The Animal Rescue Site wants you to vote. (Just click on the link!) Help these organizations save animals! I did it. It literally takes 5 seconds!
Type in an animal shelter and cast your vote. Don't know of one? Well, help out Austin Pets Alive. I've volunteered with them and they do a great job. You can vote everyday!
The puppies need you. And really...who could turn down a face like Bella's?
This past weekend, Art from the Streets hosted their annual art show. I found out about this organization, and coincidentally the art show, through my Public Relations class with Dr. Dave Junker. For the class, each group of around five students chooses a local nonprofit to work with on a semester-long project building a new Public Relations plan for our organization. My love for art landed me with Art from the Streets.
AFTS offers free art classes twice a week to the homeless community of Austin, and in addition, holds an annual art show downtown. This was their 17th show.
The talent of these individuals is utterly amazing. Most have had absolutely no professional training, and many have never picked up a paintbrush until attending their first AFTS art class.
These artists were personable, friendly and proud. I talked to a few of the artists at the show, and they all wore huge smiles, blinked kind eyes and seemed genuinely happy to be there.
It was late in the last day of the show, and every artist was willing to negotiate their prices. Though it's obvious they enjoy making a profit, many of the artists said they didn't do it for the cash. They create art because it gives them passion. For many, AFTS has done more than give them a bit of income; it's given them a reason to believe in themselves. It's helped them start new lives, find friendships and love and restore their confidence.
I knew I wouldn't leave without a purchase. I decided on a piece by Larry Miller. This man was intuitively kind and radiated with excitement. I honestly wish I could have purchased more art, but I'm very happy with this piece. Now if only I can find the wall space in my house to hang it...
Just kidding. While maybe not a drama queen, Gabriel Contreras is an artist through and through. He has talent, and certainly doesn't fit one type of mold. You could say I'm biased; we've been friends for awhile now, but his art is unique, eye-catching and most importantly, from the soul. You don't believe me? Well, see for yourself.
He comes over for his interview, and like always, he's energetic, smiling and spilling out hilarious one-liners. His mind moves 150 mph, and I can barely keep up. The first question I ask him may be an obvious one. I ask him, why? Why be an artist?
He responds, "Well, I didn't choose to be an artist. I knew when I was really little, as soon as I started school. I would constantly make things with clay, and had my first easel as a toddler. I would get beer boxes and cans and make Transformer suits out of them. That's when I knew, and when my parents knew. Not many toddlers make beer-can Transformers."
After years of clay molding and Transformer building, Gabriel decided his senior year of high school to attend The Art Institute of Dallas after graduation. Since then, he's transferred to The Art Institute of Austin, choosing Graphic Design as his major. Gabriel's style can be described as Pop Art, Surrealism and Projected Emotion.
He says his influences range from music to video games. "Alex Pardee is my main inspiration. I also listen to 80s Hip-hop when I paint. Oh, and playing old-school video games, like Zelda, reading comic books, really anything Pop Culture and dark humor. I try not to take myself too seriously."
Gabriel's ideal job is creating album art work or t-shirt designs. I ask him what else he wants to accomplish with his art. "My art is for me, but I want everyone to see it," he says. "I want my art to do the same things Alex Pardee's art does for me. He's the one who first inspired me to start painting. I never thought I could make a living as an artist. Now I know that I can. He's overcome a past, and so have I. Maybe someday I'll share that story."
Gabriel touches on his past, and begins to describe one of his pieces. "I was extremely angry! When I get mad, I need to get it out, get it out of my head. My art is like a dream journal."
Whether it is happiness, anger or annoyance, every one of his paintings has a purpose.
"Sometimes there's not a direct meaning behind my art. Sometimes it's just a feeling or emotion."
We look through his portfolio online together. I stop him at one piece that I love. "Somewhere in my art is me," he says. "My view of my own self image...I like to cram cute and ugly into the same piece."
"Like a Beauty and the Beast parallel?" I ask. Gabriel responds, "Exactly, finding the beauty in everything in the world."
He hurriedly clicks through a few more pieces, prompting me to ask him how he feels when he sees his own art. "I know what I was thinking when I created each piece, but I imagine people must think I'm nuts! There's no upfront theme. I want them to take away their own personal message. An artist is someone whose artwork raises more questions than it answers."
That one line, and I'm sold.
"I just want to inspire people to create," he says.
"Well, get busy," I say jokingly.
"That's what I say! You've got to get busy living or get busy dying," he says. He starts to laugh, "What does that even mean?"
I'm Melissa and I'm a junior at the wonderful University of Texas. I'm majoring in Public Relations and "minoring" in Business.
What do I want to do? Where do I want to go? Everything. And everywhere. But Austin will always be my home.
I decided to start my own blog when I realized I actually had stuff to write about... I am right in the middle of a unique, quirky, artistic town with much to experience. Here, I'll blog about what keeps Austin weird and maybe, just maybe, you'll understand why it's many people's favorite place on Earth.
Randoms:
PETS: My spoiled, stubborn, smarty-pants Beagle, Bella
SNACK: Jalapeno Chips
MOVIE: Breakfast at Tiffany's & Almost Famous
COLOR: Turquoise
DRINK: Sweet Leaf Tea & Coffee
HOBBY: Creating
Current Obsessions:
MUSIC: Regina Spektor, The Avett Brothers, Santigold & Phoenix
SHOPPING: The Buffalo Exchange
ODDITIES: Researching and learning about starting a business
ART SCENE: Art shows! - Art From the Streets & East Austin Studio Tour
OTHER: Plaid & song birds
A little more about me... I love Austin.
I love animals, art, falling in love with movies, live music, escaping into books, hot tea in the morning, finding new passions, always believing, the colors of autumn and creating - writing, painting, crafting, taking pictures, etc. etc. -
What to expect? Art, music and anything else in between. Let's not keep it too structured... Leaves a little mystery, right?
I believe in the trust & honesty of animals, the power of art, film & music, and all things intangible & unseen.
There are no boundaries. There are no rules.
You don't have to do anything but die. The rest is negotiable. And I like to negotiate.
follow me @mellypeacox
