Eventful – A Must For Bands

September 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Every now and then I run into something that will be beneficial to our readers and artists; today I did just that.  I never would have found it if it had not been brought to my attention.  This great find is eventful.com. 

Eventful.com is a web site that has a great little widget for band members to embed into their web site, MySpace, or Facebook profiles.  It allows your fans to demand you, which means it gives your fans the ability to demand you play in their area.  What’s super cool about this is…

  1. It allows others to see that you are in demand, because it gives them a list to see of who demanded you and where.  This adds credibility to you, and shows your popularity
  2. You can reference it to promoters and gig venues, giving them the ability to see that people are demanding you play in their area.
  3. It allows you or your promoter the ability to see where you fan base is and helps you track where your shows should be booked, narrowing down the city and possibility speeding up time.

As a musician or artist a like you should know the importance of demand for your art or music.  Without it you don’t exist, you don’t get the big gigs, you don’t open for the big bands, you don’t show or display your work.  Eventful.com is a web site that tracks your demand, and gives it credibility!  It is your word of mouth advertising…in a way.

Filed Under: Music Industry

Trans-Siberian Orchestra – St.Pete Times Forum

September 13, 2008 By Leave a Comment

On November 14th, just in time for the holidays, the legendary sound of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes to Tampa, playing at the St.Pete Times Forum.  We’ve all heard their enchanting and electrifying renditions of some of the best Christmas carols; to some it wouldn’t be the Christmas season without hearing their songs. Now they are playing live for us to hear and see the magic unfold on stage.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) has not been through Tampa since 1999.  When they come, they bring the magic of their Rock, Jazz  and Classical Orchestra sound; mixed with unmatched staging and pyrotechnics to put on the show of shows to kick off the 2008 holiday season here in Tampa.  If you miss out on this event, it may be quite a while before they return.  Bring the magic of this great show to your children and family making a memory to last a life time.

Tickets go on sale September 13th at the McDonald’s Box Office at the Forum, or at any Ticket Master Outlet.  Tickets are $35.00 and $45.00, and prices do not include service charges.

Filed Under: Events Tagged With:

The Wiggles at St. Pete Times Forum

September 11, 2008 By 1 Comment

[PRESS RELEASE - ST. PETE TIMES FORUM]

Get ready for “Pop Go The Wiggles Live!” – presented by Toys“R”Us. The most successful family entertainment band in history, The Wiggles, are setting out on their most rhythmic adventure to date as they invite fans to “Romp Bomp A Stomp,” do “The Monkey Dance,” and “Move like an Emu.” Join The Wiggles, Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog and all the Wiggly Dancers as part of the All-New live concert tour coming to Tampa.

Come and wiggle in the aisles as the Pop Go The Wiggles Live! Tour brings The Wiggles highly interactive, fun and educational message to Tampa. Audience participation features include:

- Having fun with your favorite wiggly pal as they sing and dance through the audience
- Start the fun at home by creating a Wiggles sign and/or dressing up as your favorite character
- Yelling “Wake up, Jeff!” whenever the loveable Purple Wiggle falls asleep onstage.
- Bringing roses, for dancing pal Dorothy the Dinosaur, and bones, for canine comedian Wags the Dog, that The Wiggles and Wiggly Dancers collect during the show

About The Wiggles
The Wiggles, the world’s #1 preschool band, performed 300 shows to more than 1.5 million fans since 2005 in the United States alone. The Wiggles perform over 200 shows annually across four continents. Fans can catch The Wiggles twice daily on Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney™ block. The Wiggles have sold more than 22.5 million videos in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

November 22nd, 2008 shows at 1:30 and 5:00 PM

Tickets are on sale at all Ticket Master outlets or at the St. Pete Times Forum Box Office.  Prices are $18, $24, $28 and $38

Filed Under: Events Tagged With:

Photography Tips – Soft Focus

September 8, 2008 By 1 Comment

Here is a handy little tool that can enhance the ambiance of your picture, but it must be done correctly or it can destroy your photo.  Knowing how and when to use this particular filter is important for any photographer.

Uses

  • Softens age lines
  • Adds an intimate effect to portraits or pictures
  • Can be used to add effects to a photo

What Does It Do

We know the uses, but what does it do?  A soft focus filter takes the edges of a properly focused subject and softens the photo, including edges which can reduce the harsh age lines, skin blemishes etc.  To sum it up, it slightly blurs the picture.  When a soft focus picture is done correctly, it will look soft and intimate, when the picture was poorly executed it will look completely out of place and/or blurry.

Good Scenarios To Use Soft Focus

  • Weddings (Formals)
  • Engagement Photos
  • Maternity Photos
  • Some portraits
  • Seasoned individuals
  • Kids/adults with bad skin imperfections (Does not mask acne)

When you decide to do a soft focus filter, I suggest taking 2 pictures; one with and one without the filter so the client will be happy either way.  Some people don’t like the soft effect and if there are no other options you can lose a sale over it.  Some people on the other hand won’t take a photo without the filter.  Also, make sure that the filter will fit the situation.  If you use the photo for something like automobile photography, or something more intense it will look out of place and unprofessional.  As a professional photographer, know when to use it and don’t let the client dictate it for you.  If there is no compromise, do what I said and take 2 pictures 1 with and 1 without.

In my experience, I found the best way to use the soft focus filter is to

  1. Place your camera firm on a tripod
  2. Get your angles and settings correct
  3. Focus your subject
  4. Add the filter right before shooting the subject (to ensure the photo is properly focused)
  5. Take the photo.

If you don’t focus the subject correctly the picture will be very blurry and unattractive.  Once the filter is on the camera, it’s very hard to focus correctly manually or automatically because it does slightly distort the photo.  By focusing the subject first, you eliminate the hassle of looking through a semi-blurry piece of glass to focus properly.  I suggest a tripod for these shots because any slight movement will only make the effect greater, its gonna be soft, you don’t want it worse with movement.

Filed Under: Photography

Yoush Jones – Acrylic Artist

September 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Having years of art behind me, I know that acrylic paints are one of the hardest paints to work with.  They don’t layer as oils do, they can become muddy faster than oils, but on the bright side clean up is easy! Yoush Jones is an acrylic artist that makes the hard task of acrylic painting into a masterpiece.

I looked at his entire collection, carefully studying each piece. I find his work stunning, and found some of the strong points of his talent shown throughout each piece.  Those traits are:

Yoush’s style is one of the things I admire most.   It’s similar to the ancient Japanese style of art found usually on bamboo or rice paper. Closer to home, his work is very consistent to the early Americana style of art.  Coming from New England, I grew up admiring that style of work which is a huge part of my heritage. If you don’t know what I am talking about, think of a painting of a town all lined up, nothing 3D just very simple. Sometimes you find a 3D picture from an early American type painting, but the 2D is just so much more beautiful and profound.

When Yoush paints, he not only creates a beautiful picture but each one tells a story.  In many ways the story overtakes the painting, making it seem life like, you can almost hear it speak.  You may be able to relate to the story it tells or you may get a totally different understanding from someone else.  Telling a story through art is not an easy thing to do, yet Youshm does it so boldly.

I also admire Yoush’s  ability to make the art look aged.  This is something painters and artists struggle to do, they usually don’t want to make it look brand new.  His ability to successfully accomplish this, shows he has a talent that is very valuable in the art field.

Check out his collection online at www.artwanted.com/yosuh.  Also keep an eye out for him in local art galleries around the Tampa Bay area.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With:

Sing-A-Long Little Mermaid

September 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Here is a great event for parents with children, Disney’s timeless “Little Mermaid” is coming to Tampa Theatre for a three day sing-a-long event.

Fri., Sept. 12 at 7:30 *
Sat., Sept. 13 at 2:00 & 7:30
Sun., Sept. 14 at 2:00
Doors open 1 hour before showtime

TICKETS: $11.50 – $9.50
$11.50  Adult
$10.50  Student (with ID)
$9.50    Senior, Military
Tampa Theatre was specially selected as one of the few theaters in the country to host Sing-A-Long Little Mermaid.  Be part of the music, fun and excitement under the sea and experience the animated classic in a whole new way! Sing along with Disney’s The Little Mermaid as the words appear on the screen for each song! PLUS!  Be a star in the Audience Costume Parade on stage before every movie!  Come dressed as your favorite character or in a costume inspired by the movie.   1989/1:23/musical, family/35mm

 * Opening Night Special Guest

Meet a Real Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid
Friday, September 12 at 7:30 (doors open at 6:30)
Have your photo taken with a Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaid. 
 
To order tickets:
1. In person at the Tampa Theatre Box Office (due to having multiple shows with multiple discounts per show, we are unable to create a convenient online ticketing model at this time. But don’t panic! With four shows in our 1400 seat-auditorium, we’ll have plenty of room for everyone! As always, we recommend that you aim to arrive at the Theatre early to secure near-by parking, avoid lines at the box office and have a better selection of seats. The Theatre and the box office will open one hour prior to showtime, so come on down and be “part of our world”!)
Filed Under: Events, Film Tagged With: ,

Purple Studio Productions- Recording History

September 4, 2008 By Leave a Comment

A CD for a band is like a business card to the rest of us.  An average and bland business card might not gain the interest of our potential clients, like one that is well done and pleasing to the eye.  Business cards identify and represent us, as an album does for a band.  If the album is boring, not well mixed or does not represent the band’s true talents, it’s like giving out that plain business card… it gets lost in the shuffle.  Purple Studio Products, run by Miguel Gonzalez is out to change that.

Miguel is a multi-talented artist in the music industry, based in Miami, who brings his clients a different perspective and knowledge to studio production.  Miguel wants to help each artist create, play and write songs to the best of their ability.  Unlike some producers, Miguel has written songs and spent a lot of time on stage so he has been on both sides of the spectrum in terms of the artist-producer relationship.

With his years of experience, Miguel can help any band or artist with their specific needs.  He has a vast list of back-up singers and studio musicians to fit the specific needs of his clients.  In the studio all the flaws are brought out. With Miguel’s advice and resources, he can fill voids or weaknesses the band may have to help them make the best recording possible.  “The microphone doesn’t show the people what clothes you wear, how rich you are, or what car you drive; it only shows talent.”  To be a successful artist you have to be able to capture your raw songs onto CD, and Purple Studio Productions is in the business of helping you do it with excellence.

Miguel’s resume makes him an expert in the field.  He has either produced, performed, toured or written with: Mary Carlson, Bo Bice- American Idol Runner Up, Matt Kramer of Saigon Kick, Spread Eagle formally known as Radio, All Points West, 16 Second Stare, Black Ties, and Brian Howe of Bad Company to mention a few. Currently he tours with Brian Howe and has written many songs for him throughout the last 10 years.  Miguel also helped produce songs with All Points West, that took them from an ordinary band to movie sound track artist for movies from Spike Lee Productions.  He brings this knowledge and experience to each band he produces.

If you are a band looking for a studio that will develop you and make you a success, contact Miguel Gonzalez at 305-624-7987.

Filed Under: Music Industry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

PineHill – A Diverse Talent

September 4, 2008 By 3 Comments

Ringo Star, the legendary Beetle drummer, once said “If you are over the age of 40, the chances of making it in this industry are slim to none if your just starting out.” I guess PineHill didn’t listen, because they are a mixture of talent with ages ranging from 24 to 60, and they are doing fine.  PineHill is comprised of: Morgan More - vocals and bass, Kyle James – Six Strings, and Steve – Percussion.

With such a diverse age group, they all agree that it helps bring different aspects to the table in terms of their music and sound making them as successful as they are today.  “Sure we argue, but it all works out for the best at the end.”

The band didn’t just magically appear together one day, in fact the band as you know them today, came about as an accident gone right.  Originally it was Steve and Morgan with another friend that made up PineHill, they were being recorded by long time friend Kyle.  When the last member of the band left, they had nobody to play the guitar. One night while recording, they asked Kyle if he wanted to take a break from the recording session and jam out a bit.  It was then they found their third member and they pulled him from retirement.  They say “we are 3 completely different pieces to this puzzle, but it fits perfectly in the end.”

Having watched the band live, I can attest to that last statement, they do fit perfectly despite the completely different styles; which creates a unique sound and energy from within that makes PineHill, PineHill.  Steve is an extremely talented drummer who is amazing to watch. Kyle has a gift to pick, and can rock with the best of them. Morgan, sporting dreadlocks thrashes those locks while singing his heart out.

Currently they have found a fan base and people really dig their sound.  They are starting to book shows all around the state of Florida, including cities like Jacksonville, Gainesville, and the Tampa Bay area.  In January the band starts to tour other states including: Tennessee, Georgia, South & North Carolina and St. Louis Missouri.  Keep checking their MySpace to see if they are coming to your neighborhood.

If you want to see PineHill check out their MySpace account www.myspace.com/pinehillrdfor all tours and shows, plus listen to their songs.  Don’t forget to check their movie PodCast in our podcast section, hear their interview and watch them jam out live on stage.

Filed Under: Bands & Singers Tagged With: , , ,

Nora Gonzalez – Customized Clothing

September 4, 2008 By 4 Comments

Have you ever worked in the clothing design industry before setting out on your own?

Yes, I did work for a fashion designer from Dominican Republic. She had a brand new Fashion company in Boca Raton, Florida and I was in charge of sketching and designing her whole fall collection for the Montreal Runway, Canada in 2001.

What gave you the idea to make clothing like you do?

While working for the above mentioned brand, I was hired to design a commemorative items for the events of September 11th. We discussed the possibility of translating those images to jeans, that is when I started hand painting on denim. After this event I fell in love with denim and the hand painting technique, and right away focused on clothing in this new area of expertise.
 
How long have you been doing this art?

I have been a designer/painter/graphic designer since 1990 but I gave impulse to hand painting after 2001
 
Has it been a rewarding journey thus far?  If so what’s one of your fondest memories on the journey?

It has been a very rewarding experience in terms of creation and new techniques; and also it was very exciting having the chance to meet artists and designers from all over the world. My fondest memory and more recent, has been a trip that I made with my pregnant sister to a show hosted in Tampa. We drove for four hours at night, crossing Florida from east to west, sharing all kinds of experiences, and enjoying the landscape, fauna, birds and wildlife so attractive and typical of our state. I had one of the best weekends ever full of fun, sun and new people, with a touch of support given by my sister that made it a perfect weekend.
 
What kind of clothes do you do the art on?  Is it just for women?

In the beginning I worked only on women’s clothes, mostly youth and teen styles; jeans and jackets are my first chosen products. After a while I incorporated graphic tees for woman and men. I then turned to baby clothing, printed and painted onesies, toddlers shirts; today I’m featuring my new line of bigger and plus sizes. I also work on accesories such as purses, wrist-lets and canvas tote bags, I also paint denim earrings with paisley adornments. I have a small art gallery using the same technique on fabric for canvas.
 
What is your take on art today, how has it impacted your life.

Art is in my daily routine. Sometimes we categorize art as an expression of the artist translated on paper, canvas or clothes, but I believe art is in all we do and there are times when managing certain situations requires a lot of art.
 
How do you keep up with the trends to keep your art fresh and stylish for those who love your work.

I spend hours getting feedback and information of today’s fashion trends from online websites, magazines, shows and conventions. I keep my eyes open on other designers who inspire me and I learn everyday a little bit more.
 
Knowing where you are now, and how you got here, would you change anything or do anything different?

I have more than I expected, I learned more than I expected, and I suffered more too; but I say it with a lot of enthusiasm and thankful for all that I received and done. I wish I had chosen to study fashion design first, before graphic design, because it took me longer to do what I love doing now. Honestly though, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do for sometime after graduating.
 
What is the most satisfying thing for you when you finish a piece of clothing?

When I look at my creations after finishing my pieces I feel proud; mostly I love what I see, and I dream of the person wearing it. Another feeling that blows my mind is knowing that the new owner of my piece could be in any other part of the globe. I felt that with the first t-shirt I sold to a customer in Greece and still gives me the chills! Another interesting story, when I designed a peacock dress for a girl who intended to wear it at her Bridal Shower.  She bought a skirt too with the same motif because she loved the design; to me this was a wonderful feeling, knowing that my dress was going to be in that very important day of her life.
 
What has been your biggest challenge to date?

My biggest challenge has two sides: Budgeting and re-investing money in one side and the distribution of time in the other side.
 
Advertising and marketing, how important are they to your line of work?

This is a very important topic. Since January 2008 I spent many hours and resources getting my name out there and I mean through cyber-space. I advertise in at least 10 websites, forums, fashion pages, shows and events.
 
What’s your view on the appreciation people have with art today, as opposed to when you were younger?

When I was younger I lived in South America, more specifically Argentina, where people love art. Besides the timing, location also makes a big difference. Globally speaking, art after the 70s legacy was very strong in our minds and cultures and now I see it more relaxed, like a light culture of art. On the good side, art now is everywhere, thanks to the Internet; but also due to new disciplines, like art painted or printed on clothing. One of my favorite designers, Roberto Cavalli, makes a piece of art in every outfit. That wasn’t seen in my youngest years, not that I can remember.
 
Your clothing can be done 1 time, for 1 person, that’s it…. who would you choose to have it…. can be anyone?

This is a good question. In our culture today we have many stereo-types, like you have to be a supermodel to wear this or that.  Happily that doesn’t happen with my clothes, you can have any type of body or any measurement as long as you want to wear my pieces. Another good reason is that I work on custom orders too so you will have what you want, no impositions, just the way you like it.
 
Who inspires you do to what you do?
God is my inspiration. He is the first and best designer ever.

If you would like to see Nora’s work, please see any of the links listed below, and feel free to contact her with any idea you would like for a custom piece of clothing.

You can check more pictures of my collection at
www.norakaren.etsy.com
www.nora-handpainted.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24119923@N04/

Filed Under: Clothing Designers Tagged With: ,

John Clark- His Art Tells A Story

September 4, 2008 By

Sometimes I surf the Internet looking for some great works of art that catch my eye.  One afternoon I happened upon an Etsy storefront selling these beautifully drawn women, in black and white ink, laid over old books.  I thought how interesting and fresh, I knew right then and there that John Clark would be worth interviewing for this magazine.  His work shows that art can be anything that inspires you, there are no limits to this vast field of expressionism. 

I love your work, its so unique with your paper.  What made you decide to use books and the print type?  How did that all come about?

I was reading an old mystery novel one day and became really inspired by the wording and imagery.  I started doodling directly on the page, trying to discover a style that would properly convey the drama and
feeling of noir.  I dabbled with heavy cross hatch, then a bit of stipple but settled on something resembling stencil graffiti. Actually, people often ask if I use stencils in my work,  I don’t.  I focus on creating high contrast and try to avoid unnecessary line work.  My work is drawn on pages from books printed in the 20s, the old paper soaks up the ink just right.

I see mostly women in your collection, do you draw men too?  What inspires you to draw women.

I’ve drawn men for custom requests but I’ll never draw one for fun.  I try to create art that is both aesthetically pleasing and compelling and I just find the subject of strong, assured, and certainly deadly
women to be my favorite.

When did you learn to draw?  Did you ever take formal lessons?

I’ve drawn pretty obsessively since I can remember.  When I was little I drew with my parents nearly every day and they’ve always been supportive.   I’ve taken a few classes at a local art institute when I was younger and had one inspirational art teacher in high school.

What artists, cartoonists, etc….. inspired you as an artist to draw if any?

Comic books where my biggest inspiration for a long time.  Still the idea of conveying a story with art remains in my work.  I think the only comic artist that still directly influences my work now is Frank
Miller.

Do you have any of your pictures on display anywhere but Etsy?

There’s a few random boutiques and galleries that stock my prints but my main distribution channel is Etsy.

What is your favorite piece and why?  What makes it so special to you?

It changes every couple of weeks but the piece “Spare me,”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14281729 pretty much nails it for me.  The look, the lighting and feeling of it fit just right for me.  She’s on her way out the door and nothing you say will stop that.

It’s always nice to hear that I’ve surprised someone with my work; that it’s nothing like anything they’ve ever seen before.   Other people see my work and are unimpressed.  I’m okay with either reaction.  Art is completely subjective and I firmly believe in the saying, different strokes for different folks.  I just love that at least some people dig it.

When you draw, what do you think about?

My attention span is admittedly low so I am often multi-tasking.  At the very least I’ll be focused on music I’m listening to or even watching a movie while I draw.

Define your view of an artist, referencing yourself, what do you want people to get from your work?

I hope the viewer can find both beauty and intrigue in my work.  I want to convey part of the story but leave the rest to interpretation.

Any advice you can lend to other artists?

Stay true to creating what you love, ignore trends and focus on what makes you happy.

Filed Under: Fine Art Tagged With:
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