bookie's picture

Amazon Kindle

Aamazon now has the best price ever on its refurbished Kindle 3.   You can pick one up for a mere $99.00 for the wi-fi version.  A great price.  Typically when Amazon drops its prices it means a new device or more features are ready to come out.  So stay tuned to see what Amazon has in store for its leading ebook reader.

 

 

bestinstpetersburg's picture

Steve Schadt, large format aerial photographer.

Steve Schadt is a Tampabay area large format aerial photographer and more.  You can check out Steve's excellent work here.

Here is one his aerial photos of Snell Isle. 

Here is one of his shorescapes.

 

 

 

bestinstpetersburg's picture

Call To Artists

A call to artists has gone out for a new art show in November.  From the email flyer -

St Petersburg, Florida the number one arts destination for mid-sized cities, is hosting ArtScape 2011, a juried fine art exhibition, in the downtown central business district, home to the world renowned Salvador Dali Museum, The Chihuly Collection and the Museum of Fine Arts as well as numerous galleries, boutiques, and restaurants.
The exhibition is scheduled for peak tourist season, the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, when the Women’s Half Marathon, Florida Craftsman’s 14th annual Craft Art exhibition as well as Chillounge Night is in town generating significant tourists, visitors, and residential traffic.
In conjunction with Florida Craftsman’s 2011 Craft Art presenting 130 fine craft artists, the total combined exhibition will include between 250 and 300 artists covering over 5 city blocks in the downtown business district.
 
This sounds like a great idea.   Website here.
 
 
 
bestinstpetersburg's picture

Happy Fourth Of July

Now that's what I am talking about.

Robert Schott's picture

Red Army Soldiers turn American Icons.

You gotta love this picture.   Some Bulgarian pranksters painted a Soviet era statue of Red Army soldiers to look like American icons.   Is that Ronald McDonald in there?  Yes, and Stana too.  Oh those wacky Bulgarians.

 

 

bestinstpetersburg's picture

Hidden Ticket Treasure Hunt

This summer the Morean Arts Center has sponsored a "Hidden Ticket Treasure Hunt".   One hundred 'glass' tickets will be hidden at various locations in downtown St. Petersburg.  Finding one will get you two complimentary tickets to see the Chihuly Collection, the Morean Arts Center, Glass Studio and Hot Shop.

Have some fun and see if you can find a ticket.

bestinstpetersburg's picture

New Original Acrylic Painting

St. Petersburg artist, Cathleen Schott, has just about finished a new original acrylic painting.  This painting was a commissioned piece of work.  Cathleen says she has to fine tune the piece before she's happy with it but as you can see its a successful work of art right now.

 

 

Robert Schott's picture

Great Marriage Proposal

See video

This is a really sweet little video.  Nice to see some artists doing something so cool.

 

 

Robert Schott's picture

Goran Djurovic's paintings

I read the Huffinton Post's art section quite a bit.  It helps me to discover artists that I have been completely unaware of.  Goran Djurovic's paintings are excellent.  I love the brush work and his style of painting.  I like the light and dark contrasts and the large shapes.  If you would like to see more of his work go here.

 

 

 

elvis's picture

Statement Art

I would imagine this falls under art or probably more like statement art.  But isn't all art a statement of sorts?  Anyway this piece here by  Chow Hon Lam pretty much sums up the brillance of making weapons.

Robert Schott's picture

Why I Love Art

People are so creative.  I love to see how creativity can manifest in what is apparently infinite possibilities.  French artists and web developers Vincent Desdoigts, Martin Joubert, and Etienne Lecorre have developed a community art project that is allowing artists to re-imagine the 100 US Dollar bill.  To participate go here Make Your Franklin .

Check out some of the great entries.

 

 

 

bestinstpetersburg's picture

St. Petersburg rates number one Arts Destination again.

American Style magazine has given St. Petersburg the top rating again as an Arts Destination for mid sized cities.  St. Petersburg has a very active arts community and totally deserves this ranking.

 

 

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Dale Chihuly Visits St. Petersburg Gallery

World famous glass artist, Dale Chihuly, was in St. Petersburg over the weekend for a first time visit to the museum dedicated to his work.  His museum has had about 120,00 visitors since it opened last year.  Health reasons have delayed Chihuly from visiting the museum until now.  He was very happy with how his work looks and is displayed.

The Chihuly Collection is on Beach Drive between 4th and 5th avenue N.E.

 

 

 

bestinstpetersburg's picture

Video Art?

See video

This video to me is a great piece of art.  It is very creative and fun.  It is accomplished with stop motion techniques.  You can sometimes see ghost images of the people creating the work.

 

bestinstpetersburg's picture

Art In The Street

 Juliana Santacruz Herrera is an artist with a fresh approach to engage us in a conversation about art.  She used birght colored fabric to make these thought provoking statements in the streets of Paris.  Using potholes as her canvas Juliana transformed them into colorful art installations throughout various parts of the city.

I love this example of how creative people are.  Whether you like this or think its a bunch of crap you have to give her credit for streching the envelope.   It would be great to see this kind of street creativity in St. Petersburg and I would be very interested in the public's reaction.

Robert Schott's picture

The Killer Ebook App

Here is the killer app ebooks have been waiting for.  This app by Push Pop Press will be the app that puts ebooks over the top.  Just watch the video and see how amazing and easy books can be filled with rich media.

 

 

bestinstpetersburg's picture

Crayon Art

Some people are so creative.  I saw a piece about a man who sculpts the pencil lead on the end of pencils.  This is a similar and just as cool.

 

 

Robert Schott's picture

Paint Garage Doors to look like Mahogany Wood

I finished up some garage doors today.  These garage doors I painted to look like a deep mahogany.  This is becoming popular here in St. Petersrburg, FL.

In this first picture you can see I have already primed and painted the doors the basecoat color which is a Sherwin-Williams color called Tatami Tan.

Now here is something I do not understand.  This next picture the color is totally blown out but its the same door using the same camera, go figure.  In this picture you can see how I tape off the individual panels.  The stroke is a horizontal stroke to make the wood grain pattern so I totally tape off the vertical space between the panels.

This next picture shows the panels with the first coat of brown paint.  For a mahogany look I use  a Sherwin-Williams color called Fiery Brown.  As you can see the tape is needed as there is no way not to over paint.   I use the yellow frog tape.  Its for delicate surfaces so it will not pull off the paint.  This is good because I will be taping over the painted panels later in the day and I don't want to pull any paint off.

In this next picture you can see where I have applied the second coat of wood grain color.  This color is made by mixing the Fiery Brown with black in a one to one ratio.  Then I water it down a lot when I apply it.  I like to 'picture frame' each panel by going around the beveled edge with a heavy coat of the brown-black mix.

Ok, in this next picture we are back to the real life color of the door and wood graining.  Again I have no idea why there is a difference using the same camera but there it is.  In this picture all the individual panels are done with both wood grain colors (the fiery brown and the fiery brown plus black mix).  You can also see where I have finished the door trim there on the right side of the photo.

In this next picture you can see I have finished all the panels and the door trim.  The color is good in this one also and probably the closest to what it really is.

I have finished the vertical spaces here in this photo.

Here you can see how I tape off for the horizontal spaces.

And finally a photo of the finished garage doors.  The color is not dead on but not too far off.

elvis's picture

Twitter Diagram

I am not sure I could add anything to this diagram.

bestinstpetersburg's picture

Ten Top Reasons To Support The Arts

Randy Cohen from a post on ArtsBlog lists a top ten of reasons to support the arts.  You owe it to yourself to read thru the list. For some reason when the buget axe falls the arts always seem to be in the way.  Here in St. Petersburg and Pinellas county we are experiencing budget shortfalls like everywhere else.  These ten reasons listed by Cohen should be read by all public officals involved in making decisions that effect our economy.

In St. Petersburg we have a thriving arts community.  Whatever the City, County and State can do to help support this arts community is a wise ecomonic decision.

Here are just two of Randy Cohen's reason to support the arts.

9. Stronger communities…University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates. A vibrant arts community ensures that young people are not left to be raised solely in a pop culture and tabloid marketplace.  

1. The arts are an Industry…arts organizations are responsible businesses, employers, and consumers.  They spend money locally, generate government revenue, and are a cornerstone of tourism and economic development. Nonprofit arts organizations generate $166 billion in economic activity annually, supporting 5.7 million jobs and generating nearly $30 billion in government revenue. Investment in the arts supports jobs, generates tax revenues, and advances our creativity-based economy.

OK,  here's one more reason to support the arts.  Tourism is Florida's biggest industry.  In St. Petersburg we have the new Dali Museum,  the new Chihuly Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Florida Craftsman Gallery and the Morean Arts Center.

3. Arts are the cornerstone of tourism…arts travelers are ideal tourists—they stay longer and spend more. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that the percentage of international travelers including arts and culture events during their stay has increased annually the last six years.

What this city, county and state should be doing is increasing their support for the arts.  It just makes ecomonic sense to do so.


Katherine Mathisen’s ceramic work.

 

 

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