Carry On.

Freshman year at Sac State.

Me: an interior design major. Class: Art History 1A.

Also me: struggling to stay awake.

And then, this:

La Primavera, Boticelli, ca. 1495

I can honestly say that as I struggled to stay awake in classes darkly lit and stuffy, in that first art history class I ever took, that La Primavera was the first piece of art to grab my attention amongst what seemed an endless parade of European monotony (yes, I realize this to be a bit of uneducated and harsh in thinking in regards to art history but at the time that is all it was to me).

What it was that caught my attention I can only guess at now, I really don’t remember. I think part of the appeal is the fact that the scene has such a distinct femininity and interaction. But not just any form of femininity. Besides the literal meaning and symbols/ association with seasons and change, and in quite a few interpretations – music, it is a freedom attained with carelessness that I think I longed for at the time. It was not a careless abandon, but a willingness to accept the change to come, as it was destined and natural. I think I wanted to revel in being me, just as the three practically nude attendants to Venus traipsed within the flora. I wanted to revel in being female. I wanted any form of freedom that could make me appreciate it and smile. It was the first thing I can remember besides The Beatles and Elvis Presley that I could feel in my SOUL. It didn’t’ matter if it didn’t really mean what I thought to anyone else or at all in its original execution. It was wholly mine in a way that only I understood.

I bring up this piece not because I want to analyze it historically, but because I believe it helped to fuel my interest in art and start paying attention in class (3 years later I would change my major & obtain my BA in Art History – although not European). Second of all, I came across this painting again recently in reading and was reminded how it made me feel. So I thought I would share it with you. Perhaps I do this now because it resonates with me so much again these days. It seems that it means a lot to me in times that I feel lost, although it provides no answers, only the encouragement to carry on. It’s all DESTINED. It’s all NATURAL. CARRY ON.

Just sharing something that was shared with me...

This is very, very neat and fun. I sometimes wonder if anyone here in Sacramento will ever do something as inspiring, simple, adventurous and imaginative. I think this is the point in which I should make myself realize that I could be the one to do it...but I can't think of how. hmmm.
Inspiring none-the-less.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/arts/design/24keys.html

The Bictor.

No, I didn't misspell that...well, I did...but it was on purpose. It's kind of joke between us, me& Vic, the eldest of my younger brothers (confusing how I said that, I know).

My family is full of jokers and sarcasm, but also FULL of PASSION. When I begin to feel all down and bleh on anything - life, art, writing - there's Victor with an uplifting word, insightful thought, or even better...his inspiring natural talent. When I hit a brick wall, he has a million new thoughts; takes it from a completely different angle and leaves me in awe. He might not know it, but I do: he's got "IT".  And while I await him to figure this out, let me show you some of my favorites of his raw "quick" sketches that look amazing to me, just how they are.

First of all, he has a great understanding of how the body should look and how it moves. There can be no mistaking that. From his gesture sketches, which I have always found beautiful in their a-sexual undone appearance:

 To his fleshing out a figure:

To his animation inspired figures in action:
He has an understanding for form that I can see, but can only dream of attaining to on paper. It makes me want to work harder and also gives me another reason to talk to my little bro' more. :o)
Besides his grasp of the human form and motion, he has the uncanny ability to capture someone in a photo. Now, you may not know the people he has done portraits of, but you can't say these quick sketches are bad! And you can take it from me, there is all sorts of these people's personality in these portraits.
First, see how even his un-finished sketches come across in this one of our youngest brother:

Or our grandfather:

(I swear it's him to a "T" and it's not even complete!)
And then there are portraits of people I do not know. Heck, he may not either. They may not even be real. But they are on paper:

When he does get further on a portrait, you get something like this self-portrait:

And this is still an incomplete picture. But you can see the wheels turning, the process moving. He is calculating each new step to create an even better piece of art either with his next step, or his next portrait. He evolves, learns, and keeps an open mind. And whether he knows it or not, those moments of learning are what inspire me. His "in-complete" works are what get me going. The sketchy almost there quality haunts me.

And then, of course, he can also create things out of his head that no one else can. It drives me to think more outside myself and the box of security that most of my own work lies within.
 Visit his blog. Start from the beginning. See his process. Absorb his enthusiasm and sarcasm.
Go on, get inspired. I dare you.
www.y2dart.blogspot.com

The Early American Road

Today when walking to move my car on my break I was awed by this beauty parked behind my office building.

This picture by no means does it justice...I was using my cell phone and walking briskly...and unfortunately there's no "zoom" feature on my phone. BUT this car was beautiful. And it spoke to me in ways that only early American cars can. The 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's. Could American cars be any better?

 
And so today I bring you the inspire fire that comes with chrome, whimsical colors, fins, luxury epitomized in design, bulbous flare, speed, and a little exhaust.

When I was a child I was FASCINATED with old cars. I also still today have a deep love for them, as well as diners, black & white checkered with shiny chrome decor, bubblegum, sundaes, and music older than my parents. And the dancing...don't even get me started!!

And for me, seeing an older car brings all these things to mind. A time that can seem care-free in the best way possible. A time that seems only a story it's so far away. And then there's also the feeling of luxury, richness, old Hollywood that comes with other models of cars.

And then there's the California beach party lifestyle...

AND then there's the adrenaline blood-pumping throttle of danger. Maybe a chicken race or drag race in general. Maybe a gangster in a big city at the wheel. . .

These are the possibilities I personally see when I look at an "old" American car. No other country's antiquated cars can do that for me. And although these stories hold a nostalgic feeling for me there is still the unbelievable, practically limitless possibilities conjured by the designers themselves in their original design and intent.
Rather than nostalgia, these designs point to the anticipation of the future...
the space race, flying vehicles; perhaps even underwater vehicles, speed - the need to be first, being American; being the BEST.

These were dreams and notions of a country at a time when there wasn't any other that could even compare.
These things are things I feel are lost on American Automotive Designers/Marketers these days. Whereas the design may still occur, it's only for shows. It is no longer incorporated into everyday auto-making. The dream is still hinted at every now and again, but more in the tone of nostalgia than national pride.
Sure, cars have become a lot more convenient and accommodating than ever before.
But me, I want the DREAM. 

The Heat of McQueen's Fire...

...will never be forgot. Here I show my FAVORITE design by McQueen...on one of my favorite famous people (and I think she wears it well). This dress would be nice enough, albeit shockingly bright on the eyes, without the lace cover. BUT The lace REALLY makes it wonderful to me.
It's elegant, fragile, beautiful, intricate...and yet dark, gothic, complicated, and clinging in a way. A great dichotomy of  "Edgy-Beauty".  It seems more real to me when clothing designs are a combination of whimsy and hard. To me it expresses that the clothes, like the people who wear them, are multi-faceted.
The inspiration lies within that combination. It inspires to be one's own true self. That not all things have to be rock n' roll OR roses. That being a strong, confident, beautiful creature is possible, even as a woman.
And it also resonates with my own personal love for design with the simplicity of the structure underneath, and the complexity of the architecturally structured lace.

LOVE IT!

And really, who can wear it so well as Drew?

The First of Many Hellos.

his is my space to share with the vastness of the web those things of which move or inspire me at any given time, in the hopes or chance that someone else is inspired. There are many beautiful things to share and see. I love new things, and I love when others share new things with me. So don't be shy, feel free to contribute too.

To begin, let me introduce myself.

My name is April.
I am 28 and very happily married. I live in what I think is a beautiful conglomerate of city and open space.
I'm a lover of: music, art, people, design, creativity, life.
I love things that are big, small, gritty, streamlined, and all of the above. You will see what I mean as I continue with my blogs of inspiration.

I call this little piece of me Inspire Fire because I feel that when I am truly inspired, it is starts as a spark and consumes me and just makes me want to continue to spread...the love, the heat, the inspiration....
It's an Inspire Fire.
I am really not trying to limit myself to what this blog should be specifically because 1. I dislike limitations and 2. It's mine & I don't have to.

On that note, perhaps we should begin with a few celebrity and non-celebrity people who inspire me in one form or another.

There is so much more. And I'm sure I will bring up each of these people in future posts. Maybe even introduce you to those you don't know yet.

And there's always room for more!!
See you soon...maybe even later today....