artists

Happy New Year to All!

This year has been an incredible one with so many new adventures into the Art World! Thank you all for your wonderful support, enthusiasm and of course, creativity! In 2015, we saw an amazing amount of expansion and growth.

Our first expansion was starting a new event in Toronto this year. It was truly an amazing event especially since we met a tremendous amount of aritsts, sponsors and community players. The calibre of artists in Toronto is wonderful to see and we are grateful for all the artists who participated. We are also looking forward to hosting the 2nd annual Art World Expo in Toronto and are inviting artists, galleries, and organizations to participate! If you are interested, or you know of an artist or group who would be, be sure to share our website!

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Our first Painting Dreams International Art Tour to south west France with a group of artists to the Dordogne area. What a wonderful opportunity to work with artists as well as experience French culutre, history and arts. The tour was not only incredible, but a very rewarding experience for Art World Expo as we made some amazing connections that will surely last a life time. Our second tour is scheduled for July-August 2016 and we are travelling to both France and Poland in conjunction with the European Capital of Culture in Wroclaw, Poland. If you are interested in a 12 day tour to either France or Poland, be sure to visit Painting Dreams Art Tours Info. We would love to see you participate in this international trip this year!

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A big huge thank you to all of our artists, sponsors, affiliates and volunteers for making 2015 one of the most memorable years to date! We look forward to 2016 and wish you all an abundant, creative and inspiring year ahead!

The Art World Expo’s “Intuitive Coach”, Christine Johel

By Alyssa Laube

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Christine Johel “received [her] first card deck from [her] life coach and mentor” and “was re-connected to a gift and talent: the ability to read tarot and oracle cards.” As a result of honing in on that talent, Christine started practicing as an “intuitive coach”. To elaborate on what that title entails, Johel offers the following services: Reiki, Akashic records reading, tarot and/or oracle card reading, hypnotherapy, and mediumship.

She “began [her] training in Reiki to reconnect with universal energy” and now uses it “to prepare the space for [her] clients’ session, so that they can feel like it is a safe place to express what he or she is going through.” Tarot and oracle card readings are likely a more familiar practice; Johel “reads or translates the symbols or pictures in the cards” in order to “assist [her clients] in their life’s path”. As is hypnotherapy (“used for pain management, phobias, past life regressions”) and mediumship (“used to connect clients’ [to their] love ones who have passed away into the spiritual world”). Akashic Records Reading, on the other hand, is more complicated.

“Before our soul comes to Earth, we create a contract with our source, God, or universe to learn,” says Johel. “Many people lately are questioning their life purpose and what it means to have freedom of choice. The Akashic Records have all of that information. It allows one to heal and release blockages. I use Akashic Records with my clients when they are indeed needing guidance, a change of direction, or understanding in their life.”

Christine will be offering her card readings at this year’s Vancouver Art World Expo “for three reasons”.

“First, I can offer them to a new audience,” she says. “Second, I will be able to meet, connect, and build new relationships with people who are passionate and talented in art. And last, card reading is a form of art; it is reading art on cards and relating that information to the client.”

Attendees of the Expo who visit Christine’s booth can expect the following from her card readings:

“Step 1: I invite my client to choose a card deck that has caught their eye, by colour or name. During the conversation, I will ask my client whether they want three or five card readings.

Step 2: I’ll take the cards out of the box and hold them in my hand for approximately ten seconds. Then I pass the cards to the client to hold for ten seconds, or longer if needed.

Step 3: Once the client has held the cards, they will then return them to me and I’ll begin shuffling them. I’ll invite to the client to tell me when to stop shuffling the cards.

Step 4: Once I have stopped shuffling the cards, I’ll ask the client to pick the cards, either by spreading them out or breaking the deck. If the client breaks the deck, I’ll invite them to pick cards from the top/middle/bottom.

Step 5: I will lay each card the client chooses upside down. Once all the cards are chosen, I turn them up and have them facing the client.

Step 6: I begin to read the cards by pointing to the symbols and how they relate to my client. From there, I will begin to share deeper information.”

Visit Christine and get a reading of your own by purchasing tickets for this year’s Vancouver Art World Expo!

The aesthetics of war-Mario Brondo

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Artist Mario Brondo recently completed a series of 8 videos that were shot in the Western Sahara refugee camps and mined frontier with Morocco, which is considered the largest and the one with the most mines in the world.

The series uses a different expression technique in each piece, although they have many factors that keep the unity of the piece. All the chapters are narrated by a pc robotic voice. This is rather interesting, as the “subject” speaking to us is artificial intelligence, and hence has an automated series of mistakes. To enhance that quality, Mario Brondo goes even beyond: the spoken texts come from (curated) random searches on the internet speaking of each chapter´s central theme. For instance, I will talk about 4 episodes:

Fresco shows from the distance a synthesis of the lifestyle that the improvised (but very well set) the refugee camps host. The narrator uses a poetic historic tone that transforms into an open protest towards the end. Many fragments come from Spanish soldiers´ testimonials, when they used to live in Villa Cisneros, now called Dakjla. They mostly speak of sensations, such as temperature, smell, breeze, beauty and generosity. Contrast is brutal with the images presented.

Archaeology, is perhaps the episode that best reflects the artist´s eye and taste. It is a series of still shots, that show mainly abandoned and corrodes vehicles being swallowed by the desert since 1979. Voice-over and music resources are brilliantly exploited. The text is an amalgam of Wikipedia´s Archaeology article, along with humorous interventions by the author. As all many of the resources used by Brondo in this work, music was also forced into the artwork/film, and it comes from free-license music under www pseudonim authorship.

Sirocco, is a no-nonsense, open and even violent protest to the world potencies that keep this situation since 1975. Sirocco is how the Saharaui people call the wind that comes from the Mediterranean Sea, causing sand storms that difficult even more the living of the refugees in an already indignant situation; in a desert impregnated with misery, mines, and some of the toughest weather conditions in the planet.

La Guerra (The War), is my favourite episode: It depicts the Saharaui people, claiming their freedom in a deaf shout in the middle of the desert. It also shows brave people walking through te mined camp, and how they manage to recognize the safe paths. For each mine they put off, or detect, they signalize the spot by placing flowers knit by the saharaui women. The music denotes heroism, and the voice over reads a text by Alessandro Baricco, that talks about the beauty of war, its importance, and how to overcome the fascination we experience since the beginning of human history. A real jewel!

The importance of the art in war settings can be of enormous interest for historians and politicians, as it becomes a document, and pa proof. It is also fundamental to many people, as they rarely have the opportunity to know what is it about to live in a situation of war. That generates empathy and unity among people throughout the world.

For more information, please visit Mario’s site HERE.

Dream of India: Stunning New photography Project Seeks to Paint a Picture of a Diverse and Vibrant Land

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India is arguably one of the most diverse and beautiful nations on the planet, which makes it a great subject for artistic photography. With its amazing mix of cultures and postcard scenery, there are endless opportunities. Croatian travellers Jelena Nikolic and Sanjin Kastelan are looking to share their journey through this rich and colourful nation via the media of video, photography, and blogging. They fell in love with India after working at a yoga retreat there last year, and would love to help others to do the same. Their photos are truly stunning, and really manage to capture the country’s beauty.

Jelena and Sanjin are looking to fund their project via the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. One of their focuses will be food, as they wish to display the unique culinary offerings that India has to offer. The overall aim of this project is to alter the way in which people perceive India. Oftentimes, when people think India, they think of squalor and poverty. In reality, these things exist in every nation, and are only one side to India. Perhaps this project could help to challenge preconceptions and replace prejudices with a new, more positive image. It is a fascinating artistic project that uses photos to achieve social good, which is one of the many functions of this multifaceted art form. Check it out for yourself at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dream-of-india–3#/

Art World Tips: How to Increase Your Social Media Following

by Monika Blichar

Are you an artist struggling to get traffic to your website? You are doing all sorts of things to boost your social media ranking but seeing no results. And now, you are frustrated and feeling deflated! Here our our top three tips to help you gain more followers and see results on social media! Be sure to share these tips with your art friends and if you like, leave a comment and let us know how you are doing!

1-Be Consistent

Social Media is all about being consistent with your content. If you are inconsistent, your website, blog, Instagram or Facebook will be inconsistent to your fan base. Think of your social media as if it were a store. If you are open all sorts of hours and nothing is ever the same, how do you think your customer will feel? Likely; they will be confused, disappointed and despite coming to your storefront, they leave feeling as though there just wasn’t anything there to buy! Treat your networks exsactly like a storefront. Be consistent with your content and you will gain many followers who are looking for what you have to offer.

2-Cross Promote

One of the fastest ways to grow your network is to cross promote with other artsits. Are you a visual artist but have a good friend with a tea shop? Ask your friend to run a promotion with you for one month where you both promote a piece of your art; a card, a print, or even a product with your art on it, and something from the tea shop. By cross promoting, you BOTH gain followers from one another’s networks and help each other out. Think outside the box for this one. Cross promotions are social media win wins.

3-ENGAGE

Are you posting every day but no one seems interested? Not getting any likes or comments is a big sign that you are doing something wrong on social media. Think back when you were younger and your friends reminded you that no one likes a bragger when you told them all about winning that dance competition. It’s much of the same thing on social media. If you are always posting only about yourself, your events and your products, people might become disengaged. Try to offer engaging content that is related to your industry so that people can comment or leave their opinion. Post other people’s work or events and share community news in your area. You’ll notice that your following will quickly increase and that your followers will appreciate your new strategy!

Social media can be difficult, but one of the great things about it is that it can connect you to so many potential opportunities so quickly! Be sure to try our tips this week and let us know how you are doing!

Keep making art!

Art World Expo

Urban Ubiquity-Opens in Brooklyn November 1, 2015

The Creativebloch Gallery, located at 145 Front Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn is pleased to announce our fall/winter show, “Urban Ubiquity” scheduled to open November 1. The show will feature local artists and photographers with themes relating to NYC and will run through December 5^th. For more information please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1651829538429642/1652127815066481

Some of the artists and photographers include, Chris Lyzcen, Chad Martin, Joanne Borek, Nicole Maron and Joe Bloch.

Creativebloch is a studio/gallery/shop that promotes emerging artists. Joe Bloch is the artist in residence and curator. He has over 25 years experience in both the commercial and fine art world. He became well known for his medical art and has illustrated countless books and journals for many top surgeons and physicians around the world. Over the span of his career, he has branched out as a painter, creative director and curator. His goal with Creativebloch, is to support community efforts to keep artists and art in the creative post industrial neighborhood of DUMBO, Brooklyn.

Joe’s highly textured acrylic paintings are part of the permanent collection at Creativebloch. He draws on his illustration and art background and gritty Brooklyn history for inspiration. Many layers are built up over a period of weeks in Acrylic.

For more information visit www.creativebloch.com.

Aidan Liban-Street Artist in London

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Aidan Liban first started doing street art in London in 2013. When he debuted his cops and robbers street art in 2013. The concept was fantastic. The tongue-in cheek of it is essentially the most poignant aspect of it. The fact that a robbery is taking place whilst a police van is in the background makes this artwork so daring, fun and unique.

He’s always had a flair for stencil and graffiti art and his body of work best demonstrates that. Here are some of his pieces:

Pictured 1 Cops and Robbers (2013)

Pictured 2: Kangaroo Rumble with the King (2015)

Pictured 3: London Jungle (2013)

Last but not least, earlier this year Aidan showcased another piece that blew people’s mind. ‘The kangaroo Rumble with the king’. It’s his most elaborate work to date and requires some serious skills. He demonstrated an incredible level of artistic skill to create this magnificent street art. This is based on a stencil of a photo of one of Muhammad Ali’s famous fights. And by adding a kangaroo to the mix it’s a great juxtaposition which is typical of graffiti street art. This makes it this light hearted and magical.

You can view more of his work on his twiiter : https://twitter.com/AidanLiban_Art

And check out his Facebook: Aidan Liban Art

Thank you TORONTO!

We had an excellent event in Toronto and are so pleased with all who participated and attended! Here is a sampling of what happened, thank you to POPNSHOP EVENTS for covering the event!

A full list with the respective winners of the 2015 Art World Expo TORONTO Body Painting Competition will be posted shortly!

Enjoy!

Testing the Limits: An Interview with M.U.A. Mark Boyer

Artist Spotlight Mark Boyer

by Alyssa Laube

Mark Boyer of 3BArtistry is a creative renaissance man. Under his company name, he works in set design, makeup artistry, body painting, and sculpting. It’s hard to imagine how someone could juggle so many professions without having a specialty, but that’s exactly what Boyer claims to be. In other words, he’s a jack of all trades in the art world. Although he’ll be partaking in the body painting competition at the Art World Expo, he doesn’t seem to limit himself to any one field. Instead, he views his combined talents as a single area of expertise.

“My specialty is actually blending all of [my skills],” he illuminated. “Whether I’m sculpting flesh wounds in silicone or clay, body painting someone green, or creating a wearable piece of art like a monster suit, it’s all a form of makeup to me. When it’s most powerful, the different elements all come together to make someone look beautiful, or different, or scary.”

All three of those adjectives perfectly describe 3Bartistry’s portfolio. His work with face and body paint focuses on changing the whole person to be something surreal and illusory. Almost every piece looks like something you’d find in a circus or haunted festival, though there are still times when a simple eyeliner-and-lipstick looks is also needed. The diverse talent coming out of 3BArtistry has also led Mark in another direction: working on film sets. This makes sense when attention is drawn to his latest goals.

“I’ve progressed towards special effects geared to the film industry, and one of my current projects is as a SPFX technician for film. When I’m not on set, I take gigs in everything else for variety and to keep my skills sharp. Plus,” he added, “I like to stay busy!”

Maybe that’s why he practices so many art forms in so many environments. Ten years ago, Boyer worked as a face painter and “wanted to gain a better sense of what [he] could do with makeup as a medium.” To satisfy this desire, he attended Complextions International (CMU College) and was excited by all of the opportunity he discovered. That excitement led him to Bodyssey, where he partook in his first body painting competition and met his now-girlfriend, Red Herring. After that, Boyer spent two years sculpting mascots and, finally, returned to freelancing with other forms of makeup.

Herring and Boyer collaborate on many of the looks produced by 3BArtistry. “We’ve been painting together for over 7 years. She knows my style and what I can do,” he added. “She likes to test my limits.” The back-and-forth between the two artists must contribute to what makes their art so unique. The audience is guaranteed to get something creative out of 3BArtistry at the body painting competition, as foretold by Boyer’s plans for the event.

“I’m thinking about a darker feel in the fairy world since my thoughts are moving closer to Halloween. Trolls, giants, and evil kings interest me so, unsurprisingly, I’m a huge fan of Tolkien, Brian Froud, and H.R. Giger. To start, I’ll pick out a character and a few ideas. Then i’ll dig through my house full of props and sketch out a body template design, but nothing specific. Sometimes I make significant changes once I get on-site. At these competitions, I see a lot of great competitors out there and I like to challenge myself to create something unique. It will also come down to my models ability to live within my work; I have a few people in mind who are exceptional at acting and posing,” he contemplated. “Ideally, everything will work in harmony and I’ll be able to craft something that really wows the audience.”

Come see what 3BArtistry creates at the Toronto Art World Expo’s body painting competition!

LIVE INTERVIEW: LIVE PAINTING WITH VERA IN TORONTO!

Check out Vera Malitskaya, one of the lastest live painters to join the Art World Expo Toronto event on October 2! Vera will be live painting on site and has invited guests to participte in the process of creating a piece! Her piece will be auctioned off at the end of the evening with 50% of the funds going directly to the artist and the other 50% to Make and Break Arts Foundation. MABAF supports Art World Expo’s production costs as well as varied initiatives including Kids Summer Art Programs in North Vancouver, Monstars and Beasts Haunted House and arts programming through operational costs.

For more information about Vera’w work, please visit: http://www.veramalitskaya.com/