saturday 8/18/06 It seems there was a little glitch with the site, and some pages were distorted and messed up. The problem has been fixed, and I'm sorry for the confusion. I have been working pretty diligently on a collection of bright abstract chalk pastel pieces, and they should be finished sooner than later. I'm very excited about them, and looking forward to putting them up. ~Ariana

tuesday 7/11/06 Anne Marchand ~ She's an amazing artist from New Orleans Louisianna and one of the many women who continue to inspire me. I had the pleasure of meeting her in 2003 at an exhibit opening at Zenith Gallery . She is wonderfuly upbeat and talkative with the stereotypical personality of an accomplished artist. Like her work, colorful and engergetic, her smile is even Mona Lisa-esque. Right now I'm looking at a piece she did called "The Crescent City". She creates beautiful oils on canvas of building landscapes from the New Orleans and Washington DC. areas. Her pieces are almost active; they're rolling with color and excitement. It's so overwhelmingly inspiring to watch her manipulate color and light. It's as though she never touches white paint, and uses, instead, other color to draw out light. I don't know of any other artists who can use yellows and oranges and reds in such a way. It's so beautifully color coordinated. Something about these pieces make me feel nostalgic. It moves me to listen to jazz, or play hopscotch in front of my apartment building. It's like going to the beach and building sand castles while eating a huge ice cream cone. It's like playing with bright finger paint or looking at a gumball machine that you just have to put your hands into. Sometimes as an artist it becomes overwhelmingly competitive, but I love the feeling of just being yourself and making art that reflects your mind and soul, irrispective of other artists. When you can reach that point as an artist, then networking with other artists who inspire and whom you inspire as well is a very rewarding. I equal it to intellectual discussion. There are so many interesting and creative minds that provoke thought and contimplation through art, and it's gratifying to watch yourself grow as an artist by learning through others. I like to think that Anne Marchand is one of those artists to me. ~Ariana