DAVID KROSS LOVES SHAKESPEARE

On a boring Sunday night, I started watching the German television show "Durch die Nacht mit..." (Eng.: Through the night with...) with the German musician Clueso and the German actor David Kross.

The show's concept is simple. Two celebrities spend a night together in a car, driving around a city to different locations. Usually, they don't know each other very well and so their conversation is (mostly!) riveting.

I really enjoyed watching David Kross, who starred alongside Kate Winslet in "The Reader", recite Shakespeare's Sonnet XXIX at the end of the show.

WES ANDERSON'S TRACKING SHOTS

Wes Anderson latest film "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is amazing. Anderson loves using tracking shots in his films. The tracking shots move horizontally in a dead straight line and have become Anderson’s signature. He’s certainly not a fan of curves.

At a recent interview he was asked, "Why do you love using tracking shots?"

Wes Anderson says, "I like seeing the actors play the scene through…Maybe it comes from a theatre experience. I like having a cast doing something difficult in a shot…It’s fun!"

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO COMMENTED ON "MY REAL CHALLENGE..."

I read the Facebook comments of my article on Denizen again today. At first I wasn't even sure that I wanted to write it, never mind publish it. But I'm so happy to see that so many people share my experience.

HELLO THERE, LUCIO FONTANA!

While I did study art history, I had never heard of the cutting-edge artist Lucio Fontana until today. I had to write a short summary on the current exhibition “Lucio Fontana, Retrospective”.

His father was an Argentinian sculptor and Lucio spent most of his time in Italy where he created his art works. Slashing the canvas, Lucio Fontana replaced the palette knife with a box cutter. His unconventional use of materials gave him the reputation as a genius. I love his bold colours and how the cut canvas takes on a life of its own.

Now I know what to do with my old canvases!

ATLAS HANDS

Benjamin Francis Leftwich's wrote this most beautiful song, which really struck a chord with me today.

Take me to the docks, there's a ship without a name there
And it is sailing to the middle of the sea
Water there is deeper than anything you've ever seen
Jump right in and swim until you're free

I will remember your face
'cause I am still in love with that place
When the stars are the only things we share
Will you be there?

Money came like rain to your hands while you were waiting
For that cold long promise to appear
People in the churches started singing above their hands
They say, "My God is a good God and He cares"

I've got a plan, I've got an atlas in my hands
I'm gonna turn when I listen to the lessons I've learned

CREATIVE JUICES

All human beings have a deep longing to create. Like Pablo Picasso said – I would (…) paint my pictures with my wet tongue on the dusty floor of my cell.

I think we all want to make our mark on the world. We want to be unique. We want to make something of our lives that no one else can. And there is something primal about dipping fingers into paint and smearing it onto a canvas; sanding wood until its lines become visible and its edges smooth; spreading mud or clay onto the ground in a pattern.  

Last night, I took out my long-forgotten sketch pad and charcoal crayons. I had the urge to draw again and to smear my charcoal-stained fingers onto paper and create an image. It was of a woman with wild hair and a wild heart.