Sound in Color: Four tet – Everything Ecstatic

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color Inspiration, Sound in Color

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album art, And Then Patterns, art, balloons, blue, color, color palette, design, Everything Ecstatic, four tet, fun, green, hues, Kieran Hebden, modern, music, palette, party, pastels, pink, purple, Turtle Turtle Up, yellow

Four tet has been a favorite of mine for years. With a mix of hip hop, electronic, jazz, and more, London artist Kieran Hebden brings such a unique style to the industry. Starting out as a member of the band Fridge, he later explored music on his own and released his first single in 1997. While continuing with his solo career he also has worked with talented and well known musicians such as Aphex Twin, Bloc Party, Black Sabbath, and Thom Yorke to name a few.

His fourth album, Everything Ecstatic came out in 2005 and is filled with quirky mixes and smart beats. It has a high energy sound and happy youthful vibe. It makes for good driving music as well as a background tunes for a party. The six song on the album, And Then Patterns, is particularly one I love. It has such a beautiful mix of instruments and just flows so nicely. Another favorite, Turtle Turtle Up, brings you back to the Nintendo days with elegance.

The album art is vibrant and colorful, like the music it presents. Although the line work seems a little out of control and ecstatic, the design makes sense. Due to the hues chosen for the work, it has an adolescent feel but its fresh and unique at the same time. All in all, its fun.

Four tet-Everything Ecstatic

Inspiration Photo Friday: Reminiscing

20 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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beach, beauty, canada, cavendish, earth, experience, honeymoon, infinite, island, life, memories, nature, ocean, pie national park, prince edward island, reminiscing, travel, trip, vacation

Last year today, my husband and I were packing and getting ready for our honeymoon trip to Prince Edward Island in Canada. Although we got married that past May, we both love traveling in the fall. It was a busy weekend because my cousin Diana was getting married that Saturday, but we took it easy and tried to get sleep for our long trip the next morning. It was surely a vacation I will never forget.

I can’t believe a year has past already. Time goes by so fast, sometimes we let life distract us from the good times in our lives. Reminiscing positive memories not only brings us happiness but it reminds us how awesome our lives really are. I can vividly remember how beautiful Prince Edward Island was. The cool, fresh breeze against my face, the endless ocean that surrounded us, and the many fields of green we encountered on every drive. Not to mention, all the lovely farm animals that greeted us during our stay. It truly is a picturesque place.

I hope to visit Prince Edward Island again someday and make sure we stay longer. There is just so much to see. It’s one of the only places I felt like I was in a perfect world. It really is a captivating island and I am extremely lucky to have experienced it with my husband.

I took this photo while we were in Cavendish at the National Park. The time we spent at this location truly fascinated me. Standing at the tip of the Earth with Dan, as husband and wife, looking out into the never ending ocean was a memory I will never forget. At that moment, anything was possible. I felt infinite and hopeful because there was so much beauty surrounding me. When something can make you feel like that, it surely is worth reminiscing about.

Inspiration Photo Friday: Reminiscing - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Sound in Color: Mono – Formica Blues

17 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color Inspiration, Sound in Color

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album art, art, blues, collage, color, color palette, contemporary, electronic, fine art, formica blues, hues, jazz, modern, mono, painting, romantic, Siobhan de Mare, trip hop, UK

UK band Mono creates beautiful music that is an eclectic combination of jazz, blues, and electronic sounds. Their 1997 album, Formica Blues, is a great piece to play when you are relaxing or working as well as entertaining. Their sound is reminiscent of the Sneaker Pimps, Massive Attack, and Portishead with a more classical feel. Siobhan de Mare sang lead on this one, which brings such a romantic and bluesy touch. My favorite song on the album is Playboys, such a great track.

The album art is colorful and modern with a collage style. The lines are unexpected and the mix of paint, imagery, and texture play very well with the sound of the album. And although the hues are rather elementary, they are used in a way that is contemporary and interesting. It’s cool when a bands album cover can also be hung from your wall. This one can for sure.

Mono-Formica Blues

Inspiration Photo Friday: Time to Explore

13 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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abandoned, explore, ghosts, hauntings, new york, pennhurst asylum, Pennsylvania, Seaview Hospital, spring city

I have always loved to explore abandoned and haunted places, so it was music to my ears when my husband, Dan, said he did too after we first met. I already looked forward to new adventures with him. Back in September of 2008, we set off to Seaview Hospital in Staten Island to explore the grounds and take photographs of what it has become. This was the third time I visited the abandoned property but still excited to experience it with Dan.

We had a great time while we were there, even though the property never ceases to creep me out. Since then we haven’t really gone on any explorations which has been kind of a bummer since we both really enjoy it. However, we are getting back in the game. I already put together a list of places in New York we plan to visit as well as the highly talked about Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City, Pennsylvania next month. You don’t know how psyched I am to check this place out. I am mostly looking forward to the Tunnel of Terror and Ghost Hunt, where you are sent off by yourself to explore the Mayflower building. Can’t wait!

Pennhurst is no joke. It has been visited and documented by numerous ghost hunters with definite hauntings. Read the history when you get a chance, its so sad. Let’s just say lots of horrible things happened there. I was even warned by my aunt, who is friends with Kim Russo and other clairvoyants who had a hard time recovering from their visit. I can only hope to have a memorable experience, which I am sure I will.

I took this photo during our visit to Seaview Hospital five years ago. It’s the inspiration for me to get back out there and explore the darker side of life. It’s surely been long enough. You can read more about this place and view more photos I took there in my past post, Historic Series: Seaview Hospital.