Creative Arts Group

2007-08-07T20:00:00.000-04:00

2007-07-24T06:02:00.000-04:00

EXTRAS NEEDED!!!!
The newest horror monsterpiece from Silver Bullet Pictures, Heavy Mental, is in need of extras this Sat. (July 28th) for a hot dog eating contest scene.

This is non-paid of course, but there's a good possibility of this film getting distributed through Troma Entertainment, so that's cool.

The location is Guilliford's Bar and the call time is noon. The bar is near the I-Rock in Detroit. It's also near Harpos in case you aren't familiar with the I-Rock.

2007-07-19T20:42:00.000-04:00

unfiltered 2

Closing Reception ~~ Saturday, July 28 ~~ 6:00pm 'til midnight

@ Octane Photographic Gallery (22750 Woodward Ave, Suite B1, Ferndale)
Stop in for your last chance to see the works of our featured Creative Arts Group artists ~~ Donnie, Stacey, Mike & Terence.

http://www.octanephotographic.com/

2007-07-10T06:55:00.000-04:00

No Meetings For a While

We'll be taking a break from our Creative Arts Group meetings for a while. Summer plans have taken the front seat, so meetings have been cancelled at this point.

Please keep us informed via email (creativeartsgroup@yahoo.com) of any upcoming Art Shows, Social Events, Gigs or Screenings and we'll continue to post to the Blog.

Peace to All!

2007-07-06T08:13:00.000-04:00

plain clothes ensemble played the Berkley Front last Friday.................... to a different type of crowd than they're accustomed to. The Berkley Front is known to feature hard rock n' roll bands..................... so the lighter, mellow sounds of Rob, Chris and Dan's music was a new twist for the regular customers. The reception was terrific! Lots of compliments and new relationships established. The other 2 bands where more typical for the Front's style. Both "Walkways" and "Mother of Stone" put on great shows -- rockin out and blasting the room with their original songs!

2007-06-21T12:24:00.000-04:00

2007-06-18T20:12:00.000-04:00

LEND A HAND

We made it down to Ferndale on Friday night for the unfiltered ii art show at Octane Photographic. Wow -- some terrific art from not only local artists, but talent from around the world as well. Because Octane is actually a photography studio, the gallery is small and intimate.

Stacey and Donnie submitted a piece for the show that I'd seen in a photograph -- but really got a new look at when seeing the creation in person. The mish-mash of hand prints are not only paint, but are pressed onto a variety of different materials that give it a crazy texture. The base beneath the painting is actually netting, print pages (magazine/book?) and different fabrics.

Very creative and REALLY fun to examine. Congratulations on your first public art show Donnie & Stacey!

2007-06-15T07:26:00.000-04:00

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Special hours TONIGHT @ Octane Photographic Gallery ~~ 22750 Woodward Avenue ~~ Suite B1 (basement) ~~ Ferndale

Friday, June 15 ~~ 6:00 - 9:00 pm

Stop by to see works displayed by our own Creative Arts Groups artists (Terence, Mike, Donnie & Stacey) -- along with international art from across the country!

http://www.octanephotographic.com/

2007-06-13T07:53:00.000-04:00

WHETHER WEATHER?

Since we weren’t able to create our group collage at our May meeting, we pulled out the supplies and gave it a shot last Friday. Our theme was “weather”, so we each came up with symbols and ideas that relate to the theme. The original thought of the clouds failed miserably due to the lack of cooperation of the spray foam. Thinking that the stuff was easier to manipulate once it’s sprayed, it proved us wrong and was obviously NOT manipulatable at all. When we realized the clouds weren’t going to smooth out and expand like we’d hoped, the next thought was to turn them into the landscape of Mars by spray-painting them red. Again…….. the idea and the result were not in sync and the non-clouds look nothing like Mars either!

Alex and Terence worked on individual sunshines while Chris put together a collage of pictures and words representing thoughts about weather (Mood, Warm, Tropical, Beach). While Terence used paint for his Angry, Cancer-loving sunshine, Alex cut different shades and shapes of yellow from magazines to piece together in creating his sunshine. Using the same technique, Alex also came up with a funky blue storm cloud.

Being that I’ve never tapped into any hidden artistic skills of my own, I spent the time labeling every weather word I could think of. I also came up with the copper rain-drop (thanks for the copper shavings David!).

John and Ed both tossed out a couple of thoughts regarding the weather collage (not necessarily encouraging thoughts -- Mr. Sarcasm John -- but thoughts none-the-less). As movie buffs, they spent a lot of the meeting discussing several films and some side notes that they’re both interested in.

Join us for our next meeting on June 29th when we'll be hosting an open mic for Poetry or Short Stories. Share your own work -- or bring in a favorite to read aloud to the group.

2007-06-04T06:17:00.000-04:00

TOMORROW: Tuesday, June 5

7:30 at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak

Suburban Heroes will be screening with the Mitten Movie Project before the feature, In A Single Bound.

This is the movie we screened a few months ago at our Creative Arts Group meeting. Terence, Andy and Chris are all involved with the filming of this new series!

Come support our Creative Arts Group members ~~ Tickets are $11

2007-06-01T06:24:00.000-04:00

unfiltered 2

@ Octane Photographic Gallery ~~ 22750 Woodward Avenue ~~ Suite B1 (basement) ~~ Ferndale

Opening reception on Saturday, June 2 from 6:00 - 11:00 pm Second reception on Sunday, June 3 from 4:00 - 10:00 pm

Show runs June 2 thru July 15

Stop by the opening reception this Saturday to mingle with some of our featured Creative Arts Groups artists! Donnie, Stacey, Mike and Terence are all displaying pieces this year!

http://www.octanephotographic.com/

2007-05-24T09:32:00.000-04:00

SPRING IS HERE!

Stacey is taking advantage of the gorgeous subjects in her garden and has been getting some beautiful shots. Using a close-up approach, she's captured the inner colors of her tulips, orchids and iris. By having the pictures printed in different sizes and using individual frames, Stacey has created a collage of her flowers on her living room wall.

What an awesome way of bringing the beauty of a garden indoors to admire long after the blooms have faded.

2007-05-14T06:55:00.000-04:00

PHOTOGRAPHY

Both Brittany and Kimberly brought several examples of their photography to our last meeting. Brittany is interested in working in Black and White photography and has been recently experimenting in different techniques with distortion using negative exposures of her film. The black and white images work well with the antiqued subjects she chooses -- helping to not only give the photo itself an aged feel -- but enhancing the fact that the original pieces are aged on their own!

The postcards, war bonds and spectacles are outstanding in black and white.

Kimberly showed an album with her photographs of architecture. Her photos included everything from spectacular churches and cathedrals -- filled with intricately detailed woodwork and carving -- to the natural, raw structure of the rocks at Stone Henge. Kimberly was able to capture some great lighting on the buildings and timed her photos around the flow of tourists to keep her subjects as unobstructed as possible. Her album was a beautiful statement of the talent of a photographer with a great concept of architecture.

Both women have a terrific eye for the art of photography -- and both very different in their styles.

2007-05-03T12:01:00.000-04:00

HGTV

Our Creative Arts Group artists are getting the recognition they deserve! David Sabbagh is being featuring on HGTV this coming Friday night -- May 4 -- on their "Look What I Did" segment. They'll be showing some of the finished rooms in David's home that feature his custom designs.

A replay of the show will be on Wednesday, May 30.

Set your VCR or TIVO it -- this is exciting stuff!

Congratulations David

2007-05-01T09:41:00.000-04:00

POETRY

Congratulations to Terence for being published! His poem “Mute Words For Deaf Ears” was selected in a poetry contest on Poetry.com. Less than 300 poems were selected to be published into a bound book – Timeless Memories.

The book is available thru the Poetry.com website: http://www.poetry.com/Publications/display.asp?ID=P8034236&BN=AFO&PN=1

Also a cool side note, Terence’s work was printed on page ONE of the entire book!

2007-04-20T13:58:00.000-04:00

CREATIVITY IN MOTION

Our last meeting was our second hands-on sculpturing night. Thanks to Jerry for being our clay supplier -- although he needed to leave the meeting before the sculpting actually began.

Allison started off with a snowman type figure and worked her piece into a cool little lamb. By using a coffee stir-stick, she was able to pluck at the clay to cause a rippled, raised surface -- almost like a meringue.

Jacci's heart-shaped incense burner has a square in the center to add another effect -- possibly a picture or other material -- later to be shellacked or varnished to give the whole piece a shiny finish.

Amy's crucifix was rustic with an antique feel. The deep gray color of the clay added to the ancient look of the cross and gave it an illusion of being made of metal.

Alex's cat is extremely detailed. By individually sculpting each piece before attaching them to the body, he was able to create many different layers and textures. After all the parts were in place, he detailed the entire piece with a similar style that Allison used by plucking and cutting into the clay -- in this case giving the cat a "fur" texture.

Donnie & Stacey took their sculptures with them before we were able to get any pix, but Stacey's piece was a long strip of clay with a duplicating pattern -- that when she looped it into a ring could be used as a napkin holder or a type of bottomless, decorative pot.

Donnie spent his time sculpting out a man's torso (with a sweet "six-pack" I might add). Donnie's got a terrific talent for muscular detail -- as he's shown in a lot of his comic drawings -- see previous posts with his penciling work.

Awesome Work Artists!

2007-04-13T07:19:00.000-04:00

THE LIBRARIAN / SKATER

Alex joined our Creative Arts Group for the first time last week. He's a librarian by day and creative Comic Strip writer on the side. His work is published in several local newspapers like "Go Detroit" and "The Blader". Alex has been writing Comic Strips for about 12 years and enjoys expressing himself to the community thru his edgy, sometimes political, sometimes satirical viewpoint.

After creating the original Comic Strip on letter sized paper, he copies and distributes the piece to several different publications. There are no specific contracts with a certain newspaper, so this allows Alex to distribute and be published as the editors of the papers see fit. The newspaper will then modify the size and decide where in their paper they want the Comic to run.

Alex came to the meeting that we were creating with Clay and came up with a very detailed cat as his piece. We'll be featuring all of our sculptures in the next week or so.

2007-04-12T08:15:00.000-04:00

TONGUE DRUM

"Tongue drums are known by many different names including Log Drums, Ozi Boxes, Teponaztli, or Xylodrums. Early tongue drums also had a wide variety of functions within different cultures from story telling to beating out war cries over long distances.Tongue drums are direct descendants of these ancient instruments, with a modern twist, harmonics and tuning. These amazing drums are gaining in musical popularity and finding their rightful place in recordings by artists from around the world."

Phil brought his Tongue Drum to the meeting before this last one. Like the description above mentions, this cool instrument gives a great accent to other music -- in our case, music provided by Chris & Phil on their D'Jembes -- while Allison experimented with the unusual sounds this tongue drum is capable of.

2007-04-08T18:14:00.000-04:00

Jewelry

Jacci has been creating with beads for many years. She brought a beautiful assortment of her work to our Creativea Artrs Group on Friday. Jacci works with different varieties of beads, stones, fine metals, glass and gems to string together fabulous pieces of jewelry. She also showed off her talent with some unusual beaded baubles that can hang as decorations.

Jacci would love to display her jewelry in hopes of selling it, but hasn't found the right means of presenting her work yet. Not being fond of the "arts & crafts show" idea, she's leaning toward a possible consignment with an established store. If you have any suggestions -- please send along an email!

Jacci has experimented with several other areas of the arts besides beading..... pottery, ceramics and painting. We look forward to seeing some of her other talents at future meetings.

2007-03-26T18:00:00.000-04:00

HAND AND FOOT

Jerry's latest creations of clay are a hand and leg. Each are about 6 inches in size. The slender, clawed fingers of the hand are a little creepy in their skeleton resemblance -- but VERY cool. The foot, calf & thigh are thicker and "healthier" feeling than the hand.

Jerry has volunteered to help with at our next meeting on April 6 with another "HANDS ON" gathering. He'll be bringing the clay and tools. We'll also be experimenting with spray foam to see what types of sculptures we can come up with. YOU bring your creative ideas and imagination on April 6!

2007-03-24T19:12:00.000-04:00

Jonathon has just recently begun to seriously experiment with his drawing skills. He's always had a passion for art -- but is now putting more effort into finding his inner talents with sketching, using charcoal and painting.

Jonathon is also a musician that plays guitar and writes his own music and lyrics. He's played with several other musicians, but isn't involved with a band at this time. He's hoping to meet other musicians thru the Creative Arts Group for the possibility of jamming.

2007-03-17T13:37:00.000-04:00

Another big turnout for C.A.G.

Terence's piece -- "World Wide Debt" (see past post for photo) -- is now on display at cPop (4160 Woodward in Detroit). The gallery show runs thru April 7 -- but the closing reception will be March 31st. (I dunno -- sounded weird to me too....) Check out their site @ www.cpop.com

A new artist, Jonathon, joined us last night. He's experimenting with drawing animals and had a collection of horses, a cat, birds and a dinosaur along with some thematic drawings. We'll be posting a few pictures of his work soon. Jonathon is also a guitar player -- looking for other musicians that are interested in getting together to share creativity thru music.

Jerry brought in some drawings, along with some clay pieces he's created recently. We're talking about having another "hands-on" meeting to work with sculpting clay again. Everyone had a great time testing their imaginations last time Jerry brought in clay -- so Phil suggested that we plan to do it again. More info on that in a later post.

Speaking of Phil -- he brought along a cool instrument called a tongue drum. While Phil and Chris played their d'jembes, Allison experimented with the tones of the wooden "drum" and gave the music an interesting Indian sound.

Chris and Rob are hosting an open mic night at Four Green Fields (30919 Woodward @ the Woodward & 13 Mile Road shopping plaza) Sunday, March 18 beginning at 8:00 pm. Bring your instrument to sign up for the open mic (PA equipment provided) -- or come and check out the talent that shows up.

David is coming to the end of teaching his 6 week sculpting class. The students are really enjoying working with the different metals and seeing their ideas come to fruition. David will be organizing another class later into the Summer and already has students interested in attending.

Jacci will be bringing some samples of her jewelry to next months meeting so we can get some pix up on the BLOG.

Check back soon for photos and details!

2007-03-09T06:02:00.000-05:00

Another Gallery Show!

Terence and Mike will both be displaying their art at an upcoming gallery show opening Saturday -- MARCH 10 @ 7:00 pm

C-POP Gallery's C-POPportunity Show©POPportunity is ©POP Gallery's first annual " all-media, pan-aesthetic juried exhibition.

Opening Reception - Saturday, March 10 at 7pm.
Closing and Award Winners Soiré - Saturday, March 31 at 7pm.
Exhibit Closes on April 9

©POP Gallery is located at 4160 Woodward, Detroit 313 833-9901

2007-03-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Great meeting last Friday!

Eight brand new people added to Seven of our past members -- made for a pretty big turnout last Friday.

Here's a quick run-down of the "new" people that showed up. We'll post more details individually in the next couple of weeks.

Chris and Andy are friends of Terence -- all involved in the film-making field. They showed a short film (Suburban Heroes) that the 3 of them worked on. Terence and Chris also acted in the film, so it was fun to see their "other" personalities come out on screen. This particular short was a remake of a creation they'd all collaborated on in film-school.

Jacci works in the art of creating Jewelry and is potentially looking to get involved in the art/craft show circuit. She's been designing her own ideas for quite a while and is hoping to build a large enough stock to start selling her pieces.

Sharon and Matt are both experimenting with photography and are hoping to connect with more experienced photographers that can talk them thru some ideas and techniques. Sharon uses a digital camera and edits/manipulates the photos on the computer to get the qualities she likes. Matt has a 35 millimeter and would like to get more instruction on how to use the different features of his equipment.

Nicholas specialized in iron work. Garden art, trellises and archways are his forte. Hopefully we'll be posting some photos of his iron roses later next week.

Susanna enjoys several different areas of the arts. She plays a tin whistle, writes and draws.

We hope to have some of you bring samples to future meetings so we can put out some photos on the BLOG to accompany our write ups!

2007-02-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

Work of Art

Kimberly brought a beautiful sample of her painting to our last meeting. The oil was on a canvas somewhere near 40”x 40” and features a woman's nude backside. She does wonderful work and has an amazing eye for art – as you can see in her other samples from the previous post on 1/29/07.

The body shot that she brought to the meeting is from the woman's mid-back down to mid calf – body laying on it’s side. Kimberly's original thought when doing the portrait was to create the upper ½ of the body on a separate canvas in contrast to the colors used on the finished painting. When hung side by side, the paintings would complete each other to make the full length of the body -- but in the reverse color scheme of each other. Really creative idea and interesting perspective to use the contrasting colors to offset each painting from it's mate.

Kimberly has done a few nudes and enjoys the reactions to her paintings. Whether good or bad, she’s intrigued by the opinions of the viewers.

Come and join us a week from Friday for our next meeting -- February 23.
Hope to see you there!

2007-02-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to David Sabbagh – our metal, glass, wood, etc. sculptor who has recently bought his own studio in Pontiac to expand his occupation in artistry! David had been working out of another facility in Royal Oak, but has moved up to owning his own place – with his own tools – and is branching out in his skills! EXCITING STUFF

Along with his commissions work for specific clients, David will begin teaching a six week class on sculpting beginning February 19. He’ll be starting up a new session following that one – no dates scheduled yet. If you’re interested in ANY type of funky sculpting – this could be a terrific class for you. The idea is for each student to have a general thought of what they’re hoping to accomplish and to bring their own basic material to begin with. During the classes, David will help to visualize the piece from the students ideas and help to construct the elements into the physical adaptation of their concept.

In a nutshell -- You have the idea -- You bring the basic material you're hoping to work with -- David has the tools and the know-how to get your piece to an amazing finished product!

Check out David's website @ www.dasadesigns.com

2007-01-29T19:51:00.000-05:00

"SACRIFICE" and "CONNECTION"

Kimberly hasn't actually brought one of her paintings into a meeting yet -- but hooked us up with a few pix to get an idea of her work.

She uses oils to create amazing visuals on canvas.

The abstract on the lower left ("Connection") was just finished this year, 2007 -- while the piece on the upper right ("Sacrifice") is from 2005.

Hopefully, we'll be able to see Kimberly's work in person and get some details about her history and the inspiration of her art at the next Creative Arts Group meeting ...............

THIS Friday.

Join Us!

2007-01-24T20:27:00.000-05:00

"WORLD WIDE DEBT"

Terence brought a new piece to our meeting (that really wasn't a meeting) on January 12th and let us get some photos. The pictures don't do justice to the inner parts of this complicated piece, but the bottom photo gives a glimpse at some of the detail.

The base is a computer monitor -- symbolizing, duh...... a computer monitor! There are all sorts of promo clips along the walls inside the monitor luring internet users to buy, shop, browse, apply and open credit. There is a wire spider dangling from the "Web" that separates the hands from the inner workings. OK, I admit, I didn't get "the web" as being the internet -- he had to explain it after I asked "Why's there a spider in there?".

The wires "controlling" the hands are the control the internet can get over us once we become too submerged -- many of us without our even realizing it's happening. Chat rooms, myspace, information seeking, entertainment and online purchasing -- all begin to control us if we allow ourselves to be pulled in.

Which leads to the "suicide by credit card" aspect of the piece. Running up credit card bills -- being lured into opening new accounts to consolidate and pay off other cards -- all with promises of No Finance Charge or Lower Interest Rates or No Payment Until Next Year.................. until it's too late.

Terence has a wonderful talent of bringing out questions through his artwork. He can turn a simple topic into a controversial discussion piece with his unusual viewpoint.

Come join us for our next meeting on February 2.

2007-01-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

Jerry's latest project is a Clay Communion Set.

The chalice for the wine is projecting off the top of a large cross and cannot stand on it's own. It needs to be united with the base (which is the plate/paten for the bread) in order to stand. Very symbolic of the union that communion represents. The cross on the chalice, when placed into the base also completes the trinity of crosses representing the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

After originally painting the set a glossy bronze, Jerry wasn't satisfied with the shine of the piece and decided to add the flecks of black to "age" it. The result was a great, antique look that really works well for the set.

2006-11-30T20:50:00.000-05:00

UNTITLED

Terence's latest creation is a combination of styles. The focus of the piece is the center painting that plays off the idea of a TV test-pattern. The symbols used in the painting -- the pentagrams, United States flag and the crosses, are all representative of things that can be seen as "pure" or "evil" -- depending on the way they're displayed -- and the way they're perceived by the viewer. The cross is a sign for salvation -- but when displayed upsidedown, can be seen as a sign of Satanism. The pentagram is a universal symbol of man, earth, air and water -- the elements of Life. But inverted, it is often used in witch-craft and associated with negative practices. The US Flag can represent pride and unity of our country -- or when displayed in a different way, can be seen as a mocking of the US. In combining these good/bad, blessed/evil symbols in the form of a TV test pattern -- the painting can be representative of the good/bad, blessed/evil uses of today's media.

The frame is also a combination of contrasting elements. The brutalized antique wooden frame is mixed with the modern technology of wires and computer circuit boards.

Very cool imagery Terence!

2006-11-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

PLAIN-CLOTHES ENSEMBLE @ Xhedos Cafe

Two of our Creative Arts Group members, Rob Hayes & Chris Kirk (now known as "Plain-Clothes Ensemble") put on a great show last night at Xhedos Cafe in Ferndale.

It was nice to be able to hear a whole hour-long set of Rob's originals (a few covers tossed in) instead of the usually 2 or 3 songs that are allotted on open-mic nights.

Watch the BLOG for more gigs coming up soon.

plainclothesensemble@yahoo.com

2006-10-23T01:48:00.000-04:00

Film Group?

I attended a film group last weekend with one of our Creative Arts Group members. It's a "private", once a month group that meets in the homes of members. They choose a current film and spend an evening discussing the opinions and thoughts regarding the movie. It was a very organized, friendly, respectful way to talk about the film that included everyone (if they chose) to participate.

Although anyone in the group is welcome to suggest the movie for the next meeting, two specific members are "The Committee" to actually select the film and inform everyone as to what the movie will be (in advance enough from the date of the next meeting so everyone can get out to the theatre to SEE it). The meeting that I attended was a review on "The Last King of Scotland".

It was a spectacular film -- but this BLOG is not to tell you about the movie -- but to throw the idea out there that we could come up with some type of Movie Critique Group that could be incorporated with our Creative Arts Group.

Since our meetings will be starting back up again the end of next month, maybe we could talk about having a film critique night every third meeting or so.

Just some thoughts for future meetings.

2006-09-24T20:25:00.000-04:00

MOVIE REVIEWS

Ed, one of our Creative Art Group members, enjoys writing film reviews for current pictures. As 2006 drives into it's 4th quarter, here is a list of Top 10 Movies in theatres and on rental so far for the year. Of course the list will continue to change as the year comes to an end -- but here are Ed's reviews to date:

#10 AMERICAN DREAMZ -- A wickedly funny satire in which "American Idol" and President Bush are made fun of. Dennis Quaid is "spot-on" as he plays the bumbling leader. This film also features some good music and the forever interesting Hugh Grant!

#9 TRUST THE MAN -- David Duchovny leads a fine cast in this witty, "Woody Allen" type film about love and marriage in New York City.

#8 FIREWALL -- Harrison Ford once again saves the day in this entertaining blend of high technology, suspense and action.

#7 THE RITCHIE BOYS -- A powerful documentary about a group of German Jews who immigrated to the U.S. shortly before WW2 and studied to be expert interrogators of German POWs for the American Army.

#6 BEFORE THE FALL -- A young man's journey into an elite school for Nazi youth is portrayed with all of the hope, cruelty and eventual sadness such an experience produced.

#5 SCOOP -- Proof once again that Woody Allen is back in form with this witty mystery shot in London.

#4 AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH -- A highly entertaining mix of environmental knowledge is brought to the screen by Al Gore. If he could have been half as relaxed and charming during his presidential run he would have won by a landslide.

#3 JOYEUX NOEL -- An extremely moving account of the true story of how Allied and German troops decided to celebrate Christmas together in 1914 and the consequences their two days of peace produced. The courage it must have taken to stand up in a trench with enemy guns pointed at one and proclaim a truce is truly extraordinary.

#2 THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA -- Insightful and witty look at the "dog-eat-dog" world of high fashion.

#1 THANK YOU FOR SMOKING -- Fast rising Canadian actor Aaron Eckhart is perfectly cast as the fast talking, good looking spokesperson for the tobacco lobby. This humorous social satire speaks the truth on some important social issues of the day.

There you have it.

Ed's Top10 list for 2006 so far. Now get out to the theatres and see what YOU think!

2006-09-13T20:36:00.000-04:00

WHY (i)

Stacey has been using her photography skills to create graphic art for the church she and Donnie attend (The Oaks -- meets on Sundays at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak -- 10:35 am).

By playing with digital distortion techniques, she has created a theme that continues from week to week on The Oaks' posters, bookmarks and brochures.

How cool to get to see her photography on huge 4 x 7 foot posters hanging in the Main Art Theatre!

Awesome work Stacey!

2006-09-05T21:30:00.000-04:00

THE HAND

Sarah's piece has been in the works for quite a while. As many artists can attest -- the creative flow can turn on and off with no warning. One day a particular project can be the most important thing imaginable -- the next day it's a forgotten thought. Sarah -- in line with the stereotypical artist -- gets bored quickly -- but managed to put together this cool creation.......

The Hand itself is formed from several different materials: Paper, a clay-type plaster, and glue -- then covered in linoleum shavings. The shavings are very pliable and actually squishy to the touch. The finger "nails" and the spear of glass in the palm give The Hand a tough, violent imagery -- in strange contrast to the soft, fun linoleum.

2006-08-29T21:24:00.000-04:00

ARTISTS in ACTION

Alison's sculpture of a woman transformed many times as she worked. Alison sees an image in her mind and begins from the base to build and change the piece as it forms.

Jerry's "man & beast" began as a dog sort of animal -- then morphed into an ant eater type of thing -- then grew giraffe knobules -- then turned into THAT. The man riding the beast also took many different shapes before it came to rest on the animal's back.

Terence had his TV vision and stuck with it from the start. The creepy hand bursting from the screen is profound as to how TV grabs and holds us (my own interpretation -- Terence didn't actually say that).

Sarah's "Spike-Headed Creature" began as a snowman version of Abe Lincoln -- grew legs and a tail and transformed into the armless creature you see. Why no arms?............ "Arms are for squares!" (Sarah quote)

There were other pieces being worked on that we didn't get shots of. Joseph created a "Kingdom of Spikes". Becky formed a mannequin leg and a women in an evening gown. And Caleb worked on a pair of legs.

It was so cool to watch everyone squeeze, mold, change and transform their clay from shape to shape until it became something they were pleased with.

2006-08-26T20:32:00.000-04:00

Bitter SWEET

Of course, now that we've decided to take a break from our bi-monthly schedule, we end up having a terrific turnout and a BLAST with our first hands-on project. Bitter sweet for sure! We're already looking forward to setting up dates for starting the group back up in a few months.

Several of us got our hands dirty with clay and came up with some awesome sculptures (pix to come later) -- while others watched and talked -- and others still, played their instruments and kept us entertained with their musical talents.

Thanks SO much to Jerry for supplying the clay and tools!

David brought in a metal & concrete sculpture that he's planning to donate to an AIDS awareness auction coming up in Sept. We'll post specific information about the auction in a few days.

Sarah brought a sculpture of a hand made from plaster, nails, glass and linoleum shavings.

Again.................. pictures to come soon!

We had 5 brand new visitors to the group last night. A lot of interaction. A lot of exchanging contact information. A lot of great discussion.

What a great meeting! B I T T E R S W E E T

2006-08-18T18:26:00.000-04:00

WIRED

Jerry's creation is a Spider made from wire. The body bulb is the core of a golf ball (how long did it take to unwrap all that rubber-band stuff????). The casing for the body is made of copper wire and the legs and head are plastic coated hanger type wire that-- once bent into shape -- stays rigid.

The idea for the Spider is actually someone's else's design. Jerry liked the concept and came up with his own version using different materials for the construction.

2006-08-15T23:57:00.000-04:00

DRAGON SLAYER

It's been a few months since Jerry brought in his "junk art" made from unusual items (check April 5 archives) -- but now, he's been experimenting with clay!

The "serpent" that's coming up out of the wood is actually formed around a tin can. Jerry doesn't work from an idea to create a piece......... he begins creating the piece, then gets the idea as the clay takes shape.

The Knight is climbing the chest of the dragon -- sword raised -- to slay it. The clay itself will lighten in color as it dries completely. Detail work will be enhances as the colors change.

Another cool note about this piece is the offset location of the Dragon Slayer on the wood. Unusual placement -- but very dramatic because of it's obscurity!

Right now, the piece is a table-top sculpture. Jerry is also considering putting a type of hanger on the back to make it a wall-mounted piece.

Join us at the next Creative Arts Group meeting on the 25th to try your hand at clay work!

No pressure to join in on the physical part of the art -- ANYONE is welcome to attend, discuss and enjoy the company of other artists.

2006-08-11T22:37:00.000-04:00

COOL NIGHT

Now that they've turned off the heat and cranked up the fans, we're having much more comfortable meetings at the Dondero mezzanine. Those of you that attended our first few meetings will remember how HOT and humid the pool lobby gets -- but with the huge fans pumping up a breeze, we're enjoying our gatherings in cool comfort.

Speaking of cool -- Jerry brought three new pieces of his artwork to tonight's group (pix to come soon). A man made of wood, a spider made of wire and a dragon being slain by a knight -- both made from clay. More details when we have the pix ready.

For our meeting on August 25, we're going to attempt our first Hands-On Project. Jerry has volunteered to bring the clay and we're going to test our creativity! If you've ever wondered if you can sculpt.......... come give it a try.

Mark the 25th on your calendar -- you don't want to miss this one.

2006-08-05T14:24:00.000-04:00

THANX...............

to all that showed up last night to support Rob & Chris at Java Mountain in Royal Oak. The two hours flew by. Java Mountain is set up in an old house, with a staircase up to the second floor. Ken (the owner) had the guys play on the second floor with speakers casting the music down to the first floor and out the huge front windows onto Washington St.

It was a great night. Beautiful weather, icy drinks and terrific music!

2006-07-29T11:59:00.000-04:00

CD Anyone?

The discussion last night was around the process of putting together a CD. Rob Hayes has put together 2 of his own CD's and is now working with a friend on his next release.

We shared ideas on types of recording devices -- digital versus traditional. Sampling -- repeating of the same sound throughout a song. Combining old and new styles to create different results.

Donnie had some great input on the classic bands of the past. Recording techniques of Guns N Roses and Aerosmith as compared to their live shows. A lot of talk was on the pros and cons of using too much or too little of the technology that's available today. Bands can sabotage themselves by using so much technology that their live shows are a complete disappointment to their fans. On the other hand, if too little technology is used, a CD can sound too basic and rudimentary to even gain a fan base in the first place.

Rob & Chris have a gig lined up at Java Mountain this coming Friday night (August 4). Come check out Rob's original songs with Chris accompanying on d'jembe. Rob will also have his CD for sale Friday night.

2006-07-27T08:40:00.000-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS!

Mike Kelly has been making the rounds of the Winner's Circles lately.

After winning 1st place in the category of "50-50 Short Fiction Contest" through Ramble Underground Summer '06 writers contest for his entry of "The Mad Cow" (http://www.rambleunderground.org/), Mike also won Honorable mention in the "Comics" category of the Metro Times contest (http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=9483)

This is a HUGE reminder to any creative person: You've gotta get your work out there for it to be seen and appreciated!

-- Find a means to display your art.
-- Submit your writings into contests.
-- Book your music at clubs.

SHARE your talents and -- in turn -- reap the rewards!

2006-07-22T23:57:00.000-04:00

End of the Line

"Unfiltered" closed with a flourish tonight. Several of the purchased pieces were taken by their new owners, but there was plenty of art still on display at Octane Photographic. Octane is actually the photographic studio of Jeff Matlock -- but was used for the past 2 months as a gallery of art from around the world.

The closing reception featured a terrific singer/songwriter "Steffie". Her unique voice and guitar riffs put a great finish to a great Art Show.

Thanks to everyone that supported the show by handing out promo-cards, connecting people to the links, and viewing the gallery in person!

2006-07-15T17:37:00.000-04:00

Metal WORKS

Now that we're reformatting to more specific discussions, last night's meeting featured a Q & A with David Sabbagh, our metal/glass/wood creationist. David's art is a a combination of steel, stone, glass, wood and other bizarre materials that he uses to create furniture, garden art and sculptures.

David is currently in the process of creating a new kitchen in his home. His completely finished bathroom will be featured on HGTV this coming January. David enjoys experimenting with different materials and techniques to come up with unique designs that can't be found in typical catalogs or stores. His individual pieces are often custom-made for clients, but he's also working in connection with DeGiulio's a specialty kitchen shop in Birmingham -- who have a custom-made range (stove) hood unit of David's. DeGiulio's is located on the east side of Old
Woodward on the upslope of the hill.

Check out his website to see the amazing talent: www.dasadesigns.com

2006-07-06T11:43:00.000-04:00

POP ART

Jon has a traditional talent -- but a very unique way of displaying it. He paints onto sheets of glass -- both front and back -- to create a 3-dimensional feel to his work.

After taking classes in painting and beginning on canvas, Jon couldn't find the "right" surface that would give him the look he was searching for. He's experimented with canvas, wood and tile -- all with nice results -- but has found his niche to be GLASS. By using different thicknesses of glass, his 3-D effect can be suppressed or intensified.

Jon paints a lot of celebrity art. 50's, 60's & 70's musicians and actors seem to dominate his collection. He also does custom-made pieces -- from typical framed sized to entire doors -- for clients that have a specific picture or idea for a piece.

He brought in three of his paintings to our meeting last week. I see now why he hesitated to bring them -- one slip and the sheet of glass would be shattered!

The front/back style can only be appreciated in person. Photos can't capture the COOL depth of these paintings!

You can contact Joni directly with inquiries: Jonihazelpark@aol.com

2006-07-03T12:11:00.000-04:00

SING IT !!

Rob was raised taking "classical" music lesson, but has always felt a passion for a wide variety of styles in music. Although Rob enjoys playing well known songs -- his calling is to perform his own material. Some of his pieces revolve around his own life-experiences and relationships. Others are written from his imagination, his ideals and his personal views.

This past meeting was a Showcase for Rob's music writing talents -- both the tunes and the lyrics.

After performing 4 original songs, Rob was wiling to take questions from the others in the group. We ended up having a "round-table" discussion that cycled from lyrics writing -- to past influences -- to educational training -- to how everyone sees and interprets each other's art in a different, unique way.

It's amazing to hear how similar -- and how drastically different -- we each think and express our views.

Rob enjoys other forms of art as well as playing and writing music. He's experimented with painting, stenciling and other modes of expression. We're hoping to get him to bring some samples of his work to future meetings.

2006-07-01T09:37:00.000-04:00

ANOTHER Holiday Weekend

Somehow, the calendar keeps dropping our meetings on "holiday" weekends (4th of July, St. Patricks Day, Memorial Day) -- but people are still showing up and our meetings are great!

Yet another Don joined our group last night. That makes THREE Dons now. We also have 2 Mikes and 2 Robs -- what's up with the duplicate names???? Artists parents must think alike -- just like the similarity in the artists themselves!

It's great to have people that are curious about the group show up and take part in the discussions. Supporting this group doesn't need to be limited to artists that have something physical to carry through the door. We welcome people that appreciate all styles of art.

We're trying a little different structure with our meetings these days. Two weeks ago, we had 3 film makers (Terence, Marquis & Sam) show their vignettes and take questions from the group. This week we featured a singer/songwriter -- Rob Hayes. Rob plays guitar and performs his original songs at several clubs and coffee houses in the area.

As with all our previous meetings, we displayed art. Joni brought in three of his Pop-Art paintings on glass.

Check back for pix and details soon!

2006-06-27T08:57:00.000-04:00

Pop Art

Joni hasn't actually brought his paintings to a group meeting -- but from his promo piece, you can see why. He does his Pop Art painting onto sheets of glass! I LOVE the bizarre forms of art that keep popping up at our meetings!

Along with his paintings of celebrities -- which he has a large selection already created -- Jon does custom order pieces for his clients from photographs.

SO COOL!

2006-06-25T12:26:00.000-04:00

"unfiltered"

Terence is now displaying one of his multi-media sculptures at "unfiltered".

We featured this art exhibit when it had it's premiere June 3 -- but the show will still be open throughout the month of July for viewing.

If you haven't had a chance to make it to the gallery to check out the art, go to www.octanephotographic.com for info. Gallery hours are from 4-7 pm on Thursdays and Fridays. Saturdays 12-6:00 pm.

Because of the popularity of the show, it has been extended one week longer than originally planned to allow for a CLOSING RECEPTION - SATURDAY JULY 22nd 6pm-12am

Be sure to ask for Mike and say "hi". He's one of the painters that attend the Creative Arts Group and is the HOST of the exhibit!

2006-06-22T02:43:00.000-04:00

Traditional photography has been a passion of Tracy's for many years. She began her professional career in 2001 -- after getting her degree in Photographic Technology -- as an assistant and has been climbing in her skill level and status ever since. Tracy prides herself on her knowledge of "old-fashioned" film-and-darkroom style of photography. Her talents are obvious from her terrific portfolio -- but go beyond what is seen to the background and behind-the-scenes talents of a traditional photographer.

Tracy's also a great communicator and we hope she'll be sharing her ideas and thoughts about her artistic skills at a future meeting soon.

Check out her portfolio at: http://creativehotlist.com/t-bagley

2006-06-18T21:59:00.000-04:00

Java Mountain Music

Rob Hayes joined our musicians at last Friday's meeting. He's been playing solo at several different clubs and coffee shops around the Metro area for quite a while. He sings mostly his own original songs -- which he has available on CD at Solo Records.

Chris sat in with Rob at his gig at Java Mountain on Saturday afternoon. Java Mountain -- like Caribou Coffee allows musicians to play as entertainment for their customers. Rob also plays the "open mic" night at Xhedo's in Ferndale on Thursdays.

This is a great arrangement for all involved. The musicians get exposure and the coffee houses increase their sales to customers that come to hear the live music.

That's Networking, people!

It's all about how we impact others!

2006-06-17T11:08:00.000-04:00

Movies & Music, Pictures & Paintings

We had a terrific turn-out for our gathering last night. Several new faces and talents to share. Tracy showed a sampling of her photography. Jon brought a promo piece for his pop-art paintings on glass. Rob brought his guitar and joined our drummers to add not only another dimension thru his strumming, but sang some of his original songs.

As the musicians played, discussions filtered around the room. Metal artist talking with photographer. Penciler discussing movies with the film maker. Sculptor chatting with a musician.

Later into the meeting we had movie screenings from three different film makers -- Terence, Marquis and Sam. All 3 brought their DVDs for us to view and were open to questions and comments after each. It was cool to hear the feedback from the other artists.

As has been our theme throughout this group, our objective is to BE objective. We don't need to agree or understand another person's art -- but we DO need to respect the talents of everyone. Last night was a perfect example of how this group accepts and respects each other.

It was a great time of building relationships and getting to share our ideas and thoughts.

We'll be featuring some Artist Spotlights in the next few days. Check back to see our latest additions!

2006-06-11T17:47:00.000-04:00

WEIRD

It was pretty strange to skip our meeting date last Friday. Because of an event at Dondero, we had to rearrange our schedule -- which meant going 2 weeks in a row without a meeting. That was the first time since the Creative Arts Group began back on March 3rd that we didn't have our scheduled "every-other-Friday" gathering -- and it just felt WRONG!

Sheesh -- they better not try to throw in another silly Graduation or something like that on us again! :)

Looking forward to seeing everyone THIS Friday, June 16. Same place, same time -- BE THERE!

2006-06-08T02:00:00.000-04:00

By taking the time to get to know the couple before the wedding, Dionne uses her great sense of tuning into their personalities to shoot the perfect album specifically suited to them.

Check out Dionne's site to see other galleries:

http://www.theshootinggallery.com/

2006-06-05T20:34:00.000-04:00

Donnie's pencilings are intricately detailed to give his work a professionalism that would take other artists years of training to achieve.

Although his portfolio is packed with a collection of experimental sketches, actual portraits and other miscellaneous drawings, Donnie has had the concept of a particular Comic Book story-line that's been in the making for ten years now. He periodically adds to the story and works on the perfecting of each character the book will feature. Whether isn't the hero, heroine, villain or zombie/creature -- the detail is outstanding.

Be sure to take some time to check out his portfolio at our next meeting on June 16.

2006-05-31T02:18:00.000-04:00

Drummer Boyz

We've been talking about these guys since our second meeting, so we thought we should get a shot of them on the Blog -- doing their Thang! Rob, Phil and Chris have also met up outside of our Creative Arts Group to play at a drum circle that meets in Southfield and also at the 2nd Wednesday's musicians night at Caribou Coffee in Royal Oak.

All three guys have their own drum kits, but have been keeping us musically entertained at each meeting with their African & Middle Eastern hand-held drums -- along with a big-ole variety of other percussion instruments (tambourine, shakers, blocks, cow-bells).

If you're looking for a percussionist for an event, gig, etc................. drop us a line to get in touch with one of these talented drummers. To hear them play, show up at our next Creative Arts Group meeting on June 16!!

2006-05-29T20:46:00.000-04:00

"unfiltered" preview in photos

"Summer Time" (Greenish face)
Dan Casado lives with his wife Sisi (who will also be in the show) in the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain. Self declared folk artists, both have very unique colorful styles, Sisi tending towards the more traditional, while Dan has somewhat more modern feel to his paintings. DAN and SISI Folk Art - http://perso.wanadoo.es/sisi2/

"Gunning Girl"
Chani is a 22 year old self-taught artist from Sweeden. A self declared "messed up narcissist", her paintings are both profoundly disturbing and beautiful.

"Take Me Home" (3 piece mixed media)
Matt Bevan is a 22 year old self taught artist and musician from the outback of Australia. http://www.flickr.com/people/atlasmaneyes/

2006-05-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

Preview of Upcoming Exhibit

Mike will be hosting an exhibit (titled UNFILTERED) in Ferndale at Octane (www.octanephotographic.com) beginning next Saturday, June 3. As a preview to the showing, he brought several pieces -- mostly paintings -- from artists all across the country (and beyond) that will be displaying their work at the show. UNFILTERED will run from June 3rd thru July 15. The opening reception is from 6:00 - Midnight on June 3.

Our drummers were back in full force! Phil used his electronic drum kit while Chris and Rob played D'jembe and Dumbek. We're looking for more musicians to join in -- Got Guitar?????

Our newlyweds -- Donnie and Stacey -- were at the meeting also. We'll be scanning more of Donnie's comic-book drawings soon. They recently got their wedding album and some of the ideas this photographer had for the pix were phenomenal! We hope to put a plug in for her photography business and feature a few of the especially cool shots on our Artist Spotlight.

Our next Creative Arts Group meeting will be in THREE weeks (instead of 2) because of an event scheduled at the school. Next meeting is FRIDAY, JUNE 16. Put it on your calendar........... NOW!

2006-05-19T12:04:00.000-04:00

Friday Night - May 26

Now that our group has grown to an actual "Group" -- we can start to filter each other to our own contacts and -- in turn -- get filtered.

We're kicking around the idea of some kind of "directory" to list all the individual websites and email contacts for all the artists. We're looking for feedback -- How would YOU like to see this group progress?

We're going to start some "Open-Mic Discussions" this week. You're invited to talk about your art and your visions for the future. No pressure -- if you're not a talker, that's fine too.

ANY ideas are welcome! Bring 'em on ....................

2006-05-16T19:32:00.000-04:00

METAL ART

Check out the stunning work that David specializes in --Metal Art!

If you're looking for one-of-a-kind, custom-designed, hand-crafted, BEAUTIFUL furniture, sculptures & garden art -- then you've found your source. David is located in Berkley, but his art resides in homes and businesses all across the metro area.

Although most all of his pieces feature steel of some sort, many of his works incorporate stone, wood, glass, sand or other unique materials that result in AMAZING art. For more info on David and his talent, take a look at his website: www.dasadesigns.com

2006-05-14T14:49:00.000-04:00

Mike brought several of his drawings, paintings and creations to our meeting Friday night. He's only recently (within the past year or so) explored his passion for creating his own art -- but now that he's diving into it -- he's HOOKED! Mike's work is very diverse -- using different types of materials -- both AS the paint and as the "canvas". The "Bad Girl" painting is a compilation of materials (not only paint) on Tile. Wild Stuff

Mike will be hosting a gallery show in Ferndale in June.
www.flickr.com/photos/twistedpoodleart/137633944/
Mike's art:
www.fromtheoutside.org/Gal34_From_the_Inside_Out.asp

2006-05-13T00:21:00.000-04:00

Where do I Start?!?!?!?

What a terrific meeting -- our largest turnout yet!

Of course we couldn't start our evening without a fiasco -- we showed up to get our room set and discovered that the entire facility was wall-to-wall art exhibits for the Senior High art show this weekend.

The custodians came up with the idea of letting us use the upstairs balcony that overlooks the swimming pool -- so up we headed. No easy feat with speakers, art exhibits, food, coffee pot, etc. But we were happy to have a place to meet and since we had over a dozen people show up -- it worked out great.

Where do I begin? the music? the paintings? the metal sculptures? the Mt. Dew?

Let's start the re-cap with a couple of the 1st timers to the C.A.G. Since there were 7 new people who've never been to a previous meeting -- it's going to take me several Blog entries to cover them all. I'll go into more detail with each when we post their Artist Spotlight.

David is a metal artist -- but also implements stone, wood, sand and other elements to contrast with his steel to make fantastic pieces of art. He's worked with several of his clients to create specific designs to their desires. Many of the pieces that he's done are from his own creative thinking. Someone will give him a general idea of what they're interested in, then David comes up with the actual piece. Check out his website @ www.dasadesigns.com He does a huge variety of furniture, sculpture, wall art, garden art -- the possibilities are unlimited! If your imagination can think it -- I really believe that David can CREATE it.

Mike is our first Painter to the Creative Arts Group. He's only been painting for the past year or so, but has some very elaborate, intensely detailed works. His art is very abstract and what he may have been thinking when he was painting isn't necessarily what a viewer sees when they're looking at the picture. It was very cool to hear people's interpretations of what the paintings looked like or how it invoked thoughts that Mike really hadn't intended when he originally painted the piece. Here's Mike's site: http://www.fromtheoutside.org/Gal34_From_the_Inside_Out.asp

I'm looking forward to getting these guys into our Artist Spotlight! Check back soon for the next installment.

2006-05-12T08:48:00.000-04:00

TONIGHT -- Friday, May 12 -- 7:00 - 9:00pm

Creative Arts Group. Bring your friends! Pick up some fliers at tonight's meeting and help spread the word. It's all about helping each other -- supporting each other -- networking -- and making friends. The more people we get to show up and share, the more we'll get our own work out there for exposure and possible Paid Work -- and who doesn't like THAT?!

If we all keep our ears and eyes open to each others talents -- we can ALL move ahead. In our business. In our relationships. In making our community OURS.

JOIN US!

2006-05-10T22:22:00.000-04:00

Coffee Time

Penny and Chris joined Xavier tonight at Caribou Coffee for a great set of Xavier's original songs. Penny started out playing D'Jembe, but moved on to several percussion instruments while Chris accompanied on D'Jembe.

Phil (who's also a drummer) chose to sit out this session as not to overpower the guitar with too much percussion. Hopefully we'll be hearing Phil again soon (like this FRIDAY!) at our Creative Arts Group.

We'd like to give a THANK YOU to Caribou Coffee for allowing these "2nd Wednesday of the Month" music nights to take place. It's great entertainment for the patrons as they enjoy their coffee and it's a prefect venue for musicians to get to know each other.

THANX CARIBOU!

Xavier: www.xaviermooremusic.com

2006-05-03T08:44:00.000-04:00

Upcoming Stuff!

Next week is full of local events -- get out your calendar.

Caribou Coffee on Main & 4th in Royal Oak will be hosting their "Second Wednesday of the Month" musicians showcase on Wednesday, May 10. Music starts at 7:30. Look for Xavier, Rob, Chris and Phil to be playing.

Friday, May 12 is our next Creative Arts Group. 7-9:00 at Dondero. We're hoping to add some poetry readings mixed in with the music this week. Any and all "art" is welcomed -- or just stop in to enjoy the evening. (We get a bigger plug -- cuz we're US!)

Saturday, May 13 is the opening of an exhibit of "self-taught" artists @ Izzy's Raw Art Gallery (info at www.izzysrawart.com) on Michigan Avenue in Detroit. Two of our Creative Arts artists (Terence and Jerry) have been invited to display their work. The opening/artists reception is from 7:00pm until 12:00 midnight. The show will run for about two months -- but the artists will be there for the premier on May 13. Head down and support our artists and check out the other local talent.

2006-04-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

More, More, More!

Our largest turnout yet for the Creative Arts Group! Word's getting out and our meetings are growing.

Funny how birds of a feather flock together. Drums are dominating our musicians corner! Phil joined the percussionists this week to add some tambourine, block and shakers along with his D'jembe. It's really interesting to see and hear how three different drummers can have such unique styles and sounds with such similar instruments. With the size, high ceilings and glass of our meeting room, the acoustics are outstanding! When we get more musicians to add some guitar, flute, whistles, keyboards, etc..... we'll be echoing thru the halls of Dondero! Spread the word.

Donnie brought his pencils (and erasers) and worked "live" on his current comic art -- completing a new stance for his heroine before a battle scene. Hoping to get him to let me borrow it to scan and post in the next week or so for the Artist Spotlight.

Several of us read thru a few of Terences writings (poems and essays) and discussed the emotions and thoughts they brought up. From "Oh, wow, that's so true!".... to.... "Man is that ever Sad!"

I also discovered that I need to eat dinner before our meetings every other Friday --I ended up sick as a dog from way too little food, way too much coffee and way too many Tootsie Rolls. Note to self: Pizza BEFORE Creative Arts Group! Urgh

2006-04-27T22:28:00.000-04:00

Xhedo's Cafe

Went down to Xhedo's Cafe in Ferndale last night to support another showing of Marquis White's short flick "O.B.E." Terence had shown the movie at our Creative Arts Group -- but last night a few more of the stars of the film were there to view it with their friends.

Xhedo's has a movie showing every Wednesday. They use the stage area for the screenings. You can actually see the movie from the street thru the huge glass windows on 9 Mile Road.

We'd never been there before. Cool set up. Lots of individual tables for people to get some alone time with their laptops, or couches and chairs to mingle and socialize. There are photos for sale on the walls. Local city-scapes from Detroit, Royal Oak, Ferndale, etc. They also have live bands playing regularly.

There's raw jazz music blasting thru the place with the great smells of Hazelnut coffee and Earl Gray Tea in the air. Very cool atmosphere. We'll have to get back down there for another movie night soon!

Xhedo's Cafe:
http://www.xhedos.com/

2006-04-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

NETWORKING!

We've featured Donnie in our Artist Spotlight in the past. He does incredible penciling (scroll down to March to see his stuff). He now has some of his art displayed on another site. Check out the link below to see some more of his work:

http://www.abelsrealm.com/ArtistJamesKelly.html

2006-04-24T13:35:00.000-04:00

Emma's a "spur-of-the-moment" type of photographer.

She rarely plans out a shot -- just sees something extraordinary and grabs the camera. She's got a great eye for nature.

Emma is able to see a beautiful shot in a scene that most of us just pass by in our casual view.

2006-04-17T13:44:00.000-04:00

Movie Night

We had a new exhibit of photography (black & whites) this past Friday. Emma enjoys shooting scenery and wildlife pictures and she captures some great images that many of us see -- but never REALLY see. Black and white photographs can make a very dramatic statement -- as Emma's pictures show. We'll have some of her work in the Artists Spotlight later this week.

Our drummers, Rob & Chris are ready to hit the streets of Royal Oak for some summer nights of music. Keep your eyes and ears open for the African/Indian sounds in downtown Royal Oak as the weather warms up!

Terence showed another film at this past meeting. This one was written and shot by another film-maker (Marquis White). Terence is one of the actors in the featurette and also did the editing work -- which is his ultimate goal -- editing & producing films. The short was called "Outer Body Experience". At about 10 minutes long, it's meant to be a pre-cursor to a full length film that they hope to produce at a later date.

Here's the URL to Terence's movie that he showed several weeks ago. http://www.undergroundfilm.org/films/detail.tcl?wid=1022328
He wrote, stars in, and edited/produced this one. In case you don't recall me mentioning this in an earlier post -- Terence has a very "dark" tone to his writing and film making -- and it's very obvious in "An Exercise in Narcissism" -- his film. Being a very strong Christian (& Republican) myself, this film is not something I would choose to represent my own thoughts -- but Terence is aware of that and I've offered to post his link out of respect to our friendship.

2006-04-14T18:37:00.000-04:00

Whoops!

So we had a little scare with tonight's meeting. We showed up at our regular time to set up -- and the school was locked -- nobody anywhere to be found. We tried every door around the entire perimeter -- no luck. We ended up leaving -- then coming back at 7:00 to put up a sign that the Group was cancelled -- and ta da............. there was the custodian to open the doors for us! YESSSSSSSSSS

The whole situation was very humbling actually. Helped me to realize that I really need to work on getting my temper under control and stop trying to "force" things into my own mold. The evening worked out fine.

It turned out to be a GREAT meeting. More music. Another film showing. More connections. More networking.

Details later.

2006-04-13T08:49:00.000-04:00

Caribou Coffee

Xavier and Rob played an amazing set at Caribou Coffee in Royal Oak last night. Xavier plays guitar and sings all of his own -- original -- songs. Rob's drums mesh beautifully with Xavier's guitar -- as if they were an extension of each other. Usually there are other musicians that show up (a keyboard player, another guitar and a flutist), but last night's gig was simple and raw with just the two of them jamming.

It was an honor to listen and enjoy their talents -- and hey -- you can't beat great music accompanied by flavored teas, scones, muffins and COFFEE!! Priorities........... don't ya love 'em?

They play every 2nd Wednesday of the month at Caribou. Keep it in mind for May 10!

Xavier : www.xaviermooremusic.com
Rob: www.gigmasters.com/Percussion/RobSchneider
Rob email: themusicmessengers@yahoo.com

2006-04-05T22:06:00.000-04:00

Jerry's "Junk Art"

The top sculpture has a centurion personality. He stands at least two feet tall. His snarl of metal and razor hands warn you to keep your distance from whatever it is he's guarding!

The little guy in the middle is more approachable being made of wood and flexible wire. It's also much smaller than it's "big brother" -- this one is about six inches tall.

The cross is a twisting of stiff rod covered in different colors of electical cord. VERY cool wall-hanging!

Jerry uses drills, wire cutters, snips and other common tools to create his projects.

Jerry's work is a perfect example of one man's "junk" being another man's treasure -- in this case -- a treasure of art.

2006-04-03T21:01:00.000-04:00

THANX!

Wanted to put a thank you out there to Don, our Blog tech guru. Thanx for all the help in getting this site moving and looking good!

Don's attended the last couple of meetings and has been a big contributor in some pretty deep discussions. Like we've mentioned before..... this group is about networking, relationships and RESPECT! Differing opinions can lead to some great discussions as long as that respect is kept in tact.

JOIN US.

2006-04-02T20:14:00.000-04:00

Leah's pottery pieces were part of her art classes at school. The mask is of her own face -- students had to pair up and trust each other to encase their faces in plaster. Don't know if that was a lesson in art -- or relationship building between students -- but it turned into a very cool piece!

Leah usually results with a very different end product from what her mind had pictured when she starts a piece. The vase is an example of that -- it evolved into a totally different piece than what she had originally thought of. Leah also has a talent for drawing and creating things with paper mache'.

2006-04-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

Rain Chant

Chris and Rob made great use of the sound system last night! Using the microphone to emphasize the deeper drum gave their playing a different dimension. I attempted to join in by keeping the beat with a maraca-type shaker -- very cool mix of African and Indian sounds. It was resembling a pretty cool rain-chant -- although I'd hate to think that tornado-ish weather last night was on our account.

Let's get other instruments to add more flavor to the pot!

Jerry brought a few of his pieces of artwork. He refers to them as "Junk Art" because that's what they're made from -- scraps and parts of left-over metal, wire and rods -- to result in sculptures.

As Donnie mentioned, Jerry's work is especially cool because he takes the time to actually create the thing that we all might see in a scrap of metal... "Hey, that hunk looks like a hand!"... Well, Jerry actually finds a way to MAKE that hunk into a hand. "Junk Art" Very cool! Pix to come soon..........

2006-03-25T21:16:00.000-05:00

Terence gets 2 "Spotlights" on the Blog cuz he's a multi-gifted guy and shared several of his works at our last meeting.

He has a collection of writings that he's been compiling since high school. Many of his pieces focus on the "anti-isms" -- politics, religion, sexuality, family -- but all (that I read) are intriguing and eye opening.

Terence definitely has a dark edge (which he wears well) -- but he honestly has (and uses) a terrific talent for writing!

2006-03-23T21:07:00.000-05:00

Rob and Chris both play ethnic drums. Chris' D'Jembe is African made while Rob's is a Middle Eastern instrument. Rob has a collection of drums and different percussion tools, but brought his Dumbek to last weeks meeting.

Both guys also have their own drum kits, but find their ethnic drums to be spiritual and inspirational (along with a lot easier to carry around).

Drum Circle anyone???????

2006-03-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

3- Dimensional "Collages" -- say What? I was confused by the words too -- but it describes what you're lookin at, doesn't it!? The creation on the left is a "self-portrait" representing innocence of a child and the complexity of losing that innocence by being in a world that controls us. The TV sculpture is a compilation of all the distractions that we fill our lives with in order to escape ourselves. Alcohol (the beer on top), Cell phones (mounted on a cross of nails), Internet, Television itself, Religion (the pocket New Testament), Answering machines, Satanism (666 on the rear wall), Politics (flags)....... with the man (us) in the center drowning in the entire collage. Brutally bizarre................... and REALLY thought provoking!

2006-03-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

Meeting #2

We had a great night of Discussion and Music this past Friday night. With 2 drummers, it was like we were at a private drum circle. Rob and Chris sounded amazing together! We'd love to get more musicians to join in -- any volunteers?!

While the musicians talked and jammed, Terence showed some of us others his Own Film. He's spent the last year in Filming/Editing school and has produced his own movie!! Terence also does 3-dimensional "collages" made from the ruins of electronic devices. I can't do them justice with words -- so we'll get some pix up in the next few days so you can see for yourself.

Besides both of those talents -- (and hand-in-hand with the film making), he has a collection of poetry, essays and short-stories. We'll get a sample of one posted on the Blog soon too.

We're getting a terrific variety of unusual talents at each meeting -- we're really encouraged by the quality of time being spent getting to know each other!

Bring friends and enjoy a "different" evening out. Our next meeting will be Friday, March 31. Looking forward to seeing YOU there!

2006-03-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

Here is a sample of Kim's photography. Some of her other work includes family photos and engagement portfolios. Nature also appeals to Kim's talented eye. We displayed some of her scenery shots including water falls and wildlife at our last meeting.

2006-03-10T13:06:00.000-05:00

Photography is one of Stacey's passions. She has a terrific eye for unusual angles and lines! Stacey will be displaying more of her work at future meetings. Come see for yourself.

2006-03-06T13:11:00.000-05:00

Donnie has been doing penciling for years. He also does free-hand sketching from photographs, but prefers to use his own imagination as his inspiration for his creations. AMAZING!

2006-03-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

First meeting under
our belts!

The coffee was hot -- the sodas were cold -- the cookies were fattening -- and the company was great.

A small showcase of pottery, 3 different photographic displays, one of those a graphic artist, and a "penciler" -- funky comic-book type free-hand drawing/ sketching that would blow you away!

We'll be posting a couple of Donnie's (the penciler) work in the next day or so. We'll also have a few samples of Stacey, Chris and Kim's photography and Leah's pottery -- but we'll put them all out there individually so you can take in each artist one at a time.

Although the turnout was small, we had a terrific time talking and getting to know each other.

Let's get more people for the next meeting!

March 17 -- put it on your calendars NOW.

Got a talent?........Come and share it! Don't got a talent?........I don't believe you -- but come check out others that are ready to share theirs. Get to know some new people that share your interests.

Creative Arts............................ and YOU!

2006-01-31T23:09:00.000-05:00

What is a
Journey Group???
journeygroups@yahoo.com

a group created with similar interests for the purpose of sharing life, expressing desires, goals, and achieving a "like" journey together.

an opportunity to express interests, thoughts, and life experiences in an environment conducive to honesty, creativity, and relationships of trust.

2006-01-31T15:26:00.000-05:00

The Purpose...

The purpose of the Creative Arts group will be to connect with others in your community: Locking in with other people that share your interests.

Finding others to spend time with. Enjoying the company of new people and potentially creating friendships.

The "key" to the Creative Arts group will be respect.

Respecting the opinions and ideas of others whether those opinions and ideas agree with your own or not.

ALL are welcome. ....Join us!