Filmmaking in a Different Era

Leave a comment

Posted on July 19, 2013

If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Collected Works

What do movie mogul George Lucas and Norman Rockwell have in common? They are both visual storytellers, Lucas through film and Rockwell through iconic illustrations of of American people.

Lucas, producer and creator of the “Star Wars” empire, has sold his company, Lucasfilms, to Disney for a reported four billion dollars. As a top art collector, his retirement interests include opening a museum in San Francisco, to share with the public his vast private collection of Rockwell art, N.C. Wyeth and Maxfield Parrish paintings, comic art, along with comic art and children’s book illustrations. http://yhoo.it/1baeepf. Lucas is also interested in highlighting fashion, the cinematic arts, and digital art in the museum exhibitions to inspire young people and to appeal to a broad spectrum of people in multiple generations.

Steven Spielberg, another huge collector of Rockwell art, also has interests in Lucas’ museum plans. A book, Telling Stories, was published in connection with a 2010 SmithsonianAmericanArt Museum exhibit comprising Spielberg and Lucas’ private collections of Norman Rockwell art. The connection of Norman Rockwell’s depictions of American life and the movies is evident in this book.

Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg is available through Amazon.com. Order this book, and enjoy seeing visual images of the American filmmaking way before the digital age.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Please return to this site on Monday!

Artist Spotlight: Driftwood Art

Leave a comment

Posted on July 18, 2013

If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” ~Daisaku Ikeda

One evening at the Second Saturday Artwalk in Cambridge, Maryland I had the priviledge of meeting Lynn Cegelski, an artist who makes driftwood art. Living so close to the shore of the Chesapeake, the material she needs to create her green art is readily available. She recycles a natural resource, wood that has been cast into the ocean, tumbled by the waters then discarded onto beaches. The wood is her canvas, and the shape provides inspiration for what she is going to create.

At her exhibit last week at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts http://www.dorchesterarts.org/ , paintings on driftwood of a bald eagle, an angelfish, and owls in a tree could not have been better suited for their subjects. No carving of wood was needed. Sometimes, Lynn says “her vision for the piece of wood is immediately evident” and other times, she brings the wood home not knowing what she is going to do with it, but with time, a vision for the piece shines through after studying the nuances in the wood. “Half the fun of her art,” Lynn says “is walking the beaches and along shorelines in search of her treasures.” It is a way of winding down from the stresses of life.

I enjoyed meeting this artist, from Denton, Maryland. She was warm, friendly and her passion for her art was evident. I wish her well in her endeavors as an artist. Her exhibit at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts was her first.

For more information on Lynn’s business, Fiddlesticks Driftwood Art, please visit www.facebook.com/fiddlesticksdriftwoodart or contact Lynn by email at FiddlesticksArt@gmail.com. A company website is forthcoming.

Pleasure to meet you, Lynn!

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling for another artist spotlight from the Chesapeake region. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Skipping Around with Images

1 Comment

Posted on July 17, 2013

“Each one sees what one carries in the heart” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The assimilation process of language is interesting. It reminds me how important it is that parents watch their words to their children. One never knows what will come back to us from our offspring. Words of beauty, compassion and understanding, are better echoed by our children than words of hatred and intolerance. To learn more about language assimilation of children, please read this article http://bit.ly/133mukU.

I come by my interest in flowers and gardening, naturally, through my parents. I never realized how much knowledge I had assimilated about flowers in my formative years until I married a man whose father was a landscaper. Garden talk automatically became common lingo in our household when our lives converged. I am both surprised and delighted when our son whips out names of familiar flowers that have grown in our gardens. He has naturally ingested the names of many species.

I know what you are thinking. “Sue sure has gone out on a tangent this morning – Odd! Where is this subject matter coming from?”I am using stream of consciousness writing, today. http://bit.ly/117U99S. A beautiful flower that I photographed at my parents house started me down this path of thought.

This flower, digitalis (better known as foxglove) has always been present in my garden. But the blossom pictured, is the most beautiful of its kind I have ever seen. It could serve as a specimen plant because it is particularly noteworthy and deserves “center stage.” The stem is as wide as three stems fused together, and unusually flat shaped – a real treasure. Without the abnormally shaped stem, the heavy and enormous flower would topple over! When I saw it, it made my heart skip a beat.

Those are my fulfilling independent thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com today. Come back tomorrow, perhaps my writing will be more cohesive.

Photo 1: Check out the triple width stem of the unusually formed digitalis.

Photo in Middle: Three ordinary foxglove (digitalis) and one hefty, atypical plant

Photo 3: Close up of atypical specimen of digitalis.

To read more about this species of flower, digitalis, please go to .http://bit.ly/11aZikG.

Good Foundations of Health Literacy

Leave a comment

Posted on July 16, 2013

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~ Frederick Douglass

Encouraging young students to learn more about healthy food choices is important to the Arthur W Perdue Foundation. A forty-thousand dollar grant towards health literacy has been awarded to the AtlanticGeneralHospital in Worcester County, Maryland. The AGH is creating after school programs to educate children about making better choices in their lives. http://bit.ly/18LrPSQ.

AGH will partner with the HerschelSHorowitzCenter for Health Literacy http://www.healthliteracy.umd.edu/ at the University of Maryland College Park to draft a set of health literacy standards for the K-8 public school curriculum. Health literacy is a relatively new term, and it is being integrated into core curriculum in schools in many states, such as Colorado.

Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC of Steamboat Springs, Colorado http://eatplaylearnbooks.wordpress.com/ is pioneering the way in publishing e-books which incorporates the use of videos of “kids activities that use food as a learning tool.” Great resources for parents and educators.

Kudos to the Perdue Foundation and to Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC for their commitment to educating children about the cornerstones of good health and the long term benefits of eating right!

Return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Fulfillment for the Royals

2 Comments

Posted on July 15, 2013

“Of all the roles I’ve played, none has been as fulfilling as being a mother.” ~

Annette Funicello

It’s a high time for the Royal Family. Will Catherine, the Dutchess of Cambridge give birth to a Royal Princess or Prince? I’ll bet the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, can hardly wait to see whether his offspring, male or female, will be next in line to the throne to fulfill his duties, if he ever reaches the post. That still remains to be seen.

As a mom, I am not sure I’d wish a royal role on a son or a daughter. It would be a blessing and a burden. But then, ordinary folk have both blessings and burdens in their lives, too! A big perk would be living in a castle with every whim or whimsy tended to. Bounty and agony can come with that -imagine the upkeep. I think I’ll stick to an ordinary life, and surround myself with beautiful things when I want to. Sounds like a balanced solution.

I am on Royal baby countdown, like every fan of the British monarchy. You can be sure the Brits and the Americans are gearing up for selling commemorative plates, mugs, banners and all kinds of products to demarcate the big event of the baby’s arrival into the royal family!

Bells will toll and news of the royal birth will ring out loud and clear on media sites, in print and on-line everywhere. Castles and Coffeehouses wants you to “Be the first on your block” to own a souvenir of the special birth day of the newest royal family member. Read it for yourself. http://bit.ly/16ADMET.

Happy Royal Baby Watching everyone!

This blog brought to you by www.AllThingsFulfilling.com , the space for independent thoughts, words and views

from

www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Comeback of an Era

3 Comments

Posted on July 12, 2013

“Any good comeback needs true believers.” ~ Unknown

Do you remember going to the drive-in movies? I love looking back at those nostalgic times of going to the movies with my parents in my pajamas, car packed with snacks, and watching the big screen outdoors, with excitement, till I finally fell asleep in the back seat of the station wagon.

Most drive-in theatres have been demolished. There are only 355 left nationwide according to Las Vegas-based Drive-ins.com, which tracks the industry. In the State of Michigan there has been a resurgence of drive-in theatres. Think about it – with jumbotron screens, like those you see in sports arenas, at concerts, and in Times Square, reviving outdoor movie viewing may make sense in more ways in one!

Reliving a bygone era makes for a fun bonding experience with family and friends. Using land that has been sitting vacant, for drive-in theatres, must be cheaper than building behemoth buildings to house cinemas. Downside is the short season for outdoor movie viewing in some climates.

Imagine watching Dr. Zhivago with snow falling all around you (the real thing) as you watch the movie!

Interested in rewatching an old classic, Dr. Zhivago? Click for info & ordering

That would be a unique experience. Perhaps there is an untapped niche of people, like the “polar bear club” who would find going to drive-in movies year round fulfilling. Social networking groups, enthusiasts who appreciate the art of the drive-in movie experience, in all conditions, might be the next big thing to spring up. You never know in this creative and interesting economy, perhaps we shouldn’t put drive-in movies in the museum of dying giants yet! http://bit.ly/12GKFTK .

When was the last time you went to a drive-in movie? In Michigan there are people who might answer that question, “very recently.” To read about the comeback of drive-in theatres in Michigan, visit this link. http://on.lsj.com/13QDldB.

Come back on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, the space for independent thoughts, words and views from CFS (www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com). For information on author Sue Batton Leonard, Click for info on her memoir

Two Rules for On-Line Selling

1 Comment

Posted on July 10, 2013

“The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” ~ Anthony Robbins

Let’s face it, many authors love the creative process and would rather write than self-promote. From consulting with independent publishing clients, I’ve concluded that the #l reason independent publishers do not succeed is lack of consistent marketing efforts – it takes real commitment.

Rule #1: If you are selling your book over the internet, you must be marketing over the internet consistently.
Rule #2: A strong web presence is necessary so your product is visible to potential buyers.

There are writers and there are marketers, and not everyone is both. Be honest with yourself. Determine if you capable of both. If you are not sure, that’s where a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers comes in handy. They can educate you about what it really takes to successfully promote and market your book over the internet and whether your technology skills are up to it.

Remember, writing a book, or producing music or film, is just the beginning of the independent publishing business. Marketing strategy is as equally important to becoming a successful publisher of media content.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Bringing Fulfillment to Life

Leave a comment

Posted on July 9, 2013

“The greatest discoveries have come from people who have looked at a standard situation and seen it differently.” ~ Ira Erwin

What does fulfillment mean to you? Which medium of art do you like to explore the most to find a satisfying experience? Do you like discovering the works of new musicians, a debut author or watching a new film release?

People who love books, LOVE books! Some individuals can not get enough music in their lives, and for others – there is nothing more personally fulfilling than watching an inspiring film, whether it is on the big silver screen or not.

What is your choice of entertainment? Take our quick survey, and we will let you know the result at a later date.

Take time this summer to explore whatever it is that floats your boat in your life!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Reading into Thoughts

Leave a comment

Posted on July 6, 2013

We buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them. ~ Warren Zevon

Good story line, great characters, mystery, romance, captivating dialogue or cover, identification with place or setting – all good reasons why people buy books.

I never much thought that hope may be a reason for buying a book. But, yes, as I ponder the idea, it is true. We do buy books anticipating we will find time to read them. And we trust there will be something that speaks to us from within the pages.

I recently read The Light between Oceans by author M.L. Stedman. What a moral dilemma the characters in this novel face. It is a very compelling, thought provoking story. The book made me stop and consider all the reasons parents take the plunge and bear children. On the list is the same element of hope we have in buying novels.

We hope we will have enough time to love our children they way we ought to and we will have a fulfilling relationship with them. As with books, what’s the point of having children in the home if we can’t appreciate them, and if they do not remain in our hearts and minds forever?

There is a blog I’ve been following for about a year by Tom Dawson, author of Cottonwood. http://tdawson-cottonwood.com/pieces.html . Dawson’s commentary on being a father and grandfather in his “Pieces” column is worthy of reading. Follow the link, and scroll down until you see the article titled “The Promise.”

Just another independent thought this morning about books and children. Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling.

America through Images

Leave a comment

Posted on July 4, 2013

I think at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy Birthday, America!

Today’s blog is all about independence, patriotism, and all things fulfilling and nostalgic through American art posters.

Each of these works of art have been created by independent artists and can be purchased, and shipped world-wide through e-commerce (through the web or on-line). Please go to www.AllPosters.com .

As you take a tour, remember those who have fought to defend our country’s liberties, this day and every day. Enjoy the American story, told through images.

Happy 4th of July, everyone!