Today I am sharing with you my project and artwork a new Digital Portrait!
This time I am starting a new Collection of Portraits dedicated to the world of “MUSIC” and Artists. I loved to create this portrait very much, because is inspired and dedicated to my favorite nowadays band from Scotland “The Twilight Sad” and to their great and unique music. This year The Twilight Sad had an amazing and successful North American Tour as the opening band chosen by the iconic “The Cure” for this full-fledged 2016 World Tour together. In October they will be back on stage with The Cure Touring around Europe for the final dates of the Tour. I attended one of the fantastic concerts last May. I have seen them in Los Angeles at The Hollywood Bowl in one of the three sold out shows, it was an amazing and wonderful concert that I never wanted to miss. If you haven’t you can read my detailed Blog Post here.
Details about my Digital Portrait
For this portrait I loved to use the beautiful photos of International Live Music Photographer, “Mauro Melis”, his work is stunning! He had the opportunity to photograph many amazing bands during the years, creating beautiful memories throughout his photography. And I am honored that he let me use his photos for create my artwork this digital portrait. I used three images of The Twilight Sad performing during two dates of the North American Tour. These below are the original photos I used before my digital intervention and creation.
Singer James Graham – Concert June 18, 2016 – Madison Square Garden, New YorkGuitar – Andy MacFarlane – Concert May 17, 2016 – El Paso, TexasDrummer – Mark Devine – Concert May 17, 2016 – El Paso, Texas
I love to create these ethereal digital Portraits. They are my evolving idea and concept to combining images and telling a story in the form of Visual-Art. Each photo has a meaning behind it and tell the Portrait story. During my creative process I am very selective of which photo I use and I spend lots of time researching for the right ones, with the right tones of colors, right lighting and more details to look at it. This portrait is create with three photos but in my experience during my artistic journey I have made images with 10 and more photos. The process of creating is complex and introspective there is a lots of work and lots of myself in each final image. I am happy the way this portrait turned out and I plan to create more of them for the Music Collection. For now The Twilight Sad are my shining stars on this special portrait!
I hope that you like my Digital Art and that you will share your impressions on this portrait!
A special thanks goes to The Twilight Sad with my best wishes for their European Tour dates and a great thank you to Mauro Melis for his stunning photography and his kindness to me.
For more information or questions about my Custom Digital Portraits contact me!
Today I am sharing with you my New Digital Portrait!
James Graham is the singer of my favorite Scotland band The Twilight Sad their great and unique music and the beautiful photos of international Music Photographer Mauro Melis , inspired me on creating this new Digital Portrait in honor and to celebrate today James Birthday!
The Twilight Sad just ended two days ago in Miami their amazing and successful North American Tour as guest band opening for The Cure! I attended their amazing and unforgettable concert last May in Los Angeles and I was lucky to met James, if you haven’t you can read my Blog Post here.
This is a black and white with a hue of blue portrait in connection and symbiosis, reflecting James unique style and stage presence as mirror and shining light of The Twilight Sad music.
For this special portrait with the courtesy and kindness of Mauro Melis I was able to use some of his stunning photos from this Tour.
Today thanks to James Graham singer of “The Twilight Sad” that shared this video on social media. I came across to this “Stunning” Cover of the Abba song S.O.S I love this cover very much, everything is just right. I love that is slow and the music is played beautifully giving to this song more depth in a unique moody way. This cover make me like this song way more thanks to Porthishead! You know by now that I love music and I have a specific taste, I thought I wanted to share this video with you!
What do you think? Let me know! I love your comments!
Where are those happy days they seem to hard to find?
I try to reach for you. but you have closed my mind
Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood
It used to be so nice. It used to be so good
So when you’re near me, darling, can’t you hear me S.O.S.?
The love you gave me. nothing else can save me, S.O.S.
When you’re gone, how can I even try to go on?
When you’re gone though I try how can I carry on?
You seem so far away though you are standing near
You made me feel alive but something died I fear
I really tried to make it out. I wish I understood
What happened to our love? It used to be so good
So when you’re near me, darling, can’t you hear me S.O.S.?
The love you gave me. nothing else can save me, S.O.S.
When you’re gone, how can I even try to go on?
When you’re gone though I try how can I carry on?
When you’re gone, how can I even try to go on?
When you’re gone though I try how can I carry on?
Songwriters: ADAM ANDERSON, SCOTT HOFFMAN, THEO HUTCHCRAFT
Today post is about my thrilling experience attending the concert of one of the greatest band of all time UK iconic and legendary “The Cure”. Their music amazed millions of fans worldwide during last forty years and I am one of them. This concert is one of the most beautiful experience I had.
On Monday May 23, 2016 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles best known as a historical venue where great music names of all time has performed. I was lucky to be able to have a ticket on the second day of the three “Sold Out” shows. The Cure also performed on Sunday 22 and Tuesday 24 as part of their North America Tour 2016 the first US full-fledged tour in eight years with 33 Shows in US and in Autumn they will be touring in Europe with 26 Shows.
“The Cure Tour 2016” will present Robert Smith (voice/guitar), Simon Gallup (bass), Jason Cooper (drums), Roger O’Donnell (keys) and Reeves Gabrels (guitar).
This amazing tour also features another of my favorite band that I discovered quite a while back that I follow and love. Their music is unique and intense with great sounds and dark atmospheres, it is a magical combination with the beautiful voice of charismatic and intense singer James Graham, front man of Scottish post-punk band “The Twilight Sad”. They are the “Special Guests” supporting The Cure on almost all the dates of this 2016 Tour. The Cure couldn’t make a better choice on bringing The Twilight Sad out in the light for an exposure very well deserved, they are an awesome band rising up in our contemporary music.
The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad band is based in Glasgow Scotland and was formed in 2003. Since then they released four studio albums, the latest is “Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave“. The band members are James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar), and Mark Devine (drums). Touring members include Johnny Docherty (bass guitar) and Brendan Smith (keyboards).
The Twilight Sad – James GrahamHeadline
The Twilight Sad will also be performing some headline shows during the tour, one was scheduled in Los Angeles at the “Teragram Ballroom” on Wednesday May 25. Sadly, I couldn’t attend this one. I really wanted to go to see them perform in their own element in the darkness of an intimate place where you can feel their music shock you deep inside your soul. I won’t miss them next time they come back to L.A. that for sure!
I couldn’t be more happy to attend this lifetime wish come true concert and to be able to see two of my loved bands live in one day! This is truly amazing!
When I discovered The Cure I was in Italy, my native country. A friend went to a summer vacation in London and came back with several vinyl albums from a band that at that time we didn’t know so well yet…The Cure! I have to say that after I listened their albums, I was hooked to their music. “Seventeen Seconds” was the one for me iconic and epic album that signed my love life for The Cure. The beautiful dark timeless sound that distinguish the uniqueness of this band is contained in all the songs of this album and in more to come. Included is “A Forest” one of my all time favorite songs that give me goosebumps each time I listen to it.
Finally time has arrived…
On May 23, after months of waiting, my day started pretty early getting ready to go to the Hollywood Bowl a 50 minutes drive from where I live. Exciting feelings were anticipating the concert that I have been waiting for all my life. This day was a very special day for me, it was filled with intense emotions and a “Surreal Surprise”. I am so happy that I was able to attend, I never wanted to miss this. The weather was sunny most of the day and later on turned a little gloomy with an appealing breeze.
When we arrived to the Hollywood Bowl was great to see the big sign saying “The Cure – The Twilight Sad – Tonight 7:pm – Sold Out” another great concert was about to be written in the history album of this venue. Things were getting real now!
We decided to pass the Hollywood Bowl to find an alternative parking area since the Bowl parking is known to be very crowded. So we drove down the main street at a decent walking distance from the Bowl.
There is a church with parking that I knew would let people park for events at the Bowl. We drove in looking for someone to ask if was possible to park early since the time was around 3.30pm and the gates of the Hollywood Bowl didn’t open til 5pm. Right at that exact moment when I turned my face toward the street I was stunned! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! Walking passed us in the street I see The Twilight Sad singer “James Graham” and the band manager John-Paul Mason, just at that precise moment! They appeared to me out of the blue! Oh Wow!!! That moment was so surreal! How could this be possible??? Instinctively I said, “That’s James!!!” He heard his name because he turned his face looking around trying to figure out who was calling him lol…I couldn’t believe what was happening, everything happened so fast like magic! That was one in a million chances. I kept calling James name and quickly got out to the car so that he could see me. They stopped, turned around and approached me by the fence. James came close smiling and surprised. I told him that I am a fan. Then they kindly came around the fence into the parking lot where I was. We started to talk and laugh, we hugged surprised from this amazing moment, it was fantastic like meeting old friends that you haven’t seen in a long time. James was super cool and very friendly, and so was John Paul. While talking we took some photos that I will cherish forever. Here is James! The impressive and intense soul of The Twilight Sad! I love this photo!
It was definitely one of the most surreal moments I’ve ever had! I couldn’t believe what just happened, this “encounter” alone made my day before it even started. I felt so great and happy!
One of The Twilight Sad beautiful songs that I love is “There’s a Girl in the Corner,” track from 2014 latest album “Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave” awesome album! This song is also offered as Exclusive Free Tour Download you can get it here.
I guess today “I was the girl in the corner” 😉 I can only say that it was a fantastic experience to meet James and John Paul, the best things happen when you don’t expect them. Thank you for stopping your walk and taking your time with me. Going to the concert, of course, I was hoping to be able to catch James and the band after the gig at the merchandise booth, but I knew that in L.A. wouldn’t be any easy in a sold out venue like this concert.
So my wish got fully granted with an amazing unexpected surprise that I will never forget. Thank You for your kindness James!
After of all this we had a little time before the Bowl opened the gates. There were so many people everything was well-organized and went smooth. While waiting I could hear The Twilight Sad doing their sound check and James voice resonate in between the Hollywood hills very beautiful. It was getting really exciting!
Outside The Hollywood Bowl
Around 5.30pm we were able to get inside the arena of the Bowl and had some time to kill after we got our seats. We went around the venue and to the merchandise booths to buy my The Cure Tour T-Shirt lots of people and I haven’t seen The Twilight Sad T-shirt that I wanted too!
Around 7pm was still natural sunlight, the arena wasn’t full yet but people were coming in. The concert started with The Twilight Sad opening with the beautiful notes of “There’s a Girl in the Corner” another great surprise for me! This song did bring together The Cure with The Twilight Sad for their collaboration. Robert Smith, recently recorded a beautiful cover for this song.
The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad delivered a great performance with 7 songs on their Setlist, James Graham always deliver exceptional intensity and passion while singing becoming one with the music and dominating the stage with a distinctive, impressive presence. The 7 songs performed were: 1) There is a Girl in the Corner – 2) Last January – 3) That Summer at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy – 4) It Never Was The Same – 5) Seven Years of Letters – 6) Reflection of The Television – 7) And She Would Darken the Memory.
The Cure Concert Begin
The sun was almost down by 8pm. The arena of the Hollywood Bowl was full and exciting. Clouds were invading the sky creating the perfect shade of darkness and gray atmosphere for The Cure to take the stage. The show opened with the beautiful and distinct sound of the guitars and Robert voice singing “Open” the first song of a long beautiful and insane Setlist featuring 33 amazing songs, 4 encores and two new songs performed “Step into the Light“ and “It can never be the same“ . The Cure gifted us with 3 hours of an amazing and spectacular show.
After playing 19 uninterrupted songs, the band left the stage for the first time. Watching The Cure live is stunning!
They are better than ever. Robert Smith has amazing stamina, he can sing and play his guitar forever. In between songs Robert gave us few kind and cheerful words. Roberts voice is as fresh and powerful like time hasn’t passed, the same for his unique look, the only difference is that he is letting his hair color natural. Besides that, his black eye-lined eyes, lipstick, black dressed and heavy boots all still there. He is “The Cure” the founder and heart of this amazing band and it’s so great to see that unity as band that make them amazing like their music.
After 23 songs and at the end of the encore 2 my favorite song “A Forest” blown away the Hollywood Bowl! There are not enough words to describe how this song effected me and everyone else there. This song has been with me almost all my life. No matter what has changed growing up, or going through life experiences and I think when this happens that’s what great music is all about, you become one with it, and will never leave you. Was an incredible experience to hear it live!
After this great moment, we had encore 3 and encore 4 more beautiful songs were played. The Cure wanted to give us everything they could in 3 hours time and still a lot more of amazing music from their discography were left un played. Robert & Co. enjoyed play their music with us very much it was like they never wanted to stop until the grand final with the song “Boys Don’t Cry”. This concert was outstanding and fantastic for so many reasons. I have seen two amazing loved bands and I would love to see them again and again and again…
A special thanks to The Cure and to The Twilight Sad for this unforgettable concert and for their timeless great music!
Late in October 2016 I have created a watercolor ink painting dedicated to The Twilight Sad
1st Release Collectors Limited Edition Fine Art Print are available on pre-order Here
re great music names of all time has performed. I was lucky to be able to have a ticket on the second day of the three “Sold Out” shows. The Cure also performed on Sunday 22 and Tuesday 24 as part of their North America Tour 2016 the first US full-fledged tour in eight years with 33 Shows in US and in Autumn they will be touring in Europe with 26 Shows.
One of The Twilight Sad beautiful songs that I love is “There’s a Girl in the Corner,” track from 2014 latest album “
Carolina Russo Art 
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