♦ Art Appreciation Monday! ♦

Since last Monday, I have had the amazing opportunity to speak to an artist who I have adored because of her amazing comics, hilarious story-line and brilliant artistic abilities, I present to you....from Deviant Art....*Drumroll* VanHinck!

VanHinck's favorite art choice was Test Flight

I have to agree, VanHinck's skills of drawing a character in motion are chiefly and beautifully put to show here, in this astounding display of agility of the pen and the agility of the motion on the page!

Ariana: What's your name outside Deviant Art?
Clare: My name's Clare, despite the fact that my dA page says Sebastian (long story!)

Ariana: Are you human/boy/girl?
Clare: I am a girl, and have been reliably informed that I am human

Ariana: What Country/Planet/State are you from?
Clare: I'm from England, but now I live in Scotland

Ariana: Do you have brothers/sisters/only child?
Clare: I have one older brother, there's a sketch of him somewhere in the depths of my gallery

Ariana: Do you have any pets?
Clare: Sadly, I don't have any pets with me now- I used to keep rats, but I'm in a no-pets flat. But there's still the family cat back home

Ariana: Birthday?
Clare: Fifth of July... a few years ago. Let's just say I remember the 90's quite well.

One of my many favourites of  VanHinck's work is her Loki Dr. Selvig comics, this one in particular Loki and Selvig Coffee

 This just begins the series perfectly, Loki is portrayed perfectly by VanHinck, his facial expressions are always perfect, and he's always so innocently snide! Not only is the animation burdened with glorious purpose- the artist is too! 

Ariana: What inspires you most to paint/draw?
Clare: Mainly stories- myths and legends, of course, but various writers, like Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett-their slightly tongue in cheek take on fantasy and supernatural tropes. The important thing is to try and combine things from several areas you wouldn't normally stick together and see what you get!

Ariana: How do you cope with lack of inspiration?
Clare: I read the Internet, (which is very time consuming as someone keeps updating it); I doodle mindlessly until it turns into something, or I paint my nails in outlandish colours to try and get myself in the mood.


Ariana: Talking about munchies... do you have a favourite food/drink?
Clare: Chocolate orange muffins! Home made, of course :D
Also, tropical fruit juice, particularly pineapple and coconut.


Ariana: Do you have a favourite media to paint/draw with?
Clare: I'll try anything, really- but the two I feel most comfortable using are gouache paints, and watercolour ink. Unlike Indian ink, the watercolour ink can still be played around with a bit after it's on paper, so there's more control there. Gouache paints dry quickly, which I find makes it easier to do details over the top. I prefer traditional media to digital, but every so often, I have a go at computer based things again.


Ariana: What made you decide to draw a HUGE comic series like Dr. Selvig and Loki, that was a big undertaking, did you originally plan for it to be that long or did it sort of grow?
Clare: I definitely didn't plan for it to be that long! At first, all I wanted to do was write little one-shot bits about how Loki and Dr.Selvig would interact, playing on the science/mythology bits. That actually persisted for quite a few of the early pages- they're much more about getting to a punchline than continuing a story. Then a plot started to emerge, and I had an end-point in mind, so it picked up a bit more direction after that. But definitely a lot of it was writing on the fly!

Ariana: Your Loki and Dr. Selvig comics receive quite a bit of attention and appreciation, did you think it would be that popular, how do you feel about it's popularity?
Clare: I didn't really! Everyone was a bit Thor-happy at that stage, since the film was just out, but Dr.Selvig was a fairly minor character. Also it's more talking than action!
I'm fairly proud of it, to be honest- the fact that I managed to finish it at all. I'm also slightly embarrassed - there's quite a few pages I'd like to re-write or re-draw now, but that's an endless task.

Ariana: Do you have a favourite thing to paint, movies, people, animals, what is your favourite thing to paint/draw?
Clare: People, definitely. Getting the details of a character right, that's a lot of fun. And in general, I enjoy fantasy and superhero type things- because they're larger than life and very visually distinctive, it makes them easier to make the simplified cartoon stick figures I do. (It's also easier to find things to make fun of, but I do it out of love!)


Ariana: When did you decide you wanted be an artist?
Clare: Since I stopped doing art at school! I dropped it when I was about 14 to do other subjects, and then found I missed it so much I wanted to keep going. Also, my brother gave me a book about fantasy artists, which coincided with the Lord of the Rings movies, and that's what started me down the fantasy route.

Ariana: Do you have any interests outside of painting/drawing?
Clare: Music! I sing in a couple of choirs, and I need the radio on in the background when I'm working on anything, I don't like silence.

Ariana: How do you wind down after painting/drawing?

Clare: Music, food and bad TV detective dramas!

Ariana: What would your advice to other artists be?
Clare: It's hardly original, I know, but- try and draw something everyday. The practice starts to pay off very quickly, and you see how much your work is changing, and becoming much more recognisably your style. Even if I don't post it, I try and doodle something. (Also, it works the other way round too- if I don't do any drawing for a while, I can see how rusty I get!).

Name Sake is one of my absolute favourite stand alone comics from VanHinck

Just because it is perfect! There will never be a time when I don't laugh out loud while looking at this and there will never be a time when I don't love VanHinck as an artist! Just look at how she captures Loki's anger and annoyance in this strip! The colours are beautiful and her comics are always hilarious! :)

As always I must thank VanHinck so much for agreeing to be part of my "Art Appreciation Monday!"

It is so amazing to get to speak to different artists, from ones who I've been a fan of for a long time and for the artists who I've just become acquainted with! 

*****All the artwork belongs to VanHinck. There are links in blue which will direct you to the originals.**********

DO NOT USE ANY OF THE ARTWORK/WRITTEN WORK POSTED HERE WITHOUT PERMISSION!!!!!!! 

If you want to use some of the artist's artwork or written work, contact her through Deviant Art, not to mention she very much deserves loads of followers... so go follow her here.

♦ Art Appreciation Monday! ♦ - The Oscars!

I've showcased some great artists of late...some of them with the beautiful, powerful words, like Matt Nguyen, or beautiful digital art like sheWolf294, or traditional artwork like those of last Monday's Art Appreciation by  DansedesSonges...but there are artists in this world who do not show their artistic abilities through stroke of a brush, by the colouring of the canvas...no...
The Internet has allowed me to meet these people in another way outside of our living breathing universe, rather through the technological universe. I have spoken to artists from all over, and the Internet made this possible. You know the Internet is a wonderful, wonderful thing, it brings a boundless information to us...but with the goodness of the Internet, there is also bad. People can make friends with new people in different countries, through e-mail, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter or even Deviant Art...but with these great and easy ways of communication, also comes a lot of horrible, rude, nasty comments- made by people who don't seem to think through what they say, before they say it. This isn't just about high school bullies, (so you know it isn't just you being bullied!) this is about people who can't see past their own self importance.

Today, I want to honour our celebrities, who "we" think have the life... but actually don't.
Many actors and actresses, are great artists, although they do not paint the scenery, or write the words...they bring reality to the fantasy- they help us visualise these stories.... things, people and places which we once saw only as words. As an author and avid reader, I have read many books which were lucky to be made into a live motion picture...we live in a world that is filled with wonderful technology, coloured tv, HD and 3D movies, and I believe that we've all gotten lazy and stopped appreciating all the people- all the work, and all the effort it takes to make these wonderful movies, so why do we abuse them? 
 Sometimes, I think people forget just how difficult acting is...
Jimmy Kimmel, recently began doing something he calls, "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets". At first I thought it was rather cruel, and mean- and for a little while I could have said something mean about Jimmy Kimmel, but I'm rather glad I didn't...because he wasn't being mean...he's trying to make us understand words do mean something, and have a lot more of an impact than we think they do. 

So Sunday during the Oscars, we had this humongous snowstorm and it kept making the electricity flicker...I was like, "STOP IT- Idina Menzel hasn't been on yet!!!!" 

Which is rather ironic, I waited to see her perform "Let it Go", and it was blizzarding outside. (I am aware blizzarding is not a word, but it sounds really cool!)

In case you don't know who Idina Menzel is, she is the lovely voice behind Queen Elsa from Disney's Frozen. :) As it was, I was sad because she had to sing it at a faster tempo then in the movie...so it was a little disappointing not getting to hear its original splendour. :(  Nevertheless, Idina Menzel has a gorgeous voice and she had a fantastic performance considering that it was live, and I must say  her dress was simply beautiful! :)

Although...I have to say, Sandra Bullock wins best dress...

Except that it needed a giant rhinestone on it! :)

Of course, my newest favourite actress, Lupita Nyong'o also had on a ravishing dress...

I loved her dress, except the top part...I wish it didn't plunge so... but all the same her dress was gorgeous!

Lupita Nyong'o knows how to dress! And she can certainly make a wonderful speech! ♥

I cannot understand why some people are so angry that Jennifer Lawrence didn't win the Oscar and are talking ill about Lupita Nyong'o. It's very sad, both she and Jennifer Lawrence are very talented women, and I think they're both great. Alas, I have not seen "American Hustle", which is what Jennifer Lawrence was nominated for, however, I have seen "12 Years A Slave", and Lupita's performance was brilliant! Her Oscar was very well deserved! It makes me terribly sad though, that people are willing to slam Lupita Nyong'o with ill wishes for winning. I don't personally know Jennifer Lawrence, but she does not strike me as someone who would approve of her fans speaking ill of another actress. I have seen where several people on the Internet were calling her foul, horrid names- names which she does not deserve. One person in particular said, "Nobodies don't deserve to win an Oscar!" 

Hmm...

Well, do you know something...nameless person on the Internet? 

Everyone starts out as a nobody sometime, and even when they start they aren't a nobody, they're a somebody. Lupita Nyong'o is a someone, just like I am, and my sister, and even you, even though you are a little- minded nameless person on the Internet. 

And because we are "someone", we have voices and we can aspire to do things in this world, and we must choose whether to do good things or bad things! It does not matter what our age or experience is! We can also make people feel good about themselves, by spreading a smile, hug or friendly "Hello", from one to another! We can make this world a truly wonderful place, if only we can stop the cruelness which our hearts shrink away from!

Is it your ambition in life to be an evil troll who likes to pull the rug of happiness out from other people's feet?

So why would you, or anyone, say something like that....or like this? 

Some people are saying Lupita Nyong'o, is ugly and undeserving, "very overrated she played in 1 big movie,just because her character's life was the hardest doesn't mean she deserves to win it doesn't take much talent to cry in a movie and get beaten up.plus Lupita will never land a role like this again she isn't that good of an actress she can play depressing characters which isn't that hard..."

It is because the people who say this are jealous and angry, and I have to say this to those of you who comment mean and hateful things like this, without thinking, about any person that has succeeded...this doesn't get you recognised...Jennifer Lawrence won't like you better because you slammed Lupita Nyong'o for winning...quite opposite actually... she won't. 

And by opening yourself up to hateful thoughts towards a woman who deserved her award and is an inspiration to other young women, encouraging them to dream and believe in themselves...then you're wrong...and in that sad, depressing state of mind you'll stay, and to what avail, that one day you can brag that you made an actress cry? Just because they're famous doesn't mean they don't have feelings. I'm not saying you aren't entitled to opinions, I'm simply stating that we shouldn't say mean things about others just for the attention it will get us. So, your mean tweet made it in a news article, whoop-dee-doo, I want to ask you, how would you feel if you won an award and someone said that to you? 

I hope with all my heart Lupita Nyong'o has the most successful career ever! 

As for me, I cannot wait to see Lupita's next big movie! Because I know she is one of those actresses who will achieve greatness, not only by her superb acting abilities, but also by her sweet nature and goodwill towards others. :) 

Congratulations to all the winners of the Oscars! 

So that is my post for this Art Appreciation Monday! If you know of an artist, musician, writer, dancer, actor or actress please let them know how much you appreciate their hard work and effort at making all of our lives just a little bit more beautiful, funny and entertaining!!

♦ Art Appreciation Monday! ♦

I'm so happy that Art Appreciation Monday is back this week! This week we have another special and talented guest....are you ready...*drum-roll* DansedesSonges from Deviant Art!

The wickedly talented DansedesSonges, dazzles her followers on Deviant art with classic artwork, ranging from fan art to creations of her imagination, there is so much to marvel at in her traditional artwork!

Mads Mikkelsen- In The Series Hannibal

 This is another show I have been recommended to watch, Hannibal, which sounds fantastic!

This is Mads Mikkelsen who plays Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the series Hannibal. :) DansedesSonges, does excellent work with her shading... simply using graphite! I hope the actor Mads Mikkelsen sees this picture, because it is amazing! I think he would be truly flattered and the artist deserves that recognition! :)

Ariana: What's your name outside Deviant Art?

Danse des Songes: I keep that to myself! I work under the pseudonym, Danse des Songes (Dance of dreams). This pseudonym was created from the initials of my real name. Because my dreams play a dominating role in my creations.

Ariana: Are you human/boy/girl?
Danse des Songes: I'm a girl.

Ariana: What Country/Planet/State are you from?

Danse des Songes: I live in Ardèche, in France.

Ariana: Do you have brothers/sisters/only child?
Danse des Songes: I have a brother.

Ariana: Do you have any pets?

Danse des Songes: No, but I would like very much to have a cat soon. I like animals a lot, and put a lot more and more into the associations of animal protection.

Ariana: Birthday?
Danse des Songes: 25, March.

One of my many favourites by DansedesSonges, is her

Leopard

 Leopard is in coloured pencils, and why am I the first to say this, "WOW!". 

I love the details that DansedesSonges, puts in her pictures. When you look at this picture, you first think- "ah, what a beautiful picture..." then you realise, oh wait, that's actually a drawing! 

I have always been amazed whenever I find an artist or photographer who is just astoundingly amazing, and they haven't got a huge fan-base. 

Ariana: What inspires you most to paint/draw?
Danse des Songes: Dreams, nature, animals, literature... My sources of inspiration are numerous... But, since September, I decided to take back my bases and to work the techniques in drawing and paint. Thus, at present, I realize especially exercises of training.

Ariana: How do you cope with lack of inspiration?

Danse des Songes: I take a break, I go outside and sometimes make meditation.

Ariana: Do you have a favourite media to paint/draw with?
Danse des Songes: Acrylic and graphite.

Ariana: Do you have a favourite thing to paint, movies, people, animals, what is your favourite thing to paint/draw?

Danse des Songes: Because I work the technique, I try to draw different things, actors of series, animals, landscapes...

Ariana: When did you decide you wanted be an artist?

Danse des Songes: I have been chained to a diverse job, so it's not always easy. So I finally decided to be myself and work doing what I like, I have worked with my passion the last year.

Ariana: Do you have any interests outside of painting/drawing?

Danse des Songes:  Music (metal, classical music, Indus...), the series, movies especially horror and fantasy, literature, and poetry...

Ariana: How do you wind down after painting/drawing?

Danse des Songes: I watch a series, or I listen to music...

Ariana: Do you have a favourite food/drink?

Danse des Songes: I like chocolate, and sushi... I like the good dishes and the desserts!

Ariana: What would your advice to other artists be?

Danse des Songes: To remain humble, for them to always be sincere in their art. And especially persevere, keep enthusiasm.

Husky

Once again, DansedesSonges has worked her magic on yet another masterpiece. It is so cool to look at this picture, with all the grey tones and how the blue eye of the Husky just pops out at you. It's such a beautiful picture, so artistic and celestial. And what makes it even more amazing is that, DansedesSonges does it in coloured pencils!

The next gorgeous piece is called

Portrait Acrylique

I love how DansedesSonges, kept her colours to light blue and grey hues which give the picture an almost ghost-like appearance. It is surreal and, for some reason it makes me think of the night sky...like she is looking up into the pure beauty of the moon. DansedesSonges, painted this picture with acrylics and I will just say this picture takes my breath away with it's brilliance! 

If you liked this artwork, DansedesSonges has more on her Deviant Art page here.

She has lots more artwork and it is sure to please anyone who is in need of some inspiration! 

As always, I'm so very happy that DansedesSonges agreed to be a part of my "Art Appreciation Monday"! It is so brilliant to speak to so many different people and learn new things and how they handle situations in different ways, is always so interesting! :) Thank you!

*****All the artwork belongs to DansedesSonges. There are links in blue which will direct you to the originals.**********

DO NOT USE ANY OF THE ARTWORK/WRITTEN WORK 

POSTED HERE WITHOUT PERMISSION!!!!!!! 

If you want to use some of the artist's artwork or written work, 

contact her through Deviant Art, here.

Goodbye Sochi!

I have several explanations for my long absence...sorry about that. :\

Why no Art Appreciation Monday this week? 

I shall explain.

Friday, I had a dress rehearsal for an orchestra concert.

Saturday, was the actual concert, woohoo! 

We got to play one of my favourite pieces of music! Hoedown by Aaron Copland! 

Then, Sunday, I was very, very happy because for the first time I had a book signing! ☺

I will just say this, I take off my hat to famous authors who have fans waiting in line...I don't know how they do it. I didn't want to be neglectful or mean by not saying "Hello" to everyone, but somehow I still feel like I  neglected some people. :( 

I had SO much fun though, and the new library is gorgeous!

Thanks to The Logan County Public Library, for inviting me! ♥

And by Monday I was tired, and I didn't really have the time or mental energy to put a blog post together...being famous is hard work. ;)

So anyway, Sunday I doffed my cap to Russia for their great winter games. 

During the winter games, on several occasions I was babysitting at the same time, so my nephew and I drew pictures. I know this isn't the artwork you want...it isn't astounding...but I like how they came out.

I only used crayons and the moving athletes on screen for my subjects.

Speed Skating.

Skiing, this was actually going to be snowboarding until I realised my person was angled wrong so...

Skier

When I watched the final episode of Sherlock series three, His Last Vow, I was rather bored with the plot and by this time fed up with the whole series so...since the crayons were still out, I grabbed a piece of paper and ended up with this picture. In case you can't see it.... it is a violinist, and the colours around the person is really, what it feels like to master a piece of music and just...let the music wash through your soul.

Violinist

And that's about everything that's been going on. Until next time. :) 

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Good Night! ☼

♦ Art Appreciation Monday! ♦

Welcome to the second ever "Art Appreciation Monday", I hope you enjoyed last week's artist Matt Nguyen! I think it's so much fun to find new artists, and friends along the way. 

I am aware...that there is one MAJOR problem with my post's name...it says Monday, and all "Art Appreciation Monday" posts should and MUST be posted on a Monday...alas, even though today is Tuesday, I will post my late Monday post anyway. :) 

Do I have a reason for the late post? Yes, I do...but that story is for a later post.

Now on to the art!

Introducing....*Drum-roll!* sheWolf294 of Deviant Art!!!! :)
I thought we'd start off with the painting that first drew my attentions to sheWolf294!

Although I haven't watched Supernatural yet, (believe me I get plenty of criticism for this...trust me though, there are only SO MANY hours in ONE DAY!) :) I still appreciate artwork from the show and quotes from it!

This is Castiel from Supernatural, in sheWolf294's  masterpiece, Stars

sheWolf294 has a beautiful combination of colours, with all the different hues of pinks and purples.
She also catches the facial expression brilliantly, Castiel looks so hopeless... so disappointed...
 I now want to watch Supernatural more than ever, now that I've seen this picture! :)

I don't know about you, but I'm SO excited to do another interview!

Ariana: What's your name outside Deviant Art?
Stefanie H: My name is Stefanie H.

Ariana: Are you human/boy/girl?
Stefanie H: I’m a girl obviously.

Ariana: What Country/Planet/State are you from?
Stefanie H: I’m from Bavaria, Germany


Ariana: Do you have brothers/sisters/only child?
Stefanie H: Nope, I’m a only child

Ariana: Do you have any pets?
Stefanie H: I used to have pets, but at the moment: nope

Ariana: Birthday?
Stefanie H: 29. April

Before we continue with the Question and Answer with sheWolf294,  I believe we should look at a few examples of her gorgeous artwork! :)

One of my absolute favourites by her, is her painting, Gallifrey

And for those of you who don't know what Gallifrey is, it is the home planet of the Doctor, from Doctor Who. :) I love the mediums used in this picture and how the mountains are twisted and curved in the background....and then there is the city of Gallifrey, so beautiful!

Ariana: What inspires you most to paint/draw?
Stefanie H: Mostly music, but also my environment (like friends, family etc)
oh, and also other artists (no matter if they’re from the past like Van Gogh or present, like many artists on Tumblr/Deviant Art)

Ariana: How do you cope with lack of inspiration?
Stefanie H: Well, I take a break and spend some time with other activities :’D Or waste some time on Tumblr.

(Oh my gosh, I understand completely! It is easy to waste a lot of time on Tumblr!) ;)

Ariana: Do you have a favourite media to paint/draw with?
Stefanie H: Photoshop!

Ariana: Do you have a favourite thing to paint (movies, people, animals) what is your favourite thing to paint/draw?
Stefanie H: Mostly my favorite scenes from movies/series I watch. But I’m open for everything.

Ariana: When did you decide you wanted be an artist?
Stefanie H: I started to be interested in art or generally drawing/painting since I was in kindergarten :D

Ariana: Do you have any interests outside of painting/drawing?
Stefanie H: Er, I’m kinda interested in backing, but not that much, that I would consider it as a life-time job or something.

Ariana: How do you wind down after painting/drawing?
Stefanie H: Just relaxing a bit and doing minor things/ listening to music

Ariana: Do you have a favourite food/drink?
Stefanie H: Well, that’s a hard question…. I can’t decide, there are so many things. I think I’ll go with chocolate cake and cola (:


Ariana: What would your advice to other artists be?
Stefanie H: Hm, I would say, that they should never give up, and keep on drawing/painting. Also keep practicing, even if you might don’t see a change in a short time, you get better with everything you do!

Ariana: What is your favourite Doctor Who villain/and/character?
Stefanie H: My favorite villain is definitely the Master! :D And my other favorite character is the Doctor!

Ariana: What's your favourite line from Sherlock?
Stefanie H: There are quite a lot. But I mostly tend to say “not my division”.

Well, I must say, I don't know what Lestrade would say, but I believe that art is certainly your division! 

Here is some stunning Sherlock related artwork, by sheWolf294!

This masterpiece is called, Deep End

I love Moriarty's face, it has that insane look to it, he is disappointed about killing Sherlock...but he has to.  This stunning picture holds all the beauty and tenseness of how I felt when I first watched the episode, The Great Game! 

The last picture I'm going to spotlight is not from a tv show or movie...it is called, Sunset

It looks so quiet and peaceful, so gentle and serene...I am so glad that Stefanie could capture this into her artwork and make the spectator feel so much when looking at such a beautiful piece!

While she has so much beautiful artwork, and there were SO many pieces I wanted to share with you! But, I want YOU to go and check out sheWolf294's other pieces! If not on Deviant Art, than try her Tumblr!

Tumblr

Deviant Art

You'll also find that by clicking the names of the art pieces, it will take you directly to the Deviant Art page on which they're posted!

As always I must thank sheWolf294 so much for agreeing to be part of my "Art Appreciation Monday!", even if it is Tuesday! It is so amazing to get to speak to different artists, and see just what each of them do, how they do it and why! ☺

*****All the artwork belongs to sheWolf294. There are links in blue which will direct you to the originals.**********

DO NOT USE ANY OF THE ARTWORK/WRITTEN WORK POSTED HERE WITHOUT PERMISSION!!!!!!! 

If you want to use some of the artist's artwork or written work, contact her through Deviant Art, here.

No excuses Anderson! ;) (Animation also by sheWolf294) 

Thank you!

♦ Art Appreciation Monday! ♦

To get over the Monday blues, I've decided to do an Art Appreciation Monday. On which every Monday (I hope!), I will spotlight an Artist of some sort, whether they are traditional painter/drawer or photoshop artist, or photography,writing, poetry, pottery, crafts or sewing...I'm going to spotlight only the best! :)

Today's artist is Matt Nguyen of Deviant Art!

**Before we start, I ask that you please remember to not, EVER use any of the art from the artists without their consent! If you see something you like- just ask. They will appreciate it!**

I thought we'd start off with a short biography on MattNguyen, so we know and understand the artist a little better! :)

Ariana: What's your name outside Deviant Art? Is Nguyen your surname? If it is how do you say that- it looks really cool.

Matt Nguyen: My name full, official name is "Matthew Đại Dương Nguyen," though I've been going by "Matt" recently.

To explain the name, I'll do it part by part. "Matthew" is because I'm Catholic, and it's highly common to give children saint names. My dad in particular, wanted to have four kids and name them after the four gospels, Mark, Luke, Matthew, and John. He had me and my brother, John.

As for my middle name and last name, those are Vietnamese. In our culture, we usually put the middle name after the last name because it just sounds better that way. My middle name, Đại Dương, translates directly to "big ocean," which also can be seen as the Pacific.

"Nguyen" is a/my surname, yes. It is a very common Vietnamese surname. You can pronounce it "gwin" or "win." The "ng" is a sound most non-native speakers can't pronounce, but you can get close.

Ariana: Are you human/boy/girl?

Matt Nguyen: Well, I'm a male, since most "Matt's" are males.

Ariana: What Country/Planet/State are you from?

Matt Nguyen: I was born in southern United States, but am Vietnamese.

Ariana: Do you have brothers/sisters/only child?

Matt Nguyen: I have one younger brother. He's four years behind me, and though he's stubborn as well as some other things, he is still my brother in the end.

Ariana: Do you have any pets?

Matt Nguyen: No. My parents don't really like them, and I never had the largest interest in them. If I were to get one, though, it'd be a cat.

Ariana: Birthday? 

Matt Nguyen: The fifteenth of May.

Before we continue with the questions, let's see some examples of Matt Nguyen's great work!

My Favourite Matt Nguyen's poem:

*****

Someone Like Me

Sometimes, on a lonely and cold winter night,

I stare up at the radiantly glowing full moon,

And subconsciously, I begin to think to myself:

I wonder if there is a living soul somewhere,

Who is seeing the same beauty that I'm seeing.

Even more so, I long to meet a breathing soul

Who thinks and has the same thoughts as I,

When they see this spherical grandness.

A person like this is out there,

There just has to be, I know it!

It is all about up to whether or not

I will ever meet this amazing person.

Will I meet him or her in my lifetime,

Or will we both be deceased before then?

Is it a male, who will become my best friend,

Or a female, who will become my ultimate lover?

Have I already met this spectacular person,

And have not yet realized?

We will just have to wait and see, won't we?

The time will come when two paths intersect,

Two lives converged, inseparable forever.

But until then, we must be on alert,

Our eyes and hearts opened wide,

For no one knows when this time will be,

Not even the greatest scientist or genius.

The man upstairs might know, but it would be ruined

If he ever told us before it happened,

As this is a life filled with surprises,

And not a predetermined destiny we are condemned to.

*****

I don't know how Matt Nguyen can capture in words the feelings which you feel when you are alone! He not only captures the feeling of loneliness but the beauty of it... And without any elaboration or special details he captures the mood and the soul of his audience!

Another Favourite of mine, is his recent artwork,

Into The Void

The reason, I love this picture is because I think it could go on for an eternity! The swirling colours, with the dark shades of blue on the left and the warm golden colours on the right leading into the white, it's so beautiful to look at- I think it looks like an entrance to another world... :)

Ariana: What inspires you most to write?

Matt Nguyen: The crazy and imaginative ideas get me going. Once I get one, I feel the rush and need to get it out to the world in hopes that they will feel what I did. So in the end, "all that could be" inspires me to write.

Ariana: How do you cope with lack of inspiration?

Matt Nguyen: Well, I just simply take a break to be honest. Sometimes it ends up being longer than I meant for it to be, but something usually gets me back on my feet, whether it be inspirational music, a show, or nature.

Ariana: Do you have a favorite subject to write about?

Matt Nguyen: I write mostly science fiction, emotional stories, and some poems. My favorite is the creative ones, though.

Ariana: When did you decide you wanted to write/be an artist?

Matt Nguyen: It gradually sort of built, as I've been drawing since I was little. Mostly, it was because I didn't want to sing or dance since I'm shy. As for writing, that came freshman to sophomore year of high school, when I wrote a piece for school and really liked it. Now, I want to be able to do it for a living.

Ariana: What would your advice to other writers/artists be?

Matt Nguyen: I'll steal Nike's slogan for this one. "Just do it." There's no harm in doing so. You miss all the shots you don't take, so take them. There's so much you don't know you can do. Also, get help and assistance from others, and try to learn from the best, not be discouraged by them.

Ariana: Do you have any interests outside of writing/art?

Matt Nguyen: Well, I play games sometimes as well as watch television. In addition, I read and use the computer.

Ariana: How do you wind down after writing/art?

Matt Nguyen: I just go back to doing other hobbies or showing my art to others. Eating or sleeping are classics, too.

Ariana: Do you have a favorite food/drink?

Matt Nguyen: The best food is probably spaghetti or pasta, and the best drink is sweet iced tea. Brownies are also nice for dessert.

Ariana: What is your favorite Doctor Who villain/and/character?

Matt Nguyen: My favorite Doctor is Ten, and then Eleven. My favorite companion is either Rory, Amy, or Clara. My favorite villain is the weeping angels, though the Daleks are a classic, too.

I asked Matt Nguyen to pick a favourite of his work, and he sent back,

The Creation Of The Universe (A Creation Myth)

Our story begins on my home planet. It was once a beautiful place, full of life and wonder, until it was stripped down of its resources by the greedy inhabitants that lived there. I could have stopped them if I wanted to, but that was not my duty. So for several millenniums, I watched my planet slowly being destroyed by my own people. The destruction of my planet only got worse as nations fought each other with advanced technological weapons of mass destruction. Soon, a good percentage of the planet's population was gone.

One nation was so desperate for resources that they developed and released a biochemical gas on the planet, one that would kill everything living, except them. Forgetting to protect themselves, the planet's species went extinct within a couple of days. The only thing, or person rather, that survived was me.

I am an immortal, the only one to have existed, at least in my universe. You'll understand more as this tale continues. Barren and deserted, the planet was definitely post-apocalyptic. Going back to my shed, I could see nothing but a desert like landscape for as far as the eye could see. The sky was blue, and so was I. I knew this would happen one day; I had just hoped it wouldn't come this soon.

.......

*****

If you want the rest of The Creation Of The Universe (A Creation Myth), click on the links provided. I would have included all of it, but I think you should go and check out Matt Nguyen's other artwork and written work as well on Deviant Art yourself, because it is definitely worth every second of it! :) So go finish reading  The Creation Of The Universe (A Creation Myth), right now, because it's awesome! :)

Special thanks to Matt Nguyen for agreeing to be the first artist of Art Appreciation Monday, and for letting me post some of his amazing masterpieces on my blog! :) 

*****All the artwork and written work belongs to Matt Nguyen, there are links in blue which will direct you to the originals.**********

DO NOT USE ANY OF THE ARTWORK/WRITTEN WORK POSTED HERE WITHOUT PERMISSION!!!!!!! 

If you want to use some of the artist's artwork or written work, contact him through Deviant Art, here.

Thank you!

Book Review: Fifty Shades Into Darkness

Book Review: Fifty Shades Into Darkness

So over the past few years I've had the horrible realization that growing up and becoming an adult isn't worth it... sure you get a car and a job and you get to be included in grown-up conversations...but allow me to say how tedious it truly is. The thing I've learned about maturing is this...you finally understand what all those "Inside Jokes" are or the "You'll understand when you're older" means. 

Unfortunately...this means that I've finally gotten to the age where I "do" understand....sadly. 

Therefore, I decided to read my first ever "adult content novel", whilst keeping my dignity preserved. 

*Warning Contains Adult Content!* (And Spoilers)

"The good are never easy

The easy never good

And love it never happens like you think it really should

Deception and perfection are wonderful traits

One will breed love

The other hate"*

If you weren't a million shades of red by the end of this-you must either be used to this sort of material or are extremely good at masking embarrassment. I've read fan-fiction that was better than this! But what can I say, this was originally a fan-fiction... which was a mash-up of Twilight and Star Trek, so I can't judge the quality of the writing, nor the actual plot of the book with this knowledge in mind.

Khan Noonien Singh is a lonely being, who is conveniently rich because of the mass marketing of his "Super-blood". Mass millionaire and several mistresses later, he meets the lovely but rather shy Marla McGivers who is a clumsy brunette (the reason for her hair colour change is purely for...reasons unexplained...) who is sent to interview the fantastically wealthy (yes, don't forget he is wealthy because that is repeated over and over...) Khan, because her friend, Karol Marcus (the 'C' in Karol was changed to a 'K' for... well...more unexplained reasons...), is dealing with the Kamaraazite flu and can't interview Khan. 

Marla stumbles (yes, really) into Khan's office, which is upholstered in leather. Khan has a thing about leather coats as well as leather chairs and couches... he owns several leather companies...also in his office there is  a gigantic window that covers the whole wall...because we all know that Khan needs to have a giant window with no privacy whatsoever. (It must remind him of that well spent time on the Enterprise.)

The interview between Marla and Khan is the best part of the book, here is a section of it:

Excerpt of Into Darkness:

I was blushing under his smoldering gaze, "Well Mr Singh...how do you feel being head of a lifesaving cooperation."

He lent back in his chair and said sardonically, "Well, frankly the nation needs to be careful that I don't develop AIDS, if not...well...things will be quite bad, won't they."

"Unfortunately, sir, with your blood and its ability to regenerate there is no way for you to acquire AIDS..." I replied.

"Well... lucky me." He said coolly, making me feel slightly uncomfortable but I continue, "You're very young to be so successful."

"Simple... I don't age." He replied amused.

"Oh..." the breath is strangled in my throat, I feel as though he has knocked me down with his intense look, "how did you convince so many people that you were a friend even after you destroyed a huge section of San Francisco?"

"It's all in knowing the right people and having good oration skills. When they discovered that my blood was- special...they gave me a small fine to pay, meaningless now that I am so wealthy and have my own corporation. What I'm trying to say is this: believing a lie is a million times easier than trying to believe the truth." 

I haven't really been able to absorb everything he is saying, but I'm glad I've been recording this interview...because I'm going to listen to it over and over. A large beam of light shines into my eyes and briefly makes a purple line across Khan's throat. 

"Where did that light come from?" I ask.

"I don't know, you tell me...I've transferred to six different offices in the last two years and I still can't get rid of these damn light flares." Khan says irritated.

I'm worried that I've made him angry somehow, so I ask the next question on my list, "Are you...alien?" Crap. Why did I ask that, Karol would've worded this better.

"Do you think that I would be like you simple human beings, I...........am......Khan....." he pauses dramatically before continuing, "I am....." he pauses again, "better."

"At what?"

"Everything....." His nose flared seductively, filling me with lust, like a caveman lusting for fire.

♦

 You now have an insight of how truly intelligent, bright, funny and beautiful Marla is.

 Alas, the author portrays her in a way that makes her less appealing than a four hundred year old root-beer lollipop on the floor of a doctor's office. 

Not to mention the author's overuse of the word, "Crap" in this novel is very annoying.

 Enough of the bad stuff, what about the good parts? 

After the interview, Khan finds her again. Creepily stalking her to where she works, where he suggests that some pictures should go with her news article, which she agrees to wholeheartedly.

After the photo-shoot, they (Khan and Marla) go out for coffee. Then there is a very pointless scene where a cyclist(?) almost runs over Marla when she trips into the road(?) but not to worry because... Khan gets out a gun and shoots the man off the cycle(?) and is able to catch Marla before she falls...to a death which would have ended this novel and trilogy faster...an ending much less painful for the reader. 

You may have noticed --> (?) these things...

1.  A CYCLIST...that is the vaguest line ever. A motorcyclist or a cyclist...both go under the name cyclist. 

2.  "Trips into the road" Marla sounds like a walking, talking klutz! How did she live as long as she has?!

3. I think Khan overreacted a bit there... (*evil chuckle, but that adds to his mystery...eh?)

Moving along...they spend some time together, sharing pointless, meaningless dialogue which amounts to nothing...Marla goes to Khan's house which is made entirely out of glass with leather couches and dishes (dishes?!)...and engage in... what can I say...the writer... seems to have a deep knowledge of how aliens go about their intimate relationships...

Example:

He lifted the stun gun to my stomach and stunned me, one, two, three times in a row... I felt none of it, my heart was racing all the more, he then took my face between his hands and began to squeeze...

Obviously, there is no need to elaborate on why I found this part stupid. 

Have I mentioned the dialogue was dry and stale, not to mention poor- all our character seems to think about is Khan, and it gets boring...385 pages later and we still can't stop lusting over Khan's hair. (Well...what happens when he goes BALD someday?...*Pauses dramatically*...or his hair might go rather...Grey...) I realise this is a book for an audience who is perhaps bored with their own love life, or simply haven't had a love life yet...but honestly, don't take dating advice from this book. It is in many, many ways like Twilight, at the end of the book we don't really know any of the characters...what was the attraction between Rotel and Eggwart? (Bella and Edward) I don't know what it was beyond a physical desire...same with Khan and McGivers...there is just nothing there beyond...lusty desire. (* I do not have a problem with lusty desire...the book just needs some good dialogue to liven things up a bit.*)

Here is just one example of the bad dialogue from the book, because whenever Khan's lines weren't recycled they were really stupid. 

Example from the book:

He stared at me like I was a medium rare steak on a grill, steamy, mouthwatering, covered with eleven herbs and spices...I don't really know what kind of spice he saw on me, because I really am a simple, ordinary person. 

"What?" I asked.

"Why don't you McGiver me some lovin'?!" He whispered

"Give me a reason..." I said blushing

"23-17-46-11" he smiled, then added, "15-42-67-84-99-22-12-18-....."

So while I'll try to forget this book as quickly as I can...in the meantime...I hope you enjoyed this review...join me next time with another, book, movie, or something that is in need of a real honest review. 

What to eat and drink with this novel: Sugar Plum Tea (that stuff is, in my opinion,...icky...but that could be because that box of tea has been in our freezer for...how ever many years it has been in there), and probably the tea and the book will put you off so much you possibly won't have any desire for anything to eat.

What to wear while reading this novel: Nothing too hot, you'll be blushing enough that a homeless man could warm his hands off your cheeks in mid-December.

Where to read this novel: The bathroom. 

What is the sequel to this novel?: Wrath of Khan, only I won't be joining you. Although I hear, Marla really Steels the show in that one. 

Please know this review is meant as a comedy and not actually in any way related to- "Fifty Shades of Grey", for the following reasons: I do not read books like that. I do not write about books like that, (except to make fun of them). I do not want to read a book like that when there are so many other good books in the world to read. Allow me to elaborate, "Fifty Shades of Grey", might be your opinion of a good book, but it  is not mine.  So, this review is not meant to offend the author, or any of the fans of this series. And of course, I do not mean to break any copyrights...so...don't sue me, I just write cheap reviews. :)

*From Marina and the Diamonds song Homewrecker