Category Archives: Art

My friend Elizabeth introduced me to Jason Kramer via a Madonna social media post, which is how the best people meet each other. I checked out his charming website here and was instantly inspired by someone who has turned their passion into a career, enough so that Jason earns his first Dazzler of the Day crowning. Don’t take my cumbersome words for it, here’s an excerpt from his website that does a much better job explaining how he made his journey from theatre-lover to costume designer and more:

My fascination with the magic of Theatre began when my parents took me to a production of Peter Pan at 7 years old. I remember noticing that Peter’s “shadow” was made of a sheer fabric; that there was a wire helping him and the Darling children fly; that Tinker-bell was actually a tiny little spotlight that was definitely not kept alive by the power of my applause.

None of those realizations detracted from the magic—what they did do was ignite a creative spark in my brain. I knew that I was going to be one of the people who makes magic. Fast forward to California State University, Long Beach. This is where I started to learn about storytelling through Costume design. As a Costume Designer, I have a unique relationship with the characters I’m designing for. I get to use my tools to share our special bond with the audience. I get to speak to the audience about the world in which the characters inhabit, their innermost thoughts, feelings, relationships and experiences through the subliminal language of costume design.

I find great satisfaction in the collaborative process of design and do my best to instill joy and passion in every project I am a part of. I am inspired by costume history, Old Hollywood glamour, and contemporary fashion design. I find immense pleasure in creating detailed and expressive design that not only informs the viewer, but perhaps inspires the emerging magic-makers of the future.

Besides costume design, I feel the most powerful when I’m drawing—I’ve been doing it since I could hold a pencil! I also love to drink fancy coffee beverages, and binge murder mystery TV series and old seasons of Rupaul’s Drag Race. I believe dogs are the greatest gift ever bestowed upon humankind, and little boys should play with dolls and wear dresses if they want to. I also love pizza and tacos.

Currently, I’m living in Ashland, Oregon with my husband and two cats, Trixie and Pepper. I’d love to work with you—whether I’m designing costumes for a production, working as a Design Assistant, or bringing your designs to life via digital illustration, I’m here to bring excellence, passion, and JOY. ~ Jason Kramer

The first time I met Jonathon Nason he was working at The Front Porch, and we were on our annual Ogunquit, Maine visit, so it was a very happy time indeed. Since then he’s made his artwork his chosen focus, channeling the backdrop of Maine into his colorful work and vibrant portraits. Today he is crowned as Dazzler of the Day thanks to his consistently inspiring artistic creations. See below for a more comprehensive description of his work and mission, and then visit his website here for an exhilarating romp through his work. 

JOnathon Nason is a rising talent in the art world, bringing a fresh and vibrant perspective to the scene. His work is deeply rooted in the rich tradition of impressionist styles, where he skillfully explores the beauty of the human form, the wonders of nature, and a captivating blend of fantasy, emotion, and the human experience. JOnathon’s art is a lively celebration of bold, vibrant colors, often elevated with a touch of shine and shimmer, as he fearlessly explores new mediums and styles.

Hailing from the breathtaking landscapes of Maine, JOnathon’s artistic journey has been profoundly influenced by the captivating natural beauty that has surrounded him throughout his life. Primarily self-taught, he has drawn inspiration from his environment and innate creativity, forging a deep connection between his art and his surroundings. He also had the opportunity to live in South Florida, where he was exposed to the world of galleries and street art, further enriching his artistic perspective.

JOnathon Nason’s art is a mesmerizing fusion of impressionism, fantasy, passion, emotion, and mythology. His work showcases a masterful interplay of color and light, inviting viewers to explore the intricacies of human existence and the boundless worlds of imagination. Always eager to experiment with new mediums and styles, he pushes the boundaries of his creative expression.

JOnathon is currently immersed in a series of projects aimed at enhancing his understanding of form, figure, and composition. He is focused on building a larger and diversified body of work that showcases his evolving artistic journey. In the near future, he aspires to explore opportunities in galleries and other exciting venues.

JOnathon Nason expresses his heartfelt appreciation for your support and invites you to explore his art. He hopes that his work resonates with you and inspires you in some way. This artistic journey is an ever-evolving one, and he warmly invites you to join him on this creative odyssey.

Having just finished the magnificently-riveting documentary ‘AKA Mr. Chow’ by Nick Hooker, I am completely entranced by the life-story of Michael Chow, who may add Dazzler of the Day to his impressive roster of accomplishments. Artist, actor, interior designer, influencer of the decades, and restauranteur, Chow has made his name and visage into an internationally-recognized brand and personality. Sometimes an artist is their own living work of art – and those usually make the best artists of all. 

Artist, author and advocate Paul Castle has lost 90% of his physical vision since being diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, an untreatable eye disease. I write that he has lost some of his physical vision, because the vision he carries forth in his life and career is something that won’t be stopped or sidelined by his blindness. A visit to his enchanting website will astound anyone with its notable list of accomplishments and artwork, including his children’s book ‘The Pengrooms’. He lives in Seattle with his husband, Matthew, and his guide dog, Mr. Maple. This marks his first crowning as Dazzler of the Day. 

Artist Trevor Wayne’s main goal in his work is to make people smile, and the colorful and witty way he conveys ideas is certainly smile-inducing. For that ability to charm viewers of his artwork, Wayne earns this Dazzler of the Day crowning. Check out his website and online shop here for more evidence of his brilliance, and the excerpted bio below:

Trevor Wayne mines familiar references for his paintings, drawing on totems of consumerism and mainstream entertainment that are well-known to American audiences. Trevor’s artist statement is to simply “make people smile”, very often by taking dark imagery and flipping it.

 Trevor was influenced into a world of art by Saturday Morning Cartoons, and mass production of art he carried with him to school on backpacks, binders, and clothing. He attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago.?

Trevor Wayne was born in Chicago, lived on a blueberry farm in Michigan, lived in Hammond, IN (the town the classic “A Christmas Story” is based on), NYC, Los Angeles, and now resides in Palm Springs, CA.

Christine Sun Kim is an artist whose work focuses on sound, and sometimes its absence, positing intriguing explorations of art through music, linguistics, drawing, and performance. Her body of work is as impressive as it is wondrously varied and powerful. A magnificently minimalist website offers glimpses into her work and career, as encapsulated in the excerpt below. Her passionate search for the myriad ways in which we communicate is one of the most important journeys ever made by a Dazzler of the Day. 

In her work, Berlin-based artist Christine Sun Kim, whose first language is American Sign Language (ASL), approaches the concept of sound via deconstructive exercises, experiments, and observations through drawing, painting, and performance. Over the course of developing her own visual language, Kim explores and employs elements from various information systems. By combining aspects of graphic and musical notation, body language, and ASL, she uses these systems as a means to expand what each is able to communicate and to invent a new grammar and structure structure for her compositions.

Performance is also part of Kim’s practice, often providing the starting point for works on paper that display witty evocations of both sounds and signs. She highlights what is constantly present and yet unnamed by us all through naming and then deconstructing preconceived ideas about sound and communication through their parameters, social values, and linguistics. Moreover, Kim works within and around the nuances of sound: at what point does noise become sound? When is something appropriate, and whose job is it to determine the agreeability of a sound, a noise, and their ensuing respectability or social capital?

Christine Sun Kim (b. 1980, California) received a Master of Fine Arts in Music / Sound from Bard College in 2013. She has exhibited and performed internationally, including at the Whitney Museum, New York (2018); Art Institute of Chicago (2018); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2017); De Appel Arts Center, Amsterdam (2017); Rubin Museum of Art, New York (2017); Berlin Biennale (2016); Shanghai Biennale (2016); Sound Live Tokyo (2015, 2013); MoMA PS1, New York (2015) and the Museum of Modern Art, New York (2013). Kim was awarded a MIT Media Lab Fellowship and a TED Senior Fellowship and has presented at numerous conferences and symposia. She lives and works in Berlin.

His intro page says it all: “It’s not about my sex, it’s about my nature.”

It’s the artistic nature of Ali Franco that has propelled his work into one of my favorite things on the internet right now. Decadent, slightly devilish, and always gorgeously-rendered, his pieces are the stuff of ribald erotica, embodying elegance with a gleeful edge.

Think of Madonna’s epic 1990 ‘Vogue’ performance in which she enchantingly recreated a very cheeky court of Versailles, only imagine it with an even more potent sexuality. The coquettish cock, if you will. The derriere-baring debutante. Artist and provocateur Ali Franco offers all that and more, and he is our Dazzler of the Day. Check out Ali’s website here. 

Author, illustrator, and multi-talented Renaissance creator Alex Testere wears many hats, and all of them quite well. His illustrated book ‘Please Grow: Lessons on Thriving for Plants (and People)” is a life-guide on growing plants and cultivating the soul, two topics more intertwined and connected than most of us realize. In his spare time he may be found knitting some spectacular garment, such as the gorgeous sweater seen below (I’m still angling to see if he might allow me to commission a knitted health vest for the summer season). When one’s career and lifestyle conspires to create its own work of art, the title of Dazzler of the Day doesn’t fully capture the magic at work, but if it helps share some of the joy, it’s worth it. Unsurprisingly, the ‘About’ bio from his website is as charming and captivating as his written work:

I’m an author and illustrator based in Woodstock, New York.

I lived in Brooklyn for almost a decade before my partner and I relocated upstate. Over the years I’ve worked as a blogger, a social sports organizer, a line cook, a cheesemonger, a magazine editor, and now, I get to spend my time doing my favorite things in the world: telling stories and making art.

In my down time, you’ll find my tending my menagerie of houseplants, knitting an intricate sweater, or sipping wine on a beach (if only in my dreams).

I’m currently about to publish my first book, “Please Grow: Lessons on Thriving For Plants (and People).” It’s an illustrated guide to self-care, creativity, and personal growth, rooted in the life cycle of plants. I hope you’ll check it out! I am also available for hire as an illustrator, writer, and consultant.

{Visit Alex Testere’s website here where you can order ‘Please Grow: Lessons on Thriving For Plants (and People)’ and see all the other fabulous stuff going on in his wonderful world.}