All Forms of Art

The world around us is full of symbols, simple forms and colors salute you every day, around every corner. They talk to us, they let us know where the pharmacy is located or that we’re arrived at a bus stop, they tell us which way we should go and which one is forbidden. But we, we walk ‘through’ them, we don’t really see them, as if they have little to no importance. Can you imagine if somehow, someday, all these symbols, all around you, were to just disappear?  Symbols are there to encourage you to do some things, while suppressing your will to do other ones. They’re there to help save your ephemeral existence from a danger you might otherwise not see by yourself. They bring new colors to your world, transform you and make you adapt.  Sometimes, you don’t even realize they’re there, but in the end you’re the one who creates new symbols, the ones that will rule your life.

I saw this painting while I was looking for some inspiration for my own works and immediately the following words popped into my mind, inspired by the plenitude of luxuriant colors and slightly indistinguishable forms. The tangle of vibrant colors encircles the two bodies, that move in a wobbly manner, among the town’s movement. The baskets on their heads are full of color, full of life and the singing pleases the crowded streets. They sell happiness. They sell hope. They sell both, to the people who walking with closed eyes to their present situation, possibly weeping the past or fearing the future. They grant tears for the satisfaction of those who once made them cry.

This blog is all about art, about some of my works, some pieces that I make and about my personal opinion about what some other cool people do. So, I decided to expand the blog themes, because art is a terrifically abstract concept where almost everything could fit in. For me, art is something that betters someone’s day or makes them think, something that could fascinates them, or maybe even scares them. Art is something about the way in which you see life, the way you relax and the way you work. Summing it up, art is everything that makes you actually feel something. So, there’s a lot of stuff that could fit in in this description of mine, don’t you think? I’m truly addicted to TV series. It’s the way I relax at the end of the day and sometimes, when they are really good, they inspire me, and from my point of view they totally fit in this category. So I decided to talk about some of them, the ones I watched, am currently watching or intent to, and in this way, share...

Anxiety for the Future kills your present-day happiness and exacerbates any situation from your past. It’s the chain that holds your arms and legs, tattooing deeply within yourself the eternal scar of fear, that dream killer, and dictator of our lives. That’s how the fetter of a kind of invisible slavery is born, where everyone tends to succumb for wrongly believing themselves free. (Imagem: http://www.luso-poemas.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=228132)

Back to cake decorating with this sweet lion, for my baby's first birthday. I had a little help from my mum here, and the result was pretty good, don't you think?

Imagine your life as a happy bird, distant, flying in the horizon, under a blue, bright sky. You desperately run for it, you want to catch it, but… suddenly you realize you don’t have wings.  So an anguished question strangles your upset mind: how can you reach it?  The tears are already falling in fear and pain, because you know that it’s the only way of stopping that hunger for joy burning inside of you. Yet, every single day, the beautiful bird keeps watching you from above, luring you into the abyss of illusion. There are so many doubts now, so many desires muted by your heart, in a desperate attempt to protect itself. Your hand ignores it and rises above, in the direction of light. “A feather.” You ask. “At least, a feather.” (Image: http://favimages.com/image/15885/)

After a long time without painting or drawing, I drew this: watercolor on Canson paper.  The whole painting was crafted while holding my baby’s hand, who happily painted along as if it was the best thing in the world. You can probably notice this by the spots where two completely different colors meet. But, no matter how imperfect it may be, it was one of the most pleasant pieces I’ve ever done. I named it Shattered Glass , as an analogy of what happened within my life the moment my little one was born. Everything falls apart, but just like the glass, you need to break it to see all its colors… and beauty.

In this book, Regina Puckett presents us with a group of stories that will make you shiver. It’s hard to describe exactly what you are going to find, without giving away any spoilers. So, what can I say then? To sum it up nicely in one word: creepy. A lot of ‘creepy’! When I first started to read the first story, I was expecting a normal, or regular ghost trope, that would scared me, but the result was quite different. You won’t jump in the chair, but you’ll definitely get some goose-bumps. You’ll finish each story with a weird feeling, like something is not quite right, but just when you turn off the light, that discomfort will attack you. You’ll feel that these stories are disturbing in their very own special way and that’s what makes this book really interesting. SO, turn off those lights, allow yourself to be immersed in these stories and feel the hair in the back of your neck rise. ;)

I have a dream of a future, Of some day where the world will be a better place to live, Where smiles will be had and bellies will be full, Where the fear will not linger in people’s eyes. I have a dream of a future, One where you can just exist, Where your life is indeed valuable, And no one would even question that. I have a dream of a future, Where guns will be replaced by hugs, Smiles will vanquish fear And peace… will be more than a word. (Image: two-peace-in-a-pod.weebly.com)

I take special interest in new authors and in what they have to tell. I think every new generation has a story to tell and, unfortunately, you can’t always find these books, mostly thanks to publisher’s interests.  This one in particular I found thanks to my husband, who knows the author. Kristofer Young designs a story around the classical fight between good and evil and in a mere couple of pages you are anxious to know what comes next. Here you can find vivid battle scenes with perfect descriptions. You can easily visualize each word and sentence, in front of your eyes, and, for me, this is absolutely the best part of his work. The story is interesting and it’s far from being just about war, as it’s a love story as well as a story about friendship, one that talks about nobility, loyalty and which has charismatic and even altruistic characters, sacrificing themselves for a better world. As a reader I would like to know a bit more about some of the secondar...

She gave the best answer possible.

My second experience in cake decorating was a birthday cake for my father-in-law. Since he's an artist, I tried ( tried being the operating word here) to make a palette for him. It's not perfect, far from it, but at least it was fun. ;)

Yes, it's true, I decided to make my husband's birthday cake and it was kind of a mess, but a hilariously fun one at that. :D So, I'll probably try it again someday. ;) The result wasn't perfect, at all, but it kind of surprised me since it wasn't so bad either.  And, because decorating cakes is a hell of an art, I present you with: my first decoration for a birthday cake! Enjoy.

This was that kind a book that caught my attention for its cover as it was simple, yet really clever. However, the good reviews I read about it certainly didn’t hurt. Well, what can I honestly tell you about it? It’s interesting, somehow it kept my attention, yet, I found it to be somewhat overrated.  You have a very disturbed main character, an alcoholic woman with constant memory losses, due to the excessive alcohol consumption. She is telling the story, as well as two other women and all of them are pretty unreliable narrators. As any good mystery book, The Girl On The Train leads you in many different directions so you get slightly confused, intrigued and keep on reading. The characters are a mess, yet, somehow you can feel a certain empathy with them. It’s really hard to point fingers to what is or isn’t good in this book. I remember when I started reading it that I felt as though nothing was really happening, there was no story, just a drunk lady imag...

From the Spanish author Javier Marías, this book earned the European Literary Prize in 2011. Despite being named The Infatuations , this book is not only about infatuation or love, it’s a powerful and intense reflection about life and death, about love and friendship… Somewhere along the way, the protagonist happens to know something that she shouldn’t and Marías almost perfectly describes the fear and hesitation of someone who was a little shocked for what had found out, all of the emerging feelings that filled out her head while she tries to decide what to do concerning her discovery.  The feelings, they are the real emphasis of this book, written in a philosophic tone, and in which, the feelings and the character thoughts are, actually, more important than the action itself. The end to this book is very interesting. Despite the fact that, probably, not many novelists would choose such an end, I kind of liked, even enjoyed it. It’s very peaceful. ...

I have some mixed feelings about this book. It is definitely interesting and quite easy to read, the story is fast and chock-full of surprises and the characters are funny, despite the fact that they aren’t very deep. You just keep on reading while trying to understand what’s going on, and at some point, I kind of felt disappointed, as you probably will too. The book provides you with a beginning that’s full of action and it will certainly arise your curiosity. You have a girl with some memory issues and you quickly realize that she has some traumatic event in her life, that her mind is trying to bury deep down, and as long as she is digging into it, the story will keep you hooked. However, as you start putting together the different pieces of the puzzle, you might notice that some references are just too easy for a more attentive reader who likes thrillers or mystery books. The are a lot of turns and twists within the story and that’s definitely what we look for in ...

I found this interesting message from a new blogger. So, Yeah... JUST DO IT! Joe's Roman Empire - content creation: a quest for quality and engagement: JUST DO IT, Nothing is impossible! Intro to the in... : Hey there guys, I'm Joe Roman , a newcomer Twitch streamer and aspiring Youtube content creator / producer. An often witty, sometimes n...

Um dia sou escritora, Outro sou apenas mãe, Noutro dia sou senhora E noutro fico muito aquém. O tempo corre todos os dias, O mundo não pára para pensarmos Deixarmo-nos levar por fantasias, É perder tudo o que imaginámos. Cada dia temos um papel, Cada jornada é diferente Para os outros tudo temos de fazer, Mas para nós, amar é suficiente. (Imagem: www.teoriamaterna.com)

Quem será, afinal, o misterioso Rafael?

O sonho, esse tirano Que nos obriga a continuar Ele que tudo nos dá, E tudo nos pode tirar. O sonho, arrasador Que nos faz mover céus e terra É tão bom, quanto assustador A força que de nós desenterra. O sonho, esse querer sufocante, Que quanto mais perto dele estamos Mais o nosso corpo suplicante, Se verga ao peso do ideal. (Imagem:  hypescience.com)

This was my first book using Kindle App on my tablet and it was the best choice I could’ve ever made. Named by Goodreads the Best Book of December 2015, The Short Drop is an adrenaline-filled thriller which I wasn’t able to put down. Matthew FitzSimmons presents us with a good and intelligent story, with deep characters with whom we easily identify ourselves. The plot is a tad complicated, yet, it’s easy to follow, everything happens so quickly and the ending will most likely blow your mind, in a good way. It’s not that the story is absolutely unique or that you’ve never heard of any story like that. Instead, it’s the way you are conducted and made to think along the way that pulls you in and keeps you there. As any good mystery book, nothing is what it appears to be, and no one is who they claim to be. It begins with the disappearance of an important politician’s daughter and it can somewhat be described as a political thriller, but The Short Drop is way more than that...