October 2019 Issue

Social Media for Artists

Social media gives artists an unprecedented opportunity to be seen and heard. No longer are galleries, clubs, and journals the sole gatekeepers of the artistic world. You can reach the entire world directly… in theory. But how can an individual artist stand out in the crowded online landscape? And what’s the best use of an artist’s limited time for self-promotion? The first thing to figure out is what you hope to get from a social media presence. For a visual artist, it might be selling work online or getting commissions or gallery shows. For a musician, perhaps selling albums, booking gigs, or increasing plays on streaming platforms. For a writer,

Creating Memories | Christine McKeel: Life in Focus

Long-time resident Christine McKeel is making a name for herself as one of Aiken’s premiere family photographers and entrepreneurs. As the proprietor of her own growing photography business, she offers customers an alternative to the traditional stiffly posed studio portrait. Her current passion is documentary photography, and she has a well-rounded portfolio that shows the breadth of her talent. What exactly is documentary photography? If you haven’t heard of it before, you may have seen examples of it on social media, with one important exception. Documentary photography follows the rules of photojournalism. There is no alteration of the environment, lighting or subject. No posing, no photoshopping. Those highly filtered Instagram

Unlock Your Health Potential with CBD

There is an opioid epidemic going on in our country regardless of whether it’s being publicized. What’s worse is the ongoing health crisis caused by our overmedicated and undernourished population. Our body is an intricate machine that needs nourishment with essential nutrients, whether through diet or daily dietary supplements, to maintain what our bodies need most, and that is ‘homeostasis’, a state of balance that most of us lack. What if I told you that there was a system just waiting to be unlocked, one that would allow your body to perform at peak level and maintain the homeostasis that it requires for optimum functioning and health? Let’s explore the

Photo of the Month | Burning Piano

On January 15th 2019, the Aiken Composer’s Guild performed at the University Of South Carolina Aiken, Etherredge Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. The concert finished with the burning piano after a processional led by Dr. Hollingsworth on the bagpipes from the main stage at the Etherredge Center, through the campus, to the site of the piano. As a photographer, I see my job as “to capture scenes and moments that otherwise could not or would not be seen”, such as a piece of fine craftsmanship put to flame. The piano was absolutely captivating to see, with all of its inner workings exposed. Only with a camera set to

Creating Flavor | The Art of American Craft Beer: The sure cure for cenosillicaphobia

I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer. Abraham Lincoln Two months at sea and hopelessly north of their course to the Virginia colony, the desperate passengers and crew of the Mayflower were running out of beer. As in Europe, beer was a trusted drink instead of the perpetually contaminated water. Besides that, Captain Jones worried about sustaining his crew with beer on the trip back across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1620 the ship docked in Cape Cod; but the passengers balked at leaving

Bella Fella: An Interview with Gary Sullivan, October’s Mr. Bella

Gary Sullivan has had a lot of interesting experiences in his life. “When I look back on life, everything has made me who I am today,” he says. In his first job, he started out as a dishwasher, but moved up to cook after a fortuitous car accident. He still remembers the ‘65 Mustang with an 8-track player he was riding in that day. Gary and his friends survived the accident, but the car didn’t. He later trained to be an auto mechanic, but discovered working on cars all day wasn’t as fun as it looked. Gary started his printing business in the Northwest Chicago suburbs in 1990. He and

Dracula, The Ballet, Takes Flight

Dracula kicks off the Aiken Civic Ballet’s 2019-2020 season with a dark, thrilling ballet perfect for Halloween. The ballet, inspired by Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic horror novel, tells a dark love story. Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania on business—he’s supposed to meet with a nobleman named Count Dracula to help him buy three houses in London. Count Dracula is an undead, centuries-old vampire and a Transylvanian nobleman, who inhabits a decaying castle in the Carpathian Mountains near the Borgo Pass. He is handsome and charismatic, with aristocratic charm. Harker is having a great trip until he realizes that the Count isn’t quite human, and shares the castle with three undead

Creating a Calling | Bella’s Featured Artist: Robert Campbell

‘…you know the type…’ Not long ago, a new family moved to the area. They seemed like nice folks. I heard they came from Florida, somewhere near the water. Then, their son came to town. You know the type: long hair and loud music… keeps going on-and-on about how he will own a Trans-Am someday. He had run-away when he was sixteen following an argument with his mother about; you guessed it, a guitar. I heard he wrecked his car, and that’s why he moved here. After his car wreck, he did what anyone does: he called his mom. And she told him, ‘come home, ’even though he had never

Color Your Way to Better Brain Health

“…for the practice of the hand doth speedily instruct the mind, and strongly confirms the memory beyond anything else.” Henry Peachman, author, Complete Gentleman, 1634 As early as the 17th century they believed that the art form of coloring benefitted the brain. The first “coloring books”, 1612’s Poly-Olbion by Michael Drayton, were volumes of poems that included engraved maps of countries in England and Whales. It is said that rich aristocrats hand-colored the maps and accompanying “fantastical creatures” with watercolors. In 1760, Robert Sayer’s The Florist became the first book of illustrations that were meant to be colored – by the adult owner. They used the books as a form