artist :: etsuko ichikawa

A mesmerizing film that captures the meditative process of pyrography as done by artist Etsuko Ichikawa.   Thank you Anthropologist for going out and finding yet another inspiring individual, and sharing her brilliance with us!

.the artist's voice :: an interview with brandy kayzakian-rowe.

I remember the first time I saw Brandy's work.  It happened to be on MySpace, back when many of us were just starting to find out about social networks and setting up our profiles.  At the time, I went by the screen name Gypsypics.  So the day that I came across the name Wandering Gypsy Soul, I knew I had found myself a kindred spirit.  Brandy Kayzakian-Rowe may live in New England but her heart is deeply rooted in the South which is evident in her work, whether it be the warmth that emanates from her paintings to the soulful connections made through her photographs.  Besides being a beautiful friend, she truly is one of my favorite artists.  And so begins a new series I'm calling The Artist's Voice to share with all of you the wonderful talents and thoughts of many creative thinkers.  And today, it's Brandy's voice I want to share with you.   

KE:  What has been the biggest influence on your life as an artist?

BKR:  Well, of course all of [my favorite musicians] plus so many more.  My husband Djerek - the most passionate, creative and inspiring person I've ever met, Vincent Van Gogh, Gullah painter Jonathan Greene and also oddly enough, The Cosby Show!  haha!  I grew up watching that show (I'm roughly the same age as Rudy) and watched a parade of amazing and inspiring people including performances by Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente and Stevie Wonder.  Artists, like Jacob Lawrence and Ellis Wilson, were showcased all over the Huxtable home and truly caught my eye and imagination.  Seems funny but its true.  I really think that show had a big influence on my young mind, teaching a love of all cultures and art forms!

KE:  What are your favorite songs and/or musicians to listen to when you are busy working on a painting?

BKR:  I never paint or edit photos in silence. I find such inspiration from other artists.  Some favorites include Keb Mo, Stevie Wonder, Chicago, Brandi Carlile, Lyle Lovett, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, to name a few.  I'm kinda all over the place when it comes to music, but another great inspiration to me is film.  I have a love affair with all aspects of film-making and love to play favorites as I work. Anything by Michael Mann (my all time favorite director), Annie Hall and Manhattan (so love Woody Allen), old Sydney Lumet films, The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Munich, In the Name of the Father, At Close Range, and lately I can't get enough of watching newer films like The Town, Shutter Island, and Edge of Darkness.  Man, looking over my film favorites, I sure do like dark ones!  ha!

And of course when I'm photographing musicians, my true love, I always love to have them play as I snap away.  Nothing better than live jazz, blues, roots and soul music flowing from the source!

KE:  Do you ever struggle creatively? When you do, how do you work your way through it?

BKR:  I have artists block quite often, and when I do, I never force anything.  When I do, I never like the results.  When I get artists' block, I try to go to the places that really nurture and inspire me - things like visiting museums and galleries, film, watch and listen to my husband practice guitar (he's a fav photography subject for sure!) and oftentimes just get out in the car and take a road trip!

KE:  If you were given the opportunity of a lifetime, what would it be?

BKR:  Well... I am in the midst of putting together my musician photography portfolio to send out to agents and reps.  I have a certain agency that I really really want to be a part of.  The portfolio ships on Friday!! My dream is to spend every minute I can photographing artists at work, musicians, dancers, actors, directors and so many more.  I started about 5 years ago in Memphis and Mississippi, and then later in the Pacific Northwest.  You can see some of my work here: www.brandykayzakianrowe.com

My husband has worked tirelessly to support us both while I've been getting my photo career started and my dream is to one day support him in his music in return.

KE:  Favorite childhood memory.

BKR:  Hmmm, the first one that pops in my mind is when I was about 5 years old.  My father took me to a Padres baseball game to see Steve Garvey play.  I grew up loving baseball and he was my absolute favorite player.  After the game, we walked to where some of the players were signing autographs so I could meet him.  There was a HUGE crowd around Garvey and no way I could get near him.  So I began to cry and wail to my father, sobbing that I wanted to see Steve Garvey!  At that moment he parted the crowd and walked right over to me, picked me up and gave me a big kiss!

KE:  Got a favorite dessert?

BKR:  Mmmm, that has to be a cool slice of Key Lime pie.  Growing up in the Deep South taught me an appreciation of all things crisp and refreshing, and I can't think of anything better than that!

KE:  Any words of wisdom?

BKR:  Be passionate about everything you do, never waste time, hold close your artistic ethics.  Don't be afraid of being a hermit and when you do socialize, surround yourself with amazing and inspiring people!

To find out more about Brandy, visit her website www.brandykayzakianrowe.com

To purchase any of her artwork or products, visit her Etsy shops:

• www.etsy.com/shop/brandykayzakianrowe
• www.etsy.com/shop/nomadicnotebook

.chris h evans :: artist.

If you were to ask me who I admire most in life, who inspires me, who do I call my "hero," my answer would be my Tutu. I already know what you're thinking. 'What is a tutu? Isn't it a ballet skirt?' Ha! Yes, yes it is. But it is also the hawaiian word for grandparent. In my case, I am speaking of my grandmother, Christine Hall Evans, who was better known in the Hawai'i art community as Chris H. Evans.

Eighty-two years ago today, she was born in a little place called Watertown, Tennessee. The oldest of three, she was born a child of the Great Depression. Times were hard. Families suffered. She found adventure and solace in books. A frequent visitor to the town's local library, she always had her "nose in a book," escaping to worlds far away and to a time and place much different than her own. Her dream was to one day become an artist. After graduating from high school, like most girls her age, she began working in Watertown's hosiery factory. Having only worked there for two weeks, she quit determined to live out her dream. Despite some discouragement from family members, she made her way to Nashville, enrolling at the Watkins School of Art and Design, and later becoming one of Nashville's top fashion artists at that time. Soon, she would find herself married, a mother of three and living the life of an artist in the South Pacific.

Although she worked with several different art mediums, she is probably most well known for her soft pastel portraits of the Hawaiian people.

One of her most favorite Hawaiian subjects was that of Princess Ka'iulani, the heir to Hawai'i's Royal Crown, following in the footsteps of her aunt, Queen Lili'uokalani. The above painting portrays Princess Ka'iulani as an adolescent.

My Tutu's talents seemed endless. She balanced life as a wife and mother beside art and craft fairs. She made porcelain dolls (the kind that don't scare me!) and handmade every outfit. She taught me how to sew, knit and crochet. She encouraged my sister and I to create. I'm sure part of it was to simply keep us occupied so she could work on a commisioned piece IN peace! Ha! Everything from art, to antiquing, to cooking, to the love of reading I can truly say I owe to my Tutu.

Words fail me as I try to shed more light on who this amazing woman was, and is to me, and to our family. To share it all would fill up an entire book, which is something I still hope to do one day. This soft spoken lady from Tennessee, who traveled across the Pacific and made her home in the hearts of the many who knew her, lost her life to a stroke 10 years ago last January, three days before my 21st birthday. I still can't believe that it's been that long ago. More and more, as the days go by, especially now that I am a mother, I see her spirit live on in me, in my daughter. I can see her in my sister, my aunt, and even in my brilliant uncle! The desire to learn, to love, to create, to dream thrives in us, her family. For all the beauty and strength that you are, Tutu, I thank you. I love you deeply and God knows, I miss you terribly. Happy Birthday.

.a robin at my window.

While washing some dishes earlier today, I heard a bird *twittering* away joyously outside my kitchen window.  Totally dense, I am sometimes, I kept on cleaning the plates from breakfast, amazed at just how loud this bird was.  Then I realized, as I looked up through the steam rising from the sink, that he was sitting on my window sill.  It was as if he was trying to get my attention, as he was looking directly at me.  "Hey lady!  Spring's just a few days away!"  I laughed out loud, and I think that may have frightened the poor fellow as he flew away into a tree further from the window.  His little visit made my day.  I love robins, these messengers of spring! 

In an attempt to find a good image of an American robin to post onto this blog, I came across an article here which featured the above piece,  created by artist, Paul Brigham.  His work has an Oriental touch to it that reminds me of classic Ming Dynasty silk paintings like these featured here.  This robin painting is such a beautiful piece, I just had to share it with you!  

.poppy.

Poppy, by Menq Tsai

I am glad that the weatherman's earlier forecast of snow for today was incorrect.  Granted, it is frigid as all get out right now, but the sun. . . oh the sun. . . he is casting his warm smiles upon us now.   This week has been rough for me.  For the first time in all the years I've lived here on the mainland, winter has finally taken a toll on me.  I don't know what it is.  It doesn't help much that I've got a cold either.  Ugh.  So, in an attempt to find some springlike visual stimulation, I went online to search for images of red poppies, one of my favorite flowers.  I came across a website called fineartamerica.com, which is an online community of artists and art galleries.  That is where I found what is now one of my most favorite poppy paintings ever.  

The blissful painting of vibrant red poppies amongst hushed companions was created by a man named Menq Tsai, of Simi Valley, California.  Wanting to know more about the artist and the piece, I found very little information about him.  What I did gather was that he was an electronic engineer who had to give up his career due to a disability in 2003.  It was then that he began a life pursuing art, having never drawn or painted before then.  The site showcases several other pieces by Tsai.  I was utterly disheartened when I found out that this man with a wonderful gift, whose painting left me in such awe, lost his battle to cancer last August.  His son, Richard, left a note for many of Menq's fellow artists and fans, opening up about his father and thanking the friends who helped encourage his artwork.  Grateful for having stumbled upon his painting, I felt the need to introduce Menq Tsai's work here, to all of you.  With much reverance, I gaze upon the dreamy image of red poppies amidst hints of wildflowers, and I know that he must be smiling, truly at peace, knowing that he was and is an inspiration.