June 6th. MP Gallery. Art BASH+Benefit

A big thanks to:

 the Austin Chronicle for donating space for our ad this week

 Tribeza Magazine for covering our event

 Austin Statesman for the upcoming article

 

I would love to see you all Saturday June 6th.

Here's the info:

70+ Artists from Austin to NY come together selling original artwork benefiting children of war on Saturday June 6th. 

It's a one night bash filled with paintings,

photography,Mixed Media, Music, Eats, Wine 

and Auction with proceeds funding the summer 

Sustainable Peace camp for 

refugee kids here in Austin by the Amala Foundation. Andrew Long, 

Roi James, Andrea Burden, Alan Pogue, 

Maranda Pleasant plus 70 others. 

Amalafoundation.org. 

Maranda Pleasant Gallery, 2235 E. 6th St,78702.512.476.8884 

Donations are still welcomed.

Upcoming June Show. Worlds between Words.

Sometimes...

Someone comes along...

and changes your life...

in ways bigger than you can understand.

They change the way you see the world.

They make you better 

They make you grow

So connected you wake each other up...across an ocean

energetically 

They make you want things you never knew you wanted

They show you parts of yourself...that had been sleeping

they make you feel more alive

and for that sweetness....that beauty...

that now fills my art studio with art created in love...

the same intimacy I first felt...surrounds me

light filled

Worlds between words.

'Worlds between Words' opens at the end of June at my Gallery in Austin. It features several international artists and a painting collaboration between me and a lovely parisian Artist. Look for the write up next month in the Austin Chronicle and Austin Statesman.

The Circus is coming to town. France.Italy.Spain.Asia.

We have 3 spaces in Paris and 2 in southern france confirmed for July Fire Workshops. My new lovely friend Maria Garcia is helping me coordinate Spain festival dates...and Jade is heading up Italy. 

Photo : Charles Maridor Paris.Copyright 2009

Acrobatic yoga will take Europe this year :)...in the form of 2 blond Vikings and an Asian Pixie. We'll be teaming up with 2 french circus troupes for an Eiffel Tower show mid-July. I really look forward to playing with them this summer. We are looking for 2-3 more yoga studios in both France ,Italy and Spain for our acro workshops this July.

Photo: Brandon Gonzalez. copyright 2008
Photo:Charles Maridor Paris.copyright 2009

I'll be leaving in a few weeks for the summer and part of fall...teaching/performing Acrobatic yoga, Contact Yoga, and Fire Spinning Workshops in France...Italy, Spain, Greece, Burma, India and Thailand the following 2 months. 

Italy and Texas come together again this summer in Europe. Jade and I will join forces in France in June and make our way through Paris, Milan, and 6 other cities performing and teaching. 
photo copyright: Lynn Milena Powell

While in Europe, I'll also be opening for a Boston band I shot the video for at SXSW this year. They have several stops through out Europe and I'll be coordinating with local dancers...providing them all with costumes of course :). More info on that project as well. I am also collaborating with the lead vocalist on an upcoming book. He is a harvard educated poet, musician, and author of 2 previous novels. ..he is a real character. More info soon, I promise.


Photo Copyright: Pleasant Photography 2008

Please email me at Maranda@bigmodernart.com for more date info.

Teaching Acro in Public Schools...

   I taught my first 3 1/2 hour Acrobatic Yoga Immersion to an lovely PUBLIC High School in Wimberely, Texas on Wednesday. They have a Amazing full-time Yoga studio and teacher, Meredith.  Meredith and I met before my performance for Fusebox and she attended my class for lululemon at Whole Foods. She is beautiful, committed and passionate about yoga and her students. I am teaching an Acro Camp in Wimberely and Dripping Springs in June. Write me for more info about my upcoming classes, workshops or camps for kids...before I head off for Europe and Asia 

  Photos copyright: Maranda Pleasant and Bailey Cain

Urban Art in Action. Benefit for Salvage Vanguard Theater

SVT hosted an evening of Dance, Music, art, interactive graffiti Urban Art and film to raise money and awareness for their upcoming projects with emerging actors, writers, directors, filmmakers, dramaturges, comedians, musicians and painters. I couldn't help myself from picking up a few cans....

Work from Last Year

Burningman

This will be my first year to attend the Mother of all Desert Art and Self-Expression Festivals: Burningman. My summer travel plans are quickly changing...but this is my year. I am creating an interactive art exhibit for the attendees. I'll bring the painted canvases created at BM and the video capturing the project back to Austin for exhibition and editing. Hope to see you all on the Playa. 

Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment... Claude Monet“

Choose Life

only that and always,
and at whatever risk.
To let life leak out, to let it wear away by
the mere passage of time, to withhold
giving it and spreading it
is to choose
nothing.
-Sister Helen Kelley
"Let it be short, let it be long --stop cutting and patching;
Going along with the high, along with the low, it levels itself."

"Not knowing is nearest."
-Case 20, The Book of Serenity

"Quiet your mind and you will see the moon and stars reflected in your being." - Rumi
"The important thing is this: to be ready at any moment to sacrifice 

what you are for what you could become." - Charles Dubois
"People look to god when their foundations are shaking only to find that god is the one shaking them. Your conscious mind can't always recognize what is for the greatest good." - unknown

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Jack Kerouac

Art OverLoad full Bloom

I'll be traveling over the next month shooting a few of my buildings/lobbies that I've done in the past 6 months. Over the next week I'll be driving...and I mean Driving... all over Texas for 5 of my latest properties. In a few weeks I'll be flying to Nevada and Colorado shooting  5 as well. The designer I work with is flying me out west. We both need to really update our websites and portfolios. It's like have hundreds of children that you've never seen...installed. I can't wait. There's nothing like an art-filled Texas-size roadtrip, M

  Above: Two 5ftx5ft huge lobbies pieces for Denver. Not a great photo, but two of my favorites. 

Below: My first of 4 Dallas lobbies completed early last year

  I'd like to say thank you to my amazing design firm that I work with. They give me a Very broad palette to work with and full freedom to create. Each series/collection they ask me to push the envelope a little more. Thank you for such creative freedom

Art OverLoad Continued....

The "Maranda Collection" Summer Extravaganza. Fashion meets Art. Marigold- Gateway to India

Months ago I sat down with Lata, owner of Marigold and talked about a beautiful Spring/Summer facelift for her store before her trip to India. I shared my ideas, designs, colors for new dresses, tops and scarfs. The new Line has made it from India (all fair trade). We are planning a Summer Bash in June, featuring my collection and my art.
Look for write ups in the Austin Statesman, Chronicle and Rare magazine. You can preview and purchase the new collection now. Marigolds is located at 2200 S. Lamar just south of Oltorf.

lululemon Athletica. Roof of Whole Foods.Acrobatic Yoga Class.Weird Wednesdays.

I was chosen to lead the Acrobatic Yoga class for lululemon at Whole Foods. I saw a community laughing...i mean laughing hard...the entire time...as we supported ourselves and each other.I loved watching people come together assisting each other in growth, talking through fears and watching them push past their edges. 

I met tons of new friends and played with familiar circus companions. The beauty is just being apart of such transformation. I viewed self growth and watched the community of yogis come together to help each other.

Thanks Mike for the great little email he wrote for lulu. I've never heard it stated better:

"Join us on top of Whole Foods as Maranda Pleasant facilitates an Acrobatic Yoga class for all levels, ages, abilities, colors, doshas, zodiac signs, etc. It is a combination of partner yoga, circus acrobatics, massage and communication/connection chakra opening moves. We're taking it up a notch for the LAST class in the Weird Wednesday series. Bring a yoga mat if you have one."

A big thank you to lulu. I'll be teaching in Houston, the Woodlands and San Antonio on a regular basis for lulu as well as holding workshops in those cities. Please let me know if you are interested.