Artist of the Month: Jasper Goodall

"It's so tacky to exhibit one's ultimate art over and over." says Deidara as he is captured by Kankuro's team *chuckle chuckle* Do I need to remind you that the only person who probably saw your art was Sasu, and it's not like he's gonna tell anyone. And now you are inside a wooden casket so again, who's gonna see your art DeiDei? xD I just love to tease him, though the way DeiDei turned his body into a bomb, looked pretty cool  O_o Yeah I'm watching Naruto Shippuuden again since the plot is actually moving on for a change (I had to wait for those 3 bloody filler episodes to blow over --__--)

It's also summer =) I love summer! well okay it's not even close to +30'C, but we are getting there. Sun is shining and couple days ago we had +23'C. 
And if all goes well, I'll be moving to London or to Paris come autumn. I have decided that I want to become a make up artist and (central) Europe would be the best place to acquire education in make up and cosmetics. I have 2 pretty prestigious schools in Paris and Milan to consider and one pretty promising school in London (well there are like 3 of them, but this one sounds really promising career wise). I'd be interested to move to Paris, however, there is a pretty massive language barrier between me and Paris. Even if they teach the classes in english, chances are I won't get hired easily since I do not speak or understand French. It would be such an amazing opportunity and experience though. Paris or London?

Yeah just incase my pals were feeling a bit curious about what I'm going to do the rest of the year. It's Year of the Dragon so good choices + career eyes on us dragons.

 This month's artist is the naughty British artist who likes his (imaginary) women latex-ed and his art digital/graphic, Jasper Goodall. The picture in the beginning, I have no idea what the title is and I'm a bit skeptich whether it's actually Goodall's work. I found it via Google, but it wasn't listed on his webpage. It could be a very very good imitation. However for arguments sake, lets hope it is authentic Goodall.  If you read my Luis Royo entry you'll know that I'm really into this kind of art. I find people's fancy for fetish, eroticism, fantasy and smexy outfits really interesting because it makes me wonder what kind of people they are. So my first thought on Goodall's work is "jaw dropping".  It's still a little hard to graps that such a famous artist is so openly making such sexy work about sex. Well I guess that is subjective. Some people would say G's work is an insight to personal preferance and conversation about eroticism's place in fantasy and contemporary culture. And some just see the latex ladies. I think the setting in the first image is simply delicious. Four ladies dressed in black latex, 3 of them are wearing masks that cover their faces. And the last girl is on her knees expressing her infatuation for the girl in front. That or she's just doing what her mistress has told her to do. I have always been interested in how artists who work eroticism and sex into their work describe/picture it. There comes always the question about wheter the piece is art or porn. It's usually the art studying/knowing people who say that there is a very fine line between artistic eroticism and pornography. From my research I could argue that this type of art would become pornograph if G would keep the digital polishing to a minimum and was using real models/people. Then his work would be dangerously close to porn and adult imaginery. It would seem like just another naughty fetish series or a new line of fetish garments. What sets G's work apart from other artist working the same medium is his authentic look. I have seen a few artist who like to do the explicit sex-art thing, but those pieces are more about sex-meets-art than art-reinventing-sex (like how G does it). I think Royo's work applies here a little. His work is most importantly a sexy fantasy tale, whilst G's work is shamelessly playing the sexy factor ;) I could be wrong though. There could be a much deeper meaning than what G's pieces suggest. After all G likes to use a lot of symbols and cartoonish characters to explain and express things. It's those characters and his vector art/graphics that are moving his work away from pornographic. Suppose when it comes to making 'sexy-art' simplicity counts. Personally I think 'mistress and the apprentices' (yeah I gave the piece above a nickname xP) is really gorgeous. Who could have thought black vector art looked this good. Having that print on your wall would be one way to start a conversation or to impress (or shock) someone ;) Someday when I have my own place and enough cash, I'll decorate the place with a few Jasper G prints *heart*

Jasper Goodall was born in Birmingham (UK). He graduated from the University of Brighton in 1995 and spend the rest of the 90's rejuvenating the illustration genre and bring it to the state it is today. I'm guessing illustration was more about literally illustrating books and recepies and such before G and various other artists started to reinvent it in the late 90's. Now vector art and illustrations similar to G's style are used in ads, book/story illustrations, magazines and so on.
In february 2009 G had his first solo Gallery show in London titled ‘Poster Girls’. This marked a new direction in his work. He still keeps treating us with new prints that express his talent on mixing photography and illustration. In 2010 G participated in a show for Christian Dior called "Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty" creating a 3-D fabric/acrylic silhouette of a woman leaning. His CV includes rock band, magazine, swimwear and liquor bottle designs, public art. In 2010 he ventured to Australia for a lecture tour, visiting Sydney and Melbourne. Recently he has returned back to his previous style (mid 2000), well returned is not the right word, more like developed his previous style. His most recent work 'Silhouettes' is a mixture of that graphic look from before, yet now it's more stylized. One could say it's a combination of vector and graphic which he then styles further.  G continues to work as a freelance illustrator, but he is represented by creative consultancy Big Active. On top of this G teaches the illustration degree course at the University of Brighton.

photo: Heini Mika. Electric Blue Gallery London. 2009.

I had the pleasure to visit Electric Blue in April 2009 when G's additional Poster Girls prints were on display. By additional I mean that the actual show had ended, but I guess the gallery continued the show, but with smaller prints. It was a relatively small gallery, but they used the space wisely. The prints were hang up like that, like laundry on clothes line and on the opposite wall was a big wall print. I especially loved that pink lady who has sticky stuff between her fingers xD it looks really gorgeous (I love pink!) and kinda avant-garde. There's actually two slightly different versions of these prints (black bambi, tiger and pink girl), it's kinda print-meet-live-model. For ex. the pink girl print is actually held up by a model sitting on a chair and we can see that she is wearing pink latex stockings and heels, similar to the print's pink. This express G idea of mashing up fantasy and reality and I think it worked superbly well. Those model pictures look as gorgeous as the prints we see above. The idea is pretty simple and besides models holding up pictures, there isn't really much else going on in these prints. Hence perhaps it's G's composing talent that makes simple scenes interesting. He manipulates shapes and colours and voilá he shows us these results.

Olympias

Personally again I think it's so cool when an artis comes forth with controversial pieces. To me G's work touches something forbidden and nasty. Something that I know some people are part of this scene yet to me it's still a piece of fantasy and mystery. It requires guts to work this topic.
Which of course some people can't digest. Which is why I think it's important to talk a little bit about art as a tool of objectifying women. My tutor (female) in Uni was very particular about bringing this subject up when ever there was a piece that showed a lot of skin and girls in suggestive poses (but I think she was very peculiar about fine art master pieces that, in their own time, were viewed as objectifying too). Naturally G's work has brought out the question whether his work objectifies women. I think when ever an artist shows a lot of skin and suggestive poses in their work, it is identified as 'objectifying'. Even though G's work comes from a man's point of view, I don't think his intention is to literally objectify women and express that women are only delicious eye candy who do a lot of sexy and nasty/naughty stuff. Like in Luis Royo's (see my entry on Royo) work G shows us a fantasy. It's up to the viewer to decide how seriously they are going to take it. And so what if there is a little bit (or a lot of) truth behind G's fantasy. I personally happen to know a few ladies who are into some nasty/naughty stuff so it's not like women are unwillingly lured into this kind of fetish scenario G presents in his work. Some people are just really into that kind of stuff. I like the idea and it would make me smirk and chuckle so much if some of the senarios were..well real. I'm personally not offended by G's images. I think they are sexy and witty and beautifully done. I can understand why people would be offended by them especially since it's a male artist who is showing us women in this light. It is offensive to think that women like to wear sexy clothing to attract male's attention and the reason they engage in these sexual acts is to fulfil some sort of male sexual fantasy. But that's what I think is G's plan all along, it is just a fantasy. I when I was a teenager I was offended by Coke Zero and Axe (I think this is called Lynx in the Uk) commercials because they showed boys that using these products could get them hot models. As I grew up I realized that if boys really thought that spraying Axe would make hot women come running for them, they are going to be so dissapointed. You can't help, but laugh at that. Nowadays I laugh every time I see those commercials. That's what I think G's work is about. It's portal to a fantasy world that have little to do with our society or culture. Naturally there are people who enjoy the same fetish-sexy treatments as the characters in G's work and we shouldn't be offended by it. People are different and if this is the stuff G is really into I must raise my hat to him for being so brave and bold to show us his inner most desires (and it's not like he became famous and then started doing his sexy art. He became famous by doing sexy art).   

JG4B swimwear line

 Naturally it's really important to know your audience when you make art like this. It's mostly magazines, ads and young adults who are interested in vector/graphic art-illustration. After all this medium is still relatively new and doesn't quite reach the artistic values and appreciation that Fine Art enjoyes. On the other hand G has proven that there is so much artistic and commercial potential to graphic art. See that gorgeous one piece? That is so gorgeous! G teamed with Louise Middleton in 2003 and together created a gorgeous swimwear line. If you look hard, you can still find some of the bikinis sold online. See this link for more information and history about their collaboration http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/staff/jasper-goodall/portfolio-of-major-works/jg4b-swimwear


It's clear that Jasper Goodall is quite a genius with his own medium. During one interview he expressed how he isn't a fan of people who come up with a style or an art method and stick with for years and years to come. I couldn't agree more. It is such a yawn to see an artist do the same thing over and over again. Deidara may think that his explosive sculptures are state of the art (well that one sculpture's, once destroyed, special feature was to invade one's cells and destroy the body from within was pretty genious), but you have been blowing up your art for years and years. You'd think that Goodall was the same, that he has worked graphic art since the late 90's and hasn't changed his style or course a bit. But as we can see in the final image below, he most certainly is out to look for different methods and styles to develop his work. Yet even in the new pieces we can still recognize his genius and style.


Hope you enjoyed this entry. See you in July!


See ya!
AP

Leopard Dunes

CitySummer (AOTM)

Hey, guise! ^_^

Again a month has gone by and it's spring in Finland. Well it's practically summer, but compared to last week's heat wave, we're cooling down for now. It was so hot and nice last week. But that's pretty much how it goes every summer, we get a heat wave in late May- early June and then the rest of June is cold and rainy --_--
You like my new hair in the banner xD I'm a brunette again <3 blonde hair was fun, but I think brunette hair fits me much better.

About this entry, I thought about reviewing Jasper Goodall, however, I'm taking part in a group art show in June-July so I figured I could talk about the work I'm going to be showing there. Hence you may expect my review on Goodall in late June. I'm not making myself the 'Artist of the month', the show CitySummer is the 'AOTM'. I kinda swore to myself that I wouldn't skip a single 'AOTM', but since I have only today to post this entry I came to a conclusion that those who are coming to see the show might wanna learn about the idea behind my work for CS. Of course you can view the paintings on my website and they are available for purchase. I'm also thinking about continuing this series after we finish the show.

CitySummer is the name of our show and it's actually Akvart's (the gallery in Helsinki) annual show. Same name, different artists (well some of the artists take part in the show every year).
The currator only told us how large out works could be and what kind of frames we were allowed to use, but that was it. The topic of this show gave me quite a fright. Right from the start I had an idea to make lovely cityscape/monument paintings. Like those lovely paintings you can buy in Rome, Paris, Lisbon etc. Like a painting of the Fontana Di Trevi etc. I wanted to do lovely city scapes and monuments with peole posing next to/near them. My first painting was about Paris, a lady on top of a hill, sitting on a stone ledge holding her big hat and behind her is the Eiffel tower and the Parc du Champ-de-Mars. I still like that painting very much. But too bad cityscapes/monuments are done to death. You can buy an artist made painting of the Eiffel tower anywhere in Paris. I became literally scared and was rather depressed about what to make for the show.

I brainstormed for a month. I wanted to do something with cityscapes and if you are familiar with my work, you know that 'garbled and smudgy' (as I like to call this) type of painting isn't my style. Far from it actually. So I tried to think how I could  make cityscapes interesting.
I have a vast collection of photographs from my travels and some of them are so good that I could exhibit them like that.  That's when I realized that I could do "mash-up" of photograps and imagination. I could use the photographs I have of Helsinki like that, but alter it so that other things are happening in the final image.

Töölönlahti. 2012. H.M.

 "Töölönlahti" is the first painting I made. This place is a real place in Helsinki. I merely altered the background because that water is actually a gulf, on the opposite shore there are just rocks and few houses. I made this new background to go with the theme of this series. The geese were there for real, they tend to make camp in this park every summer xP

I named this series 'Summer City' and I imagine it to be a real place somewhere, but not here. Summer is eternal in Summer City and its people only know leisure and pleasure. Their only purpose is to excist and enjoy their lives =) Summer is my favourite season, so I wouldn't mind living in Summer City. However it's not an ordinary city, humans have obtained a way to really live their lives as they see fit. As we can see in the painting above, the woman on the background loves to fly. She has made a pair of wings and can now fly with the geese. The girl in front is just posing for the person taking her picture. Desire and leisure really come together here =)

To me Summer City is a mixture of Helsinki's tranquility and Sydney's tall buildings. I really fell in love with Sydney and I'd so much like to live there. Too bad it's so far away from everything --_-- (I'm a European after all, you can't move out of Europe and not miss it). "Töölönlahti" is a photo a real photo. To be honest, that girl in front is me. I posed for this picture, and I always wanted to use it somehow because the atmosphere and surroundings were interesting. In 'Summer City' we'll see other paintings like this. Original photographs which I have turned into paintings. Like the painting below. 

Munkkiniemi. 2012. H.M.

 This scene is a photograph too. I didn't alter it, though the real girl in the photo doesn't have long green hair like this girl does. I imagined this 'Summer City' resident is a mermaid (hush, this is a secret ;) ), but the others don't know it. In reality this is quite a fantastic photo and I really like to thank my good friend from Germany for posing ^_^ She really liked the photo and people kept calling her Ariel. I'm really happy she liked the photo and now I had the pleasure to use it in my series. At first I wasn't too fond of this painting, but now that I look at it in its frames, it looks pretty awesome ^_^ In my mind this mermaid is living in Summer City, but she has disguised herself as human to protect her secret. She comes to this beach often for a swim.

Bear. 2012. H.M.

This last image is imagination all the way xD I can't exactly recall how this image came to be. I remember RJ and I were goofying off and talking about character costumes people have to wear. Like at Disneyland or Moominworld. We were talking about this 'funland' in Finland where she thought she might apply. She'd then wear this big happy bear character costume. At some point we were talking about how some characters in Pokemon have like, I don't know, models or servants by their side (in weird uniforms!) all the time. So I (or maybe it was RJ) thought how funny it would be if RJ, in her costume, had like these harem girls by her side all day long. We thought that must be one of the bizzarest things ewah O_o It sounded so weird that I had an sudden urge to sketch this idea and make it into a painting. 

Here we see Mr. Bear with his faithful...eh..followers.. Bear has taken charge of the city's underground scene. He and his followers are always close by. At first I thought he'd be the black sheep of the society, but I have changed my mind since I'm in the middle of creating two youngters who unofficially rule Summer City. I think Mr. Bear is Huggy Bear, sort of. Somewhere between a criminal and a good guy. Bear could be the guy people come to to make their more extravagant dreams come true (like learn to fly). And of course some girls wish to join him cuz he's so darn cute! This painting took a lot of time, trust me =P

These are few examples of what's to come at CitySummer. I have 5 more paintings for the show. I'm hoping that people find them as beautiful and entertaining as I do. I love stories very much and hope that people see stories in my paintings. I'm having a lot of fun painting these paintings and perhaps a little bit of that joy shines through them <3 The mediums I use are Aquarelles, Gouache and Sai japanese watercolour pens (markers to be precise). 

I hope you liked this entry. And for those of you who are coming to see the show, I'll see you then! <3

Thank you for reading. Panty out! 
See you!

Artist of the Month: Claude Monet.

Nymphéas 1906

WOW is April like over already? It's May Day eve, a big big drunken 'festival' in Finland.

I don't really care of May Day so I'm at our cabin again ^_^ have been here a week, working on my paintings. I'm so looking forward to summer. I can bring out my high heels and shorts soon ^_^

What do you think of the new background? It's by Candy Bird again =^.^=

So, one of my all time favourite Fine artist is the French impressionist master Claude Monet.

My bestfriend told me to remember that 'Monet was a typical example of couter-reaction to previous prevailing style' as he put it. Well that's one way to put it.

Monet was born in November 14^th 1840 in Paris. Very early on he wanted to become an artist. In 1851 he went to study at Le Havre secondary school of the arts. At that time the locals knew him for his charcoal caricatures. Years later he gained a mentor in Eugene Boudin who taught him to use oil paints, mostly focusing on techniques for outdoor painting. But Monet would shy away from the current practice of  copying from the old masters. Instead he decided to paint what he saw around him. Ten years later Monet joined the army for a seven-year commitment, but had to leave after two years for he had caught typhoid fever. He later agreed to complete an art course at an art school, but was dissapointed with the traditional art taught at the school so he left and became a student of Charles Gleyre.

The next few years Monet spend traveling. He lived in England and Netherlands for a while before returning to France in 1871 when he moved to Argenteuil. Monet's earlier, some famous, paintings are from the time he spend in Argenteuil. In 1874 Monet's painting, a very famous one, 'Impression Soleil levant' took part in the very first impressionist exhibition in France. One could say this exhibition created the term 'impressionism'.

In 1878 Monet moved to Vétheuil and in 1883 settled at Giverny. Having experienced extreme poverty earlier, Monet began to prosper once more. By 1890 he was able to buy the house he had previously rented. At Giverny he began to concentrate on series of images, where he painted the same subject at different times of the day in different lights. By 1899 his attention was focused on his famous water-garden (which he created) including the Japanese bridge. Monet hired several gardeners to look after his garden and property, instructing them about the layouts and floral purchases. It wasn't until early 1900's when the water-garden began to dominate his work. In 1914 he had a large studio built in the grounds of his house so he could work on the large canvases. In his final years Monet continued to paint, regardless of his failing eyesight. He died of lung cancer on 5^th of December 1926 at the age of 86. He is buried in the Giverny church cemetery and his house and estate are open to visit.

Coquelicots, environs d'Argenteuil 1873

Above is one of my favourite Monet 'Coquelicots, environs d'Argenteuil' 1873 (I like to use the real names of the paintings and not the english translations --_--). It's currently on display at Musée d'Orsay in Paris. I had a brief vacation in Paris earlier this month, and stupid me didn't visit this museum. Anyway, this painting is Monet's earlier work which was mainly city subjects and people. This painting however tells of a warm summer day in the country. Monet felt that people were part of the nature, so he had a tendency to slightly blend his characters into the landscape. The 4 figures in the painting aren't supposed to be the main focus in the image. Every time I look at this image, my eyes explore the two charaters in front, moving onto the red poppies on the left. I personally find this painting very pleasant and debonair. Debonair in an imaginative kind of way. It depicts a real place, but to me the poppies and soft palette give an impression of a magical place where every day is like this. Every artist and art lover knows that impressionism isn't about accuracy or proportions, it's about the effect of light and movement (visual experience). This fascination of light and movement was literally science to the impressionist painters. In the poppy painting we can see Monet's attempt to capture how the sun light shines through the clouds. The hay appears lighter and more yellow on the left side, whilst it get's darker on the right side where the larger clouds are. In the soft greens and yellows on the field, and the gentle reds on the poppies Monet gives a settle hint of what's yet to come in his practice.

If you have been lucky to drive past poppy fields in Germany, did you get a feeling of tranquillity, mixed with a little enchantment (similar to what we can experience in Monet's work)? Anyone seen or read the 'Wizard of Oz'? Remember that part 'The Deadly Poppy field', that got me excited  when when we drove past the poppies in Germany when I was little. It was exciting and little 'scary' at the same time, I kept wondering 'are the poppies gonna make me fall asleep?' =D It's that feeling you get when you see a painting (or a photograph, or a movie) about something and oddly when you see the thing for real, your mind/body remembers that feeling you had the first time you saw it. And the real thing is perfect, yet there is still something magical about it.

Le Bassin Aux Nympheas 1899

 As we go through Monet's work, we may begin to get the idea of what Impressionism was trying to convey. By 1899 Monet was focusing his attention on his water-lily garden. In the end he made eighteen paintings, depicting the Japanese bridge and the water-lily garden in different times of the day. Again, one of my favourites from Monet 'Le Bassin Aux Nympheas' 1899 (all the bridge-pond paintings are pretty much named le bassin-- you need to pay attention to the year). This painting gives us a more gentle and lighter colour palette that I think describes Monet's true style perfectly. It's a classic Monet. He had done landscapes and still-lives before, but this is where his style and passion truly lied. As a fellow (rookie) artist, I find it very admirable when an artist is able to paint water and reflection simultaneously, it's quite tricky. More the reason to admire them if they manage to make the result look interesting. I don't think anyone could paint water-lilies as soulfully as Monet. I keep mentioning enchantment and this painting is perhaps the single most perfect example of how a painting becomes enchanting. The tones in the bridge mirror beautifully the pink and white water-lilies. I very much believe that in order to make something enchanting and romantic (in art) one needs the right palette and subject, otherwise it would feel like one is trying to force it. I think the reason Monet's water-lily and Japanese bridge paintings are so beautiful is because they look so effortless. Though I can imagine how much time and effort he spend on making them. In many ways Monet's reputation as the impressionist master is justified. Impressionism is there to arouse feelings in us and perhaps we can get the impression of the feeling the artist had when they painted the painting in question. By looking at 'Le Bassin' I can tell that Monet loved his water-garden very much. He applies the same care to this paintings as he did to his garden and estate. Perhaps Monet's work could be imagined as a target of comparison to all artist who wish to create something spellbinding. Even a person who doesn't know anything about art, should be able to recognize if the artist was in love with the painting whilst they were making it. Like, they loved doing what they were doing. However I imagine this applies to all professions, you can tell if somebody likes their job or not. In short, Monet loved what he was doing. 

Saint-Georges majeur au crépuscule 1908

 

This next painting is called 'Saint-Georges majeur au crépuscule' 1908. According to Monet, this painting is from his trials period in Venice. That's basically what every artist should do at point in their career, experiment. Sometimes the results are good and sometimes bad. Part of me adores this painting because the colours are so strong and vibrant. I reckon a painting like this can only be done by a person who is not afraid of colours. I suppose this painting could serve as a reminder of how a truly great sunset looks like. It shouldn't be difficult to tell that this painting is not one of Monet's greatest pieces. The way he constructed the image is rather child-like and definitely lacks the feeling of enchantment and true genious, which he exhibited in 'Impression Soleil levant' for example. Whilst looking at Monet's other similar landscapes like the paintings of the Waterloo bridge, they come much closer in expressing his authentic style and vision. The paint job on Saint-Georges looks like it was done with great care and concern, even if it tries to look energetic. You can see how careful Monet was not to blend the line between the orange and blue too much. If one wishes to make a painting that is supposed to look like it has a lot of energy, then give it all the energy you have got. Faking energy is hardly ever successful. Paint fast, stab the canvas if you must, and I tell you, all that energy will be carried into the painting. Ahem...well this still is a beautiful painting, very eye-catching. At this time Monet was getting absorbed by his work, and he states that landscapes of water and reflection were becoming and obsession to him. It wouldn't be too long until he would achieve that recognizable style and look of his.

Nymphéas 1916

Me, I have had a crush on Monet's work since I was a little girl. The poppy field, 'Nymphéas' and the Japanese bridge were the first paintings I saw. To me it felt like Monet's work was literally breathing enchantment. Especially the water-lily paintings convey Monet's idea of how wonderful nature is. This is a secret, but I am a hopeless romantic. When I look at the water-lily painting above I see this place where flowers bloom all the time, the sky is pink and you can walk along that pond where Monet's water-lilies grow. Perhaps I have rambled on for too long already. However what I'd like you to understand is that the water-lily paintings Monet made, are massive. Literally massive and all of them are pretty much named 'Nymphéas'. The paintings can be shown individually, but Monet's true intention was to line the canvases side by side, showing the whole image of the water-lily pond. His water-garden was his main focus for the last thirty years of his life. This water-lily painting is from the mid 1910's when he was making these darker versions of the water-lilies. As you can see there are some vibrant reds, yellows and purples on the water-lilies. Although Monet had moved away from those brilliant reds and blues we saw in 'Saint-Georges' we can see that he hadn't abandoned strong colours completely. It was around 1916 when began to apply more yellow, ochre and light greens to his water-lilies. I'm guessing this change from dark to light follows his passion to capture the water-garden in various lights. One could say that that is a simple idea, but it takes good eye and understanding to pull something like that off successfully. I love all Monet's water-garden paintings and you can see a few of them at National Gallery in London for example. I have been there maybe 3-5 times, and every time I go see Monet's paintings. If my memory serves me correctly, there are 2 Japanese bridge paintings and 2 water-lily paintings (none of these are famous I'm afraid).

To return to my friend's quote from earlier, it is true that Monet's work expresses the need to move away from the techiniques and styles that were exhibited in art at that time. Perhaps it is not a surprise that Monet's work wasn't really popular at first. If you have seen his work live you know that up close it's just chunks of paint, it's messy and you wonder how this pile of mess can depict anything. But as you step back, suddenly you see water-lilies or a bridge. Monet became famous for his style eventually and I like to think that Monet along with other impressionist began to set the stage for other art movements, such as Fauvism and Expressionism.

I love art that's not Neoclassical. I can appreciate it, but to me what Monet, Picasso and Rousseau did is much more interesting and beautiful than what those NC masters did.

(If it's not Baroque, don't fix it! xD)

This is A. Panty biding a good day to you.

Thank you for reading!

Cheers!

Artist of the Month: Murakami Takashi.

Konnichiwa minna!

OMG you guys I was going through my statistics and 'The truth behind animal abuse part 1' is my most read entry ^_^ Not far behind is 'Luis Royo' and the third most read entry is 'Girl look at that body. I workout'. 

^_^ It makes me so happy to see that people are interested in such issues as animal cruelty and working out. After all, there isn't even a handful of people I know, who want to spread awareness of the cruelty animals have to endure in our ultra modern society. It was less than a month ago when I heard about this german sheperd Vucko, whose face was blown off by a firecracker Two drunken teenagers in Bosnia duct-taped a firecracker in Vucko's mouth and then left him to his demise. He survived the ordeal. However after he was rescued and examined, the vet revealed that even constructive surgery wouldn't help. Vucko had to be put to sleep. 

If people, and especially young people, are not raised to respect all life, what kind of grown ups can we hope to see in the future? I'm already concerned about the 'I want it all, and I want it when I say that I want it' attitude the young people seem to possess today. In America, people are asked not to buy 'easter bunnies' if they are going to abandon them few weeks later because they are too lazy to take are of the bunnies. This kind of behaviour makes me angry In my books, people and animals are equals. And I'll help fellow humans as much as I'll help animals  

I'll try to find time to update the next part for the animal cruelty 'series'. Naturally part 2 will be about animal testing. See my vegetarian entry for lifestock and meat eating issues. Animal testing has been a big issue for me ever since I was a teenager. So that entry should be an interesting one, and by interesting I mean heart breaking, make-me-cry-for-days kinda thing. But again, people really need to know about this stuff so that together we can find other alternatives to test our 'junk' in the future.

Murakami-kun.

  Murakami Takashi.

Murakami-sensei...where do I even begin. You know, in college we were asked to keep journals and analyze our favourite artists and artists etc relevant to our subject/course. It's weird, I used approx. 3-5 pages per artist and I still got maybe a C+ for my journal work --_-- Maybe my tutors gave up when they saw how much I had written. I had a sneaky suspicion that they weren't really reading my stuff even though 30% of my practice is actually in writing. I let my paintings speak for themself, but their true meaning is more than skin deep. My pieces true context/meaning lies in my journals. My point is that I analyzed Murakami-sensei's work in my drawing module's journal in 2009, and again in my painting module's journal in 2011. It's safe to say, I still haven't got the faintest idea of how he comes up with these results, even though the meaning of the pieces is something completely different (well I suppose you can't really tell by just looking at his work, what he is really trying to put across).

727-727. 2006.

That first picture, is relatively new. I have been keeping an eye on his practice, and I haven't seen him including himself to his pieces before. Which is actually pretty interesting. Why is he choosing this time to include himself? I haven't seen him doing self-portraits before. And if he has, those must have been like, symbolical.

Murakami (1963) was born and raised in Tokyo. While attending the Tokyo University of Arts Murakami had in mind to become an animator, that was until he majored in japanese style painting called 'Nihongan'. He has BFA, MFA, and PHD in Fine Art. In 1994, Murakami received a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council and participated in the International Studio Program 1 in New York for a year. One might say that during that one year in NY he began to develop the strategies and methods he would later on use in his art practice and business. When he returned to Japan he began to generate art that was 100% Japanese and, to be blunt, would sell in the West. He began to explore the Japanese 'low' culture, aka manga and anime and the subculture of otaku. The inspiration he gets from anime and manga and most importantly from the otaku culture (not forgetting Japanese society as well) are still major factors in his work. His artistic impulse and style is driven from this Japanese 'low' culture, but he is also, shall we say, a business man. He knows what sells. Which is partly why he works in paintings, sculptures as well as what is considered commercial media, like fashion and animation. I can see why he is considered as quite a genious for blurring the line between high and low art, and making low art high art.

Kawaii, Summer Vacation. 2002.

In 2002 Murakami began his collaboration with the fashion brand Louis Vuitton. He contributed artwork which was used in the design of a series of handbags and wallets, and needless to say, it was a huge commercial success. His LV gig brought him widespread fame.

In 2007 Murakami made the cover artwork for Kaney West's 'Graduation' album and directed and animated West's 'Good Morning' music video. 

In May 2008, 'My Lonesome Cowboy' (1998), a sculpture of a masturbating boy, sold for $15.2 million at Sotheby's. 

In September, 2010 Murakami became the third contemporary artist (first Japanese) to exhibit his works at the Palace of Versailles. He filled 15 rooms and the park with his sculptures, paintings, a decorative carpet, and lamps. 
Murakami is the founder and president of Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. The company handles the production and promotion of Murakami’s artwork and projects and manages the careers of select young artists. Murakami has devoted himself to supporting the careers of a younger generation of Japanese artists (including female artists).
And we mustn't forget his other projects, campaigns and workshops.

Deidara (Naruto Shippuuden)

Superflat...

In Naruto Shippuuden episode 123 (hehheh 1,2,3)..Deidara says 'Pop is dead. My art is Superflat!' You can imagine my eyes going like O_O 'Did he just say, superflat?' I had to rewind, and what do you know, he says his art is superflat (same in the manga vol 38 or 39). I had to chuckle, since Kishimoto-sensei is regarding Murakami in his manga =^_^=

Superflat is Murakami's invention. It describes both the aesthetic characteristics of the Japanese artistic tradition and the nature of post-war Japanese culture and society. But in short, describes Murakami’s own style. And if one may trust my resource, the term 'superflat' can only be used by Japanese artists. Däng, and I was beginning to think that my work would someday be superflat-ish. (in case it's still unclear, I'm not Japanese). So I can see why Dei-Dei would want to call his art (exploding sculptures xD) superflat.

In the beginning, I mentioned my habbit for keeping a journal. Actually I keep various journals, one or two per project. Based on all the interviews and articles I have read, it would seem that sensei and I share a mutual habbit of taking things deeper. What one may see on the canvas/paper isn't all the image is about. One may draw opinion from Murakami-sensei's pieces, but in the end every piece he makes has its own meaning. I reckon, my paintings tend to tell a story, whilst Murakami-sensei's pieces carry messages. Sensei's work may seem happy and colourful, but it's actually the complete opposite. Murakami said in one of his interviews that his piece aren't about the happy and positive aspects of the Japanese society and otaku culture. In fact they tell of more mean and desperate things.

The Apocalyptic Champ.

I can see elements that are typical in otaku culture in Murakami-sensei's work. The colours, cuteness, funny yet bizarre characters are very otaku. I like his paintings and his sculptures equally. I think his sculptures are more famous than his paintings (in the West). He has done excellent job in creating art that is completely new, yet at the same time is very Japanese. Even if I didn't know that this work was done by a Japanese artist, I (and pretty much anyone who knows anything about art) could tell that the pieces are Japanese. 

In my case, the problem is that I'm having hard time figuring out his pieces. Yes they are beautiful and really interesting to look at and very contemporary. However I don't really wanna go in to too much detail of what I think each painting may mean. That is because Murakami-sensei has said (interview) that his art records the struggle of the discriminated people in Japan (mostly otakus). Apparently Japanese girls especially use cosplay to escape reality. In cosplay they may enter a fantasyland which is much more interesting than dealing with their daily lives. I have to agree with that. I personally use my imagination to escape my daily life. It would be so much boring if I didn't imagine myself as shinobi from Konoha on daily basis I most of often paint my own fantasylands, and I can understand what Murakami is looking to express in his work, but I wouldn't want to escape to sensei's fantasyland. Too psychedelic for me. Supposedly his pieces express his society's situation and are a proof that he was born and raised in such place.

A picture of the Blessed Lion who stares at Death. 2009.

I saw the 'Kawaii' sculpture in Helsinki in 2005. There was an exhibition on Japanese contemperary art featuring several famous Japanese contemp. artist including manga-kas. I had been reading about Japanese culture since 2003 and I was studying Japanese at the time, so the exhibition was a real treat for me I went there with my little sister and we saw 'Kawaii' (it was featured in the exhib. poster too). Back then I had no idea who Murakami Takashi was. So it was so cool to rediscover his practice like 4 years later. I actually like his 'discriminated flowers' sculptures better, than his character sculptures. I do like the anime characters, but he has made such beautiful and impressive sculptures out of his 'discriminated flowers'. I just like the way he designs and builds those flower sculptures. 

I reviewed this Lion painting in one of my journals. It tells of an old Japanese mythology in which a lion drives evil out from a buddhist temple. Based on my research, in this painting Murakami-sensei is mixing mythology with 'Poku' (Pop-Otaku) culture. Even Japanese mythology can be modernized. Which I guess is the joke here. He constructed the image from 4 large mixed-medium 'paintings', and it seemes to me, this constructing thing is very popular among contemp. artists. It is a beautiful piece. I wouldn't mind putting that up on my wall, but sensei's larger piece sell for millions so...

I like to think that the most interesting (and successful) artists have their own way of observing the world. Artists should dismiss realism and enter their own world, from where they then observe the real world. Personally, I keep mixing imaginary with realism all the time. Mostly it's real places, imaginary characters. And I think Murakami does a great job expressing himself and the subject. He has come up with an interesting way to carry out messages about his country and society. Even though he sticks with the same style and characters, he keeps reinventing them over and over again. I have been living in my fantasyland, but sensei's work got me thinking what art and an artist is supposed to be. Is art a field and medium which we need to calculate carefully in order to become superstars and succeed like crazy (research and then give people what they want). Do we seriously need to come up with a whole new art movement so that we have something to give to the public, and to ourselves? Is it artist's job to search what people want to see, and then make them think what he/she is giving them is what they really wanted.

Discriminated Flowers at Versailles. 2010.

I'm sorry if this artist review seemed a bit off. I have been doing 9h shifts this week + I'm going to Paris next monday. I'm doing 10h, 9h and 7h shifts this weekend so I barely have time to do anything --_-- I still need to pack, update my lovely metallic pink Ipod and print out maps. So I just threw this review here as quickly as I could (Yeah really quickly, took me 4h without breaks to write this). Sorry, I'm just tired and I was supposed to start packing today and I wanted to finish my first painting for this group exhibition I was selected be part of. It's in June, and yes in Helsinki. I'll give out all the details later. I just feel that I could have done much better job with this entry, but since March is almost over...

Still I hope you found this entry on Murakami Takashi insightful. 

I'll see you next month! Take care!

Cheers!

HM.

My Beauty Regime (prelude: summer look)

Konnichiwa minna!

Spring is slowly coming to Finland I hear daffodils are blooming in the UK already ^_^ Can't wait to see wood anemones and liverleaves (those little dark lilac flowers). It has been 3 years since the last time I was in Finland in spring. It is so beautiful in May, damp wooded areas are covered with wood anemones. 

I also have began putting together my summer looks. A year ago (2011) I began this thing where I put together a few outfits that will be my 'main outfits' in summer. Last year one of my 'main outfits' was a look inspired by Jodie Foster in 'Taxi driver'. In January I saw various runway looks inspired by 'Taxi driver'(German Vogue). I really liked those looks so I went for it. Below is my own interpretation. I really really like 'nude' garments They give a settle hint of nakedness, which is outrageous, which I like. I love love loove that hat This year however I'm planning to wear more dresses.

Yes, but onto the main entry. This time I decided to something fun. I know I'm keeping this blog so my friends (and other people) could get to know me better, and it slightly 'supports' my art practice. Hence this time I'm going to be a bit more personal.

I am a makeup junkie. Couple days ago I said on my Fbible profile that the reason why I love makeups is because I can create infinite looks with them. To me it seems natural that I want to paint my face too since I love to paint paintings. Putting on makeup is my morning ritual (when I'm going out of the house), it relaxes me (and helps me to wake up) and it gives me a chance to do something creative, even on my main-income-days when I don't get to do anything artistic. The looks I create with makeups are part of who I am. I know Finns especially look down on people who stand out (especially girls) and I know Finnish girls sniff at girls who wear alot of makeup. And boys don't want girls who wear a lot of makeup because they want a girl who looks the sama every day. However I am happy to say that I don't wear makeup because I want to look pretty. I just love the colours and textures and it's so much fun and relaxing to make all these different looks I think of myself as a sort of a chameleon. Today I may be wearing my white baggy pants and black eyeliner, but tomorrow I may be wearing my black/pink tutu with high heels and wear green makeup. I get bored so quickly that I haven't established a specific look (like Twiggy when she was young).

However I'm not going to talk about makeups today (well just a little), but I'm going to walk you through my daily beauty routine. Note: All the products and their reviews I mention in this entry are based on personal experiences. Nobody is paying me to say nice things about their products. I'm currently using (or have used) these products and I'm just giving you my opinion on how they work. When buying beauty products, I like to read atleast a few reviews on the product before (if) I purchase it. You'll soon see that the products I use, aren't cheap. So I like to think of it as a small investment, which means I need to have all the facts before I purchase anything.

Face

I have combination skin, which pretty much means that my skin is very oily in summer and very very dry in winter. So in winter I need to keep my skin moisturized. I'm currently using Clarins' HydraQuench Cream and that one jar has lasted for 2 winters. I'm almost done with it ^_^ It saved my skin when winter came and my skin 'dried up'. AND it's helping me with my acne problem. Moisturized skin actually prevents acne, don't ask me how this cream worked, it just did. My skin is clearer now, than it was before.

But my real skin hero is Murad's Post-Acne Spot Lightening Gel. I've got some pretty nasty, reddish acne scars on my right cheek and one on my chin --_-- Seriously they are so large and vivid that I was convinced that I could never get rid of them without laser surgery... Makeup covers them alright, but I'm conscious about them when I'm not wearing any makeup.

But my mind was changed when my little sister told me about Murad and about this gel  I was convinced enough to try this product. It has something to do with cellular water that treats acne and acne scars. If you don't believe me, check out my progress from the pictures below. In just little less than a month, my horrible scars have started to dissapear (slowly). I'm convinced that in 2 months, I should be rid of them.

To all of you who have problems with acne scars, I warmly recommend this product. You apply it every evening after your washing routine. You may experience light tingling, but that it's ok. However, if you have any allergies or skin 'problems' I suggest you ask the Murad experts (live chat) on murad.com if their products are compatible with your skin. My little sister has very sensitive skin. She can't use The Body Shop products, but her skin was ok with Murad's products I did my best with the shots. Pics 1 and 3 are taken in the same bathroom under the same light, no flash. Pic 2 was taken in the bathroom of my family's cabin, no flash. I took the shots after applying the gel.

1. 22.02.2012

2. 01.03.2012

3. 12.03.2012

I was my face and makeup with The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil Facial Wash. Because it's oil based, it removes even the toughest foundation. However, this is not suitable for removing eye makeup. If this gets in the eyes, it hurts. I was once forced to use this to remove eye makeup because I had run out of my regular eye makeup remover. Well it removed the makeup, but it hurt. Because of my skin is such a good 'soil' for acne and blackheads I have a sneeky suspicion that this Tea Tree Wash is keeping my blackheads and pores under control. But just under control, I mean it could be worse. I have somewhat large pores around my nose and a lot of blackheads on my nose. I can't seem to get rid of them even though this products promises it will rid the user of blackheads. That's not really working for me, but I like how well it removes makeup. I have been using this product for many many years.

I use Clarins Eye Contour Gel to keep dark circles under control. I got really puffy eyes during my summer job in 2009, and really bad dark circles. So I bought this product. And it actually helped. Well it lightened my dark circles and definately fought against puffiness, but it doesn't fade dark circles entirely. I have a hate-love relationship with this product. I want to get rid of dark circles entirely, but this product only keeps them under control. This little tube has lasted for 3,5 years! I use it everyday, in the morning and in the evening and I'm still not done with it! I really like how quickly it works on puffy and tired eyes though But after I'm done with this, I'm off to look for a new dark circles-puffiness product.

 






Sorry about this layout ^_^' I'm just trying to save space...

And now a few makeup products. My favourite powder, which I cannot go without ever again is M.A.C's Prep + Prime. This powder is a-may-zaah! It's ment to set your foundation and if you are costumed to use mineral foundation, I seriously recommend this product. I have one of M.A.C'c mineral foundation's (which I now only use to highlight my cheekbones) and whenever I used their pigments to create my makeup, the flakes would settle under my eyes and grasp onto the foundation. They'd ruin my foundation even if I tried to sweep them with a fan brush. But with Prep + Prime, I can sweep all I want, and my foundation won't be ruined ^_^ Because this powder sets the foundation so well, giving me that finished matte look. From afar, my face looks flawless. AND this does not cake. So people standing close to me can see the powder finish, but it won't look thick or cakey. I noticed that if I used a regular powder on top of my foundation, it would often cake and make my foundation look really really heavy. YUCK!
But in 2010 whilst I was in Australia a M.A.C clerk recommended this for me. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT It's white powder so it lightens your foundation a little. It should be translucent, but I've noticed that it 'whitens' my face a little (which is good because my foundation is 2 shades darker than my skin --_-- I bought the foundation, it looked good in the store, but not so much in natural light. I didn't know I could return it so I've been stuck with the expensive foundation for almost a year now. Good thing it's an awesome foundation!). I don't mind since I want my skin to be white, but it might be a problem if you like your skin tan. 
If you are using mineral foundation or foundation that runs a little sticky, I recommend you to set your face with Prep + Prime. I warmly recommend this product to anyone who uses foundation products.

Favourite eyeliner, and mascara that actually worked:

Yves Saint Laurent Shocking pencil eyeliner and mascara Singulier. Shocking is the best bloody eyeliner I have ever used! It doesn't smudge eyelashes and its pointy sharp tip makes it easy to create stunning cat eyes. I recommend you keep this pen upside down, so the tip won't dry. After a few uses, you have to press it on your palm just a teensy bit to get the liquid stuff going. Otherwise, it handles like a dream. Even with my eyelids, my right lid is perfect, but my left is a little wrinkly in the outer corner. So it's not easy to apply eyeliner. But a YSL clerk told me to tip my head little to my right, whilst drawing the line on my left lid. And you know what, it works ^_^ No more uneven lines.  I'm never giving up this eyeliner!

Singulier brought my faith back. I have different set of eyelashes --_-- the lashes on my left eye are perfect: long and thick, but the lashes on my right eye are long yes, but thin and there is a big gap in the middle. Plus the longest lashes in the outer corner are weak and pathetic. I was becoming desperate. I was sure that I couldn't find a mascara that would separate and add volume to my lashes. But then I found Singulier. Because I have somewhat fair lashes, it's better if the mascara has a small brush or a different shaped brush (non-traditional shape). Like Singulier's shape is spiral. A rubber brush should also work on fair lashes. People with fair lashes are adviced to stay clear from the large traditional brushes. They cause clumping and the results will be anything but natural. Singulier's spiral brush really gets even the shortest lashes. It separates lashes beautifully and it doesn't clump or flake. My eyelashes looked like feathers ^_^ very cute and delicate. However the reason why I am not buying this (well in a while atleast) is because it doesn't add enough volume. I'm looking for a more dramatic look than what this mascara can offer for me. I am aware that dramatic volume may not be happening for me, but I keep hoping that I'll find that perfect mascara that delivers everything I ask for. But so far of all the designer mascaras I have tried (2 Diors, 2 Lauder's, 1 Clinique) YSL takes the cake.

Grey Area: I'm currently using Clinique's Lash Power Mascara (long wearing formula) and it's ok. I bought it because a ladie at Sephore recommendet it for my lashes. However! I hate the mascara's substance! I can only apply one layer and then it gets sticky and glues my lashes together. It's ok as long as I apply the coat quickly and from the right angle. The brush is soo tiny. So it should be perfect for my fair lashes in my right eye. But I guess my lashes aren't THAT weak because the brush is way too small to grab all of them perfectly. Lash Power is an ok mascara, and I'm happy to see this through, but I won't be buying it again. Now Dior has always been a dissaster for me. Again the mascara's substance is way too thick and gooey for my lashes. It literally glues my lashes together and I have to pry them apart with a pin. Yes a pin, an eyelash brush doesn't help at all. I thought when Diorshow New Look came out that the new brush, could make it work. Nope, again my lashes were glued together. I tried this product twice to make sure that it really wasn't working, and then I took it back to the store. So to all of you who have thin or 'combination' lashes, I'd never recommend Dior to you. Below is a pic of me with New Look, but this is after I had pryed the lashes apart with the pin.

And my so far favourite lipstick is Lady Gaga for M.A.C Viva Glam nr2. It's this nude-brown colour, kinda like cappucino colour. Like I said, I like nude coloured stuff It's a beautiful colour and it goes with many of my makeup looks.

Hair
There are two hair products that I love. First are my shampoo + conditioner by Paul Mitchell.

I use 'Strenght' because my scandinavian hair is thin. Well my hair isn't that thin per say, but it could be thicker (it's always "it could be" right?). My hair is naturally wavy, but because I keep my hair short, people can see that my hair is fair (unless the hairdresser has given me a great cut that actually adds volume by itself). Gemma from Wicked Hair (in Worcester) recommended this for me. I was using Tigi's Bed Head, Dumb Blonde and she told me that that range was too heavy for my hair type. She told me to use Strenght twice a week and the rest of the time use Dumb Blonde. Apparently if you keep using the same shampoo over and over again, your hair will get used to it and it won't make that much of a difference anymore. I went back to Gemma 1,5 month later and I asked her if she could see any difference in my hair, since I started using Strenght. I was so delighted when she informed me that she could see a clear change in my hair's condition Just bought these big bottles of Strenght. And I'm using them along with Bed Head's Superstar conditioner and DB Shampoo.

My other favourite hair product is Tigi's S-Factor Body Booster (Plumping Spray). This is their Catwalk range's improved hair volumizer spray. I wash my hair every other day so this spray really keeps my hair looking fresh even on the second day + it adds a lot of volume I spray this into my roots and then all over my hair when it's clean and damp. I style it during blow drying. Occasionally I apply it on the next day to refreshen. I believe this is my 3rd bottle. I have been using this product since 2010.

Body
There is only one body moisturizer worth mentioning in my books. And that is The Body Shop's Chocomania range. I just got Chocomania's body scrub and it seems that I won't be needing body butters ever again (just kidding, I'm eager to try Chocomania's body butter). I have been using TBS's body butters for as long as I can remember and none of them have supplied as long lasting moisture as the Chocomania body scrub. When you scrub it on, it turns into this mixture between chocolate sauce and shower gel. You can feel the difference immediately. I'll definately buy Chocomania body butter after I run out of Maroccan Rose. And I already got Chocomania lip balm =^_^= TBS states that the Chocomania products keep your skin moisturized for 48h hours. I concur! Did I mention these products smell absolutely divine? I'm crazy about quality chocolate, and especially the lip balm and body scrub smell just like real, luxorious chocolate. But don't taste them! I tried and they don't taste like chocolate Let us just enjoy their work and scent.

And the last item in my beauty regime is The Body Shop's Hemp Protector Hand cream and lip balm. When winter comes, my hands get extremely dry, making the skin crack slightly. But the Hemp Protector came to my rescue It is very, very heavy and creamy. So I recommend you use gloves if you are planning to use this during the day. I apply it when I go to bed, so I won't be touching anything except my sheets. I hang my arms over my bed to let the cream settle + dry for a moment. This hand cream has been very helpful, since winter in Finland is tough and the soap at my work is anti-mosturizing. Same goes for the Hemp Protector lip balm. The air at my work was really like dry or something and it made my lips dry, causing them to crack slightly. But thanks to the Hemp range, my lips are no longer dry at work ^_^ Will continue to buy these products.

That's all I pretty much have to say about my beauty regime. And I can proudly say that all of my beauty products are Cruelty-Free. You see, I don't buy products that have been tested on animals. I am ethical, so I research on beauty companies etc to check that they are in fact cruelty-free. I know many designer cosmetics are in the 'Grey-Area' because they haven't announced whether they test their products and/or ingredients on animals or not (Like Dior and Chanel). But YSL for example is cruelty-free But more about animal testing and cruelty-free products later (in part 2 -> See part 1. for fur farming)

Since the Murad product is working out so well, I'm looking to buy their T-Zone Pore Refining Gel next. I'm also on the market for a mascara from Too Faced (first time). It's all fun to try out new beauty products =^_^=

I hope you enjoyed my little entry and found my reviews on the products insightful and helpful.

Until next time when we'll be looking at the artist of March

Mata nee!

HM