While visiting the city of Kona, on the Island of Hawaii, I stumbled upon a sidewalk shop, which displayed beautiful arrangements of orchids in the window. Each arrangement had a conspicuous tag, which prohibited photography. Those little signs aroused my curiosity. My curiosity, however, was satisfied as soon as I reached the front door. A sign on the door explained that the flower arrangements were handmade clay sculptures.

No way.

They are virtually indistinguishable from those samples provided by Mother Nature. The clay remains soft and flexible, once dry. Even the texture feels realistic.

The artist, Darunee Fasano, was available in the shop the day I visited. I was given a brief explanation of the origin and composition of the sculpting medium. Darunee, then, picked up a wire and a couple pea-sized bits of clay, made a couple scissor snips and, using a small tool, created a tiny, white flower in a matter of a few seconds. She presented this small flower to my 2-year-old daughter, with the instruction to allow it to dry for one hour. My little girl must have been impressed since she followed the direction and didn't allow any harm to come to her gift.

I certainly was impressed.

I spent some time looking around the shop, marvelling at the realism of the arrangements. The forms and colors were fantastic! Had Darunee not performed her skill for my daughter, I would still have a hard time believing that someone could make such wonderful things by hand.

If you are looking for an addition to your home decor, which will be different, incredible, and unique, I have to recommend orchids by Darunee. Guests will be impressed by the amazing craftsmanship. These arrangements would also be gifts of the highest class. In my mind, I envision one or more of these encased in a glass curio, with a light gently illuminating the brilliant colors.

 It was a real privilege to speak with Darunee. She was generous enough to pose, with one of her gorgeous arrangements, for a photograph. Thank you, Darunee!

Darunee is a virtuoso of her craft.

To see images of her wonderful, handmade creations, please visit:
http://www.ccwhisper.com

I recommend reading her bio, it's very interesting.

I think this event must have been one of the most enjoyable photo shoots I have worked.

It's been almost 20 years since I attended an NHRA event. My past memories were not so good as I remember the event being terribly boring. I'm not sure if the sport has changed or if I have, but, this time around was a lot more fun. I spent almost 14 hours continually walking around shooting photos, as well as, the breeze. Runs were turned over very quickly, which made time at the track a lot more exciting. The big cars were also much more powerful and much faster than those from a couple decades back.

Many of the drivers were extremely fan-friendly. I have to give big marks to Bob Bode for his great attitude toward race fans. Bob was the friendliest driver that I spoke with, all day. By now, many people know how I feel about public figures who are energetic self-promoters. Mr. Bode has exactly the kind of personality that makes the event what it should be: a fun and exciting experience. Thank you, Bob, for taking the time to give me a couple "above and beyond" fun shots. I have to mention that Melanie Troxel and Peggy Llewellyn are a couple of real down-to-earth drivers, as well. Thumbs up to all you drivers who really embrace the fans.

Bob Bode       copyright: Keith Syvinski

For more information on Bob Bode and his racing team, please visit:
http://www.bobbode.com

For my photos of Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Qualifying Day please visit:
http://www.leosynapse.com/e107_files/images/Gallery_2007_Aug31_Indianapolis_USNationals/index.html

The last time I saw an African drum performance was about a year ago with the Georgia Sea Island Singers. When I read up on Griot Drum Ensemble, I immediately followed up with plans to attend. African drum performances are very cool.

The word "griot" was explained as a name for storytellers who speak or sing tales of mythological or historical origin. Traditional storytelling is fun enough. Storytelling by the Griot Drum Ensemble is awesome!

Telling these tales is the job for Khabir "The Storyteller" Shareef. His smooth, low vocal tones perfectly deliver the right mood for the mysterious, traditional West African narratives. Khabir's legends are accompanied by traditional West African drums and flute. The beautiful, yet haunting, music seems to hypnotize the listeners into a state that allows them to experience more vivid mental pictures of The Storyteller's tales. The content of the performance is excellent and the delivery is superb.
Griot Drum Ensemble is a wonderful show for all ages. Interaction is encouraged during several parts of the show. Spectators are welcome to sing along. At one point, instruments were distributed to audience members for participation in a song. The Griot Drum show is a great deal of fun and provides a kaleidoscopic education about the culture surrounding the art.

Griot Drum Ensemble is:
Khabir Shareef "The Storyteller"
Tony Artis "Amoah" (shown above)
Komoyaka King "Komo"
Francesca Abby "Sakeena"
Kakiyah Muhammad "Zakiyah"

For more information on Griot Drum Ensemble, plase visit:
http://www.storytellersdrum.com/
http://cdbaby.com/cd/griot

For my gallery of Griot Drum Ensemble, please visit:
http://www.leosynapse.com/e107_files/images/Gallery_2007_Feb15_Artsgarden_GriotDrumEnsemble/index.html

Though a rare occurrence, sometimes something nice gets in, when I open my mind.

I have to admit that the prospect of attending a dance exhibition would not top my "to do" list. Today's perfomance may have changed my mind about that. You see, careful introspection resulted in the following logic: Dancers + camera = photo opportunity.

Boy, am I glad I came up with that!

I totally enjoyed watching Kenyetta Dance Company perform! To see the human body moving, with the kind of energy and vitality these young people possess, is inspirational. As I was watching the dancers, as a group, I saw a natural harmony that indicated that these young men and women understood the reason for their movement and they were not simply repeating a set of practiced activities. Each piece was performed with powerful, compelling emotion. Even with the whole group on the floor, there was total control over motion. The whole ensemble could move without making so much as a whisper or they could drum out thunderous stomps that caused the whole floor to tremble (it's a big floor, too).

If you have a chance to see Kenyetta Dance Company, jump on it. If you have kids, take them. Kenyetta Dance Company is a group of young men and women who have found something in their life that allows them to express themselves with passion and optimism. That kind of energy needs to be propagated! After watching one of their performances, you will leave with a smile on your face. It's good entertainment that is healthy for the heart and mind. You might even learn something. I do hope that someone, young or old, is inspired to chase a dream whenever Kenyetta Dance Company performs. After all, what is life without the pursuit of a dream?

For more information on Kenyetta Dance Company, please visit:
http://www.kenyettadancecompany.com/AboutKenyetta.html

For my gallery of Kenyetta Dance Company, please visit:
http://www.leosynapse.com/e107_files/images/Gallery_2007_Feb11_Indianapolis_Artsgarden_KenyettaDanceCompany/index.html

For my postcard gallery of the Colts post-Super Bowl rally please visit:
http://www.leosynapse.com/e107_files/images/Gallery_2007_Feb05_Indianapolis_RCADome_ColtsRally/index.html

One of the most powerful performances I have ever seen at the Indianapolis Artsgarden came courtesy of the Tad Robinson Group. The entire hour was filled with showmanship; every note, every move, every song was designed to entertain.

Tempered in the Chicago blues forge, Tad Robinson heats up the stage with warm, soulful vocals and harmonica. His presence reaches out as if to embrace the audience and welcome them to experience the sound. Tad's whole attitude on stage was uplifting, which, with his amazing vocals and the band's outstanding sound, encouraged appreciative applause from his audience. A couple of times, I found myself looking back because the applause sounded like it was coming from more people than the place could hold.

The Tad Robinson Group show was one of the most animated I have shot. Tad is a very cool guy to speak with and is a great self-promoter. He has a natural flair for the camera, which allowed me to nail a couple of the best shots I have taken, thus far. Thank you for that privilege, Tad!

I picked up a couple signed CDs: "Last Go Round" and "Did You Ever Wonder". Both are great albums. I highly recommend them.

A cool piece of Tad Robinson trivia:. Tad Robinson was cast as one of the bail jumpers in the 1992 movie Under Siege, with Steven Seagal.

For more information on Tad Robinson, please visit:
http://www.bigeastern.com/tad/
http://www.myspace.com/tadrobinson

 Paul Holdman

For information on guitarist Paul Holdman, please visit:
http://www.paulholdman.com

For my photos of Tad Robinson Group at the Indianapolis Artsgarden, please visit:
http://www.leosynapse.com/e107_files/images/Gallery_2007_Jan30_Indianapolis_Artsgarden_TadRobinson/index.html
or see my Personal Galleries

His name is Scottish and his fingers spark like embers from a bonfire.

I really "dig these cats" who play the guitar in a way that looks impossible. It amazed me to see Scottish flutter his hands about in an ambiguous pattern of movements which were translated, by my ear, as kickin' hot jams. Acoustic ventriloquism? I would have suspected tricks had I not seen him with my own eyes.

I suppose "eclectic" would describe the style of Scottish McMillan. That being said, he might redefine the word, as he performs like nothing I have ever heard. When I try to think of similar vocalists, I tend to imagine David Byrne or Danny Elfman, early in their careers. But, Scottish has something else, too. There's an unusual truthfulness to Scottish's lyrics that would seem to lend a hand in making his music compatible to many different listeners, all ages, all walks.

Scottish has a new CD out. Vice Verses is a portfolio of groove. Tunes like "Wolf Whistle" and "Yeah, Whatever" are almost visually stimulating. Highly recommended for headphone! It's available in big box stores, too. It's easy to get, so keep a look out for it.

Bonus! The Scottish McMillan website has one of the coolest logos I have seen in a long time.

For more information on Scottish McMillan, please visit:
http://www.scottishmcmillan.com/
http://www.myspace.com/scottishmcmillanmusic
http://cdbaby.com/cd/scottish

For my gallery of Scottish McMillan, please visit:
http://www.leosynapse.com/e107_files/images/Gallery_2007_Jan24_Indianapolis_Artsgarden_ScottishMcMillan/index.html
or see my Personal Galleries