Monday, June 30, 2014

San Pablo or Pablo of Tarsus was in Ingenio this week...


Time swept away another week from our lives and started a new one without any break... Even though today was a "Fiesta" (holiday in Spanish) in my town. I did a quick research about this holy people and that's what I found. I guess everyday you learn something new and suprising :)) "Fiestas de San Pedro and San Pablo" is celebrated since 1882 in Ingenio, Gran Canaria. Pablo of Tarsus, Pablo was originally called San Pablo and Pablo of Tarsus, born between years 5 and 10 d. C., 1 in Tarsus of Cilicia (now south-central Turkey) and probably died between 58 and 67 in Rome, is known as the Apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle of the nations, or simply the Apostle of Christ. San Pedro (Bethsaida, late first century BC - Rome, June 29, 67.), Also known as Simon Pedro or Cephas; and whose birth name was Shimon bar Jonah, was-according to the New Testament, a fisherman, known as one of the twelve apostles, disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. The Roman Catholic Church identifies through apostolic succession as the first pope of the Church, based, among other arguments, in the words that Jesus spoke: "You are Pedro, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the power Death will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven ".
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I am keep working on the mosaic piece and took few pictures for you to see the process. Last week I worked on the composition idea and prepared the colored sketch with Prisma Color pencils (see pic 1). Later on I prepared the paper (see pic 2) and transferred this small image to the actual size paper (see pic 3). Next step, I put vitreous tiles on the sketch and made color decisions (see pic 4).



Well, once I decided on the color selection then I drew reference colors of these tiles with Prisma Color pencils (see pic 1) and picked the tiles back to their containers. Next step, I wrapped the paper with transparent plastic film and taped the film on the back of wood panel. Right after, I cut the plastic mesh and taped only top and bottom parts to the wood panel (see pc 2). The mosaic was ready to start. I turned the composition upside down and started from the sky (see pic 3). Today I cut fine stripes and glued them on the hair area. Cutting and gluing will take pretty long time...(see pic 4).


While I was working, I was listening "The Essential Chet Atkins - Columbia Years" Chet Atkins as they called him "Mr. Guitar", he was a great finger style guitar player. Without him the Country music may never have crossed over into pop charts in the 50's and 60's. In this album he shows us that he is a bold and tasteful jazz guitarist as well. I am going to share a YouTube clip with you, this lovely song called "Jam Man" by Chet Atkins. Enjoy it! Have a nice week...  

"Jam Man" by Chet Atkins

(All copyrights acknowledged and respected and support the music artists by buying their music.)

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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Lead Girl with Canarian Timple Guitar and Homage to Jose Antonio Ramos

My latest mosaic project finally formed on a sketch paper. In this mosaic painting I will be using one of my famous characters; "The Lead Girl"  from my early works. Unfortunately she didn't get much attention back then... I think it is time to bring her back and let people to enjoy her adventures.

The Lead Girl, Ink on paper, 15 x 22.5 cm., 1996

She loves music and always curious about the beauty of the nature. Well, as you see the sketch below, she sits and plays a Timple (5 string Canarian folk guitar) at the peaks of Gran Canary Island. On the far background, "El Teide", the highest mountain of Spain and right in the middle of the view, the emblematic rock form; "Roque Nublo" of Gran Canaria. This area called "La Cumbre" (about 2000 mt height) covered by Canarian pine trees and famous with almond trees. Every year in month of February, the village of Tejeda celebrates "Festival Flor de Almendra". It's a lovely cultural event. There is a little bird on the almond tree branch of   the left part of the painting. This bird is typical from this area as well, called "pinzón azul". 

Sketch for "The Lead Girl with Timple"

Preparing the big sketch paper

The next step is transferring the small sketch to the original size paper and select the vitreous glass colours. Once decision made, I can lay the mesh and start gluing the vitreous glass pieces on it. This will be the most time consuming part. Afterwards, I will seal the wood surface with water diluted PVC glue. Next is setting the grout with mesh and mosaic... I will take more pictures and you will see the process better...

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I want to share with you a YouTube clip of Jose Antonio Ramos, a Canarian Timple player. Born Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1969, he died in June 4th of 2008. He introduced the timple, a folk instrument, in other music styles, as celtic or rock, working with artists as Carlos Núñez, Kepa Junkera, Pedro Guerra, Rosana, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Mestisay, Los Sabandeños, The Chieftains, and Andreas Prittwitz...


JOSE ANTONIO RAMOS EL QUINTO GIGANTE



Click on ITunes button to buy the album "Los Cuatro Gigantes. Timple Canario - José Antonio Ramos"




"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." Plato

Have a great week!


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Saturday, June 14, 2014

Mosaic and music go well together...

Almost 7 years ago, I started to a mosaic lamp project and never finished. I didn't have enough similar tones of vitrious tiles for the bottom part of it. Anyway, first I thought, I could finish with some mix and match alternative pieces but than I saw the thick wood panel in the studio and decided to take out all the pieces from unfinished mosaic lamp and re-use them for a new mosaic project. Besides what I'm going to do with another mosaic lamp, I don't have any space  to put it and most people don't appreciate hard work these days. I am almost finishing the removal part. Well, I tell you it was not easy to take them out one by one. I want the double patience medal I guess :)




So, I am going to start on the wood panel soon. You might remember the mosaic piece called "Dreaming by the Drago Tree" from my last exhibition few months ago which was sold to a wonderful friend/follower.

After installing the mosaic piece to 
Janice's marvallous terrace


I know you are curious about the upcoming e-book "Early Works". Well, I am done with all the text and voice recordings and the selection of the pieces and photos. Now, my editor is working on it. I can give you a sneak peak. Most probably you didn't know that I created digital art using computer as a palette in late 90's in New York. You will also see my most unknown pieces in this e-book, a series called "Hittite Art".

Birdman, by Birsen Ozbilge
Digital Art on Canvas Paper, 8 x 6 cm, 1999
(Available, click on e-mail for more info)


"Kiss of Fire" by Hugh Laurie & Gaby Moreno, enjoy it... Have a great weekend!




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