Friday, April 8, 2016

The Art of Evgeny Lushpin

The Art of 
Evgeny Lushpin






The paintings of Evgeny Lushpin have an ethereal, dreamlike quality that draws the eye of the viewer into the beauty of his photo-like art work.  At first, you think it’s a photo; a really, really great photo, with perfect lighting and balance of hues and tone resonance, a perfect picture of a familiar famous city or landmark scene.  




But upon further examination, one sees it is a painting, a beautiful painting with a golden light emanating from a 
perfectly composed piece.  He not only transport you to that perfect place, but to that perfect time.  One cannot view a Lushpin and not be touched, in my opinion.  I wonder if this is how this amazing Russian painter actually sees the world!










Evgeny Lushpin, a celebrated contemporary artist, was born in a small town outside of Moscow in November of 1966 and was educated in the finest schools in Russia, following the traditional techniques of the Russian Realism School of Art.  



Nothing here is mine. Here are my sources.
Resources:

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Interview with Author Julia Mills



Julia Mills
Orlando, FL


Good morning, Julia!  Welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors.  Can you tell us what have you written?    
Dragon Guard Series – Her Dragon to Slay, Her Dragon’s Fire, Haunted by Her Dragon, For the Love of Her Dragon

What is your favorite genre to write?  
Paranormal Romance                        

Favorite food.  
Tex-Mex of any kind!

Tea or coffee? 
Coffee

Pizza or ice cream? 
No Way! Cannot choose!

No one said you can't have both!  Where would you like to visit?
Greek Isles

Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to music when you write?  What? 
I do listen to music when I write. What I listen to varies. Some days it is Popular Country, or Boy Bands. I also need hard rock some days like Disturbed or Saliva and then there are days that I listen to the Jason Mraz channel on Pandora all day.



What makes you laugh?   
I love slap stick comedy, anything silly or goofy. I still watch Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movies on TMC or the old I Love Lucy or Dick Van Dyke shows.

Favorite work of art.  
One of my favorite works of art is a photo…Jeffry Pine by Ansel Adams. I also love landscapes in any medium. My grandmother was an artist and she and her painting group did so many beautiful pictures in acrylic, oil and watercolor

How old were you when you started writing?
For as long as I can remember I have been writing, whether just journaling or a short story. I have always gravitated towards paranormal or fantasy. I think it is freeing to create a totally different place and all the characters in it.

Describe your perfect evening.
I am a super laid back person and my perfect night is hanging out with family or friends, good food, and great conversation.

Where do you get your inspiration?    
From the world around me. I love just people watching or hanging out in the park just soaking in whatever is happening. It is so cool when a butterfly flitting from flower to flower can become a mighty Dragon Guard warrior barrel-rolling through the sky after victory in battle.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
Get up and leave it alone for a bit. Go do something totally unrelated to writing. Hangout with my kids, go see an action flick, anything that lets the write art of my brain take a break.

Who is your favorite author?
OH WOW!! I have so many! I am really in love with indie authors…Emma Edwards, JD Nelson, Darlene Kuncytes, OL Ramos, Linda Boulanger, Sandra Love, Kym Grosso, Kelley Grealis and so many, many more.

Best book you ever read.
Oh The Places You Will Go by Dr. Suess.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? 
My dad. He was intelligent, witty, funny, and a straight-shooter with an incredible sense of family and integrity. He was always there for us and willing to do whatever it took for those he cared about. He never lost sight of what was important and was a true role model to everyone he met. He will always be my hero.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
  God. I want to know what inspired Him to create the world. What were and are His hopes and dreams for the human race. Is there anything He would do differently? And what would those things be? To actually get to speak to the Being responsible for everything around us, even the air we breathe would be incredible.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? 
Follow your dream. Write as often as you can. Have fun with it. Remember your first draft is just that…a draft and some of it will end up in the recycle bin on your desktop. Write what you know or what you love. Do not go into thinking, “I’m gonna be rich and famous” or I’m gonna be on the New York Time Bestseller list”. Do it because it is something you love and something you are willing to do just for YOU. There will be SUPER GREAT reviews and there will be REALLY AWFUL ones but if you believe in what you wrote and are happy with it, then you have to let it all roll off your back.

My dad’s favorite saying used to be ‘Opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one.’ And it is so true, although very direct and very southern LOL but still true. Do not let others opinions color your view of YOU. Just do it. It will be one of the best, most rewarding things you ever do.


Links:


Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Pick Your Favorite Interview by April 12!!





Dear Gentle Readers,

As part of our third anniversary celebration, we've having a contest for readers to pick their favorite
interview of the past three years. There are over 100 of them! Just put the name of the author or artist interviewed in the comment section below or email us at

                                                    visionandverse415@gmail.com 

by April 12, 2016. All participating readers will be entered in a drawing for a $10.00 (ten) Amazon Gift Card. 

This will give your favorite author or artist some extra publicity and maybe get them a few more fans and followers. 

I'll also be posting the Editor's Pick of my favorites, but be warned, I may have more than one! I've met so many talented and interesting people conducting the over one hundred interviews and one thousand posts here on Vision and Verse, the place for Art and Authors.

Hugs, 
Carol



Monday, April 4, 2016

Darkness and Dragons by Scott Borgman



The world of Tal’Avern is in turmoil. In the northern part of the Province, an open rebellion has raged for more than two years against Queen Salia, which began shortly after she assumed the throne. To the west, in the lands of Mar’Druk, the dwarves stay isolated within their mountain cities, wanting nothing to do with the problems that plague their once-close allies. And to the south, in the hot and desolate lands known as the Ashlands, something stirs and looks to the north with desires of war and conquest. 

Old friends will reunite, and new companions will join their cause as a harsh winter sets in. Time is growing short. When spring arrives, the Second Great War is certain to begin. The dwarves will need allies if they hope to survive, while Salia faces threats on two sides. Even the shadow realm falls under attack. 

A darkness is coming, and with it - dragons.

Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Dragons-TalAvern-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00LSWNHPO/ref=la_B00KROBR4W_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432646819&sr=1-2





Born in Minnesota, I have had a love for reading and a passion for writing ever since childhood.

Currently, I live in Central Wisconsin with my wife, Nyki, our three children, and our two loveable four-legged family members Aimee (the kitty) and Jaena (our bed-hogging dog).

I love reading, spending time with family, watching movies, and am still a kid at heart, playing the occasional video game. My passion though, is writing - my genre of choice is the fantasy realm, where magic is real and fearsome dragons fly through the skies.

I write not only because it is my passion, but because there is a special bond between myself and my readers. I like to sum it up like this:

'As an author, I breathe life into each and every character within the stories that I write. But it is the reader who gives them their souls.'

My best wishes, to each and every one of you.

-- Scott Borgman


** You can also find me online here:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/saborgman
Twitter: @ScottBorgman
Blog: http://scottborgman.blogspot.com/