amjamin

Feea, Daughter of Zion, is a free spirit, one with the elements, talking to nature - the trees and the birds and connecting to the cosmic energy with her mortal soul. A painter, songwriter, and humanitarian, Feea attributes her being as the will of the Almighty. "My work is the act of God," this intuitive artist says. "My fingers move automatically, they don't have any definitive theme they are working on." Her art is an eclectic mix of lines and circles, entwined as if a forest with faces emerging on what could be perceived as leaves or branches. Flipping through Feea's paintings, one sees a familiar pattern, but they tell a different story. "No two (paintings) are ever the same. If you ask me what it is all about, it is impossible for me to tell you what it is all about." A free spirit, Feea says she is not bound by the medium she uses to express her emotions. "I use pencil, I use charcoal, I use anything that can draw,...

Chungliang Al Huang "It's my life," professes Chungliang Al Huang, tai chi master, calligrapher, author. "I was groomed with tai chi, but one of my early loves was calligraphy." Exuding an aura of an ascetic, artist, dancer, martial-arts trainer, Master Huang is merging tai chi with calligraphy. The beautiful confluence of the subtle meditative body movements combines with brush strokes in perfect harmony. "We are lucky enough to use calligraphy as an art form. We dance on paper," Master Huang adds. "We literally immerse ourselves as a dancer through our brush, to be expressive." Master Huang recounted that he started practising calligraphy as a child growing up in China and then in Taiwan. "As far back as I can remember, I loved to hold the brush, I loved the way the ink touched the paper." DANCING MEDITATION The flow of the liquid ink, he says, is a form of tai chi flow, which is dancing meditation. The calligr...

The facade of Waterlane Gallery, downtown Kingston. On a hot, sunny afternoon, Kimani Beckford dipped a brush in a can of paint and with meticulous, subtle strokes streaked it across a wall. An artist he is, transforming the mundane of brick and concrete into a story board. Kimani Beckford paints a mural “This is a story being told,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow, “from the future going to the past.” As a part of project for Ardenne Prep School in St Andrew, Beckford, through his painting, is showcasing the transition of time. “Murals change the feelings about where you are, they allow people to dream and to take them to a different space,” says Rosemarie Chung, painter and owner of Studio 174 in downtown Kingston. Chung, whose studio has been commissioned to paint murals on different locations across Kingston, explains that murals are “a strong response to the society’s issues and communicate to the people”. This resonates in a mural with a giant heart and ...

Who doesn't love the excitement of ripping the gift wrap, reliving the inner child in you to reveal the contents? With Valentine's Day around the corner, are you thinking of giving something to that special someone? Getting to that 'wow' moment is often a daunting task. Herein lies the dilemma, as most times, we want to get away from the mass-produced to get something exclusive. Have you thought of gifting art? Here are some fresh gift ideas. Etched in timeless memories "I am best known for my live portraits with a charcoal pencil, which I do in approximately 20 minutes," says Jeffrey Perry, a self-taught artist. Perry, who says he sees his talent as a gift from the Creator, specialises in portraits, done in charcoal, pastels and acrylics. "Charcoal drawings are the most popular since it is the least expensive and takes the least amount of time to complete," Perry says. A well-done charcoal drawing that is professionally matted and f...