The Fun Times

ImageKind, the online print and frame store which we love (great selection of artworks for sale, fabulous print quality, friendly customer service), have launched a series of contests, based around the Curator's Picks for Member Art. (This can be found in the Shop Section of the ImageKind site, under the sub-section Member Art.)

These Curator's Picks are put together with a common theme in mind, and the contest revolves around guessing what that theme is...whoever gets closest wins! The themes can be quite cryptic, and may not be as simple as they first appear. For an example, you can visit the ImageKind blog.

When you think you've worked out the correct answer, visit the ImageKind Forum, and join the corresponding discussion under the category Contest - Curator's Picks. Post your best guess there! But that's not quite all: you also need to go out and find another work of art on Imagekind that fits in the theme, and post that link along with your guess.

You can discuss the contest as much as you like, but you can only make one official entry for each time. And don't forget, the winner is the first member with the closest guess - so get in early if you can! You'll be able to edit your entry, but that will re-set your entry time...so you've got to be a bit tactical too, and make sure you put your best guess down as soon as possible!

OK, now for the part you've all been waiting for: the prize...The winner will receive $25 off any ImageKind order...and with the contest re-starting every time the set of Curator's Picks changes, there are plenty of chances to win, and to view some great artworks while you're at it.

Good luck and let the games begin...

Visit ImageKind's Home Page to browse all their artworks.

Want to see some Raw Talent? We've added a variety of new artists and photographers to our Raw Talent selection. For those of you who haven't taken a browse there already, our Raw Talent page is there to inspire you...it's a list of our favorite artists and photogrpahers...so if you want to see some great artworks, some stunning photography or if you just want to feel invigorated, go take a look!

Show me some Raw Talent - I want to see some great new artwork and photographs from across the world...

Now, as you all know, I am no art expert (whatever that is), and so I judge its value purely by the emotional response I get when I look at a piece of art. If it looks nice, feels nice, is nice, then I think it's got value. I don't want it to be shocking, or grotesque or so obscure that I can't relate to it on any level. My litmus test for "good art" is the simple question, would I hang this piece in my front room, office, bedroom, kitchen? Would it bring joy and brightness to my day to see this piece of art in my home? If the answer is Yes, then I think it's got value because it adds something positive to my life.

Which brings me on to Raul del Rio, my latest discovery in the world of art, color and life. Would I hang a piece by Raul del Rio in my front room? Without a doubt. The only problem would be choosing which one! I came across Raul's work when browsing through ImageKind's online galleries, where Raul is a fellow member artist. His work is hard to miss - it leaps out at you, a blaze of color and cheerfulness - it's so vivid, it literally pulsates with life.

Raul himself describes his work as "modern primitive". All his work effortlessly combines his two main interests: Nature and Heritage. He portrays nature and architecture as he would like them to be: bright, colorful, stylized and clean. In his collection of artworks, you'll see pieces featuring wildlife (from birds to fishes and whales), farm animals, bright Mexican villages and market scenes, all bursting with life, color, lush vegetation and tropical fruits. There are landscapes and underwater scenes too, with Raul's style elegantly mixing primitive and folk art with the exotic and even a touch of realism here and there - there's so much going on in del Rio's artwork, that everyone will find something to relate to, something which reaches out and touches them.

When I read the long list of eminent environmental organizations who have commissioned Raul del Rio and are affiliated with his work (including Greenpeace, Earth Island, Conservation International, Environmental Defense Club, Humane Farming Association, Animal Voice Magazine and National Wildlife Federation), it becomes clear why I feel such an affinity with Raul's work, for I too am someone for whom Nature is not only inspirational, but central to my life and a driving force behind everything I do.

I highly recommend taking a look through Raul del Rio's entire collection, but here are my own personal favorites:

Toucans by Raul del Rio
Veracruz by Raul del Rio
Country Chickens by Raul del Rio
Lavanderas by Raul del Rio
Las Palomas by Raul del Rio

You can also view the work of some of my other favorite artists on our Raw Talent page. Enjoy browsing!

ImageKind, one of the web's fast growing, highest quality online art & framing stores is running a contest for Non-Profits based in the Washington State area. The idea is to share inspiration with organizations who provide it for others in so many different ways. To the winner, ImageKind will donate 8 digitally printed, museum-quality framed works of art from a selection by emerging artists from Washington State. The contest runs June 14th through July 13th, and all Western Washington Non-Profits located throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish counties are eligible to apply for an art makeover. A reveal on August 9th will feature the before and after images of the room selected for a makeover by the winning Non-Profit.

More information can be found, and applications made, at ImageKind's Nonprofit Contest Page.

Here at Dezine Design, we think this is a wonderful idea, but we'd like to see the concept rolled out beyond the Seattle environs, to encompass a wider area and open up the opportunity for non-profits who are providing shelter and other important services across the United States...meanwhile let's also open up the opportunity for a wider range of artists who live and work outside of Washington State. This is a great idea, but it needs to have wider application, in our opinion. (News on the ImageKind Blog is that this is just the first contest of its kind, and that in due course ImageKind will be running more wider reaching contests of this sort. They are doing the first one locally, to iron out any potential creases. Good thinking, probably...but we're looking forward to the next one!

I understand that international freight would make contests of this kind impractical to run globally, but why not hold a contest in future which would award US Non-Profits who work on the international stage, with art works created by artists living outside of the United States...this would add an interesting international flavor to the contest, and also make non-US artists feel like they have an equal opportunity to promote their work through these ImageKind contests.

Imagine setting yourself the task of creating a self-sustaining business to generate passive income while also losing 60 lbs - all in the space of 90 short days....well, that is exactly what our fellow ImageKind artist, Ali Sabet is doing. Inspired by a book called "The 4 Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferris, Ali Sabet has set himself this awesome challenge as an experiment in betterment and self-reflection that he calls his 90 day life transformation.

Go check out his work, marketed under the name PixoPopKids, and learn more about this fascinating guy who not only runs a full-service firm (Sabet Brands) but also heads up the character design based social site Mojizu...

And if you know any kids whose birthdays are coming up soon, go buy some children's art from Mr Sabet!

More art for kids is also available HERE.