E Komo Mai! Welcome to my blog.

I'm delighted that you dropped in! E Komo Mai: WELCOME! This blog is basically an online visual journal is modeled after a concept I learned of in psychology 101... waaaaaaay back in college. That concept was somewhere in the chapter on The Significance of Dreams, where it mentioned someone's theory on dreaming about a house usually means that the house represents you. So I have used my actual house (Mauna Lea Manor) to structure my blog. In different rooms you will find different aspects of my life; different interests I like to blog about. This is a way to bring a little organization into my life and thoughts for myself... (dreams are in The Bedroom, Family updates are in The Living room, etc.)
This also, I would imagine, make reading this blog more convenient for you as well. If you are a grandparent interested in seeing photos and hearing stories about my boys, but maybe not so interested in my bellydancing obsession: you can just read what goes on in The Playground. But if you are an Art Collector more interested in my latest work and information on collecting, but not especially interested in my personal life: you'd enjoy The Office. Mauna Lea Manor is sort of the foyer to all the other rooms. If you would like to tour my online portfolio, please visit: www.stephaniebolton.com.
I hope you enjoy your time here ;) & continue to stop by!



Monday, August 16, 2010

Zanbaka Painting Sneeky-poos...

Here are a few glimpses of my portrait of versatile dancer, Zanbaka...

Okay... perhaps you are guessing this... but I admittedly have a "thing" for Shisha mirrors- it is true!


On a personal note (hehe- no pun intended but...) I painted onto some sheet music I used for the background because I wanted the musical notes to peep through... you see, Zanbaka's book gave me a new, clearer understanding of how music is written... how it works and what that means for the dancer.
Particularly in regards to using ziller to accompany music.
She helped me to SEE music and so I wanted music to be SEEN in her portrait.


The arches of Granada, Spain... drawing on her experiences there.  Her third book is illustrated with some beautiful photographs of Spain and you can tell the beauty of this place is very much a part of her inspiration.
Here you also the see the image transfers of photographs of her that I also collaged my canvas with, so they would weave in and out of view through the paint.
(more examples of this below)


I loved this velvety metallic wallpaper I found.  The scrolling design felt like it fit the ambiance I was trying to create.  There is also Zanbaka's photo that I printed onto old pages of a weathered book & used for background.  Below that, black lace,... more flamenco infuence.
Postal stamping adds the suggestion of travel = gypsy. 


Please remember if you leave a comment answering this:
Flash forward 10 years from now…. It’s summer 2020… where do you see the art of bellydance? Has it grown in popularity? Are the old stereotypes a thing of the past? Are there more theatre productions? Are there more bellydance studios? Are there classes offered in schools and higher educational institutions? What new innovations have bellydance artists incorporated? What elements of tradition of folkloric roots has the dance retained? 
Describe how you envision bellydance to be 10 years from now!

You have a chance to win Zanbaka's book
FOUNDATIONS
The first in the Bellydance for the Versatile Dancer Series!


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