The Canadian singer Avril Lavigne, famous for hit records like ’Sk8r Boy'and ’Girlfriend’, has denied rumours that she would be appearing as a judge for the the X Factor USA series this year.

Although the singer confessed to being an X Factor fan herself, she confirmed that no agreement had been made with Simon Cowell. This follows a huge swathe of rumours from showbiz websites, which sparked speculation that a number of high profile celebrities would be joining the X Factor panel, including music legend, Madonna.

Avril Lavigne continues an outstanding career

As she heads towards the 10^th anniversary of the release of her first UK single, Complicated, Avril Lavigne says she will continue to make records and movies in the future. Her older UK fans may remember that she was the youngest solo female artist to reach the top spot in the UK album charts with ’Let Go’, which has sold more than 16 million copies across the globe.

Her international fame is a stark contrast to the live she lived before she hit the spotlight, having grown up in the Ontario town of Belleville. After becoming famous, she moved to Los Angeles to live the glamorous lifestyle and enjoy a distinctively warmer climate. Indeed, compared to her Canadian home town, she probably has substantially lower heating oil bills to contend with.

Latest ventures

Avril Lavigne recently collaborated with the highly successful cosmetic brand Sally Hansen to promote nail strips. Their punk-rock style are in line with Lavigne’s style and showcases her individual creativity and passion for fashion.

The singer also revealed a new video called ’Goodbye’, which was her way of showing gratitude for all of her fans who supported her during her international tour. However, at the age of 27 it will probably be quite some time before she decides to say farewell to the stage (if ever).

Similar Posts:
Jersey Boys the Musical in London : Jersey Boys is a jukebox…
Best summer in how long – Comment : A blog on the World Cup…
Big Energy Business : Poor energy saving. It used to be the kid…
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…

ShareThis

We have all heard birds singing sweetly in the trees. Their beautiful voices touch various strings in our heart, especially when the timing is right. It is easy to think about the voices of birds that we hear in our everyday life, but there are other birds that can really stun you with their voices, however unfortunately you can’t find them in the city. You will have to go towards the wild or to the farmlands to hear some of the greatest and longest bird songs.

When one of these birds transforms themselves into human beings, you find great singers like Celine Dion. Oh, what a singer she is. I guess at one time all the women in world would have wanted to be like Celine Dion. She might not be the most beautiful lady in the world, but she certainly has the most wonderful voice. Her voice and songs have touched many strings all around the world, for both those who understand the lyrics and those that do not. After all it’s not just the lyrics that make a song. You can have the greatest lyrics and tune, but if you don’t back it up with a heavenly voice, then the song would sound less than ordinary.

Whenever she releases an album exhibition stands all around the world carry the cover of her album and copies are sold like hot cakes. There are other great singers as well, like Mariah Carey and Toni Braxton, but I am somehow captivated by Celine Dion and she is truly THE singer for me. If you are wondering where to get hold of Celine Dion for her next live performance, then you should plan a vacation to Jamaica where she is going to grace the Jazz and Blues festival to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Independence.

Similar Posts:
Jersey Boys the Musical in London : Jersey Boys is a jukebox…
Best summer in how long – Comment : A blog on the World Cup…
Big Energy Business : Poor energy saving. It used to be the kid…
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…

ShareThis

Whilst it is unlikely to come as a surprise to residents in either country, it may surprise others that the countries of Canada and Scotland have been closely linked for centuries. Many of the early settlers in Canada came from Scotland, and nowadays just over 15% of Canadians claim a Scottish background. The first wave of Scottish immigrants began arriving as early as the 17th Century, even going so far as to name part of Canada Nova Scotia (which translates from the Latin as ’New Scotland’.) There are suggestions that some Scottish settlers even arrived several centuries earlier, transported by Viking travellers.

A more substantial number of immigrants began arriving in the 18th and 19th centuries. This trans-atlantic movement of people continued until the early 20th century, as political or religious upheaval, poverty and famine encouraged them to seek new lives abroad.
Culturally Canada still has a strong Scottish influence. Scottish place names and surnames abound and there are estimated to be several thousand Gaelic speakers in the country. Scottish dancing, the music of the bagpipes and Highland Games are popular amongst much of the Canadian population. Other sports like rugby and curling are also of Scottish import.

Many Scottish Canadians are very proud of their heritage and like to celebrate it, not only with their culture, but also with their regional tartans (Regions of Canada started adopting tartans from the 1950s.) There are Scottish-Canadian freemasonry lodges and societies. Traditional Scottish crafts are popular, such as Ortak Jewellery from Orkney.
Famous Scottish Canadians include many politicians, musicians, actors and influential figures. Notables include the Sutherland acting clan, Kim Campbell (first woman Prime Minister of Canada) and Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. Bizarrely, for a sport considered the world over to be quintessentially American, the list also includes James Naismith, the inventor of basketball!

Similar Posts:
Jersey Boys the Musical in London : Jersey Boys is a jukebox…
Best summer in how long – Comment : A blog on the World Cup…
Big Energy Business : Poor energy saving. It used to be the kid…
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…

ShareThis

When governments start dishing out titles, ranks and awards to artists, the very essence of creativity is lost. Egos come into play. Artists who feel slighted start behind the scenes manipulation and pulling strings to get themselves nominated or selected for one of these awards. Needless to add, these are the same people who do not have any juice left in them and know that there is no other way that they will ever get into that elite lot. Their work definitely will not win them any laurels!

As a matter of fact, I strongly believe that such recognition, if at all, should be conferred only after the artist has almost retired. Let the work speak, not the artist. And it should be absolutely independent, not dictated by association or the monetary aspect of the creations. Recently, I was checking out the term roofers when I came across an article which expounded the theory that those who are good at their work never hanker after any recognition. They are passionate about what they do and go on creating work after work, masterpiece after masterpiece, with nary a care for recognition or appreciation. If you look at history, many artists whose work people flock to admire were seldom recognized in their lifetime. More often than not they were mocked, derided and occasionally banished from their very country. Today their every work is considered priceless.

I feel that awards limit artists. It seems to put a cap on their creativity, their ability to exceed what they have already done. I mean, what’s next after the top award? Nothing. And if nothing is what awaits next, a feeling of deja-vu envelopes the artist. And with that, creativity ends.

Similar Posts:
Top 7 Cultural Short Break Destination In The UK : LONDONLondon…
Art and work : One of the great things about art is that it can…
Streetdance, Channel 4 : I remember when the word Streetdance…

ShareThis

For years, artists have been using their work to make political points, ranging from Picasso’s criticism of the Franco government in his painting Guernica to Banksy’s graffitti middle finger to the UK police. Now one Canadian artist has accused the government of withdrawing funding from her own political piece, “What Would the Planet Do” which was supposed to have its first major European exhibition in Croatia later this month.

At first glance, it seems like the bad guys are pretty obviously the Canadian government, holding back artistic talent and deciding, on a whim, who they will and who they won’t support, destroying or building up careers as they see fit. Or at least that’s what the artist, Franke James, is saying. She insists that the withdrawal of a government grant has left her struggling to get her work shown anywhere, although I’m pretty sure the discount displays in my local shopping mall are still available…?

Anyway, when you look into this particular case more closely, you begin to understand why the Canadian government might have decided to withdraw their funding; the piece is extremely critical of their environmental record. James is screaming “censorship” but the fact is the government are not doing anything to stop her creating her pieces, they simply don’t feel like spending their precious arts budget promoting an artist that is going to travel the world painting them (literally and figuratively) in a bad light. After all, you wouldn’t expect the government to contribute funds to the coffers of opposition parties or magazines and newspapers that criticise them, so should an artist be any different?

Similar Posts:
Top 7 Cultural Short Break Destination In The UK : LONDONLondon…
Arts and Crafts that are Made Specifically for the Elderly : The…
The Cumbia Dance : Cumbia is widely considered Colombia’s…
The Electric Boogaloos : The Electric Boogaloos and guests…

ShareThis

The 2011 Craft Show Brampton is considered by many as the top handicraft and decorative trade fair in Canada. The event will concentrate on the handicraft, gift and fashion sectors, textiles, house ware and furnishings, jewellery bags and many more items that can be shown off using window cable displays.

This event will be held in Brampton Shoppers World in Brampton, Canada on November 7, 2011 and will run until November 11, 2011.

Exhibitors are expected to display a wide variety of Christmas Decorations, Clothing and Accessories, Toys and Gadgets and the like. To have a booking on the stalls, exhibitors can apply online. One of the requirements for stall booking is the name of the business owner, the contact number, email address and of course, the business type and the product they wish to display.

Visitors will also have to register in order to be in the craft show. Like the exhibitors, they can apply online. They only need to fill up the form asking for their name, contact number and email address.

Whether you are an exhibitor or a visitor to the 2011 Craft Show in Brampton, you will surely be indulged in a display of good craftsmanship and quality products in display.

Over the years this show has attracted hundreds of visitors and exhibitors from all over the world and this year is going to be no different. there is likely to be something there for everyone. This event will surely make Brampton lively and a must-see place for visitors and businessmen alike.

Similar Posts:
Byzantine Art : For anyone seeking London teaching jobs in art…
England Swings : As a great capital city, London is naturally…
The Museum of Childhood : After school at the Museum of…
Importance of art : Art is an indispensible element in…

ShareThis

An artist finds beauty in everything. In fact, a true artist will create something awe inspiring from even the everyday things in life that we tend to ignore. Art is not restricted to paint brushes and canvases. It goes way beyond, to art in paper, in wood or even in metal packaging and sculpting.
Metal sculpting is an ancient form of art that involves creating statues and figurines by molding metal. In modern times, however, sculptors have given new meaning to this art form by creating the same beauty in ice!
The concept of ice sculpture is catching on fast in Canada. It is popular in colder regions, for obvious reasons. It is not as easy as it sounds as it depends a lot on temperature which results in changing characteristics of the ice. Artists usually use blocks of ice that are completely free of unwanted materials. White ice blocks are used to give the impression of snow while at times dyed ice blocks are also used to add color.
Quebec City in Canada is famous for its ice festivals and is known to be one of the best in the world. Each year, for three whole weeks, budding ice sculptors from all over the world gather to create amazing art forms from ice. Its an amazing site to see huge ice sculptures including ice castles and statues on display. The craze for ice sculpting started in Quebec as early as 1880, when famous sculptor Louis Jobin started experimenting with this new substance.
Ice sculpting is also popular in other parts of Canada including Ottawa, Ontario and Montmorency Falls.

Similar Posts:
Sexuality in Art and Music : I was doing a red diesel Halifax…
The Interlude Dance Troupe review : Some friends of mine wanted…
The Museum of Childhood : After school at the Museum of…
Vincent and the myth of the artist : I was at a wedding the…

ShareThis

Jules has a unique approach to the world of art, having created territorial languages through the Carre Plastique rythmique movement. This movement discovers pictorial identity and structure in paintings through Art-Media, which creates spontaneous elements in a ’painterly vibe’.

He constructs art work through different textures and colours in order to investigate and portray humans’understanding of identity. He notes Paul Klee as his main influence, who has driven his passion for creating rhythms, developing graphics and for his spirituality, which has inspired him to find out more about his own African roots. He also cites Matisse, for his passion of colour and collage and Picasso, for his artistic transcendence and his love of the sky.

He holds numerous collections, some of which are publically displayed at Montreal’s Musee d’Art Contemporain and the Collection of National Bank of Canada. He also has a number of collections around the world, in countries including the United States, Germany and Switzerland. Some of his most coveted awards include the Canadian Painters Award, which he received in Montreal in 1989. He also won a Creation grant by SODAD for 2004 to 2005.

Similar Posts:
Kelda : I saw the advertisement in a shop display and I…
Dance a lifestyle : Dance is like an Indian cuisine……
The Museum of Childhood : After school at the Museum of…
Art and the Artist : Art is a universal language which could be…

ShareThis

I know it’s tough for governments at the moment. They have a lot of financial pressures to deal with and they have to find money from somewhere to pay for vital services like healthcare, education and law enforcement. But the idea that they can sacrifice important cultural and artistic projects is very disheartening. After all, a world without paintings, poetry or Puccini operas would be a very sad world indeed. What would we talk about at dinner parties? Sports teams? The best way to get red wine stains out of carpets? Breast implant prices?
One of the first signs of these changes that we’re seeing is a reduction in the subsidies paid to independent magazines and journals by the government’s cultural department. A lot of these niche publications rely on this subsidy to be able to continue operating and there are real fears that some magazines will have to either reduce their distribution and cut the number of issues or face closure completely. Considering that some of these publications are the only ones that cater to their particular speciality, then this could end up being a real loss to Canadian culture.
Often journals are the only way that new artists can get their work to a wider audience, especially writers who are yet to secure a publishing deal. Literary magazines are likely to be especially hard hit by these budget cuts, with politicians arguing that there is no need to have such a wide range of publications covering a wide range of subjects. That’s not true. Magazines featuring unpublished poetry are very different from publications featuring literary criticism and reviews, which are different again from journals including amateur horror fiction. Who’s to say which one is more important than the other?

Similar Posts:
Provincial Galleries : One of the things that I love about…
Basic Ballet Exercises : A bare is not necessary if you would…
City Farms : Hackney City Farm is one of those jewels that…
Mummy’s boy : I find it almost impossible to say which is my…

ShareThis

When it comes to office supplies UK designers are welcome to consider themselves the best in the world; we Canadians are quite happy let them have that crown as long as we can claim the greatest living architect.
A lot of people don’t realise that Frank Gehry is Canadian, as he has spent a lot of his illustrious career working out of his current home in Los Angeles, but he was born in Toronto in 1929 and has always spoken fondly of his early years in our fair country – and his love of hockey!
In fact, Gehry is a truly international architect. Unlike most professionals, who tend to only operate within their own borders or perhaps take on the occasional commission abroad, Gehry is most well known for his amazing creations outside Canada and the US, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the gravity-defying Dancing House in Prague. Of course, he started working in the US, and although some of his first buildings were more conventional than we’ve come to expect from Gehry, there are some glimpses of the unorthodox use of shape, structure and materials that have come to define his creations.
One of his earliest works, built in the 1980s, is still one of his most recognisable; a curious beach house in Los Angeles, raised on stilts and barely large enough to accommodate one room. This has changed hands for millions of dollars, not just for its location, but because of the identity of its famous creator. Not many of Gehry’s buildings are for sale, of course, but neither are they all large-scale, multi-million dollar corporate creations. He even waived his fee for the project to build a cancer care centre in Dundee because the charity had been set up by his friend.

Similar Posts:
Provincial Galleries : One of the things that I love about…
Basic Ballet Exercises : A bare is not necessary if you would…
City Farms : Hackney City Farm is one of those jewels that…
Mummy’s boy : I find it almost impossible to say which is my…

ShareThis