monet, Renoir, and has been collected by countless famous artists as well.

These links below help you gain a greater understanding of who Katsushika Hokusai was, and the impacts he has left on the world.

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-7-things-hokusai-creator-great-wave
This first link provides you insight into his famous paintings, and the struggles he conquered in his journey into the world of art. This link provides you with an exceptional view and outlook that there is never to late to start painting.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hokusai
Hokusai's Brittanica Biography provides a detailed description for those who are interested in a text heavy narrative of who Hokusai is an the achievements he accomplished throughout life. This web page is perfect for the Wikipedia lovers, and information rich understanding of a world class artist.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150409-the-wave-that-swept-the-world
This is my favorite take on this amazing artist, while it states a substantial claim that impressionism may never have happened without him. I believe this link is necessary for anyone with a passion for impressionist art, and those who have a favorite impressionist to understand where their styles came from.



The Legend Dolly Parton

            Dolly Parton is a singer/ song writer that is famous for more than just her music.

Dolly Parton a legend in music.

Dolly Parton has been an inspiration to me for as long as I can remember. Her music is almost always a true story that she her self experienced as a child and an adult. Dolly Parton also played a leading role in the movie 9 to 5. She played a character who was trying to move up in her career. She never let anyone stop her, she has also been in a few newer movies. She acted Joyful noise, and still didn't let anyone get her down. I have always admired her spirit and work. She has lived through a lot and never let it slow down her goals or dreams. Dolly has a lot of female empowerment music and quite a few religious pieces too. Dolly has left her mark on quite a few young artists.



Jeremey Collins

One of the greatest storytellers of our generation, Jeremy Collins will literally paint you a picture of his adventures.
I was scrolling through instagram one night 4 years ago when I stumbled upon some of Jeremy's work. It completely blew me out of the water, gave me shivers down my spine, and really made me feel. I've been in love with his work ever since. I like his style so much simply because I feel like I resonate with it. My own work is somewhat similar  and maybe that's why I like his so much (his obviously way more rad). 

Aside from being such a talented artist, Jeremy is also an avid and accomplished climber and film maker. 
If you'd like to know more about his life or perspective you can find out a little more about him in this short but tasteful interview with him: Jeremy Collins Interview

If you'd like to see more of his incredible artwork check-out his personal website:   https://jercollins.com/ He also has another business of mostly the same stuff at: the meridian line 


If you'd like to watch some of his films hit the link at: Jercollins FilmsJeremy is a well-rounded human-being. Incredibly active, vigilant, and insightful, his art will capture and tell stories of adventure for generations. That's what makes him my favorite artist.


Coeur de Pirate

 I would like to bring everyone’s attention to a wonderful musical artist that I have been inspired by since I was much younger. Beatrice Martin, better known as, Coeur de Pirate, is a Canadian singer songwriter, who primarily sings in French. Beatrice started playing piano at three years old, and her beautiful piano pieces are entrenched in almost all of her pieces. I became inspired by her music when I first heard it in French class almost 9 years ago; a short while after her first album was released. Since that point I have followed her music quite closely. Beatrice is a widely successful musician who has received awards such as Bucky award in 2009, International Achievement Award in 2010, and also the Original Light Mix Score from the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers for her work on the game Child of Light, and many others. Beatrice is also a queer advocate and after the Pulse Shooting she played a role in introducing the public to the ideas of what it means to be queer, and acting as and LGBT advocate. Coeur de Pirate’s music means a lot to me and is the music I play when I want to remember how the world around me inspires me. I hope you are all able to give her music a listen and also maybe be inspired by her as well.

 I have included some links below to help you all explore Beatrice's music further!



This is a link to the first song I heard by Coeur de Pirate, it is called Comme des Enfants which roughly translates to ‘like children’. The video features Beatrice and is one of her most widely viewed music videos with over 17.5 million views.


This is the official website for Coeur de Pirate, it features album information, videos, our dates, and everything you could possibly want to know regarding where Beatrice and her other band members are going to be globally. Unfortunately she isn’t coming to the US for about another year!


In addition I would also like to add Beatrice’s personal Twitter account. Though this doesn’t exactly fall under music information about herself and the band I think it shows a more creative, fun insight into her personal life. She adds plenty of fun videos of her backstage and at her shows along with plenty of other things you would see a 28-year-old female post.



Monday, May 21, 2018



Tupac Shakur 



Tupac Shakur or just 2pac is a very iconic rapper of the 90s. Coming from East Harlem Lesane Parish Crooks (birth name) had a rough childhood as a lot of his family was going in and out of prison. It wasn't till his family moved to California that he started to make a difference. He wanted to rap about his reality and the reality of so many others without sugar coating it or making it seem nice. He died at the age of 25 and even though he died so young he was said to be one of the most influential rappers of all time. To me, he is an inspiration in a way that he stood up for himself and his people. He gave the silent a voice and the music he produced was played globally. Other rappers like NWA or Snoop Dogg or even his  record label Death Row help make that difference too. Yes he did have flaws and he also went in and out of prison for making dumb decisions but the impact he made on the music industry and in american culture was huge and he will still be influencing rappers and other artists even today. 




The picture to the right is from the Rolling Stones and with the link that I am going to put in will be Snoop Dogg talking on Tupac's behalf as he gets inducted to the Rock and Roll hall of fame. Snoop Dogg gives his personal insight on how he met 2Pac and how they bonded as friends and artists. Right now Snoop Dogg is still one of the biggest and best rappers that have been around for a long time. He has witnessed a lot and also been through a lot as well and it's very cool to see him talking about another artist like they were brothers. 

In the next link that I will share is a biography on 2Pac. This sight tells you about his records, his offenses, he childhood, and who he is today. It also answers a lot of common questions that comes up when people talk about him. The famous question "Is Tupac still alive?" is also answered on there as well. 

Even though Tupac has been gone for a while, his music and other products are still being sold. 2Pac.com still has a big collection of T-shirts, hats, journal and even records. This sight also has stories of parts of Tupac's life like how his earlier songs were not actually songs they were poems and it shows us that. It also shows every song and album that he had and you can go listen to them and buy them. 

Overall, Tupac Shakur is and still will be one of the best rappers, actor, and artist of all time. 






Claude Monet



Claude Monet was a revolutionary artist within painting. He influenced the Impressionism movement within France. Claude Monet has always been my favorite painter. From an early age I took painting classes and recreated many of his impressionistic paintings. I also went to France where I saw his amazing paintings at the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie. His paintings are amazing because they are painted from real life environments and are an impression of a moment. He loved to paint nature around him particularly water lilies in his pond at his home in Giverny. I love how messy the paintings are up close from the overlapping of colors and differing brushstrokes. The paintings then look put together when viewed farther away. What is also so impressive about his paintings are the impasto and broken brushstrokes which are the thick brushstrokes that create an uneven texture on the canvas. This gives his paintings another dimension to them. Claude Monet also uses very bright happy colors within his paintings. I think he is a painter that should be appreciated by his amazing contributions he made to the artistic community.




This website provides a biography on Claude Monet’s life. It also has each digital image of the painting collections he has made. This website is an excellent resource to learn more about Impressionism as well.
This website provides information on the history of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies Cycle. These paintings depict his garden water lilies throughout various seasons. The website also has digital images of the water lily paintings that take up an entire wall.
This website provides resources on Claude Monet’s Life and his home in Giverny. The website provides information on how to visit Giverny and has a virtual tour to give to online visitors.















Tash Sultana


I would like to bring attention to Natasha (Tash) Sultana, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Melbourne, Australia. This 22 year-old artist started crafting her musical talent at age 3 when she was gifted her grandfather’s guitar. Now, she can play 18 instruments including the trumpet, drums, saxophone and flute.

Tash had a breakthrough in 2016 when her live bedroom recordings on YouTube went viral. This is a link to her first post of “Jungle” which now has over 17 million views.

I came across Busker Stories, a webseries of short documentaries that reveals what it’s like to be a street performer - or busker - in Melbourne, Australia. Here is a link to the inside story of Tash Sultana and her busking experience:

Lastly, this a link to Tash Sultana’s website that features her upcoming tours, merchandise and short biography. I enjoyed scrolling through the concert dates and seeing how many are already sold out.  

Tash is a badass powerhouse with an amazing voice and captivating presence. My boyfriend was the one to show me her video recordings and I have been a huge fan ever since. We were able to see her live in Seattle last October as she was wrapping up her tour. Watching her dance around barefoot on stage while playing various instruments, beat-boxing and singing remains one of my most favorite concert experiences.

Enjoy!

Sunday, May 20, 2018

The Glitch Mob

The Glitch Mob is one of the first electronic music artists that I ever had the pleasure of listening to. They kickstarted a love for electronic music within me through their first album ' Drink the Sea'. Edward Ma (edIT), Justin Boreta (Boreta), Josh Mayer (Ooah) are the three members of the band. Each had a sizable discography before forming 'The Glitch Mob'. I really enjoy their studio albums, but their live music is what makes them so inspiring to me. They have designed their own instrument called the 'Blade'. They recently upgraded the instrument to the Blade 2.0. They perform their music on the instrument and it allows them to control the synths and percussion of each song making each performance unique. No song is identical to the studio version and it is a very special, intimate experience at their live shows.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glitch_Mob
The wikipedia article on The Glitch Mob gives a very good background on the band. It tells their history and how they were formed. A very good introduction to the band.

https://dancingastronaut.com/2018/05/glitch-mob-see-without-eyes-lp-interview-album-review/
Here is a review of their new album, 'See Without Eyes'. It's a well written article explaining several of the songs and collaborations that were made during the album.

http://wxjm.org/interview-the-glitch-mob/
Here is a well done interview with the members of The Glitch Mob. It brings new insight into their relationships and insider information on their albums. This one is a fun read. They are a very modest group of people.

Taylor Swift

     Taylor Swift is the first American Singer I knew when I came to the U.S. I like her and I think I want to share my feeling with others because I found a lot of her songs are so real, it's something you can find connections in your life, at least I do. The lyrics are very attractive because of their true feelings. And you will find that people who like Taylor's lyrics are generally more emotional, sensitive. True feelings, this we all understand. a lot of words written in her songs are the stories of her and her boyfriends. They all have Taylor's own emotions in it. Many people think that her character was simple, immature, and self-willed, which caused the lyrics become so real. Although Taylor Swift has grown from a country girl to a strong woman, many people don't like the new Taylor compare with old Taylor, I like the old Taylor more, but I just want to share some of my opinions. 




This is her own website, it has music videos, news, and concert schedule, everything you want to know about her.

This is her youtube page, all the video about old and new Taylor is in there.

If you want to learn something general about her, this is a good place to learn some basic information about Taylor.

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Rihanna

Rihanna is a huge inspiration to me. Not only is she a very talented singer and songwriter, she's outspoken about social issues that are important to her and uses her songs and stardom as a platform for that. She also has a very likable personality and I think a lot of her fans enjoy her very real personality that doesn't seem fake or like she's trying to be someone she isn't. One thing i like quite a bit about her is that she has started to act in the movies in the last few years and she's quite good. So i'm looking forward to seeing how she grows in this aspect.


http://www.rihannanow.com/
This is her personal site that has a lot of information on her, including pictures and songs. I especially like the background she'll give on some of her songs and her inspiration for them.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oceans-8-costume-designer-talks-wardrobing-rihanna-cate-blanchett-fashionable-film-1095775
Here's some background on the new Ocean's 8, movie which features 8 female protagonists, one of which is Rihanna. As i said above, this is something that is relatively new for her and it'll be interesting to see where she takes this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna
This page just has some general information about her career and life not from Rihanna's own viewpoint. Her family life is pretty interesting to hear about.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Lin-Manuel Miranda

1.Lin-Manuel Miranda

2. http://www.linmanuel.com/bio
This is general biography of Miranda's life up until this point. It includes his experience as an actor, composer, and singer.

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/amp20091493/lin-manuel-miranda-and-family-interview-june-july-2018/
This article talks about Miranda's contributions to his community and the involvement he and his family have in providing programs for children for the arts.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Lin-Manuel-Miranda/
This website talks about all the awards and recognitions he has received.

3. Lin-Manuel Miranda has changed the way Broadway perceives musical theater. He scored his first Broadway musical in 2008, Into the Heights, and won four Tony awards for that show. He then went on to compose a whole new style of musical, all in hip hop and rap, which had never been attempted before. His musical, Hamilton, took over the world by storm and inspired a new audience to discover and appreciate his hard work on this new form of art. He truly is an amazing composer, but he also starred as the leading role of Alexander Hamilton. He is a gifted rapper and singer and he has made monumental steps for the whole Broadway community.

4.

Ryan Woodward



Ryan Woodward is not a very well known artist, however, I found him about 5 years ago and fell in love with his style,  his broad set of artistic skill, and the pieces of work he has created. Some of my favorite pieces include the following. As an illustrator, he created the graphic novel "Bottom of the Ninth" which was made for the iPad. Alongside that, Woodward is most known for his animation skills; his talent has been used in various movies including The Iron Giant, Space Jam, and Osmosis Jones.
He also is a well known and advent storyboard artist for many different movies including the Avengers, Cowboys and Aliens, and a various amount of others. In his line of work, Woodward was able to be nominated 3 times in Excellence in Production Design Award for his fantasy films. Below I have features his animated work "Thought of You" which is by far my favorite piece of art that he has created. It blends together Animation and Dance to create a wonderfully pleasing and emotional. I personally connect with this animation because I consider myself an artist and an avid dancer. The first time I watch it I was brought to tears and I still enjoy watching it over an over. Here are some websites that give more insight to this wonderful artist.

My favorite animation "Thought Of You"

http://ryanwoodwardart.com/

This is his official website. It's basically an online portfolio containing all of his work and explaining where an why he was lead to do most of the jobs he has previously done. I love exploring this website looking at all of the illustrations and animations he has created.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940985/

This is an official list of all the movies Woodward was involved in. This includes as a storyboard artist and as an animator. It also explains his three nominations for Excellence in Production Design Award.

http://chrisoatley.com/ryan-woodward/

This is an interview with the artist after he finished his graphic novel "Bottom of the Ninth". He also talks a little bit about his well-known animation "Though of You" and his storyboarding with big movies. It's a great way to get to know him personally.