"My soul has returned"

I woke up this morning at 6am on a saturday and made a phone call to a friend who is going through something that is emotionally draining and hurtful... I stayed on the phone and listened and listened and listened and would have listened till the end of days because i knew she needed that ear and reassurance that all will be fine and that she will make it out of this hard time. She talked and she talked and i listened. I was there for her and as we talked i realized that i was also talking to myself. I made it through my harsh days... they are behind me and now i was given the task to help a friend that is going through something identical to what i went through.

I started listening to music that i had stopped listening to during my dark days, i've opened my heart to the possibilities of loving someone and i've forgiven myself for believing that i was worthless... Alicia Keys was one of the artists that i had stopped listening to, but i opened my Itunes after my two hour conversation with my girlfriend and felt lighter.... Her song "Lesson Learned" hit it right on the spot.... I did hit the floor... shot, bleeding in the dark alone.... but it's the past and my soul has returned, more vibrant, more aware, more beautiful than ever before....

With this awareness, there is no doubt in my mind that my girlfriend will wake up one morning to give the same reassurance to a friend in tears.

Its alright... everything is alright.
Aaza

"Kanye West"

I was actually surprised by this video.... Not a big fan of the song but i think the video made me like it especially when the drum plays and there is a juxtaposition of the African dancers and a shaking affect of the video. I think it was a really nice touch. I like the sort of neutral colors that are in a way fighting the colorful colors that are trying pop out with the African people. Interesting dynamic. When he says "im not loving you way i wanted to" it's almost if he is apologizing to his ancestral culture. Modernity fighting Tradition. What i did not like however are the women in the video. Of course they had to put beautiful sensual women in there to modernize it, but they were totally out of place. and it seemed totally against the idea a friction between Modernity and tradition. But maybe they were not going for that. As much as i like the colors on the last two dancers, i'd have to say they were my least favorite only because of how they were presented. The colors were vibrant so i wanted to see them do something vibrant. But overall like this video. Nice Job Kanye and Hype!!!!

Aaza

"My Favorite Website"

love love love this site, illustration and animation.... top notch!!

check it out at Carphone Warehouse
Aaza

"4 of my favorite Obama art pieces"

VOTE NOVEMBER 4 2008
Aaza

"This weeks picks from my lil notebook"

did you know that doodling is a stress reliever ?
Aaza

"Life Is: Jessica Hische"

I love the body of work from this illustrator, designer and typographer. simple and detailed, vintage with a new flavor to it, Jessica Hische is creating designs that surpass most work that i have seen. Truly an inspiration! You will be doing yourself a disservice if you do not check our her work at www.jhische.com

the magic of colors
Aaza

"Bird-Death-By-Bus"

I walked out of my building one morning and saw this bird at my feet. motionless... lifeless... Was i wrong to think that it was positioned so beautifully that i had to capture it? A few minutes later i got on a bus and saw the bird again, in a different form.

life imitates itself
Aaza

"Down by the Bayou" Poem by Aaza aka Arabelle Clitandre

Down by the bayou
There ain’t much that you can do
But Rattle away that ghost inside
Just make sure you stay alive

That man in black walking ahead
Holding that stick, that’s driped in red
Says you dare not look away
Cuz the ghost inside, it wants to play

Your’re in the shadow now
Wiping the sweat from your brow
They say Its easier to forget the pain
They know Its harder to ignore the rain

Sinking slowly in the muddy sand
Stretching hard for just a strand
They say that man is but a grain
That walks along a path that’s stained

That man he grins and watch you sink
You hold your breath but you wont blink
The only thing you hold on to
That stare that dares to see it through

Down by the bayou
They call they laugh they tug at you
They say you’re weak they say you’re blue
They say the moon’s got a hold on you

You crawl your way out to a rock
You bleed you scream your body in shock
But what they knew that you now know
What they gave you, that you now sew

The earth, the skin, the blood within
The air, the glow, the shadows below
They move in circles, in quarks and quantum
They live only because we thought them

consciousness is a powerful tool
Aaza

"Life Is: Robin Rhode"

One of my favorite contemporary artist is Robin Rhode. He pulled me into one of his performances a few years ago, where he used black charcoal on a naked while wall. He drew a car and a parking meter and stayed glued to the wall with his hands.... he would pull out coins from his pocket to put into the 2 dimensionally drawn in meter, and found himself at conflict with it as the three dimensional object could not respect the slot that was drawn for it in the 2 dimensional drawing. frustrated, he looked at the crown, still glued to the wall, pulled me into his performance, disappeared into the crowd and left me alone to deal with the frustration of values that society has imposed on us. My white shirt of course got charcoaled up but i've been in love since. Rhode is a Berlin Based South African artist that approaches art in a successful unconventional way. He uses subcultural context of fashion, hip hop, history, identity and render them into the everyday.

The art form is formless
Aaza

"Sarah...."

You did good.... I have to admit. You held your own and proved to America that you can go toe to toe. As a woman, i am proud you were able to debate and speak clearly. You were assertive and delivered a strong performance. I'm still not rooting for you, Sarah, yes, because your views are completely twisted in my opinion, and you are EVIL!! But you did your thang! I mean, sure you didn't answer any of the questions, and did what Obama did in the first presidential debate, which was looking at the camera, which, honey, did not work for you at all and that wink was really idiotic. I have to say it was a luke warm debate and both candidates came out on top for their parties. Yeah there were a few slips on both end, but Sarah, you did good... you really looked like a republican and an asshole politician.... gosh darnit, you did good...


Mission- To make you look like a credible VP candidate
For tonight, mission accomplished

Aaza

"WTF"

R U KIDDING ME???? SARAH PALIN??!!!! R U FOR REAL...NAH, YOU'RE NOT REAL...ITS A CONSPIRACY!!! EITHER YOU ARE PLAYING DUMB AND THEN KICK JOE BIDENS ASS AT THE DEBATE OR YOU ARE JUST REALLY DUMB AND GOP IS PLOTTING TO PUT MCCAIN/PALIN IN OFFICE, KNOWING THAT MCCAIN IS GETTING READY TO KICK THE BUCKET, AND PUT BUSH BACK---EH HEM, I MEAN PALIN IN OFFICE FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF STRING CONTROL!!!!!

PLEASE AMERICA, DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS EVIL DOES NOT HAPPEN IN NOVEMBER!!!!!

Aaza

"The N-Word"

Check his performances.... He is Hilarious!!!

"Life Is--Amy Sol"

I love her approach to painting on wood. Her soft and delicate lines illustrate a whimsical master in the works.

Check her work at www.amysol.com

Aaza