Charlotte For Ever

I know the post title is actually a song by Charlotte and Serge Gainsbourg, but who cares.. haha..

As part of the latest French Films Festival the french embassy invited a really special guest, actress Charlotte Rampling who i love a lot.
I was lucky to get a ticket to her documentary film premier "The Look" where she supposed to be present, but unfortunately she didn't feel well and delayed her arrival in one day.

anyway, though i hoped it would happen, i wasn't in the french institute when she came to give a journalists conference. however my french teacher sent me some realllyy exclusive press photos from this event :), so at least i can feel like i was there...

The Story Behind My (NEW!) Old Lubitel 2 - Part 2

The second part of the my Lubitel 2 story will be about how i use the camera and specific films for artistic purpose.

The idea behind this photoshoot was the subject of the Femme Fatale, i basically took inspiration from photos of some of the most iconic actress of the 1940's such as Marlene Dietrich, Lauren Bacall, Jeanne Moreau and Greta Garbo.
As strange as it can sound, i honestly feel that female cats have the same strong personality that the femme fatale actresses had, in their strong femininity and charisma.

I bought for this photoshoot an half-face cat mask which was plain, and hand painted it with acrylic colors

For this Session i used two different B&W films, Ilford XP2 Super 400 and Lomography B&W 100 120

"La Femme Fatale" Fashion Photoshoots

The Siamese Twins

As a continuation of my previous works deal with the siamese twins subject, i recently made those 2 small ready made sculptures.

The Breakfast Collection

As I often get most of my artistic inspiration from Europe, it is not that strange that i have my favorite places where i can sit for a long time, eat good food and feel like i'm in europe...

 Enjoy! :)))

The Story Behind My (NEW!) Old Lubitel 2 - Part 1

It was a rainy day, as a part of an amazing trip to the Photojournalism Festival (Visa Pour l'Image) in Perpignan, South of France. we went to visit the local flea market.
While walking around the market, I couldn't believe when i saw a man selling old cameras and one of them was an old Russian Lubitel 2 which i was looking for long time ago.
After checking the camera, and all its main and important parts, i couldn't resist and bought it, especially when it costs only 20 euro . haha...

My own Lubitel 2

Artist of the Day!

Today's artist is French films director, animator and comic writer, Sylvain Chomet, who actually lives and works now in Edinburgh, Scotland.
I was first exposed to his films in 2003 when "Les Triplettes de Belleville", his first feature-length animated film, was released and got two nominations at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
I immediately fell in love with this film, not only because of its beautiful sensitive and interesting story, but because of its artistic style, the characters design, the landscapes and the colors palette.
After watching "Les Triplettes de Belleville", it changed completely my point of view on animated films, that was one of the first animated films that showed me how the plot doesn't have to talk only to kids.

However , "Les Triplettes de Belleville" wasn't Sylvain Chomet's first animated film.
Earlier in 1997, he created his first animated film called "La Vieille Dame et les Pigeons" which really reminded me Roman Polanski's films in its darkness and mysterious story.
the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

His latest animated film "L'Illusionnist" was released in 2010, based on an unproduced script written by French mime, director and actor Jacques Tati in 1956.

Sylvain Chomet also participated in the amazing films project "Paris, je t'aime" where he directed the short film about La Tour Eiffel.

Image from "La Vieille Dame et les pigeons"

Image from "La Vieille Dame et les pigeons"

Moments of Spontaneous Creativity

I love to spend my time in sketching spontaneously on lines notebookes, a piece of paper or even in a sketchbook..

However, this time, those sketches were made in different circumstances.

I made them in the restaurant where i work, on the printers bill papers we use.

The Boy and the Small Bush

My latest watercolors painting.
based on a real story i heard once as a child about a brother of one of my mother's friend, who in his childhood put some kind of a seed in his ear, and unfortunately it was stocked there.
after a while the seed grew in his ear and he became deaf. story with a lesson i must say...

Anyway, this painting is my first self-portrait since a very long time, and the reason i used my face for this painting, is that for quite a long time i considered doing a self-portrait painting, and one day i suddenly thought about this story and realized, as it is a memory from my childhood, it was an opportunity to do a painting including myself as one of my characters.

The most beautiful Gustave Doré book

Just got this wonderful book for my birthday!
though i must say i don't really like the cover.. the book inside is reeaaally beautiul and has the most beautiful illustrations prints i've ever seen!

anyway, it is truly a comprehensive book about Gustave Doré  illustrations, containing over 330 images. recommended to every Gustave Doré's drawings fan..

The Drawing of Gustave Doré (Hardcover) by George Davidson
Arcturus Publishing (July 31, 2008), 608 pages. 

Le Roi du Soleil

watercolors paintings I did few months ago, based on a cat live in my building garden, really fat and cute, he has those beautiful blue eyes and he is very nice to everyone, and especially hungry most of the time..

i call him "Totoro" (yeh, like the miyazaki's character) because he sits in the garden, between the plants at night so peacefully and just stare at you friendly.. :)