Ready to dance?

it's a new month and i've created a new playlist of top 40, this one dedicated to motivate you to get out of your seat and dance! enjoy!

Video Playlist Vol. 2

Staying fresh

i've always secretly appreciated my ability to stay ahead of so called trends, particularly those of music, art, and fashion. friends and newcomers alike often give me compliments for my tastes in clothes, music, activities, and creative ideas. the truth is, i made a conscious decision not to pay heed to popular followings, rather do my own thing whether it be the "in" thing or not. with that in mind, i believe it's important to stay fresh, to update one's appearance, perspective, musical playlists, food pallet, etc -- to always continue to read, learn, and listen. i can never have enough new experiences! the important thing is to do it for me, what i like is what i like, there doesn't always have to be a reason. my more serious concern is to never be bored or fall into a rut, which can easily happen to any one of us - always mix it up. haters out there will demand i'm no more unique than the next guy, i would possibly agree with that. perhaps it's my confidence that i simply don't care of people's opinion of me that brings me more attention than the average joe. truthfully, i can't answer that.

the idea of this latest blog came to me on the way home from the salon. on an impulse i made an appointment for a cut at a place i've never been to. the overall experience wasn't much different from past salon visits, but having a new pair of eyes and hands overseeing my 'do was worthwhile enough to feel less guilt for not scheduling time with my usual stylist. without realizing it the co-owner and i began to open up about the importance of staying current in his line of work, also about inspiration for the both of us, artists in two very different fields. the more i thought of staying current, the more i realized it's a battle of futility. trends and fads are always changing, sometimes at such a fast pace that it's impossible to keep up. i much prefer my way of staying true to ones self and not focused on what's more popular.

that's not to say i don't regularly watch early morning MTV for the latest music videos, or check out the current issues of GQ, Vanity Fair, or the like. in fact i cultivate my ideas for my personal "look" and my own art and even my art lessons for my students from a number of sources. as i write i've begun to understand that i look back, as much as i look now or to the future. i love fashion from bygone eras, as well as the album artwork of albums decades old. used book stores always have hidden gems. comic books have always inspired me, from wanting to help others, to being the best i can be. i could go on and on, but instead i've decided to create a short list of resources i like to use to stay away from being stagnate or dull. if you're reading this and have your own list, please email it to me, i'm always interested in new and bright ideas to aid me in staying fresh!
1. 100 Years of Fashion Illustration
2. Jody Watley: StyleFile - Jody Watley knows, music, fashion, health and has used her gifts to inspire her fans and more for over twenty years.
3. Amazon Archives - The Amazing Amazon, Wonder Woman, is a fictional character, but of all the comic book characters I've read since I was young, none have had more of an impact than DC Comic's premiere heroine.
4. DapperLou.com - Ludget Delcy is a stylist with a keen eye for fashion, not just for himself or clients, but of those in his world of New York City - awesome stuff.
5. LPCover Lover
6. Cher: Forever Fit - Laugh if you must, but this book originally published in '91, purchased by my aunt, set me on the path to a better life through fitness and nutrition. I was nine years old.

New year, new beginnings, and new music!

it's been a rough start for the new year. i've had no less than three accidents on the road, all weather related, coupled with numerous unpaid snow days. one can imagine how far in the dumps i've been, but i've been blessed with some wonderful new and steady friends in my life that allow me to see the brighter side of life. i've been seeking out new music and artists to help make every day a successful party in some form or another. friends often comment on the music i play in my studio, classroom, car, or those tunes i post on facebook. below is a link to the first video playlist i've created for everyone's enjoyment!

un_taco video playlist vol. 1

Private art teacher

as of february 1st, 2011 i'll be accepting new clients for private art lessons in drawing, painting, and art history! i have been an independent artist and instructor for over three years, with a bachelor's degree in studio art, and i am currently pursuing my master's is art education. my paintings have been shown in galleries and art shows in and out of boston and i am enjoying a second year contract position as an educator of the worcester art museum. i bring an enthusiastic, professional, and detailed approach to any lesson. for more information please contact me at, swartstudio@gmail.com.

Self-promotion

as the director of youth programing and his staff finalize the winter and spring semesters at the worcester art museum, i'm pleased to confirm as of this posting two classes i'll be teaching!

starting january 11, 2011, FUNdamentals of Sculpture, 11-13 years old - students and i will start with basic sculpting materials and tools to produce individual pieces of art inspired by various works exhibited at the museum. as the semester progresses so will the creativity! surprises are in store for all involved as this learning experience expands a child's imagination and basic understanding of the fundamentals of sculpture!

starting march 19th, 2011, Painting Intensive, 14-17 years old - for the serious artist looking to perfect his/her skills and hone their talent in ways to prepare them for college, art school, and beyond. using my own personal and professional experiences as a student and artist, as well as historic stories of artists highlighted in the museum galleries, i will begin to introduce the career of the artist with its challenges and great rewards. a regular sketchbook will be kept, weekly critiques conducted, and work outside class will be assigned. a variety of techniques, tools, and materials will be used before each student begins one final piece to be shown in the musuem student show in mid spring.

also, starting as of february 1st, i'll be taking on new clients for private art lessons in anything studio art related or tutoring in art history. more on that later in the week!

Top 12 dating tips

these dating/meeting men tips have been gathered through various experiences, personal and those of close friends and family. dating can and should be FUN, but always be safe and insure you're totally comfortable in any given situation (nervousness or butterflies aside). half the men i've gone on dates with proved worth my while for the stories alone!

1. be confident! focus on all the positives you can bring to the date or a relationship. if you don't love yourself, then you're hardly in a position to be looking for love elsewhere.

2. this ties into #1, be yourself. trying to be someone you're not is stupid, plain and simple.

3. let HIM come to YOU. brief eye contact and a smile will be an invite for him to pursue you. playing hard to get helps to show that you're worth effort so long as you don't pretend to be unattainable.

4. if you're not interested in someone's advances and he won't take subtle hints, tell him you're a lesbian. i'm kidding! explain to him he doesn't stand a chance, but you'll take the drink he's offering nonetheless and walk away as you say, "thank you."

5. dress for success and according to your size. i'm a big advocate of self expression through fashion, embrace your curves or lack of. that being said, i'm an even bigger advocate of --

6. being healthy! you don't have to be ripped with muscle to show that you take care of yourself. smoking and heavy drinking are big turn offs. following a moderate diet with daily exercise can do wonders for your self esteem.

7. a first date should be held in a location where conversation can flow with little distraction. that is, unless the date begins with an activity and you make time for more personal time afterward.

8. if #3 isn't happening, then casually approach him. SOME people think shy is sexy. Not me ...

9. never base attraction on pure physical characteristics. sexual attraction is essential, but consider his level of intelligence, humor, and heart.

10. absolutely do not sleep with him on the first date. you don't want a reputation for being easy.

11. moisturize regularly - elephant skin is so not sexy.

12. too much cologne kills a good thing and find a signature scent (or two) that you can stick with, but nothing cheap.

Confidence and bullying, oh and art class

the issue of bullying seems to be the "it" topic in the media. hopefully this means drastic measures will finally be taken by everyone to end this form of particular abuse. what i've found most frightening is reading stories of youth and teen suicides as a result of constant bullying. no child should be made to feel less than anyone else -- no matter what. when i was a kid i was very shy and eccentric and despite my parents efforts to quell my unique creative outlets (through fashion, drawing, painting, dancing, etc.), I had other members of my family and teachers who embraced my unique outlook on life and what's more, encouraged me to be different. sure older or bigger kids (i was always the shortest and for a time, the fattest, in every grade of elementary school, plus you add jesus freaks for parents and well --), but i didn't let anyone talk down to me. and i'd be damned if i let anyone do it to someone else (too many comic books, i had to be everyone's hero). it's mainly because of my aunt and my grandmother i am who i am today and i can be confident and proud that i'm different. i embrace my individuality and strive to teach that in my students during art class. i am a confident, happy person because i like myself. i want my students to feel the same way. there is absolutely no bullying or anything of the sort in my classroom/studio and i make it a point to explain why at the end of a long project we have a constructive round-table critique with the entire class. art class should be a place of unity where the geek, the jock, the shy one, the popular one can all coexist together in harmony. sue me, i grew up watching the breakfast club over and over again.

that brings me to the present as i begin building a new program of art classes with a basis of building confidence in students as, yes artists, but also as human beings. i often try to find images or music to help set the scene or create a probable environment in the studio based on every lesson. it's these subtle touches that can sometimes make all the difference. unfortunately i've come across more or less of the same thing, with beauty not in the eye of the beholder, rather the continuation of a very fake and plastic society. it's sending the wrong messages to kids and undermining everything i'm trying to build (and i just can't have that)! for example, bruno mars' new video for his song, just the way you are. a wonderful song that talks about loving a person for themselves and nothing else, yet in the video the singer is professing his love through his song to a drop dead gorgeous woman of paragon virtues -- why wouldn't he love her when she's so gorgeous to behold? i would have loved to have seen mars use a beautiful woman who doesn't have the ideal figure to show young men and women his words are true, "-- you're amazing just the way you are." i will continue to applaud christina aguilera for her song/video titled, beautiful. aguilera uses real people to show we're all different, but that we're, "beautiful, no what they say--." why can't we see more of this in popular culture? hopefully with people paying more attention to the effects of bullying, we'll see more positivity and confidence building in our music, television programming, movie watching, and celebrity publicity.

there is one event i hope that all who read this will participate in. on october 20th, in memory of those who have taken their life due to abuse because of their homosexuality, everyone will wear something purple. this brutality has to stop and we need to stand and speak out against it -- TOGETHER.

for more information on how to prevent bullying please go to, http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/.










this post is dedicated to aunt sis who let me be me (a unicorn/wonder woman/cher loving boy unashamed to speak his mind).

Latest comic book reviews

i'm slowly catching up on my comic book reviews, check them out via the this link.

Comic Book Reviews on ComicVine

Upcoming outreach events

the worcester art museum is starting to fill up my calendar with local events to attend as i host a table to entertain/educate attendees with mini-art lessons and fun projects. the goal of my presence is to draw more people into coming to visit this wonderful museum that offers so many various programs suited for everyone from in and around the worcester, ma area. see my current list of events and check back regularly as it's sure to grow in the coming weeks!

September 11th, Blackstone Canal Fest
September 19th, stART on the Street
September 25h, Main South Summer Neighborhood Festival
October 17th, Boys & Girls Club: Arts In the Afternoon

Community event announcement

worcester, ma has become a third home to me with all of the community outreach work i do as an instructor with the worcester art museum and i'm eager to see the city grow and prosper as a community of its size should (its the second biggest city in new england). through my work at WAM i've seen the best, and definitely the worst that is offered by worcester. unfortunately racism is still a strong factor in the city and threatens to undermine many of the chances of fulfilling the dreams that my students deserve. but thankfully there are like minded individuals who want to see that change. dr. ravi perry of clark university and other community leaders are coming together to formulate a plan based on affirmative action in an effort to organize the city's people. on september 9th, i'll be there at this roundtable event as a representative of the worcester art museum, but also as a concerned patron of the city i now consider a home away from home.

for more information on the Race In the Woo: A community roundtable, click on this link.