Feature Artist Paola De Giovanni

"I am a textile designer by training and a visual artist by vocation: I picked up a camera in my early teens and after many rolls of films and b/w photos I am still in love with photography.

I trained as a photographer in Florence and at the International School of Graphic Arts in Venice. I moved to the UK and gained a BA in Design Studies and a Master Degree in Fashion Studies at the London College of Fashion.

My creative practice is a balanced combination of art and design, which I define as "a voyage of discovery, enchantment and experimentation". I document what I define the “beautiful decadent” and people, places and situations that are often overlooked in this fast paced society.

My photos are often the starting point of a new collection of printed textile designs for exclusive interiors, where traditional and digital techniques blend together to create atmospheric interpretations of nature and vibrant semi-abstract compositions.

I have exhibited my photographs in prestigious art galleries in the UK, in continental Europe, USA and as far as Japan. Last year a large body of my work was shown in a collective exhibition titled "We Are All Photographers Now!” at the Elysee Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

My images are timeless and spellbinding. I love photography for its power and immediacy to capture and convey emotions, the present, its beauty and hold it in time."

Paola De Giovanni
Skype: meanmagenta
paola@meanmagenta.com

Feature Artist Margot Koefod

“free as a bird , I had fun painting this large canvas 4' by 2 ½'. It made and makes me feel good! Comme un oiseau, c’est l’histoire de ce que la liberte represente pour moi. L’oiseau vole vers la lumiere, au risque d’etre “brule” ou “aveugle”. Il ne doute pas, il sait que c’est ce vol vers l’absolu qui lui donnera la liberte.”
- Margot Koefod

brighter future

I wish I've learned another lesson.

There is an art and literature group I'm attending. A young lady from Atlanta came to this group on the 4th of January wanting to meet some people who know Finland. She is doing a great job by using art to promote homeless awareness in America.

I sent her a letter the other day:

"brighter future

Dear Johnna,

You probably might know already that I am homeless in America and to be more exact homeless in Atlanta as well.

In case you work succeeds to provide any extra homes there, I might consider living part-timely in Atlanta, since there is no Bush in power in US anymore.

If I get some response from the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama, I might consider changing my status of being homeless in there.

After all I have almost commented some reviews of Mr. Obama’s book, which was recently published in Finland, too.

By the way, the book got an excellent critics on the pages of the biggest newspaper of Scandinavia, Helsingin Sanomat.

I hope you do not find me intruding and I really am looking forward to see a brighter future for all of us.

God bless us,

Jim Dahl
homeless in America"

She came back to me on the same day:

"RE: brighter future

Jim, I did not know you were homeless. Are you in Atlanta now?

If you are, go to Peachtree and Pine streets. The Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless is there and can provide you shelter for the night. In fact you can call them. Their number is 404-230-5000. The office is closed every Tuesday, but that number is open. You need to reserve a spot for the night by phone!

You need to be very careful too and not associate with folks you don't know. I live in the area and it's a bad neighbourhood, but if you stay to yourself you will be fine.

Now, you also need to go to Project Connect. They are a homeless service center. They are located at 100 Edgewood St in the United Way Building on the 8th floor.

What you would do is go there and sign up for orientation. They have their orientations every Friday at nine in the morning. They will help you get shelter, food, medicine, glasses, hearing, dental, and more. I have been helped through them and they are great people.

Another place where you can get medical care, food, and more help is Crossroads, which is near the Task Force. You have to sign up and can receive help for 90 days.

Keep me updated and stop considering yourself a bother or intruder. Art4TheHomeless is here to help everyone with whatever means we can.

You can also check out The Homeless Network, the site I built. It has excellent links including help getting Naturalization Papers, Immigration, Social Security card, Jobs, and much more.

http://thehomelessnetwork. tripod. com
*hugs*
Johnna"

I can’t tell you how bad I felt ´cause of my bad joke. After receiving her kind answer I did some serious thinking and sent my deepest apologies.

The answer came back soon:

"RE: my apologies

o...k

Well, if you know anyone who IS homeless in America you can pass the info along. Weird sense of humor but we are all human.

And you are not intruding, Jim, have some self confidence ;)

Peace
J"

I was quite relieved and actually I think I've made a new friend or two.

In case you want to check out what we are up to, please click the headline of this post.

Guitar man, Part 3

The other day when I visited the guitar man, he was having another guest as well - a gorgeous lady called Hulda. Deliberately I took her place to find out how she would react. She got elegantly closer and closer. Finally she ended up having a rest on my lap.

There we, the guitar man and me with Hulda on my lap, were listening to some progressive rock and discussing about the ways of life. Every time when the music got higher, she stuck her nails tighter through my jeans. Quite a cat she is.

Guitar man, Part 2

My friend told me a story from his childhood. His stepfather was a professional photographer taking erotic pictures at the time and the young guitar man was sneaking behind the door.

The peeping tom was caught by his mother and got a physical punishment. I wonder if this has something to do with his present life. Nowadays the guy is almost fifty years of age.

Guitar man, Part 1

I have got a new friend, a guitar man. I´ve heard him play couple of times and listened to some of his records. We´ve been talking ´bout philosophy and religion. Chit-chatting this and that.

We watched a movie, "Apocalypse Now Redux" today. We had seen the original several times before. A good picture of madness of war.

Tomorrow we´ll check out "Last Tango in Paris", which is a part of the Marlon Brando series, too. The guitar man has a large poster of Maria Schneider and Marlon Brando in his bedroom. A fine taste the guy has.