Spotlight: Detroit Artist, Sabrina Nelson

Detroit Artist, Sabrina Nelson
Photo courtesy of Carbonmade.com

Hello all. Hope you're having a wonderful week on this happy hump day, Wednesday. Today's spotlight segment features a really good friend of mine, Detroit Artist, Sabrina Nelson. Artist extraordinaire, Sabrina's paintings and collages are indicative of her eclectic personality. She is an artist, mother, daughter, activist, and all around promoter of the art scene in the "D."

Currently a teacher at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Sabrina epitomizes Cultural Chic to me. Her style of dress is a mirror into her talent and lends itself to her ability to be a walking billboard of inspiration. She is vibrant, vivacious and "crazy" talented, and I am proud to showcase her on Cultural Chic and to call her friend.


Urban Monk
Sabrina Nelson-courtesy of thedetroiter.com


Osuno chair
Sabrina Nelson-courtesy of thedetroiter.com




Editor's note: The bold and colorful sign that Sabrina is standing next too in the above photo is regarding the upcoming Tony Award winning Broadway musical, Fela! opening at the Detroit Music Hall February 14 and running through to March 4. Fela! is a celebration of the life of Fela Kuti (1938-1997), a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.

Actress Julianne Moore: Channeling the Muses of the Masters

Julianne Moore has always impressed me as an actress. Now the actress has stepped out of the realm of the silver screen and into the art arena. Channeling the persona of various muses painted by the great masters of fine art, Moore possesses an uncanny resemblance to these women who have been immortalized on canvas.

The photographs were taken by famous fashion photographer, Peter Linderbergh, for a vintage issue of Harper's Bazaar. Moore's facial expressions change to fit each category of time. In the photo portraying the Seated Woman With Bent Knee by Egon Schiele, one can detect the simmering emotions so often hidden beneath the surface in the women of that day. In John Currin's The Cripple we see a woman's ability to smile in the midst of adversity and pain, revealing insurmountable strength and beauty that reaches deep beyond the surface.

These photos have an eerie precision--from the poses right down to the detail and/or simplicity of the garments. They are indicative of the "fashion imitates art" trend that is still prevalent in many of today's elaborate fashion photo shoots.

For more of these beautifully executed photographs, visit Flavorwire.com, Julianne Moore as Famous Works of Art.


Julianne Moore by Peter Lindbergh
"Madame X" by John Singer Sargent


Julianne Moore by Peter Lindbergh
"The Cripple" by John Currin

HAPPY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Greatness is a potential that lies in all of us. The Creator of the Universe placed it there. But many of us go through life never tapping in to that potential that is meant to catapult us to extraordinary heights--whether it be in our careers, our businesses, or our dreams and aspirations as artists and creators of beautiful things. I have found that the way to really comprehend who it is you were meant to be in this life, ergo your purpose, is to ask and seek your answer from the ONE who put the greatness inside you. God has a plan for all of His children. One child in particular who achieved his purpose in life was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Here was a man who realized that he was destined for Greatness, not in an arrogant sense, believing himself to be better than anyone else. It was in the sense that he knew that God had a plan for him and he spent his life acting on that God-given plan to bring justice to all people on a global level. And though his life was cut tragically short, I think it's safe to say that Dr. King certainly accomplished more in his short 39 years than many of us would given 3 times that long.

So let's take up the helm and strive to find our true purpose in this life. Let's ask the questions, what has God put forth in my destiny? How can God impact the world through me? What can I do to keep the Dream alive? Who can I love on today? How can I give someone else hope in what seems like a hopeless situation? Seeking your real purpose in life can be kind of scary, simply because we have no idea what the journey to our purpose entails. But if God gave you the vision, be sure that HE will make the provision. It is up to us to ask the right questions and make the effort.

CELEBRATE GREATNESS TODAY!

I Love...Esperanza Spalding

The epitome of Cultural Chic, Esperanza Spalding caused a flood of controversy after winning the Grammy last year for best new artist, beating out the likes of Justin Beiber and Drake. She suffered some pretty mean spirited comments on Twitter (mainly from Beiber fans) and was kind of ignored by the likes of Ebony and Essence. But those of us who know real talent when we see and hear it could not have been happier with this twist of fate in a world of mass produced music(?)

Not only do I love Esperanza's music, but her style is fabulous as well. So glad I stumbled upon her performance at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word on May 12, 2009.
For those of you who might have missed it, like I did :(, here is a video of Esperanza's performance of "Tell Him."

My Stuff

 "Words-No Sense

Acrylic on Canvas w/collage

"Winter Turmoil"

Acrylic w/mixed media on board