Artists 6
In Electronic Music for the Soul, N’to Finds Fulfillment Sending Fans Into a Dance Frenzy
Cover for Trauma (Worakls Remix), one of N’to electronic music for the soul.
N’to finds fulfillment in creating electronic music for the soul by combining music from the past with different genres to achieve a cross-border flavor that sends fans into a dance frenzy.
BY CRITIXSPACE
Do you know the musical artist Anthony Favia, aka N’to? He is an eclectic musician who uses 70s rock, 30s swing, hip-hop, trip-hop, pop, jazz, soul, and classical melody to color his tracks. However, it is through electronic music that N’to has found the best means to express himself and find fulfillment. In his creative pursuits, N’to creates electronic music for the soul, and that passion has brought him fame across the globe. Whenever he performs, he draws tens of thousands of fans who are enthralled and unable to stop dancing.
A celebrated and key player in the French techno market, N’to creates distinctive, pure, direct, and unique melodies that take listeners on a musical cruise. With well-tuned ears, N’to deconstructs complex sounds, breaking them into parts that reconfigure our ability to perpetually enjoy the mind-blowing rhythmic composition.
N’to is always collaborating and looking for new ways to reinvent himself. Working with the Hungry Music label alongside his friends Worakls and Joachim Pastor, the music artist continues to rejuvenate his creativity. His tenacity to work with great minds is always an opportunity to let his imagination and musical eclecticism flow freely.
Sending Fans into a Dance Frenzy
N’to’s eclecticism is very evident in Trauma (Worakls Remix). He blends different musical instruments in a cross-cultural genre that has made him a celebrity among electronic music fans. N’to creates melodic rhythms intricately interwoven with hip-hop, jazz, rock, contemporary tunes, and musical instruments that send fans into a frenzy. Some of his famous tracks include Alter Ego, Invisible, Croche, La Clef des Champs, Every Wall Is a Door, Petit Matin, Note Blanche, and Time.
On stage, N’to is electrifying. From London to Paris, and Germany, he has tripped up electronic music lovers with his eclectic music compositions, sending them into a frenzy that keeps them dancing, jumping, and sweating for hours.
About Musical Artist N’to
Born in Marseille in 1985, N’to’s love for music started at a very young age. At just ten years old, he was already playing the guitar and entertaining friends. Since that very early beginning, N’to has not looked back. As a fan of 1970s rock, his musical tastes were influenced by it for many years. That was before he discovered techno and electronic music. It was everything to him. The charm of techno captivated him, opening him to the genre. The influence has been unshakable.
Several music artists have been a major source of influence for N’to. They include minimal and techno artists such as James Holden, Extrawelt, Stephan Bodzin, Pink Floyd, Audio, Dusty Kid, and Claude Von Stroke, among several others. Despite the influences, N’to is his own artist. His use of smooth melodies accompanied by efficient minimal rhythms makes him unique.
Electronic Music: Bonus: Music from N’to
N’to finds fulfillment in electronic music for the soul.
What do you think about N’to’s electronic music? Share your thoughts.
Dániel Taylor’s Global Warming Digital Art Project Reveals Human Impact on the Environment
Lost, a digital illustration featuring a deer and hare standing on a sand dome disillusioned by Dániel Taylor. This is one of the works in a new global warming digital art project featuring animals by the artist.
BY SEAN LEWYES
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY– In the past few years, the issues of climate change and global warming have become front and center around the globe. Monstrous wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding are engendering great fear about the future of the earth. Will the world end soon?
The fear is that if nothing is done soon to curb the long-term heating of Earth’s climate systems and other human activities destroying the environment, the end may be near. As a result, everyone is doing what they can to bring attention to the consequences of climate change and global warming. One of them is Dániel Taylor. Taylor’s recent global warming digital art project features different types of animals suffering the consequences of climate change.
Global Warming Digital Art Project
A digital artist and illustrator, Taylor uses realism, and in some instances, surrealism, to educate us on the future consequences of inaction. Each picture in his new global warming digital art project tells a story. The effect of global warming is everywhere. In The Wanderer, for instance, Dániel Taylor depicts a humongous bear-like creature wandering through a forest of pine trees. On its back are seven pine trees — three in front and four at the back. Sitting among the trees, in front of a fire, is a lone figure. There is a sense of looming doom. Adding to the rather surreal atmosphere are the vultures hovering above.
The Wanderer presents what seems to be a story about the dying environment. The bear, the man, and the hovering vultures above create an atmosphere of gloom. However, in that despair resides great beauty. The tonal gradation and the subtle use of grays enhance the mood of the illustration, elevating its aesthetic pleasure and subliminality.
In Polar Bear, another of the works in the global warming graphic project, Taylor heightens his outcry about the consequences of climate change on the environment. In the illustration, a Polar Bear stands on what is left of the Arctic ice. Taylor takes us under the water to show us that there is little ice left. The Polar Bear looks up at the blazing sun as if asking, “what happened?” Clearly, this is the effect of global warming. For Polar bears to survive, they must adapt. Better still, humans must stop destroying the environment.
Using Animal Artworks to Tell Stories of Climate Change
Dániel Taylor’s new global warming digital art project about the environment explores the images of animal artworks to show the illustrator’s deep understanding of global warming and climate change. Using the brilliant white round sun as a symbol of impending doom, he brings attention to what will happen to man and animals if nothing is done now to protect the environment. Although there is a playfulness to his recent illustrations, they all address serious matters.
Dániel Taylor is a storyteller, and he tells his stories through illustrations, graphic designs, and art directions. Based in Budapest, Hungary, Taylor is an outstanding illustrator who can navigate any artistic style to tell pertinent stories. His love for art started at a young age. Following a creative upbringing, Taylor discovered Photoshop and digital drawing at the age of 14 and decided to become an artist. He has been a full-time artist since 2015.
Surrealism is at the core of Dániel Taylor’s artistic practice. He “enjoys the challenge of establishing its presence even as he varies his technique and approach.” While the illustrator enjoys working in black and white, many of his creations are colorful and vibrant. He finds inspiration in old comics and art books, especially those in the genre of science fiction and modern digital illustrators. Taylor’s clients include Disney, Marvel, Adobe, Mondo, New Scientist, Outside Magazine, and others.
You can see more digital art by Dániel Taylor on Behance and Instagram
What do you think about Dániel Taylor’s global warming digital art project? Share your thoughts. Leave a comment.
Abandoned Vehicles Regain Lost Glory in Photographs by Jan Stel
Abandoned Vehicles: The Dutch Fine Art Photographer Jan shows the impact of age and the power of Mother Nature on cars and trucks abandoned in junkyards.
BY SEAN LEWYES
Amsterdam, The Netherlands –The Dutch photographer Jan Stel has a fascination for accentuating the glory of the past. His photographs detail derelict objects and places that were once the glory of their owners. One of his well-known photography projects examines what happens to abandoned vehicles in the woods. The photographs are a reminder of the passage of time and its consequences.
Many of the vehicles in Jan’s photographs were once treasures to their owners. One can imagine the owners driving their new cars through the street, waving at friends and family. However, over the years, these cars lost their glare because of usage and broken parts. Some have no tires, and others have broken apart with bits and pieces everywhere. Windows and windshields have also succumbed to the pressure of time and vandals.
Abandoned Vehicles: Lost Glory
The once smooth-running engines have been decimated by thieves who took pride in stripping them of their glorious past. In this graveyard, dilapidated vehicles are totems of the past. Abandoned in the junkyards and forests, these vehicles now have new lives. They serve as homes for rodents, insects, and plants that continue to struggle with what is left of their auto lives.
Despite the rundown nature of these abandoned vehicles, the beauty of their glorious past glared through the accumulated dirt and rust that enriched them with ageless patina. One of the photographs shows the dashboard of a luxurious car overtaken by spider webs. Another dashboard shows the magnificent past of a deluxe car with its beautiful red seats. Although the car has been in the woods for years, the red seats still show the brilliance of the past that captivated its owner. It is easy to imagine that the owner had a lot of fun driving around in this car. Even in its derelict state, the car still conveys its alluring essence.
Graveyard for Cars
The junkyard and forests where Jan went to take his photographs are a graveyard for cars. Everywhere in the junkyard are vehicles that have been overtaken by trees and straggled by time: trucks, luxury cars, classic cars, and cars that were the fastest in the world in their heyday. Many of these cars have fallen into bits and pieces while others have become one with nature. Trees grow, penetrating each part and tearing them apart with exceptional ease. That is the power of nature.
Jan Stel’s photographs tell stories about these autos that were once elegant but have fallen into disrepute due to age and time. Done in black and white and color photographs, Jan Stel’s photographs reveal the impact of the passage of time on all. One of the photographs has an abandoned Red Cross truck or military ambulance. In its primes, this truck was a transport for people with injuries. However, in this photograph, it is a relic of the past. After many years of stagnation, the truck has been overtaken by weeds, trees, and rodents. Branches reach out from the windows as if trying to touch the sky.
Jan Sel’s fascination with documenting places and things that have lost their glory and succumbed to the aftermath of time began about two decades ago. Since that time, he has traveled across the Netherlands and Europe, visiting unknown sites. The series on abandoned vehicles is just one of his many projects. A creative fine art photographer, Jan Sel’s photographs create his images using pure and natural light. He does not use flashlights or studio lamps. Therefore, his authentic working process takes time, patience, sensitivity, and excellent timing.
About the Artist
Born in 1970 in Purmerend, the Netherlands, Jan Stel taught himself photography. In his youth, he loved art and went about the suburbs of Amsterdam creating graffiti murals. At home, he made detailed drawings and realistic illustrations. The discovery of his father’s analog photo gear sparked his interest in photography and inspired him to develop his creative style.
Since that discovery, Jan has been creating exceptional fine art photographs that have been in museum and gallery exhibitions across the globe. In addition, his photographs have been published in The Daily Mail, De Volkskrant, NRC Handelsblad, De Telegraaf, and many websites and blogs. Jan has won several important awards like the Sony World Photography Awards, International Color Awards, and the Epson Pano Awards. His work is part of many private and corporate collections. You can see more of Jan Stel’s projects and photographs on Behance.
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Enigmatic Portraits of Women by Sofia Bonati Accentuate Strength and Vulnerability
Sofia Bonati’s Enigmatic portraits of women are mysterious and arresting. Most of her works blend women, nature, intricate patterns, and the female gaze to accentuate strength, poise, and vulnerability.
UNITED KINGDOM-Sofia Bonati’s love for art began at a very young age. Watching her parents who were artists sparked her interest in art. However, that interest was not enough to make her study art in college. She studied geology because of her love of nature. Ironically, the more Bonati tried to shake the art bug, the more she is trapped in the unbreakable web of creativity. Unable to shake the intense desire for art, she went back to drawing and painting.
Bonati took up art and started an artistic career soon after moving to the United Kingdom in 2013. In the beginning, she struggled with how to channel her thoughts, ideas, and composition. Perhaps, the greatest challenge was how to implement different art techniques. Determined, she did not allow those challenges to dissuade her from educating herself about her artistic endeavors. Meeting other artists was a major source of inspiration for her to keep going.
A self-taught artist, Bonati’s style has evolved over the years with a laser-like focus on portraiture. Although she enjoys nature and the outdoors, it was drawing people that captivated her. In the early part of her career, Bonati painted men and women. Eventually, she settled for painting portraits of women. Why? Even Sofia Bonati does not know why she focused on women except that the painted portraits of women help her effectively communicate her thoughts and ideas.
Enigmatic Portraits in Pencils, Watercolor, Ink, and Makers
Sofia Bonati works in different mediums, including pencils, watercolor, ink, gouache, and makers. She finds inspiration in everything around her, including fashion, textiles, nature, and street shops. These elements are integral to her compositions. They are effectively combined with the images of women to communicate thoughts and ideas hidden from the viewer. While some feelings are mysterious, others are surreal.
Many of the women in Bonati’s paintings come from her imagination. Sometimes, she uses her own face or a reference photograph to create her paintings. Bonati’s portraits are almost photo-realistic. Conceivably, her major attraction to painting the portraits of women is the subtle complexities of their expressions: happiness, fear, sadness, surprise, contempt, anger, and disgust. Nevertheless, the expression that dominates Bonati’s works is the female gaze. In many of her painted portraits of women, Bonati uses the female gaze to communicate strength, poise, and vulnerability.
Sofia Bonati’s enigmatic portraits of women are mysterious and arresting.
Melancholy is a major theme in many of Bonati’s portraits of women. Mixing pencil, acrylics, and ink on paper, she creates portraits of women who seem to be going through tough times. With running mascara and blush, the viewer is compelled to imagine the story behind the melancholic visages of the women. Sasha is one of the several portraits by the artist that shows susceptibility in women. The portrait depicts a melancholic woman with her blush running down her face, perhaps after crying.
Sofia Bonati’s Portraits are Arresting
Sofia Bonati’s enigmatic portraits of women are mysterious and arresting. Most of her works blend women, nature, and intricate patterns. In some portraits, she inserts images of women into backgrounds of dizzying black-and-white stripes motifs that consume them, hiding the boundaries of their hair and clothing. These motifs are sometimes dense flowers that eradicate the distinction between the subject and background. In some instances, the images of the women are superimposed on different motifs, giving them power over their environment.
Some of Bonati’s portraits of women situate her subject on the threshold of fantasy and realism. In these portraits, she includes fantastical elements like butterfly hats, cloud headgears, and snakes among many others. Anais, one of her portraits from the Butterfly Girls series shows a girl wearing a monarch butterfly hat. Sometimes the women’s portraits include animals like cats, birds, piglets, chickens, and peacocks.
Whichever approach she takes, Bonati’s enigmatic portraits of women carefully capture the character of the women represented. They echo the power and personality of the figure represented. The only constant in all the portraits is the female gaze: it lures viewers into the beauty of the paintings before opening up the message within. By following the gaze, the viewer is forced to become a part of the artwork.
Bonati’s painted portraits of women are compelling and revealing. The female gaze and the expression of the women tell stories of women who sometimes look cool, serene, or hypnotized. In some instances, it is as if the women had too much makeup on. They reveal the intricacy of the female mind and women in society.
Women Portrait Painting
Women portrait painting has brought recognition for Sofia Bonati in the art world. Some of her projects are in series. Several of her well-known series include Girls with Animals, A-maze-ing Girls, and Butterfly Girls. In each series, her painted portraits of women’s faces tell stories about the subject in a way that engenders emotional responses from viewers.
Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele are major influences for Bonati who find inspiration in their treatment of the human form and designs in their artworks. The British textile designer and novelist William Morris, whose floral patterns adorn many textiles, also inspires her. Some of her artworks are reminiscent of the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo.
Although Banati taught herself art, she has been successful both as a painter and illustrator. She has worked on many commissions for prestigious publications including Iberia Excelente Magazine and Vanity Fair. Bonati’s paintings have featured in several exhibitions. In 2017, her work was part of the Late Summer Exhibit at the Sager Braudis Gallery in Columbia, MO. Her paintings were also part of the Public Order Art Show curated by Society6.
Several years ago, Sofia Bonati’s works were animated by the glitch artist Chris McDaniel. You can see more of Bonati’s on Behance, Instagram, and Facebook. Prints of her works can are available on Society6.
Image Above: Sofia Bonati, Esta vez es personal is one of the enigmatic portraits of women by the artist getting attention from art lovers. It was commissioned by the Iberia Excelente Magazine in 2015.
Sofia Bonati: Enigmatic Portraits of Women
Enigmatic Portraits of Women by Sofia Bonati Give the Female Gaze Credence. What do you think about Bonati’s paintings? Share your thoughts. Leave a comment.
Intricate Insect Drawings By Artists Alex Konahin Are Vivid and Elaborate
One of Alex Konahin’s intricate insect drawings
Alex Konahin’s intricate insect drawings are vivid and elaborate. Sadly, the self-taught graphic artist living and working in Riga has decided to stop drawing insects and move on to other things. Find out why.
BY SEAN LEYWES
RIGA, LATVIA- People react to insects in different ways. While some are repelled, others are quick to get the swatter. There are, however, those who see insects as beautiful creatures. Alex Konahin, a self-taught graphic artist living and working in Riga, Latvia, is one of them. His insect drawings are vivid and elaborate.
For several years, Konahin has devoted himself to drawing insects. From winged insects to crawling ones, Konahin has drawn them all. Using pencils and pens, he has created exceptional drawings that have left many people in awe. Alex Konahin’s incredibly intricate Renaissance-style insect drawings are vivid and elaborate.
His Little Wings series is perhaps the best-known of his detailed insect drawings. The series includes Butterfly, Dragonfly, Bee, and Ladybug. Alex Konahin does not slavishly copy nature: His delicate insect pen drawings reveal their beauty with each line. Each drawing is made of different layers of lines, shapes, and floral designs. In the end, they look like jewelry. They are ornate and beautiful.
End of Insect Drawings: Alex Konahin Decides to Stop Drawing Insects
After years of drawing insects, Alex Konahin announced last month that he has decided to stop drawing insects. He explained why he has to move on to other things:
‘It’s easy to notice, that a lot of my drawings are devoted to one theme – insects (including winged ones). I feel it’s time to explore many other exciting themes and take a break from these small creatures.’
Insect Drawing Ideas: Ladybug and a Mosquito
As he wraps up his insect drawings, Konahin presents his last insect drawings of a ladybug and a mosquito to his fans. In his last comment, he was thankful:
Ladybug (in my language it literally sounds like God’s little cow) for me is a symbol of everything I have learned and achieved in the past few years thanks to my insect pieces. It was indeed a very positive experience. One more piece is a mosquito and it symbolizes the loss of creative energy I experience working within this theme. So it’s time to move forward!
Here are some of the amazing and intricate insect drawings by Konahin. You can see more of his portfolio on Behance and his websites. By the way, you can buy his coloring book, which is part of his anti-stress series. The main idea behind the book was to present insect-like pieces of jewelry. You can also support the artist by going to Patreon.
What do you think about Alex Konahin’s intricate insect drawings? Leave a comment.
Street Art Auction: Banksy Shines at Julian’s Art Sale
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA–Julian’s Auctions recent street art sale brought together an amazing collection of Banksy artworks. The auction which realized more than $1.3 million in the sale also included artworks by other important street artists and contemporary art. Included in the street art and contemporary art auction were works by Shepard Fairey, RETNA, Damien Hirst, Alec Monopoly, KAI, DOC, Gregory Siff, Ben Eine, Rene Gagnon, Zevs, D*Face, Faile, Kaws, Ludo, Dolk, Saber, Nick Walker, and Mar.
Banksy Shines Street Art Sale
Although works by many of the street artists made a significant impact at the auction, Banksy artworks put collectors on the edge of their seats at the auction. One of his artworks that captivated collectors was Happy Coopers. The 2002 aerosol stencil depicts a squadron of choppers in a tactical attack formation. On the lead chopper is a pink bow. The work borders on the interplay of femininity and masculinity. A bundle of contradictions, the artwork questions the motive of the helicopters in a way that plays on both sides of war and peace. The artwork was created on the board originally used to prevent the public from accessing a construction site in London at the Whitecross Street Market in 2002. It sold for $140,800.
Banksy Untitled (DJ & Crane) 1999, sold for $128, 000 at Julian’s Street Art Auction
Other Banksy art sold at the Street Art Auction:
Heart Boy which sold for $125,000
Toxic Mary (2004) sold for $12,800.
Bomb Love, a Screenprint on paper, depicting a young girl in a black dress tenderly clutching a bomb as if it were a teddy bear sold for $35,200.
NOLA (2009) sold for $41,600.
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