A place for the girls with messy hair and thirsty hearts. It's where dreams come true, & infinite possibilities exist. Through fashion, art, and life, blogger, model, and visual artist, Paris Gerrard, creates, channels, and shares her endless ideas and discoveries.
"The earth laughs in flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Can you feel it? The days are growing longer, and the first signs of spring are near. Free People loves Charcoal Alley, and wanted to share a sneak preview of their delightful March 2013 Spring catalog. We really are turning the corner. Soon enough, we won't have to just dream of blue skies, singing birds, and really cute, boyfriend bottoms. The tulips and netted iris will begin pushing up through the thawing earth. Not even a late snow storm will be able to keep it all from bursting forth. In the mean time, check out these great looks, and gear yourself up for SPRING!!
What a score! Wow, baby, I like your style . . . and, I wish that I could steal all your
clothes. Who doesn’t love stumbling upon a fashion editorial that fires their mind with
inspiration? I’d never heard of photographer, Mick de Lint, but his work is
extraordinarily beautiful. This shoot, “Into the West”, touches that weak spot in my
heart. I completely melted. If you’re a Charcoal Alley regular, I think you know what I
mean. Look at the styling, the jewelry, the hair and makeup. Perfection! Model
Marlou, did a superb job, evoking an intense emotion. I find myself entranced by her
beauty and longing to know her story. The colors and fabrics used in the shoot range
from earthy tones to bright reds and pinks and mossy greens. Gorgeous. I’m a die-
hard fan of tie-dye, suede, leathers and fringe. In addition, if I have been wishing that
the over trendy, ubiquitous, feather earrings that abound these days would quietly drift
away, these Bibi van der Velden, wearable feather ear cuffs showed me that good taste
is always in style. They are magnificent -- simply rockin’ my world. I want them, now!
This shoot hits the spot, for me, with it’s grungey, edgy, free spirited, goodness.
Standing ovation - I want more.
Photographer: Mick de Lint
Styling: Merle Groeskamp
Hair & Make up: Corinne van der Heijden
Assistant: Sari Jacobs
Model: Marlou @ Paparazzi Models
If you follow me on instagram, it's probably obvious that I'm an insta-
addict. Personally, I LOVE it. Instagram is literally a beautiful, portal into
worlds within worlds. It has, definitely, made my life more fun. I love
networking with photographers, designers, artists, and all manner of
creative spirits. Also, I think it has helped refine my inner artist. I put a lot
of thought into my insta-posts, making decisions on composition, light, and
design, and I think, my photographic skills are improving. I find it fun to
look back through old photos - it becomes much like a like journal of your
life, though pictures. So if you’re not grammin’ yet . . . get going! You
might just fall in love.
Can art really change the world? Who knew that French “photograffeur”,JR. would do just that by turning the streets of the world, into "the largest gallery on the planet” for his “28 mm project”. I first heard about JR in an art history class. He’s brilliant. and he has caused a global sensation. All of his projects are mind blowing, not only due to their simplistic nature (ink and paper), but essentially because the work itself is bold, powerful, thought provoking, and encompassing all that political art should. Happily, I stumbled upon JR's recent interview on the awesome, NOWNESS. Here’s a quote from the site:
“ . . . massive, iconic images can be found hand-pasted to crumbling buildings, trains, garbage trucks and bridges, whimsically reclaiming the urban landscape. Now a TED Prize-winner, semi-anonymous JR grew up in the suburbs of Paris and began tagging and 'exhibiting' on the streets as a teen. When he found a camera on the Metro, he started taking photographs. Now he’s shaking things up with a new system that allows everyone to print and post works in their own neighborhoods, all for free. 'It’s true art. That’s why people want to participate,' . . . Today JR, who views the city as 'the biggest gallery in the world,' also shows in more traditional spaces, including Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin and the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Los Angeles MoCA, collaborating with artists such as Jose Parlà and Takashi Murakami. He’s creating this monster project , . . showing that we’re all human—all equal.”
Check out this short video and be enlightened.
If you have a few extra minutes, I would highly recommend watching JR's TED Prize talk. Check it out here!
Photography is always alluring. It’s about the pure pleasure of seeing, experiencing, and contemplating the world through expressive images. Great photography evokes a sense of heightened awareness and emotion. It surprises and delights us, and connects us to the natural curiosities of the universe. It always offers us a new perspective or deeper awakening. I’ve spent another day sorting through random images on my computer, partly in search of inspiration for a painting idea, and partly, simply filling myself with an unending visual banquet. I’ve posted some of the images that resonated most deeply with me. I hope you enjoy!
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