The artists and writers selected as ArtAscent Gold from ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal issues.

Emily Raisin

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Faces

The face before me was engaging, intriguing and completely imperfect. I’d seen it before in all its crooked glory. I’d seen it thousands of times.
 And so have you.
Its eyes like a refracting kaleidoscope had colours that were ever changing. In some lights they burned intensely…

In literature, the idea of portrait became a rather vague concept denoting a whole range of things: from full-length biographies to vivid, brief descriptions of one’s appearance that delineate his or her character. A young British writer Emily Raisin refers to the latter’s variant, trying to compete with painting in creating bright mental imagery.

Emily Raisin is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent “Portraits” call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Portraits” issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Haunting call for artists

Aleksi Moriarty

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ArtAscent Artist of the Haunting call for artists

Fear of ghosts seems to be deeply rooted in our minds on the genetic level. According to statistics, 20 to 30 percent of populations in various countries believe in spectres. Our consciousness always attempts to objectify fear in various forms. This is how the carnival culture emerged – the result of those struggling to fill the vacuum they felt inside when facing the incomprehensible with bustle and trumpery.

Aleksi Moriarty is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Haunting call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Haunting issue.

www.aleksimoriarty.com

P.M. Wrighter

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Living Ghosts

Whispers follow him – the opinions, thoughts and
discernments of others. He cannot escape them,
just as he cannot escape his falsehood; rather,
his undeniably opaque existence – one in which…

Our brain has huge, unbelievable possibilities. Yet, they are still limited due to the specific “mental optic” we all have: the objective reality (if there is any) is dramatically affected by our point of view. As Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “There are no facts, only interpretations.”

P.M. Wrighter is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Haunting call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Haunting issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Violet call for artists

Licca Kirk

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ArtAscent Artist of the Violet call for artists

According to the laws of optics, Violet is a complimentary colour of yellow, which is a symbol of mind and intellect. From that point of view, Violet can be seen as a representation of the depth of unconsciousness – the place where myths, dreams and fairy tales are born. And the world of fantasies and fairy tales is exactly the place where Filipino-American artist Licca Kirk feels herself at home.

Licca Kirk is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent Violet call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Violet issue.

www.komorebisan.com

Mary Kandalian-Aslanian

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A Violet Day

It rained on and off almost all day. Then the sun peeked behind the hills and put on a glorious show painting the evening sky shades of yellow, orange and purple with brazen strokes….

Violet colour prompts us to escape from ordinariness and daily routine, and creates a philosophical mood. It is no coincidence that its tints can be seen regularly in the interiors of different temples and devotional items of the past and modern epoch. For many artists it is a symbol of an insight moment and inspiration.

Mary Kandalian-Aslanian is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Violet call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Violet issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the “Still Life” call for artists

Daniel Mosher Long

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longm_daniel_naturamorta

Despite the obvious, literary, palpable character of its subject matter, still life isn’t as unidimensional as it might seem. This genre touches on the key questions of human existence, which is especially evident in the French variant of the term “nature morte” or “dead nature.”

Daniel Mosher Long is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent “Still Life” call for artists.
To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Still Life” issue.

www.danielmosherlong.com

Don C. Pankievicz

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Polish Eagle

I remember early mornings and the smell of coffee mixed with bacon and cigarettes. I used to eat my cereal at his old Formica table and I was the smallest, so I had to squeeze in and sit with my back against the wall…

The world of things is so ubiquitous in books and therefore shaded, serving primarily as a setting for action. Bringing it into the light isn’t the easiest task, so the theme of this issue was perhaps the most challenging for writers. Nevertheless, some of them, like Don C. Pankievicz, have coped with it brilliantly.

Don C. Pankievicz is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent Still Life call for writers.
To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Still Life issue.

www.facebook.com/don.pankievicz

ArtAscent Artist of the Unknown call for artists

Bin Feng

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ArtAscent Artist of the Unknown call for artists

Distance makes perception clearer – looking at something with a stranger’s eyes can present a new, unexpected perspective. That was proven by Chinese-born photographer Bin Feng, who turned the situation of the language barrier into the prolific instrument of his creative research.

Bin Feng is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent “Unknown” call for artists.

To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Unknown” issue.

www.binand.com

Tamara Cline

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The Passage

Sarah drove on in the quiet dark, hands clasped tightly to the wheel. Normally, she loved driving in these early morning hours. The houses as they slipped past all had an air of being tucked away, like children before Christmas morning. The sky above was a dark, comforting blanket. It lay over the city and in its confines, everything felt like a secret. A private, hidden fraternity in the shared quiet…

Art can be cathartic when words touch the deepest parts of our soul. A short story, “The Passage,” by Tamara Cline caught our eye with its sincere and touching tone. It reminds readers of the perplexing and fragile relationships we all have with our parents while growing up and rushing toward the Unknown.

Tamara Cline is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent “Unknown” call for writers.

To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Unknown” issue.

Fantasy

Marina Jacob

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Fantasy

Not many objects are as seductive as uniquely made, gem embedded adornments made of precious materials. Combining her artistry and fascination with the eternal gems, Marina Jacob creates singular pieces inspirited with history and conjured to stun today. Marina Jacob is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent “Magnificence” call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Magnificence” issue.

Mary M. Kandalian Aslanian

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Colours Of Music

Emerging into an episode in the life of a creative couple the reader cannot remain immune to the true power of the magic of words. Written by Mary Kandalian-Aslanian, a short story entitled “Colours of Music” portrays literature as the sublime art and the solution to all creative urges…

Mary M. Kandalian Aslanian is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent “Magnificence” call for writers.
To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Magnificence” issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Portraits call for artists

Zhanna Martin

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ArtAscent Artist of the Portraits call for artists

The busts Zhanna Martin meticulously carves are wonderful illustrations of familiar feelings everyone goes through at some point, and as they depict specific conditions, the feelings they invoke are frequently much broader. Zhanna Martin is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent “Portraits” call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Portraits” issue.

www.zhannamartin.com

Lynda Green

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Personal Ink

James P. Middling had spent the morning describing in detail the latest villain, the villain his Inspector Taylor would eventually, as always, track down and bring to justice. James liked to fashion the cast of characters, complete with backstories, before embarking on his latest crime thriller…

What if my written word came to life, literally? This question probably enters the mind of every writer on at least one occasion. Meditating on such an idea, Lynda Green penned a short story entitled “Personal Ink,” condensing some of the important issues from the life of a man and the life of a writer in one uncanny short story. Lynda Green is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent “Portraits” call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Portraits” issue.

ArtAscent Artist of the Red call for artists

Renqian Yang

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ArtAscent Artist of the Red call for artists

Wandering along the contours of Chinese society with millions of fellow graduates in 2009, artist Renqian Yang absorbed all the anxieties and demur of being one of “the ant tribe” comrades. The experience has left her profoundly torn between constraints of traditional environment and the liberty she sought after, channeling her creativity toward making a poignant body of work molded from her history, dreams, desires and anguish. Renqian Yang is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent “Red” call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Red” issue.

www.renqianyang.com

Mario Tofano

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Fellow Travelers

A boy 17 revolutions old walked into the public library. It was about midday and he often skipped the last hours of class to read. He had been captured many times by the police for truancy…

In the eponymous short story written by Mario Tofano, the term describes a young teenager with a passionate soul and an overwhelming innate spite for the system, and the invisible leader the boy is inevitably drawn to. Throughout the narrative “Fellow Travelers,” Mario overtly alludes to the revolution by painting the description into symbolic colour. Mario Tofano is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent “Red” call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Red” issue.

Meryl Rachlin

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m.rachlin_pookiepit3

Having shared true, loving friendship with a dog, an Orlando-based artist, Meryl Rachlin, understands how much a pet can mean to its human. The loss of her best friend served as an excruciating inspirational spark, motivating the artist to discover a technique that would change her expression and the concept of her art. Creating pet tributes, Meryl moulds three-dimensional mementos of peoples’ precious little animal darlings, preserving memories of their spirit and the beauty of their devotion. Meryl Rachlin is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent “Pets” call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Pets” issue.

www.ArtThatPops.com

Zach Agnew

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The Empty Bowl

The door swung open to the silence inside, as a man walked in with a weight in his stride. His keys clanked heavily on the table, he slumped over, no longer able. A week had passed and yet the pain remained, at this point he simply felt drained. What could he do, but sit and remember, as he watched the snows of late November. The flakes danced…

In an evocatively entitled short story “The Empty Bowl,” a young writer, Zach Agnew, tells a classic story of friendship, love and loss that was shared between a man and a dog. Absence of the man’s best friend is here in focus, as well as the loss of his truest comrade in the great fight called “life.” Zach Agnew is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent “Pets” call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Pets” issue.

Jim Baab, ArtAscent Gold Artist of the Hidden call for artists

Jim Baab

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Jim Baab, ArtAscent Gold Artist of the Hidden call for artists

Exploring the concept of “The Human Landscape,” Jim Baab conjured a series of photographs employing fantasy in creation of imagined scenes. His black and white photographs are results of experimental practice in which human body assumes an unexpected value by altering the prospect, thus remaining hidden and unrecognizable for what it is. Jim is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent “Hidden” call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Hidden” issue.

www.jimbaab.com

Jesse McMurray

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The Fix

Two minutes ago, I finally found The Fix, my eyes blinking rapidly in small gestures of acuity, opened to the deep of my electric mind. As the barricades are breached, I’m attuned to sights that were unseen, hidden from my gaze before The Fix pierced my thoughts, turned the uncertainty on end. I’ve come to realize the things that I’ve known all along, but couldn’t grasp. Everything has been in increments, staggered…

An introspective construct of Jesse McMurray emerged as a short story after having meditated upon the abstract characteristics encompassed in the idea of “hidden.” “The Fix” arose from the swarming pool of the writer’s thoughts, yearning to untangle some of the most basic, hence the most difficult, inner knots a person can encounter. Jay is the Gold Writer of the ArtAscent “Hidden” call for writers. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Hidden” issue.

www.facebook.com/jessemcmurrayauthor

Jeanne Donegan

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jeannedonegan_robert

Jeanne Donegan presents two coexisting, inseparable concepts of gaze and power in a photographic series. While examining traditionally imposed gender roles, the series focuses on the often disregarded notion of feminine desire. Jeanne is the Gold Artist of the ArtAscent “Desire” call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal “Desire” issue.

www.jeannedonegan.com