Vanessa Shinmoto
  • Home
  • About
  • Artwork
    • Abstract Landscapes
    • Chicago Studies
    • Objects of War
    • Cafe Studies
    • MaladjustedArt
  • Blog
  • Home
  • About
  • Artwork
    • Abstract Landscapes
    • Chicago Studies
    • Objects of War
    • Cafe Studies
    • MaladjustedArt
  • Blog

The Gym as Art Studio

3/15/2016

0 Comments

 

Some Thoughts about Working Out

Picture
My HIIT Workout:

After a 5 minute warm up, do these  4 exercises for 45 seconds at all-out max intensity. Do not rest between exercises until all 4 are done, rest 90 seconds. Do 4-5 rounds of 4.

1) Reverse Lunges with Tricep Kickbacks - alternate legs instead of staying on the same leg
2) Mountain Climbers
3) Squats with Bicep Curls
4) Push ups 



Working out is not just about sculpting the body and looking good. Sexy muscle tone and a slimmer physique only provide part of the story. The real benefits of a consistent workout routine go far beyond ripped muscles, sleek flat bellies, juicy pecs or tight thighs. In fact, those sculpted bodies featured in ads and the media take a lot of work. By a lot of work, I mean at least 8 hours of intense exercise every week and 24/7 dieting that strips all the pleasure from eating. Say goodbye to craft cocktails (or any alcohol for that matter), heavy cream sauces, anything deep-fried, desserts other than fruit and most bread and pasta.

Only models, actors and others whose careers depend on perfectly sculpted physiques need go through such extremes of working out and dieting. Most people just need to get moving and eat less to start on a journey to better health and an improved sense of well-being. Working out is really about getting to experience the body on a visceral and physical level. Once the body begins to move, the heart must pump faster to provide working muscles with more oxygen and nutrients. Soon, sweat starts to drip and muscles burn and shake. The burn marks the point of transformation when the muscles actually tear apart in order to rebuild and become stronger.

Going deeper into the burn is a difficult yet critical part of working out. The mind usually resists the intense sensations that result from going all out at maximum effort. There is a natural tendency to back off from the physical effort and stop the burn. Facing the burn involves finding the inner strength to keep going past the burning, shaking and breathlessness. Yoga instructors often refer to the burn as heat that purifies the body and eliminates toxins. In a way, the burn does purify the body through sweat and increased circulation that brings fresh oxygen and nutrients to the organs.

​
The burn creates endorphins and produces a post workout glow that increases a sense of well-being and confidence. Increased well-being and confidence, along with more energy, better sleep and reduced stress are the real reasons to workout. Focusing on these benefits helps motivate me to workout when the temptation to skip the workout arises.
0 Comments

"Longing" from the Cafe Studies series finds a home

1/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

The inspiration for this series began at Nu Wave Coffee in Logan Square where I would meet some artist friends for coffee and drawing. I started making live "stealth" ink sketches of other patrons in an attempt to capture random moments. None of my subjects ever knew that I was drawing them so I had to work quickly. Often, my subjects would move and it became a challenge to incorporate their new positions into my drawing. Sometimes, I had to abandon drawings when my subjects got up and left.

Luckily, for "Longing" as well as the other works in this series, I managed to capture those random moments. I remember the wistful look in my subject's eyes as she stared at some unknown point on the table beside her laptop. All these random moments come together in an ephemeral way that becomes life. Check out other works from the Cafe Studies series.

Thanks Mark and Patti! 
0 Comments

A Saturday Opening at Sunday Gallery and Musings on Authenticity

10/2/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The gallery lit up at night.
Photos by Madeline True 
Picture
Mingling outside the gallery on a beautiful fall night.
The concept of authenticity and what it means to be "authentic" is a topic of conversation that begins in the early evening, before light fades into the dark of the night to bring out the gallery's illumination. There is a sense that authenticity is an illusion, perhaps even a lie given social norms that almost everyone follows for social acceptance and survival. True authenticity promotes complete acceptance of all personality fragments and conflicting selves and eliminates the shame and negativity of the lessor or shadow selves. 

Yet shame and negativity are never and can never be eradicated, making authenticity an impossible construct that only the lucky few can come close to achieving. Shame and negativity result from traumas that wound the soul and these traumas are inevitable in life. Social norms demand concealment of these traumas in daily personal interactions and for good reason as the very stigma of trauma creates social discomfort that diminishes productivity. Airing shame and negativity is best done in supportive social environments that allow grappling with our demons. 

Artists are generally placed at the forefront of authenticity and exist under social pressure to display this trait in their artwork and/or personality. Outdated social and cultural misconceptions about artists dictate that artists uncover the shadow and critique the social and cultural norms that constrain our freedom. The true artist purportedly casts aside market pressures to uncover the next phase of human progress. Never mind that the market place dictates the value of art in the same manner as anything else: supply and demand. Any value from authenticity has more to do with hype and predominant trends than actual quality. 

Yet authenticity existed in the very moment we critiqued it, in the way we shared our experiences as artists on the lush grass in front of the gallery. We expressed our real selves in our critique and the gallery, with its grassroots aesthetic and local art served as a fitting backdrop for our temporary authenticity. It was a moment of freedom and at the same time, connection between artists and kindred spirits. 
0 Comments

Now Gallery - Opening 1

9/7/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture

Art Show & Birthday Party
Sat Sept 26 2p-2a
1436 W. Jarvis Ave Chicago IL

Artist, writer and graphic designer extraordinaire Jennifer Sowinski hosts an arts exhibition to celebrate her birthday month. Festivities take place at her Rogers Park studio and will include music and veggie/vegan friendly noshies. BYO for those wanting an extra buzz.
Works By:
Renae Lillie
Darren Shepherd
Vanessa Shinmoto
Quentin Shaw
Madeline True
Kathryn Kc Chronis
Holly Lukasiewicz
Shag
Keralee Froebel
Renato Petterino
Peter Franco
0 Comments

Eataly: Abundance Trumps Quality

8/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Eataly crowdsEataly draws the crowds.
I remember when Eataly opened 2 years ago in 2013. Then, my good friend and fellow budget foodie Nina and I both worked at the Alternative Energy Company. Our co-workers raved about Eataly in hushed tones. The serious engineers that worked there needed peace and quiet so we all whispered, huddled in cubes and hallways. Hence the hushed tones. I read snippets about Eataly here and there and thought of Eataly as Iron Chef's Mario Batali's enterprise to shill exotic specialty foods to aspiring foodies like me and Nina. But our office co-workers loved Eataly and its abundance of every manner of Italian specialty food from A-Z. Three spacious floors bursting with all manner of food: jarred pasta sauces, bottles of wine, cured meats, artisan cheeses, select produce, fluffy baguettes, bags of pasta, plus 23 restaurants featuring different food themes for all. There was the kid friendly restaurant serving pizza and pasta, the Piazza serving charcuterie and Italian sashimi and a veggie friendly, adult version of pizza/pasta. What's not to love?

Thanks to Nina's gift card, we finally make plans to check it out one Friday night. The Eataly experience begins upon entering straight into a large emporium, packed with people. Lots and lots of them from diverse cultures, backgrounds and ages milling about in a confused frenzy. Some shop for that night's dinner, weaving their way through the crowds with grocery baskets. Teenagers and tweens giggle and gossip between fancy jars of condiments and the fresh olive bar. Aspiring socialite types and corporate climbers vie for wine tasting samples paired with food samples, waving their "passports" to get a stamp. Nina and I immediately consider indulging in the wine tastings and figure out the "passport" scheme. A la carte, those little wine/food samples feel spendy at $4 per tasting. Who is going to spend $4 on one tasting or even $20 for 5 tastings? It would take a serious recon of all the wine/food samples around the store to figure out whether the $45 all-inclusive "passport" is a good deal. 




Read More
0 Comments

    Archives

    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

© 2015 Vanessa Shinmoto. All rights reserved.