Art of Me is a global online community connecting current and aspiring artists (musicians, singers, dancers, writers, photographers, directors and more) with fans of the arts. The goal of the Art of Me community is to serve as a platform fostering analysis, critique, and dialogue among these artists and enthusiasts of music, film, literature, dance and theatre. In so doing, the respective artist is not only afforded the opportunity to promote their respective works to site visitors, but also to receive feedback from other artists and those who appreciate the arts.

Welcome to Art of Me. Stay tuned with the latest updates to the website here and check out the latest additions posted by talented individuals from across the globe expressing their creative art in the Art, Music, Film, Literature and Dance & Theatre pages. Featured artists of the week will also be profiled. To be considered as a featured artist of the week, send an email with the subject line “Featured Artist” to webmaster@artfme.com. To get started using Art of Me with your free account, just click on New Account on the top right corner of this page and follow the steps. If you are already registered, just click Log In. Once logged in, you are free to create and respond to posts, upload images, audio, video and music, link to files and pages, and also use the Forum. Welcome.

Featured Artist (5/17/2011) – Alice Shapiro

1) When were you first exposed to your craft?
After my divorce I studied art, and painted for 15 years but did not achieve what I wanted. Deciding I was in the wrong field, I took a 2-week writers workshop at NYU in NYC where I discovered I liked writing poetry and plays. That year I took several more classes with William Packard at NYU and HB Studio. I was in my mid-40s.

2)Who are some artists or those involved in the arts you admire or have inspired you?
My favorite poet is Gerard Manley Hopkins. I love his rhythms and musicality. Wallace Stevens and Sylvia Plath were major influences as well; Stevens for the beauty of his poems despite their abstract nature, and Plath for her depth of emotion and darkness. I facilitate a poetry critique group and have come to very much admire the poets who participate and from whom I learn much. I have also met some wonderful contemporary poets like David Bottoms, Poet Laureate of Georgia, Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate, David Axelrod, former Poet Laureate of Suffolk, L.I., Ryan van Cleave and others who have enriched my poetic life in small and large ways. I believe a connection with contemporary poets enriches us in unimaginably valuable ways and encourages us to keep writing. In addition to other writers, it has been my good fortune to have met publishers who have gone above and beyond for poetry, a field of endeavor that does not ordinarily produce large sales numbers. People like Hadassah Broscova, Editor-in-Chief of Carpe Articulum, Bruce Moran of TotalRecall Press and Annmarie Lockhart of unbound CONTENT have believed in my poetry and poetry projects and have taken risks on my behalf. They have my unending gratitude.

3)What do you wish to convey in your craft?
Most pleasing to me would be for a reader to have an emotional connection or understanding with my work. It seems to be a poet’s job to help people become aware of certain often unnoticed things. To give someone an alternate point of view on something simple and ordinary like taking a walk, or something complicated and psychologically deep also makes me happy. I feel as though I’m a personal trainer giving their brains a new exercise for their betterment.

4)What words of advice do you have for an aspiring artist?
Never give up. Read other poets. Have your work edited, even after you have reached a maturity in your writing. You do not have to always take the advice, but it is helpful anyway. I am now opening up my next book, which will be published by unbound CONTENT, to the general public to critique on the publisher’s blog, which is a big risk on my part but one which I am sure will be a benefit to me. Wallow in the joy of writing poetry – it is the most beautiful feeling I know no matter how deep into the darkness you have to dwell.

5) What about your craft do you love the most?
My greatest pleasure, besides the actual writing process, comes when a child likes my poem, especially one that adults have claimed not to understand.

To see more of Alice’s work please visit: http://poetrytv.org

Featured Artist (5/5/2011) – Kristine Wendt

1) When were you first exposed to your craft?
I was first exposed to my craft at a very young age. My grandmother was a painter, she focused on landscapes to be specific, and she introduced me to
painting. I did my first oil painting in third grade and I knew that I was meant to be an artist every day since then.

2)Who are some artists or those involved in the arts you admire or have inspired you?
A few artists that have inspired me are my old professor, James Vitale, he motivates and inspires me each day to paint and draw, to challenge myself, and
to continue to follow my passion. Caravaggio is my ultimate inspiration, I have studied him religiously for ten years, his work is beyond amazing to me. I am also inspired by Bouguereau, Thomas Cole, DaVinci, and of course Rubens.

3)What do you wish to convey in your craft?
I wish to bring awareness to the world through my art. Awareness of the way we live and the vital role that we have in preserving and restoring our planet
and wildlife. I wish to educate the public of the past, the present, and the future that our planet and our wildlife faces. I believe that I can change the world through my art, that I can bring to light the voice that our earth doesn’t have, that if we as a people can just come to the realization that the way we currently live is destroying our planet, that we can all change the way we live and preserve our planet for future generations.

4)What words of advice do you have for an aspiring artist?
My words of advice to any artist are to never give up, always follow your heart and chase your dreams, and draw draw draw. There will always be someone working harder and longer, so commit to your art, dedicate your time to creating, and create from your heart. No matter what, stay true to yourself and your particular talent, always believe in yourself. Dream Big and pursue it with Passion.

5) What about your craft do you love the most?
The thing I love most about painting and drawing is the way my soul feels when I create. Art is who I am, it is in my blood, and I am never more at peace
than when I am painting or drawing. There is nothing that I enjoy more than to be in my studio creating.

To see more of Kristine’s work please visit: Portraitsplusmore.webs.com

Featured Artist (4/13/2011) – Cindy Gray

1) When were you first exposed to your craft?
As a 2 year-old…move-in day…intricate line work drawn with a bright red crayon on the white walls of the hallway of my parents’ new home.

2) Who are some artists you admire or have inspired you?
Definitely Salvador Dali with his elongated limbs on animals, Craig Kosak and his use of bright colors intermixed with his great animals, and Maxine Price with her words of encouragement.

3) What do you wish to convey in your craft?
I want to convey, in my works, a sense of wonderment about the theme and techniques that I use in my paintings. My wish is for all persons who view my paintings to have the urge to touch the canvasses of my very tactile works. Most of all, I want viewers to be exposed and open to all forms of art.

4) What words of advice do you have for an aspiring artist?
My advice to any aspiring artist is to paint often… every day if possible. Paint from the heart and your emotions will be conveyed on your canvas. Also, talk to other artists and get their feedback on your work.

5) What about your craft do you love the most?
How do you wish to see it carried forward? I love the feeling of artistic creation every time I touch brush to canvas. I literally lose all track of time when I am painting. My wish is that my works will be timeless for all people, regardless of age,and that they will continue to view my paintings with a smile and an outstretched hand… for just a touch.

To see more of Cindy’s work please visit: www.cngrayart.com

Featured Artist (4/1/2011) – Jenn Holmberg

1) When were you first exposed to your craft?
A: I was exposed to art at the age of 13. I have been hooked ever since. After being a Ballet and Contemporary dancer for 17 years, my body just couldn’t do it anymore, so I started to paint to release my artsy side. I started painting surf art about two years ago, in 2009, after my husband inspired me to “paint what makes me happy”. The result was a combination of my love for dance and his love for surfing.

2) Who are some artists you admire or have inspired you?
A: I admire many artists. The top of my list of historical artists are Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas. Today, I look to artists Drew Brophy and Heather Brown for inspiration.

3) What do you wish to convey in your craft?
A: When I paint surfers and waves, I aim to create a feeling of movement and the feeling I get from dancing. I want to create a feeling of excitement and interest combined with curiosity and the desire to try something new. In the landscape pieces, I paint serenity and calm and hope that when you look at my paintings, you can hear the ocean.

4) What words of advice do you have for an aspiring artist?
A:Never give up and never feel that you are not good enough. Art is in the eye of the beholder and where there are critics, there are just as many fans.

5) What about your craft do you love the most? How do you wish to see it carried forward?
A: I love the feeling of creating something that makes everything in the room disappear. I love the smiles it brings to those who have the chance to look closely at it and the curiosity of those who want to learn from it. I would love to see surf art become much more visible to those outside of the sport of surfing. I think that there are so many people who would benefit from the feeling of looking at a wave.

To see more of Jenn’s work please visit www.jennholmbergsurfart.weebly.com

4.4.2011

Hi everyone. It’s great to see a lot of recent posts. Just a reminder that if you have a website, remember to include it in your post so that people who enjoy your work can learn where to find out more about you and your craft. We seem to have a number of talented artists here! I’m sure there are talented playwrights, choreographers, and dancers out there…let’s get more posts up in these areas too…more soon.

3.23.2011

It is great to see so much activity this month on the artists posts and thank you to those who have registered and shared your fantastic work. For those who have registered but not yet posted you work, please do so. Also, on a side note, please support our site sponsors by clicking on their ads on the right side of the arts pages. Art of Me is fully supported by user donations and sponsors and needs your help to maintain this community. Lastly, don’t forget the forum is also available for your use with some new posts on there lately. Thanks.

Featured Artist (3/15/2011) – Greg Johnson

1) When were you first exposed to your craft?
A: I apprenticed in auto collision repair in 1967, metal work, fiberglass repair and auto painting.

2) Who are some artists you admire or have inspired you?
A: Dali, DaVinci, Michealangelo, John Chaimberlan, Dennis Hoyt

3) What do you wish to convey in your craft?
A: Each piece has it’s own unique message. Also that art is not restricted to watercolor, oil, bronze and stone.

4) What words of advice do you have for an aspiring artist?
A: Do it.. And do it until you’re amazed. It’s not for the money, evolve.

5) What about your craft do you love the most? How do you wish to see it carried forward?
A: The satisfaction of giving birth to a new piece of work is a peak experience. From that moment on, others get to share that joy, and I have hopefully improved our human condition. I have always loved art, and should be thankful for my own poverty. Which caused me to create my own work, so I could surround myself with art in my environment.

If you would like to be considered as a featured artist of the week, send an email with the subject line “Featured Artist” to webmaster@artfme.com.

3.7.2011

Welcome new members. Feel free to post links to or upload content of your music, film, dance, literature, art and more. Also, as a reminder, if you would like to be considered for the Featured Artist of the Week, please send an email to webmaster@artfme.com with the subject line, “Featured Artist.” Don’t forget that the forum page is also available for your use.

2.2.2011

Hi everyone. Hope the New Year is treating you well. I just picked up a cool Jazz CD the other day by a group called the Rippingtons. The CD is entitled, “Cote D’Azure” and is quite an ecclectic mix. Check it out sometime. This month marks the launch of the the Featured Artist of the Week. If you would like to be featured make sure to email webmaster@artfme.com with the subject line “Featured Artist”. Bye for now.

1.4.2011

First of all, Happy New Year! It’s great to see so many people viewing the social media pages connected to the “Art of Me” project, now let’s get more posts going on this website! I know there are more artists out there than the three (thank you to them) who have already posted their work here. This past weekend, a friend asked me why I was so passionate about this project, and the fact that I set it up and am running it from my own pocket and in my spare time. My response was quite simple. Because I truly believe that the arts has the power to connect us all in some way.

Have you ever heard a song that touched your soul? Have you ever seen a movie that lifted your spirit or made you think differently about the person sitting right next to you or thousands of miles away? Have you ever read a book or poem that completely changed your outlook on life? Have you seen a painting that you could not move your eyes away from? Have you ever seen a picture that captured an untold story? The common thread among all these experiences is the arts. Art is an expression of oneself. An expression of one’s culture. A medium by which lessons, languages, experiences and inspiration are delivered from one generation to the next. That is why I created the “Art of Me” project. To preserve this precious gift for future generations to come. To provide a platform for an aspiring artist or performer to share their work with the world. To enable cultural exchange via the arts. To establish a safe yet open environment for discussion on topics pertaining to the arts. To allow fans a unique opportunity in interacting with respective artists and performers.

12.23.2010

Hi everyone. It’s been 9 days since the site launched and already a couple of artists have posted on the site. On the social media end, 147 Twitter followers and counting along with 44,887 YouTube page views (be sure to checkout the Art of Me video by clicking the YouTube icon on the right side of this page). Please continue posting your content to the site and sharing your thoughts on content already up. Happy holidays!

12.14.2010

Hi and welcome to Art of Me. I created this website to fill what I feel to be a great void in the arts. This void being the lack of a common platform where artists, musicians, dancers, poets, writers, photographers, directors and actors may showcase their individual or group talents in one place while giving and receiving feedback, and perhaps collaborating on artistic initiatives. For this purpose, Art of Me provides a forum and live chat feature in addition to Art, Music, Film, Literature and Dance & Theatre pages where site visitors may post images, video, and audio to showcase their artistic talents to the world. As one who appreciates the fact that all of us have a unique gift to share with the world, I can honestly say it is my dream to establish such a website as this. I hope that in interacting with you and you interacting with others on this website, this unique community may grow and continue to inspire generations of aspiring artists to showcase their craft amongst an encouraging community of fellow artists and those who appreciate the arts.