Leonardo Fingerpainted, and Bon Voyage to Burma

A friend of mine, 0, is a Burmese artist, residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although he prefers abstract trumpet blasts of colors and swirls of dancing texture to realism, in order to raise money for his village back home, he'll often dedicate many canvases to meticulous reproductions of the da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

He leaves for Burma next week (his visa confirmed), so I’m helping him directly because I know him to be a person who lives The Gift.

In a blog post months ago, I mentioned that I had a small cluster of friends that helped each other out. If anyone sells a painting, while yet another's scrounging for scraps to eat, they'll share the money, and/or cook you a home-cooked simmering soup and Burmese noodles supper. "Artists gotta help other artists," 0, my Burmese friend, would instill in me.

Normally, 0 self-funds his visits to Burma (loaded with medicines, water purifiers, energy drinks and foods, books and educational materials) with his art work sales, but this time he'd only just returned from a 5-week trip in April with $5 in his pocket. Then Cyclone Nargis hit.

If you'd like to help, I'm taking donations.

What Twitter friends are doing: Pissyrabbit is donating 100% of all art sales (Warholesque stuffed animals) at www.basilandantimony.etsy.com through May 21st to the cause. Charlotte created a Facebook group. Pistachio is collecting information on how social media can help Burma. Michelle is shows you how you can buy calling cards for Burmese refugees in Austin, TX to call home. Evrideva donated his $85 in barista tips last night (his tip jar told his customers that it was for 0). TRUE suggested a long-term Etsy store for Oliver and other artists to sell creations on behalf of Burma relief at Art4Burma.etsy.com (not ready yet).

Or, best yet if you are in the Bay Area, missrogue is hosting 0 this Saturday.... come wish 0 a good send-off to Burma.

San Francisco, May 17th, 6-8 p.m. Bon Voyage to Burma. My Burmese artist and humanitarian will be the guest at a fun-raiser (do-it-yourself fingerpainted gift cards) and art show at Citizen Space, thanks to Tara Hunt. Address: 425 2nd Street, #300, San Francisco, CA. 0 does some really glorious fingerpaint (yup, handmade!) cards - watch, and/or do your own.

Scrumptious Burmese food will be served. Donations requested, (never mandatory) $7-10. Simply come by to show your support of an individual headed to help Burmese cyclone survivors next week.

Bonus:

Finger Painting: "Throughout history a small number of artists have rejected both palette knives and brushes. A few used their fingers to spread the paint. Artists turned to such primal means for various reasons, including display of skill, experimental playfulness, or nose-thumbing at convention."

...The young Leonardo's use of his fingers can be linked to the properties of the newly available medium of oil painting. ... It should not surprise us that he played with the tackiness of the new oil medium, palpating the paint as he sought new effects." - Seeing Through Paintings, Andrea Kirsch and Rustin S Levenson

Art credits Elephant Family, by 0 ('m declining mentioning his name at this time as he frequents the country, and I don't wish to jeopardize those visa-dependent visits. Graffiti With Homemade Fingerpaints, by Pilgrim Parent

p.s. In next few days, I'll share how you can help through active prayer, or intention alone.

Comments

[OLE_sHIP]

ELEPHANTS !
"Dropping my voice to a whisper; I have no sixpences for it."
Pleazurized I will call this in italic, my only resource a story http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=2&res=9D06E1DC163EE73BBC4D51DFB466838C669FDE&oref=slogin&oref=slogin (I've fingerpainted it as metaphor, drawn to code), as my eyes drifted over this from a doubled-TYP0.
( http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=elephant+matilda "Matilda," an elephant's name that comes to mind for one Born Free); one of which I have never had a ride but once; that once, imagined, Marilda treated me. "She brings me to the sands", before the 0le_Ship. I sat down off the deck with my notebook...

They were fine sands".

Matilda's gaze, in view that she may never forget where this sea meets the sands, does she remember Del Mar?; does she wonder, "What If I Were A Horse !"...

http://evelynrodriguez.typepad.com/crossroads_dispatches/2008/01/welcome-to-the.html Back to the real world I am now/a, with zer0 if any artist in me, and a link short possibly, and a page back, up-to-dated now from some goodnesses in posts past.
http://litefog.blogspot.com/2008/05/enthralled-empiricism.html It maybe X-Empericism to rationalize/a from my own not knowing, even when its me in front of myself!
It is my hope as it was "a prayer", that was my first reaction, and in more ways, and many, may it proceed-to-be, and be it done all ready!

[Mike]

Thanks for your beautiful blog, and especially for giving me The Gift!

[limestone Coast SA Wine lover]

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful blog entry! Im a huge elephant fan and just adored the picture as well as that of the budding new artist!

[Angie]

elephant is one of my favorite, it's a great to learn about wonderful people that they do exist