Univers d'Artistes: 2009

December 28, 2009

A Tribute to the Artist, by Elena Buga

It's holiday time again,
a time when the artist looks into the world,
and the world is a masterpiece where he or she,
THE ARTIST,
puts a last touch, the last colours to create a perfect work of art.

Art Ward
"Free Falling"

Art Model Elena Buga

"We did "Free Falling" this autumn in a freezing mountain forest in Ireland... it is from a whole series we haven't had time to even look at." ~EB

The creative world is wide open, and a glimpse of it shines into the work of unknown visionaries, ready to add that last element to compose a final orchestra where nature itself, along with ancient feelings, express themselves in order to present the greatest symphony of all :

The Symphony of The Spirit.

Al Calkins -

"Jesspond"

But what is an artist ?

Can we manufacture one, or do we just wake up one day and say, "I want to be an artist today"?

Is it just a hobby or a passion of life ?

Christophe Vermare -

"Robe de Lune"

The Artist is a visionary, a leader for generations to come.
He or she creates from inside, the feeling that was there all along. These creations are masterpieces of hard work and determination based on the artist's own standards to achieve in the strive for perfection.

Darren Phillips -

"Street Light"
Art Model SophStarfish

The Artist's creation awes by the expressivity in capturing the spirit itself and presenting it in any form of art. The style is unique, unseen as it comes from inside.

The path may lead to greatness yet to come, though the artist knows it and feels it, presenting it in the work as the biggest goal.

Lorraine Daley
"Some People Don't Mind Being Backed Into A Corner"
Art Model Melissa

Olga Trusova -

"Conception of a Masterpiece : Moscow Biennale Architecture 2008"

Capturing the spirit is one of the greatest dilemmas that art has to encounter. The spark could ignite any form, a performing art or a painting that moves, a sculpture that amazes. The Artist had the ability to move the viewer through visions and conceptions, to inspire, and to create a path to follow the path with the feeling of being there so natural.

Steven Billups -

"Dune"

Magdalena Olek
"Summer Garden"

Art is the only legacy that the artist could leave to those yet to come, a declaration the independence and beauty of the spirit.

Through the most unselfish act, the creator of art shares a vision with the world, as this is the reason for being here in a moment of time.

And after everything is gone in this material world, Art will be the only way to show the Artist was here...

Johannes Barthelmes

December 25, 2009

Joceline Brooke-Hamilton and Mark Varley

Mark, it is so interesting to read about a person's journey within photography and here we learn how you found art nude, or did it indeed find you ?

Mark Varley

Below we can read all about you, and about your recent shoot with the elusive... well, let's leave that for when the readers themselves find out.

Zenith !Mark Varley

and Joceline Brooke-Hamilton

A title with two meanings. Incidentally it’s the camera I first bought in 1996 when I started taking photography a little more seriously.

But it’s main meaning is a peak, and in my photography I recently reached a major peak.

My photography started out with landscapes and nature, and that was the bulk of my work for years; however, I had long been an admire of the art nudes, as many reading this will be.

After some encouragement I decided to give it a try. My first nude photo shoot was in 2004. I sold one of the first photos of the day within a couple of days, I loved it, and it seemed I might even be good at it !

So I had a look around the Internet to try and find the best models in this business, the art nude models, the very best, I was on a mission !

I worked with quite a number of very talented models over the next few years, but the one at the top of my list constantly eluded me. Her name is Joceline Brooke-Hamilton, and she needs no introduction.

Roll on to September 2009, and I was (and still am) in the midst of having a documentary made about me and my photography, I planned a shoot in a dance studio and was hoping to get around six models into our time there, all shooting solo.

I contacted many, and most couldn’t make it.

When it came down to it, there were just two models who could make it, and one of them was Joceline. I was a very happy man. I could spend all day pointing a camera at this lady.

by Mark Varley
Art Model Joceline Brooke-Hamilton

On shoot day we all arrived at the dance studio, and she was already there, looking every bit as amazing as we could have possibly hoped. While we were still setting up, she slipped on her pointe shoes and glided down the studio. The world stopped, there was a gasp or three and at least one damp eye. This shoot was going to be something else, and it was indeed.

I’ll let some of the images speak for themselves now :

It took me five years to get some time in a studio with this lady. On reflection there are several things that come to mind :

1) if I went blind today I’d not feel unfulfilled about my time as a photographer.
2) any model I shoot with in the future has got an astounding level to aspire to !
3) she was worth waiting half a decade for.

My infinite thanks and admiration go to Joceline.