Grammy Award-Winning violinist, Miri Ben-Ari, previously invited Talenthouse songwriters to write and record lyrics to a provided track for the chance to receive writer credit and have their song featured on the album. We do realize this announcement is well over-due and apologize for any frustration. But we are happy to announce the selected songwriter! Here is what Miri had to say:

“I had the pleasure of listening to your songs submissions. Thank you for taking the time to make the effort to become a part of my album. As much as I loved some of the performances this contest was about song writing and therefore my goal was to choose a song and not a performance. With that being said, I chose the song “heat wave” written by Sam Murray.

Congratulations Sam and thanks again to all of you!”

Sam is a musician from Clifford, West Yorkshire who loves to create music. To him it is such a joyous gift and being able to spread around a bit of joy by strumming a guitar, singing, pressing some keys or banging a drum!

Sam on being chosen:

“Talenthouse has been a fantastic opportunity for me to promote my songwriting, letting me take on creative invites whereby I can pitch my skills to major artists. I would have never had been able to let an astounding and inspirational musician such as Miri Ben-Ari hear my work without Talenthouse.”

We are beyond thrilled that we were able to be of such positive assistance to Sam! Thanks to the rest of the talented songwriters who participated in this Invite. Great job!

Micah stated in his interview, “it’s important that people realize entrepreneurs are human.“ I agree! It is comforting to see someone so open about decisions he’s made in his life. This helps to create better relationships as it leaves very little room for someone to not trust your word.

Is there anything that you can take away from watching? Let us know!

If you like the video, check out some more of the interview on Tech Crunch.

Way back in April we launched a project with International fashion icon Diane Pernet in search of a fashion film that would be featured at A Shaded View on Fashion Film 2010 during Paris’ annual film festival dedicated to Fashion, Style and Beauty! If that wasn’t exciting in and of itself, superstar fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson came on board as a special guest judge.

Die hard fashionistas and emerging fashion filmmakers were given the task to create a short film around the theme of, what else? Fashion! We received so many outstanding submissions and out of these there were 9 finalists. 2 filmmakers were chosen as the winners — one by Diane and the other Tavi — and they are Anni Yi AKA Youngest Indie and Sarah Culbreth!

“Well, I first heard about this competition on Fashionista.com which led me to join Talenthouse.  When I checked out what it was all about, I thought to myself how awesome and wonderful it is to help creative artists to get a chance to showcase their work and take part in really cool projects and opportunities.  I’m very excited and think it’s such a wonderful site.  Thanks again!” — Youngest Indie

‘Hedi Boys’ by Youngest Indie.

A tribute to the amazing Hedi Slimane and a nod to his great influence on rock and roll style, fashion, photography, and culture. This is a rock video and the playdoh characters are wearing looks from my favorite Dior Homme Spring 2006 collection.

‘Are you also wistful?’ by Sarah Culbreth

Directed by Sarah Culbreth & Chris Cameron. Clothing by Sarah Culbreth. Music by Woset

Congratulations to the both of you on jobs very well done! We’re so excited to watch what happens with your films at the festival!

Thanks again to all who submitted their films to this Invite — we appreciate your hard work and your passion. Keep it up!

Andrew Serna is a multi-talented artist located in San Jose, CA with interests in art, design, fashion and music. He likes to create logos, flyers, posters, cd covers, website banners, paintings, electronic music and he also customizes shoes, bags, and t-shirts.

Louise Rushford was born in Scotland and moved to London to study sculpture at art school. Her postgraduate studies were in Dance/Choreography at Laban Dance School and spent some years with a London-based dance company where she tried to work out how to best merge her passions for dance and sculpture. She finally decided to pursue a career in art and now in Bath, she is able to create interior works of art and design features for beautiful homes based off her inspiration from the city.

Simon Gross is a a music composer from New Zealand who has been composing for over 7 years now. He creates music in all genres including world music, new age, electronic, trance, metal, etc. Some of his influence include Enigma, Era, Toby Emerson, and Darude.

Sadly, the Stan Lee Foundation suffers from a critical Achilles heel: it doesn’t have a logo yet. But don’t worry, true believers, you can help by submitting your logo design directly to Stan Lee thanks to the powers that be at Talenthouse.

>> CLICK HERE <<

For more details and how you can meet Stan Lee at this years New York Comic Con (travel and accommodation included) here: http://www.talenthouse.com/stan-lee-foundation-create-a-logo

This UK fashion duet is in the business of doing both. Alesia Rolik & Jekaterina Vasilega became Vergi in 2007 to create costumes as well as seasonal clothes for both men and women.

Vergi caught our eye at Talenthouse with their breathtaking Florence + the Machine Submission. Did they ever create a stage outfit! The futuristic designs look like could be the envy of fashion icon Lady Gaga.

The fashion duet took some time to answer some questions we were dying to ask:

First off, what inspired you to get into fashion design?
We really like the fashion industry. It is so wide, that it is impossible for the job interest to disappear.

How do you experiment with fabrics, volumes and shapes?
We first use simple fabric just to play with forms and volumes. The we look for fabrics that aren’t typically used in sewing, and transform them into wearable pieces.

Coco Chanel designed clothes for herself, do you?
Of course, we also create clothes for ourselves. One style, one kind of fabric but different cut. We make such costumes that we look together like one piece. You can easily recognize us by our clothes. We adore our brand.

What are your goals and ideals when creating a collection?
We want a woman to always be a woman: she is supposed to wear beautiful, effective and sexy clothes. What some of the youth are wearing nowadays – it’s just awful.

What’s next for you?
Plans for the future: our aim is create costumes for the cinema, theater, advertising, images for celebrities and making all that to express our understanding of fashion.

It is sure refreshing to see two designers making their visions come to light. It’s not everyday you meet designers who can successfully walk the line of costume and everyday wearable pieces, but these two are on to something! Be sure to sure to check out Vergi’s fashion lines on their website www.vergi.co.uk.

She grew up in front of the camera (her mother filmed her entire childhood) and naturally became intrigued by the camera as she saw more often than her mother’s face. By the age of 6 she was directing her mother in short films — she joined her first modeling agency at 7, stayed with it for two years, but left at 9 because she didn’t quite understand it — at 14 she was designing pieces for her clothing line where she received many offers from the public to buy but she got bored with it and stopped — she tried to return to modeling at 15 but immediately ran into the size 0 epidemic, which she fell prey to but quickly smartened up and told them no — finally, at the age of 16, she realized that her career had been in front of her face the entire time: filmmaking!

She dropped out of school to pursue her passions and has never looked back. Throughout the next two years she carved a name for herself through sheer grit, with barely any qualifications. She has filmed news events (competing with the likes of BBC for shots), interviewed British TV comedy duo the Might Boosh on behalf of Myspace, won a Green Thing film competition, and has had her films played a sold out conventions in Los Angeles as well as on the big screen at local cinemas.

1.) What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about your career?
I’ve learned that you have to make your own opportunities. You have to continue to try your hardest not matter how well you think you are doing. And most of all I’ve learned that if you want something bad enough, you can get it. I am a perfect example. I dropped out of school at 15, shunned my exams and just went for my dream. Which so far, appears to be coming wonderfully true.

2.) Which film do you believe to be the one every filmmaker must see?
American Beauty. Some of the lines replay in my head constantly. It really speaks to people on another level; behind what is being said or what’s happening in the scenes, the films meaning just touches you unexplainably.

3.) Do you have a dream project in mind? If so, have you started it?
I am a huge fan of the 90′s tv show Xena: Warrior Princess, I’m a Xena lookalike and a known film maker in the xena community. I began film making through the show. I would make little music videos for youtube, I gathered quite a following and soon turned my attention to my own projects.

Ever since the show ended the fans have been divided and petitioning over getting a movie produced. I always wanted to see one made, but was terrified of someone doing it badly just to make a quick buck.
One day, even if its a small scale cult movie, I plan to revive Xena for one last butt kicking spree.

4.) Re-makes – a new take on the original or a waste of time?
If done right, they can bring a whole new aspect to the originals. Perhaps incorporating technology which was not available at the time. Though I believe too many re makes are made simply to draw in an audience they already know is there, regardless of if the film is any good or not.

5.) What are some of the toughest things to deal with as an artist?
For me, its a constant struggle to keep my passion for film once I’m being paid for it. On my own little projects, that no one cares about, I could work all night. But when its someone elses baby they are paying you to bring to life, you really have to motivate yourself sometimes. Especially when they want something that the creative side of you cringes at. You just have to bite your lip and do the best you can for them.

I don’t know about you, but I am impressed and inspired! Here we have living proof that you can make your dreams come true as long as you’re willing to work hard at what you’re passionate about. This does not mean that I encourage you to drop out of school, however I do encourage you to find success whichever way is best for you! Because that’s the only way you’ll be truly happy

Congrats on all of your success, Kizzy! You have your whole life ahead of you and we all look forward to watching your career take off!

From a very early age Marina Kulich displayed interest in fine arts, especially painting. This interest soon turned into a passion that she focused on after moving to Canada with her family in ’97. During high school she worked hard to improve her portfolio and also worked as an assistant art teacher a few times.

She received a scholarship to Ontario College of Art where she majored in drawing and painting but also fit in photography and film classes as well. Since her schooling she has divided her interest to fit both photography and painting in her life. Both are important artistic outlets for her creative mind!

April Smith and The Great Picture Show are killing it lately! Not only did their song land a spot on the new Colgate Wisps commercial but, I also heard one of their songs while shopping at Forever 21 over the weekend AND, as you may have already heard, their single “Terrible Things” is all over the promotions for the 6th season of Showtime’s hit TV series Weeds! Check out the video above and join us in our excitement – *squeal* !!

Gayle Rappaport-Weiland‘s paintings have been exhibited in galleries and personal exhibitions throughout the western United States and are shown in a variety of galleries located throughout California. She brings the same originality, enthusiasm and heart to her paintings as she does to her life. Using rule-breaking techniques that set her apart from the crowd, she creates her signature work from the soul, using watercolor, acrylic and mixed media. Her qualifications and expertise, as an artist talented artist, teacher, curator, juror are widely recognized and respected.

Some of her awards and recognition include being the cover artist for the Placer County Autumn Art Studio Tour along with being voted Best Visual Artist in the Sacramento News in 2006 and one of the Best Visual Artists in the Sacramento News in 2007. Her art is represented for licensing exclusively through Studio Voltaire.

Mike Harrison is a 25-year-old graphic designer and illustrator from the UK. He’s honed a variety of skills in the fields of graphic design, illustration, motion and photography over the last 6 years or so which turned it from a hobby into a passion.

He is proud to be part of the international modern art collective Depthcore, and a member of the Keystone Design Union.

Warlock and Bradford is a tag-team of musicians who compose original music for film and television.

Movies and music have always been a part of Lance Warlock‘s life so it only seemed natural to integrate the two for a career. Growing up, his father was a stuntman and Lance would always tag along to Walt Disney Studios to watch him in action. At the age of 12, Lance was asked by John Carpenter to be in some scenes for the final cut of “Halloween II” and he couldn’t resist! From there, he had more opportunities to work with his dad on different films as extras and stunt doubles.

Leon Bradford grew up in a diverse musical family, always exposed to different types of music, and began playing the piano at the age of 4. During his music career, he’s played various roles including a composer and music producer for a national children’s educational company, a music director for a radio station, and he also opened his own recording studio where he provided production/recording services for local bands. His greatest passion lies in writing emotional instrumental music.

Having passion for music and film is their main driving force, and their ultimate goal is to get their music heard around the world!

She has showcased 5 time this past summer, the biggest being the African Caribbean Bridal Show in Manchester, UK and the Models of Diversity Fashion Show in London. Jennifer’s plans for the near future are to finish her last year of school where she would love to be featured in the Graduate Fashion Week, begin her own footwear line, an build her very own fashion empire.

We had the pleasure of asking Jennifer some questions about her career and her life, and you can read her interview below!

1.) What advice would you offer to someone else starting out in your field?
I would say be prepared to work your ass off in the beginning and feel like your at a bit of a stand still for a while but eventually it will all pay off and that breakthrough will come! If your good, your good!

2.) Whose current collection do you wish you had designed?
I wish that I had Designed Romina Karamanea’s Autmn Winter 09-10. (It’s last years).

3.) Where do you find your favorite pieces of clothing?
Topshop boutique in Oxford Circus and Notting Hill. I normally look through magazines and find them there, then recreate them!.

4.) What makes someone a style icon?
Somebody who always looks different and has their own look. This is what I call style. Someone who you always have to ask ‘where did you get that?’

5.) What was your first ever job, and how did you get it?
I worked in Waitrose supermarket, my mum brought home the application for me and forced me to fill it in…best thing she could have done for me though lol!

Please take a moment to view more of Jennifer’s creations on her Talenthouse profile! You can also follow her on Twitter for all of the latest on her career!

I’ve been itching to write about inspiration for a while now, as it’s pretty crucial when it comes to creating, but it’s proven to be quite a task. Defining inspiration and it’s origins are difficult enough since each of us find it in various places; Is it spending time with friends? Is it from your favorite book? Is it looking at someone else’s life? Is it music? Is it trying new things? Is it the simple notion of wanting to be a better artist, or singer, or photographer, or producer etc or wanting a better life?

I visit one of my favorite websites, The Daily Motivator,  daily and one of the the topics of the day this week happened to be, can you guess it? Inspiration!

“Let life inspire you. No matter what happens, you can choose to be inspired by it.

If you make a mistake, let it inspire you to be more careful and diligent next time. When you’re having a great time, let it inspire you to create even more positive experiences.

Each time you see kindness, be inspired to pass it forward. If you encounter deception or injustice, feel inspired to raise your world above it.

Anything can inspire you when you choose to let it. You can even be inspired for no reason at all.

Be inspired by the big accomplishments and by the small, simple moments as well. An inspired life is a life that’s rich, and it’s a life you can choose no matter what.

If there’s a reason to be inspired or if there is not, be inspired. Bring your spirit fully to life, and raise your life to a higher, more enriching level.

– Ralph Marston”

I also stumbled upon a blog post by Chase Jarvis in regards to inspiration and creativity – “Is Inspiration Killing Creativity?” There are some great points worth checking out!

Some may say that inspiration comes from within. But what happens when that inspiration runs out? Where, then, do you find it? If this question isn’t easy for you to answer, I suggest taking a break from life’s chaos and figuring it out. It is so important to constantly challenge yourself and try new things. There’s so much waiting for all of us out there… inspiration is bound to come around.

Be sure to check out April Smith and the Great Picture Show on Talenthouse.  And in the words of April herself, “If you don’t have my latest album, you can get it HERE and have your very own make-out fest!”

Zoe Lower is a photographer torn between two worlds – documentary and fashion. She gets something completely different from both of them and enjoys doing all of the make-up and styling for her shoots. The majority of her non-college based work is with an up and coming jewelry company called Out of Peru.

Montana Lowery is an artist in the UK who has had an interest in many areas of photography for many years. She was finally able to decide on pursing fashion photography after studying it in school. She tries to take a separate approach from many other photographers by pushing herself to stretch boundaries to unreached areas. For her photo shoots she likes to plan them out down to the lipstick, lens, and hair product.

Whoowee! DavidJr.com has sure been busy since he won the Rik Cordero Creative Invite almost three months ago. He filmed the latest episode of Deranged Fan, an online musical series created by award winning producer Rik Cordero, titled “They Mostly Come Out At Night”, and was interviewed by KarmaloopTV.

We recently had the opportunity to ask David for some advice to give to the creative community on Talenthouse:

What do you do when you hit a creative road block?
If you hit a road block… can’t write, edit, shoot, etc…. just do something anyway, even if it “sucks” you can always edit it and it might get your adrenaline going to do something great.

If I’m stuck editing I sometimes listen to music WHILE I’m editing a video, even if the video has an audio track to it…. it’ll help push me to focus… kinda like a brain editing enema.

So if you’re stuck don’t just mope around, figure out creative ways to get yourself creating.

What advice can you give to actors?
I’m not an actor but if I were one I’d be doing a new monologue and putting it on the web daily. I know lot’s of actors who are great but they don’t show consistent work anywhere.

What advice can you give to aspiring directors?
If you wanna make films a budget or crew shouldn’t matter….. I’m glad I haven’t had to rely on anyone to make my videos. You just gotta be at the right place at the right time and have your work ready to ROCK.

What advice can you give to the creative community on Talenthouse?
Just put yourself out there and see where the velcro sticks.

DavidJr.com and Rick Codero on KarmaloopTV

What inspired DavidJr.com for this episode?
I figured out, “Well, what mostly comes out at night”? I was thinking maybe vampires and really utilized NYC at night, shooting in a way where it doesn’t look like there’s anyone on the street.

What inspires Rik Cordero?
I know a lot of directors, especially from NYC, like David who are constantly shooting whenever he’s inspired, and that’s what inspires me.

They Mostly Come Out At Night

Directed by DavidJr.com for the Deranged Fan series

JJ Miyaoka Pakola is a talented artist and currently a neighbor to us in the Bay Area! He earned his B.F.A. from Temple University, Tyler School of Art in 1999 and went on to receive his M.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute. He has traveled through over 25 countries and has spent more than three years living in Japan where he studied varying styles of visual communication and their importance to a societies culture. His artwork has been greatly influenced because of unique experiences while living there.

Spiderman. Iron Man. The Fantastic Four. X-Men. Talenthouse. What do those five titles have in common? The legendary comic-book writer and producer himself, Stan Lee!

Stan Lee and The Stan Lee Foundation invite Talenthouse designers to submit their designs for the official logo for the newly formed charity. The logo should clearly represent the Stan Lee Foundation as well as Stan’s dedication to the literary arts. Please keep in mind that your design must NOT include any Marvel characters – please create a design that is original and unique! Now, on to the good stuff:

Chuck Treece is a session musician from Philadelphia, PA who was also a sponsored professional skateboarder from 1982-1990. His greatest credits include starting skate punk band McRad which he still plays in, remixing songs for Amy Grant and Sting, playing bass for Billy Joel, playing drums at a Pearl Jam concert, and touring with Bad Brains. He’s released two albums with McRad in 2001 and 2007 and continues to skate. Make sure you check out his profile for more!

R. Shay Miles is a fashion designer located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California who began her own line, ahr.es.ihm, in September 2009. She’s since participated in two successful fashion shows and is continuously working hard to make a name for herself in the fashion world. Shay finds so much pleasure in designing, especially being able to give creativity and form to dynamic fashion concepts. She aspires to ensure that each customer is ‘recognized’ rather than simply being seen. She’s extremely passionate about her signature designs in contemporary sportswear, ready-to-wear, fashion bridal, and haute couture.

1.) Whose current collection do you wish you had designed?
If I could have designed another designer’s collection, it would be Donna Karen’s Spring 2010 Collection. This collection has ruffles, chiffon, and a gorgeous representation of the well-dressed woman.

2.) Who is your greatest fashion influence?
My greatest fashion influence is more of a time-period: Vintage Hollywood between 1920-1960 is inspiring. It covers Givenchy, Lana Turner, Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford.

3.) If you could have one celebrity/known person wear your design, who would it be?
This was the toughest question, since my designs are always a reflection of someone in mind. But if I could design for one celebrity, it would have to be Tinsley Mortimer. Oprah is my 1.5 choice!

4.) If you were a touring musician, what’s the one thing you would request to have in your backstage area every night?
If I were a touring musician, the one thing I would request to have in my backstage area every night would be 2Pac’s Greatest Hits looping and blasting. 2Pac always makes me feel colossal and ready to run the world.

5.) Which color of umbrella do you like?
Garnet Red. It’s a great contrast color and accessory and will make anyone stand out.

Shay’s Goddess Collection will be featured with other Bay Area designers at the 7th Annual Fashion on the Square tomorrow, August 14th in San Francisco. If you’re in the area, you won’t want to miss it! She’s also participating in Veronica Webb’s search for a fashion designer who will design her a red carpet worthy gown.

Amidst all of her success, she has ambitious plans to present henna designing to a wider audience and take the art form to the next level. With a multi-cultural clientele, Pavan’s creative potential is infinite. Incorporating details like glitter, diamante bindis, and even coloured body paint into her fusion of bespoke designs, she transforms her intricate patterns into breathtaking works of art. It is these unique facets of her work that she will make the most of in order to garner greater exposure for henna design.

1.) Who or what has had the greatest influence on your art?
Fashion has the greatest influence on my art: jewelry, clothes, embroidery all help me with my art and music also sets a good mood.

2.) Which of your artistic achievements are you most proud of?
My Guinness World Record for being the Fastest in my trade

3.) Do you collect anything?
I collect stones and gems to incorporate into my work.

4.) What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about your career?
You have to love what you do in order for it to be any kind of success, if your heart is not in it don’t do it!

5.) How did you hear about Talenthouse?
When I joined twitter one day I just checked out the link and was immediately hooked! I love what Talenthouse is about and its an honor to be a featured artist.

Check out Pavan in action in the video below!

We are very excited to have Pavan as an artist on our website. Not only is she a passionate and talented artist, but she is a huge supporter of doing what you love. And we’re all about that too. If you like what you see, please visit her on Talenthouse and follow her on Twitter!

Fashion photographer Gavin Bond is a respected, in-demand fashion and portrait photographer who has worked with celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Janet Jackson, John Stamos, Katy Perry, Steven Tyler, and Victoria’s Secret super models (Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Ana Beatriz Barros, Gisele Bündchen). He also recently finished touring with Green Day as their personal behind-the-scenes photographer. How awesome is that?!

He is inviting Talenthouse and JPGmag.com photographers to submit a photo that best evokes the theme of his upcoming shoot – passion. His goal is to find a budding photographer who can assist him with lighting and preparation while learning valuable tips from an industry professional.

What will you receive as the chosen photographer?!

• √ travel and accommodations to either Los Angeles or New York
• √ the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade from one of today’s most sought-after photographers
• √ your winning submission will appear on jpgmag.com!

This is so tempting I am thinking about participating, even though I prefer the other side of the lens!  All joking aside, you have until September 9th to submit and we’re looking forward to seeing your submissions – don’t waste any time!

Phantom Hertz Recordings is an electronic music label based in Portland, OR. It’s primary focus is on bass-heavy broken beats of a wide range of tempo, including but not limited to dubstep, drum ‘n bass, breaks and mid-tempo. The music on this label reflects both the region’s deep, dark and brooding atmosphere as well as it’s vibrant life. Like an ever expansive, perpetually growing tree of subsonic shade, this imprint will constantly evolve and push new sounds forward. You will see releases on Phantom Hertz from some of the most respected names in the industry, past present and future. Congrats on being our Featured Artist in Music this week!

One of the world’s most popular fashion wholesale and retail companies, Nine West, has partnered up with us to launch an international call for artists and designers.

They have identified 3 themes for their Spring fashion line: New Military, Living Color, and Under the Sea and are inviting Talenthouse artists and fashion designers to create artwork for this collection. This is open to all mediums of art/design including digital, painterly, illustration, and watercolor.

Three winners will be chosen and their artwork will be put into production by Nine West and featured on products such as rain boots, flip flops, handbag linings, and t-shirts. These products will be sold on www.ninewest.com and at select retail stores. The winning designs will also be showcased on Facebook! So exciting!

We know how difficult it can be to get your foot in the door, so we’re happy that we’re able open doors like this for artists around the world!

You have until October 4th to submit your designs – good luck!

Samantha Shefts always had a passion for art and design. With over 10 years of experience in the creative field, her work focus is in photo art direction and design, concentrating in fashion and beauty. Developing the right team of models, photographers, stylists, hair and makeup and choosing appropriate and exciting locations, enable her to generate an environment where creative minds are allowed to merge. Then taking those images and creating a layout that is both innovative and inviting to the audience.

Hanski Goldenstein is a film artist formally educated in Folklore and Religious studies from Memorial University. She believes that subversion through performance/art is the central theme to a growing body of work that validates existence despite assumed norms often used to qualify said existence. Which basically means she could care less about anybody’s preconceived notions on what her work should be like.

Luke Woodford is a talented 24-year-old professional Photographer based in the South East of England. He has a creative mind and is one of many who doesn’t like working for anybody else which makes photography a perfect fit for him! He enjoys shooting weddings, portraits and commercial campaigns. He is also very interested in street and urban photography. Every spare chance he has he is out taking photos of something or someone. Be sure to check out more of his photography on Talenthouse!

http://www.talenthouse.com/carolynhulbert

Carolyn Hulbert eceived her BFA in Printmaking from Montserrat College of Art, focusing primarily of etching and silkscreen. The content of her work embodies ancient beliefs, using information and symbolism to arouse the unconscious. She has participated in many exhibitions as well as having two solo shows in the past year.

http://www.talenthouse.com/justinmaller

Justin Maller is a freelance illustrator and art director based in Melbourne, Australia. He has been creating digital art for over eight years, and has produced professionally in both a private and studio based capacity for the last three.

http://www.talenthouse.com/osmrecordings

1.) What is the first album you ever bought (and will admit to)?
The first album I ever owned was given to me. It was Depeche Mode’s “Black Celebration”. Still one of my favorites. The first I can remember ever buying was The Fat Boys’ “Fat Boys are Back”. That makes me laugh. It’s a good album, they had something going.

2.) What advice would you offer to someone else starting out in your field?
Be your own “worst critic” but never feel you have a product that people won’t want. Experiment and Collaborate; You would be amazed at the possibilities your imagination can hide from you until you apply these concepts. Realize creativity can be forced only so much, and if forced too much, it can lead to frustration and decrease in productivity. So, if you’re not feeling it, don’t force it but if you are, run with it like your life depends on it! And above all else, try to have awareness without thought, and perception without judgment. With those to principles clarity reigns supreme in all your actions.

3.) What is one song you secretly like that your friends would be surprised to know?
Probably, Regina Spektor’s “Eet” or Florence + The Machine’s “You’ve Got the Love”. Don’t judge me.

4.) If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be, and what would be the nature of the project?
Joint Effort is founded on collaboration, it’s our driving principle. Our motto since the beginning has always been “Superior Music through Collective Consciousness”. We love collaborating with people who’s primary musical outlet has nothing to do with, or has never explored, the electronic music realm. The finished product is a blend of funky yet refined beats and licks in which all musicians involved, are more than satisfied with.

5.) Which super power do you like to have and why?
I would love to be able to have the power to pick up any instrument and be able to play it proficiently enough to convey my emotions during a recording session or live to an audience. Why would any musician not want that ability?!

ShitGetsDeepAt2 (ThinkingOfYouRemix) by opiumscentmusic

UnderTheInfluence Rework FeatMissLexie by opiumscentmusic

ForgiveMeForMyCins by opiumscentmusic

Congratulations to Steve and Chris on being our Featured Artists in Music for the week! Keep it up, guys!

“In a sense Signature Illustration has developed my passion and harnessed a deeper knowledge the illustration/art scene.”

Sascha is a huge supporter of blogging and recommends it to anyone. He firmly believes all it takes is being passionate about your topic(s) and speaking about what you already may know. By blogging you will increase your depth of knowledge which in turn will increase your passion for it. For Sascha, blogging is more about exploration and being able to share what he finds and then in turn people share their ideas and knowledge about that topic.

For his website, he gathers content from dozens of RSS feeds, illustration publications, and posting some of the brilliant artwork that is sent his way. If you’d like to learn more about the Signature Illustration Blog or would like to have your work featured, either visit his website or support him on Facebook and Twitter! Thanks for supporting us, Sascha!

http://www.talenthouse.com/belindazollomakeup

Our Featured Artist in Fashion this week, Belinda Zollo, is a make-up artists, stylist, creative director, and mentor who has travelled all over the world perfecting her craft. She began her career in a successful beauty salon and soon discovered a creative flair for make-up. Many admire her for her ability to create fresh, beautiful looks. As the makeup director for Australian Melbourne Fashion Festival over a 5 year period, Belinda showcased her skills in design, leadership and team management. She has since had the privilege of working with the best in the industry for New York, Milan and London Fashion weeks.

Her work is regularly featured in global magazines and advertising campaigns such as InStyle, Vanity Fair, Spanish Harpers, Loreal and Benefit Cosmetics to name a few.

http://www.talenthouse.com/joshuabornstein

Joshua Bornstein is a native of Pennsylvania but moved out to California during high school. He fell in love with dance a few years ago and became a hip hop choreographer in Los Angeles. One of his biggest hopes is that he is able to inspire people through dance to do extraordinary things with their own passion.

Scott Borrero is our Featured Artist in Photography this week. He enjoys creating the ‘perfect’ image through the combination of camera and photoshop, which is why he calls himself a photographer first and photo-editor second. He enjoys beauty, fashion, and editorial photography but is always open to expand into other genres of the trade. One of the things he likes most about his career is collaborating with a group from styling to make-up to lighting. To him, it all makes a difference.

Ben Powis is a UK based illustrator, comics artist and self publisher. He loves to create illustrations and sequential stories. Some of his main influences include pen and ink illustrators Edward Gorey and Arthur Rackham as well as European comic art.

http://www.talenthouse.com/racerlevan

Racer LeVan is a painter who attended the Art Institute of Chicago, where he thrived explosively for those four short years. He currently lives in Chicago creating as much as possible and taking every possible exhibition opportunity with gratitude and excitement.

Congratulations to both of these artists on being featured this week!

http://www.talenthouse.com/adambrioza

Adam Brioza has been a musician pretty much his whole life, starting piano lessons at age 4, teaching himself guitar at age 7 and bass guitar at 12. His passion for music has resonated loud and clear with the last few projects he has been in. He spent 5 years touring around the US, Mexico and Canada. He has recorded 3 full length albums, 7+ E.P.’s and around 40 demos, and his music has been heard and sold around the world.

After a 2 year writing hiatus, Adam is embarking on his new project “Abe Ross and the Selection” (Working Title) to be introduced to the world early 2011. Congratulations on being our Featured Musician this week

http://www.talenthouse.com/just4hanna

Hanna Balcerak is our Featured Artist in Fashion this week and is studying fashion design in Berlin. She is currently developing her skills in industrial knitting which is her greatest passion. She has won several art and design awards and has had her work showcased in various exhibitions. Congrats, Hanna!

http://www.talenthouse.com/vmarion07

Feartured Film Artist, V Ken Marion, is a storyboard artist and illustrator in the film and animation industry who earned a BFA in Digital Arts from Pratt Institute. He is also pursuing sequential storytelling and editorial illustration. He likes using various traditional and digital mediums to create and tell stories and is always looking to push the “wow” factor.

Have you ever wanted to see your photograph on the cover a globally released CD?.. Well now is your chance.

Electric Violin prodigy, Caitlin Moe, has recently exploded on the music scene and has teamed up with us to provide a fantastic opportunity for all of our talented photographers out there in Talenthouse land. Caitlin is looking for a photographer to shoot the cover for her soon to be globally released album. She’s looking for a photo that is mysterious and dramatic like her songs as well as fun and loud like her personality. It should also push the boundaries, like her violin playing.

This Creative Invite is open to all photographers and we ask that you submit two of your best artistic shots that encompass the mysterious, dramatic and fun qualities that Caitlin is looking for.

You better hurry, there are only 10 days left to submit! Good luck!

http://www.talenthouse.com/safinest3

Featured Photographer, Drew Cox, was born and raised in South Africa, where he developed a natural interest and passion for image making and story telling. He works as a freelance photographer and video director. He’s created work for numerous clients that include Coca Cola, Ignite TV, Nike, and Puma.

Fewdio be premiering ‘Firsts‘ at their Comic-Con booth (#4116) this week on July 22nd through July 25th. So if you’re attending, make sure to check it out! They will also share it on their Internet sites shortly afterward. You can check out some more stills and learn more about the script at DeadCentral.com!

Congratulations Ashley! We can’t wait to view the film!

http://www.talenthouse.com/robertolsen

Featured Artist, Robert Olsen, mostly paints in oils, draws, and makes watercolors. He received his BFA from the California College of the Arts and his MFA from the University of California in Los Angeles where he currently resides.

http://www.talenthouse.com/baographics32

Bao Ly was motivated to begin painting again after last Christmas, when a friend bought her a basket of brushes and paint. Since then she hasn’t been able to set the paintbrush down and would love to be able to paint for a living for the rest of her life. Her paintings represent emotional feelings through the expressions of colors and textures. To Bao, great art is that which offers an experience than goes deeper than intellect.

We’re proud to have the beautiful piece of art above hanging in our offices!

http://www.talenthouse.com/ketebowers

Kete Bowers is a singer/songwriter born in Liverpool. His musical roots began at a young age when he would spend his weekends with his Grandmother who would play records for him by the likes of Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis. He went on to teach himself to play guitar. If you like what you hear, you can find his first album, “Road,” is currently available on iTunes and CD Baby!

Congratulations on being our Featured Musician this week

Introducing Dunder B. Louie! Isn’t he adorable?! Our graphic designer, Byron, picked up this handsome little guy on Wednesday at 8 weeks old. We’re all very excited to meet him, congratulations Byron! You know you are already giving in to that cute face of his!

http://www.talenthouse.com/kyrre

Our Featured Artist in Fashion this week is Kyrre Wangen, a fashion photographer based out of Norway who frequently travels to London to find inspiration and work on photo shoots. He’s influenced by films, music, art, people, Travels Francis Bacon, Iriving Penn, MGMT, and The Doors.

Alessandro Di Renzo is our Featured Artist in Film this week. He is an editor, director, and writer who enjoys developing ideas for art installations, commercials, music videos, and short films. He was living and working in Barcelona for 5 years as a casting director and editor, moved on to London in 2008, and is now working on some collaborations in Italy.

http://www.talenthouse.com/phottog

Our Featured Photographer, David Troyan, shoots high resolution digital images for print projects, commercial advertising accounts, model portfolios, magazine layouts, family and individual portraits for corporate America and private personal clients. The work he creates displays an admiration from within that shares his feeling and concept for beauty. Great work, David!

In this Creative Invite hosted by LuckyMag.com, Florence Welch, lead singer of Florence + the Machine, invites Talenthouse fashion designers to design a stage outfit for her. The winning design will be worn by Florence at a performance at Terminal 5 in New York!

Deadline for submissions is Oct. 4, 2010 with voting taking place Oct. 5-8, 2010. The selected designer will be announced Oct. 14, 2010. The submissions will be judged by Florence, her stylist Aldene Johnson, and Lucky Magazine’s Creative Director Andrea Linett. And there are plenty of rewards to go around:

- The winning designer will receive $500 in cash, transportation to New York, a 2-nights’ accommodation at Soho House NY and will also meet Florence and the band backstage.
- The People’s Choice winner (top vote-getter) will receive a special edition jewel box designed by Florence and Faye Sawyer. This jewel box will contain the band’s new album Lungs, and an envelope with hand-drawn artwork by Florence containing a personal handwritten letter.
- The top 10 runners-up will each receive a signed copy of Florence + the Machine’s new album, Lungs.
- The top 5 ‘judges choice’ designers, will be mentioned on Luckymag.com.

So exciting, right?! To learn more about Florence + the Machine and find inspiration for your design, please visit http://florenceandthemachine.net/

Good luck and happy designing!

http://www.talenthouse.com/warholbot

Our second Featured Artist of the day, Jacob Livengood, is a graphic designer and freelance illustrator living in sunny San Diego, CA. He is heavily influenced by 80s and 90s cartoons as he tries to capture that fluid, bright animation on canvas through his own techniques. He says that painting has unlocked a whole new world for him… as he puts it, “if painting were a person I would kiss it.”

Jacob has been featured on websites like Behance, Coroflot, Juxtapoz, and now Talenthouse! These features are what drives him and pushes him as an artist every day. Jacob’s biggest achievement thus far has been designing a recycling bin for the Coachella Music Festival, which you can check out on his artist profile!

We encourage you to have a look at Jacob’s artwork on Talenthouse and hope you enjoy it just as much as we do!