The White Snail goes to Festival...

www.betherefest.gr
I will be there! From the 7-10 April 2011
I will take part in the CARTOON art display at the Ionian Academy.
Join in and have fun!

Art Gallery activity

The Art Gallery of Corfu (at the old palace) organizes a children's activity each saturday from 11-1 pm. The event involves story telling, drawing and theatre playing.
On the 4th December, 20 free copies of the children's book THE WHITE SNAIL will be given away to the young participants as a Christmas gift.
Don't miss it!

Art Display

Art Display

at the old castle of Corfu town

by Georgia Tsibida

Title: Light Reflections

organised by EIKE.

Opening day: Saturday 30 October 2010

at 8.30 pm

Duration: 30 October- 7 November 2010

Brian's watercolors

Brian Pearson, the artist,
and Maria Melenti, the Head of the Public Art Gallery of Corfu town.


Brian, who is from UK, is a permanent resident of Corfu and an expert in watercolor. His latest art display took place at Art Cafe last month and was a great success.










The artist loves this theme.











A Corfiot old woman...

Art at Viros

The Art Hall at Viros.

In the foreground:
Paintings by Makis Zervos

On the right:
Mine.


Corfu in Oil, by Agis Xomeritakis

(This one is a huge painting!)








Oil painting
by Agis Xomeritakis






Mr. Balanikas, the president of the Cultural Center of Viros











Some of my paintings.








From left to right: Agis Xomeritakis, Ina Geroyianni, Yiannis Metallinos, Liana Metallinou

Meet the artist Randy Dillon

Hello visitors,

Today I present an excellent artist, the painter Randy Dillon!
His new book has just come out, so you can have a look on Amazon (the link is below).
Enjoy the interview!


Interview Q&A

Tell us a few things about yourself.

I was born in New Orleans, LA. When I was around 11, I moved with my family to Dallas, TX.

When did you start painting?

I remember that it was when I was 14 that I began to save the paintings I was creating.

Why did you start painting?

It was an impulse of mine to draw and I filled up notebooks at school when I should have been studying or paying attention in class. Painting seemed like the next natural step.
I was always encouraged to draw by teachers at school.

What does Art offer you? What element attracted you to art?

Art gives a great freedom and breadth to communicate. My purpose is to make a picture that is as natural as as words or music.

What kind of medium do you use?

For painting I choose acrylic or oil paintings. I can't say that I have a preference as they possess their own strengths and weaknesses.

Where was your first art display?

In junior high school the teachers could see early on that I could draw and even the teachers who didn't teach art encouraged me. So they set up an art display for me in the school halls. Some of the art teachers I had started showing art from their students just to show my work. It was all very encouraging.

The last one?

The Whole Show at Kettle Art in Dallas, September 2009.

Let’s talk about your character. How would you define yourself?

It is very important to be open and honest. Trust has to be established up front.
I would define myself as an avant-garde artist. I have to take chances in art to keep it interesting.

Something you consider a drawback?

Artists have to do a lot of marketing. It can be time consuming. The art gallery system is in a deep depression currently, so up and coming artists are having a hard time of getting their artwork into newspapers (and other traditional media outlets) without established connections.

What inspires you?

I find most of my inspiration in my life as an autobiographical resource and in other artists. Their is a thriving online art community on myspace, which has a really good art scene.

There is an article called "Bright Lights, Big Internet" By Bill Wasik in The New York Times where he writes that the "Internet is the new New York". If that doesn't inspire an artist to set up a website and network online, I don't know what does!

Who is your favorite artist?

Pablo Picasso.

Your star sign?

Scorpio.

What would you like to achieve?

I would like some day to be in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Which are your plans for the future?

I have a book, Improvisations on a theme by Michelangelo, which I am currently in the process of getting into libraries. Currently, it is available on amazon,
http://www.amazon.com/Improvisations-theme-Michelangelo-Painting-Expulsion/dp/1449501656

Illustration 1: Reclining Woman on Balcony = Acrylic painting on canvas, 24
by 48 inches

Illustration 2: # Woman Sleeping in Green Field = Acrylic painting on canvas,
36 by 24 inches

Art Albums

Hi again,

Would you like to see my art slide shows?

Click on the the links below.

Enjoy!

Nature and People


http://www.aakrititalkart.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=3620855:Album:3141

Fine Art

http://www.aakrititalkart.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=3620855:Album:4069


The Universe in acrylics

http://www.aakrititalkart.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=3620855:Album:2986

The Helix Nebula

Hello there,


This is my latest painting-in acrylics.

The Helix Nebula, also known as NGC 7293, is 3 light years wide and appears nearly half the size of the full Moon in our sky.

Source: Astronomy magazine



I am preparing a series of paintings about the universe. It really looks like surrealistic art but it actually is impressionism-the way I see them.

What do you think?



Thanks for visiting,

Liana

Announcements

Hello Artists,

We at 3rd Ward are pleased to announce our first ever GROUP SHOW Open Call for Photography. This call culminates in an AMAZING group exhibition of the top 25 submissions - PLUS - one photographer will be awarded $500 & a 3rd Ward bike (www.3rdward.com/freebikes)! This is YOUR chance!

The Group Show at 3rd Ward

A search for the best emerging Photographers!

Submit Now: http://www.3rdward.com/fallgroupshow09/aw

Photography has been reinventing itself since its inception. From daguerreotypes to glass negatives, instant Polaroid film to unlimited digital shots, images are our reflections, our fantasies and our teachers. This competition is a search for the best new work from emerging photographers.

One photographer will be awarded $500 & a 3rd Ward bike and the top 25 photographers will receive:

- A group show in 3rd Ward's gallery
- A feature in 3rd Ward's Quarterly Publication
- 1-month Basic Membership at 3rd Ward with access to our four photo studios
- NYC wide exposure - post cards, flyers, press!

For this call we are joined by judges Peter van Agtmael, Magnum Photographer, Sean Fader, Photographer, FIT Professor & Solo Show Artist and Amani Olu, Co-founder & Executive Director of Humble Arts Foundation.

Submit Now: http://www.3rdward.com/fallgroupshow09/aw

Accepting Submissions Through August 7, 2009, 11:59 p.

Please feel free to forward and repost this email.

Love,

3rd Ward
www.3rdward.com
info@3rdward.com
http://twitter.com/ThirdWard
Join our Mailing List: http://www.3rdward.com/mailing-list

3rd Ward
195 Morgan Avenue
Brooklyn New York 11237
United States

A book review

Dear visitor,

I usually publish my book reviews on my site http://LiaMetal.tripod.com, but this time I wasn't able to do so due to technical problems. This blog can definitely host my latest book reviews for the time being...

Thank you for visiting!

Liana

REVIEW

Color is Everything

Beginners to Advanced Painters Can Learn What All Great Artists Know

Dan Bartges

The Oaklea Press, 6912-B Three Chopt road, Richmond, Virginia 23226

http://www.OakleaPress.com

ISBN: 978-1-892538-36-9, 2009,

Paperback, pp.96, US 14.99

Non fiction/art

Reviewed by Liana Metal

http://LiaMetal.tripod.com

Dan Bartges, a full time artist since 1996, has produced oil paintings and water colors that have been acquired by private collectors nationwide and by a number of Fortune 500 companies. He currently lives in Virginia with his family.

Color is Everything is a useful mini guide that is a valuable tool for every artist. The book is in full color, illustrated, and gives step by step instructions on how to learn about colors and their use in different mediums. Dan illustrated his points by quick exercises that are easy to do and enjoyable as well.

This mini color guide is a must for every artist who needs a fast seminar on color combinations. Mastering color is made a lot easier to learn by following the author’s tips and advice. It also stimulates the desire to use the new hues one learns and create unique pieces of art! A very enjoyable and useful book that will become the bible of the artist!

Get it from http://www.OakleaPress.com

Meet Mary Ann Melton, the nature photographer!

Get to know Mary Ann Melton through this interview, and view the fantastic photographs she shoots.

Welcome, Mary Ann!

We are happy you are here today to tell us all about you and your work!

Tell us about yourself. When did you start photography?

How long have you been doing this?

I started photography when I was young. My grandfather bought me a Kodak Brownie camera. My dad bought me a little Ansco camera with built in flash. When I first got married, my husband introduced me to 35mm photography. I shot my first wedding (with much fear and trepidation) in 1972. I continued to use my photography primarily to record our family vacations, my kids growing up, and memories for the kids that I worked with in scouting. In 2001, I got my first digital camera, an Olympus D510 zoom. As I got more serious about my photography, I bought my first DSLR. Since 2003, I've been moving from being an amateur into the professional world of photography.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by the beauty that I find in the world around me. As I photograph, I become more aware and more attune to the brilliant colors of sunrises and sunsets, the small flowers, the colorful insects and butterflies, the patterns in the water ripples. etc. I am also inspired to go beyond traditional photography. My Photographer's Canvas images are created using in camera motion to create interesting effects. Sometimes I shoot from a moving car on a bumpy road. Other times I stand in place and use motion and zoom to see what happens. Digital photography really frees me, because there is no cost to develop and print film. I can try anything and if it doesn't work, you can easily delete the attempt and move on. These motion blur images are an act of faith in many ways. I chose an interesting place to try the technique and I'm amazed at what the camera captured. Right now I'm working on a sequence of images where the combination of the natural environment and the motion blurs create "characters" in the image - hidden from our eyes, but revealed in the image.

What does nature mean to you?

First and foremost, nature is representative of God's creation. As I view the mountains, the streams, the animals and their interactions, the deserts, I see the hand of God. As I watch animals interact with each other, I find applications and wisdom for living my own life better. As I watch animals defend their territory, parent their young, it helps me understand human behavior better. When I'm out in the field, not only does my physical body enjoy the outdoor activity, but my spirit rejoices in a way that is hard to explain.

Tell us about your recent work on birds. Is that your favorite species?

I've been feeding birds around my house for a number of years. So much of my photography is done when we are on trips out of state. When we're spending a lot of time traveling and I've been photographing 8-10 hours a day, it is easy to get home and put the camera away. The mundane but necessary life chores cry out for attention. Last year I saw killdeer chicks and Carolina wren chicks, but I had many other home projects going on so I didn't rush out and grab the camera - so I missed the shots. Henry bought me a book for Christmas, The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik. I got inspired to do a bird census on our 5 acres this year to see how many species frequent our property throughout the year. Some of the bird images I taking, I'm using to help identify some species that I haven't seen at my house before. An added incentive, I had a bird image taken at my sister-in-law's house that was published last summer in Nature's Best. So I am hoping that some of the bird photos will find homes in either nature or birding magazines.

Which are your plans for the future?

I'm currently making submissions to magazines and galleries as well as the major nature photography competitions. I am hoping eventually to start publishing books that will inspire people to take time each week to notice and enjoy the beautiful world around them - whether through photography, birding, walking, gardening, etc.

Do you use any special equipment to take photos?

For my bird and animal photography, I have the big Sigma 300-800mm lens with a special tripod. I LOVE this lens because it allows me to capture images that really get up close and personal with these animals without distressing the animal or disrupting its activities. Because birds are so small and skittish, this large lens lets me set up and wait for them to come in.

Any tips to share with the readers?

First, learn your camera and the basics of photography, composition and post processing with photoshop. Then go beyond and be willing to try new things and new equipment - be creative!

What do you advise new photographers?

I would advise new photographers to spend time taking lots of images - at all times of the day - in all types of weather. As in many other areas of life, patience is a virtue. You have to spend time in an area, going back again and again. Sometimes the lighting just doesn't make great images - too bright or too dark. But consistently getting out and photographing allows you to be there when the lighting or the situation becomes what I call "magical." And you can't always predict when the sun is going to light the entire sky full of clouds brilliant red or yellow. You can't predict when you're going to see a chick flutter its wings and beg for food while the mother sighs in exasperation.

Your motto?

Get yourself out photographing regularly - take LOTS of shots - you have to be out there consistently so that you will be there when the lighting, the clouds, the animal behavior all line up to create a work of art.

and

The way to guarantee you won't be published, exhibited, or win the competition is not to submit or enter. Submit, submit, submit!

Thank you!

Mary Ann's View Nature Photography Website

http://www.maryannmelton.com

Mary Ann's Blog

http://maryannmelton.blogspot.com/

Mother's Day, May 10th

Hello Everybody!

If you want a lift or want to celebrate mother's day with two lovely brand new, unpublished poems go to www.screwiowa.com and stay awhile, or go directly to Jim Daniels' wonderfully rendered poems on this week's Poet of the Week and Quote here:

http://www.screwiowa.com/MainMenu/SustainYourWritingLife/QuotePoemoftheWeek.aspx

There's a great quote, two of Jim's new poems and a bio

Go to the Master's page and read the behind-the-scenes of how poetry or anything gets written! This month we're fortunate enough to have Michael Hettich.

So come and visit, folks. Get the lowdown on how we got our name.

enjoy and Happy Mother's Day to those that are, those that wish to be, and those that in their hearts are.

Happiness to all!

Nina

-----------------

This announcement was sent to me by Nina Romano, a poet.

Thank you Nina!

A photographer is coming...

Hello visitors!

Watch out this place...a fantastic photographer is coming soon!

Her name is Mary Ann Melton.

If you love nature, then you will just love her work.



See you soon,

Liana

Cards

Would you like some greeting cards from Corfu?
Easy!
Just email me and you can have original cards from Kerkyra any time. The cards are all individual, in black ink and water color or tempera. See the sample on the left.

These cards are ideal for gifts or decorating your house. Pick up a picture from those available and an original card will be created just for you.

For those outside Greece there is a paypal option.

My latest paintings

Corfu town-the old town.

Acrylic on canvas.




Korakiana village.
Acrylic on canvas. Right picture. Tempera on paper.