Friday, August 18, 2017

The Art of Federico Andreotti


Federico Andreotti  was born in Florence, Italy on March 8, 1847.

His early studies in the arts were with Angiolo Tricca and Stefano Ussi at the Florentine Academy of the Fine Arts.

He is known as a prolific painter in the realistic genre, but he is famous for his aristocratic scenes.



He gained an appointment as a professor at the Academy at a young age. He painted many canvases in Florence, Rome, and other big Italian cities. 

He combined his artistic talent with his knowledge of the human anatomy. 



His paintings depicted the gentries aristocracy in their finest dress. 

The elaborate period dress and the sophisticated airs of his subjects gave his paintings a special air, sometimes described as Rococo Revival.

He is praised for his dramatic use of color in his paintings.








Federico died in 1930 in Florence. His work is widely sought after in auction houses in Europe.

Nothing here is mine. I claim nothing.
Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Andreotti



https://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list.php?m=a&s=tu&aid=1966



https://www.invaluable.com/artist/andreotti-federico.../sold-at-auction-prices

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Federico_Andreotti

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Interview with Urban Fantasy Author Rachel Rawlings



Rachel Rawlings
Ellicott City, MD

Good morning, Rachel, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the place for Art and Authors. Can you tell us a little about what you're written? The Maurin Kincaide Series, 
Jax Rhoades Duology and
Sherri 2.0, a horror short

What is your favorite genre to write? 
I love Urban Fantasy. It’s my favorite genre to read as well.

Favorite food. 
Seafood, especially my husband’s Drunken Clams!

Tea or coffee? 
Coffee, definitely coffee.

Pizza or ice cream? 
Probably ice cream. I love pizza but it has to be thin, NY style and there’s a shortage of that around my house.

Wine or beer? 
Wine, unless cider counts as beer, lol.

Where would you like to visit? 
Ireland! It’s my number one bucket list destination.

Favorite musical artist.  
Do you listen to music when you write?  
What? 
This is tough! I love so many different types of music, but going for all-time favorite it would have to be Nine Inch Nails. I’m not writing with music right now, but I usually do. Nico Vega was on repeat when I wrote Paid In Full.



What makes you laugh? 
My husband. We have very similar sarcastic senses of humor. He makes me laugh every day.

That's the sign of a good husband. Favorite work of art or sculpture. Gargoyles by Michael Parks

How old were you when you started writing?
I started writing in middle school, mostly poems and incomplete stories. I didn’t sit down and complete my first novel until I was thirty-three.

Describe your perfect evening. 
I love sitting outside with a fire in the fire pit and a cold cider.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Just about anywhere. The idea for Payable On Death came when I heard a song by the Pretty Reckless on the radio driving to work.

What do you do when you get a writer's block? 
Read! I think reading is the best inspiration. It reminds you that writing and completing a book are possible – this author did it, so can I.

Who is your favorite author? 
Anne Rice

Best book you ever read. 
Little Women

Last book you read. 
A Perri Jean Mace mystery by Catie Rhodes

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I manage two hair salons for my mother by day, but when I was younger I wanted to be a lawyer.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My husband. He’s spent years teaching me how to cook- an effort in futility, lol. Taught me to change my oil, tires… the list is endless. We married young and so many of the things I can do are because he taught me how. It’s a good feeling to know that you can do something yourself when you have to.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Stephen King or Anne Rice because they’ve mastered their craft and hold a wealth of knowledge on writing. I’d love to just pick their brains for an hour.


What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? Keep writing. One sentence, one paragraph, one chapter. Before you know it, you have a book. First drafts are for errors and working out the kinks. Don’t let them trip you up.

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

Monday, August 14, 2017

Charming Deception by Carol Ann Kauffman: An Excerpt and a Review



Chapter One
Confusion


Okay, where the hell am I? What happened to me? The last thing I remember is… nothing comes to mind. Nothing looks familiar here. I turn toward the window. It’s dark outside, cloudy, not a star in the big, black sky. The room is dark. I’m naked in this big, comfortable bed. Judging from the smell of the lavender scent on the perfectly ironed, high thread-count sheets and pillowcases, I’m either in a very high-end luxury hotel or in one of Martha Stewart's guest rooms.
 A snore interrupts my thoughts. Apparently, I am not alone. I glance over at the noisy lump beside me. Nope. Don’t recognize him. There's a very strong possibility that I've been teleported back to the free-loving sixties. I get up quietly to go to the bathroom. A glint of gold catches my eye from the ring finger of my left hand. I'm married? Oh, shit! When did this happen? This isn't the sixties. This must be Vegas, baby. I creep quietly into the bathroom, close the door, and snap on the light. Definitely a hotel. Plain, antiseptic bathroom. Martha Stewart's guest bathroom would have scented candles and a sense of style, hospitality, and luxury. And not so much white. White walls, white floor, white towels, white shower curtain. A rather bizarre-looking attachment on the faucet, and another one on the showerhead. I look at the mirror. I carefully touch the mirror to make sure it was a real mirror, not a…what? What else would it be? Oh, God, I’ve gone mad. I peer into the mirror. 
Yikes… well, I give that bony lump sleeping beside me credit for marrying me when I look like hell. Good grief, he must be a total loser. I examine my dull, spotty complexion, wild Einstein hair, and the bags under my blurry, bloodshot eyes. My head hurts. I check myself for bruises, scratches, and sore spots. No, nothing. Well, at least I wasn’t attacked. So, what do I tell that Bony Lump?
‘Hey, Bozo, whatever happened between us, it was just some bizarre mistake. Gather your things and get the hell out of here. I'll contact my lawyer to annul this fiasco as soon as I get home. Now go!’ Then I’ll point to the door for dramatic effect. Oh, yeah, that sounds good.
As soon as I get home. Home? Where is home? I can’t remember. I look back at the reflection in the mirror. I can't remember where I live, or how I got here. I can't remember where I work, or what kind of car I drive. I can’t remember my name. A…Amy, Ann…B…Barb…Bebe…C…Cianna… Carrie…Carol, no. 
Hmmm. did Bony Lump drug me? Did he drug me, take advantage of me, and then, marry me? No, why would he do that? That makes absolutely no sense. I wiggle the beautiful gold wedding ring with a large brilliant cut diamond in the center. Weighty. Expensive. Good fit. And… slightly familiar. Oh, look, a little tan line. Now, how can that be? This has to be a dream. 
I snap off the light and creep silently back into bed. 
Oh, crap! That might have been my last chance at escape if this lump beside me is a kidnapper. The sooner I go back to sleep, the sooner I’ll wake up, and this bizarre dream will be over. D…Diane…E… Emma …F…Franka, no G…Gigi… H…Helen… I… J…Janie…K… Katie…L…Louisa… M…M…Marie…Mena…Mmmm. 
Bony Lump rolls over and pulls me to him gently, hugging me, patting my shoulder. 
“It was just a nightmare, my love. I'm right here. You're safe,” he whispers sweetly in a sexy, sleepy voice. “Go back to sleep. You’re safe. I’ll protect you. Always.” He kisses my head gently. He has a wonderful voice. British accent. Kind. Reassuring. Gentle. Loving. Very touching. 

So, what else could I do but fall asleep in his arms, with my hand on his just-hairy-enough chest, breathing in his familiar scent.



Amazon Link: 
https://www.amazon.com/CHARMING-DECEPTION-Carol-Ann-Kauffman-ebook/dp/B01N2Q7HOT/ref=la_B0076OMJY8_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488764662&sr=1-7



A Review for Charming Deception:
on February 7, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition


This story is completely different from all the other books I have read by Carol Ann Kauffman. You get to see another side of her creative mind and I love it. She had me guessing all throught the book. She filled it with mystery, suspence, romance and paranormal. Her style is the same as her other work, maybe even better.
Open door ways can be wonderful and yet confussing to some. But to go throught a door way and wake up not knowing who you are or where you are can be unusal. Sam doesent remember parts of her life. Her husband is telling her that she hit her head and has memory loss. But she doesn't know who he is either. Jaxs is madly in love with his wife and would do anything for her, even switch places with Jackson Blake.
As the two of them resume their life together in Florida, Sam finds herself falling in love with her husband all over again. But is he really her husband? Then one day trouble happens and she is pulled into a cloud with hands all over her. She has no idea what is going on. But she ends up at a castle and remembers her father and everybody there, but how? Jackson ends up there too and wants to taker her home. The king is mean and loves to torture people. He goes after a tracker who found Samantha thinking that he killed his real daughter. So how many Samantha's are there? And is there more then one Jackson Blake?
As the story goes on, you find yourself trying to figure out why there are clones and who made them. Why would someone want more than one person that looks the same? Well the guardian has his reasons. Can this all be worked out? Or is someone going to die? Will all be disappointed in the end? You will have to read it to find out.

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Schedule for August 14 - 18, 2017


Schedule for 
August 14 -18, 2017
Mon., Aug. 14 - Charming Deception by Carol Ann Kauffman
An Excerpt and a Review 
Tues., Aug. 15 - RELEASE DAY: When We Swing
by Kyla Ross
Wed., Aug. 16 - Interview with Urban Fantasy
Author Rachel Rawlings
Thurs., Aug. 17 - The Artwork of
Helen Ansell
Fri., Aug. 18 - The Art of
Federico Andreotti