She's got the look

mosaic by Pasquale Roscigno

Guys or gals, doesn't she have that look that says it all?

Indifference. Lust. Disappointment. Sadness. Intelligence. Class.... Stay out of my way.

This is a mosaic by Pasquale Roscigno, an Italian mosaic artist living in Campania.

Please don't stop the music!

When was in my early 20s, I couldn't live a single day without music. I'd put my headphones on and would listen to my favourite tracks. Mostly Depeche Mode. But also Madonna. Occasionally Classical music. There was a time I would listen to Spanish music. It could be while traveling, going to work, doing the housework etc.

A funny thing has been occurring in recent years:

I no longer listen to music on a daily basis the way I did before.

However, I do listen to music but "under special circumstances"; for instance when I need to cheer up or stop thinking or when I'm overwhelmed with emotions (of calm combined with a creative spur or - yes - anger). That's when I turn to music. Not always. But when I do, it works.

Music gives us back some of our lost energy. It creates NEW energy. Music can inspire works of art. For instance, I'd love to create a mosaic inspired by the Dance of the knights (Romeo and Juliet) by Prokofiev, one of my favourite classical pieces. The mosaic I'm thinking of isn't about Romeo and Juliet but it comes from the EMOTIONS when listening to the piece.

Music is a muse who we all need to call as often as we can. She is full of surprises! 

This is what Laur Ivanel, architect/mosaicist did. His work is inspired by music AND it's about music! His calling was to create a series of mosaics for an Irish pub in Constanta, Romania, with a music muse as a central theme. The muse spins the music wheel and every part of the work has a story. What's more, during the process, he discovered and fell in love with the song Dancing with the Muse by Chris Spheeeris which helped him to complete the work!

I can almost hear the music in Laur's work, don't you?

It has that NEW energy I was telling you about. I asked him to tell me a few things about his work.

In his own words:

"I like to transform

from what's not so good

into something with life, soul, second chance

where there is a little bit of disharmony to put a touch of care.

It is about care

in fact

I need this

and I prefer to do work with spaces;

spaces have a life and a soul"

Laur Ivanel, architect and mosaicist based in Romania

• Do you seek silence or do you want your life to be filled with music?
• Do you also listen to music on fewer but important occasions as time goes by the way I do?
• Does your art work tell a story and how is music involved in the process?

Connect with Laur Ivanel on Facebook

It's opera time!

Stella Georgiou, a wonderful soprano and a friend of mine who is based in Italy, sings Othello. I wanted "the world" to listen to her voice. (Stella can be contacted via email here).

Enjoy!

Madam Butterfly

via

Sharing a beautiful image from Madam Butterfly.

A "special" rapsody (CD with mosaic background)

The above image is the cover of an album released in 1986. The album is called Rapsodies (the word Rap...rap music ...someone once told me that it comes from the Greek word Rapsody, worth investigating) contains the most important Byzantine Hymns with singer/actress Irene Papas, music arrangement by Vangelis.

One of the most well known hymns of the album is Ω γλυκύ μου έαρ (Oh, my sweet spring) and it is chanted on Good Friday in all Greek Orthodox churches.

Please bear in mind that this is a modern version of the hymn.


Greek text

Αι γενεαί πάσαι, ύμνον τη Ταφή σου, προσφέρουσι Χριστέ μου.

Καθελών του ξύλου, ο Αριμαθείας, εν τάφω σε κηδεύει.

Μυροφόροι ήλθον, μύρα σοι, Χριστέ μου, κομίζουσαι προφρόνως.
 

Δεύρο πάσα κτίσις, ύμνους εξοδίους, προσοίωμεν τω Κτίστη.

Ους έθρεψε το μάννα, εκίνησαν την πτέρναν, κατά του ευεργέτου.

Ιωσήφ κηδεύει, συν τω Νικοδήμω, νεκροπρεπώς τον Κτίστην.

* Ω γλυκύ μου έαρ, γλυκύτατόν μου Τέκνον, πού έδυ σου το κάλλος;

Υιέ Θεού παντάναξ, Θεέ μου πλαστουργέ μου, πώς πάθος κατεδέξω;

Έρραναν τον τάφον αι Μυροφόροι μύρα, λίαν πρωί ελθούσαι.

Ω Τριάς Θεέ μου, Πατήρ Υιός και Πνεύμα, ελέησον τον κόσμον.

Ιδείν την του Υιού σου, Ανάστασιν, Παρθένε, αξίωσον σους δούλους.

Free translation from Greek from where you see the *

English

Oh, my sweet spring, my sweetest child, where has your beauty set?

Son of God, my God and creator, how can I accept your Passion?

The perfume-bringing women sprinkled the grave with perfumes, having come very early in the morning


Oh Trinity my God, Father, Son and Spirit, have mercy upon the world 


Mother of God, help us so that we can see your Son's Resurrection

Italian

O, mia dolce primavera, mio dolcissimo figlio, dov’è tramontata la tua bellezza? 


Figlio di Dio, mio Dio e creatore, come posso accettare la tua Pasione?

Le donne che portavano profumi sparsero la tomba di fragranze, essendo arrivate molto presto la mattina. 


O Santa Trinità mio Dio, Padre, Figlio e Spirito, dimostra la tua misericordia al mondo


Madre di Dio, aiuta cosi noi possiamo vedere la Resurrezione del tuo Figlio

This post is dedicated to my 100 blog buddies, thank you for being here.

Again, Happy Easter!

Rock me amadeus: Amadeus Mozart mosaic portrait

via

What a surprising mosaic find !

Do I see a smile on your face for the play of words?

rock, rocks = stones for mosaics.

Let's remember the song from the 80s Rock me Amadeus by Falco. I had no idea he had died in a car accident in 1998 until I read it somewhere some time ago. Here I have found the occasion to show my admiration for this artist and his song through this mosaic and this superb 80s video.

Zeimbekiko (within the context of the creative process)

I know it may sound and seem irrelevant but Zeimbekiko (the type of music featured here) is a Greek dance that is danced alone. Alone is the artist too. (I never actually dare call myself artist but everybody says I should). It's impossible to improvise or elaborate ideas that are in your mind unless you are completely alone. I "steal" time but it's not enough. Today (which is the day after I wrote the post, I had an "eureka" time while trying to take a nap at midday. I never fell asleep, as there was too much noise. Later I will sit down and make some drawings. Who knows. Some projects' "destiny" is to remain on paper (or on a web page). Hey! But I am not pessimistic. Mosaic takes time and time is luxury. I have made the most dramatic changes (but not sad at all) in my life this last year that I think that this will be reflected in my new mosaics. The ones that are now in my mind. The ones that this music and similar music or other motivation sources may trigger to become reality.

Thank you blogger buddy Nerzack for the original post.

Mosaic + Music

Listen to this sublime and beautiful Greek Byzantine hymn in. This is a modern version by Vangelis sung by Irene Papas. Notice the gold mosaic background on the album.