10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT YOGA.
Posted on March 19, 2015
- It makes me feel damn sexy.
Yoga can be a powerful confidence booster when it comes to our body shapes. I don’t say that you have to practise yoga only for the sake of your fitter and sexier body. Not at all! This is only the very surface of yoga and there is certainly so much more below this surface. And yet, I can’t deny that yoga has been helping me to stay in great shape for more than 10 years. Yoga has taught me to cherish my body shapes and has helped me find my sexuality and sensuality. The more I do yoga, the more feminine I feel and the easier it becomes to be my most fabulous Shakti self.
- It helped me open my heart.
Very often during my yoga or meditation practice I focus my energy on people that I have lost: relatives, friends, acquaintances. I close my eyes, open my heart and instead of sorrow, tears or hate, I send them love. Then a warm, cozy feeling raises, and I am suddenly smiling from within. I can feel my heart opened and raw, yet healing. Throughout yoga, by opening my heart to finding peace and letting go, and by facing my grief, fears and disappointments, I managed to actually step on a new path, ready to move forward instead of standing still.
3. I can practise anywhere I like.
Yoga is freedom. In every sense you could think of. Including space and location-wise. I could basically do yoga wherever and whenever I like. I don’t need any special equipment, or fancy extras. The only things I need are myself, my energy and my passion, and love for yoga. Nuff said.
- It taught me how to take it slow.
I used to be always on the run: studying, working out, traveling… I still enjoy being busy, as busy keeps me focused and organised. Yet, yoga taught me how to take it slow in life and enjoy every single moment to the fullest. I’ve learned how to find time for myself and for the people that I love, and cherish the time that I could share with them. I’ve stripped out all the stress, tension and rush in my life and learned how to just BE.
- It taught me how to go with the flow.
I love planning. I still do, but I definitely do it less than before. Yoga showed me how important it is to sometimes let it go, just go with the flow and stop planning every single step I take. Planning can bring a lot of comfort in our lives indeed. Yet, it also brings lot’s of stress as it makes us push ourselves too much in order to keep up with our plan and finish everything on time. But sometimes it is quite nice to be out of control of our plan. Control is not what would keep us balanced. Letting go of it will.
- It taught me how to be present.
When I first started practicing yoga, I was quite disconnected from my body. Then I developed my breathing technique and my alignment, and little by little yoga managed to help me connect back to my body both mentally and physically. By focusing on my pranayama and by bringing awareness into the moment I learned how to be present and perfectly content. I started living here and now, and enjoying the present moment. Meditation also helped me big time in this challenge. 5 to 10 min of meditation per day: this is all that it took to have my life drastically improved. Meditation allows my mind some time to process everything that goes on in my life and helps me embrace focus, calmness and serenity with ease. This is the gift of yoga!
- It taught me how to handle my emotions.
Ones I understood what the essence of being a yogi is: it in not about physical perfection, it is about finding a mental balance, I became more balanced. Yoga taught me how important it is to maintain a positive mind and happy healthy spirit. I started working on eliminating the toxic emotions that I had been keeping inside of me for years and I gave way to my positive thinking. I still have a long way to go, of course. I can’t deny that every now and then I let certain emotions bug my system, but certainly less than before. And what’s more important: even if I let negative emotions and thoughts ruin my balance, I let go of them quicker that before.
- I can practise it with my friends.
I love inviting friends to my house to practise yoga together. Working out is always easier and more fun when you do it with people that make your heart smile. Sharing love, energy and sweat with your beloved friends can only make the experience even more special. After the practise you could always go for a nice brunch or even better: cook something super healthy together. This is what my friends and I do!
- It reminds me to appreciate my body for what it is.
Yoga taught me to celebrate my body’s essence and nature. I now love myself for who I am and I except, and salute every single flaw in my body. I finally feel comfortable in my own skin! I have a big booty and I am proud of it! I am rocking this curvy yogi body of mine like never before. Every day, I thank my body for all that it is, and honor its needs through 30-60 minute yoga practice or cross fit workout, organic cosmetics, whole foods diet, and lots of water. I also let this mantra resonate in my head every day:
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
- I can enjoy wearing all those amazing yogi clothes.
One of the best things in practising yoga is that I have access to all those amazing brands offering comfortable, organic yoga-wear. Yoga clothes are not only light and loose, but quite versatile and convenient as well. I can mix and match any leggings with any top that I fancy without thinking about colours match, or style, or brands. Yoga clothes also give me an absolute movement freedom and wonderful body shape. That helps me focus on my practise rather than on worrying about how my thighs look or if I would be able to go out of bakasana without ripping my pants.
L.O.V.E.
Posted on March 14, 2015
TO MY HUSBAND
for showing me what real Love is
What’s Love? There are so many types of love, you would answer. There is the love between parents and their children. Between brothers and sisters. The love friends share. Love between spouses, lovers…
When it comes to romantic relationships we could also identify various kinds. There is this desperate kind of love when you are bewitched by somebody so unattainable that at some point you could hardly recognise yourself in the mirror. Or another type: the one that you know that is certainly not the real one, and yet it happens to be your Noah’s Ark, your way out of misery. It’s convenient and it feels kind of nice, cozy and effortless to stay in. Cause love can be so much hard work, right? How about this other love, the ‘can’t live without each other one’. And yet, it’s not meant to be. It’s pointless. It’s painful. The one that lifts you up, wears you down and then finally tears you completely apart.
They all sound familiar, right? I have had them all. And they all seem kind of normal, don’t they? It is a matter of personal choice which way to love one would embrace. This is what I used to think. This is what I used to try to convince myself was the only possible and acceptable truth about love.
Only now, having met the love of my life, my one and only soulmate, I am capable of realising how deluded I was, thinking that all the previous times I had fallen in love were actually real love. Now I am capable of identifying the difference between being in love with somebody and loving somebody. While being two incredible feelings that have to be embraced and cherished, being in love and actually loving are two different things that are very often quite blurry. We have to be able to differentiate them properly.
When we love somebody we are grounded, balanced and totally under control. We are happy just because the other person exists. We are capable of building a stable relationship, in which the partners love each other that much, that they are able of being in a couple without losing the sense and the nature of their own selves as individuals.
Being in love, on the other hand, doesn’t mean loving, as love is a feeling, and falling/being in love is passion. When we are in love with somebody our head is in the clouds and we feel out of control of our thoughts, feelings and willpower. By definition passion is an irresistible, powerful and obsessive fugacious emotion that could make the lover’s mind blurry and could change the way he/she sees the world completely. Hence, being in love is an emotional house, while loving and experiencing real love is an emotional balance.
I used to always say about my previous relationships: ‘that was a different kind of love’. Now I know: it simply wasn’t love. I wasn’t loving, I was in love. Let’s go back to where we started: how many types of love one could identify. Now I firmly believe that there are no versions of love. There is only love. The LOVE. Love that has no equal. Love that can’t be compared to anything you have felt before. Love that is worth searching for even if that search takes you a lifetime.
LOVING YOURSELF: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL.
Posted on March 6, 2015
I have a confession to make. But first promise that you won’t laugh at me…too much. I have just finished True Love: Jennifer Lopez’s first book ever. And I actually loved it!
It is not the autobiographical kind of book that tells the story of her entire life. If this is what you are expecting than you will be disappointed. True Love delves into one of JLo’s life’s most defining periods – the year of her first world tour. One transformative year for the celebrity: not only as an artist, but also as a mother and a woman in love. Lopez takes us on a fascinating emotional and physical journey of this one year that ends up changing her entire life. After years of looking for love with capital L, Lopez finally finds it, the greatest love of all: the love for her own self. It is actually quite intriguing how Lopez manages to isolate her true self from the person that she has become over the years in the public eye: a glamorous diva. She fearlessly shows the human side of the celebrities. They hit rock bottom and cry, and suffer, and feel lonely; they are insecure about themselves and have their personal issues; they fight for love or tired of fighting they just let it go and then they explore the darkness. Just like normal people do. Lopez doesn’t seem to be afraid of loosing her sparkling, glittery face in front of the public. She is not afraid of being who she really is and showing her true self to the world.
Between the stories about the tour: its planning, layout and actual happening, Lopez makes references to her past and shares real-life anecdotes and stories. She writes about all the difficult relationships that have shaped her career trajectory and have inspired her to write some of her greatest love songs. JLo shares intimate details about the hardship that she experienced and all the darkness and the heartache that she suffered when going through her breakups and divorces. Lopez writes about how loosing herself completely so many time while trying so hard to be part of one whole: a couple, actually helped her get back to who she really was and start respecting and loving herself truly and unconditionally.
While some might be most excited by the juicy details of her breakups with Ben Affleck and Marc Anthony, in her tell-all book JLo also offers some nuggets of wisdom on success that can help anyone looking for career stardom. I guess an advice from a person with record sales topping $70 million is worth taking. Here are the highlights in my opinion:
1. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else but you.
‘Your power is in your individuality, in being exactly who you are … that’s why there is no competition in artistry. It’s not about being the best or the biggest, the king or queen. That notion is so ridiculous. That competition or comparison is actually the exact opposite of what being an artist is. As an artist, you should be in competition with only one person—yourself. You can’t worry about what others are doing or saying.’
2. Don’t let money make you complacent.
‘There was a certain hustle I grew up with, a hustle that I learned from watching my parents. They showed me that you put your head down and work—you work for a living and then, when you’re making a living, you still don’t stop… We don’t stop working because we have money in the bank—we do what we do and we keep on doing it.’
3. Love your mistakes.
‘Being ambitious, being a perfectionist, means I’ve spent my life beating myself up for not being good enough, or for screwing something up. It took a long time, but I finally figured out that I wouldn’t have half the instincts or insights I’ve had as an artist over the years if not for those screw-ups.’
- Look for wise and experienced mentors and advisers.
‘Back in the beginning of my career… I was in a meeting with my agent and stepped out for a call with my boyfriend at the time. Through the glass door, my agent could see that I was arguing and pleading. She asked my assistant, “Does Jennifer have low self-esteem?” My assistant looked at her like she was crazy. Later, when my assistant told me she had said that, we couldn’t stop laughing … “That’s so stupid!” I told her. But was it really? That agent saw something I didn’t. She was a little bit older. Maybe she’d been through something like that herself, or maybe she’d seen it in others.’
- Never stay in a job out of fear.
‘I had been so afraid of it all—afraid I would fail, afraid people would criticize me… And then I realized if I didn’t believe in myself, nobody else would either… If I didn’t do this tour, I’d probably regret it for the rest of my life… I loved being on Idol, but it was time to move on. It didn’t make sense for me to spend a third year in a row sitting on a panel, judging other singers, especially if the main reason I was doing it was for the security of it.’ …‘Listen to yourself; listen to your gut. Because only you know what’s right for you.’
And if everything above is still not enough to convince you to buy True Love than purchase it just for the sake of beauty and design. JLo is the queen of details. She pays great attention to every little detail: from the smoothness of the paper and the way that it feels when you pass your hand through its surface, to the stunning more than 200 never-before-seen images from Lopez’s personal archives, providing a rare behind-the-scenes look at JLo’s life. In the name of Love, or music, or beauty or curiosity: it doesn’t really matter why you would read True Love. Just do it!
50 SHADES OF BLACKS AND WHITES.
Posted on February 27, 2015
The streets can be a powerful source of inspiration for an artist. Especially the streets of Sofia. Always looking same old same old, yet never actually the same. Their 50 shades of blacks and whites, and purples and greys change depending on the lens. They are simultaneously contemporary and from distant times, shiny and dull, alluring and repulsive. And that’s what makes them so frustratingly tempting for a photographer. Not able to resist the temptation, the Bulgarian photographer Ivan Maranov has made a series of photographs capturing the multifaceted nature of the streets of Sofia. The series can be seen in his first solo exhibition, currently on display at Gallery Bulgaria, Sofia[1].
Ivan Maranov.
Looking at those silky, soft images you would never have guessed that Maranov has been in the security industry for 18 years. You would never have guessed either that he is not a professional photographer. Chasing shadows and light around the streets of Sofia is just his passionate hobby. That kind of reminds of the story of another self-made photographer: Vivian Maier. She was an unusual Chicago nanny who was taking pictures between making pancakes and doing the laundry. The result: a vast, secret hoard of superb street photography of the second half of the twentieth century. Although accidentally found only in 2007, Maier’s talent won her the title ‘one of the best US street photographers of the 20th century’. Hopefully, Maranov’s talent didn’t have to wait some good 65 years to be found. It won the art lovers’ attention relatively on time.
It is not only their personal stories that make Maranov and Maier such an adequate research couple. It is also the nature of their art that’s comparable. Both Maranov and Maier seem to be intrigued by the spatial complexities of reflections. Very often they would photograph themselves in a shadowy self-portrait. The artist is present and simultaneously not present at all.
Most of both Maranov’s and Maier’s photographs are black and white, and many are casual shots of passers-by caught in transient moments that nonetheless possess an underlying gravity and emotion. In fact the lack of extreme emotion or sudden movement are essential for the pictures of Maranov and Maier. Their images manage to maintain a distinctive element of serenity and calm, and clarity of composition characterized by a lack of extremes. Yet, there is nothing dull or humdrum about the compositions as they are very much alive and pulsating. Dynamic in their stillness. There is no big smile on their faces. Just a keen, yet unvarnished empathy for the subjects. The images are the way that they are: real, pure, direct.
So many similarities. Yet, Maranov’s and Maier’s photographs could never be exactly the same. The time and geographical, and historical boundaries just wouldn’t let them. At the end of the day the streets of Sofia in 2015 are not Chicago’s streets in the 50’s. The spirit of Sofia, the historical background and heritage, the people: it is all very different and distinctively Eastern European. Even a little off. Just like Maranov’s compositions. And that’s what I love the most about his photographs: they are awkward and in the same time they manage to stay balanced and congenial.
I am not sure who will win the battle: Maranov or Maier? The streets of Sofia or of Chicago? But one thing I know for sure: real talent always wins and finds its ways to the art lovers’ hearts. In fact the stories of Maranov and Maier come to remind us that there is an artist in all of us and it is a matter of being bold to expose it. Don’t wait for some art dealer or curator to come and find you. Make your hobby public because you might be the next Vivian Maier or Ivan Maranov.
[1] The show Contrasts is on display from 17 Feb until 8 March, Gallery Bulgaria, Bulgaria Hall, Sofia, Bulgaria.
THE LOVERS DIARY: 10 ORIGINAL IDEAS FOR YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY THIS YEAR.
Posted on February 13, 2015
Valentine’s Day. Chocolates and all. That one day of the year when millions of lovers benefit the world economy by buying fluffy teddy bears, heart-shaped greeting cards, expensive handmade chocolates and other romantic goodies. According to the National Retail Federation only in the USA some $17.3 billion were contributed by Valentine’s Day to the US economy in 2014. While often considered as a commercialized or manufactured holiday, Valentine’s Day is still expected and celebrated by a large number of people worldwide. Myself included. Yet, I am so tired of the same old boring ways to celebrate it, such as going to a super fancy dinner in a 5 stars restaurant or eating chocolates until you literally just can’t take it any more. And this is how my top 10 more original ways to spend this beautiful day was born.
- Go red!
Keep the spirit of Valentine’s Day alive even in your selection of food. Start with beetroot salad or gazpacho, and then move onto chicken cacciatore with a side of beet linguine with tomatoes-basil sauce. To top up the red experience instead of buying an expensive, yet full of preservatives and ‘bad’ carbs and sugars dessert, make your healthier version at home. Buy organic products, and why not even go vegan for this occasion. How about a smooth vegan velvet cake with raspberries and vegan minty chocolate?
- The book of love
String together all the sweet messages and emails you have shared over time and have them bound in a romantic book with a special message.
- Breakfast in bed? Yes, please!
If you want to make your beloved feel special, treating him/her to breakfast in bed is probably the oldest, yet ‘goldest’ way to do it. There’s something particularly tempting and exquisite in enjoying a warm toast and aromatic cup of coffee without even climbing out from under the covers.
- Forget the boring red roses
Instead of buying the predictable red roses, buy a bouquet of the flowers you had at your wedding day, if you are married, or at your first date if you are still not.
Source: http://alifeinphotographs.com/
- Update the classic mix-tape gift
Instead of burning a CD of love songs or favorite tunes why not making an iTunes playlist. It’s basically free and you avoid the risk of loosing or ruining the CD.
- Relive your first date
I know what they say: yesterday is a history, tomorrow is a mystery. Yet sometimes there is nothing better than sticking your nose into the past. Valentine’s Day is a wonderful occasion to look back to some of the most memorable moments that you and your significant other have shared so far. The first date is definitely one of those. Even if it was a small disaster and you went to the cheapest fast food place, it is still worth reliving it.
- Skip the restaurant
Preparing a home-cooked meal can be very time consuming, I agree on that. Yet, it is cheaper, healthier as you at least know what you put in your own food, and last but not least, much more convenient as you don’t have to spend extra money and time on taxis stuck in traffic. Being a highly commercialized festive, the Valentines’ Day is one of those days when you can’t get a booking in a decent restaurant without agreeing to pay a huge amount of money for a set menu, that many times is not even that good. You hardly eat half of the things on it or you end up consuming things your body doesn’t want to just because you have paid for it. That is why I suggest you get creative and have a home-cooked meal: something that both of you would enjoy.
Source: http://www.fanpop.com
- Plan a romantic/naughty movie night out
This is a suggestion that probably will never be as seductive as this year. And when I say seductive I mean really seductive. 14 February, 2015 is the world premiere of Fifty Shades of Grey. What could be more tantalizing than this? Or shall I say TANTRAlizing instead!? Seeing it may be a good prelude to my next suggestion.
- Get creative and shake things up in the bedroom
Find your freaky side and try things in bed that you have never tried before. Sometimes spicing up your sex life and thinking outside the box can be pretty refreshing and healthy for your relationship.
- Make a home – pick nick
It’s February and the cold grumpy winter does not predispose us for any outside activities whatsoever. So why not having an indoors pick nick at your own living room? Just put a warm blanket, a few fluffy comfy pillows and tons of candles on the floor, turn the lights off and fill your pick nick basket with some exquisite champagne and valentine’s inspired snacks such as heart-shaped muffins with pink icing, chocolate coated strawberries or berries cheesecake with rose syrup and dried rose petals on top. If you want to go for a healthier snack you could try some vegan protein balls covered with pink sugar for extra valentine’s mood.
MY TOP 3 RESTAURANTS IN LONDON THAT EVERY HEALTH FREAK SHOULD VISIT.
Posted on February 7, 2015
With the beginning of the 2015 we all set our goals for the new year. The most common New Year’s resolution of all is probably ‘to start eating healthy and loose a few pounds’. Well if you stick to my Top 3 healthy restaurants in London you could still go out to eat and have fun with friends without breaking your New Year’s resolution.
Being a healthy lifestyler (or a health ‘freak’ as I usually say) in London is not at all a rocket science. London offers a rich selection of superb healthy restaurants serving nourishing raw foods, refreshing smoothies and nothing but the finest 100% organic products from all around the world. In fact the variety of healthy places in London is so big that choosing only 3 was a truly challenging mission. Yet, here they are: my happy TOP 3!
Wild Food Café
Wild Food Café is a raw-centric food restaurant which menu is focused on wild, fresh, living gourmet ingredients & plant-passionate vegan and vegetarian cuisine. This new age hippy place, situated at the most charming and vibrant little squire in the heart of London: Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden, is definitely a must try. It is not only the exquisite raw foods menu that makes this place so irresistible, but also the people that work there. Eating your healthy dish surrounded by happy smiling people that clap, dance and sing while they cook is indeed a truly charging emotion. Plus, I believe that they offer the best raw veggie burger that I have ever tried. 100% gluten and soya-free, this burger consist nutrient-dense ingredients such as olives, shiitake mushrooms, dulse and butternut squash. Comes with a small salad on the side and some sweet potatoes wedges. 
The place where the café is situated is also quite interesting. In the 70’s when Covent Garden was nothing like the fashionable and fancy area that it is today, Neal’s Yard consisted of a few derelict warehouses. In just a few years Nicholas Saunders, a smart entrepreneur, managed to turn the Yard in a charming hidden place with a bunch of small independent visionary shops. Keeping this spirit alive, today Neal’s Yard still hosts small alternative businesses. Don’t forget to spend a few minutes at the Neal’s Yard Remedies. Situated right next to the entrance of the Wild Food Café, the Remedies offers the finest organic herbs, cosmetics, teas and supplements.
A MUST TRY:
The Wild Burger
Raw Pizza
Cheese Dip
Raw Chocolate and Orange Tart (or any of the desserts; all of them are heavenly good)
Find it: 1st Floor, 14 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DP, http://wildfoodcafe.com
Estimated Budget: £25 per person
Tanya’s Café
‘Experience raw’. This is Tanya’s Café motto, and it definitely prepares you for what to expect from that place. Created by Tanya Alekseeva, a detox and raw food expert addressed by the media as one of the UK’s top holistic coaches, Tanya’s Café offers everything that a healthy lifestyle follower could ask for. 100% raw, organic, gluten, sugar and preservatives free dishes is what one could expect. The best part of the menu, however, is not the food, but rather the drinks. Tanya’s Café has the best superfood cocktails in town. Pop up for a hazelnut infused Sipsmith Vodka or a chilli infused Gin cocktail. All the spirits and alcohols at Tanya’s Café are vegan, organic and made with superfoods and raw cold-pressed juices. So sit back, relax and enjoy your fancy 100% guilt free cocktail. A real Chelsea experience if you ask me.
Source: http://londontastin.com
A MUST TRY:
Satay Noodles
Rawtella Un-Toast
My Warrior smoothie
Spice up your life cocktail
Weightless kick cocktail
Estimated Budget: £35- £40 per person
Find it: MyHotel Chelsea, 35 Ixworth Place, SW3 3QX, tanyascafe.com
Roots and Bulbs
Roots & Bulbs is London’s first standalone cold-pressed juice bar and nutritionally balanced takeaway. Being more takeaway than restaurant, it’s the perfect place for a quick healthy bite on a lunch break. The menu does not offer a big variety and yet, everybody could find that special delish thing that will make him/her go back to Roots & Bulbs again and again. Upon entering the place you might get a little confused as the only thing that you actually see is a big fridge empty except for 100 bottles of green juice and some little healthy snacks. While intimidating at first, the laboratory-like atmosphere in fact holds a big portion of the charisma of the place.
Source: http://www.standart.co.uk
A MUST TRY:
Marinated Organic Salmon Wrap
Quinoa Crunch
Chocolate and Walnut Browne
Super Greens Smoothie
Estimated Budget: £15- £20 per person
Find it: 5 Thayer Street, W1U 3JG, rootsandbulbs.com
Source: http://www.galinka.co.uk
LONDON ART FAIR – IN PHOTOS.
Posted on January 28, 2015
Last week one of London’s most vibrant and multifaceted areas: Angel, became the art centre of the UK’s capital. Yet, this was a ’15 minutes of fame’ as it lasted for five days only. The 27th edition of London Art Fair took place from 21-25 January 2015 at The Design Centre, Angel, London. Modern British art was presented alongside contemporary works from leading artists, covering the period from the early 20th century to the present day.
Exhaustive and ambitious, yet a little disappointing in terms of art works quality, the fair was just another occasion for leading commercial galleries to parade what they have and to try to sell a few pieces for some thousands pound. Time’s money. Art as well. The galleries seemed to have a clear idea how to make money. However, there were more window shoppers than real buyers. While fully commercially oriented, London Art Fair still had some curated sections that were fresh and interesting: Art Projects and Photo50. Focusing on younger galleries, new work and contemporary photography, those two sections where created as an addition to the main fair. Ironically they were far more interesting than the fair itself.
Indulge in the photographic itinerary that I’ve created, highlighting my top choices from this year’s London Art Fair.
TO THE MOON AND BACK.
Posted on January 22, 2015
It is the obscure, the unknown, the mysterious that triggers our curiosity. We feel restless for not being able to experience it. We want to feel it, to see every single detail of it and to imagine what it would be to be a part of it… And now we can actually do it!
A sneak peek into the ultimate mystery: Space, is what the latest show at The Royal Observatory Greenwich is offering. Astronomy Photographer of the Year[1] presents the winners of this year’s international astronomy photography competition. The displayed images are so vast, so detailed, that to stand in front of them feels like a real-life visit to the alien landscapes that they depict. The annual initiative celebrates its sixth edition and has a record number of submissions from both professional and amateur snappers in four categories: ‘Earth and Space’, ‘Our Solar System’, ‘Deep Space’ and ‘Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year’. Surprisingly, the last category is for under-16s. It’s a little intimidating to know that a 15-year-old kid, a total amateur and beginner in photography, can create such a dazzling photograph that most of the grown ups could only dream of.
Source: http://www.rmg.co.uk
On display are awe-inspiring features of astrophotography that bring us a few steps closer to not only our own night sky, but also to galaxies and worlds far into deep space. Psychedelic auroras, spine-tingling meteor showers and silver moon close ups. That’s just a small part of the magical views that can be cherished at the exhibition.
Aurora over a Glacier Lagoon by the British photographer James Woodend is a breathtaking one. Being the overall winner in the competition, this photo stands out with its fine composition and striking colors. It captures a magical vivid aurora over Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park. The perfect stage décor inspiration for the Wicked Musical. It was the lack of wind and current that had helped the photographer to create an arresting mirror effect, giving an impression of utter stillness.
The Overall winner: Aurora over a Glacier Lagoon by James Woodend. Source: http://www.rmg.co.uk
A man has stepped on top of the world. Somewhere indefinite. Somewhere in-between. Sun and moon melt together behind a Kenyan savannah skyline, locked in an eclipse in which the moon is silhouetted against the sun’s bright disc. It is an enchanted symbiosis in black and gold between two worlds. This is Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2 by the German photographer Eugen Kamenew: the winner in the ‘People & Space’ category.
Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2 by photographer Eugen Kamenew. Source: http://www.rmg.co.uk
Centre of the Heart Nebula by the Hungarian Ivan Eder beautifully captures the central part of Heart Nebula: a vast region of glowing gas. Situated 7,500 light years away in the W-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia, this marvelous region is energized by a cluster of young stars at its center. Magical dust clouds are being eroded and molded into ethereal shapes by the searing cosmic radiation. It reminds us of a sky in a Turner’s painting: ever glowing and surreal.
Centre of the Heart Nebula by Ivan Eder. Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
It is hard to miss this one. Silently, yet insuperably, it teases you to come closer and explore its intense colors and fairytale-like images. A tale of two horses by Justin NG tells the story of two horses. Whereas the first horse is hard to be missed, to see the second one can be quite challenging. It’s actually the Dark Horse Nebula. Located in the Milky Way galaxy, this mysterious cloud made of gas and dust resembles the side silhouette of a horse. Although the two ‘live’ in distant worlds, in NG’s photograph they coexisting naturally, cherishing the same miracle: the awe-inspiring sunrise at Mount Bromo.
A tale of two horses by Justin NG. Source: http://www.rmg.co.uk
It is the fine line between science and art that has been crossed in all the astronomy features of the show. And that’s what makes them so irresistibly charming. The line between the two fields is blurred and fades before the power of a reality that dwarfs us. What matters is beauty. Only beauty is eternal.
[1] The show is opened until 22 February 2015, and it’s free of charge. So hurry up! Moreover, it is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Greenwich area. I recommend you to go for a walk in the Greenwich Park, or explore the unique small shops that offer handmade things, or just enjoy a nice lunch in a cozy healthy place (there are plenty in the area).
GLOWING CHOCOLATE MOUSSE: HEALTH AND BEAUTY IN ONE.
Posted on January 15, 2015
Born during one of my sugar cravings, this natural, super simple and 100% vegan sugar free mousse will help you handle your own craving in the healthiest possible way. Health and beauty in one: my Glowing Chocolate Mousse will give you essential energy for the day and will help your body look and feel its very best. I believe that what we eat is the ultimate beauty detox. This is why I developed a dessert rich in powerful antioxidants that rids your body of toxins and helps you get youthful, radian glow and healthy looking skin.
Glowing Chocolate Mousse With Cherries
1 cup grounded nut mix (I used macadamia, almonds and pistachios)
1 big banana
2 Tbs. vegan ‘nutella’ (a smooth mix of hazelnut butter and honey)
1 Tbs. tahini (unsalted)
½ cup dried cherries
1 Tbs. shredded coconut
1 tsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. baobab powder
2 Tbs. organic cocoa powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. rum (you can also use rum extract)
3 Tbs. goji berries
2 to 3 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. organic coconut butter
The juice of one mandarin
Almond milk to smoothen the mixture
What we eat is the ultimate beauty detox.
Directions:
Ground the nuts using the kitchen robot. Add the rest of the ingredients and little by little start pouring almond milk until reaching a smooth, homogeneous mixture. If the mousse is too tick add some more almond milk. Enjoy!
EYAL GEVER. ART AND TECHNOLOGY GONE WILD!
Posted on January 7, 2015
We live in a time when the lines between art and technology are so blurred, almost imperceptible. In the past year museums and galleries around the world were in furious competition to present the most innovative and boundary-pushing art-tech initiative, event or show. This competition, while overwhelming for the audiences, triggered the birth of some wonderful new collaborations across both disciplines and industries.
As a person truly inspired by technology and the possibilities that it gives when involved in other, more traditional, fields, like art for instance, I saw as many of these shows and initiatives as possible. Without a doubt 3D printing art was the one thing that boosted my appetite for research the most.
From all the great digital artist working in 3D printing art that I have been researching recently, I chose Eyal Gever, an Israeli digital artist from Tel Aviv, to be ‘in the eye’ of this article. In his practice Gever combines a lifelong interest in art with passion for programming and internet entrepreneurship.
Eyal Gever, an Israeli digital artist from Tel Aviv.
Gever’s fascination with terrible catastrophes and disasters is what makes him so offbeat and curious. Using self-designed 3D animation software, Gever is plotting all kinds of disasters: from car crashes to tsunamis furiously swooping on buildings. The result are vibrant sculptures depicting frozen moments of horror, exported from Gever’s computer screen thanks to the very latest 3D laser-printing technology. The process starts by writing a code and developing a technology that creates environmental situations. Then the artist sends the frame of the simulation to a 3D printer that needs hundreds of hours to print all the micro layers of the sculpture.
The body of work exists in three states: 3D simulations, sculptural moments and digital prints. Source: http://www.eyalgever.com
For an interview for BBC the artist says: “I’m like a serial killer. I detach my emotions and just look at the disasters in a research way, focusing on the physics and mathematics of it”. Gever tries to find the sublime beauty in every disaster without judging it or sugarcoating it. It can be seen just the way it is. Even better than you could imagine. Gever’s technology allows the viewer to examine states where rest and motion exist together and to see sublime moments of horror in such details that normally we cannot see as disasters happen fast and unexpectedly.
Gever’s works, born out of computer simulations and reborn in their physical manifestation as art, aim to inspire the viewer to seek beauty even in the most shattering things, like natural disasters and cataclysmic. Through exploring the nature of these unpredictable events the audience explores also the boundaries of time and the fragility of life. We could only pray that we will never have to experience horrific events like this in reality. Yet, cherishing them in their art-tech version can be truly fascinating.
MY TWO CENTS:
Eyal Gever uses 3D printing technology to create art. What if we start using it to re-create art: printing reliefs, textures, even masterpieces? What if all of us could just print Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa for less than $100 and put it in our personal collections? Can’t wait to see what the future of art has to offer.
Iveta's Musings 