I'm Back!

Hello fellow bloggers,

I've decided to pick up this blog again...it's been too quiet around here!

So be watching out for posts...I gotta get some material together.

See you soon!

~YourFellowArtist

Designer Skyline

This post will be mostly photos, because I've recently become infatuated with photographing sunsets and sunrises. I love the sky, I think it's one of the most incredible features of the earth. No matter where you are, you can always look up and see something amazing at all times. Sunrises, sunsets, clouds, stars, thunderstorms, etc. It's spectacular! So I want to share some of my experiences with everyone.

Pretty in Purple. Heather McCuiston, Oct 2010

I'll start with my personal favorite, which I call "Pretty in Purple." I was at the grocery store and happened to look up and notice the vibrant colors. I just had to capture that moment.

Barnyard Skyline. Heather McCuiston, Oct 2010

This was right after a light rain, just as the clouds were starting to clear and the sun was going down. It's surprising what an amazing picture can result from two completely ordinary and routine events.

Key Largo Beauty. Heather McCuiston, July 2009

This is another one of my personal favorites. I took this one when I went to the Florida Keys last summer. Me and the family went out to the docks every evening to watch these sunsets.

Silver Lining. Heather McCuiston, Oct 2010

This was just before dusk began. It was cloudy all day that day, and the clouds were amazing all day long. So I took a snapshot for everyone to remember October of 2010.

Falls Lake. Heather McCuiston, Sept 2010

This was at Falls Lake as the sun was setting over the water. If you look closely, you'll notice the shoreline on the far right side. It was perfect.

Sunrays at State. Heather McCuiston, Sept 2010

I was on Hillsborough street right behind the NC State campus when I took this. I thought the effect was incredible. Even when there are holes in the clouds, something beautiful can come of it.

Thespian Moon. Heather McCuiston, August 2010

This didn't come out as clear as I would have liked, but the clouds still look pretty amazing. I loved the way the clouds were seemingly masking the moonlight, yet they ended up magnifying its light.

Sun Through the Trees. Heather McCuiston, Oct 2010

Last but certainly not least, this is another shot I took at the lake with my Holga. The explanation is simple: Dusk through the trees over the water.

Breast Strokes

 Who would ever imagine a woman painting...not with a paintbrush, but with her breasts? Surprisingly enough, a new artist named Kira Ayn Varszegi has been recently discovered and made famous for her paintings, which are never touched by a paintbrush., but by her breasts.

Kira Varszegi displays one of her more notable breast paintings (2008.)

When Varszegi first entered the marketplace, people rightly thought that her idea was crazy. But when she produced surprisingly beautiful paintings, everybody was shocked. Since 2001, Varszegi has sold over 600 paintings on eBay and through her online store. In her autobiography, she claims that she sees herself as one of the first professional artists to see breast painting as an art form instead of a fetish or sexual activity. "I enjoy life's gray areas," she says, "working with nontraditional methods and mediums."

"Garden of Hope"

a

"Insomnia"

When it comes to the mediums, Varszegi  has a large variety that other artists would never think to use, such as coffee, red wine, blueberries, tempera, and many others. She has managed to be very successful with her out-of-the-ordinary style, as each painting sells at an average of $570.

For a complete autobiography and gallery, visit her website.

Money Art

One very different sculpture made solely of money

Did you ever expect to see your dollars being put to a use other than spending or saving it? Most people cringe when they see Justine Smith's different spin on art. Not only does Smith make sculptures out of paper, but also out of money itself. Readers call her work "priceless...literally!"

"Specimen (IV) Turkmenistan" made with wire, German currency, and a real fly

This talented artist came almost out of nowhere, having come from London and bringing with her the idea that money, in a physical aspect, is only paper. It is the value with which we mentally associate it that makes it so valuable. Therefore, why can't art work be the same way?

Justine Smith

 Because her idealistic approach holds its own truth, Smith's work has been highly exhaulted worldwide. She now sculpts for the British Council and the UK Art Collection, two of the most prestigious collectors in Europe. Hats off to this young artist for creating her own money's worth!

More pictures from her online gallery:

"Money Map of Africa"

"Love"

"Instrument of State- Iran"

 Want more? Visit Justine Smith's website and gallery

"Weird Art" Takes its Toll on the Market

An anti-smoking advertisement

So I stumbled upon a small trivial website called "Fun Forever" and found a few interesting pieces done by various retailers as an attempt to sell their products. What has customers confused, however, is how the extremity of the ads can help the retailer instead of stealing all the attention away from the original product.

Chanel Ads:

Chanel designer Erwin Olaf brings the jazzy denim boot to center stage by putting some heads together

On FunForever's list of the top 10 weirdest artists in marketing, Erwin Olaf topped the list. His unique photographs are famous not for their brand-name fashion specifics, but rather for their ability to catch peoples' eye and draw attention almost immediately. Not only do his pictures fuse the heads of beautiful women with the walls behind them, but also bizzarre ideas with the marketplace. To view his entire online gallery, visit his website.


PS2 Ads

PlayStation's recent ad with Sony technology...quite the eye catcher

With a little help from some of Sony's latest technology,  the PlayStation video gaming retailers put together advertisements that have effectively gotten customers' attention. Thanks to an online video gaming forum, NetGeo.com, I was able to view peoples' responses to some of the ads that were being produced by the company. Customers reveal that while the pictures definitely grabbed their attention, they were a little too creepy for someone who doesn't know about PlayStation's new marketing trend.

Pepsi Ads

Pepsi's new topsy-turby taste

Although Pepsi is no stranger to the art world, its new compilations of ordinary pictures and Photoshop certainly are. This particular picture is a few years old and is still getting attention from online forums and discussion boards, such as MG's Blog and Ad Busters. 

Here are a few of Pepsi's newest and weirdest ads:

For the Mini Cans

Pepsi Twist advertisement

For the Pepsi Lite

Those were a few of the weird advertisements I found earlier tonight...if anyone wants to see more let me know!

New Options for Body Art

DISCLAIMER: Some of the images published in this post may be disturbing or unsuitable for certain audiences. View with caution.

The ancient art of tattooing  as we know it has taken a strong stand in peoples' lives in the past hundred years. From the time of its earliest forms of Native American war paint to its most modern form, the concept of the tattoo has continued to evolve along with the various cultures of mankind. Today, tattoos are used as a symbol of character, each image reflecting a certain facet of one's personality and lifestyle.

                 A sketch of the earliest tattooing tools made of bone       

Modern tattooing tools

While tattoos may not be everyone's cup of tea, their industry has definitely reached a very broad spectrum of people as the technology to create these designs advances.

In recent years, the tattoo removal industry has begun to grow. More and more testimonies arise within the market regarding peoples' desire to remove tattoos they have grown tired of. Already in Los Angeles, there have been a few businesses come to center stage offering laser tattoo removal. Because of the dangers this procedure has on the skin, however, not many people are willing to undergo the process and walk away with scar tissue or possible skin damage.

The very first removable tattoo ink was tested on Schmieg himself

In response to this growing business, Martin Schmieg, CEO of a company called Freedom-2 Inc., has recently introduced the idea removable tattoo ink. This ink is made with all natural pigments that match most skin tones and are reversable with the use of a laser. Because this ink is placed just beneath the dermis, the body is able to easily disperse the pigments and get rid of them easier. Freedom-2 will officially launch this ink to the retail market autumn of 2011.

Jewel Eye

Although technology is generally a good thing for most people, it can also introduce a few speed bumps. Although new heights and capabilities have been reached in this industry, most of the latest technology is too controversial to quickly gain popularity. In the Netherlands, for example, the newest trend for tattooing is Jewel Eye, or tattooing on peoples' eyes. As the name may imply, a person can now get a small metal shard inserted beneath the top layer of the eye. The means by which this process is made possible are far too dangerous to avoid controversy.

The controversial eye tattoo

In case the idea of inserting a jewel into someone's eye isn't bizarre enough, there is always the new possibility to change the whites of your eyes to be a different color. The unnerving idea has the people of Canada dumbfounded, as Canada is the home of the innovator of this technology. The tattooing of eyes has not yet reached the United States simply because many people see the idea as unethical or inhumane. We'll just have to watch the process spread and see what happens!

Pictures Encore

I got a few requests for more pictures of the unique Holga camera in my last post, so here are some of the designs:

The most recent Holga color pallet (135 mm)

Holga fisheye lens. Gives pictures spherical demension

An example of a photo taken with the fisheye lens

A 135 3D Slide Mount. Used to accompany 3D negatives when inserted into camera

Available color gels give photos a single color 

Latest model Holga Film camera, added flash

Last but not least, the Holga digital, also known as the latest and greatest of vintage lomography

So I hope these pictures helped give you guys a better idea of what the Holga looks like as well as its capabilities. The Holga is moderately inexpensive, starting at $50 for a basic 135 mm film camera.  [All photographs courtesy of HOLGA online photo archive.]