Artist Spotlight: Feice Varini, Illusionist

I think we're living in the most stylized free era of art there has ever been. Free, because, we don't have governmental or religious restraints on our very talents. Back in the day, baaabaaay, they would lock you away or just off you for believing you had the right to just make any old thing that sprang from your imagination. No, no--art had to conform. Michaelangelo wasn't just divinely inspired to paint the 16th chapel; he was also well paid by the state-church. So let's celebrate in this era of free thought!

Illusion art is by far the most exciting genre of free modern art. It challenges the viewer to step into a plain of thinking, grabs your perception of what you think you see, nudges you just a tad to the left and gives you new eyes and a fresh work without changing the canvas. Ten people can literally see 50 different images from the same installation just depending on where they are standing in the room. That's exactly what modern artist, Feice Varini does. If you don't know this amazing man, child where you been?

Do you see!?!?!? How amazing is he!?

Six weeks ago, i posted this to my instagram. I snapped it, looked at it and was like "Oh, wow!" Just by tilting my head, and playing around with the filter I created a double image illusion. Do you see it?

I'm so excited and feel so fortunate to be in this era of art. Museums aren't just for the elite anymore, and many are even free. Wake up your senses to what's going on today, because who knows what will be next.

Tut tut,
Grace :)
PS--please leave a comment or tweet me!

It's Golden If You Believe It Is

Beyond

What lies beyond my frozen path,
lost witih time?
Sitting and looking for
more than what's there
bleak traces of a past forgotten.

M vision has become deferred
with constant chattering noises.
The softness of the mid air out looking
the horizon sends confusion flustering
in the dark.

Which way do I go to meet destiny
be it good or bad; reluctantly following.
My onlooking path has crooked in site.
When will the maze end?:
Is there more than what's there?

It's 1997. I am approximately 15 years old. I'm moody, not having the greatest home life, angsty, and writing terrible poetry like the little jewel above. What do i do? Enter into a poetry contest at school, write 'Beyond' (which included a terrible orange/purple maze coloring), submit it, and...win! W.I.N. To this day, I can't believe I won because there were some much better poems submitted and I knew it. This is why, if you are a creative individual you must never stop creating. Because even in your worst, someone will love it. They will celebrate you and honor you 'Beyond' what you feel is warranted. Never stop making.

CONTROL.REVOLT.EVOLVE

CRISIS
(Revolution)
CHANGE
(Society. Evlution. A Nation. A race. A people)
Slavery--Control.
War--Revolt.
Death--Evolve.
A CYCLE; continuously, perpetually, spontaneously,

SURVIVING

INDIVIDUAL. CONNECTED.


i dreamed this one night, many years ago. After tossing and turning, running from the dogs in my nightmare, i bolted up from the bed as though it were made of the claws reaching out to me from my subconcious memories.
i grabbed a pen and paper from my nightstand and wrote these words down as i struggled to figure out whom i was running from while asleep. i wasn't in fear awake, or in my dream. i was just--alert--and in a hurry as though i was scrambling to make my gate before my plane left me in a town i had no more business in.

Years later i still wonder about this dream. It's the reason i make sure to have pen and paper on me always. if i'm sitting on the bus, in commute to work, i have a few post-its in my backpocket. If i'm in the bathroom, i'll scribble on toilet paper or use an app on my phone if i'm strolling through the grocer y aisle. You never know when inspiration will hit.

xo
Grace

Leaves & Water

One afternoon I was sitting in my truck with my two kids, flipping through an old Michael Aram Designs catalog. Most of his stuff is outrageously expensive, but a few years ago I stripped, painted, and re-knobbed an old armour and LO and BEHOLD! I found the most exquisite Michael Aram Knobs at Lowes. They were polished nickel stone pull knobs, for a very reasonable $4-6 (Can you tell I like to shop?)

Anyway, we were waiting for my husband to come out of an office building. As I had these water/stone/leaf/nature metal designs swirling in my head, it suddenly started hailing. Really hard, really fast, and really short. It was one of those freak flash weather things that last a few minutes and then the sun breaks and the sky clears as if to say "'whoa, hommy! my bad, here you go."

Well instead of freaking out, my kids thought it was THE coolest thing ever so we sat back and enjoyed the roar of ice pellets hitting everything. Like I said, it was over in minutes, and evaporated before my husband returns to the truck. So as we're getting settled back down, my son reaches up and pulls back the inside slide to reveal the sunroof and this is what we see.
I thought it was gorgeous. These leaves were so delicate, and teeny tiny. I snapped a few pics, as we drove on (I wasn't driving). That night after I put my kiddos to bed, and had a glass of wine I wipped out my pencils & added a few mental images from this scene into my sketch pad. I like to just doodle sometimes. I think everyone to create something everyday. Written, drawn, choreographed and recorded, large or tiny--doesn't matter, make something. I try my best to follow this advise because it may not specifically flow into a manifestation of the original idea, but it most assuredly will spark some madd, cool, crazy, funky idea. So I sketched this...

...and I liked it. Like I said, it hasn't coalesced into a concrete painting yet, but I'm having so much fun turning over images of water and leaves in my mind.


Before you go, please leave a comment below and share on face-tweet-pin this! Thanks-Grace K.