my quiet little world....

 

 tarnished and stained is my world. marginal. but is seasoned with grace and hope. you are welcome into it. you can hang around, stay awhile, or for as long as you like! :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13

  bach and handel's works are my all time favourite.
some mozart, haydn, along side with vivaldi. pachelbel.the baroque exuberance. 


rachmaninoff once in a while, alternate chopin, tchaikovsky.


 but--this particular piece--by beethoven. i never liked him. i skipped his pieces in my highschool piano days. i will only play bach's little book for anna magdalena  up to that piece "gavotte in d" i never reached his complicated "fugues" and "gavottes" though. regrets, i have so many. 
but as i sensed up in the whirlwind over the years, i was struck by this at the univ.'s fine arts gallery. the kids --well my fourth year students have this in the i-tunes with the incubus, cold play, etc...they would listen to this "pathetique" piece and my heart will melt.


this is different. i could die with this. it can reach me in the deepest ocean floor where i would shut myself against pain.


i wish i discovered this one years ago so i could have practiced it instead of running crazy over those pieces on-- ice castles "looking through the eyes of love", "raindrops keep fallin on my head" "if" "can you read my mind" "the greatest love of all" ... thingyyy..demmet...--but then, highschool is highschool. 


 now that summer classes is approaching, i will sneak and bribe the keeper of the university chapel where there is the baby grand and practice this piece to death
in between classes and vacant periods. the old piano which we have in our old house had been years and years ago sold by my mother--for no one plays it anymore when each of us pursued our own selfish desires. and missing that 8 octave traditional piano, i bought in two at different times. a spoof one--the cheapy--whats that--4 octaves electric piano just so to be able to play my favourite ones from the past. and now its broken. 


        sigh... you'll never really treasure something unless its gone...






      no, i would never wish you a pathetique weekend, but an exuberant one.
                       
                            
                               have an exuberant weekend!

the princess cameo canvas tote

"indo indo indo... indo... indo... hahhhahahha" is this exotic, dusky, indonesian coed's shout out on her 

facebook. her name is shirley fawcett lumintaintang. she is from jakarta, indonesia. the 20 year old beauty is a tradigital fine arts  freshman student. very much into the arts, she plays the piano and violin too. "ayam rice" is her favourite food spicy please! :-).

 aup has many indonesian students. they have an active association here, great chorale groups, and are confused with our "spicy and hot" labels on food. because according to them it is never spicy nor hot. and boy, you should taste their authentic "nasi goreng" prepared by the indo students on international food fairs here, once in a while, and you will realize what is "spicy and hot" to them .

her favourite local spots : nuvali, paseo,... a 10 minute ride from the campus. the favourite spots of all students here including yours truly.

photos:  yours truly. and my dependable g.e dgcam a-730

location: aup (shine on!) walk way towards the the COB

the grace cameo pearl brooch/pendant and the pink feline cameo sash

the grace cameo pearl brooch/pendant foto details

the pink feline cameo sash

alyssa marie africa is a tradigital fine arts student. she carries a look that is so typical of a coed who is very much into art. 

quiet most of the time, and can entertain self thank you.

she is a lover of life, of things and of food with art that can make her blog it 

:-) pronto!

into photography and fashion. long walks, coffee, paris,and sleepless nights are 

part of her interests,

and these are some of the manifestations of a person craving for inspiration(s, 

and into savouring the the beauty of life.

says who? me. and alyssa. and all the gorgeous artists in the whole wide world!

her quotable quote:"the goal isnt to live forever, it is to create something that will" -chuck palahniuk

you can get to know her more, the girl blogs here

photos  : edrick bruel and his dslr nikon d60 (maximizing yet)

location: aup (sine on!) green house at the back of science building

                                        



                                      





   the pink feline cameo sash in foto detail

nooo000! dont bloop us...._______________________________________________________

  
    even though how much you try to keep things less complicated,  great efforts are still required to come up with a 
   presentable photos and illustrations. i am thankful to these eager and cooperative youths around willingly giving me a
   hand, share their time and personal effects and gadgets simply because it is also their interest. kc or karen care her real unique name :-) helped with the throwing
of the dried leaves while ed is busy with the shoots,and alyssa mega posing, to suggest "fall" out here, ready for the summer heat.

it's cameo design this time...

Throughout history, persons of royalty have set the tone for jewelry fashion. It is said that Queen Elizabeth loved to wear cameos and it is noted that Catherine the Great had a very impressive collection of them. And, the cameo survived the whims of changing fashion during the Nineteenth Century in England.  Since Queen Victoria favoured cameos, the cameo was quite popular during and since her reign. They were popular as pins and pendants usually worn on a black velvet ribbon or even sometimes-pastel satin ribbons.

During the Victorian Era, (1837-1901) every decade had its jewelry trends, but the cameo remained a favourite.  And interestingly, the intaglio, which was a piece carved below the surface, came before the cameo. In ancient times, the intaglio was used to seal papers or to mark property. Later on, it became a jewelry item worn by women.  The cameo is the opposite of the intaglio. It is a portrait or scene carved in relief with a contrasting colored background. In the Nineteenth Century, skilled artisans utilized gemstones, stone, shell, lava, coral and manmade materials to produce cameos.

The making of Cameos~

Italian carvers began using shell for their creations around 1805. By the Victorian Era, shell had become appreciated as a medium that was easily carved and inexpensive. Unlike carved gems, the shell cameo was less formal and was worn during the day. Stone cameos came from agate, onyx or sardonyx. These materials offered many colorful layers for carvers to utilize. Although they preferred stone, it was not always plentiful; and these artisans looked for other mediums for their designs.

Popular motifs for Cameos~

Discoveries of archaeological sites in Italy and Egypt renewed an interest in the classics that influenced cameos of the Victorian Era.  Motifs included gods and goddesses from mythology and other subjects related to them, such as Bacchante maidens adorned with grape leaves in their hair, the Three Graces, who were the daughters of Zeus, and Leda, a woman shown feeding Zeus and more.  Scenes showcased the talent of cameo carvers and were popular with enthusiasts.  Others such as Zeus in his chariot and Rebecca at the Well added elements such as houses, trees and bridges.  The quality of the carving also varied from dreamlike to realistic. But naturalism appealed to the Victorians.  Their love of gardening translated into cameos that also depicted flowers. And, the floral motif continues to be popular as a subject for modern cameos.          

The Emerging of the idealized woman~

A prized souvenir for a Victorian was a cameo according to her likeness.  While commissioned portraits were in vogue, another kind of portrait appeared with the anonymous woman. Carvers could fashion such images in shell or lava quickly and tourists created a demand for them.

Women pictured on cameos have included Romanesque, with classical features (with long, straight noses and Roman dress), modified images of women with upturned noses, jewelry and upswept hairstyles. The cameo habille depicted the portrait of the idealized woman adorned with jewelry, and tiny diamonds on the cameo represented jewelry such as earrings and a necklace.

The industrialization of the Victorian Era made mass production of jewelry possible. The anonymous woman was molded into cameos from manmade materials such as glass or celluloid.

Dating a Cameo~

To date a cameo with accuracy, many hours or even years of research may be necessary to train the eye. Magnification is vital and a jewelers loupe is a necessary tool in examining a carving and to be able to determine what the cameo is made of. It can detect if it is machine made, or has a snowy appearance. Such a close inspection can help a collector discover if the cameo has been carved in one piece or has been assembled from different materials and glued together.

The motif on the cameo can provide a timeframe for its origin. If a shell or stone cameo contains a classical scene, it may have originated in the 18^th or 19^th centuries when such subjects were popular. The anonymous woman on a cameo indicates that it comes from the Victorian Era, while the cameo habille did not become fashionable until late in the Nineteenth Century.

Physical traits sometimes reveal when a cameo was carved. The long Roman nose denotes that the piece was originated before 1850. If the nose is slightly upturned, it can be dated after the mid-nineteenth Century. A pert nose is indicative of the turn of the century. An upswept hairstyle indicates a late Victorian cameo, while shorter curls are indicative of the 20^th Century.

The medium also provides clues to the history of the piece. Shell cameos were used during the Victorian Era, and later. They have a translucent quality when held up to the light. Lava came from the 17^th century, but a large  majority came during the 19^th century from Mount Vesuvius. Jet gained popularity in the 19^th Century in Whitby, England during the Victorian Era.

For the past 25 years, carvers in Germany have produced cameos using the laser technique. It may feel rough to the touch. To learn about cameos, it is important to handle them.  This allows the collector to feel, and tap them slightly against the teeth to identify whether they are made of stone, shell or other materials.

Cameos represent a form of art that offers something for everyone. Victorian Bazaar will soon be offering an array of interesting and pretty jewelry cameos, so stay tuned!

Our online Victoriana shopping Boutique!

(image and information credit)

this time i am into exploring this undying classic design. interpreted in a many different ways and style.

from the most of precious expensive elements to the cheapest of resin, and plastic. from the most serious 

design concept and adaptation, to the spurious and comical way.

i am experimenting this design, mainly with cloth, laces, and other found objects. concocting various materials,

from new to old and vintage. celebrating hand-made and hand sewn stitches, frayed edges, variations or straying sometimes, away from the usual side view and hair swept up of the woman on this design. using the feline image/s and flowers, etc. throwing in laces of various types to capture yet the romanticism, femininity,exuberance, grace, and a drab of english style from the victorian era.

here's but some of the few ones, from the start of cutting, and putting, sewing together of the materials to finishing touches, and dry-run of--errr modeling, to see how it looks when worn and in use. and  next week, the rest of the other finished pieces, modeled this time by the 5'7" and 5'8" girluuusshh!

enjoy!

a graceful weekend y'all!

"applied art" or "for art's sake"--i will sew and quilt by hand.

i am finally done with these geisha sets exploration. pegging it on some oriental art history to make sense of style.

the medium: textile, fabrics of usually discarded and reclaimed. with ephemeral aura, that evokes remembering, curiosity, wondering...

the subject: varied. this is just the part.

the process: hands, needle and thread as in no touch of technology, the hand-sewn stitches, hand-made effect, uncommercialising the commercial worn-out, distressed look are emphasized, paints, and lotsa hand bleed by the needles.

interpretation: the youth's glow, eagerness, uncomplications, natural lighting, sunlight-- streams of it, sunshine, will always be part of these all.

finally,the part of aesthetics and so called :-) theory in art :

"applied art" (if you want to use it)

"for art's sake" (you hang it by the wall. survey, study,contemplate on it, stare at it---till you can't no more)

i am embracing both. i am practical. in the low maintenance mode. artistically, graciously poor (whatdyamean?go figure) and bohemian.

ENJOY! these have been prepared with you in mind.

A wonderful weekend every one!

the geishas gathering pink(salmon) capelet

known as "Aj", Agape Joy Flaviano to many in the campus is this 5 feet tall slim morena coed.

she is done with her AB English degree, and is now pursuing her masteral in Psychology. she is 21 years old.

her eyes flood with glow and glint when she laughs and smiles.

and she is the elder sister of vim the 2nd of the very first model to agree model my wares. Aj Pedernal was the first. Scroll down further dears, and meet them.

having seen probably her little sister's pose, made her willing and excited to go and ramp on the lawn

and pavements of the COB and Science building.

she has done justice tho' with these geishas capelets, inspite of there's  just the three of us to stage these shoots.

and many on the previous shoots. low maintenance, low maintenance. 

quality? go ahead hit the zoooooom command!

Photos: Merly Regencia and her Nikon D40X Lens 18-135

Location: AUP (shine on!) Lawn between Science and COB building

the geishas gathering pink capelet in foto detail

for sale. price and detail: here

the teal and brown capelet

Photos: Merly Regencia and her Nikon D40X Lens 18-135

Location: AUP (shine on!) Lawn between Science and COB building

the teal and brown capelet in foto detail

for sale. price and details : here

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the bloops on the shoots!