Walking Blind Mag Setember Issue 2.3

Volume 1 number 2 September 2010
Cover art by Shingo Matsunuma

www.nevaehvision.com
WalkingBlind Art and Literature Magazine Published by NevaehVision

Editor’s Letter Kendra Gimblet - Executive Editor
W
W alkingBlind Art and Literature Magazine’s premiere on the second
of August was bigger than my staff and I ever expected. People
came pouring in from all around the web and globe to see the artists fea-
tured within the pages of the periodical, read the articles, and comment,
setting our readership at well over fifteen thousand people for the first
issue. To say that I am really proud of the payoff is an understatement,
and that payoff is art awareness. So with that I would like to publicly
thank all of you for viewing, book marking, and rereading our first issue.
The overall reader response was outstanding with so many wonderful
reviews and comments, there were some negative feedback which was
as to be expected, we can’t please everyone in the known world. One of
the exciting new additions to this issue and ones to follow is that you will
be able to read those responses on our Reader’s Comments page.
As you all know the first of our main goals is to become a printed
WalkingBlind Issue 2 vol. 1 magazine that spreads the universal language of art around to every na-
About the front cover. tion, in preparation for that we are constantly working to improve the
look, feel, and overall quality of WalkingBlind. You will be seeing some
On our front cover is Hito minor tweaking of format in the periodical over the next few issues as
Kikai 4 by Shingo Mat- we fine tune the magazine’s appearance to really make it its own. In con-
sunuma otherwise know as junction with that some major marketing endeavor’s are happening be-
“Shichigoro.” Check out this hind the scenes in an effort to raise the support needed to keep
amazing artist from Japan WalkingBlind going strong. We never ask our artists for money, but we
and the whimsical worlds he
do rely on donations and sponsors to support our overhead and operat-
creates. To see more from
Shichigoro head over to our ing costs. More good news is that we may have some great artistic con-
digital art section for other tests with amazing prizes in the near future as we affiliate ourselves with
images and details about the larger artist resource vendors.
artist’s work.
My staff and I are very engaging people and love to challenge our
skills with various tests and obstacles in order to reach a new level of
high and have a lot of fun while we are doing it; all of our contests will
WalkingBlind be geared toward that goal. These upcoming treats will be for our visual
art section and the writers, no one will get left out in any event. The
Layout and Editorial
prompt and or task will be applied to everyone, so invite your friends
Executive Editor- Kendra Gimblet
Assitant Editor- Glen L. Puchlerz and fellow artists to participate when they are announced.
Graphics Director- Glen L. Puchlerz

Layout Director - Glen L. Puchlerz
By now you see that I enjoy sharing good news and this time it con-
cerns NevaehVision, the site that hosts WalkingBlind Magazine. I am
Business happy to say that by the time the October issue is out the website will be
WalkingBlind Art and Literature completely finished with blog and forum included. You will be able to
Magazine is a publication of chat with artists or those who just appreciate art in the lounge and make
NevaehVision. new friends as you go through the threads. Subscribe to the magazine
using our new RSS feed so that you can keep in touch with the magazine
For advertising or submision
queries contact:
and other upcoming events. Not only that, but you will be able to talk to
kgimblet@nevaehvision.com the staff on a regular basis along with reading and commenting on the
magazine’s blog. In addition to this we will be setting up a donation page
www.nevaehvision.com for you to support our vision for the arts, so that we may continue to
bring art back to the forefront of everyday society.
WalkingBlind
WalkingBlind Features
September 2010
Digital Art Volume 1 Number 2
11 - Patipat Asavasena
21 - Kazuhiko Nakamura
27 - Shingo Matsunuma
31 - Cyril Rolando
Traditional Art
39 - Annie Stegg
45 - Laura Bifano
49 - Rob Rey
Poetry & Prose 55 - G.H. Monroe

57 - Jessica Moulaisson
59 - Melissa Ushliyanage
63 - Samantha Puchlerz
67 - Livvy Carson
69 - Arwa Shahzad
Photography 71 - K.H. Phoenix
77 - Michelle Carrel
83 - Mind-Cage
91 - Andrey Alekseev
Articles
99 - Indigo Reid
104 - Alex Dark
Enterainment
108 - Wenqing Yan
Departments
WalkingBlind Art and literature Magazine is a publication of the Nevaehvision co. Content is protected under U.S. and International copyright laws. Any duplication
without the express written authorization of Walkingblind Magazine and it’s subsidiaries is strictly prohibited. Artistist creative works and/or intellectual properties
are under license to WalkingBlind Magazine and remain the sole properties of the artists. For further information contact WalkingBlind Art and Literature Magazine
at: http//www.nevaehvision.com or email: info@nevaehvision.com WalkingBlind Art and Literature Magazine is a monthly publication with offices in Florida and
Massachusetts Copyright©Nevaehvision.com, 2010. All rights Reserved.
R e a d e r ’s On the general layout and feel of it and I must say
it's both extremely fascinating and engaging. The
way everything was arranged by itself was a work of
Comments
art. It is definitely my kind of magazine, too bad I
couldn't read any of the articles! Darn my horrible
laptop.
by SedahLiah
I loved the whole first issue, can't for more and to

get a subscription!
by Erin
Awesome site, found through WritersCafe. In this

quick run through was really impressed with its vi-
sual quality and layout. Keep it up and will visit
Along with the success of our premiere issue often.
came a ﬂood of readers comments. We have to
by Rory
say it made us feel great! As the collection of
random comments was assembled into a larger
whole it became apparent that a singular voice I have to say, the best art magazine I've seen in a
stood out....”readers loved the magazine” and while! It's well written and well organized and the
artists you picked are brilliant. I don't dare to submit
we love our readers for their support. As a re- anything now, maybe in 2 years ! :D
ward here are a few of the comments you sent
in, so if one of these belongs to you enjoy your Best regards,
Milica
ﬁve minutes of fame and thank you from the
team at WalkingBlnd magazine. We couldn’t
do it without you!!
"I've been in the computer graphics publishing busi-

ness for nearly two decades, having published two
very successful print magazines, edited three others, I am by no means an expert, but I feel you guys are
written 11 best-selling books and more than 250 tu- doing a stellar job. The layouts are well thought out
torials for magazines around the globe. I've seen my and do not distract from the text!
share of magazines in this industry and I welcome
and support the marvelous effort the team at Walk- by Mr. Nakes
ingBlind are doing to both inspire and educate the
art community. Congrats on the new magazine! Well I enjoyed the first issue, and will definitely continue
to read. It was very nicely put together too!
done!"
by Daniel Griffiths
Bill Fleming
Publisher
Komodo Publishing
Digital Art
PatiPat asavasena
Fantasy is not just a hobby
Walkingblind Magazine
11
Greed by Asuka111
asuka111
12
Name : Patipat Asavasena ( ASUKA111 )
Birthdate : 22/02/1984
Title : Freelance Artist
Resident : Thailand
Profession : Illustration, Painting, and Concept art
Web: www.asuka111.net
“ Colour helps to express light, not the physical phenomenon, but the only
“
light that really exists, that in the artist's brain. Henri Matisse, 1945
This month as we journey deeper into the well tutorials etc. I kept drawing a lot and then re-
of digital art, past each glowing pixel into the alized that it’s not just a hobby for me any-
magical electron buzz of color and luminance more; it's love and obsession now.” How can
we find Patipat Asavasena as Asuka driving anyone say it better than that? It is amazing
our video-cards hard with his personal blend the emotions one feels whenever they are
of somber elegance and subdued flare. Asuka falling in love with their future. Understand I’m
is the kind of artist that finds rest in the mist of not lessening a college degree at all, and I en-
chaos and captures the feeling of peace and courage everyone to further their education as
tranquility that each of his characters may be they see fit. What I am saying is before you
experiencing. With an excel- sacrifice that much time and ef-
lent color pallet and great fort in something make sure it’s
originality this artist contin- what you love to do, because
ues to stun the world pro- you may spend the rest of your
ducing works that have won life in a place where you never
him the WACOM Anime Girl wanted to be. Looking at
Contest, Cute Award, 2009, Asuka’s artwork you can see
WACOM Anime and Manga the patience, detail and adora-
contest, Grande prize win- tion for art that he instills into
ner, 2010 and the Let's each piece. One thing that
Comic Awards 2010, And stood out to my team which I
Time and Space by Asuka111
the Let's Selected CG Artist brought up earlier is how ex-
Award. It is hard to think that a person as pas- pressive the rich colors in his art are, some-
sionate about art as he, was so close to pur- how the deep blues, bright greens, vibrant
suing another career with a Bachelor degree reds and humming yellows all work under his
in Mechanical Engineering from Kasetsart skilled eyes to produce a conglomerate of
University in Bangkok, Thailand already in striking visuals. “I think my artwork is a way
hand. “I was inspired by Japanese's animation for me to confess my feelings and emotions
and manga culture. I started to draw as a without saying a word. Since I'm shy and don't
hobby at first.” Asuka says “ Then, I continued talk too much in real life. I love work that is
to study and develop my skill from available beautiful with powerful messages that can
resources such as: books, artist friends, online reach to the audience.” For being only
13
14
Mask of Hatred by Asuka111
The ‘Black Lady’ by Patipat Asavasena is one of my favorite pieces from him, not only be-
cause of the flowing onyx hair, and crystal blue eyes of the character but because of her
presence. When looking at this you see her surrounded by darkness on either side as if the
shadow wishes to attach itself to her black attire. The most interesting thing about this is it
seems as if the light and not the darkness is encaging her, as if she is trapped and spot
lighted in the intense glow of the aura. This character actually appears to be uncomfortable
in the light and with a slightly cocked head she peers at her opposition.
15
Black Lady by Asuka111
16
The Manikin’s Portrait by Asuka111
twenty-six the artistic motivation and vision motion. All of the things that make up Papi-
that Asuka has discovered for himself is one pat Asavasena you can experience in the
that will last long after he is gone. He states work he creates, from his shyness to his con-
in the text above that he confesses through fessional feelings. All of these things com-
his work, which to me is bine to make a powerful
brilliant, being able to use artistic style and all around
art as a confessionary is great person. I admire how
one of the great things much strength his artwork
about free expression. holds, while at the same time
Many people seek to they are as gentle as a friend’s
confess their sins, loves, helping hand. When an artist
loss, and life through a understands who he or she is,
plethora of mediums it is in that moment that a cer-
whether through another tain style emerges; he has
person, an altar, loud found that style.
music or haunting si-
lence. Artists around the To follow the work of this artist
world also lay down their or to buy his new artbook
problems, and suc- ‘Everyday Fantasy’ visit his
cesses, but in a way that website www.asuka111.net
visually and lyrically par-
alyzes its viewers.
Asuka’s work inspires a
sense of beautiful fantasy A Colorless by Asuka111
that captures the soul from a body and intro-
Hero by Asuka111
duces it to a parallel world of color and fluid
17
18
19
20
G
reat art is not hard to find but it is very often hard to describe.
There are artists who fall very easily into categories: sculptor,
painter, sketch artist and so on. But then, on the rarest of oc-
casions, one stumbles across an artist that is so different, so spectac-
ular there are no words to describe their style and no one category
within which to place their work. These are the truly amazing artists,
the ones that astound us with breath-taking views of their compositions
and this artist, Amalacan, is one of them! There is no category suited
to hold the body of his work as it is in a class by itself and without rival.
There is a lot I could say about Amalacan but I am afraid I could not
do him justice so as I step out of the way allow me to present to you
21
IBrain Tower by Almacan
22
IShell in the Darkness by Almacan
Amalacan on Amalacan! I wanted to be a painter when I was young and created

works by a traditional technique. However, I felt limited in my ability to create the
vision that I expected and wanted, so I was separated from creating for a really
long period. About 14 years ago, a computer was introduced into my workplace
which made it possible using 3D software. I was very attracted to this freedom of
expression and became inspired to create art again. “Surrealism Art” and “Fan-
tastic Realism” have made a great influence on me and I especially admire the
paintings of Dali, Ernst Fuchs and H.R. Giger. Their great visions are my indicator
now. I have various favorite images stored to my memory that become hints. An-
tique machines, armor, beetles, skeletons, old portrait photos.....They are mysteri-
ous material that make my fantasy amplified. I blow up imagination while
23
assembling those images. I enjoy that time very much. My art
is a complex work composed of a lot of detailed modeling
parts. I use the PC which was equipped with Core i7 to do
rendering of the heavy data file. The digital image is pro-
duced by a 3D application "Shade" and "Photoshop". I ac-
quired my skill by self-education while taking advantage of
my spare time wisely. Perhaps the best teacher may have
been several good books on paintings which I possessed. I
make digital art with the sense that solves the jigsaw puzzle.
I collect fragmentary images that are the sources of inspira-
tion for my imagination, and assemble them carefully. During
Spiral Memory by Almacan
24
The Tower of Beetle by Almacan
25
Automaton by Almacan
the production process my works repeat the transfor-

mation and grow like the ecdysis of insects. Such un-
predictable transformations stimulate my curiosity, and
lead me to answer to the mysterious puzzle. Recently,
my art work has been featured in the field of Visionary
Art and Surreal Art. My work was exhibited at "CAR-
NIVORA: The Dark Art of Automobiles" with the art-
works of H.R. Giger, Beksiński and Hajime Sorayama...
two years ago. I received the "animago" and "CG
Choice award", it was a great honor for me. Amalacan
The Armed Meiden by Almacan is truly in a class by himself and it was our privilege to
feature his work in this issue. Please visit this artist on
the web at: http://www.h6.dion.ne.jp/~m.mirage/
Walkingblind Magazine 26
“ There is nothing
that cannot be
achieved by firm
imagination ”
ocated in the beautiful
L Japanese landscape, set-

tled within the coastal
town of Yokohama you will
find a population of 3.6 mil-
lion people going about their
daily lives. It takes a lot to
stand out in such a large
populace but it’s not impossi-
ble.
Just create whimsical worlds full of happy

mechanized creatures, fill the fantasy
with a race people that interact harmo-
niously and presto you will stand out in
the crowd. One artist who has achieved
such status is Shingo Matsunuma other-
wise known as “Shichigoro”. In his
worlds pigs do fly along side happy air
surfing whales and in the broader
scheme of things we see his characters
to a depth that other artists do not always
afford us. Shichigoro’s characters not
only allow us to see things on the surface
but also deep within, right down to the
very high octane machines that drive
them. At thirty- three Shichigoro’s style is
proprietary and unique with an appeal
that tantalizes viewers of all ages to pon-
der the many facets and layers of his sur-
Welcome to the surreal world of Shingo Matsunuma
27
real worlds. Learning oil painting at an
university of arts in Japan, he also began
drawing artwork with digital tools such as
Photoshop, and worked as a digital artist
for a game company. Shichigoro found
himself inspired and motivated by many
various works in many genres such as
traditional arts, movies, animated car-
toons, and more. Shichigoro stated “I
want to draw original art work that I imag-
ine in my created world. In my world
there is no fear; no fear of creatures and
no fear of machines, just no fear!” The
interaction of the inhabitants of Shichig-
oro’s worlds is a testament to this state-
ment, exampled in scenes where small
children ride joyfully upon the backs of
school bus sized creatures and the crea-
tures themselves present the smallest of
Shichigoro’s mechanized humans with
flowers. A truly peaceful existence is
portrayed and conveyed to the viewer
in a way that draws you in and leaves
you wanting to return over and over
again.
Kocchi by Shichigoro
Hito-kikai-2 by Shichigoro
“I want many
people to expe-
rience my
works of art, I
want someone
to use my art-
works for
something be-
cause I want
to continue to
work on art in
the future.”
28
Welcome to a world without fear
Shichigoro draws every-

day to work on his art in
earnest. As he told Walk-
ingBlind “I want many
people to experience my
works of art, I want some-
one to use my artworks for
something because I want
to continue to work on art
in the future.” This is a
profound statement by
Shichigoro; art, if it is to
be preserved, must be
viewed and appreciated.
An artist without an audi-
ence is an out of work
Give a Flower by Shichigoro artist. When you see
Shichigoro’s work for the
first time you will be
amazed at the depth at
which his images present
themselves. The smooth-
ness of tone and the intri-
cate detail along with the
stark contrast of light and
shadow all blend together
perfectly to form a rich
context with which to let
the mind wander in this
rich cornucopia of fan-
tasy. The body of work he
has produced demands to
be viewed and visited over
and over again, as once is
not enough to take in all
that his many surreal
worlds have to offer.
There is a sublime power
in the style while at the
I Want by Shichigoro
29 Walkingblind Magazine
same time a softness that per-
meates the creatures making
even the largest of his charac-
ters extremely approachable,
and aproach we must.
Shichigoro is currently study-
ing English to better commu-
nicate with a broader
audience. We hope to see
more from this artist very
soon and were very honored
to have Shichigoro as our
cover artist for this second
issue, when we saw it we new
it was the perfect image to
represent WalkingBlind this
month and we send many
thanks to Shichigoro ing for
allow us to publish his work.
Hito-Kikai-4 by Shichigoro
W e at Walkingblind want to encourage all our read-

ers to visit Shichigoro’s galleries frequently as well
as all our featured artists.
Shichigoro can be found several places on the web at

the following locations: http://www.shichigoro.com/
on http://shichigoro756.deviantart.com/ and on:
Air Cleaner by Shichigoro
http://www.loftwork.com/user/14208/
30
Cyril Rolando
C
yril Rolando is one of those mul-
titalented artists that you hear
about only in fairytales, the first
thing that comes to mind when
you meet him and run your eyes over his
work is “Dude you can draw!” then after
talking to him for a couple of minutes you
notice something slightly different…he’s
also a poet. Some of you out there are
probably grabbing for a baseball bat and
trying to find out who I am so you can take
me out, but I’m not kidding for every won-
derful piece of art you see there is an
equally outrageous poem that fits the mood
of the artwork perfectly. Cyril has found a
way to capture with color and words what
some people couldn’t tell you with their own
body language; I am both excited and en-
thralled as an appreciator of the arts and a
31 Digital Artist
Blowing bubbles
Too much water,

but you can't stop the flow,
getting absorbed in your work.
Too many desires,

but you can't stop the walk,
flooded by the law and order.
Sometimes, you feel like a

goldfish, blowing bubbles in
a tiny bowl, but you can't stop.
Dream on.
Blowing Bubbles by Cyril Rolando
A golden wind will sweep your

clouds away if you have a word
with the sunshine about it.
Solar Symphonies by Cyril Rolando
writer to have his work among the read these messages, understand such good for people, but as Cyril
pages of WalkingBlind. I asked the riddles and help them reach has pointed out it can be used as an
him about his aspirations for his art the shore safely. My art is a pure instrument of care and understand-
and his reply was: “I express the hobby. I just draw to keep on filling ing. I was simply awe-struck by his
most intimate and attuned connec- my gallery year after year, and be words, art is seen in many ways as
tion to my life with my art". For ex- able to see the evolution of my a lot of us already know, but how
ample, the drawing called ‘Save way of thinking.” Wanting his art- many other ways is art presented to
Our Souls’, one of my first draw- work to communicate the solution the world that we don’t know of?
ings (I was a psychology student to problems embedded into the One thing you notice from Cyril’s art
when I drew it) matches the idea I human psyche has to be one of is his style, curious about what he
had of my future work. ‘Collect the most generous goals an artist thought of his technique I queried
Lost Bottles’ depicts messages can have. I have never thought him: “I never went to art school so
from unknown people needing that the study of psychology and it's hard for me to express what
help in a tormented sea, I try to artwork could merge to create could be my "style". I try to be origi-
32
They put pawns on the market,
nothing seems to checkmate,
we dance on a cheese board.
A new year party has begun,

we see the same chicken run,
still sentenced to be ignored.
It's the best part of the meal,

"say cheese" to the new deal,
this is a game you can't afford.
They control us like pieces,

at the rate of the increases,
it's played on a chessboard.
Cheese Players by CyrilRolando
It's ok, I can manage,

turning crisis into advantage,
please, drag me into your mud,
I will surf on a golden flood,
and hug me.
It's ok, I'm not in misery,

you are welcome to my gallery,
your sorrow gives a good return,
I really enjoy what I earn,
and kiss me.
It's ok, give me my due,

yeah, it was nice to meet you,
keep on crying and come back,
Indeed, my shop is a nasty crack,
but love me. C'est la crise !
Economic Crisis by Cyril Rolando
nal, I like otherworldly theory and though were spot on; I knew that my favorite because they bring the
surrealism, but it's impossible for this person held a high standard. idea of coldness, wisdom and cre-
me to say if I have a style and its His words made us determined to ativity. I wish to take a stand, polit-
origin. I tried to draw on oekaki show him that he does have an art ically, but I think it's a risk. In
boards, then on photoshop... but style and we didn’t know how to January 2009 I wanted to draw
nothing really ambitious.” We have do that until I asked him about his something about the Israeli Pales-
to disagree with the artist here, he motivation for art. “Emotion and tinian conflict, without taking the
has an amazing artistic eye with a color, both are the tools and mo- part; it's a hard exercise with only
style all his own to follow. I once tive I wish to draw with. Water is one image.” After reading his state-
saw him critique a piece of his my favorite element, because its ment I found myself exploring his
work that he wasn’t too happy color depends on the environment visual art and poetry once more to
about and from his scrutinization of and it can express many feelings find that common link that bond
‘strange compositions’ and ‘lack of (anger, coolness, dream.) So, col- them to their creator and I saw that
visual depth’ which I personally ors like blue, purple and green are connection in color and emotion
33
Breathe Me by Cyril Rolando
" Demain soufflera le vent de demain”
just like he had said. This artist Burton, Hayao Miyazaki and that roll off of his pieces like a full
forms dreamscapes within the French novel authors such as honeycomb. Also the French nov-
dark pupils of his eyes and then Boris Vian and Albert Camus.” elists Mr. Vian and Mr. Camus
projects that image onto a screen Cyril says “I like to play with the were both great writers narrators
along with incredible textures of world and change their meaning with famous works such as “L'Éc-
verse. The backbone of his style or sonority. Some points of the ume des jours” by Boris Vian and
seems to be rooted in the soil of Burton's universe were a great “Cross Purpose” by Albert Camus.
awareness, he wants people to be gate to my art connection opportu- With everything that Cyril Rolando
aware of their troubles, the world’s nity. Everything seemed to be pos- shared with us about himself and
health, government policy and sible when I was looking at the his art I have no doubt that some
most importantly themselves; his world of his movies.” Seeing that of you will be venturing to his web-
chosen profession and influences Tim Burton is one of the people site so to see more of this awe-
tells us this. “I like the surrealism who has made an impression some artist visit sixio.free.fr
style and abstract world of Tim upon him explains the cool vibes
For heavyhearted girls only, 1. On the support, draw a rough wing of
modest size (15x20 cm). If you have diffi-
Attempt #1 : The heart alleviation culties doing the form, search on Google
Images with the keywords " wing heart "
Overview: and print your favorite. It's not necessary
to do the second wing for the moment.
Make two solid wings and stop the internal
bleeding, if need be. An adult need not be pres- 2. Cut up the form and put the wing on the
ent. support. If you choose the cardboard, it will
be easier but less aesthetic. Draw the out-
Equipment: line to transfer the model. Take about ten
sheets of paper (or 2 pieces of cardboard)
1. Some sheets of paper or pieces of cardboard and cut up to obtain a solid piece of paper.
: A4 size . You need to reinforce with the adhesive
2. An adhesive tape. tape.
3. A pair of scissors.
4. A felt-tip pen (black or colored, as 3. Turn over the model and re-
you wish). peat the same process to get the
second wing. Once you are
Safety: done with it, fix the wings on
your heavyheart with the adhe-
Scissors are sharp.. treat appropri- sive tape. After 10-15 minutes,
ately. Avoid doing the process if you will feel lighter.
you are crying, the adhesive tape
effect could be ineffective on 4. It is possible your heart
contact with salt water. may keep on bleeding. Don't
worry about it, you can
How to proceed : make repair patchs quickly
using the adhesive tape
as sticking plaster.
Fix You by Cyril Rolando
36
Traditional Art
Ste g g
nni e
A
D
uring my artistic
travels I like to
gather souvenirs to
bring back from the
land of Wacom tablets and
acrylic paints, this time I think
I may have outdone myself. I
cannot think of anyone more
suited to open up the section of
traditional artists other than
twenty-eight year old Annie
Stegg. When I first encoun-
tered Annie’s work I was not
ready for the intense beauty
and depth that her paintings
held, I was blown away and
brought back again by the
uniqueness of her skill. Need-
less to say I spent hours gazing
39
The striking beauty and elegant
quality of such work stuns its
audience into a reverent silence
as the art itself has the floor,
and it sings.
work, and thankfully, the owner liked it. He

had a blank space in the gallery, and hung it.
From there I received many commissioned
painting offers. And eventually, I was allowed
a section of the gallery for my works. I met a
variety of people working there, and started
doing other aspects of art as well. Logo de-
signs, websites, and clothing design. I was
gradually able to build my portfolio and web-
site, and from there, get other job offers.” Her
answer should show all of you that hard work
Black Moor by Annie Stegg really does pay off. It is very motivating to see
a good artist such as Annie Stegg moving up
the artistic ladder because it goes to inform
us all that elbow grease is still a form of cur-
at her work, exploring every color and facet
rency and I’m sure that Annie has put a lot
wondering where she had gotten such a
of it into her work. I am sure that Annie
magical style from. I never knew until
would like me to encourage all of the
that moment how much an ab-
readers who aspire to reach their
solutely gorgeous piece of work
goals to follow through with any-
could touch the human soul.
thing that needs to be done in
How she uses the richness of
order to grab them. As you
color and fantasy seen in her
can see I am very excited to
art in order to accurately
have Annie within the pages
communicate her desired
of WalkingBlind; not only is
meaning is both spot on and
she inspiring, she is an ad-
amazing, coming across this
mirable artist. One painting of
artist was like bumping into a
hers that I must talk about is
goldmine; something a person
‘Black Moor’ I have gazed at this
only does once in a lifetime. After
piece over the last few days more
gawking at her work I switched my
than I’ve looked at myself in the mirror.
brain back on long enough to ask her
There are a number of details that impress
about her introduction into the arts: “I have
me, one of which is the color of the skin, early
been doing some form of art my entire life.
on I noticed that this artist has a really good
I started professionally by working in a
technique of making skin appear so real, you
gallery/frame shop selling paintings while I
can see the creamy peaches mixed lightly
was attending art school. Being around so
with other hues that make up a color and
much art was very inspirational. I started
texture that is very striking. More details in-
painting more and more at home, after
clude the positioning of certain things such
work and school. Eventually, I had the con-
as the beautiful fish one of which is looking
fidence to bring one of my paintings into
40
“Love of beauty is Taste. The creation of beauty is Art.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Wild Swans by Annie Stegg
up at the girl almost curi-

ously while another almost
fastens itself like a bow
against her onyx hair. The
hand is a very dramatic
touch I find it to be both shy
and coy at the same time as
the girl’s nails slightly im-
print into the side of her
slightly blushing cheek. The
most alluring aspect without
question is the eyes, they are
like two inky pools of dark-
ness that begin to suck the
viewer into the painting, bit
by bit you are brought into
the world of the ‘Black Moor’
without any direction to
where you are going. I was
quickly caught by them and
held captive until a force
stronger than her eyes
known as hunger beckoned
me away. After a while of
staring at it, this painting be-
comes family and it feels as
though you know the girl
surrounded by fish, flowers
and the world held prisoner
in her eyes. With so much
awesome work to look
through I found myself ask- Catfish by Annie Stegg
ing her about the major influ-
ences of her art. “Both my
41
Autumn Rose by Annie Stegg
grandparents are artists and
my father teaches art, so I
grew up around it, and it was
highly encouraged. My favorite
illustrator is Brian Froud. His
creations are imaginative and
unique, and rendered beauti-
fully. I especially love his
creature designs.” Having an
artistic family must be a very
good plus for an artist, one of
the best things any person can
have is a body of people who
understands them and I be-
lieve it is much better to have
those people be relatives. I am
glad that Annie mentioned
Brian Froud as her favorite il-
Carmine Flower by Annie Stegg
lustrator he is extremely tal-
ented an well known, he also was the
concept artist for ‘The Dark Crystal’
(1982) and ‘Peter Pan’ (2003) both of
which are great movies. With such a well
rounded artist like Ms. Stegg is there
any doubt that we will be seeing more of
her in the near future? There is no doubt
in my mind that this artist reputation to
stun is her audience is just beginning.
Good news for Annie Stegg’s admirers is
that her pieces are on sale on her web-
site at AnnieStegg.com I have been there
Sleeping Beauty by Annie Stegg
plenty of times to view her work and the

prices on her pieces are very reasonable.
Having the ability to share a vision with

people is incredibly satisfying as an
artist. When I am able to translate an
idea or theme onto canvas or paper ex-
actly how I envisioned it, there is noth-
ing more rewarding!
43
44
Tenebrous Empress by Annie Stegg
In this article you will meet such a
person, from general illustration to
fine art, Laura Bifano seems to pos-
sess unlimited resources upon which
her imagination uses to create her
D
amazing style of art. WalkingBlind
id you ever got up close and personal with Laura
in an email interview; so for the next
notice there are few minutes sit back, relax and meet
the artist who can truly do it all! -I've
some people been into art ever since I was four or
five. I originally started drawing be-
that just seem to have the ability cause of my sibling rivalry with my
Laura Bifano
older brother. I found out that art

to do just about anything? I was the one thing I could upstage
him at, and then I just sort of stuck
mean they are like a Swiss army with it ever since. I was always a shy
kid and I've felt the most comfortable
knife, no matter what they set out hunched over a sheet of paper. My
parents always made sure I had easy
to accomplish they just do it well access to a ton of art supplies. So
growing up, we were always encour-
and usually with great style. aged to draw and paint.. I was very
influenced by the dream like and al-
legorical imagery of the symbolist
movement. Artists like Edvard Mun-
Walkingblind
Magazine
45
45
Brainocorns by Laura Bifano
sch, Carlos Schwabe, and Fernand

Khnopff use shape and color in a way
that is still surprising and relevant
even today. And of course, NC Wyeth
and Bernie Fuchs are masters of com-
position and color. Those guys use an
economy of rendering and brush-
strokes that if any one else tried would
be either completely overdone or just
sloppy. Seeing the exciting things that
my peers work on always motivates me
to keep working and experimenting. I
never know where my inspiration will
come from next, but I generally try to
keep myself interested in lots of differ-
ent things. I received my education at
the Alberta College of Art and Design.
It was an incredibly challenging and
Lotus Eater by Laura Bifano
rigorous program that not only taught

us to quickly ideate and execute fin-
ished pieces, but also to art direct our-
selves. I graduated in 2008 and
transitioned into working as a concept
and storyboard artist for a few studios
in Calgary. In 2010 I made the transi-
tion to full time freelancer. Lately I've
46
been working more towards the fine
arts world rather than illustration,
and recently had my first solo
show entitled "Cacophony" in Vic-
toria BC at the Boucherat Gallery.
My fascinations with fashion, space
travel, nature, music, myth, and
story all influence my finished
pieces. I also find that sitting in a
coffee shop for a couple hours
studying and sketching people can
be pretty inspirational. You have to
be subtle about it though, other-
wise people tend to get creeped out.
Ultimately I create for the pure ki-
netic joy of feeling the brush on
paper. The desire to dive into creat-
ing a finished piece without putting
the work of research, thumbnails
and media experiments can be
tempting, but almost never results
in something as polished or refined
Young Bride by Laura Bifano as a fully fleshed out, realized
image. Learning to love the
process of illustration was a chal-
lenge at first, but eventually I came
Cacophony by Laura Bifano

47
Deluge by Laura Bifano
to love the pre-development as much

as creating the finished piece. My
process is fairly straight forward: For
the image "Cacophony" I had a rough
idea of what I wanted to do, and began
with some thumbnails and research
sketches. Usually I just fool around in
my sketchbook until I have a composi-
tion that feels right, then I scan it in to
photoshop at around 300 dpi. Once it's
in the computer, I'm free to move, scale
and re-arrange elements as I see fit.
Nothing too refined or fleshed out, but
I like to have an indication of the over-
Mood Swings by Laura Bifano
all tone and mood so I'm not figuring

that out on the paper itself. From there
I'll do a graphite transfer into a gessoed
piece of 300 weight Arches hot press
watercolor paper. My painting progress
is detailed more in this blog post: you
can visit me there at: ttp://laurabi-
fano.blogspot.com/2009/11/cacoph-
ony.html
48
Rob Rey
T imeless Traditional Art
49
R
ob grew up with an inquisitive
mind in a suburb north of
Chicago. After high school he
spent a summer hiking the
Appalachian Trail from Maine
to West Virginia. He studied at the Rhode Is-
land School of Design and graduated in
2006 with a BFA in Illustration. Rob cur-
rently resides in Providence, Rhode Island,
where he works continuously to improve his
skills and clarify his voice.
Maintaining that inquisitive mind that drives ed-

ucation and growth, he hopes to make pictures
that speak and inspire. To have this impact,
Rob's work must contain some important as-
pects. It may be beauty, grace, elegance, secrecy
or sorcery. It may be the evidence of the human
hand in creation. Whatever it is, there must be
enchantment, some allure that invokes in the
Dislocation by Rob Rey

viewer a feeling of connection to the mystery of
the universe, to the enigma of the unconscious.
Acquaintance with this mystery, and its inherent
subjectivity, guides each of us to understand the
error of our own righteousness and bigotry, help-
ing us to live together more peacefully. There are
things, hopefully many, that make each of us feel
alive in the greatest sense of the word. Through
these things we gain a greater understanding of
our selves and a more balanced view of the world
around us. For Rob, art is among the most pow-
erful of these things, accompanied by nature,
people and new experience.
This is Rob Rey, an awesome traditional artist we

found meandering around the web minding his
own artwork, until he was found by one of the
staff; by the time we had seen all of the art on his
website I immediately contacted him and asked
him if I could conduct a short interview by email.
He eagerly accepted our proposal and here he is
hanging out with the rest of the artists sharing
his time and parts of his story, welcome to the
art of Rob Rey.
What do you want to do with your art?

I want to improve the world. Who knows if I'll ever
have the chance to have any kind of influence at
all, but that's what I want to do. That may just
mean to create beauty and enjoyment for other
people or it may mean something of more social
Tree Fairy by Rob Rey
impact. I want to create art that makes people

question. Question the world around them, but
more importantly question themselves. To make
people look deeper within themselves to work
through their own personal psychological trou-
bles. The famous psychoanalyst, Carl Young,
Eagle Tribe by Rob Rey
51
came to the understanding that mythology plays
an important role in our psychological well being.
Through myth we are directed through the pass-
ing stages of our lives and we come to know more
intimately, our own psychological self, both the
good and the bad. Without this understanding hu-
mans are prone to project their own short comings
onto others, using them as a scapegoat. So by en-
gaging viewers with story telling and mythology I
hope to help people live more peacefully with one
another.
Where did your style develop from?

My style developed from a deep love of the appear-
ance of oil paint. I knew early in my artistic en-
deavors that oil was the medium I wanted to use
and I devoted all my time to it. The soft edges that
blur into each other, the seemingly random mis-
takes that add life to an image, these fuel my pas-
sion for beauty, to me oil exemplifies the most
beautiful visual occurrences in nature and that is
what I strive to put into my work.
Scorcher bt Rob Rey
What motivates you as an artist?

This may be redundant, but beauty is my first mo-
tivation and it is followed by the desire to make a
positive difference in the world. The desire for
beauty motivated me to learn painting skills and
the skills that I have now somewhat acquired, mo-
tivate me to use them for a good purpose.
Who or what influenced your art?

Well, the easy answer is everything, and it's true.
But, to put a finer point on it, many great artists
and people have been major influences on me and
my art. I had the good fortune to spend a short
while studying with one of my favorite illustrators,
Jon Foster. Jon was very helpful, friendly, and
owe him a great deal for it. I am also influenced
by many more artists that I have not had the
chance to study with. A short list includes Jeffery
Jones, Phil Hale, Rick Berry, Gregory Manchess,
James Jean, Richard Schmid, Malcolm Liepke,
Zhaoming Wu, J. C Leyendecker, John Singer Sar-
gent, John White Alexander, Nicolai Fechin, N. C.
Wyeth, Dagnan-Bouveret, John William Water-
house, Alphonse Mucha, and Joseph Clement
Coll. There are of course many more, but as I said,
that's a short list. Others have had a profound in-
fluence on my thinking including Joseph Camp-
bell the comparative mythologist, Carl Jung the
analytic psychologist, and several of my teachers
at the Rhode Island School of Design, Shanth En-
jeti, Fritz Drury, Fred Lynch, and more. Visually,
Rusalka by Rob Rey
I find the powers of observation in nature to be a

never ending source of interest.
Find Rob at RobReyArt.com
52
Deliverance
The stifling shroud that

Hangs in the summer air
Brings burden to even
The simplest of acts.
Breaths come with difficulty,

As if drawn through plastic wrap.
Suddenly, the skies darken
And bring nature's merciful fury.
The air cools and a breeze

Rustles through the treetops,
Turning leaves over, exposing
Their pale underbellies.
This breeze, pregnant

With the scent of distant
Lakes, holds the promise
Of cool, wet relief.
Grape sized drops at first.

One, then another ... Sploosh,
Sploosh. Drops get smaller,
Falling now in raging sheets.
The breeze, now a cool, driving

Wind thrashes branches about
As the booming clap of Mother
Earth calls all to her relief.
I stand, arms outstretched

And head thrown back
In thanks as I am drenched
In her deliverance.
Deliverance by G. H. Monroe
55
G. M. Monroe
http://www.writerscafe.org/TheLonelyStranger
http://www.ghmonroe.com
“I am a 49 year old man who has has a metaphorical pen

in his hand seemingly forever. I wish that I could tell you a
more exciting story about the inspiration for this poem.
However the simple truth is that I was sitting on my porch
watching my little world around me change in preparation
for a thunder storm; the smells, the cooling of the air and
the trees. It was overwhelming to me ... so I wrote.”
G.H. Monroe’s poetry is in one word...real. When reading

the collection he has accumulated on Writerscafe you no-
tice how down to earth they really are, it is as if he has
found a way to make his poetic style as stable as the un-
moving ground we stand upon. It is these kinds of writers
that a young novice can look up to for support. Just like
in Monroe’s other poems, “Deliverance” rings with the
timbre of maturity that not many other writers can
match. His take on a common occurrence such as a
thunderstorm is so tangible that one can almost feel the
grape sized rain falling from the sky. Reading this piece
makes me want to experience the storm all over again
with his visuals in mind. “This breeze, pregnant /with the
scent of distant/ lakes” (Deliverance 4th stanza, l. 1-3)
This is one of the lines that really stood out to me due to
its sheer impact. In this one line we can feel the damp
wind on our flesh, smell the water, and taste the swamp
that the impregnated breeze embraced before dawning
our doors. So I will release you all to go check out his
other works and his book ‘That's My Story!” on his web-
site.
56
Dropped Dolls
i. like porcelain dolls, you always liked delicate things the most.
you breathed in my sea-glass ears when I asked you if that was
why you chose me, why you picked me out in a crowd of empty
bodies and rosy faces. you simply smiled and held my frail
hands, but my question was more than rhetorical.
(sometimes I think you like delicate things just because you

can break them.)
iii. you were delicate in ways only I could see, with spider-web
eyelashes and piano-key fingers, rolling over my spine, creating
melodies only we could hear. your rose-petal lips screamed that
you were stronger, but inside harsh-coloured words I found
your trembling fears, bedside secrets.
(I wouldn’t have broken you, even if God himself had offered

me the galaxies, like sparkling rubies in his palm.)
v. kissing you was like inhaling heroin, intoxicated whispers

lulling me to a dreamless sleep. and the lows are worth it for the
highs, and the tears are worth the smiles.
(we don’t quite fit society’s ideals, but I’ve always believed two
wrecked halves can make a whole.)
vii. you will forever be the boy that broke me,

and I will forever be the girl that wasn’t good enough,
that didn’t smile enough to deserve yours.
when I asked if you regretted me, you traced my lips with dry
fingers. “at least you’re pretty.”
(you always said things were prettiest when shattered.)
Dropped Dolls by Jessica Moulaisson
57
Jessica Moulaisson
bing-bam-boom.deviantart.com
“Jessica is a teenage girl living in Canada. Ever since she

was young, her passion for art was strong, and the way
that she expressed herself. She cannot see herself without
a pen or camera in hand, and believes her love for the arts
will be carried throughout her life. The piece “Dropped
Dolls” can be interpreted in several different ways, depend-
ing on the reader. It can be seen as illustrating human na-
ture – how people so different from one another can still be
so alike, the tendency to take for granted what has easily
been gained, and the pain of loving someone who only
treats you poorly and keeps you for all the wrong reasons.”
As always we here at WalkingBlind love to feature young

up and coming artists and Jessica Moulaisson is no differ-
ent. With a quickly developing poetic style and an ability
to make her poetry dance, Jessica’s verses will lead you
into a parallel universe where you can experience a new
world with her art as your guidelines. One thing I have
come to admire about this artist is that she really under-
stands how the reader consumes poetry, and with that
outcome in mind, she writes. As we see in her own words
above she says that her poem can be interpreted many
ways and then she goes on to explain how her audience
might come to a certain conclusion about the piece; that
alone takes a person with talent and a strong connection
with those who take the time to read her work. A lot of
people do not go for romantic type of poetry, but ‘Dropped
Dolls’ is about more than loving another person; I believe
it is about loving and honoring yourself first. A lesson that
takes years to learn lays beautifully encapsulate before
you, learn it, embrace it, and keep reading the poetry of
Jessica Moulaisson.
58
On the Verge of Tattered and Torn
Count up your sins –
Like you’ll actually repent.
What does your heart sing?
Your soul ferments.
We’re trying to breathe;

The remedy’s gone.
Our lungs in poison seethe.
Now we’re in the wrong.
You’re an awkward beauty;

Your rhythm’s your own.
I couldn’t hold a candle to you, truly;
Your reckless fire is shown.
The eleventh hour strikes.

We’re no closer than before.
I’m sick of all the old fights.
There’s nothing for us anymore.
The fire’s gotten cold, love,

I have no more passion.
What we have, it’s not enough.
Like waves, we’re crashing.
It hurts us now;
This love’s a physical pain.
Wear the hurt like a crown,
Your own badge of shame.
The words you speak,

It’s all blasphemy.
I’d rather you dead at my feet,
Than speaking these words to me.
We’re losing it all, too soon.

Your lies cut us deep.
All I have is the confidant moon,
As it lulls me into a false sleep.
Retreat to safer waters.

Let your crimes dissolve.
Your perfect guise falters,
And you are now absolved.
On the Verge of Tattered and Torn by Melissa Ushliyanage
59
Eulogy
A proverbial twist on my human mind,

My thoughts escape me.
This foreign concept of letting go,
Of giving in to hate,
Is my internal infliction.
Desperate crying, looking at a wounded sky;
I am bound to feign deceit.
My disillusioned ego berates me,
Torments me.
Am I worthy of such pride?
A splattering of images
Crammed into the existential bottle
And thrown to the sea of my confessions.
I am a soulless monster,
I am god's divine messenger,
I am valued and worthless.
I am a portrait of myself,
Lying to the mirror,
Clutching to the past of my wreckage.
My conquered grievance,
Holy savages,
Likens me to my heart.
I am my own eulogy.
Eulogy by Melissa Ushliyanage
60
Melissa Ushliyanage
www.writerscafe.org/xxblack_out
“Melissa Ushliyanage hails from Ottawa, Canada. At 18,

she's a first year student hoping to get a degree in both
English and law. She enjoys cheesy romance movies,
walking around during the middle of the night, and she
will never say no to a white chocolate mocha. Melissa's
writing is often pulled from painful passion, whatever that
might be, with words that hope to find something beauti-
ful. On the Verge of Tattered and Torn was written in a
moment of hurt. It was a pain I wasn't sure how to deal
with, but writing was the cure; helped get out the emotion
and move on. Eulogy was written after reading countless
scenes about people at funerals. Friends and family al-
ways got up to say something about the departed and I
got to wondering what if we could speak upon our own
deaths? What would we say about ourselves? What
would I say? Though it couldn't possibly capture all of me,
the poem is a glance of who I was, the glimpse of who I
could be.”
The first thing that comes to mind when reading

Melissa’s work is...’This is what writing is all about’. The
intense, hard hitting, raw emotion that flows from the
pores of every letter speaks to you, telling you of the
story its creator fashioned it to display. Though some-
times the highly visual flowered verses are adored, there
must be a point when the audience wants direct pieces
that don’t prance, but sting. The two poems of hers that
are featured here bring reality to our kitchens, knocks its
readers off high horses while granting them time to heal.
Melissa Ushliyanage is the kind of writer that will agree
that the world is messed up and then ask you what you
plan to do about it. How can you not be utterly intrigued
by an artist with that kind of ‘lets get it done’ attitude?
61
The Rain
Trails of tears drip down the
towers built up from man’s
oppression.Their bricks laid in
quick succession.
Is silence the only living thing

in this world? So tangible- so
gentle.And yet can seem so
detrimental.
Love can feel so hateful,

Filled with a lack of solids.
In context, life can feel so
stolid.
But the light caress of the or-

ange blossomBlooming once
more Leaves all that’s painful
before
It can flourish into danger

Evil demons of downfall
Dredging up the squall.
In life, is death.
In life, is life.
No happiness without strife.
Without pain, there’s no pleas-

ure.Without pleasure, no pain.
And without the storm, no
soothing rain.
The Rain by Samantha Puchlerz
62
Not a Color of the Rainbow
Roses are red,

Violets are blue.
The mockingbird’s dead,
Paled in Death’s hue.
Poppies breed crimson,

Carnations are pink.
A child’s an old woman
Grown in an eye blink.
The acacia’s golden,

Sways in 3/4 time
To the actions of men
Falling far out of line.
The lilacs are graying

“Black Prince’s” fall down.
Martyred for living
In a white world, colored
brown.
Not a Color of the Rainbow by Samantha Puchlerz
63
Samantha Puchlerz
http://taishikanakerashii.deviantart.com
“Samantha is a vocationally trained graphic artist and an

impassioned writer; she has literally produced thousands
of designs for the industry since the age of 14. Now at 18
she pursues a career as a professional musician in the
metal genre. She will be attending the Berkeley Conserva-
tory of Music with guitar and voice her specialties. When
you read Samantha’s writing you will immediately be
struck by the honest grass roots feel of her pieces as no
emotion is held back. Writing with a concise and vivid dia-
log her poetry can be very hard hitting at times while at oth-
ers it can leave you filled with a great sense of euphoria.
Samantha is very active in the arts, playing several instru-
ments, painting, drawing prolifically and even sculpting on
occasion.
Currently she is headed in a few week to the New Or-

leans area to gain insight on the music scene there and par-
ticipate in several open mic nights while in the area. We
hear she is also looking forward to sampling some of the
great and varied cuisine that a trip to New Orleans affords.
Samantha is currently seeking a recording contract and has
won several live competitions for her style of music along
the way. With many side projects she is always pushing
the envelope of what she is capable of and so far has en-
joyed a fair amount of success for her endeavors.”
64
Want to see your work on the
pages of WalkingBlind..... so
would we! To submit art,
simply stop by our website at:
www.nevaehvision.com
or email :
kgimblet@nevaehvision.com
We hope to see you here!
WalkingBlind Magazine
Livvy Carson
Fragments
It's the fragments that matter.
The dredging up the excess that hurts and figur- anyway). I’m a reckless wrecking ball of fury
ing out how to fit around it so that it's fixed or when I get rolling and I’ll burn bridges and dig
forgotten and hoping like hell that everyone else holes and when I explode I cause damage so ex-
will pretend just as much as you do that it never tensive it's irreparable and yet the person I’ve be-
happened. It's tearing yourself open and ana- come refuses to let me care. The only thing that
lyzing all the parts and saying, no: no, that's sparkles about me now is a razor-honed tongue
wrong. That's gone wrong somewhere along the that slices and dices into you because if you're
line, and it's the strength it takes to see it and it's less than I am, then I win - because that's what
the strength to pick out all the bits which have I’ve been taught; that this is all just a competi-
blackened and rotted and are slowly poisoning tion, so don't you dare let me in, don't you dare
you (all the pain from all the tears, all the hate show me your weaknesses or your flaws. I will
from all the fights, all the second-guessing you've destroy you if I’m backed into a corner and the
ever done) and say, no: I do not want this to be corner is only exists in my imagination so it's in-
my life any more. It's those little fragments of life escapable.
gone wrong which change everything. It's those
little fragments of life which you chose to move The only thing that sparkles about me now is my
on from which shows who you truly are. I used fury and it's misdirected and misplaced but it's
to be scared of the dark: I was terrified. I was ter- how I finally found a way to cope and it's so well
rified of the monsters under my bed and the honed and my words so refined, I can destroy
ghosts in the pipes and the demons in the floor- someone - I can destroy anyone, and the people
boards but I grew up and that changed nothing. I know flaunt themselves before me because I
learnt to escape the attacks by starting the bat-
It changed nothing because I found out about lies tles first: and so I learnt to cut down vulnerabil-
and exclusion and the way it feels when it's like ities and yet the people who love me still love me,
no-one gives a damn about you. it changed be- and they've shown me theirs and I constantly
cause the monsters became my peers and the have to remind myself: do not do it; do not hurt
ghosts became authority (they brushed straight them. and it's a battle to back down every time.
through me like I didn't exist) and demons be- The only thing that scares me now, I realize, is
came the nameless, faceless people who judged myself - and that's not right. It’s the fragments
me simply because everyone else did, too. The of the things that shouldn't have happened that
fears never went away: they just morphed and broke me. I know what it's like to suddenly trip
mutated. It's the fragments that matter when you and stumble over yourself and to think, this isn't
know your friend sees your actions and not your right, this isn't who I was supposed to be. This
reasons but it's the fragments that matter when viciousness that's ingrained itself into my char-
you know someone else sees the reasons and acter: this was never meant to be me. I was never
knows that the actions aren't a reflection of who meant to hate myself this much; I was never
you are: it's just who someone else made you meant to regret so much. I was never meant to
into. I was meant to sparkle, but I don't; not any ache like this because of all these things that just
more, I don't. there's a layer of dirt I have to live won't go away. But here's what I’m hoping: that
with every day: dirt made up of the things I’ve I can become my own surgeon; because the frag-
done wrong and memories of the people I’ve hurt ments, as deeply ingrained and as poisonous as
and of the people who've hurt me. things that they are - they're operable when I’ve figured out
don't just get washed out of the character in the the source of the fault. They're able to be ampu-
shower. tated and they're removable and I can neutralize
the poison. The fragments are just fragments and
The only thing that sparkles about me now is my the whole is worth so much more than all of this.
teeth and they will rip into you and they will tear
you to pieces because that's how I learned to sur-
vive; that's who I am, and if that's unacceptable
to you, then I don't need you (you never mattered
67
Age: 19
Short Bio: "Livvy Carson was born and raised in a rural area of New Zealand, trav-
elling for both secondary and tertiary education and is currently studying for a de-
gree in Psychology. She is passionate about all literature, music, visual arts and
theatre, and frequently finds herself having deeply involved conversations on varying
philosophies, or how to achieve world domination. Despite her attempts at maturity,
she is a blatant adrenalin junkie with little regard to her personal safety, and more-
so, she's often found climbing trees or building sandcastles and is not above dress-
ing up in rabbit ears and fairy wings in public and cannot function without her
morning coffee.
"I wrote Fragments after having coffee with one of my friends and a long-winded dis-
cussion about my history. It's been colorful, and a lot of it has been terrible, and a
lot of what I have done reflects both of those things; but who I am now is not who I
was - and who I am now is not who I will be. Fragments reflects this: all the little
pieces which led me do things I now regret, and all the little pieces that are now
leading me to rectify such faults in my personality. I believe it's something a lot of
people can relate to, as many of us have felt obliged to do things we'd have otherwise
not done, be it out of necessity for social, physical or mental security - and most of
us will later come to regret bowing to the pressure. But Fragments is also about
knowing that you can fix yourself: you can diffuse the insecurities, or the memories,
and build a better life for yourself - because the bad things are just tiny pieces, and
everything else can be so beautiful if you just let it. It's about fighting for something
better, which I hope I've finally learned to do."
68
Arwa Shahzad
Chrysalis
I sat there in the abandoned restaurant, anx- smiled at the thought. 'Maybe not. What instru-
iously waiting for my partner to arrive. Time was ment are you skilled in?' 'Every one of them,
running short and it was getting dark outside. happy?' he raised an eyebrow and a tremor of
While I was sitting, I marveled the caricature that smile seized his lips. 'Oh! Very munificent of your
hung in front of me and kept poking my knife in teacher. Mine taught me just 3.' I mocked and we
the cutlet, smothered in cheese, that I had or- both laughed out aloud, grabbing the attention of
dered a few minutes ago. Omer and I grew up to- the waiter who cleaned the table next to ours. I
gether in Islamabad. Though we were not much guess he smiled. 'Are you not going to order any-
of friends, I always found him around, particu- thing?' I questioned. 'Not hungry.' 'Okay.' I put my
larly when no one was supposed to be. One day, plate aside, clearing and making room to rest my
while watching a children's musical show on TV, elbows.
we discovered we had a similar taste in music.
So inevitably, our friendship blossomed. Since For a second or two, silence surrounded our
our parents were co-workers, we always showed auras. Then I looked at him. His eyes twinkled in
up at each other's places; listening and dancing a very naughty manner. Competition, here it
to music. We played Ludo and Monopoly and Uno comes. 'Play that piano for me,' he pointed to-
and he keenly cheated in them all. The first time wards the large instrument at the corner. 'I think
I made chocolate mousse, he spat it all out in they don't even let you touch it,' I made an excuse.
front of me. There are so many memories I 'Besides, I prefer flutes.' 'I do too,' he got up and
shared with him, ones I can never forget. Things came over to me. 'But let us not be uncouth and
changed however when I turned 13 and moved to insolent towards the art we admire. 'The piano,
Istanbul and our families completely lost contact. madame?' he grabbed my hand and like a gentle-
Fortunately while I was doing my Bachelor's de- man, led the way to the piano. He cleared the seat
gree, I found out he's in Lahore studying music with his hand and invited me to sit. I sighed heav-
like me. Fate intervened and I had to travel back ily, to his least expectation and utmost disap-
to Pakistan when my grand father died. A couple proval. 'Fine, I'll go first,' he smirked and sat down.
of days upon my arrival, my mother told me 'Just be patient,' he said. 'I won't disappoint you.'
Omer wants to meet up. I was thrilled. Then his fingers began to trace a path on the keys,
as he lightly played his melody. As I started un-
I could hear an incessant tune from around. derstanding his message, I leaned against the
Being a virtuoso, I was disgusted to hear how in- case. I looked at him in awe. He ceased.
competent the musician was. Not until I noticed
a faint shadow on my right, I kept doddling with 'This, is my favorite part. I have revered it from the
my cutlery. He stood there, arms akimbo, smiling beginning of my learning. It brings back old mem-
his childhood smile. 'Ordered the food already?' I ories to me,' he murmured. Then he began again.
stood up to greet him. 'Heyyy!' I exclaimed. 'Gosh I enamored his music more than he did and felt I
I barely reach our shoulders!' He laughed as he had been listening to it for years. 'I call it
sat in front of me. He continued smiling until he 'Chrysalis'. It tells me what I am yet to become,
realized I was awkwardly blushing. 'I'm so glad Arwa.' he whispered. Yet to become after tonight,
to see you!' he finally said. 'So am I, Omer,' I I thought. He smiled, as if he heard me. Heard me
smiled back. 'So, has the little Beethoven mas- understand his message. When it ended, he
tered the art of music already?' I mocked after a sighed and looked up at me like a young, innocent
few minutes of obvious silence. 'Academically, I'm child. 'Thank you,' he said. I smiled and pro-
still a graduate,' he winked as he poured himself ceeded towards the seat, as he made place for me
some water. I watched him as he gulped it down, to sit next to him, allowing me to play my version
his Adam's apple loitering as he did. 'So how are of his 'Chrysalis'; the song of our childhood to-
you? It's been such a long time, wow. I mean all gether.
I remember is a fat, little girl who sang Barney
songs with me!' he said, putting down the goblet.
'Yeah well, things changed. She's making music
nowadays.' I answered. 'Not as good as the
little Beethoven does, eh?' he winked again and
reminded me of the little boy I used to play with. I
69
Age: 16
Short Bio: I'm a college going student from Pakistan. I read and write avidly; play
table tennis; sketch and enjoy Latin music. Nothing about me is particular, I am so
unique, just like everybody else. Most of my works can found on http://www.writ-
erscafe.org/arwashahzad and http://arwashahzad.blogspot.com What motivated
me to write the featured piece was music. Music has always inspired our lives. This
story 'Chrysalis' is based on the fact how music, being the food of love, slowly re-
builds the affection between a young couple. I wrote this story while giving my GCE
English Language exam an year ago. The love of music and the art of love trans-
formed my thought in this piece of writing..
70
K.H. Phoenix
Dream Catcher
To be a dreamer, don't be afraid to fall. because When I’m asked what I want to be when I grow
you should know that at some point, you must up, I say that I’m still not sure. but the truth is,
always stop falling, but there is no limit to how all I want is to still have the capacity to dream.
high someone can fly. to be a dreamer, be able to To still be able to close my eyes and weave the
tell the difference between nightmare and reality shining dream-threads together to create a world
with only the slightest touch. to be a dreamer, of fantasy, so absurd and different from earth
sleep with a dream catcher dangling by your that it is my favorite place in the universe. But
head so that when you wake, you can gather all there is a sacrifice to growing up, to gaining
your bad dreams and turn them golden. to be a knowledge of the way things work. With the facts
dreamer, know the pain of reality and its of science and mathematics pounded into my
painfully apparent differences with your day- head over and over and over again; the hammers
dreams, and know that the two can never be one of the textbooks beat the nails of the facts deep
and the same. But that doesn't mean to stop into my mind, piercing through those fantasies
dreaming. I have never stopped dreaming. I have that are really, really, just so painfully impossi-
never stopped reaching out for that perfect fan- ble. why can't I be a child forever? Swathed in in-
tasy place where I am the person that I have al- nocence and happiness and knowing only
ways wanted to be and I am strong and unicorns that give you horseback rides and drag-
independent and never afraid of pain. not even ons that take you for a fly across the sky. When
after the day I scribbled down those dreams furi- I grow up, I still want to be a dreamer.
ously onto a piece of paper, only to find that they
could never ever be true and crumpled the paper Close your eyes; can you see it? Do those tiny
up and shredded it and turned my back on it. be- dots of neon color swirl around and around, spi-
cause when I looked back at my desk, the im- raling you into a whole other world? Or do you
prints of my writing were still embedded in the only see blackness, scarred too badly by reality
next sheet of paper. At night, most dreams are that all hopes of dreaming are hideously done
forgotten within a few minutes of awakening. but away with? Sleep now; can you see it? a world
the ones that really matter, the ones that give me that your unconscious self walks, chased by
hope and keep my love for fantasy alive are the monsters and villains but saved by the most per-
ones that I can't forget, even if I tried. fect man that could ever exist. can you see that?
My dreams; they're fading. the clutter of life and
I’m still scared of heights, though. standing at the constant burden of reality have worn them
the top of the skyscraper, I won't even stray away. But I would die for these escapes, because
within a few feet of the edge. because saying I’m they offer a vision of a different life, a brief respite
not scared of falling is totally different from actu- from my real one, which only stands on the weak
ally being it. and people tend to tell lies, even to bricks of memories. So as long as I am alive, able
themselves, if only to console their uneasy souls to think, able to breath and eat and walk and
for a short while. lies are like spider webs, sleep and dream then to life, fate, destiny, or
though; strangely resilient, especially if well- whatever the hell's out there; you can throw any-
woven, but still easily ripped away by a human thing at me. challenge me. Break my heart, make
hand. But if I did fall, at least I can dream a para- me laugh, starve me, make me rich, I don't care.
chute saving my life. They say I should get my I don't care. because even if I fail in reality, I can
head out of the clouds, but I just so happen to always dream that I have succeeded. Because for
like where I am right now. I can look up and see me and my soul made out of spider silk and star-
the vast expanse of stars and the moon and the dust, that is enough.
galaxy and all of a sudden it's right there where I
can just brush it with my fingertips. Then I can
look down, but see only white puffs of liquid
nothing that block my view of that earth that
pulls me away from the constellations. what I
would give to live the lives of the heroes in the
books. At least I can dream about it.
71
Pride falling, or just the embarrassment that will follow
it. maybe both. I don't take risks, because with a
risk comes the chance of losing; but at the same
I’m not bipolar, I’m just terrified. of what, I can't
time, without those risks, I can never win. so
say. but I’d rather give you a generalization be-
where does that leave me? I admit to you: I’m
cause with them, I have a smaller chance of being
scared of living, because I’m absolutely terrified
wrong. You wonder why in the daytime I’m all
of bruising that pride that I hold so dearly to me.
laughs and smiles and a never-ending supply of
my frequent laughs of the day don't make a life;
happy. You ask me how anyone, especially me,
my desolate tears of the night don't make a life. I
can be just so filled with cheer and for what, for
tell you that instead of living, I just exist, which
what do I smile for? In response, I laugh, not
has never been enough for me but I’m just so
mockingly, but not nicely either. I tell you that
scared to go beyond that. I don't live, so I don't
you still can't read people even when they're wide
lose. I tell you this because it is the truth, and
open and the words written on their souls are
the truth is right - and hey, isn't that exactly
right in front of your eyes. I tell you that you
what I always want?
still can't hear that half of my laughs are fake,
and that half of my smiles are miles from reach-
I hear those songs on the radio about living like
ing my eyes. Just for the sake of enlightening (or
tomorrow's going to be my last day, but how?
maybe comforting) you, I tell you something else.
how do I? I’ve spent all the years of this life hud-
I tell you that I’m not, in fact, as bubbling with
dled in the shadow of my limited knowledge of
joy as others may think. I tell you that at night, I
life, just enough for me to survive. I have told my-
cry into my pillow so no one but me can hear the
self that this is enough for me, because this is
sound. I don't wipe away my tears because then
safe, and I like safe. All those lies I have told my-
I’ll be able to feel the trails they carve on my
self, they're all wrong. but I can never admit that
cheeks even after they have fallen from my face.
to myself, never mind admitting it to you. Your
I tell you that I release all the feelings I don't dare
eyes are blank, but I can tell that you're trying to
release in front of anyone else, that I repeat my
read me. and I open up my mind to you, as if
deepest, darkest, most terrifying secrets to myself
your eyes could pierce into its very depths. I open
in my head over and over and over again until the
my mouth to ask you that one thing I’ve been
voice of my thoughts cracks and I let myself be
wanting to ask you from the moment I met you.
taken by the supposed peace of sleep, but really,
You, that person who took me and held me, de-
my dreams are conquered by nightmares of los-
spite my flaws and my phobias and my pride. But
ing the ones I love in the worst possible ways,
that question of desperation never leaves my
that includes you, you know.
mouth. why? because of my pride.
Somehow, those two sides of me can be squished
But I think it, I think it so hard because I know
and pounded together into one person, one
that no one besides me knows my thoughts, so
human. the line between those two raw emotions
with them, I can never be humiliated. and as if
is thin and smudged and so confusing that I
you, for once, can actually sense it, you ask me
don't know how far I can go before crossing over
what I’m thinking about now, and in response, I
it. You look at me in a way that tells me that you
tell you that I love you, because that always si-
don't know what to say, and that's right: you
lences you long enough for me to take a moment
shouldn't. No one ever does, when I tell them
to think. but this time, you are not shaken; you
about how I feel, so I just stopped telling people,
tell me that you love me too, something that you
until you, of course. Between the destruction
have never told me as earnestly as you do now.
that night brings to me, and the smallest com-
and I am, for once, comforted. I give you one of
forts that the day comes with, I am left with the
those rare true smiles I have a limited supply of
one thing in me that I can always count on: pride.
in my heart. But love won't fix my problems, no
I am prideful, if nothing else. I am prideful; I hate
matter what the books say. but maybe you can.
to be wrong, I love to be right, but somehow I al-
I’m pounding my fists against that wall in my
ways find myself being stuck with maybes. I am
head that's keeping my from asking, and for the
prideful; I hate to lose, I love to win, but I try to
first time, I am able to bring it down. Before I can
never gloat because I know there might be other
let my most primal instincts stop me, I plead you
people like me. Because of this, I don't venture
to help me.
farther than the things I already know, for fear of
falling into a pit. I’m not sure if I’m scared of the
72
You look surprised, but you recover plored world, but with your hand in mine,
quickly; you ask me what I need help I’m only a little scared. you turn and smile
with. I reply, sheepishly, with the an- at me. I bury my head into your shoulder.
swer: living. Help me to live. because I I'm breaking out of my shell, and the taste
need someone to teach me, someone's of fresh, free air is wonderful and fills me.
hand to hold while I learn, so that if I do I swallow my pride, and it only lodges in
fall (oh God, I can't believe I’m doing my throat for a split second. I can't turn
this), I’ll have someone familiar to bring back now, but searching in the deepest
down with me. You don't respond corners of my mind, I find that I don't want
through words, but instead, you grab my to. We begin to walk, and now, I don't drag
hand and pull me up, leading me outside my feet. my head is held higher than I have
and for the first time I see the sunset as ever held it before. There's a life waiting for
a blooming rose of color, not a splash of me, and the hope of finding it makes me
sky-blood on the dimming daytime sky. smile (genuinely.)
my eyes have opened to a blunt, unex-
Age: 14
Short Bio: K.H. Phoenix is a fourteen-year-old dreamer with an imagination that

she sometimes takes too seriously. She loves anything fantasy with a passion, and
is an absolute Lord of the Rings fanatic. "I can't say exactly why I write," she says,
"because sometimes such things don't have a clear definition. But for me, writing
is everything I can't say out loud. It's taken from a deeper level of my mind that, for
some reason, only written word can truly describe."
On "Dreamcatcher": This piece is about living two lives: one on Earth, and one on
a world that has no limits to its possibilities. It's about dreaming and how as people
grow up and mature, we tend to lose many things, among which includes our ability
to imagine. Science and math, things that involve straight facts, rule out many pos-
sibilities that exist in a small child's whims and fancies. I believe, though, that our
childhood dreams and fantasies follow us our whole life, but many become blind to
them, their sight shrouded by what they have been taught about the real world.
What the narrator of this piece is trying to say is to never stop imagining; dreaming
can be an escape, a way to soften the harsh blows of reality. Just remember: what
is impossible now may not stay impossible. Keep an open mind; don't be afraid of
believing in the nonexistent.
On "Pride": A common attribute among people is pride, which can affect someone
positively or negatively. It can give someone the confidence that they are going to
succeed, but it can also render someone easily embarrassed, and therefore afraid
to take a risk. Taking that extra step in life to achieve everything can be frightening
back it may involve the risk of losing everything. But taking such a gamble is nec-
essary if one is to live his or her life to its fullest; there is no such thing as a worth-
less life. Sometimes, we have to learn to swallow our pride and take that risk. Sure,
we'll make mistakes in life, but we have to learn to brush off our knees and keep
going. And oftentimes, our loved ones can help us along the way. The bottom line
is: you're going to face barriers on your way to success, like everyone must, but
sometimes that barrier is you. It takes courage and determination to bring down
the walls in your own mind.
73
To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge
to capture a fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that
mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.
-Henri Cartier Bresson
Photography
Alure of
The Closeup
The
Visionary Artistry
of Photographer
Michelle Carrel
77
Michelle Carrel. Although
Possibilities By Michelle Carrel
Michelle would probably not

call herself a visionary in her
approach to the art form,
the fact remains and is self-
evident in her images that
she is extremely talented in
making a close-up image
with great allure and in-
trigue. We caught up with
Michelle in a brief email in-
terview so we, who are on
the receiving end of her tal-
ented creations, may get a
close–up of a different na-
ture. Here is what Michelle
had to say. Michelle how
T
did you get into photography
as an art form? When I was
o o see the world in a in high school, the only classes I found any joy in were the
grain of sand, and to art classes; the school had quite a few classes to choose
from, ceramics, drawing, sculpture, photography etc. My
see heaven in a wild first semester of my sophomore year, I took the photogra-
flower, hold infinity in phy class. The first day, we were given a book about pho-
tography, and were told we should read the first chapter, I
the palm of your hands, and eternity never read a page of that book! Sure, I didn't know the
in an hour. -William Blake first thing about photography, but I believe any art in which
you are forced to read an entire book on, in my opinion,
Although Blake was not a photographer
Possibilities II By Michelle Carrel
the idea of seeing the world in a grain of
sand or an individual leaf or even a flower
has intrigued man for centuries. To, for a
moment in time, stop and ponder the
smallest of universes adorned with alien
like elaborate matrixes and structure is
shear pleasure. To get in close and lose
oneself in this incredible world, where
even the most familiar takes on other-
world-like qualities, has allured photogra-
phers and viewers alike since the birth of Stretched and Shreddeds By Michelle Carrel
the art. To live the life of the photogra-
pher you have to be in love with the
medium; to breath life into a print you
must visualize it even before the expo-
sure is made, but to make a close-up truly
magical you must first not only visualize
but have great vision as well. One such
photographer with immeasurable vision
and ability to capture the very soul of an
object on the close and macro planes is
78
79
Wither By Michelle Carrel
isn’t art anymore. Art should be something you can thing further from the high school photography de-
do limitlessly... something you do to express your- partment, so I looked around at local colleges. I
self, and have fun while doing. Thankfully, I had a chose Johnson County Community College. Did
very good teacher. Photography is a very gentle you take up photography there too? I enrolled in
Growth By Michelle Carrel
medium, and it takes finesse... and unspoiled the beginners photography" course, then in ad-
chemicals. It was art mixed with a subtle hint of sci- vanced photography... a week into that class how-
ence... and I loved it for that. Were there any other ever, I lost my job, and not having enough money
courses you were interested in? All other mediums to pay for the materials had to drop the class to look
seemed boring by comparison and my focus for employment. About six months after that, I got
shifted from writing and drawing to photography a hold of a decent digital camera... and due to my
only. My senior year, I decided I couldn't learn any- lack of access to a darkroom, I began to take pho-
80
81
“To me, photography represents a window
to the way Ii see things... I'm simply try-
ing to share that view, and help people look
closer at beautiful things they would usually
overlook.”
Spikes By Michelle Carrel
tos with that. “I remember originally thinking digital photography was an abomination... it was choosing
the easy way out. God, was I wrong.” I've been addicted ever since. I just loved the fact that I could
post-process the images. Film photography has it's advantages still and I miss it to death, but I don't
think I could ever go back to only film. What equipment are you currently using? I use a Sunpak Plat-
inumPlus 6200DX tripod, and a Canon SX110 IS Where there an photographers that influenced you more
then others? I never really looked up to any particular famous photographer, sure I have admired the
work of other photographers in the past, but
can't say they inspired me much. However, in
the two or three years that I've been in the on-
line art scene, I have seen millions of photo-
graphs on Flickr and Deviantart... and those
are the artists who inspire me the most
today. What is it like for you in the field? Once,
while I was making the image something and
shredded, I was standing in knee high grass
with huge bugs swarming all around me. It was
a particularly humid day, and this was taken out
in the country... therefore, there were 3x more
bugs than I usually have to deal with in such
situations. Anyway, I was snapping away as
fast as I could, trying to get the least amount of
bug bites as possible, while also trying to get a
clear shot. After I got about twenty images, I
ran away like a little girl. I'm sure if anyone saw
it, they laughed their ass off. Now that I think
about it...I usually have to do this on every out-
door shoot I go on. We doubt from the quality
of her images that there is truly much that bugs
Michelle while making an image and we at
Walkingblind Magazine want to thank Michelle
for taking the time to share a bit about her life
and work with our readers. Her work is amaz-
ing and we recommend you see more of it for
yourself. You can find more from Michelle on-
Out-Shine II By Michelle Carrel
line at: http://aforadultery.deviantart.com/
82
st
rti
A
d
re
Mind Cage
tu
ea
F
83
Beelitz VIII by Mind Cage
T
he photographer Edward are a way of life, allowing us the Right? Ok enough of that, there are
Weston once said “Consult- freedom to create spontaneously. also those who are just born with
ing the rules of composition The free flowing ability to frame, vi- the freaking photographic disease.
before taking a photograph, is like sualize and capture the perfect mo- To these special human beings,
consulting the laws of gravity be- ment in time to many comes in a and you know who you are, the all
fore going for a walk.” To the pro- fashion very similar to the way we encompassing world of photogra-
fessional practicing photographers learn to walk, it is a nurturing phy is innate, it’s just in the blood,
these laws, once learned, are im- process developed over time given they seem to have just been born
plemented without wasting time in to us by external forces and once in the know! Talent is neither
thought. They become second na- acquired and acted upon repeat- learned or taught, it’s a gift and
ture akin to that of bipedalism, they edly becomes part of us forever… while you can nurture a talent, it
Urban Photo Exploration

IBeelitz XVII by Mind Cage
85
Dead house III by Mind Cage
must be pre-existing to do so! Now I’m am short period of time. Surprisingly he em-
not going to be delving headlong into the barked on his photographic career only a
whole Margaret Mead nature verses nur- few years ago in 2007, but let’s let Mind-
ture debate and wax anthropological ad Cage himself tell us the rest of the story.
nauseum, that would require open mind-
edness. Right now I I was searching for a new
want to be a little more hobby but I was also look-
narrow and focused in ing for something where I
“
my vision and mindset could bring in my creative
and just say I know I’ve never tried to impulse. I’ve seen some
damn good photogra- great photos in the internet
phy when I see it! – mainly at deviantART
Enter “Mind-Cage” a copy a particular look and I was quite obsessed
very talented and natu- by these pictures so I
rally gifted photogra-
pher from Germany,
whose style and tech-
or style ” wanted to learn how to
make such images too.
The “HDRI” technique was
nical ability clearly also very fascinating and
shine through in every so I’ve bought my first
image. Currently ex- camera [Canon Eos 350D]
ploring the urban landscape photographi- and started to experiment. I’ve learned all
cally, his unique application of traditional by myself [autodidactic] with a lot of read-
and digital imaging perfectly blend to cre- ing and experimenting! I think that’s the
ate striking and vividly haunting works of best way to create and find your own
art and he’s only been doing that a very “style”. There are many influences but I
Through Gardens of Grief II by Mind Cage
87
Beelitz solitude by Mind Cage
can’t tell exactly who was
the biggest influence, but
I’ve never tried to copy a
particular look or style of
any other artist. I’ve always
tried to develop my own
style and look of my im-
ages. In the past 2 years
my passion for abandoned
buildings and places has
developed and I really love
to go on tour and explore
ruins and forgotten lost
places. The atmosphere at
these places is so amazing
and I always try to capture
the bizarre and dark atmosphere within my photographs. I
never take pictures only to take pictures. I work very prop-
erly and I always have the finished picture in mind when I
push the release of my camera. I want to make history vis-
ible … combined with a strange feeling of abandoned at-
“ I always have the finished
picture in mind when I push
mosphere. The post processing is also very important – it’s
never the naked photograph out of the camera. I love the
monochromatic look and it also strengthens the play of light
and shadow. Now I use a Canon Eos 40D and several the release of my camera. ”
Beelitz XIII by Mind Cage
88
Silent Demise I by Mind Cage
lenses [Canon, Sigma, Tamron] … much about the post-processing. roulette. But there’s a small exist-
I mostly use ultra-wide-angle To find the abandoned places I ing scene of people who always
lenses [Sigma 10-20mm] … a shoot, I and others, as I don’t do find “new” places and there’s some
Manfrotto tripod which is very very this alone, spend hours and hours kind of information network among
important … I never use flashlight of research on the internet before other “Urban Explorers”. Its quite
or other tungsten light. I don’t have we take one single picture. Also we complicated for me to describe all
any education background corre- drive hundreds of kilometres every my processes and for every motif
sponding to photography, as I’ve weekend [at least “every” week- as it varies for each one. I will say
stated I’ve learned all by myself. end] and we also got to some loca- I’ve got my workflow down and I
Also, I know how to use Photoshop tions and did not manage to get am normally finished with a single
so it was not very hard to learn that inside. It’s always a kind of image within 30 to 40 minutes. I al-
89
“Atrue photograph need not be explained,
nor can it be contained in words” -Ansel Adams
Cinema Strange II by Mind Cage
ways use Photoshop for post-processing. Normally I’ve

got up to 20 different layers before a single image is fin-
ished.
However complicated the process may seem, the end

results speak loud volumes for the themselves. The
uniqueness of his style creates an unforgettable am-
biance that leaves the viewer wanting to fall deeper into
the mystery of this photographic journey. We at Walk-
ingBlind hope to see so much more from this artist in the
future. To find out more about Mind-Cage please visit
his website at: http://www.mindcage-fotodesign.de
The Photography of
A N D R EY A LE K S EE
91
S
omewhere deep in the Russian countryside, amidst steel rail and infrastructure, there
are the distant stacks of the industrial revolution; some still scream feed on demand
while others have fallen silent, a faded muscular silhouette dissolving into the land-
scape. What was produced here, who’s lives were spent out tending to the machines
of man’s devise and to what ends are these symbols of mans achievement headed
for. They rust in eerie silence!
To some, without vision to see beyond their worn and darkened surface, they remain only a
rage upon the land, an eyesore to be dealt with; but to others a choice few with clarity of sight
they are a true work of art. Finding beauty in the patterns of decay, in the color of rust and
wonder in the architecture of twisted metal they become subject of lens and viewfinder which
morph effortlessly into compositions that bellow with raw delight. It takes a special breed of pho-
tographer to truly bring out all the subtle nuances of these now abandon giants and transform the
exoskeleton of industry into images that captivate the mind.
EV
92
Image by Andrey Alekseev
“ I’m always mentally
photographing everything
as practice.” -Minor White
In this month’s issue of Walk-

ingBlind we believe we have found
that special breed of photographer
in Andrey Alekseev. This 24 year
old Moscow resident has an amaz-
ing ability to capture the intricate
beauty of these brick and steel ser-
vants of man, in such a way that
sets his portfolio apart from the
rest and creates for us, the viewer,
a simply stunning body of work
upon which to feast. While we
could not possibly scratch the sur-
face of all his art has to offer, we
sincerely hope however this four
page teaser will motivate you to pa-
tronize frequently the well stocked
pages of his online gallery. Here is Image by Andrey Alekseev
just a little more food for thought
on Andrey by Andrey himself.
I remember exactly that moment, it was an early spring morning, I looked out the window and there
the first time in several months it was Sunday and there was warmth in the air. I took my camera and
went to the industrial zone which was near my house and after a few frames I at that moment realized
just how very interesting this subject was. Walking through these deserted places is a good way to mentally
94
relax, its my motivation. Some years before,
I was an artist of computer-art and admirer
of H.R. Giger but I was also influenced by
photographers like Henk Van Rensbergen
and Harald Finster. I made collages in the
style of surrealism, but this was not enough
for me, and I began photographing. When I
make an image it all depends on what is de-
picted in the scene and mood. My photo-
graphs are usually monochrome, sometimes,
if there is reason, they may be colored, but
this rarely happens. I like the lomography
effect in my old Kodak, it has four pixels and
I am satisfied with it. For me, the most im-
portant part of the creative process is the
choice of images to edit on the computer.
When I make a photo I do not know what

will be in the final version. Basically I place
a transparent layer over the image that is
scratched and I do this to the extent of dis-
Image by Andrey Alekseev torting the image for aesthetic reasons. I
don’t care to participate in exhibitions and
am currently on my fifth year at an architec-
tural University.
We wish Andrey
the best at the uni-
versity and in his
photographic ca-
reer and would
like to thank him
for taking the time
out of his busy
schedule to talk
with us briefly. If
you find Andrey’s
work and life in-
triguing you can
find out more here
at: dosimeter.de-
viantart.com/
95
96
96
“Be not afraid of greatness: some
are born great, some achieve greatness,
and some have greatness thrust upon
them. ” - William Shakespeare
97
Articles
Transcending Immortality
By Indigo Reid
98
99
99
Transcending Immortality
In the last issue I wrote about the co-

herence of harnessed words and
the writers who have the task of matur-
ing their writing for that purpose. In this
article I will be talking about the perma-
nence of words, and what makes a
writer’s work transcend time.
When you stop to really think about it, more than
half of our education in public institutes were in-
vented, thought of, carried out, or written by people
who no longer walk the face of the earth. While
feasting on the created or found knowledge of these
deceased men and women do you ever stop to won-
der how they came across a way to be known nation
or worldwide for their achievements? Do we bother
to take the time to delve into the lives of these people
whose ideas and methods we study and use every-
day? This line of thought will lead you down many
different paths, but what I want you to focus on isn’t
the end result of these accomplished people but
rather the journey they embarked upon to become
some of the longest living human beings of all time.
I will be talking about this from the perspective of is to happen to your soul after you pass on the only
writers while showing you how other well known logical thing to do is make sure that someone re-
writers long past live among us today. members you enough to spread your name and the
I will open up this part of the article by stating meaning of your life. There of course are other rea-
the obvious fact that a large portion of the world’s sons why remembrance after death is important to
population strive to be seen and heard by one an- us, but most are personal and don’t need to be
other, many will yearn for that sort of fame, few will brought up in this article. Now as I take us into the
reach it. In this day and age we see how hard it is to next few paragraphs keep this one in mind as we
become well known at anything let alone writing, can continue.
you imagine a person that is working hard to push William Shakespeare, is by far one of the most
their art so far off the normal time frame that by the undead dead writers of all time, I understand that
time they finished the piece it would be slapping the there is also John Keats, Sylvia Plath, Vladimir
next generation in the back of the head? The real Nabokov, and Mowlānā (Rumi for our western read-
question that should be answered is why do we feel ers)but Shakespeare seems to be the one that every-
a need to be remembered? What is it inside of us one gravitates too. By finding out how this man
that keens for recognition beyond our lifetime? One wrote we can discover the secret to his success in
reason why we want to be remembered is the fear of finding the eternal fountain. The first thing we must
death, no matter how hard it is to take everyone look at is the fact that Shakespeare didn’t write like
knows that death is the end; there are no more he was from the 15th-16th century, his writings con-
chances or opportunities for physical success after sisted of strong willed woman such as Gertude of
it. Death is one of the reasons why people work so Hamlet and Lady Macbeth, leading characters of dif-
vigorously to make something out of themselves and ferent nationalities like the Moorish soldier Othello,
knowing that the end can come at anytime forces us and his love of ribaldry. Shakespeare’s plays and
to calculate a plan that will allow us to continue to sonnets were engorged with love, sex, horrible
live and exceed certain limitations set upon our lives. tragedy, and characters who disguised themselves
Another reason is loneliness, it isn’t hard to believe physically and emotionally. Along with these things
that after dying we may be cast into a sea of in his later sonnets he begins to talk about a ‘dark
nothing alone and hollow waiting for something… lady’ which he loves beyond everything else who
waiting for nothing. It is plausible to think that be- could be anyone from an African prostitute to
cause of this impending loneliness a person would Emilia Bassano Lanier the wife of a patron of Shake-
love to hear their name roll off the tongues of the liv- speare's theatrical company. If by this time you can-
ing. This loneliness goes hand in hand with our ap- not see how it is that this author’s work and
prehension of the unknown, if you have no clue what personality could survive so many years maybe you
100
should read this section again or do an engrossed
study on his life and collections. William Shake- "Lives of great men all remind us
speare’s ‘against the tide’ type of writing granted
him a pass throughout time.
After reading the above paragraph your prob-
ably wondering how you can mirror the actions of
We can make our lives sublime,
Shakespeare in your own time, the simple solu-
And, departing, leave behind us
tion is to stay ahead of this time period by devel-
oping the maturity of your writing. William could
never have gotten where he is today without the
Footprints on the sands of time"

quick cleverness of his coherent mind and the
drive to continue his work. In order to have your
work stand up against the erosion of time’s waves
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

you must challenge your writing skills as often as
you can, flexing it like a muscle, testing what it
can and cannot handle. It is essentially up to you
as a writer to either strengthen your work or
watch over the months and years as it wastes
away. Why do the latter when you could live for-
ever?
*All information pertaining to William Shake-

speare in this article were found by actually
reading his work so if you want my sources
you’ll have to read the mentioned play-
wrights and sonnets. Good Luck
101
Dont feel left out! if you miss an issue of WalkingBlind
you can catchup on your reading at our website! Just click
on the past issues tab then sit back, relax and enjoy.
102
The Decline Of The Arts By Alex Dark
Gallery Will Be Closing Indefinitely

Due to Lack of Support and Interest!
Poerty fettered fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed, or flourish, in
proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourished!
-William Blake
103
--The Decline of the arts--
A
mong the maze of mobius distrac-
tions, in a world so busy that even
fast food seems slow and the
claxon of automobile horn drones
out our evening lyric, one wonders
what has become of the leisure “Art does not evolve
time this Aquarian age was to afford us. In this
vast oceanic wave of information and electron by itself, the ideas of
flow, irradiating us daily down to the last particle
do we really invest the scarce commodity of people change and
spare time in those endeavors that are deemed
culturally enriching. Do we take note of fine de- with them their mode
tail or revel boisterously in the experience of the
experiential? Where is the finer slice of life mi- of expression.”
crotomed off and matrimonially vowed to us by
the avant-garde of the digital marketing moguls. -Pablo Picasso
Some have, and to great lengths, proclaimed to
this writer that there is no longer a need for the
cultured vises of society, that holding in high re-
gard artifacts which serve no functional end
other then to be aesthetically pleasing is a fools
folly and a grave waste of currency by those that me art is and always has been a part of every-
indulge in the patronage there of. ‘Art is dead’ day life but the deep wounds of today’s hard
has become their endless mantra and they, economic times coupled with a fleeting interest
meaning those within my sphere of existence, by a large part of the populous to grace the halls
recite it with out so much as investigating possi- of art galleries across the land has forced a
bility that it’s alleged corpse may be merely dor- change in the art community and the artist them-
mant, still fogging the mirror and waiting again selves. The days of renaissance are gone with
to burst forth with renewed vitality and direction. the great masters returning to the very clay from
which much of their art medium was created and
Cut the crap! Is art really freaking dead? To me art has moved from the mainstream to a place
its pulse had always been strong and tactile, on the back streets and side alleys.
able to be sensed beyond even the slightest flut-
ter. Art, I am happy to say, is far from the morgue What we used to prize as the feather in our cap
of dried paint tubes and bone hard brushes, on in the facadish days of Deco and Art Nouveau is
the contrary I have found it to be alive, well and now the proverbial drink in the speakeasies of
thriving although in an altered state of existence. the modern day art communities. It seems most
Art today has a new face one many may not be are just too busy to stop and pay attention to the
acquainted with but a voice and expression of arts or have a general lack of interest in partici-
thought we have all heard before. While the pating beyond the hobbyist level. The artist, in
practice of traditional art has subsided to a cer-
any venue, is seen many times by a vast major-
tain degree, digital art abounds in scads and
ity as lazy not pulling his or her own weight in so-
swarms around us with an electric hum like flies
ciety, wasting time on pursuits that too many are
buzzing around meat. Personally, coming from
viewed as less then a respectable living. I be-
an age where all that was created had some
lieve this to be true evidenced in the formation
artistic facet and beauty, to a world of stock plain
of so may underground art communities by
vinyl covered particleboard furniture is disheart-
those who are the last bastions of the fortress
ening at best and makes me wonder as I move
we used to call mainstream. From poetry to
forward in age just what exactly is to come. To
painting many have been driven to small clusters

of like minded on places with names that imply favor of the more cultured master pieces of naru-
they are deviated from the norm, hence the feel- tonian fan art splendor.
ing of being underground. The stereotype of the
starving artist is not so far from the truth in this Why are writers shunned and averted in this
barren new flood plain, there is a famine out phenomenon of modern bliss, when more then
there but just who is really starving? Without art, any other time in history has the written word
without enrichment a society will eventually been so available, is a mystery not unlike Plato's
crumble becoming stale and mundane. We lost world of submerged acclaim. The society
need to dream, to vision with passion and man- and culture of the population of the neo-electron
ifest those feelings in some form. My hat goes nation seemingly holds to the belief that the eye
off to those brave soles who fight to keep the arts must be dazzled with scene changes every 5
alive on every front. Although there is a shortage seconds for media to be of any intrinsic value.
of the desire to make even the simplest of ob- Teething on visually rendered haggis daily they
jects into an art form for everyday use, there has neglect the cold hard fact that for anime charac-
never been a shortage of the talent to do so. ters to romp gleefully through fields of blood
There is on tap, a cold full draft of talented artists stained flowers as the storyboard artist intended,
waiting to have their day in the sun, but for right there first must have been an artist who wrote
now forced to remain in the wings hovering in the the story! Writing is an ancient expression
shadows and from there the plot thickens as this formed deep within the spirit of the human
plight affects not only the tangible visual arts breast. Writing, when unleashed with tenacity
community but has gone seeping it’s way into from impassioned pen to tattoo the metastasized
the literary communities as well. pulp of the paper’s flesh, becomes a weapon, a
lover, and adviser, a method of chastisement
Where are those who prefer to gorge on the and ultimately the best flippen bang on a Satur-
written offspring of mankind’s musings as an al- day night a starving mind could hope for without
ternative to being force fed the pabulum of zeros having to spend a fortune on something served
and ones whizzing at light speed through a con- up with a side of deep fried strings of genetically
duit of twisted copper wire. There is no balance altered potatoes. Writers are largely a very over-
in this phantasmagorical world of counterfeit life; looked cog in the machinery of the artistic infra-
writers however do still abound in this maze of structure of our society, surpassed often times
random access memory. With no shortage of ar- even by fancy pants stick figures of epic propor-
tisans of verse, one wonders why they cling to tions roaming the transistorized surface of com-
their craft in the hellfire’s of this Nvidia born illit- puter screens.
eracy when all seems to be lost. If there is no
deficiency of writers for of the ink laden text print- It is disheartening to live in a minority where
ers impregnated upon the pages of our hard- the world at large sees art and literature as
bound spawn of soul and breath why then, something that drips only slowly on the page or
doesn’t anyone read except when they feel they canvas only to remain closed or hidden for the
absolutely have no choice for something work life span of its lignum free archival permanence.
related or for school? The last I checked you Art and literature spewed forth even at base lev-
could read outside of those venues anytime you els takes on life and breath, it is voracious, flirta-
want yet libraries are closing in droves across tious, advantageous and most assuredly to the
the country, the one in my town was no excep- totalitarian mind extremely dangerous. Its entity
tion! Seems like decades ago, although only a is dynamic whether or not its line and form is of
few agonizing months, I embarked upon the ar- acrylic nature or decisively hobbled in bold face
duous task of writing and posting over forty sans-serif fashion. It is always worth the price of
works of the liturgical genus online in an art net- admission to expand ones horizons in the explo-
work I belong to only to find they have been ration of artifacts buried between the sands of
overtly abandon, cast down and trodden upon in punctuation or hung at eye level on the long

bronze hook of the gallery wall. It seems horri- things it takes in. Feeding it the cold steel of the
fyingly ignorant to me why more of the con- alter of the desk-top-tower continuously is caus-
stituents of this artistic community don’t vie for ing damage. Art is directly declining in America
an internship to embark on an expedition into the as a result of funds and minds being funneled to
long sealed tombs of many textual and artistic the advancement of the information age, but
nirvanas. what good is information if there is no one left to
use it. Now a computer is a wonderful tool and
Feed on a different manna, one that will leave yes there is a great digital art all around us but if
a lasting after taste in the mind and soul instead all we do as a society is let machines think for
of usual fare of indigestible Crayola garnished us we will be in distinct and eminent duress as a
daily specials that quite frankly will make the ed- culture. If art dies, we die, it is that simple.
ucated pallet eventually nauseous as they are Draw and write, paint and sculpt, create all man-
left to ferment in the forgotten regions desks ner of art as if your life depends on it, it does.
and lockers everywhere. What am I trying to say Use the computer but as a tool, do not let it re-
in my lengthy discourse of pragmatic platitudes place the power of the human brain to create,
– patronize the ARTS before its too late, the life demand art programs back in our schools, re-
of artists and writers depends on it, but moreover open the libraries and feast…yes gorge your-
the survival of our society’s cultural mind de- selves on the wonder of art and survive into the
pends on it. Be aware of the art around you; get next millennium leaving for posterity that which
involved in the art community actively even if you you yourself created for the next wave to enjoy
can’t produce art on your own you can still be a and be inspired by. Be art aware and remember
part by supporting it. In places where art has de- “Food for thought requires a mind with teeth!”
clined it is historical fact that the humanity de-
clined there as well, and its still happening.
Recent research this May 2010, after analyz-
ing almost 300,000 children and adults, discov-
ered creativity scores have consistently spiraled
downward increasingly since 1990 without signs
of slowing down. This decrease is terrifyingly sig-
nificant and most exceedingly serious. The
acidic culprit eating our minds and declining our
society is directly related to the number of hours
people now spend in front of the TV and com-
puters just like the one you are viewing this on.
Art programs have been and are being dropped
in schools in favor of computer courses (ma-
chines that think for you) and in some places art
was dropped simply because those in power be-
lieved in this day and age believed it was a non
essential waste of time in the digital age to in-
volve in traditional arts when they could better
direct their misappropriated funds to greater en-
deavors such as self-raises and Cuban style ci-
gars.
Pursuing one thing consistently and not en-

gaging in other creative activity causes lack of
artistic development in our brains which requires
constant shifting and blending of the types of

Entertainment
108
Come back next issue
for the another installment
of Knite by Yuumei
Yuumei aka - Wenqing Yan can

be found at:
http://yuumei.deviantart.com/
WalkingBlind Magazine

Walking Blind Mag Setember Issue 2.3

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Walking Blind Mag Setember Issue 2.3

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Volume 1 number 2 September 2010

Cover art by Shingo Matsunuma

WalkingBlind Art and Literature Magazine Published by NevaehVision

Graphics Director- Glen L. Puchlerz

Poetry & Prose 55 - G.H. Monroe

Photography 71 - K.H. Phoenix

I loved the whole first issue, can't for more and to

Awesome site, found through WritersCafe. In this

"I've been in the computer graphics publishing busi-

duces it to a parallel world of color and fluid

Amalacan on Amalacan! I wanted to be a painter when I was young and created

the production process my works repeat the transfor-

ocated in the beautiful

L Japanese landscape, set-

Just create whimsical worlds full of happy

Welcome to the surreal world of Shingo Matsunuma

Shichigoro draws every-

W e at Walkingblind want to encourage all our read-

Shichigoro can be found several places on the web at

Too much water,

Too many desires,

Sometimes, you feel like a

Blowing Bubbles by Cyril Rolando

A golden wind will sweep your

Solar Symphonies by Cyril Rolando

A new year party has begun,

It's the best part of the meal,

They control us like pieces,

Cheese Players by CyrilRolando

It's ok, I can manage,

It's ok, I'm not in misery,

It's ok, give me my due,

" Demain soufflera le vent de demain”

work, and thankfully, the owner liked it. He

up at the girl almost curi-

plenty of times to view her work and the

Having the ability to share a vision with

older brother. I found out that art

sch, Carlos Schwabe, and Fernand

rigorous program that not only taught

Cacophony by Laura Bifano

to love the pre-development as much

all tone and mood so I'm not figuring

Maintaining that inquisitive mind that drives ed-

Dislocation by Rob Rey

This is Rob Rey, an awesome traditional artist we

What do you want to do with your art?

impact. I want to create art that makes people

Where did your style develop from?

What motivates you as an artist?

Who or what influenced your art?

I find the powers of observation in nature to be a

Find Rob at RobReyArt.com

The stifling shroud that

Breaths come with difficulty,

The air cools and a breeze

This breeze, pregnant

Grape sized drops at first.

The breeze, now a cool, driving

I stand, arms outstretched

“I am a 49 year old man who has has a metaphorical pen

G.H. Monroe’s poetry is in one word...real. When reading

(sometimes I think you like delicate things just because you