HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR CUNG CHU'C TA^N XUA^N 2014

 Photography by Ms. Pham Hien 2014

Enamel on paper WND copyright 2013

from the collection "Minimalism"

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

Celebrate with the following choices of Buche de Noel:

ENJOY!!!

1) MOCHA/CHOCOLATE

 

 2) ALTERNATIVE FOR WEIGHT WATCHERS:  MINT AND PISTACCIO:

Artwork by Uyen: enamel, markers & pastel on paper, 

original and digitcally inverted, UND copyright Dec. 2013

SOLITUDE -- ON MY OWN một cõi một mình

ON MY OWN, FROM LES MISERABLES: A musical performance and visual presentation of Uyen Nicole Duong (Nhu-Nguyen)'s L'ART BRUT featuring the theme of SOLITUDE:  (uploaded from Youtube) CLICK HERE:

ON MY OWN
mo^.t co~i mo^.t mi`nh 

DNN C1996

Artwork by Uyen Nicole Duong copyright 2013

Video by Tu Chau

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AMERICA

When my daisies rage into their wrath, they can turn into fireworks
Delicate  petals can become streaks of starry lights
Celebrating the birth of a dynamic nation, my home away from home
DNN July 4 2013

 Wrath of Daisies version 1

enamel & markers on paper 

DNN copyrighted June 2013

  Wrath of Daisies version 2

enamel & markers on paper digitally inverted

DNN copyrighted June 2013

In the following versions of my firework daisies, a glaze of pastel chalk (my left-over eyeshadows) has been applied over the background to mute the brightness of enamel

  Wrath of Daisies version 3 

enamel, markers on paper, and pastel chalk 

DNN copyrighted June 2013

  

Wrath of Daisies version 4 

enamel, markers on paper, and pastel chalk  digitally inverted

DNN copyrighted June 2013

COMPARE my wrath of firework daisies to real photography done on real chrysanthemums from the real garden of one really talented Ms. Pham Hien. Not only did she photograph these flowers, she planted and took care of them as well: 

photography by Pham Hien C2013 

WATER LILIES: FROM THE COLLECTION "MEETING MONET" Cuo^.c Ga(.p Go~ Vo'i Monet

 Water Lilies' Unrest 

No^~i Bu+'t Ru+'t  cu?a Loa`i Sen Su'ng

enamel on paper DNN C2013 

Wrath of Water Lilies 

Con Thi.nh No^. cu?a Loa`i Sen Su'ng

enamel on paper digitally inverted DNN Copyright 2013

METAMORPHOSIS

Metamorphosis: Bundle of Lotuses Under Moonlight

enamel on paper DNN C2013

SPRING TIME MU`A XUA^N

Flowering Pear Tree Over Pastorale

enamel & markers on paper copyright N2013

"Ca`nh le^ tra'ng die^?m mo^.t va`i bo^ng hoa..." ND

Nho' trang sa'ch co' ca`nh le^ tra('ng die^?m 

Mo^.t va`i hoa, hay ca? mo^.t ru*`ng hoa???

DNN April 2913

MEMORY OF A FRAGRANCE

Dda^u dda^'y a^n ti`nh, dda^u dda^'y thu*o*ng?
Ga(.p nhau nhu* the^? nga~ ba ddu*o*`ng
Nhu~ng khi tra(ng to? la` tra(ng khuye^'t
Co' nho*' thi` xin giu~ la^'y hu*o*ng...

Where's love? Gratitude? Or bondage?
Meeting each other at the crossroad of life
When we shine on, it's indeed our half-moon
Remembrance is merely the fragrance you hold
in your heart...
UND copyright  2013

"Remembrance is the fragrance you hold in your heart"

"Nicole's Perfume"

DNN C2010, 013 enamel on paper

"My flower or your...lavender firework?"
Courtesy of, and photography by, Dr. CCN 2013

"Depth and Opulence"
Collage of Uye^n C2013

VALENTINE'S DAY CELEBRATION WITH FLOWERS

ORCHIDS:  FLOWERS OF THE SOUL
I can never be poor if I have in my soul blossoms of orchids

Petals and Dew Drops

Blue Orchid in a Frame
enamel on paper digitally inverted

DNN C2010
...

Orchids in Film Noir

THE ORCHIDS:  2013 courtesy of Dr. CCN, who shares
my baby brother's namesake

Tu` da.o a^'y bo? dda^`m sen xu*' Hue^'
Dde^? ba^y gio` ho^`n la`ng dda~ng na(`m mo*...

FLOWERS OF NOBILITY
THE LOTUS SERIES:  2013 courtesy of Chan Phuong, to whom I  dedicated The Shared World of Diction and The Collage of Solitude during its making

Baudelaire's Trembling Flowers
The Royal Dancing Stems of Baudelaire
"Nhu~ng Ca`nh Vu*o*ng Gia? a^?n trong tho*"
DNN C2010
enamel on paper, digitally inverted

To^i tie^'c cho ai tro't ddo*.i cho*`
Nhu~ng ca`nh vu*o*ng gia? a^?n trong tho*
Tu` lan cho dde^'n sen ho^`ng bie^'c 
Bo'ng to^'i tu. ve^`...su*o*ng nga^?n ngo*!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S NGÀY TÌNH YÊU

"February Impromptu:  Valentine's Crowd" 

Enamel on paper by Uyên c2013

ABOUT THE ART OF NG.UYÊN   A form of L'Art Brut (art of the untrained or outsiders' art).  She calls her paintings "Art in Frugality" and "Subconscious Painting" or "Impromptu Painting," focusing on the thrift of expression via colors, lines and shapes, both as a means of relaxation and communication of ideas.  Accordingly, her art must be quick and expressive of a theme, which often comes to her subconsciously.  
      The piece above was made with fingernail polish, in approximately 15 minutes of direct drawing and painting with the nail polish brush onto a piece of typing paper.  The chaotic nature of the flowers refers to the madness of Valentine's Day in February each year. Love is no longer the motivation for the extension of the self, but instead a sign of consumerism and conquest.   For the truest Valentine's flower, it should be a symbol of creativity and love for humanity, no longer just romantic love as a form of possession, let alone a dating ritual.  
    Thank you, Vincent van Gogh, for making this type of strokes acceptable, since in this world you always exist! 
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"  - Vincent van Gogh

Visual Poetry: IN LIEU OF A WISH FOR HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

"Bliss for What's Ahead"

Collage by Uyên c2013

Bliss is what humans look for in the finite span of their lives.  It is the ultimate New Year's Wish. The collage above depicts the paradox of our modern world:   technology is used to alter nature in order to create the resort Shangri La, an effort  to meet our need for what we have ironically destroyed: Bliss and Tranquility -- 

the very essence of humankind's age-old Pursuit of Happiness. 

"Branch a Dancer"

Collage by Uyên c2013

This dancer will help me bring you the best wishes 

for the Happy New Year 2013!

At her feet is a comfortable modern kitchen symbolic of women's domestic life.  Her face and arms, like young branches, reach for loftiness -- the yearning for ideals and liberation, 

away from domesticity.

"A Wish" 

Visual Poetry by Uyên c2012

Right: "Hills of Memory" acrylic on paper c2010

Left:  The Hymalayas" enamel on paper c2010

The poetry in Vietnamese speaks of the bliss of wishes fulfilled -- after so much chaos and destruction, the invincible mystic of life remains in the wonders of nature (misty hills and snowy mountain tops), representing the power of hope.   

"From Autumn to Winter"

Visual Poetry by Uyên c2012 enamel on paper

Merry Christmas and Happy 2013

Inspired by the scenery of the Rockies and Colorado, I spoke of the change of seasons:  from Autumn to Winter, in preparation for the celebration of Christmas and the hopeful arrival and renewal 

of  spring.

"Another Wish: The Detachment of Buddha"

Collage by Uyên c2013

  The Vietnamese poetry speaks of the ultimate freedom of detachment from the materialistic world as part of self-enlightenment -- mastering the teaching of Buddha becomes the all-time wish of peace for humankind.