Nashville Art Makers Is Making History

In April 2011 Nashville Art Makers was born.  Ronny Criss, creator and host of Nashville Art Makers is on a mission to unveil Nashville's best and brightest visual artists.

Criss is a fellow visual artist and a spectacular singer songwriter who features a new visual artists each month who are making the magic happen in Music City.

Criss presents each interview as a short video and transcribes the dialog for easy reading.  His You Tube Channel and blog hosts the interviews so visitors can look back at the past painters.

This is a wonderful service that active visual artists in the community need desperately.  Many times artists are only promoted through magazines and galleries, leaving out those who sell in local stores, art shows and online.  This is a great way for those hard working artists to gain attention and exposure.

Ronny is also always looking for people to promote, so if you're an artist and interested in an interview post on the Nashville Art Makers' Facebook Page with images and information about your work.

Please share and leave a comment to recommend yourself or a friend to Nashville Art Makers, inspired by Nashville!

Click Play To Watch Ronny Criss and Artist Jeff Bertrand

Mandy Cook Performs at Family Wash 6/10

Mandy Cook -- remember that name!  She is on the move in Music City and will be playing at the Family Wash on Friday, June 10th at 10 PM.  The show starts at 8:30 PM with her bass player, Mark Miller, then she will take the stage and blow you away.

Over a year ago I wrote an article featuring Mandy and thought, why not post it again to help promote this amazing female talent,  so here it is:

Yesterday I hung out with Mandy Cook, a singer/songwriter in Nashville, TN, over tea and a fruit plate we passed the guitar back and forth sharing our songs. I said, "You are absolutely amazing!" She plays carefully crafted songs with beautiful chords and a voice that is unmistakable.

She has been described as, "The ghost of a vintage jazz goddess picked up a guitar and channeled the world's heartbeat."

Her approach to music is right on, "Just play and have fun." Isn't that how we all should approach life? It's one part blues, two parts jazz, and 3 parts completely her.

She plays out many nights of the week, sometimes even having two shows in one night. She says, "The more I play, the happier I am day to day. It's a part of me that it is absolutely vital to share."

To listen to her music now, visit her Myspace page or watch her on her You Tube Channel. You'll love her!  Please share and leave a comment.

Rachel Kice Paints Live Thursday, June 2nd

Music is gold! Do you want to see pure energy translated from music into art by Nashville's most celebrated action painter??

Yes!  So be there on Thursday, June 2nd when Rachel Kice will be painting live at Simon Ripley's Music & Art.

Paint will be flung, it will get messy and memories will be made.

Join John Ripley, Rueben Gonzalas and Jerry Navarro as they perform the music that Rachel will paint.

Rachel has performed her artistic interpretations, painting on concert stages with Kid Rock, Willie Nelson, Ravi Coltrane, Heart, LeAnn Womack and Brooks & Dunn AND has painted in museum galleries and in historic venues such as the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Rachel's artwork can be found in the private collections of country music stars, royalty and permanent collections including the Tennessee State Museum, Emprise Bank, Creative Artist Agency, Sony Tree and Sony's US headquarters in New York City.

Experience a community of artists and musicians whose mission is to unite the world with music and art.  We are a fun group of crazies -- RSVP today! (615) 457-1063.

Retune Nashville: Behind The Art (Part 5)

It's done. Turned in and ready to go! I'm sad to let this piece go because it was so much fun and I worked really hard on it. When I turned it in I had to also write a story of how I was inspired, so I wrote it about you!

The city of Nashville was my inspiration for this piece. During the first three days of the flood it was evident that Nashville was an amazing community when the entire town came together immediately without hesitation. Since I’m not originally from Nashville, that outpouring of love was completely new to me.

I was so consumed with that love I became obsessed with the flood. For hours I would watch the news and I also collected photographs and articles from the local newspapers and magazines. I used those clippings as my background for the piece to tell the story of the flood and how we got through it together. I wanted the piece to look "flooded" so I used the donated guitar pieces "as is" to exhibit how the flood waters left them.

I wanted the artwork to be interactive as well so I installed a playable guitar on the bottom of the piece. This feature brings the audience in so close to the background that the pictures from that perspective stir up emotions that we were all feeling during the beginning of May. The playable art guitar also reminds us that even after the flood the music still goes on. So turn on the amp, pick up the slide and Retune Nashville!

Nashville's Hip With Live Outdoor Concerts

Fall is in the air, the weather is beautiful and Nashville is stepping out of the air condition and onto the grass soaking up the sounds of live music. That's right, Nashville's outdoor concert series is here!

Live On The Green and Musician's Corner are free outdoor concerts that grace Music City's grassy lawns weekly. They are perfect for all types of music lovers and bring together our amazing community one song at a time. Check out these events and get ready for the good times.

Live On The Green
Thursdays 6-10 pm
LiveOnTheGreen.net

This is a free 6 week concert series located on the perfectly manicured lawn in front our dear Mayor Dean's office at City Hall. If the work week is getting you down, then come out on Thursday nights to start your weekend early. Live On The Green is the place to let your dreads down. Bring a blanket, chair and a little cashola for food and drinks. Dog's are welcome too! Escape the overpriced downtown parking by riding you bike or park under the the Public Square Plaza for only $3. Tonight's line up features Tom Foolery @ 6:30, Joe Robinson @ 7, Moon Taxi @ 7:45 and The Wailers @ 9.



Musicians Corner
Saturdays 3-6 pm
MusiciansCornerNashville.com

If you're looking for a more laid back afternoon in the grass kind of feel Musicians Corner is exactly that! It is located in the shade and on a naturally sloping amphitheater at the southwest corner of Centennial Park (next to Hog Heaven). Bring your kids, dogs, blankets and picnic baskets for an afternoon of great music and relaxation. This Saturday is featuring Danny Salazar, Alvin Love, Verlon Thompson and Kazique Band.



Starry Nights Festival
October 30 - September 2
StarryNightsFestival.com

If you are a live outdoor concert junkie then you'll love this! The Starry Nights Festival is a 3-day music fest only an hour North of Nashville in Bowling Green, KY. There will be 2 stages, 30 bands and three nights of camping out under the stars. Tickets are $59 in advance and $79 at the gate. Don't forget it's BYOB.

Now go outside and listen to the music!

Retune Nashville: Behind The Art (Part 3)

Drip drip drip goes the paint down the board. I posted that quote on my facebook last Wednesday because it perfectly describes what I witnessed every night last week.

I poured paint down my Retune Nashville wooden panel on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each 3x a day. It looks really great and is exactly what I pictured in my mind. Below is a video I made documenting the project's process:

I got the idea to make a video from the Retune Nashville videographer, Jimmy Stratton. He has been making, Retune Minute, short videos about multiple artist participating in the show. His video skills blow mine out of the water, so I'm loving it! I watched my minute for the first time this morning and thought, what a gift from God and suddenly became very thankful for everything in my life. So I really hope you enjoy it!



Graciously, Jimmy is coming by again this afternoon to record me working on my project. I will be drilling holes and installing broken guitar pieces on the panel. First I have to make a quick trip to Home Depot!

Tickets for the art show are now on sale at http://www.retunenashville.org/. Thanks for watching and stay tuned for the next video in a couple weeks. Have a great Sunday!

30 Second "Commercial" Art

Commercial art vs. fine art and fine art vs. design. The debates are out there and there are too many of them! Is it beautiful? Is it memorable? Does it make you so mad that you hate it then you can't get it out of your head and end up loving it? That's art and thank goodness it's everywhere.

Do you know the best part about living in an over-the-top commercial society? The competition for great advertising! It just keeps getting better and better. Have you seen the newest Docker's commercial, "I wear, I wear, I wear no pants!" Hilarious! I don't know what crazy person wrote it, but I can't stop singing that song.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm a sucker for a good commercial. Check out my two favorite artistic commercials by Sherwin-Williams and Toyota.

What are some of your favorite commercials? Leave a comment!

How To Afford Original Art

Collecting art is pretty much my favorite thing besides creating it. I started at a really young age mostly buying prints and framing them. That's how most people start. Prints are great to collect because they are very affordable and look great. If you can get an original signature by the artist, well that's even better! I sell a wide variety of prints on my website, binglishART.com and sign every single one!

The next step for collecting art is going to art shows and fairs and buying small original artwork from emerging artists. This is a little more expensive and you can expect to spend around $80 - $150 for a small piece of artwork even from a new artist. There's nothing like bringing home your new original artwork and hanging it on the wall. You'll be like a proud new parent!

From there you will discover your favorite artists, techniques and styles. The amount of money you spend on original work will continue to climb, but so will your income as you advance in your career. As you grow up and look around the walls of your home you'll have a story behind every piece of artwork.

Dare to be different and stop buying mass produced artwork. You can even create your own and all it will cost you is supplies and a Saturday afternoon of painting. That sounds pretty great!

This video sums up everything I've said and it is by some of my favorite art collectors, Bob and Cortnay Novogratz from Bravo's TV Show 9 by Design. (Please forgive the pre-video advertisement.) Now go and start your collection!

The Bottle Tree Man, Art & Music Inspired

Ever since I lived in the Mississippi Delta I was mesmerized by the bottle tree. I didn't know what it was, just that it was beautiful. It's even more enchanting when you know the legend behind it...

In Africa the kongo tree altar is a tradition of honoring deceased relatives with graveside memorials. The family will surround the grave with plates attached to sticks or trees. The plates are thought to resemble mushrooms, calling on a Kongo pun: “matondo”/”tondo” [the kongo word for “mushroom” is similar to their word “to love”]. During the slave trade this tradition migrated to the southern United States where the slaves would place bottles in trees in hopes that the evil spirits would go into the bottles and be trapped. Once the evil spirits were trapped the slaves would cork the bottles and throw them into the river to wash away the evil spirits. (TheBottleTreeMan.com)

The Bottle Tree Man, Dudley Pleasants, has uniquely combined his artistic talent with his musical talent offering the "Delta Blues Blessing." When you order a bottle tree he will install and play his harmonica to bless it! Learn more about Dudley's story and how he has become The Bottle Tree Man in the video that aired on the Mississippi Roads episode on February 4th.

Check out TheBottleTreeMan.com for more information about The Bottle Tree and how to order one for yourself!

Art Rises from The Music City Flood Waters in Nashville

There is no doubt in my mind that the flood in Nashville is of historic and monumental proportions. An event like this is devastating, but from what I've seen on the news and online it reveals how amazing people are. Fireman, EMTs, rescuers, neighbors, family, policemen, state officials, friends and even artists all take their part in this moment in time we are all living. I want to highlight the story the artists are telling. Mostly a story about destruction, but they bring beauty to the the history books through their own point of view. Like in this video created and produced by Michael Deppisch:

And these photos taken by photographer Riker PhotographyClick for Facebook Fanpage

Art is critical in life to tell the stories that we are living. It's the sensory story. If you have created any artwork what so ever send it to me and I'll post it here. I have been thinking all day about the piece of art I want to create to tell the story of this event through my eyes. It will be about the recovery and how we work together to rebuild. How we operate as a collective society that is beautiful and amazing.
I heard via facebook that Anthony Billups has offered his gallery in East Nashville to host a flood victim benefit. Artwork is being donated by local artists and will be sold at the gallery this weekend. For more information about the benefit please check out the Facebook invitation.

The Daily Vinyl... For Music Lovers Everywhere

...but especially those that miss the days of playing records -- the old-school way. The Daily Vinyl was created by The Dude, who loves music and especially loves playing records. He teamed up with local artist group in Nashville, The Collective Muse, to make this featured video:

Featuring "Back In The USSR" / "Dear Prudence" / "Glass Onion." East Nashville art group, The Collective Muse, brainstormed this first of (hopefully) 4 videos featuring about 9 minutes from each side of the classic 1968 album "The Beatles" (aka "The White Album").

What the viewers are saying...

Great job directing these artist and WOW on the ending!
Great video! Glass Onion: A Beatles song about Beatles songs!
Great video and vinyl rules!!! Please continue!!
This is so artistic! So interesting to watch.

Follow The Daily Vinyl

On their website, YouTube, and Twitter.

binglishART: Fingerpickin' Guitar

http://www.bethinglish.com
Watch it on my YouTube Channel for best quality:
http://www.YouTube.com/User/binglishART

binglish ART: Kinda Like That Video

http://www.bethinglish.com
Watch it on my YouTube Channel for best quality:http://www.YouTube.com/User/binglishART

iPhone Brushes App: Making Fine Art

This is a great video explaining how the iPhone Brushes App is being used to create fine works of art. I use a similar application to create my artwork for my daily project, the afternoon project.

Our tools for creating art are forever changing!

The Making of a Mosaic Table

Please rate the video and leave a comment!

Taking Artwork from Original to Print

Entering into the print market isn't as easy as I thought. There are so many options to choose from I had to really do my research. I recommend working with a local company that scans or photographs original artwork into high resolution photos for printing. Make sure to ask for both RGB and CMYK files, depending the printer you will be glad to have both. If you're in Nashville, TN this is who I recommend:

Pro-Graphics
www.pro-graphics.net

Chromatics
www.chromatics.com
615-254-0063

Picture This Gallery
www.picturethis-gallery.com
615-899-5640

Digital vs. Offset vs. Giclee Printing

If you plan on printing fewer than 50 prints then it might be more cost effective to go digital. Almost anywhere will print digital images. Walgreens, Kinkos, Wolf Camera, etc. If you want a professional product, then hire a professional printing company.

I recommend Wondergraphics, www.wondergraphics.net. I tried a hand full of printers before I made my decision to stick with them. I have been very happy and love working with the people there!

If you need to print more than 50 than go commercial and mass produce with offset printing. It's a pretty cool process. Visit www.uprinting.com for ordering information, it was a great website.

Giclee is another option for printing. If you want to give your collectors an investment than go with Giclee. The inks will last a few lifetimes and can be printed on canvas or paper. Check out www.allpconline.com for more information.

Whether you are a professional or living room artist make the best decision for you and your budget. Now that I know more about printing I feel completely prepared to make the best decision for me. Thank you to all the artists in Nashville who sent in their feedback. I really appreciate the support and wonderful suggestions!

Music and Art United by binglishART

New video portfolio! Check it out on my You Tube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/binglishart

Please rate the video and leave a comment, thanks!

Artist Advice: Online Video Marketing

Marketing today can very tough. Everyone is so busy with a million things to think about. So how can we become memorable in someone's mind? The answer: Online Video Marketing.

"But why is video the best way to go? Because, today, the average attention span of a web user today is measured in seconds. Once delivered to you on a red carpet by a major search engine search query, or by a recommendation link on a review blog, the new web visitor applies only a very limited effort and time to see whether she can make sense of what you are communicating and to decide whether your content and approach are a good fit for what they were actually looking for. If you can engage their interest right then and there, and offer a fast, highly visual way to let them discover your "message", you have done bingo."

"If you are a blogger, marketer, film maker or any other kind of online publisher or entrepreneur, you stand to gain a lot by getting some exposure on YouTube." Source: www.masternewmedia.org

I decided it's about time for me to start video marketing. Click play to watch my first video.

3D Street Art Video

Art:21 Season 5 Trailer