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Even the most beloved activity cannot compete with that tempting social media thing…. and thus it’s tumbling down the rabbit hole….

09 Sunday Jan 2022
Posted Creating, This world we live in
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Even the most beloved activity cannot compete with that tempting social media thing…. and thus it’s tumbling down the rabbit hole….
29 Saturday Feb 2020
Posted This world we live in
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Following a very interesting discussion a few days earlier with a bookshop manager, I got the idea to draw another SPELL, because the wide spreading smartphone/socialmedia/electronic device/apps addiction seems now impossible to thwart, and it affects everyone.
Just go into a coffeeshop, and look at the customers. Too few are not glued onto their little screen.
What happened to good old-fashionned dreamy gazes, impromptu conversations, advices on which beverage to choose, and fortuitous smiles, and nodding, and cheering when we stumble upon a friend or an acquaintance? What happened to those micro-connections, when our eyes meet a stranger’s or a friend’s eyes?
What happened to those tiny glimpses of soul sharing?
Eyes riveted onto those screens that dag us into a world of synthetised emotions, and pseudo connections, we lose what what once a joy and a reason to rejoice : the ability to communicate in a friendly way.
Glued onto those screens, we do not see the person in front of us in the line steping into a dance move briefly as their favorite music plays, or seeing their amazing hair, or fashion style, we become oblivious of all the wonders that surround us…
So, let’s hope there will be more of those who switch off their device, who do not answer their phone as soon as it rings, when they are chatting with somebody, or admiring art in a gallery or a museum.
I often get scolded because I do not answer my phone right away when it rings. Mind you, I prefer to control my phone rather than they other way round.
Time to launch a new movement : I’m smarter than my smartphone, so I keep it under control.
What do you think?
Have a good day fellow bloggers, oddjobbers, readers and friends,
Floreva
25 Saturday Jan 2020
Posted Creating, This world we live in
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Really rigged democratic elections or really democritic vote? Same difference in the results sometimes : the people’s voice is not always heard or taken into account.
What do you think?
(Indian Black Ink and watercolours, from the early 2000’s. It seems that the wheel turns, yet nothing really changes *sigh*)
Disclaimer : this is just a drawing.
Elections démocritiques. copyright Florence Vitel
22 Wednesday Jan 2020
Posted Creating
inTags
Because sending a letter is delightful , and receiving one is as equally wonderful.
Alas, in this digital era of instant delivery and a la minute text, it is becoming a lost art…
(Ink drawing, 2018)
11 Tuesday Jun 2019
Posted Life in style
inTags
Hi Folks,
I think this drawing is self-explanatory.
It’s called the Race to the top (and it needs more inking).
Update : It’s a metaphor for the highly praised value in western societies : money and how to make more of it than the neighbour/colleague/friend/anyone else. Now, dont’ get me wrong, money’s a good thing. What’s not optimal is when what’s engrained in our brains is that it is the only value one must seek, detrimental to ethics, kindness, generosity, help to others, a sense of community. So, the end is grim, as shown in the drawing, when it’s the only ladder steps some of our fellow humans climb in pursuit of a sense of identity, when one’s identity = how much money one makes, and how badly they want it ( even crushing/mistrating/etc others to get it).
Not that I am cynical (because cynism allows for no hope), but rather a realist (eye-opened and sad, but doing something about it) that happens to have a sever condition of unshakeable enthusiasm and love for life coupled with a deep-rooted trust that humans will eventually do good on a regular basis, with a mild itching of humour (sometimes very dark), peppered with noir tendencies ( I watched too much noir movies as a teen, probably).
The race to the top – Ink- copyright Florence Vitel 2019-2020
The musical conterpart to my condition could be the blues, and the literary genre could be linked to the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, right there, between an everlasting awe for the Creation and creativity humans can display and master and achieve, also the brutal thruth that human as an evolving race is quite fucked up (pardon my French) and rather fucks up everyhting it comes in contact with.
Ugliness (in behaviours, treatment of our planet, of the air, of other species and of the variety of people within our own species) as the polyester-ic (poly-hysteric?) lining of this shimmering cloak of beauty that covers this wonderful sphere we will no longer be able to call home if we contiue, as a group, to behave like imbecile spoiled brats lead by ignorant , greedy, power-thirsty and crass-stupid corkcroaches . (Hum, not very appealing).
No apologies for the long complicated sentences, that’s part of my literary charm, I guess, can’t deprive you of that, right? 😉
BUT, there are many good reasons to rejoice too, when we see independent actions and groups of persons all around the world coming together to trigger change, to induce new behaviours and implement sustainable ways of living, more in harmony with this marvellous paradise (Scientist & neuro researcher Bruce Lipton says we are born in heaven, and what do we do with it?).
Creative in destruction, but more creative in creation, that’s us, the paradoxical little annoying bugging colony on this big blue planet.
Let’s rejoice, for times a-changing. For the better.
Plus, summer’s almost officially here. What’s not to love?
Floreva
13 Tuesday Nov 2018
Posted Creating
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A quick ink drawing. I m a big fan of the comics Dr Strange and Spiderman.
Marvel studios are doing a great stuff with the movies .
05 Monday Nov 2018
Posted Creating
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For this WW1 production I am working on, a quick sketch of a man gassed and shot at .
04 Sunday Nov 2018
Posted Creating
inI went to the movies yesterday to watch Bohemian Rhapsody and it’s a magical, brilliant, amazing film.
So I made a quick ink drawing of the cast, based on a pic I found online.
Brian May/ Gwilym Lee may have required a little more detail to be entirely satisfying, but overall, it was a lovely thing to do.
31 Wednesday Oct 2018
Posted Creating
inSo, I realised I drew the wrong prompt, because I copied the prompt in advance at the beginning of the month, in my sketch book and wrote dice instead of slice.
So, I drew it again, as “slice”
Never a dull day…
31 Wednesday Oct 2018
Posted Creating
inSo it’s the last day of the drawing challenge, and the last prompt of Inktober is “Dice”. I wanted to do the challenge, because I have this poster for a theatrical production about WW1 I have to design and draw, and I thought it might help me master the inking process. and indeed, it helped a great deal,, the team liked the idea I came up with and the composition I created!
My lovely sister told me thw drawing I did represent both the chances in life, the meanders, the fate, and the addiction one can develop for money games and casinos. She’s spot on. In fine, the perspective of quick gain alienates the gamer/player and controls him… chaining him/her even to its lures.
I have missed “Precious” and “Star”, because I was so sick with the flu. I’ll try to draw them today (no promises here though).
It’s been quite interesting to participate in the challenge, it has helped me to get out of my self limitations regarding my ability to draw various things, and to explore various ways of inking or drawing, which I did not do before (the sky in “Chop”, the minimalist lines in “Flowing”, the mass of clouds in “Tranquil”, copying the pose and hands of Mona Lisa for “Drooling”, the difficulty of drawing and rendering transparent hands in “Double” a first!!!) and well, tackle challenging prompts that were uninspiring at first, but for which I found a way to go around.
I love all the drawings I created, and my favorites are “Poisonous”, “Roasted”, “Guarded”, “Whale”, “Weak”, “Bottle”, and “Chop”.
I found a pattern in some of the ideas I can come up with and toying with them to turn them in a drawing, in the way that I like to twist things a bit, and convey a healthy dose of irony or absurdity sometimes, or non-sensical situations… I guess it may become my trademark 😉
So dear readers and loyal followers, I want to thank you for your kind support and your encouragements and your enthusiasm, your lovely comments and the visits.
I am glad I met fellow challengers whose work is also super creative and highly artistic, keep up the good job!
As for me, this challenge has been a good proof that I can draw and be happy with my skills, although I want to pursue that and continue to polish them and practice. It has been also a good way to inject more life into this blog and has put back on the saddle.
So, I decided to continue the daily ( if I can, life happens also outside the blogosphere) sketch, I will take the promps of the past years and continue to draw.
I wanted to perfect my skills, as I felt they were a bit rusty, because I had to design a poster for a theatrical production about WW1 I participate to with a theater company, and for which I am to organise an exhibition in connection with the theme of the play.
I will also take art into designing some decors that will be projected onto the background curtains ( skies, trenches, etc…).
I am more comfortable with my ability to draw intersting things in a very narrative way, now.
Thanks again, friends and readers, you really contributed a great deal to my finsihing this challenge in high spirits! A big shout out for all those who participated in the challenge too, the clue’s in the name, it’s a challenge rally, because some day you have very little time, some days, you don’t “feel” the prompt, some days you are just not in the mood, some days, the day is crazy… but in the end, the satisfaction of creating a new piece of art is so fulfilling, and overcoming our fear to not draw something good or that make sense is a big piece in the process too . I admire also people who can produce somethign creative everyday, be it poetry, text, art, music.
To thee, I say : bravo, my friend.
And to my fellow challengers, I say gleefully : . YES!!!! WE DID IT!
*virtual hug*
See you tomorrow 😉
30 Tuesday Oct 2018
Posted Creating
inSo Jolt. Surely, well in my opinion, one gets the best of jolts on a plank sliding down a hill at full speed. Ski or snowboard.
Good jolts, good vibes, good sensations with the powder snow.
29 Monday Oct 2018
Posted Creating
inSo, my drawing for today’s Inktober prompt turned out to look a bit like the 11th Doctor ( Matt Smith, aka Doctor Fez).
Now, I’m a fan of the Doctor, so I’m quite happy with the result. It was also quickly done, so the hands could have been more detailed or more finely drawn. Ah, next time…
28 Sunday Oct 2018
Posted Creating
inWell, for Inktober’s prompt is GIFT, so yes, I did end up drawing a gift, although I wanted to be more dark and draw a bomb being dropped, with a big ribbon, and a tag saying “welcome to democracy” .
But I refrained from doing it, because it would be so utterly cynical, and it could be so dark and depressing. And we need joy rather than gloom…
So, hands offering a gift , and the bow opeing its wings like butterflies do..
Enjoy!
27 Saturday Oct 2018
“Thunder” is today’s Inktober prompt, and I think of Zeus! But then I thought, how did infant Zeus control his power? Surely soem mishaps must have occurred….
26 Friday Oct 2018
Posted Creating
inA-ha, today’s prompt for Inktober was inspiring . I chose to draw Batman after his birthday party, and how his stretchy pants and his belt are not fitting so well…
Fun to draw!