CAROLYN MARSDEN, RENOWN AUTHOR OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS: MY STUDENT

bio: Carolyn Marsden writes multicultural novels for children ages 7-15.  She was born in Mexico City of missionary parents and now is happily married (in spite of the Land Rover rescue!) to a Thai husband.  Together they have two daughters.

My Thai husband sent me to Belize to retrieve the exotic Land Rover that he bought off EBay from Holland. I decided to chronicle the absurd and dramatic trip--  dysfunctional vehicle, being chased by a Category 5 hurricane, traveling through the lands of the Mexican drug cartels-- in a series of panels.  These first panels show the previous Land Rovers that entered our lives, setting the stage for the arrival of Roger Rover.

ARTIST MICKALENE THOMAS' BEAUTIFUL WORK

I LOVE THIS ARTIST'S WORK!  SHE IMBUES HER WOMEN WITH DIGNITY AND GLAMOUR WHILE EMBELLISHNG THEM WITH RHINESTONES. I encourage my students to experiment with new materials as I like to do also, influenced by many exiting new , (& not so new) artists.
                                     
 WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Naomi Campbel by Mickalene Thomas

Girlfriends-Thomas

NEW YORK-BASED ARTIST MICKALENE THOMAS IS BEST KNOWN FOR HER ELABORATE PAINTINGS COMPOSED OF RHINESTONES, ACRYLIC AND ENAMEL. THOMAS INTRODUCES A COMPLEX VISION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WOMAN AND EXPANDS COMMON DEFINITIONS OF BEAUTY. HER WORK STEMS FROM HER LONG STUDY OF ART HISTORY AND THE CLASSICAL GENRES OF PORTRAITURE, LANDSCAPE, AND STILL LIFE. 
INSPIRED BY VARIOUS SOURCES THAT RANGE FROM THE 19TH CENTURY HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL TO ÉDOUARD MANET, HENRI MATISSE AND ROMARE BEARDEN, SHE CONTINUES TO EXPLORE NOTIONS OF BEAUTY FROM A CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE INFUSED WITH THE MORE RECENT INFLUENCES OF POPULAR CULTURE AND POP ART. 

THREAD TWO FOR MAKING ART-PERSONAL MOTIVATION FOR EXPRESSION

VENICE MIME-photo by Rivian

NINA-photo by Rivian

What is it that motivates us to "MAKE ART"? & taking the question further, "WHAT IS ART? Well, I do not intend to get into a discussion of the definition RIGHT NOW of "what is ART", I'd be most happy to at another posting if I can get enough comments from my readers. So, PLEASE, if you will make comments as to what YOUR DEFINITION OF ART IS... then we can get an honest discussion going here on the BLOG. So, starting with the simple premise that ANYTHING CREATED AUTHENTICALLY WITH 'REAL' & SINCERE INTENTION OF PERSONAL EXPRESSION is considered ART for the purposes of this posting.
Back to the initial question of "WHAT MOTIVATES US?"  When one feels like expressing oneself, one is motivated.  Very simple.  So, depending on what motivates YOU, find that "SOMETHING" & you have your thread!  It can be painting a portrait of someone you love, making an object for WHATEVER REASON.  Seeing something beautiful &/ or interesting & wanting to reproduce it to remember or show to others. Making a gift for someone.  Receiving a commission, (now there's a motivation for you)! So, whatever it is, find PERSONAL MOTIVATION FOR YOUR EXPRESSING YOURSELF, & VOILA, THERE IS YOUR THREAD!
A BIG THANK YOU TO MY READERS FROM ALL OF THE COUNTRIES.  PLEASE LET ME SEE YOUR COMMENTS....IN WHATEVER LANGUAGE! MY HUSBAND SPEAKS SEVEN, & OTHERWISE I WILL GET YOUR COMMENTS TRANSLATED. 
THANK YOU, RIVIAN

Works by 103 street artists from around the world were mounted illegally in a long-abandoned New York City subway station this summer.

A vast new exhibition space opened in New York City this summer, with a show 18 months in the making. On view are works by 103 street artists from around the world, mostly big murals painted directly onto the gallery’s walls.
It is one of the largest shows of such pieces ever mounted in one place, and many of the contributors are significant figures in both the street-art world and the commercial trade that now revolves around it. Its debut might have been expected to draw critics, art dealers and auction-house representatives, not to mention hordes of young fans. But none of them were invited.
In the weeks since, almost no one has seen the show. The gallery, whose existence has been a closely guarded secret, closed on the same night it opened. Known to its creators and participating artists as the Underbelly Project, the space, where all the show’s artworks remain, defies every norm of the gallery scene. Collectors can’t buy the art. The public can’t see it. And the only people with a chance of stumbling across it are the urban explorers who prowl the city’s hidden infrastructure or employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. NY Times
PLEASE COMMENT ON HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT STREET ART...UNDER THE STREET OR OVER! I'D LIKE YOUR OPINIONS ON MY BLOG! THANKS,RIVIAN

A zigzag flag by Faile in the abandoned subway station where Workhorse and PAC organized a show of street art, much of it painted right on the walls of the site. 

Installation by Jeff Stark

NYTIMES