recent curiosities: hot brews and artists

My explanation for my answers to the above poll is that I'm really picky. So it has to be GOOD hot chocolate, otherwise I'll have tea. And by "red, mate or herbal teas", I mean herbal, because I don't like rooibos. :) Etc., etc. I'm a pain in the ass.

Also, Monet is my favorite everything. Visiting his house and gardens was amazing. Even I can take calendar-worthy pictures there.

heh, I understand, I am quite picky too.

Do you have a favorite work by Monet?

I won't go into every medium because that would take some time and would leave me indecisive (story of my life) but one of my absolute favorite glass artists is Preston Singletary. He grew up in Seattle with his grandparents, who are Tlingit, and his heritage is reflected in his work. He also continues to teach at the Pilchuck Glass School (Dale Chihuly was one of the founders).

I also had the opportunity to see him speak once at a lecture at a museum and he was incredibly gracious and humble.

wooooooow, I love that artist!! I've never seen anything like it before.

Mmm... I'm guessing you're after visual artists?
* comic/sequential art: Dylan Meconis delights me, as does A. Stiffler.
* I don't know whether Aaron Paquette's originals are digital or acrylic or oil or what, but I love them. I have a print of his 'New World Isis' on my mantel--she's So Damn Right.
* Dave McKean's photomanipulations are exactly the right amount of unsettling.
* Nate Zeman's nature photography is lush.
* I love how Arthur Smith played with rhythm, balance, & movement in his jewellery. I also love that with very few exceptions, the most precious metal he worked with was copper. Lots of his stuff is brass. Gives it warmth but also a sense of accessibility, you know? Really brought home that the difference between this wearable artpiece & hardware store goods is the maker's hand.
* Marina Abramovic breaks me open every time I read about or see video of one of her performance pieces. I can only imagine witnessing one.

ohhh, thanks for sharing all the lovely art. You sent me on some happy rabbit trails ;-)

The last question can be interpeted very broadly, which I am going to do, especially where 'medium' is concerned.

Victor Hugo in advocating human rights, because his writing is visceral. If you haven't, The last Day of a Condamned and Claude Gueux are two stories that everyone should attempt to read.

Velasquez in portraits, because all those people are right here, as if the canvas was not present at all.

Konstantin Stanukovich in writing about the good in people whatever the circumstances. His books are like as beacon of light, even that horrible one about the seduced wife that ended in suicide (XIX century writer).

Johnny Cash in being a Christian, whatever that means (I am not one, but I could be if there were mode like him).

There are perhaps mode but I'll have to continue later. It's 5 a.m. and my brain doesn't work properly.

mmm, really interesting choices, thanks for sharing!

My favorite artists are:

Music: Bon Jovi, Adam Lambert, Vanessa Carlton, and Carolyn Light

Art (the brush/canvas kind): Amy Brown, Jasmine Beckett-Griffith, and Brian Froud

Writer: Malinda Lo (for YA), Edgar Allen Poe (for poetry/creepiness), and Christine Feehan (for Paranormal Romance)

Who are yours? <3

I love Adam Lambert! I could watch them move around all day. I've been meaning to read Malinda Lo but haven't gotten my hands on one of their books yet.

whew, I am not sure! I will have to make a post about my favorite artists after I think on it *grins*

Even though I've recently started working at a tea stall occasionally I haven't heard of quite a few of these! I've never heard of red, mate or oolong. I've heard of white but never tried it. The stall focuses on black, with some fruit and green.

Hot chocolate is my favourite treat. I like the decadence, and the fact that it's warming without having the bitterness of coffee, or the aftertaste that tea sometimes leaves. It's like a dessert! I'll put black tea second as I like drinks you can have with milk [and sugar!]. It's comforting.

I like the oddness of red tea: to me it's halfway between a fruity herbal and a black tea.

I also love hot chocolate, especially made by slowly melting chocolate in hot milk, mmm. with peppery spices!

Van Gogh's trees are magic, to me.

I actually really love cave art....

mm, any favorite caves?

Tango!
Dance: Chicho Frumboli
Music: Astor Piazzola

Choreographer: Lady Gaga or Michael Jackson? Hard to tell.

Boris Vallejo for oil fantasy.

Terry Pratchett for ridiculously witty wordplay. His decay and wrath are both difficult, and it's hard to reconcile. Then again, death can be like that.

Foglios for comics.

I'm sure there are others, but I feel like I'm reaching. Good turn of phrase above for what people said above for different views of "art".

I have to agree what was said above about hot chocolate, too. If it's hot water and powder, I'd actually rather have just the hot water - tastes better and no sugar points.

As for my favourite artist in different mediums, it's hard to pick one! Most of my favourite artists work with similar or the same mediums but here's a list: Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Raqib Shaw, Jennifer Miller, Goldenwolf, Kyoht, Dark Natasha, Monet, Van Gogh, Audubon, Beatrix Potter.... argh so many!

My favourite hot drink is definitely your bog standard English cup of tea but I like various black teas like Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Chai tea etc. Coffee-wise it has to be an espresso blend and in latte form, I don't really like instant coffee very much unless it's ground and of good quality. Nescafe is not even coffee! And who can resist a good hot chocolate with whipped cream on top? There's absolutely nothing like it when you've just got in from a cold rainy day <3

wow, Raqib Shaw's work makes my heart ache in the best way, thanks so much for sharing! I really like Jennifer Miller's take on dragons, too.

I, er, don't really like any of them.

I drink hot chocolate occasionally when someone offers it to me, but I'm invariably disappointed by it. It starts out too hot to drink, and when it eventually cools down, it tastes too much like water and not enough like chocolate. And all the other drinks listed here taste to me like water with very bad tastes added.

*laughs* it sounds like you've had hot chocolate made with water -- in my opinion it should only be made with hot milk and melted (not powdered) chocolate. For the others I think it is hopeless, heh.

What are your thoughts on other drinks? do you like soda?

I don't really have favorite creators in most mediums. I just have "creators I'm experiencing often right now." I don't usually rank the things I enjoy, not because I'm averse to ranking, but because it just doesn't feel relevant to the way I experience things.

mmm, that makes sense. I like to rank things I think because of my ADD, I am so used to needing to prioritize that if I don't prioritize I don't go after what I really love, and I miss out on joys. Weird to consider. I do so much mental organizing.

Hmm, I'm interested in the way you made the categories! How come white and oolong are in the same category? And matè and herbals and red all the same? Was it arbitrary?

When I'm about to make tea for someone, the first option is caffeine or no caffeine? Then if they want caffeine, it's Black/ Green/ White/ Matè? and if it's no-caffeine it's what kind of flavor, but reds fall in to that category, and we'd just go through whatever I've got from mints and gingers and lemons to fruity tisanes to rounder vanillas/ chamomiles/ chocolates... but I guess I'm a big ole tea-nerd ;)

Just curious :)

white and oolong are in the same category because I consider both of them extremely blah. Mate and herbals and red are the same because I experience them similarly? I like them when I am in the same mood? I dunno, it's mostly arbitrary with some swaying due to my own preferences ;-)

I never consider caffeine because it has no effect on me and I generally don't help others pick -- I probably have a smaller collection, because I can just hand them the tea box and ask them to pick one *grins*