Journal of Creative Arts & Minds, Vol.4, No.1–January 2018 by Jumbo Arts International

Journal of Creative Arts & Minds Vol. 4, No.1, January 2018    An Original Publication of Jumbo Arts International  Red Springs, North Carolina, USA

ISBN: 978-0-9965432-6-2 / ISSN: Pending  Jumbo Arts International 2018

Journal of Creative Arts & Minds Published by

Margie Labadie, President, Publisher  John Antoine Labadie, Vice President, Senior Editor & Chief Graphic Designer  Larry Arnold, Board Member

Electronic Links  https://www.facebook.com/JournalofCreativeArtsandMinds http://www.jumboartsinternational.org  jcam.jal@gmail.com

Jumbo Arts International Contact Information 217 South Edinborough St.  Red Springs, North Carolina 28377-1233   01.910.734.3223 Editorial – John Antoine Labadie & Margie Labadie  Design – The JCAM Team of Jumbo Arts International

The Journal of Creative Arts & Minds is a publication of Jumbo Arts International. This electronic publication is free. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.

Journal of Creative Arts & Minds Vol.4, No. 1, January 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS Jumbo Arts International President’s Message – 6 JCAM Editor’s Message – 8 VISUAL ARTIST PROFILES Charley James – 13 Deepali Sharma – 26 Mukta Avachat – 38 Bhaskar Lahiri – 51 Fernando Asian – 64 Jawek Kwakman – 77 Nirmal Yadav – 89 CREATIVE PROJECT REVIEWS The 5th Annual Jaipur Art Summit – 102 International Exhibition: Conglomeration #2 – 114 FINAL WORD – 122 INFORMATION FOR SUBMITTERS – 123

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Publisher’s Message Here in North Carolina, the winter season has been colder than most. But at the Journal of Creative Arts & Minds, it feels more like Spring. From a tiny spark of an idea–– the ‘what if’ kind of idea–– we dared ask the question, “How can Jumbo Arts International empower artists to speak for themselves about their media, their craftsmanship, and their passion to make art.”

Today, the answer to that question is found in the Journal of Creative Arts & Minds, an insightful publication of art and creativity, as told by the artists themselves.

With this issue Jumbo embarks on its fourth year of publication while marking the expansion of the journal into four issues per year. Our all volunteer JCAM team has been hard at work interacting with artists on social media, on the phone and by email, gathering together articles from around the world. Over 100 artists and writers, from a total of 25 countries have been published. Through the JCAM you can experience what life is like for artists from Holland to Venezuela, Taiwan to Canada, and Spain to Ukraine. Through their articles, the JCAM is crossing time zones and bridging cultures, all for the sake of Creative Arts.

More than ever we stand behind our commitment to provide a platform for artists to speak. We encourage our readers to contact artists directly to ask them about their work and support them in their journeys. We also ask for your support of Jumbo Arts International and ask readers to share the JCAM with as many folks as possible.

Art makes the world a better place. The JCAM helps artists communicate better with the world! Enjoy the January 2018 JCAM

Margie Labadie JCAM Publisher & President, Jumbo Arts International

Red Springs, North Carolina, USA  jumboartsinternational@gmail.com

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Margie Labadie “Sliding Through Glass”   Digital Artwork 2018

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January 2018 A Message from the Senior Editor It is always a pleasure to bring our readers a new issue of the JCAM. We move into 2018 with Vol.4, No.1 of Jumbo Arts International’s “Journal of Creative Arts & Minds.” Now beginning our fourth year, we are very pleased to deliver this seventh edition of our journal.

The JCAM is an extension of our core mission to support the arts, culture and performance through mutual understanding of life ways. It is a virtual space to gather, listen, learn and share creative passions on an international level. As such, each artist’s submission is held as unique and is allowed to evolve relatively unhindered given the technical limitations of our current publishing format.  As with our previous JCAM publications, the highly creative visual artists and writers whose works are included in the January 2018 issue, represent a number of countries, cultures, media, ages, and levels of experience. We value our relationship with each artist. We learn tremendously from each “creative” with whom we have contact. It’s a wonderful journey.

For example, the JCAM receives questions about the submission process on an almost daily basis. Our interactions with the visual artists and/or writers expressing interest is based solely on a dialogue about each person’s work. All submissions are subjected to a standardized editorial and juried review process. It is only after the editors and/or a panel of reviewers have juried a submission that an offer for possible publication is extended to a submitter. It is only then that the editorial process is shifted into a higher gear.

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The January 2018 issue has brought editorial challenges that were educational for both submitters and staff. For example, as with other issues the editors received text submissions forwarded to us in languages other than English. Fortunately, the electronic tools to translate from one language, or alphabet, to another seem to improve almost daily. Using a variety of translation tools and engaging in a productive electronic conversation with non-English speaking submitters has allowed for the successful publication of “translated” articles that we might not have previously attempted. Jumbo Arts International’s JCAM publishing project is a well organized, highly collaborative … and time consuming endeavor. Our small Jumbo-JCAM staff continuously seeks to identify and publish original creative works from local, regional, national and international sources that are known to us. Our outreach in this regard has greatly expanded the Jumbo network since pre-planning efforts began for the JCAM in early 2014. It is our pledge to continue this evolutionary process in the issues to come. We appreciate your comments and conversations on social media and through email. We promise to respond to everything sent our way. In this issue we continue to offer reviews of creative projects with which we have had the good fortune to interact or be involved. It is hoped that readers will enjoy and be informed by this feature. As artists ourselves, members of the JCAM staff are happy to be able to share some of our successful creative connections with readers. Our readers are our best way to network out into creative communities. Do you know of a visual artist or creative writer JCAM should hear about? Please let us know about them! We will answer all emails received. We hope you enjoy our latest JCAM publication!

John Antoine Labadie Senior Editor & Chief Graphic Designer Journal of Creative Arts & Minds jcam.jal@gmail.com

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John Antoine Labadie  “The Ambassador” / Tradigital Image

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Charley James

JCAM: What is your professional name? Where were you born and what place you he still influences? Where do you live now and how this place you he influences? Do you have family, friends or artists who support you in your work, life and art, and how they make a difference in your life? CJ: My nickname is Charley James, it was already the stage name of my grandfather, who was a musician and magician in the 1930s. I was born and I live in Paris. Paris is a wonderful city for whoever is curious about artistic creation, museums, exhibitions, and concerts. All this of course influences me. I am especially influenced by the music I listen to alone in my workshop. This music is such that it makes me dive into my own interior and chaotic world. Friends and family have no influence on my work, but they are benevolent and sometimes critical but compliments and criticisms have no influence on my creations. JCAM: When and how did you start making art? Can you describe the moment when you realized that art creation was something you absolutely had to do? Why do you

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make art now? How has your work changed and developed over time? What you are trying to communicate with your art? CJ: I started very early, around 13/14 years ago, to make comics and animated films and programs on art for Canal+ and music. In my art work I plowed the same furrow for 40 years and nothing has changed, except for technology. That sets some things apart; but that's a detail. I want to communicate everything, nothing and anything all at the same time. Seriously, art is for me as a safety valve ... without art I will explode – Hahahahaha! JCAM: Do you have creative designs, routines or rituals associated with your artistic creation? What element(s) of artistic creation do you do most and why? What are your most important artists tools and why? How do you know when a job is finished? What art creation tools you use now? CJ: My only ritual is that I work lying down, with no physical tension. My dream is to create in the water, but as I work only on computer, it would perhaps be rather dangerous. I'm very curious about all kinds software. So, each day I try to use new tools. And I have one rule: I never use the “erase” tool or the "undo" ... so, if there is a mistake, well I keep it. JCAM: Do you sell your art?  CJ: I regularly sell paintings. But some times I work in a part of the art world that is rather unusual and sometimes "hardcore" … so then it is more difficult to find an audience. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, both for work and for life? What interesting project are you currently working on? CJ: Two things: I want to publish a paper magazine on digital art; and I want to mount a "full digital" exhibition of my work and with some collaborators too. JCAM: What or who inspires you? CJ: My main inspiration (apart from industrial and gothic music) comes from my concentration to dive into a trance. I look at this as a kind of conscious astral travel. JCAM: Where do you get ideas for your creative work?  CJ: From my own devious mind! I tirelessly dig into the corners of my chaotic neurons. I also look at online resources like your JCAM publication to discover artists who are new to me.

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Contact information and creative pages for Charley James: charleyjamesartwork@gmail.com http://charleyjames.free.fr/ https://www.facebook.com/charley.james.509 http://fugitivedata.fr/crbst_15.html

Charley James / “I'M COMING HOME” / Digital Media

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Charley James “Explosion” / Digital Media

Charley James “HPL FOR EVER” / Digital Media

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Charley James “CHRISTINE” / Digital Media

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Charley James “CRYPTO-BITE” / Digital Media

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Charley James “3H32” / Digital Media

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Charley James “ANALOÎDE” / Digital Media

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Charley James “DAGON NOVEM 2016” / Digital Media

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Charley James Santra “Veux Dormir” / Digital Media

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Charley James “Juan le Chamane” / Digital Media

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Charley James â&#x20AC;&#x153;Effervescing Elephant / Digital Media

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Charley James “IN-OUT” / Digital Media

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Deepali Sharma â&#x20AC;¨ JCAM: What is your professional name? Where were you born and does that place still influence you? Where do you live now and how does that place influence you? Do you have family, friends, or fellow artists who support you in your work, life and art making and how do they make a difference in your life? DS: I am professionally known as Deepali Sharma. I was born and brought up in Jaipur on the day of Deepawali, a festival of lights in India and yes this city still influences me. I live in Jaipur at present and being my native place this city has everything to influence an artist within. My family is my supporting pillar all through my career as an artist. My family has always motivated me, my parents supported me when I was emotionally down, my sister stood beside me when I needed a helping hand. My family has been the pillar of strength that has never made me realize that I am physically challenged and has respected every decision of mine. A family makes life easy and that is what I realized with my family. My family has made a positive impact on my life as well as my professional career. JCAM: When and how did you start making art? Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do? Why do you make art now? How has your work changed or developed over time? What are you trying to communicate with your art?

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DS: Art is something that had attracted me since my childhood and this was something I found myself very attached to. I started making art at an early age because this was something that came to me naturally. When I was about seven years old I realized that painting is something I can do all my life. Since then I have devoted myself into learning the minutest skills of making compelling paintings. I create art now because this is the only thing that I think I am made for. Initially I was not good at expressing my thoughts through my art but eventually I started to grasp skills from other fellow and senior artists and changed my art pattern. Through my art I express what I see and feel, my art is generally influenced by the world around me. JCAM: Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making? What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? How do you know when a work is finished? What are the art making tools you use now? What new creative medium would you love to pursue? DS: I don’t follow a certain pattern, routine or ritual as I believe there is plethora of motivation present around an artist. All that he/she has to do is to look at them with a different perspective. I like to portray emotions the most by my art because I believe every human has emotions, you only have to feel it differently. My brush is my most important tool because it makes me feel like the whole world is my canvas and I can paint it anyway I like it to be. I generally finish my painting when the thought by which I started the painting seems to be done. I would love to create a live painting of some of my favorite artists and that is one of my dreams which will be fulfilled one day. JCAM: What's the first artwork you ever sold? Do you make a living from your art? What strategies with you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally? DS: It was one of my favorite paintings that I created when I was learning how to create a perfect art. Yes, I make a living out of my art work. I cannot devote more time to anything else than creating painting that touches people’s feelings. Being creative and being you and not following other is what makes your own identity and that is what I believe in. This is the strategy I have as I don’t want to follow some other’s footstep. Getting motivation from other artists is good but at the same time losing your own identity by blindly following someone is not something I believe in personally. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life? What interesting project are you working on at the moment?

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DS: To be very genuine I want to be successful as any other artist would want. My goal for the future is to get a chance to show my talent and art in the most renowned art galleries around the world. I want to create my own separate identity and want that people know me by my name. At present I am working on a series of projects with different themes mostly inspired by emotions. JCAM: What or who inspires you? Do you have a favorite – or influential – living artist? What work of art do you wish you owned and why? DS: The world around me inspires me because I think every artist takes inspiration from the world she sees, hears and feels. Somewhat Surreal art attracts me a lot. My personal favorite artists are the late Mr. Francis Bacon, Mr. Raja Ravi Verma, Mr. M.F. Hussain, Mr. Tyeb Mehta and Mr. Satish Gujral. I wish I would have owned “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci because that is also associated with a mysterious smile emotion. Besides this I also think it would be great if I could own “Christina's World,” a painting by American painter Andrew Wyeth. JCAM: Where do you find ideas for your creative work? What does “being creative” mean to you? What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative? DS: My inspiration is the world around me. The world has infinite things and characteristics that there is nothing else an artist can need for being creative. There is creativity in everything that we do but the true creativity is doing something in a way people don’t do. “Being creative” means being different and not following the same mentality that most people follow. The piece of advice I gave to so many of my fellow artists is that being creative is being you and if you can express your emotion the way you think then you are creative.

Deepali Sharma “Peeping Eyes 2” (Detail)  Mixed Media on Canvas

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Deepali Sharma “Captivity” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Deepali Sharma “Untitled” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Deepali Sharma “Surreal 1” / Mixed Media on Sheet

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Deepali Sharma “Surreal” / Mixed Media on Sheet

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Deepali Sharma “My Dilemma” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Deepali Sharma “Peeping Eyes” / Charcoal on Sheet

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Deepali Sharma “Untitled” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Deepali Sharma “Hunting” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Deepali Sharma “Untitled” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Mukta Avachat

Pune is also a culturally rich place where we can see the mixture of traditional and contemporary life. It has a strong figurative tradition when it comes to art and painting in particular. What influences me is not the city but people and nature around me. My parents have been supportive since my childhood. My mother’s name is Veena Avachat. She works in a bank. My father’s name is Arvind Avachat who is an engineer. My father had an interest in visual arts. They both insisted that I take up Art as a

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profession. I went to Abhinava Kala Mahavidyalaya for art education, where I did my graduation. Further in S.N.D.T. Women’s University, I did my masters in Drawing and Painting.

Currently I am pursuing my PhD in the same University. My friends, my niece and my younger sister Geeta used to sit for me as models. I am married to Aditya Shirke who is also an artist. He also supports me a lot. As we both are artists, it is easy to discuss and interact on art related matters.

Both being artists, we know the idiosyncrasies and mood swings or reflective phases that artists have. Eminent watercolor artist Milind Mulick has been a strong support. I have completed a two week course of drawing and painting at LARA (London Atelier of Representational Art), UK in 2014. JCAM: When and how did you start making art? Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do? Why do you make art now? How has your work changed or developed over time? What are you trying to communicate with your art?   MA: I have been drawing since my childhood. I used to draw the goddess Laxmi in my Rangoli which is a powdered chalk. I decided to take up ‘Art’ as a career in my 8th standard. Painting is a passion for me which I cannot do without apart from it being my profession too. I like gardening and observing nature. I had spent a lot of time in our garden.

One can see the influence of nature in my paintings. I am inspired by my childhood memories with nature. My work as it has developed through the years is in the subtleties that I infuse into the works rather than there being a radical shift in style or subject. JCAM: Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making? What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? How do you know when a work is finished? What are the art making tools you use now? MA: I generally start my work by doing a rough sketch. I love to use oil, acrylic and dry pastels. I like the softness of dry pastel. I usually use Alla Prima method for my paintings in oil or acrylics. Oil has its own richness. Music inspires me and I always have music playing while I work.

The bristle brush is what I consider a must for my work. It has the right amount of stiffness and flexibility for the kind of brushwork I employ. The rough sketch gives me a fair idea where I want to go. I tend to work in a single medium but I am now experimenting with mixed media.

JCAM: What's the first artwork you ever sold? Do you make a living from your art?

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What strategies will you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally? MA: The first work I sold was from my first professional group show in 2008. I do make a living from art, and have been doing so for almost a decade now. I am also an assistant professor in an art college. My advice for being successful professionally would be keep working regularly and showcasing on various platforms. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life? What interesting project are you working on at the moment? MA: Currently I am pursuing my PhD which I hope to finish in a couple of months. After which I plan to start on a new series which has been on my mind for a while now. I also hope to have a show out of the country in the next couple of years. JCAM: What or who inspires you? Do you have a favorite – or influential – living artist? What work of art do you wish you owned and why? MA: I am inspired by nature and my bond with it. Artists like Degas, Sargent, Waterhouse, and Klimt inspire me a lot. A living artist who inspires me greatly is Richard Schmid. I would love to have Klimt’s Birch tree series since they are the perfect amalgamation of realism and abstraction. I also like the color harmony and the apparent minimalism in these works. JCAM: Where do you find ideas for your creative work? What does “being creative” mean to you? What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative? MA: I find my ideas in nature and elements of nature and the beauty of the figure. “Being creative” means expressing yourself differently and observing what others miss. Keep working and thinking is one of the best pieces of advice I have had. https://www.facebook.com/mukta.avachat

Mukta Avachat “The Blue One” / Dry Pastel on Paper

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Mukta Avachat “Curious Little Eyes” / Oil on Canvas

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Mukta Avachat “And I Dreamt” / Oil on Canvas

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Mukta Avachat “Life on The Wall Paper” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Mukta Avachat “Red Butterflies” / Oil on Canvas

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Mukta Avachat “Red Lilies” / Oil on Canvas Board

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Mukta Avachat “The Little Girl” / Oil on Canvas

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Mukta Avachat “The Red One” / Dry Pastel on Paper

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Mukta Avachat “The Yellow One” / Dry Pastel on Paper

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Mukta Avachat “The Shade” / Oil on Canvas Board

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Mukta Avachat “The Artist in Her Studio”

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Bhaskar Lahiri JCAM: What is your professional name? Where were you born and does that place still influence you? Do you have family friends or fellow artists who support you in your work, life and art making and do they make a difference in your life? BL: My professional name is Mr. Bhaskar Lahiri. I was born, in the town called Howrah, in the state of West Bengal, India. The local culture and heritage of eastern India still influences my artwork. The Hindu philosophy and mythology have deep influence in my artwork. I have a big family and number of friends who are artists. My family members support me in every way possible. Because of them I have a peaceful surrounding to make my art. My fellow artist friends help me with positive feedback regarding my artworks. JCAM: When and how did you start making art? Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do? Why do you make art now? How has your work changed or developed over time? What are you trying to communicate with your art? BL: I started making art from very early childhood. I used to make art on the floor using chalks. As I became mature, I started using two mediums, pen and ink on paper, and acrylic on canvas. I realized that I wanted to become a professional artist at the age of 21 when I entered Indian College of Art and Draftsmanship back in 1981. I completed that program in 1986.

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I make art now to express myself. I am still seeking my eternal truth though making art which allows me to dive deep into Hinduism which has inspired me the most. My art form has changed over time. In my early days I used to work on human figures especially female and now I work more on religion and Indian traditions. My artworks depict my respect towards Indian traditions and mythology. JCAM: Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making? What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? How do you know when a work is finished? What are the art making tools you use now? What new creative medium would you love to pursue? BL: My artworks are very nuanced and I focus on traditional designs which influence my artworks. I research about Indian art forms and am deeply influenced by this. For example: some of my works are influenced by ‘Pata Chitra’ of Bengal and Oddissa. I love drawing with pencil and then applying colors on it. As the artwork gets almost finished it becomes very satisfying. My most important tools are acrylic color and brush. When I feel satisfied that the artwork is complete I call it a finished product. For example: For one artwork I kept a painting incomplete for 16 years and at last added a crescent moon to it and felt complete. In the future I would hope that could do mixed media works. This appeals to me. JCAM: What's the first artwork you ever sold? Do you make a living from your art? What strategies with you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally? BL: I am 56 years old right now. I sold my first painting when I was 40 years old. I am a professional art teacher in a government sponsored handicapped school but I also earn from selling my artworks. To be a successful professional artist you have to take care of your craft and keep improving. Another thing to note is to improve your productivity so that you can make artworks within a specific period if demand is high. You have to take care of your artwork and keep it clean. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life? What interesting project are you working on at the moment?

BL: My goal in life is to improve the quality and quantity of my artworks. I am working on

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some mythological subjects such as Lord Jagannatha in tribal form, mother goddess Kali and Lord Krishna. JCAM: What or who inspires you? Do you have a favorite – or influential – living artist? What work of art do you wish you owned and why? BL: My artworks are influenced by Indian mythology, philosophy and traditions. I am also influenced by the traditional artists who work in native villages. They are not popular but make superb artworks. I would have liked to own artworks of Jamini Roy, M.F. Hussain and Rabindranath Tagore. JCAM: Where do you find ideas for your creative work? What does “being creative” mean to you? What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative? BL: Being creative means expressing my thoughts and values in the form of art. I was advised to study traditional art forms and be more attentive towards my artworks to be more creative.

Bhaskar Lahiri / “Tigress” / Pen & Ink

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Bhaskar Lahiri / “Dance with Tiger” / Pen & Ink on Paper

Bhaskar Lahiri / “Clown” / Pen & Ink on Paper

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Bhaskar Lahiri / “Royal Elephant” / Acrylic on Canvas

Bhaskar Lahiri / “Golden Cow” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Bhaskar Lahiri “Holy Trinity” Acrylic on Canvas

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Bhaskar Lahiri / “Ancient Love 1” / Pen & Ink on Paper

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Bhaskar Lahiri / “Ancient Love 2” / Pen & Ink on Paper

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Bhaskar Lahiri / “Tribal Girl” / Pen & Ink on Paper

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Bhaskar Lahiri / “Lady With Tiger” / Pen & Ink on Paper

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Bhaskar Lahiri / “Tantric Deity” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Bhaskar Lahiri “Lord Krishna” Acrylic on Canvas

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Bhaskar Lahiri / “Kalio Daman” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Fernando Asián JCAM: What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? FA: As a draftsman, and having the drawing as the foundation or basis of each work, I would say the line. As a painter it is the color. As a sculptor it is the texture. But always subordinating each element to the composition, to the balance. JCAM: What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? FA: Pen, pencil, brush, fingers. They are the tools that I use the most and which I better dominate, both on paper and on canvas.

Photo by Audio Cepeda

JCAM: How do you know when a work is finished? FA: Are art works ever finished? At some point they are finished, when you give up, when you do not see any more mistakes, when you sign them. But really few works in art are finished if they are “alive” and under consideration by an artist. JCAM: What are the art making tools you use now? FA: Pencil, drawing pens with nibs, brush and my Mac computer. JCAM: What new creative medium would you love to pursue? FA: Video art and cinema interest me. But I would love to be able to draw and paint without needing to sell my work. It is terrible to get rid of the originals you love.

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JCAM: What's the first artwork you ever sold? FA: It was a nude in oil. I took a friend's motorbike without his permission and I crashed it. I went to ask about the fork of the front wheel that bent. It cost 3000 pesetas. I went to a bar and asked the owner for 3000 thousand pesetas for my painting. I went to my friend's house and handed him the fork. I would have been 15 years old at that time. JCAM: Do you make a living from your art? FA: Yes. With highs and lows of course. I lived very well writing and drawing comics. Then I got tired of the pressure of the editors and started painting for art galleries with acceptable success. Now the economic situation in Venezuela is very bad and, for the first time, I have had difficulties in this regard. JCAM: What strategies could you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally?  FA: None at present. In the past I have been a partner of other artists establishing a gallery and we were terrible administrators and we lost a lot of time fighting. At present, a group of artists share a dealer, or he shares us. I have never been a good seller. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life?

FA: We live in a bad situation in Venezuela. With my family I study the possibility of going to another place where my children and grandchildren have a more promising future. JCAM: What interesting project are you working on at the moment?

FA: I am exhibiting a painting exhibition in Maracaibo and finishing a series of drawings for an exhibition in France in 2018. I have been invited by an association of artists called Mission pas Impossible. JCAM: What or who inspires you? FA: The universal art of Nature inspires me. The magical character of women inspires me. Music and literature also inspire me. But I think, like Poe and Picasso, that inspiration is the product of work. JCAM: Do you have a favorite – or influential – living artist? FA: Yes, many. It was especially Andrew Wyeth. All are dying now. Now there are some great young Russian and American artists that I like very much. JCAM: What work of art do you wish you owned and why?

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FA: Some of the versions of the Japanese bridge of Monet. I do not know why. I am excited. So I've done my version and I have one. JCAM: Where do you find ideas for your creative work? FA: In nature, in the arts and, above all, in work. JCAM: What does “being creative” mean to you?

FA: It is the ability to generate new concepts, new visions from known ideas. This is a more scientific definition than a personal one. I would say that it is about being original, but this also means going to the origin, to the root. Perhaps it is true that there is nothing new.  JCAM: What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative? FA: Probably the more you know, the more you read, the more you study, the more you learn, the more elements you will have to produce something new, different, original.

Fernando Asián / “Mar de Absenta” / Oil on Canvas

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Fernando Asián “Untitled 1” Ink on Paper

Fernando Asián “Untitled 2” Ink on Paper

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Fernando Asián “Untitled 3” Ink on Paper

Fernando Asián “Untitled 4” Ink on Paper

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Fernando Asián “Untitled 5” Ink on Paper

Fernando Asián “Untitled 6” Ink on Paper

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Fernando Asián “Untitled 7” Ink on Paper

Fernando Asián “Untitled 8” Ink on Paper

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Fernando Asián “Untitled 9” Ink on Paper

Fernando Asián “Untitled 10” Ink on Paper

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Fernando Asián “Untitled 11” Ink on Paper

Fernando Asián “Untitled 12” Ink on Paper

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Fernando Asián “Río de Venezuela” / Oil on Canvas

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Fernando Asián “Paisaje Surreal I” / Oil on Canvas

Fernando Asián “Paisaje Surreal II” / Oil on Canvas

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Fernando Asián “Fuente del Guadalquivir” / Oil on Canvas

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Fernando Asián “Homenaje a Monet” / Oil on Canvas

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Jawek Kwakman JCAM: The JCAM staff is proud to present the fascinating artwork of Dutch artist Jawek Kwakman. His original art work has been exhibited in international venues for more than twentyfive years. Jawek has provided us a narrative referencing his life and work. We are glad to present that below. JK: I live in Holland in a place called Hoorn, a small town near Amsterdam. Hoorn was the birth place of the VOC the first multinational ever and the company who founded Manhattan USA and conquered Indonesia. Founded in 1602, the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost - Indische Compagnie or VOC) flourished and survived for two centuries. The place itself does not influence me other than it is a very nice place to live!! I was born on the other side of the country where I met a painter and his Indonesian wife and got inspired by them.

I was 7 years old at the time and I wanted to be a painter too. Finally, I became an artist. As yet I cannot live by my art; that’s why I work at the local hospital. I do art shows some times. But mostly I work online. There I meet many other international artists and we exchange formulas, work together and tweak each others’ formulas for visual works. My work field is computational design working with algorithms. For me, the field of computational design is a “navigation tool” and also a knowledge tool to reveal the complexity and beauty of the 3D fractal world. What's new about this media art is the humanization of technology, and the emphasis on the philosophical research of both the real and the virtual worlds.

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The resulting images, animations and installations are representations of natural phenomena at the microscopic level and beyond. For example, things such as algae, viruses, bacteria and brain structures can be the subject not only of visualizations, but also architectural structures or complex and unique abstract worlds. In such work the starting point is a basic script. After that I then decide in which direction I want to change the code until something beautiful has been created. So, in the end, for me making artwork comes down to creating pure mathematic beauty!!! It is my hope that this goal shows through in my visual work. I hope to have more conversations with other artists interested in my work. Here is my contact information: Jawek Kwakman Studio: Wisselstraat 1E 1621 CT Hoorn NH The Netherlands Jawekkwakman@gmail.com www.jawekkwakman.com www.facebook.com/jawek.kwakman https://ello.co/jawekkwakman

Jawek Kwakman â&#x20AC;&#x153;Invisible Sentimentâ&#x20AC;? Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “Self Portrait in Purple” Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “Complicated Device” Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “A Tight Astronaut” Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “Calm Melancholy” Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “Pragmatic Element” Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “Spacestation Exploring” Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “Abandon” Digital Art

Jawek Kwakman “Instant Future”  Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “Main City Square” Digital Art

Jawek Kwakman “New Organic Design XX”  Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “New Organic Design” Digital Art

Jawek Kwakman “Study for Vanishing Structure”  Digital Art

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Jawek Kwakman “Study for Eccentric Matter” Digital Art

Jawek Kwakman “New Organic Design X”  Digital Art

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Nirmal Yadav

JCAM: What is your professional name? Where were you born and does that place still influence you? Where do you live now and how does that place influence you? Do you have family, friends, or fellow artists who support you in your work, life and art making and how do they make a difference in your life? NY: My name is Nirmal Yadav and I am a freelance painter. I was born in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Udaipur is an extremely beautiful city and world famous as a “City of Lakes”. Yes, I am still living and working in Udaipur in my small studio and gallery. I am, of course, influenced of my city since my childhood. Not only does Udaipur provide historical inspiration and glorious structure, I am also influenced by our cultural heritage, architecture, the variety of people who live there, and wonderful climate. Nobody in my family is an artist. My father is a taxi driver for tourists. He has always invited tourists from all over the world to our home. JCAM: When and how did you start making art? Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do? Why do you make art now? How has your work changed or developed over time?

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NY: When I was 12, I made some drawing and people liked my work. They gave me colors and books of artist to encourage me and I got more interested in art. My father was supporting me even though he didn’t know that much about art, but he understood my interests. After my early schooling I learned about the Indian traditional miniature art. Udaipur is very famous for this kind of art. I was very interested to know this unique technique and at the same time I could earn some extra money, so I could buy art book, material and attend to my art activities. When I was 15, I made a portrait of my friend’s father. My friend’s uncle liked it so much and he rewarded me to everyone in front of his restaurant. It gave me courage, I realized my ability and I also realized that people actually would pay for my enjoyment with creating art.

JCAM: Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making? What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? How do you know when a work is finished?   What are the art making tools you use now? What new creative medium would you love to pursue? NY: I still make my art for my satisfaction, relaxation and some times also frustration. After my Masters, I worked with traditional folk artist and I developed my own style. It is a miniature technique, but my subjects are different it is related to women’s sensation and my city. Udaipur’s history, beautiful lakes, environment, peoples, culture, folk music, literature, Indian architecture and especially importance of Udaipur’s heritage buildings and how to peoples have awareness about preservers of them. JCAM: Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making? What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? How do you know when a work is finished?   What are the art making tools you use now? NY: Yes, I have one significant pattern – it is the pen line drawing that characterizes my work. On paper it is done by a pen but the impression looks like a thread and many fine lines make up the form. One of the most important tools for my painting is the very thin brush used for traditional miniature art. This is used for most of my paintings to make a thread impression of the human body. I need many days to finish a painting. Sometimes one line is enough and this one line depends on space, form, balance and experience. I also like to experiment with new media and surfaces. I like to make watercolor also and my subject is all mostly based on Udaipur culture using my photography of streets, heritage buildings, elephants and especially auto rickshaws (tuk-tuks).

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JCAM: What is the first artwork you ever sold? Do you make a living from your art?   What strategies will you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally?  NY: I sold my first artwork at my studio and art gallery in 2008, before I worked on salary based miniature art. I love my work and I feel so happy and relaxed when I paint. I miss it when I can’t do it or when I have sold a work. I think it is now in my nature, in the way I talk, in my body …. I live my art. I don’t think about success, it is only love and respect from people which I accept from them. If you really want to know my advices to other then I will just say always be honest with your work. Do what is in your mind instead of trying to compete. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life? What interesting project are you working on at the moment?

NY: My goal with my life is to introduce my work to the whole world. I would like to make my studio at a place between the beach and the jungle on the mountain. I have goal with my work that it will become a huge sculpture form and be established in public places all over the world, and right now I am on the way with this project. Actually I research about public art for the city, beauty fiction and to preserve the heritage buildings. JCAM: What or who inspires you? Do you have a favorite – or influential – living artist?   NY: Mr. Anish Kapoor is one of my favorite artist. He inspires me and I wish I could work with him in the future. JCAM: Where do you find ideas for your creative work? What does “being creative” mean to you? What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative?

NY: I find my ideas for my creation from the surroundings around me, sometimes from people or family, and sometimes from social activity. I think that creativity comes from inside and as an artist you can express it and feel satisfaction, by many ways – as a painter, singer, writer. My advice is about what common people think they can not do, because they just think they are machines in this world just running the race of life. If they race in school, race in family, race in office, race for achievements, in they end they will not win the race and they will die.

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Nirmal Yadav  “Face I” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Nirmal Yadav  “Face II” / Line Drawing on Paper

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Nirmal Yadav  “Untitled I” / Mixed Media on Paper

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Nirmal Yadav  “Untitled II” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Nirmal Yadav  “Untitled III” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Nirmal Yadav  “Untitled IV” / Acrylic on Canvas

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Nirmal Yadav  “Untitled V” / Mixed Media on Canvas

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“Hard and Soft” / Acrylic on Canvas

“Untitled” / Acrylic on Canvas

Nirmal Yadav  “Find Out Key Watch” / Mixed Media on Canvas Board

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The 2017 Jaipur Art Summit In its fifth year, the December 2017 Jaipur Art Summit (JAS) was once again an exciting and varied event held in the Pink City of Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The organizers of the JAS along with cultural centers, artists groups and other arts organizations collaborated to promote art in Rajasthan. The 2017 JAS was a showcase of the creative arts across multiple artistic media. Growing in popularity and having a positive impact, the JAS surpassed last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s numbers with more than 700 artists participating from India and 50 countries.â&#x20AC;¨ The 2017 Jaipur Art Summit provided a large canvas for exhibition, art discussion, and discovery of tribal and traditional art and art exposure for new artists. It provided a unique platform that introduced galleries and artists to Rajasthani audiences, art collectors, art promoters and art enthusiasts. In addition to playing a commercial role as an art trading place the 2017 JAS continued to play a major role in generating human interest and awareness about art by taking it to the public and spreading the knowledge base for many forms of indigenous and traditional art including calligraphy, textiles, ceramics, metal working, and lacquer ware.

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The Jaipur Art Summit also spread out into Art Films and Experimental Cinema which included National Awarded Films and International Films from Animation, Advertisement, Short Film, Documentary and Traditional Arts from around the globe. Everyday of the event the JAS included an interaction with producers, directors or actors from the films. At the 2017 Jaipur Art Summit “Art Talks” and “Seminars” focused on the role of Art and Culture in Tourism, Archaeology, History & Heritage and include contemporary art and the culture of Rajasthan. Discussion topics included Indian art, archaeology and literature; Indian Culture; and the preservation, conservation and documentation of temple murals and wall paintings. Jumbo Arts International & JCAM founders Margie Labadie & John Antoine Labadie participated in the JAS “International Artist Camp” in 2016 and were involved in “book launch” presentations of their respective volumes published in 2017.

“Amer Fort” Jaipur, Rajasthan, India Editor’s note: On the following pages is a selection of photographs taken on site at the 2017 JAS. These are not meant to be comprehensive, but will allow the viewer to have a better sense of the range of the arts and crafts presented at this amazing multicultural and truly international activity.

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JCAM Publisher & Editor: International Exhibiting Artists For more than twenty years Jumbo Arts International founders Margie Labadie and John Antoine Labadie have participated in a number of exhibitions each year which feature their original creative works. These exhibitions vary greatly in terms of geographical location, physical or virtual venues, and also in the type of work exhibited. Along the way Margie and John have met many fascinating art professionals, and also made many friends in the greater art community internationally. What is shared in this brief piece is one of the exhibits in which Margie and John participated together in 2017. This exhibition itself featured original works on paper accomplished in many available “printmaking” techniques. The originator of the event is Professor Sunil Lal. The 2017 event is the second annual “Conglomeration” exhibition and it was held at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery in southern India. This exhibition is scheduled to travel to other locations in India in 2018. The event was well publicized and a brief article which appeared in the “Deccan Chronicle” is also included here. Also on the following pages are digital images of the prints by Margie and John that were included in this international exhibition.

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Margie Labadie  “Women's’ March On Washington 2017”  Digital Collage Printed on Archival Paper

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Margie Labadie  “Mom’s Recovery”  Digital Collage Printed on Archival Paper

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John Antoine Labadie   “Homage to William Morris #11”  Digital & Mixed Media Printed on Archival Paper

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John Antoine Labadie  “Homage to William Morris #13”  Digital & Mixed Media Printed on Archival Paper

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Lifestyle, Books and Art

Taking printmaking art to the public: An exhibition aimed at spreading technology of printmaking of original artworks.   Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery: The second edition of the international juried and invitational printmaking exhibition ‘Conglomeration’ (a coming together of all styles of printmaking art) featuring prominent artists of India and abroad will conclude in the city today. The exhibition was hung in Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery and was thought to be well presented by all who attended. This exhibition of nearly 200 pieces of artwork, by 100 artists, comes after a successful launch in Kochi in September 2017, and was coordinated by artist and professor Sunil Lal. The exhibition is aimed at spreading the technology of printmaking and of exhibiting original artworks created through the many process under the umbrella term of “printmaking” itself.

“The technology used behind each print should be more understood by the public too. At the moment, what is popular mostly in fine arts colleges are: wood cut, lithograph using limestone, dry point using aluminum, also acrylic and copper sheets. Even the newest medium that uses computers to make prints is represented. Also we have silk screen work (also called serigraphy) that is being used in many common products” said Professor Lal. The works of Indian artists Anupam Sud, Krishna Reddy, Anand Nikam, Jyoti Bhat and PD Dhumal are placed along with international artists like Magdalina Uchman from Poland, Elisebata Daimanti from Italy, John Antoine Labadie and Margie Labadie from the USA, Ulli Gollesch from Austria, Ahmet Ozel from Turkey, and Fei In Leong from China. Professor Sunil Lal, a faculty member of the Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikara, shared that there are no connections between the artists style of working or the themes of their work. Those factors alone make the exhibition special, as the title suggests, said Mr. Sunil Lal. A third edition of ‘Conglomeration’ is planned for 2018.

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Vol.4, No.1, January 2018  “The Final Word” Planning for the first issue of the JCAM began more than 5 years ago. Much has changed since then. With the January 2018 issue, JCAM publications now exceed 1400 pages. More than 100 visual artists and creative writers have been introduced through articles written in their own words and/or translated with JCAM editors. Moreover, those “creatives” have come from 30 countries and span a wide range of life experience, education and talent. Letting artists and writers speak for themselves is core to our mission and this growth was our goal from the beginning! And, as the JCAM is an online publication that uses a professional service to reach our readership (issuu.com) we are able to track how many people interact with our journal. At the time of the publication of our 6th edition – the December 2017, Vol.3, No.2 issue – there were nearly 230,000 “reads” indicating the interactions of individuals with our online content. With the January 2018 issue we expect to reach 300,000 … or more!

In 2018 the JCAM will now be publishing four issues per year. This change will allow us to be more nimble in our editorial process and reduce the page count for each journal from 200+ per issue to around 100+ per issue. Additionally, all JCAM issues are still available here: https://issuu.com/jumboartsinternational. So please, join in the conversation with the “Journal of Creative Arts & Minds.” Like us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JournalofCreativeArtsandMinds/. Share your thoughts and ideas about the JCAM or submit your original creative work for consideration. Email us at jcam.jal@gmail.com.

Thanks to everyone for your support. We wish you all happiness in 2018 – and beyond!

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Journal of Creative Arts & Minds Information for Submitters: April, July & October 2018 Issues  JCAM is a unique project of Jumbo Arts International which holds all rights exclusively. JCAM is a juried publication. All submissions are reviewed by a panel of experts assembled by the JCAM editors. JCAM publications focus is on artistic creativity. We publish original visual artworks, articles on the visual arts, crafts, creative writing, poetry, performing arts, interviews, reviews, and columns on subjects appropriate to the focus of the journal.

JCAM submissions: All email requests should be sent to jcam.jal@gmail.com. Upon request, interested parties will be sent the information and documents required for the formal submission of work to JCAM editors. JCAM publishes in English. Are non-English submissions possible? Yes, in certain cases JCAM editors will work with artists to translate into English text documents that are directly related to visuals and have already been accepted for publication. JCAM publication schedule: Beginning in January 2018 JCAM will publish 4 issues per year. In 2018 the publication schedule will be: January, April, July & October. Submitters should contact the JCAM editorial team well in advance of these publication dates for information and guidance.  Current JCAM information is available on our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/JournalofCreativeArtsandMinds

Previously published issues of the JCAM are available online:  https://issuu.com/jumboartsinternational Information about the JCAM publisher Jumbo Arts International is available online:  http://jumboartsinternational.org/

All questions regarding the JCAM should be sent to: jcam.jal@gmail.com

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