“Seane Corn has been a good friend who has always supported what we do here at breathe, from the yoga we offer to the food we serve to our humanitarian efforts to how we do business,” said Cyndi Weis, breathe’s owner. “We are thrilled she will help us kick off our 10th anniversary year and will inspire people with her gifted teaching style and her very centered approach to life and service.”

Seane Corn

Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism and inspirational style of teaching. A strong and articulate voice for social change, she started her activism work by creating the yoga program for the “Children of the Night” shelter in Los Angeles, CA. Since 2006, her work has focused on training leaders of activism through her co-founded organization Off the Mat, Into the World (OTM)and bringing awareness to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

breathe has participated in each of OTM’s global programs offered, raising more than $80,000 for humanitarian projects in Cambodia, Uganda, South Africa and Haiti. Efforts are underway now to raise $20,000 for OTM projects in India next year. Overall, the OTM organization has raised millions of dollars to serve communities in need all over the world.

Over the last 20 years of her career, Seane has been featured in magazines, Oprah.com, The Huffington Post, numerous radio programs such as NPR, and four self-authored DVD programs. In addition, in 2005 she was named the National Yoga Ambassador for YouthAIDS. She also sits on the board of both the Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Engage Network.

While at breathe, Seane will offer three workshops, featuring discussion and vinyasa (or “flow”) yoga suited for the seasoned practitioner and the beginner. Details follow:

The Art of Teaching Vinyasa Flow
Friday, May 25th, 2012
3 – 5:30 p.m.
Location: breathe downtown annex, 930 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Price: $80 for Living Yoga members; $90 general public
LEVEL: Advanced – Minimum of two years’ practice recommended.

Mystics on the Mat
Friday, May 25th, 2012
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: breathe downtown annex, 930 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Price: $65 for Living Yoga members; $75 general public
All levels are welcome

Chakra Flow: Full Day Immersion
Saturday, May 26th, 2012
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Location: St. John Fisher College – Cleary Auditorium, 3690 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14618
Price: $155 for Living Yoga members; $180 general public
All levels are welcome

For a detailed description of these workshops, visit www.breatheyoga.com. Registration is required. breathe anticipates that these workshops sell-out quickly, so those interested should sign up early by calling (585) 248-9070 or stopping into any breathe location.

Five of breathe’s 10 anniversary programs have been announced. In addition to Seane’s visit, breathe will offer programs with medium, psychic reader, healer, hypnotherapist and executive coach Brenda Villa in June; a 4th of July benefit and picnic; a master class with renowned yoga teacher Bryan Kest in October; and a 10th birthday party in November. More information on each program is available on breathe’s Web site.

ABOUT:
breathe is a family-run business that offers vinyasa or “hot” yoga, a boutique and a juice bar. Since first opening in 2002, breathe has become a hub for healthful, joyful living and a community that welcomes and supports people of all skill levels. Its flagship center is located at 19 S. Main St. Pittsford which also offers a spa, acupuncture, café, teaching kitchen and a cooking and nutrition classes. It also has locations at 980 Ridge Rd. in the Webster Place and at its downtown annex at 930 East Ave. in Rochester. For more information, visit www.breatheyoga.com or call (585) 248-9070.

Bush Mango performing (Photo: Elissa Sundman)

At 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 13^th and Saturday, April 14^th, Bush Mango’s 13-member, multi-generational company will present its spring performance.  Entitled Wongai! (which means Let’s Go! in Susu, a West African language), the performance is a celebration of the poly-rhythmic music and dynamic dancing of West Africa. 

Advance purchase tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for youth 12 and under and seniors and can be purchased at www.bushmango.org.  Tickets at the door on performance evenings are $18 for general admission, $15 for youth 12 and under and seniors.

Melissa, a Bush Mango Youth Project student (Photo: Lisa Barker)

At 7 p.m., Saturday, April 21^st, Bush Mango will hold its second annual “Beat the Drum” Friend-Raiser, a fund-raising event to benefit Bush Mango’s Youth Project.  Evening highlights include short, dynamic performances by Bush Mango’s Youth Project students and by Bush Mango’s performing company.  In addition, there will be a gallery exhibition featuring photos of the Youth Project, a silent auction and bountiful food and bountiful food and drinks.

Bush Mango’s Youth Project teaches West African drum and dance to Rochester city youth and enhances the quality of their lives at the same time.  The program provides a place where ethnically diverse young people from two to 18 years old can learn and thrive. Ninety-eight percent rely on scholarships to participate in the Youth Project.

“Through Youth Project’s drumming and dancing, students learn essential life skills: self-motivation, confidence, teamwork, discipline, and so much more,” said Colleen Hendrick, Bush Mango’s Artistic and Executive Director. “The program works, too: more than 90 percent of participants move up to the next grade in school or on to graduation from high school.  Community support is vital to continuation of this important program.”

Tickets for the fund-raiser are $100 per person.  Each “Beat the Drum” ticket includes one free ticket to either the Friday, April 13^th or Saturday, April 14^th Wongai! performance.  If a Beat the Drum ticket is purchased after the Wongei performance, a ticket to Bush Mango’s December holiday performance will be provided.

For more information, visit www.bushmango.org or call 585-235-3960.

2011/2012 Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (Photo: Royal Photography)

The Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (RPYO), a symphony orchestra comprised of 100 dedicated young musicians in grades eight through 12 from around the greater Rochester area, will complete its 2011/2012 41^st season this spring with two concerts, including its annual side-by-side concert with members of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. All performances are led by Dr. David Harman, music director and conductor of the RPYO.

“Our students have enormous talent and passion for music and incredible drive,” said Dr. Harman.  “Wherever they perform, they astound audiences time and time again.  This rest of our 2011/2012 season features a rich exploration of orchestral music from 19^th Century Europe and 20^th Century America.”

Dr. David Harman (Photo: Michael Bloch)

RPYO musicians undertake a demanding schedule from September through May, which includes regular Sunday afternoon rehearsals, formal concerts and participation in an annual weekend-long musical retreat.  In addition, they are involved in community outreach events and periodically participate in regional and international tours.
The spring concert schedule is as follows:

Moldau and Mahler
Side-by-Side Concert with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
3 pm, Sunday, March 4, 2012
Kodak Hall, Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604
Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors

Led by Dr. David Harman, this annual concert includes works by Smetana and Mahler with the RPYO playing next to their RPO mentors, putting more than 170 musicians on the stage for the second half of the performance.

It also will also highlight three RPYO Concerto Competition winners who won solo competitions earlier in the year to earn these coveted solo positions:   Hayley Miller, flutist and 11^th grader at Canandaigua Academy, Erica Klafehn, violist and 12^th grader at Penfield High School, and Matthew DeCross, percussionist and 12^th grader at Pittsford Sutherland High School.

This concert includes:

Rosauro, MARIMBA CONCERTO No. 1, mvt 1
Hindemith, TRAUERMUSIK for viola
Mozart, FLUTE CONCERTO No. 1, mvt. 1
Ginastra, ESTANCIA
Smetana, THE MOLDAU (features the RPYO with the RPO)
Mahler, SYMPHONY NO. 1: iv. Stürmisch bewegt (features the RPYO with the RPO)

American Rhythms
3 pm, Sunday, May 13
Hale Auditorium at Roberts Wesleyan College, 2301 Westside Dr., Rochester, NY 14624
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. 

Led by Dr. David Harman, this performance will again feature more RPYO concerto competition winners. This performance features:

Concerto Competition Winners playing CONCERTO SELECTIONS
Copland, OUTDOOR OVERTURE
Ives/Schuman, VARIATIONS ON “AMERICA”
Bernstein, SYMPHONIC DANCES FROM “WEST SIDE STORY”

Tickets for all performances are available at the Eastman Theatre Box Office located at 433 East Main St., Rochester, N.Y.14604 or by calling the RPO at (585) 454-2100 or the RPYO at (585) 454-7311 ext. 224.  Tickets will also be sold at the door at each performance.  Group rate tickets for groups of 10 or more are available directly from the RPYO.  For more information, visit www.rpyo.org.

More than 1,700 students have been part of the RPYO over the last 41 years. Several RPYO alumni currently perform with the RPO, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Chicago Lyric Opera orchestra and other major ensembles in the United States and abroad.  Many other alumni have become music teachers or are dedicated amateur musicians and supporters of local arts institutions.

The RPYO was founded in 1970 by the Women’s Committee of the Civic Music Association, the predecessor of the RPO, following many years of its sponsorship of annual youth music festivals. The RPYO is now sponsored by the RPO’s Education Department, whose musicians work regularly with RPYO students as mentors and coaches.  They also join the RPYO in an annual concert at the Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.  Howard Weiss, former concertmaster of the RPO, was the RPYO’s founding music director from 1970 to 1989, followed by Darryl One.  Since 1993 Dr. Harman has been the RPYO’s music director and conductor.

Sidebar:  Students interested in auditioning for the 2012/2013 RPYO, should visit www.rpyo.org or call (585) 454-7311, ext. 224 for more information and a complete schedule.  Auditions will be held March 29th, 30th and 31^st.  

Ms. Gilbert hand-selected a small group of five, of which Mr. Miller is one, world-class styling professionals to join her team.  Throughout the week, Mr. Miller and the rest of Ms. Gilbert’s team brought her vision to the runway at the shows of these five ground-breaking, trend-setting designers: Jason Wu, Jill Stuart, Monique Lhuillier, Theyskens Theory and Rodarte.

Scott Miller at the Monique Lhuillier show

“Odile is so professional, inspiring and passionate about her work,” said Mr. Miller, who first worked with Ms. Gilbert at Fashion Week in New York City this past fall. “This season’s Fashion Week was as magical as last season’s, with so many professionals working together to personify Ms. Gilbert’s vision and showcase the look of these designers with the style, class and energy they deserve.”

For Mr. Wieland, a senior stylist at Scott Miller, he was on Bumble and bumble’s team for the second time at Fashion Week in New York City.  Getting to this point was not easy.  Just a few hundred stylists in the country even qualified for Bumble and bumble’s rigorous selection process. Out of that pool of talent, just 40 people made it to the final testing round which challenged both their styling know-how and their creativity.  From there, only 12 stylists were selected to work Fashion Week alongside some of the world’s top editorial stylists, including Mandy Coon, Ruffian and Simon Spurr.

“My first experience at Fashion Week in New York City with Bumble and bumble this past fall was amazing,” said Mr. Wieland.   ‘”Being chosen again for this February’s Fashion Week was not a given – it’s a stylist’s dream.  I am so honored.”

Scott Miller at the Rodarte Show

Scott Miller has earned an international reputation as a leader in the industry, shaping styling trends as well as creating business models that work.  For the last two years, Mr. Miller worked alongside the “stylist to the stars,” Oribe, on seven of Giorgio Armani’s shows at Fashion Weeks in Paris and Milan.  He’s also been on Oribe’s teams during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that aired on CBS 2009 and on a Vogue photo shoot the same year.

Scott Miller at the Rodarte show

Scott Miller’s two locations in Upstate New York carry exclusive brands such as Jo Malone, Kérastase, Smashbox, Oribe, Bumble and bumble, NARS, Bobbi Brown and many others.  The leaders of major brands in the industry visit Scott Miller regularly to learn how he showcases not only their brands but how he successfully makes luxury products and experiences accessible to a broad range of consumers.  The salon is also the recipient of the 2008 Global Salon Business Award for Leadership, a major award acknowledging the salon’s business acumen.

Don Boice

Don Boice, LCSW-R, is a counselor specializing in gender communications and couples counseling who was just published in the February issue of Rochester Healthy Living magazine.  His article is entitled “Relationship Resolutions.”  An excerpt follows.  For the full article, visit the RHL Web site.  For more on Don and his counseling services, visit www.boicecounseling.com.

With the new year here, what about making a resolution to improve your relationship with your spouse/partner?  Even those relationships that are going well can benefit from better communication, expressing appreciation, acceptance and improving the way you deal with conflicts.

Better communication
There are three basic tools to sharpen to help improve communication:

• Make more “I” statements:  When you declare that your partner “ did something” to you or when you say “You make me crazy” or “You never…,” you put our partner on the defensive.  Instead, use phrases such as “I feel…when you…”
• Ask for clarification:  Make sure you understand what your partner is saying. John Gottman, PhD., a noted psychologist, has found that arguing decreases by 50 percent when people confirm they are getting the right message.
• Validate:  This is especially important for men to do for women. It means you hear the perspective of your partner and understand it, even if you do not agree. Some of my male clients actually program reminders into their smart phones, so they remember to regularly affirm their partners.

Gary Lewis & the Playboys now

Tickets are $30 per person. Guests will enjoy light fare, desserts and a cash bar along with a silent and live auction – all in an intimate lounge-style setting. Steve Grills and the Roadmasters, a local blues group, will open for Gary Lewis & the Playboys.

An optional pre-event dinner at the Rabbit Room in Honeoye Falls will also be held. Beginning at 5 p.m., it will include an elegant multi-course gourmet experience as well as an opportunity to meet Mr. Lewis before the event.  The Rabbit Room dinner costs $125 per person and includes the Mendon Golf Club event.

Tickets are available at the Mendon Public Library, the Honeoye Falls Market Place, the Mendon Market Place and Colonial Liquors in Honeoye Falls.  They can also be ordered online at www.mendonlibrary.org.

“We are thrilled that Gary Lewis will be part of this event,” said Deric West, owner of the Honeoye Falls and Mendon Market Place grocery stores and chair of the community phase of the library’s “Heart of our Town” capital campaign. “As an area resident, his support – and the support of the rest of the community – will help us finish what we started: building a multi-functional library that best serves all of our community’s needs.”

The original Gary Lewis & the Playboys (1964)

Gary Lewis & the Playboys will perform such hits as “This Diamond Ring,” “Sure Gonna Miss Her,” “Count Me In” and more.  An artist with eight gold hits and four gold albums, Mr. Lewis is also the son of comedian Jerry Lewis.  He moved to the Mendon area in 2006. Because of the continuing interest in oldies music, Gary Lewis & the Playboys continue to delight audiences nationwide.  For more, visit www.garylewisandtheplayboys.com.

“I’m happy to support this event and hope the community comes out in droves,” said Mr. Lewis. “All who come will have a phenomenal time doing something good for the community.”

The Mendon Public Library completed Phase 1 of its construction in June when it opened its new building on Main St. in Honeoye Falls.  At 7,300 sq. feet, the new library includes a two-sided fireplace, two study rooms, and just enough space for its 48,000-item collection.  It is also handicap accessible.

Phase II of the library project includes renovating the historic 1936 library and 1974 addition that are adjacent to the new building.  Dollars raised through this event and the Friends of the Mendon Public Library’s overall “Heart of our Town” capital campaign will help finish funding the new building that opened in June, plus support the planned renovation. Phase II includes building a connection hall between both buildings and creating a children’s room, a teen area and a community meeting room in the renovated space. To date, the library has raised about $300,000 toward its private goal of $1 million to complete the entire project.

A cornerstone of the Mendon community since 1936, Mendon Public Library offers patrons over 48,000 items in its own collection and access to over one million items in the Monroe County Library System. Non-print materials include audio books in multiple formats, including CDs and mp3s, and free downloadable books. Visit www.mendonlibrary.org or call 585.624.6067 for more information. See also www.mendonlibrary.wordpress.com.

CALENDAR INFORMATION:
Gary Lewis & the Playboys to Perform a Benefit Concert for the Mendon Public Library

WHAT: 
Fund-raiser for the Mendon Public Library featuring a silent and live auction, an opening performance by local blues musician Steve Grills and the Roadmasters, and a feature performance by Gary Lewis & the Playboys.  Optional pre-event dinner at the Rabbit Room with an opportunity to meet Gary Lewis.

WHEN/WHERE:
Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012:
5 p.m.: Dinner at the Rabbit Room, 61 N. Main St., Honeoye Falls, 14472
8 p.m.: Auctions and performances, Mendon Golf Club, 226 Mendon Ionia Road, Mendon, 14506

TICKETS/COSTS:
$30 per person for the Mendon Golf Club event.  Attend dinner at the Rabbit Room and the Mendon Golf Club event for $125 per person.  Tickets are available at the Mendon Public Library, the Honeoye Falls Market Place, the Mendon Market Place and Colonial Liquors in Honeoye Falls.  They can also be ordered online at www.mendonlibrary.org.

MORE:
For more information, visit www.mendonlibrary.org or call 585.624.6067. See also www.mendonlibrary.wordpress.com.

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Ron Piccirillo, a Rochester, NY-based graphic designer and painter, has made new discoveries regarding the Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work, the Mona Lisa, including her identity as well as finding new hidden images in the painting. In addition, Piccirillo has identified new hidden subjects in other Renaissance art, including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.  He has also identified a passage in Leonardo’s notebooks that provides a key to viewing these works of art.

“After studying images of the Mona Lisa, I discovered several hidden subjects in the painting.  Excited and curious about what I saw, I began to pore over Leonardo’s paintings, his writings and the work of other Renaissance artists to look for other hidden subjects,” said Piccirillo.

“I then came upon several specific passages in Leonardo’s notebooks.  I was dumbfounded to see that  Leonardo’s own words validated what I saw,” continues Piccirillo.  “One passage speaks directly to the Mona Lisa and shows that this may not be a painting of a particular person but of a human trait: Envy.”

“Another passage articulates how to properly view his and other Renaissance paintings, thus helping to uncover hidden images no one has seen before,” he adds. “Yet another passage names specific animals that can be found in the Mona Lisa. It is beyond coincidence to have identified these hidden images after finding references to them in Leonardo’s own writings.”

“This is really about viewing perspective.  Imagine standing in front of an oval line drawing.  It is obviously an oval, but if you view it from the left or right, at a large enough angle, the oval turns into a circle,” Piccirillo continued.  “This is the key to understanding how Leonardo and many other Renaissance artists hid subjects in their artwork. If you know to look for them, they are there.”

“Some might argue that if you look at a cloud long enough, for example, you can see all kinds of objects,” he said.  “But in the Mona Lisa and other instances, there are too many coincidences to be ignored.”

How to View Renaissance Art
“In Leonardo’s notebooks, he talked about how you will not understand the picture well if you do not look at the painting from the correct angle,” said Piccirillo.  The specific passage on how to view Renaissance art reads:

“Supposing a b to be the picture and d to be the light, I say that if you place yourself between c and e you will not understand the picture well and particularly if it is done in oils, or still more if it is varnished, because it will be lustrous and somewhat of the nature of a mirror. And for this reason the nearer you go towards the point c, the less you will see, because the rays of light falling from the window on the picture are reflected to that point. But if you place yourself between e and d you will get a good view of it, and the more so as you approach the point d, because that spot is least exposed to these reflected rays of light.” [1]

“So, observing these Renaissance paintings from what I call the ‘d-point’ is essential,” added Piccirillo.  “In doing so, one can identify what Leonardo and his contemporaries intended to be there – optical illusions that reveal their hidden subjects.  Perhaps through this viewing technique we can learn more about these artists and what they were trying to say through their art. The majority of my findings are based on viewing from this perspective.”

Mona Lisa’s Identity
Up until now, the belief has been that Leonardo never mentioned Mona Lisa in any of his writings.  Piccirillo believes the Mona Lisa to represent Envy.  The specific passage in Leonardo’s notebooks that Piccirillo found that describes the Mona Lisa reads:

“Envy must be represented with a contemptuous motion of the hand towards heaven, because if she could she would use her strength against God; make her with her face covered by a mask of fair seeming; show her as wounded in the eye by a palm branch and by an olive-branch, and wounded in the ear by laurel and myrtle, to signify that victory and truth are odious to her. Many thunderbolts should proceed from her to signify her evil speaking. Let her be lean and haggard because she is in perpetual torment. Make her heart gnawed by a swelling serpent, and make her with a quiver with tongues serving as arrows, because she often offends with it. Give her a leopard’s skin, because this creature kills the lion out of envy and by deceit. Give her too a vase in her hand full of flowers and scorpions and toads and other venomous creatures; make her ride upon death, because Envy, never dying, never tires of ruling. Make her bridle, and load her with divers kinds of arms because all her weapons are deadly.” [2]

Piccirillo breaks down the passage here:  (He has broken down the passage line by line in document that can be found on his Web site.)

Leonardo wrote: “Envy must be represented with a contemptuous motion of the hand towards heaven, because if she could she would use her strength against God.”
Piccirillo comments: “The bending of her right wrist always seemed awkward to me. To me it would be more natural to bend at the knuckles. It seems as if she is raising her hand towards something – most likely, God. Interestingly, if one observes the painting at the ‘d point,’ her hand does indeed seem to break at the knuckles instead of the wrist.”

Leonardo wrote: “Make her heart gnawed by a swelling serpent.”
Piccirillo comments: “This is my favorite sentence in the passage because it translates so clearly in the painting. From the ‘d point,’ one can clearly see the head of a reptile – perhaps a serpent, an alligator or a crocodile – behind her.  Its open mouth lines up perfectly with Mona Lisa’s heart, which can be seen subtly by following the shape of the highlights in the center of her chest.”

“Although the Mona Lisa could possibly be an actual person, in my mind, Leonardo clearly intended to personify the trait of Envy.  Perhaps he meant to only paint Envy or perhaps he intended on painting a person and painting the elements that are in accord with his definition of Envy,” added Piccirillo.  “This is certainly something for conversation.”

Mona Lisa’s Smile
“Art historians, painters and lay people alike all refer to her ‘enigmatic smile,’ really a mystery to be solved,” said Piccirillo.  “By applying the viewing technique as described by Leonardo himself – viewing her from the ‘d-point’ – allows her to reveal her intended smile. From this perspective, she also looks thinner, younger and more womanly.”

Mona Lisa Landscape
Before discovering what he believes to be the Mona Lisa’s identity (Envy), Piccirillo had discovered a mule head, lion head, ape head and buffalo head in the painting, viewing them from the normal frontal view, which prompted him to research his findings and led him to Leonardo’s notebooks.

Interestingly, all of these are referenced in the following passage from Leonardo’s notebooks:

“Man. The description of man, which includes that of such creatures as are of almost the same species, as Apes, Monkeys and the like, which are many.
The Lion and its kindred, as Panthers. Wildcats, Tigers, Leopards, Wolfs, Lynxes, Spanish cats, common cats and the like.
The Horse and its kindred, as Mule, Ass and the like, with incisor teeth above and below.
The Bull and its allies with horns and without upper incisors as the Buffalo, Stag Fallow Deer, Wild Goat, Swine, Goat, wild Goats, Muskdeers, Chamois, Giraffe.”[3]

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel
Piccirillo also makes the following unique observations and discoveries in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, identifying hidden monsters, figures and creatures in the painting from the “d point,” of which there are many because there are so many compositions and panels on the ceiling.

“On the ceiling of the chapel, there are 12 main figures seated around the perimeter of the painting. Each figure has its own ‘d-point,’ which is located from the closest wall looking inward towards the ceiling. Each profile is really an illusion.  From the correct perspective, one can see a head profile looking away from the viewer and upon the panels located in the center of the ceiling. Each profile is a different character or creature.  Some are more difficult to see than others.

“The easiest illusion to see takes place in The Cumean Sibyl panel overlooking the God creates Eve panel. From the ‘d point,’ the profile appears to be a monster of some sort with a bandaged up nose, smirking as a villain might. Each pair of Putti (the smaller stone characters that seem to be holding up the structure panels) seems to transform into hands from the ‘d point’s’ illusion. So it looks altogether as if the profiles are leaning over a ledge and looking ‘down’ into the scenes painted along the center of the ceiling.

“Other profiles around the perimeter include two knights, an old bearded man, a horse head, a hooded old man, and other characters.  There also seems to be an elephant head in the panel entitled The Fall and Expulsion from Garden of Eden.

“I can’t say why Michelangelo did this, but it is clear that there are hidden subjects throughout the ceiling.”

Revealing the Hidden Subjects in Renaissance Art:
Hidden subjects in Renaissance paintings have been noted throughout time. Just recently, art restorers discovered a figure of a devil hidden in the clouds of one of the most famous frescos by Giotto in the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi. “There is no disputing the fact that Renaissance artists and artists throughout time have hidden objects, people and animals in their paintings,” concluded Piccirillo.

Piccirillo’s findings are new, though.  In addition to what’s been outlined, Piccirillo has made many other discoveries of horse heads in the Mona Lisa, in Leonardo’s other paintings and in the work of Michelangelo and Raphael (horses were a known fascination of Leonardo’s) – again using the technique of looking at the paintings from the “d-point.”  Piccirillo has also discovered that if you turn an image of the Mona Lisa upside down, the painting looks like a question mark, something he noticed early on that propelled his initial search to learn more about Leonardo’s work.

About Ron Piccirillo:
Piccirillo lives in Rochester, NY and has worked as a graphic designer for nearly the last 20 years.  He studied graphic design at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He has dedicated the last year of his life to painting, honing his craft and studying techniques of the masters associated with the periods in art about which he is most interested.  These masters include Leonardo, Michelangelo, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Monet.  For more information on him and his findings, visit www.thehiddenhorsehead.com.

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Hand-crafted pottery, wooden furniture and turnings, woven items, hand-made clothing from all natural fibers, folk toys, handmade art glass jewelry, imported vintage and contemporary Middle Eastern rugs and books for all ages will be for sale.  Admission is $2 per person or free with an invitation which can be downloaded and printed out at www.folkartguild.org.

Folk Art Guild Potter Sachiko Gillan applies a careful brush stroke, glazing a leaf tile.

During this half century, countless people have enjoyed the Rochester Folk Art Guild’s functional and decorative work.  Many of those people have also learned to make useful crafts in their experiences of working in the Guild’s Middlesex-based studios.  Today, seasoned craftspeople continue to share their knowledge of process, working alongside younger apprentices.

To mark this milestone, Guild members have collected examples of early craft and will present them alongside their recent work.  A photographic and descriptive display of the origins of the craft shops will be mounted next to views and text about the Guild today.

Here are some highlights of the upcoming show:

• The Guild’s Natural Fiber Clothing Design studio has designed an array of items, from wraps made from wools and silks to kimono jackets, swing-style coats and more, each one made unique by the addition of textiles from around the world and vintage beads and buttons. The studio also offers scarves, pins and wrist warmers made of “upcycled” wool that had a previous life as sweaters, skirts, jackets and remnants of past projects.
• In anticipation of winter, the Guild’s weavers have produced wool ponchos, colorful shawls, scarves, and hats.  Much of the wool has been dyed naturally drawing on colors of season.
• The Guild’s Pottery Shop has been drawing on motifs from nature in form and decoration.  Its functional vases, plates and tiles show various birds, including the red-breasted nuthatch, warblers, and rare Hawaii amakihi.  From the plant kingdom come sunflower cut bowls, small tree trays done in brushwork, and much leaf work: pitchers, mugs and bowls now with blue slip as well as celadon.
  Guild woodworkers have produced cherry natural-edged benches and coffee tables with beautiful slabs from the Allegheny Forest. Seasoned and upcoming turners alike have been producing bowls, platters and plates. Cutting boards are also available, which make great gifts.  There are thin hardwood ones for serving, and thicker ones for chopping.  Hardwood rolling pins, offered by the Woodshop apprentices, make pie baking a joy.
• The Guild’s sought-after traditional wooden folk toys will also be available.  The Daruma Otoshi originates in Japan, while the “knucklebuster”and the Mr. and Mrs. Flip hail from Latin roots.
• In addition to crafts, the Guild will once again present an array of books, including a variety of children’s books, as well as myriad books on spirituality, art, and of course, cooking.
• Those seeking a gift to adorn a loved one can select a necklace made with cut glass beads, in the display of art glass jewelry.  The Guild always has some special surprises and even CDs of the music of Guild musicians.

For more information about the Guild and a calendar of events, workshops, and classes, please visit www.folkartguild.org or call 585-554-3539.

 A not-for-profit arts community and educational institution, the Guild began its work in crafts more than 50 years ago.  Located on a 350-acre farm in New York’s Finger Lakes Region, the Guild has grown to receive worldwide recognition for its handcrafts which have found their place in museums, private collections, shops, and galleries through the United States and abroad. 

The Guild also offers workshops for adults and conducts educational outreach programs for children.  Its Apprenticeship Program is designed for young people who are searching for a practical, hands-on approach to learning and living.  Working alongside experienced master craftspeople, apprentices learn proficiency in a craft and how to live alongside others in a community setting.

For the past three years, the Guild has offered a June Craft Weekend for all ages and this season has launched its own Community Supported Agricultural program or CSA.  For more information, visit www.folkartguild.org or call 585-554-3539.

For photos I took at the event, visit Flickr:  http://flic.kr/ps/24EbcD

Cyndi Weis of breathe

For four years, breathe has aligned with Off the Mat, Into the World (OTM)’s annual Seva Challenge. Led by celebrated yoga instructor Seane Corne, OTM is a not-for-profit organization that challenges the national yoga community to raise funds for global needs.  Those who raise $20,000 for each year’s project are invited to join OTM on a humanitarian trip to the benefitting country.  “Seva” means “service.”

To date, breathe has raised more than $60,000 for OTM’s humanitarian programs in Cambodia, Uganda and South Africa and has committed an additional $20,000 for Haiti.  Once breathe meets its OTM goal each year, it then focuses its efforts locally, resulting in more than $20,000 being raised for local charities, including the Sojourner House, the Bivona Child Advocacy Center, the Catholic Family Center and Bush Mango Drum & Dance, among others.

The Nov. 12th event  gave participants a sneak peak at breathe’s newest location: the breathe downtown annex (which just opened to the public today).  Located at 930 East Ave. on the first floor of the Hutchison House (next to the George Eastman House), the space is a perfect combination of the historic and the hip and features a VERY large yoga room, a small boutique and so much more.

Abby Weis of breathe

It was a great night!

For more on breathe, visit www.breatheyoga.com.