Been loving scrolling my Facebook feed lately and stumbling upon artist Fernando Samalot's, @SimoneBirch, art work. Especially now, that he and his partner in life and creativity, Bárbara Cruz, have been on a one-year adventure around Puerto Rico in support of a photography and video project called #OneIslandOneJourney. Part of the project is a collection of short films consisting of nature scenes of different cities of the island. Besides being a creative couple of visual arts and music composition, they are behind the environmental and educational initiative La Tribu Contribuye, that organizes cleanups of rivers and beaches around the island, and post beautiful handmade artisanal anti-littering signs in the areas. Their pictures of the cleanups grasp the spirit of the beautiful scenic surroundings, as well as the enthusiasm for leaving Atabey (mother earth) looking better than how they found it. They also conduct environmental workshops and talks. Their creative love for each other and nature documented through artistic expression is truly magical and inspirational. I'm swooned. Check their work out!
Michael C. McMillen is a mixed-media artist based in Santa Monica, California, whose installations and sculptures made out of recyclable materials, or as he calls them "the cast-offs of our material society," play around the themes of time, change, and illusion as a means to create what he refers to as "visual spiritual poetry." It's very interesting work with a magic of its own. The two friends I've brought with me to view his work have referred to his pieces as post-apocalyptic. I see it more as a beautiful display of decay. They had a similar eerie effect on me as when I visited a ghost town of the Gold Rush era, here in California, for the first time. Like a glimpse at the ancient ruins of the future. To fully appreciate his installations you really must experience them. You can view his work in person at an upcoming exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California from April 16, 2011 to August 14, 2011, entitled Train of Thought .