Def Jam is releasing a DVD/CD package of Kanye West’s VH1 Storytellers performance on January 5th, 2010.
The DVD contains over 70 mins of performance footage from Kanye plus a special Q&A interview piece. The CD contains the live audio of the 9 song performance set that aired on VH1.
Meet Allen Goodman at his YouTube Channel.
CarvingVideos.com’s interview with this master caricature carver.
After you’ve met him, check out some of his carving knives and finished products.
Dong Hae meticulously led Ariel Lin up the stage.
Dong Hae said that his Chinese is not good but he was able to pick up girls, to prove that it is true,he used SJ-M’s leader, Hankyung, as a girl, using his fluent Chinese to act out a scenario which is to ask for the ‘girl’s’ number, causing everyone to laugh. He sure knows how to make a girl happy, seeing Ariel Lin and giving her the pipaogao*, he took the initiative to lead her up the stage, also praising Ariel that she was also very considerate. (Dong Hae’s point of view: remembering when I came to Taiwan to shoot the mv, she took care of everyone, making me feel at home).
Losing in Morra, shouting loudly ‘dear baby’
Talking about their new song ‘Super Girl’, Dong Hae said that, to be his super girl, her forehead must be pretty, other factors like height and weight doesn’t matter, admitting that Ariel Lin is his ideal type, her forehead is fabulous. SJ-M also played Morra, winner gets to be fed by Ariel Lin with pipaogao*, Dong Hae did his best, but still lost. (Dong Hae’s point of view:’so sad’) Returning next to Ariel Lin, he shouted ‘dear baby’. Such action caused everyone to be surprised. Ariel Lin said that through her manager, previously while shooting the mv with Dong Hae, he really was very cheerful and had interaction with him, yesterday when he reached the hotel, he did not care whether he was dressed properly, and insisted on wanting to greet her. And being praised by Dong Hae for her forehead, she started to smile shyly.
SJ started the trend of imitating the show,
pipagao* – Chinese medicine made up of herbs
Source: http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/091205/4/1waks.html
translated by Cianra@sj-world.net
may take out with full credits and pls dont add in your own credits
I was rather anxious about this interview because Jasmine is the first artist that I’ve asked to interview whom I don’t personally know (personally in the sense of Internet relations). Jasmine was absolutely charming and answered all the questions with no qualms and in a very candid manner. Please, let me introduce you to Jasmine Beckett-Griffith.
How long have you been drawing?
Well, like a lot of folks, I started drawing when I was a little girl. I think a lot of people kind of stop finding time to make art after they grow up a bit, but I never stopped. When I was in elementary school I made extra money drawing portraits of people (teachers, other kids, their parents) and selling them to them. I always sat with a sketchbook and doodled or drew during class. During recess I usually sat against the fence and drew. In high school I’d often cut class and hide under the stairs, drawing. I was about 13 when I started taking my art seriously and teaching myself to paint. When I was 18 I started selling my work online and opened my Strangeling.com website, which I still use today!
By Starlight
How did you decide you wanted to do art professionally? Was your family supportive, or you got the “you are going to starve” looks?
For my 12th birthday I received the “The Art of the Dragonlance Saga” book as a present. I’ve always loved fantasy and Dungeons & Dragons, etc. – that was my favorite series. I loved all the artwork, especially that of Larry Elmore. I remember reading about how he was from Kentucky, and as a kid from Missouri that left an impression on me — before that for some reason I always thought artists all were from New York or Paris. I thought it was cool that a “normal” guy could be a professional artist. As an adult I became friends with Larry and we do art trips & workshops together and he has always been very supportive of my career and inspired me to take my artwork to fantasy conventions and shows, etc.
I went to college on scholarship to study mathematics and physics, but partway through I realized I was already making a living with my artwork and I didn’t really ever want to do anything else, so I switched to a degree in painting with a minor in Art History. Unfortunately the university did not have a room set aside for painters so I had to do independent study at home, so in the end it wasn’t much different than if I’d just continued on without having gone to college at all. I’m very much self-taught. I was thankful for the Art History classes though — I think one of the best things an artist can do is to learn the history of their medium and genre so that they can see their own work in a better context.
Everybody kind of rolled their eyes when I said I was going to be an artist, and I think if anything that made me try harder, like I had a chip on my shoulder, hehe. I was straight-A’s all through high school and college and most people expected me to go into the sciences or some other sort of career path. I remember one of my teachers at school almost in tears, pleading with me not to throw my life away (i.e., be an artist) and that I was young and had “potential” and I still had time to make a life for myself. Most people were pretty discouraging really — most people seemed to think my art was a hobby, or something I’d grow out of (as opposed to an all-encompassing drive that dictates my every waking moment!). But then I started earning a good living, and then about 5 years ago my husband quit his job to work for me full-time, and then as I started hiring other relatives, people I knew really started to understand that it genuinely was a valid career path.
What are your tools of choice? Can you share your technique?
I work exclusively in acrylic paints! To be honest the brand and type doesn’t make much of a difference to me; I buy what’s on sale usually. I like the fluid/liquid types the best. I just use tap water for diluting them. I buy cheap synthetic brushes — those clear-grip golden Taklon ones. Mostly I paint on wood or masonite, or sometimes canvas. Basically whatever I have lying around! I don’t really sketch much first — I have the painting in my head when I begin — I take a brush and paint thinned with a lot of water and do basic layout sketching right on the panel. Then I begin layering in colors — I start with darker, more opaque colors and work my way up to brighter more transparent colors.
How did your style evolved into what it is today?
Most of my work is very self-portrait-like in nature. My characters are all loosely based on my own face, kind of like little caricatures of me — in fantastical settings. I’ve gotten better, smoother, more technically proficient over the years, and have developed a wider variety of facial types I enjoy painting. I’ve incorporated more historical reference in my paintings over time, and different cultural contexts as well as I travel the world more and gain more experience. Whenever I visit a new country or city I always hit their art museums and galleries and gain a lot of inspiration. I’m also working more on other elements of my paintings beyond the basic figure — landscapes, settings, lighting, mood, palette, etc.
Marie Masquerade
Most of your fairies look like they are up to mischief… does that reflect some of your personality?
Ha! I’ll just have to “plead the fifth” on that one!
What is it about Alice in Wonderland that you like so much?
Oh my, many things. Firstly it has a very personal/nostalgic basis for me. Growing up with my two sisters we had a double-copy of Alice In Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass and we read it SO much. It had so many wonderful illustrations. I like the idea of Alice because in her universe almost ANYTHING can happen. It is the opposite of the mundane world. I was always envious of her when I was little, when we’d go on nature hikes I just KNEW this would be the day I’d find a magic cave or secret glade or some other rabbit-hole-ish escape from the boring “real” world.
I think I could even paint Alice themed pieces for the rest of my life and never get bored since I enjoy them so much. Lewis Carroll’s work very much resonates with me. Even when I was studying mathematics I wrote a paper about Lewis Carroll in his logician/mathematician capacities.
Alice In Clockwork
Also, you seem to like New Orleans and voodoo culture.
Most certainly! I live down south, here in Florida, and I love the swampy environment and lushness of the flowers and vegetation of the southern states. New Orleans is such a beautiful city, I have disks full of photographs I’ve taken there for inspiration. The architecture, history, hidden gardens, crumbling mansions — there is an intoxicating feel of permanence mixed with decay and beauty there that I find very inspiring. I am very interested in voodoo and similar themes both artistically and personally, and that definitely pops up in my paintings.
Are you ever in the situation in which a not so favorite work becomes a big favorite of other people? Why do you think that happens?
Sometimes indeed! I think it’s difficult for artists to view their own artwork objectively. I don’t even bother trying. Some of my more popular paintings are my favorites too, but other favorites of mine don’t get as much attention, even though I think they’re great. I think it’s most likely because often my personal favorites tend to have some sort of emotional or other subjective elements that appeal to me, Jasmine, specifically and won’t necessarily strike a chord with the general public out of context. If I do a painting that is self-referencing for me to a certain time or place in my life, it’s obviously a lot more meaningful to me than it would be to a random viewer or licensing agent. And then there are paintings I did just for fun, maybe just to experiment with some new colors or maybe a painting I just did for aesthetic enjoyment rather than any sort of deep personal meaning, and those become highly merchandised, very popular images. There’s enough of a balance though, and since I paint for myself being my own target audience, I don’t take things like that very seriously — at most I find it amusing when that happens.
Who were your influences and inspirations?
Oh my, so many! Larry Elmore I already mentioned, then as far as fairy art goes I’ve always been a fan of Brian Froud (as a little girl I had his “Faeries” book and I totally drew all the pictures from it when I was a kid!). Walt Disney is a huge influence on me, I love what he did with his life and how much of an impact he has made — more than almost any other artist I can think of, actually!
I see that you are now working with Disney. How did that happen? Isn’t it absolutely thrilling?
I just got an email out of the blue one day asking if I’d be interested in creating a double-licensed Jasmine Becket-Griffith/Disney line. And of course I said “Yes!” I’m a huge Disney fan — I live in the town of Celebration, Florida — for those who don’t know, this is that was built and designed by the Walt Disney Company about 12 years ago. It borders Disney World (which I love, and always find an inspiration). It truly has been thrilling having the license to create Tinker Bell, Cinderella, Snow White — classic Disney characters in my own style. I’m very excited about some upcoming projects with them!
Kiss My Wings from Jasmine’s Disney collection
Some people say that you have trapped yourself in a certain niche and have ceased exploring artistically. Have you? Do you still experiment and have fun with your art?
Lol — if somebody said that, they probably don’t really pay much attention to what I do, especially lately. The past year in particularly I have drastically been branching out and experimenting with many new things in my artwork. I do get emails from folks sometimes complaining that I shouldn’t be “wasting my talent” and that I should paint “real art” or “serious art” (whatever that is). There is a stigma that sadly goes with fantasy or illustrative art that some people just can’t seem to wrap their heads around.
At this point in my artistic career I’m having much more fun painting than I ever have before. I finally get to paint more of what I truly enjoy now that I have reached a level that I don’t have to constantly do commissioned pieces. My favourite thing to do in the world is paint, I am thankful every morning I wake up because I know I have a long day of painting in front of me.
When or how you realized that you had hit success? How did it feel?
It happened so gradually I didn’t really notice! It was all so grass-roots, and happened so naturally. I guess a turning point would be maybe 5-6 years ago when Matt (my husband) began working for me full-time, and I realized that I was the sole income source for the family — it was a little scary but very satisfying.
Obviously, you are not only an artist, but also a business woman (something that a lot of artists lack). What advice can you give to those artists that would like to have high selling rates?
The most important thing is to just be relentless. Make a niche for yourself, don’t just jump on the bandwagon or paint what you think other folks want to see. Paint what YOU like to paint, and just keep doing it. Working hard is obvious – I don’t take off evenings or weekends even now. I always like to tell people, too: Focus first on the art side of things — developing your own style, building up a large body of your best work, gaining technical proficiency, actually doing the ART part of it for a few years first, and THEN worrying about promotion or business stuff is the way to do it. So many times people try it backwards — they go about setting up a business based on art they haven’t even really done much of yet. You need to have a solid foundation to try to building an empire on — don’t jump the gun!
Other advice I have is to keep as much control over your business as you can. I’m a self-representing artist, and I am the one who makes decisions regarding the use of my work, licensing, etc. I read every single contract I sign, and if I don’t understand something — I find out what it means before putting my name down. I have known too many people in artistic industries (visual arts, music, etc.) who have been jaded and manipulated by bad deals that can really take the fun and creativity out of things.
This is a difficult task for many people, artists and not… How do you go about pricing your own work?
For my original paintings, I began back in 1999 by auctioning them on eBay. I wasn’t sure how much to ask, and pricing was very much secondary to the fact I just painted too many paintings to keep them all, lol, so I put them up for a penny. Ten years later and I do the same thing! I figure if I start at a penny, at least everybody gets a chance. That way the collectors & market completely determine the value. When I am in situations where I must put a fixed price tag, I base it loosely on what a painting of similar size and complexity would typically go for at auction, and then I add in cost of materials and framing, etc. — voila!
Do you find that this economy has affected your business?
To be completely honest, this past year has hands-down been my most financially successful. If anything, I think that many people are looking for an “escape” and that fantasy art can really provide that escape. I have always said that my goal is to bring a little magic to people’s lives and I think if somebody is going through a hard time, sometimes a bit of beauty or whimsy can be a better investment than most things.
People have the idea that the art environment is abundant in envy and ill-willed competition. Do you think it is?
Not that I have noticed! Most artists I have known have been very caring and thoughtful people. I don’t think the art world is something that could ever be that competitive or has the potential to be over-saturated as long as everybody is bringing their own unique ideas and creations. I guess sometimes I stumble across message boards or online grumpy folks who do seem to be negative, or grumbling about how their careers aren’t going anywhere- and my first thought is, “I’ll bet if they spent more time actually painting rather than complaining on the computer, they might be better off!” and that’s my attitude as well.
Sunkissed Mermaid
Where can the readers find your art?
Oh yay – shameless self promotion! Well the best portal to find everything is my personal website – www.strangeling.com. That is where I sell my prints and canvas prints, link to my original paintings for sale, tons of links to all the various merchandise for sale, etc. You can find your way to everything there. As far as my original paintings go – I mostly sell them on eBay. My seller ID is “Strangeling” there. I’m also up at Etsy (wonderful website – fantastic artists there!!) selling under the name Strangeling. If you’d like to see my art in person – I do art shows & conventions – I’m always at Dragon*Con, FaerieCon, and MegaCon (in Orlando), as well as various art shows & festivals – my appearance schedule is on my website. For merchandising there are so many stores that sell my stuff now I can’t even keep up. Lots of the big chain stores sell things, like Targets and Hastings and even Wal-Marts, etc. A lot of the mall stores like Spencer’s and Hot Topics will carry things sometimes too. The Bradford Exchange & Hamilton Collection do a lot of my collectibles for direct mail order & online sales. Online you can find a wide assortment at my Zazzle store – www.zazzle.com/strangeling too. Your best bet is to just go to Strangeling.com and look at all the links!
Amy Brown
Jasmine’s art teases the boundaries of cute and creepy with her character’s large winsome eyes, adorable costumes and edgy subject matter. You just want to snuggle them, though you might get bitten if you do.
Jessica Galbreth
I’ve always thought Jasmine’s work was a wonderful and unique take on the realm of faery.
***all images in this interview belong to Jasmine Becket-Griffith and are reproduced with her permission***
First of all, thanks for taking time away for this interview. And congratz to the CL win.
Who are you? What are you doing in your spare time? Interests etc?
My name is Simon. I’m 21 years old and come from a town called Slagelse in denmark. I’m a bricklayer, so in my spare time I just relax and hang out with my girlfriend or by myself. I also play some handball, to keep me in shape
At least for me, this gold came pretty unexpected. Why do you think you won?
A mix of luck and good preparation I think
Is this win your biggest moment in your CSM career?
ofc it is 
What do you think made you take the final step up to the absolute top of CSM?
The time I’ve spent on this game, and my vision of “old” players. If I had the same vision of “old” players as I had for 5 seasons ago, I wouldn’t have got that CL victory. Insted I would have rebuilded when my players turned 28. (have done that 2 times before)
How is your plans for the future, regarding your team?
My plan is to replace my old players, when I can’t keep them in shape anymore. I’ve already have a 6th player, that just need a little bit more LC. So he will soon replace one of my current players
How do you like the evolution of csm atm? What is most important to add in this game?
I think they are doing a great job now. For many seasons they didn’t implant any “big” things, and that was a little bit borring. I think the most important in this game is to delete d2 and add the csm.inferno
Any regrets so far in your CSM career?
All my rebuilds
And do you have any fun anecdotes about csm to share with the csm community?
can’t think about anyone right now
Quick questions:
Quickness or Awareness
Dust2 or Aztec
Champions League or WWT? CL ofc
Bendtner or Zlatan? Bendtner
Carlsberg or Tuborg? Carlsberg
Back in the eighties when I was starting out, every six months or so I made the pilgrimage
Gilka was a man of few words and because of that seeing him was always a bit intimidating. If all you had were images to show – and nothing to say, you’d pretty much be in and out of his office in the amount of time it took to click through your slides. Knowing this, I did my homework prior to the appointment. I’d come up with about 10 query ideas, research back issues of the magazine to make sure they hadn’t been done before and have at least one idea written up in a story proposal.
I’ll never forget the first time I went to Gilka’s office. His secretary met me in the lobby, and led me to a small area just outside his office. There on his door was a doormat –with words that read “Wipe Your Knees Before Entering”. Talk about feeling intimidated – as if it wasn’t intimidating enough just to be meeting with the Director of Photography at the National Geographic.
So every six months or so I would show my images and pitch my ideas. This went on for about two years. Each time I went I would almost test myself to see how long I could stay in his office. I would do my best to sell my story pitches that I felt the strongest about and he would reply – “done it –doing it – or – don’t want to do it”. This coupled with a few words of encouragement in regards to some of my photographs would pretty much be it as far as feedback.
Then one day he kept me waiting. He had been detained in a meeting. I had scheduled a pretty tight day to maximize my trip to Washington – so the delay had thrown a wrench into me keeping my other appointments that I had scheduled. When Gilka did show up and apologized, I was already feeling quite anxious and showed it. I told him that I didn’t have much time because I had to be across town at the Smithsonian in 20 minutes. He picked up the phone, called Declan Haun, the picture editor I was headed to see at Smithsonian Magazine and explained that Gail Mooney was running late due to his tardiness. Then he proceeded to look at my pictures and hear me out.
When I did get to the Smithsonian, it was amusing to see how curious Declan Haun was to find out who this Gail Mooney was that got Bob Gilka to call ahead for her. The very next month, I got a call from Bob Gilka offering me my first assignment. Guess I just needed to show my real self. I had sufficiently shown my interest and determination in wanting to shoot for them. And I had demonstrated my photographic ability through my images. But it was when I showed my true spirit that he knew that I could shoot for them. I just had to get over my fright.
“I have a room for music, for writing. It took me a while to get comfortable with the room I now use. It’s basically a spare room beside my daughter’s bedroom; it’s small but looks over the Grand Canal, which at night can be inspiring. Night time is the only time I open the shutters, if I’m in there during the day, I keep the shutters closed and light it with one little lamp. There’s always a point at which a new space becomes christened, when it starts to feel like the right place; it happens with a tune. Once that tune comes, you’re at home.
I keep things pretty simple; I have no real interest in the sampler or keyboards I have there (apart from the Casio which I share with the girls) that gets a hook down just fine. I record onto a Roland 880EX, through a dbx channel strip for mic pre-amp. I monitor through Genelec active monitors. I only use my Guild D35 acoustic these days. It’s the Wounded Knees sound. I use an SM57 to record vocals.
For me it’s important, at the end of a session, to leave things as they are. The litter of stuff is a physical recording of the things that have happened in the room since I was last there. It’s important to have nothing in the room that can break the spell, so everything in there is related in some way to the music I make. I leave books randomly open on the floor. I’ve got a smiling Neil Young on the wall; when I catch Neil’s smiling eye, it’s like he’s saying, “….ya got something there kid”. The Ramones are everywhere, passes from gigs, drum sticks that have delivered at a recording session, a few pictures of the beach boys, George Harrison (I’ve always related heavily to George). There’s no conscious plan to make the room a certain way, it just becomes what it becomes. It’s random. If it feels good it stays. I like having the hard evidence of good things that have happened. One treasure is Patti Smith’s own personal copy of The Coral Sea with her notes all over it. She gave it to me after a show.
Between my work with thirtythreetrees and the kids, it’s impossible to schedule time for music, so it happens when it happens. If I’m getting ready for something like ATP, then I know what I’m doing with all my free time. I’m in there, mainly putting down new tunes for the band to listen to before we get together to rehearse. For me isolation is really important. You have to believe that what you’re doing, at that moment, in that room, could potentially change your life. You have to dream when you’re writing. Songs are very delicate when they’re born, it would be easy for someone outside of you to crush them with apathy. For me I treat them all as potential saviors. It’s one of the ways I feel connected.
Typically I start things with a chord sequence or a riff that just seems to come from nowhere, it’s rare if I remember when I first started strumming a song, but the ones that stay present an urge in me to find a progression, to make it a song. Then I usually get a bit ripped and play the thing over and over until the melody is just there. I tend to listen to the harmonics of the chords really closely while I’m playing until I hear a melody. I’ve leant to stick with that melody; it’s always the best one. And as I play I always hear the whole band in my head, especially the drumming, I’m a drummer first forever. I always play guitar as if I’m playing with a drummer.
The recording usually happens with a sudden urge to listen back to what I’m playing and hearing in my head, that’s why I keep the set up very simple, I don’t want to have to think when I’m putting stuff down for the first time. For me it’s important to get it down sounding pretty good straight away, I need to hear the power of it and the harmonics to get the urge to finish a vocal for it. I like to do things quickly, first take.
I scan notebooks for lyrics that fit the track. I tend to write words separately; it’s the John Lennon way. I like the surprises you get in the phrasing when you do it that way. Like most musicians, once I have an idea down, I have “a loosener” and listen to it about 100 times. That’s always the best moment. Pure dreams.
I use a Roland 880ex, a dbx tube channel strip, Genelec monitors, a Guild d35 1970 acoustic (I bought it in Amherst Mass; J Mascis and Kevin helped me find it), SM57’s for mic-ing the acoustic and for vocals, a Fender Champ, an FMR compressor (really nice) and some distortion pedals (dDistortion and compression are really the only effects I’m into these days). That’s the basic set up. For me, it’s a sound I stick to cause I like it; from there the songs that change the sound. Rhythm and melody.
What I like most about the space is the fact that it’s mine. It’s my soul cell; there aren’t many “real life” distractions in there. I can leave it as I please. I like how it looks after a good session. The girls know which things they can touch and which things they can’t. You can touch the guitar but don’t touch the faders!”
Musical Rooms was in conversation with Jimi Shields of Wounded Knees
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Wounded Knees is a band made up of Jimi Shields (ex-Rollerskate Skinny and Lotus Crown), ex-Mercury Rev flautist Suzanne Thorpe, and Phil Williams (ex-Hopewell). The Wounded Knees released an EP, All Rise on Specific Recordings in 2008. All Rise was mixed by Kevin Shields and the band played tour dates supporting the newly-reformed My Bloody Valentine. This month, Wounded Knees will also play at the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival A Nightmare Before Christmas, curated by My Bloody Valentine. Their play Whelan’s (Upstairs) on Wednesday, December 2nd. Doors are 8pm and the show includes an installation by the creatives at South Studios. Wounded Knees will perform as part of this, from the floor as opposed to the stage. Tickets are €10 from Wav Box-Office (Lo-Call 1890 200 078). For more information, visit http://www.myspace.com/wknees.
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