Fine art photographer Tom Kiefer wanted to portray America. But when he took a day job as a janitor at a US Customs Border Protection Facility near the US-Mexico border, a disturbing discovery changed his photography – and his life – forever.
Join us on a voyage without leaving home! Experience Canada's Yukon Territory through the eyes of its artists as Artful Vagabond's Serena Kovalosky takes you on an artful tour, in collaboration with international art magazine, ACS Magazine.
Leningrad, Russia – 1970s. A talented young painter, Ilya Shevel, enters the Secondary Art School of Russia’s Academy of Fine Art, but finds the Soviet-mandated academic style of realism too restrictive and “uninteresting.” At home, the artist is surrounded by the art and creative thinking that truly inspires him. His father, architect Vladimir Shevel (Shevelenko), enjoys... Continue Reading →
America in the 1950s holds a certain nostalgia, especially for those of us baby boomers who were born during the two decades immediately following World War II. Life was simpler back then and the world was a kinder, gentler place that was filled with magic that came from our unlimited imaginations. There were no cell... Continue Reading →
The kaleidoscope is a fascinating visual toy, with its name derived from Ancient Greek meaning “observer of beautiful forms.” It magnificently alters the scene before you, as bits and pieces of life are reflected off tiny mirrors to create beautiful, mandala-like images that shift and change, depending on where you point it. Tathi Premchand is... Continue Reading →
The artist is the ultimate observer, a visual journalist of sorts, depicting travels far and wide in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realms. Some artists are very grounded in their sense of place in the physical world while others use their art as a vehicle in their search for a place to call “home.”... Continue Reading →
There is a legend among the Inuit of the Northwest Territories of Canada that tells the story of Kujiak, a young boy who was considered an outcast by his mother and three sisters and forced to live with the dogs in the foyer of their igloo. He had made himself a knife in order to... Continue Reading →
In most creative realms, trends are often what drives sales and, particularly in recent years, a majority of the large-scale, commercially-driven art, music, film and literature we consume is created from proven “formulas” and popular themes. I am always grateful to discover artists who explore subjects, themes and styles that are outside of the mainstream... Continue Reading →
Humble organics in the service of a greater purpose. The deeply complex abstract paintings of Saba Hasan from New Delhi, India have a universal language that transcends culture and politics and speaks directly to the heart. Hasan’s materials are her alphabet. She’s been known to use nails, fabric, sand and leaves, slashing the work and... Continue Reading →
[Today’s featured artwork for Day 105 of the 365 Days Project is by Lenny Novak.] How do we keep the roots of our culture, our traditions as we move forward in the contemporary world? #105 – The Artist Mind is always moving towards innovation. Keeping the roots of tradition while moving forward is a delicate... Continue Reading →
[Today’s featured artwork for Day 93 of the 365 Days Project is by Patricia Boyd.] This is what happens when the imagination is given free reign... #93 – The Artist Mind, when allowed complete freedom, sees unlimited potential in the humblest of materials. Even gourds. Gourds are an unusual medium for sculpture but Patricia Boyd... Continue Reading →
[Today’s featured artwork for Day 90 of the 365 Days Project is by Tapas Das.] #90 – The culture of color Since the beginning of the year, the 365 Days Project has evolved to include artists from around the world. One of the most interesting discoveries from this global exploration of art is the insights... Continue Reading →
[Today’s featured artwork for Day 82 of the 365 Days Project is by Bright Oppong-Obimpeh.] As artists, we must sometimes become orphans to the world to see things as if for the very first time. #82 – The Artist is a master observer who can see what familiarity can make us forget. Several years ago,... Continue Reading →
As an artist living in a society in transition, I was becoming concerned about the place of art in these shifting times. Relationships and visual experiences seem to be moving from real life to the virtual world, and I wondered whether art, galleries and the living artists of today were in danger of becoming disconnected... Continue Reading →
Previous posts: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V 29 hours awake. Another full day of firekeeping ahead. The intermittent waves of sleepiness I had been experiencing have now turned into a constant struggle to keep my eyes open. Rick, on the other hand, isn’t showing any signs of fatigue as we... Continue Reading →
Previous posts: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV Our third night visitor arrives with a two-year-old in her arms. She’s a young mother, staying with her husband and son in one of the tents in the park. She settles by the fire with the child in her lap and I detect a slight... Continue Reading →
To read previous posts, click: Part I, Part II or Part III I recognize her from the Pow Wow. Our first night visitor arrives as Rick, Carolyn and I are sitting outside the fire circle, continuing our discussion on firekeeping and the teachings of The Old Ways. Rick had told me that people often... Continue Reading →
To read previous posts, click: Part I or Part II It is now daylight and the settlement is coming alive in preparation for the first day of the Pow Wow. Rick’s wife, Carolyn, emerges from their tent and we enjoy an early morning chai tea to wake us up and warm our bones. Carolyn is... Continue Reading →
To read the beginning of the story, click: Part I 4:30AM. It is still dark when I arrive at the pow wow site to meet firekeeper Rick Hunt for the dawn ceremony. Tents, tipis and campers are arranged in a large circle around the perimeter of the park and I walk quietly through the settlement... Continue Reading →
At the very edge of the Adirondack Mountains, the rural village of Whitehall, New York provides an extraordinary setting for an annual Intertribal Pow Wow. Native Americans from New England and beyond gather in the park by the canal and set up camp for a weekend of dancing, drumming, seeing old friends and meeting new... Continue Reading →
