Butterflies in Knots a Short story Inspired by http://exclusive-canvas-art.pixels.com/featured/blue-butterfly-in-charcoal-and-vibrant-aqua-paint-mendyz-.html

This Butterflies in Knots short story was inspired by painting by the artist MendyZ. Click to look at the painting.

This Butterflies in Knots short story was inspired by the blue butterfly in charcoal and vibrant aqua painting by the artist MendyZ.

The beautiful painting is available as prints in all sorts of ways that can match your decor.

But it also is available for print on some pretty cool functional products.

Pillows
battery packs for your phone
shower curtains ...

Butterflies in Knots

The blue butterfly fluttered around my finger like a house in a tornado. The beautiful blue shimmered in the sun, shining a beautiful pale blue light on my finger as the skin was lit by the golden orb in the sky. I stared up with fluttering eyes, looking as the little creature fluttered around my finger gently. I felt the pain sink away from my head. A dull sensation dared lick the nerve endings in the front of my head with a kind of wonderful fire that made me giggle slightly. I relaxed, feeling this sensation wash over me. I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the warm feeling wash over my entire body. As I rested my back on the carpet, touching the back of my head to the furry carpet, I felt at peace with the world. It felt as if a smile was eternally stained on my face. The feeling of bliss was amazing as it washed over my entire body as if it was like a wave of pure happiness washing over my very body. There was no other feeling like it, I could imagine. Have you ever come in from a cold winter day and jumped into a hot shower? That is what this sensation felt like and it felt powerful.

The butterfly wandered around my finger, racing up my finger like a spinning top. Slowly, it reached my legs out, grabbing my finger tip with my legs. It slowly perched on my finger, the wings slowly pressed together behind its back. It stared at me with large eyes, yet they weren’t like the normal bug eyes. They were beautiful eyes, like shiny disco balls. I slowly felt my smile grow wider. The butterfly's wings spread, the wings beating a little. Feeling the soft air beat on my sensitive finger tips, my brain fired with soft shots of pleasure. The butterfly flew around my finger again, feeling my life turn a bit more beautiful every second I stared at the butterfly. My brain disappeared into imagination, feeling my vision slowly dull as I started to disappear from reality. My eyes disappeared into fantasy. I breathed a long sigh of relief as my mind slowly peeled away from my body.

Lazily, I brought my hand down to the soft carpet. The butterfly quickly took flight away from my finger, spreading its wings and flying beautifully around the small space we found ourselves in. My mind drifted off further, thinking about diamonds and the joy of life. I imagined me and the butterfly, spinning around an open cornfield. A wonderful piece of joy for the entire two of us. The barley was fluffy and a beautiful golden color, they didn’t prick or annoy the skin, they were like fluffy bits of blanket. The butterfly danced beautifully, without any protest against the wind, around my head. I danced my hand through the barley as I giggled, my heart beat with a joy I’ve never felt before. The happiness grew so large, where it almost hurt. Happiness almost hurt my chest, burying into it like a tick. Yet, it was a wonderful tick. A tick that replaced my blood with happiness and my pain with joy. It was a parasite made all the ingredients of love and joy. That was my butterfly. It was an insect, usually something to be destroyed or burned. If I heard there was an insect in my room, my first thought would be to get a can of spray and gas it to the point of death. Yet, with the butterfly, it was different. This butterfly had diamonds for wings, a body made of wonderful black silver, and a soul made of gold.

We danced around the beautiful barley field. It ran on infinitely and I started to sprint through the field, the butterfly following after me. Quickly, I ran faster, with my arms spread out. Feeling the wonderful carpet rub against my arms and my hands, I took in the feeling of the wonderful barley. Finally, I collapsed in the middle of the field, not from exhaustion. I fell on my back for the sheer joy of it , making an angel in the barley. I felt at bliss with the world, with my eyes closed. Yet, as soon as I opened my eyes, the sun grew too bright. The simple sun grew to cover the sky.

I wasn’t in a field full of barley. I was in the trunk of a car. My kidnappers had opened the trunk and the butterfly flew away.

THE END

and more...
Artist MendyZ
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Flying Solo - A short story on metamorphosis Inspired by a painting by the artist MendyZ

This short story was inspired by the painting by the artist MendyZ

This short story was inspired by the painting by the artist MendyZ
Click to look at the painting.
The beautiful painting is available as prints in all sorts of ways that can match your decor.

But it also is available for print on some pretty cool functional products.

Pillows
battery packs for your phone
shower curtains


http://exclusive-canvas-art.pixels.com/featured/portrait-of-female-with-hair-billowing-everywhere-in-radiant-unsmiling-sharp-features-golden-warm-colors-and-upturned-nose-curls-and-aliens-of-the-departure-mendyz-.html


“Now I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” She spoke into the microphone. Toggling the little nub on and off in her anxiety and excitement. Feeling the metallic cold, and the carefully etched ridges against her fluorescent scaly skin. She used to be human. Or at least that is what she made herself out to be for around a millennia of time. Time choked in chemical and biological reactions, that made her sneeze. She never could escape the feeling of her skin crawling.

The faint EM burst under ship, well to be specific the ships cloaking device, and her pursuers turned to chase. She relished in these moments. Not too sure if her human habitations rubbed off on her. She never would have enjoyed such a mundane event. It was more so, that she got stuck in the earthly way of thinking. All about the moment. It was fun. But, very demanding to turn off her connections to the universe and intensely focus on the micro scale. The scale where molecules reside. The universe couldn't care less about a single chemical bonding with another random puzzle piece. Or a moment in time. Even less so about the feeling and emotions that might cause in an insignificant biological being. It cared about the macro scale, the galaxian scale. The scale where communications happened from one galaxy to another. It relished in the huge. She learned that there was a threshold that was simply noise. That was the human realm. But, yet it seeped through her scales and into her conscience. By the very nature of being there, this Schrodinger idea, killed the tenuous galaxaial level of connecting. Yet, it excited her and she pursued it, against the wishes of those in her life. Even if they were galaxies apart.

The seals around her helmet hissed as she pulled it off. Piece by piece she left her EVA suit floating in the dark. As long as she was not compressed into the micro environment she was safe to float about. She could see in other spectrum, and interact with radiation, magnetic, and other phenomena of the macro universe. She just didn't feel herself. She was hiding in her given manifestation. She hated it. It made her sick. She wanted to vomit. Sure, she loved the benefits of being on a connected level with her galactal kin, but there was something tenuously pulling her towards the side she shouldn't be in. The shapes, and senses, and feelings, and likenesses all came crashing about here in a truth. A truth she needed. A truth she thrived for. A truth that could kill her. She swirled about, her hair gliding in all directions, catching planetary glimmers and waving back at the universe.

The cabin was blackness, save for the shimmering sea of emergency lights and readouts. She look into the windows from outside. That shell that engulfed her, her cocoon, her entryway into the light of her life. Her prison. The harshness of the metal canister coldly giggled back at her. Teasing her to climb back in it and be herself. Even for a moment. She danced and swirled around the casket floating through space and time. Listening to the chirps of the universe. Demanding answers from the planets that hissed at her for being withing that button laden machine. Buttons everywhere, blinking back at her. Begging to be pushed. Begging for her to be her true self. Demanding she pop back into it, encapsulate her head, and begin to breath the sweet earthly delights. Little LEDs winked in her direction as if to share in her despise for her current body. Her glinting scales, and green ooze. But, most of all for her macro abilities. They were just not what the earthling biologic could understand. It was too difficult for them. They tried. But they fell so far from the mark that she had to burst out laughing.

Passive sensors still tracked the Nova Bomb as it raced at nearly a tenth the speed of light toward the center of this system. She shivered in anticipation as her green ethereal self, and then began to make choices. Choices that chirped back into her macro world and sped out towards galaxies that were million of galaxies apart. They cracked back at her in response. Filled with hate, and death, and despise for her forsaking her given form. How could she abandon them. How could she defy the sense of self that was handed to her by time. Thrust upon her by the very fabric of this universe. She shouted back at them in fear. Her voice shaking as she blasted her desired forth. Glimmers of her hidden choices sped forth through the universes. They completely freaked out. Her choices, her decisions were not taken lightly, just as she feared. All she wanted was to live, not die, to connect, not reshape anyone else. Her soul was being ripped from her being. Shredded by others. She grasped at the small things she had mistakenly shed to the open public universal forum and grew wearily of fighting. She should fight. This was her being. She wanted to be whoever she wanted to be. They should have no right. But, the macro universe understood the significance and couldn't bear to watch it unfold. She swirled around to the cockpit windows and look in.

Glowing below, the console showed that the ships faster than light systems were nearly spooled. The alien fleets closed in around her, and the navigation computers couldn’t solve for a way out. She forgot about her problems of self and focused on the issue at hand. Almost choking as she to death, as she went from the macro to the micro. Forgetting that she needed a protected helmet, oxygen, and other tools to help her hide while she crawled back to the realm of chemistry, molecules, and uncontrollable emotions. She clawed her way back into the airlock portal.

She had seen the effects of a Jump from inside the system, and unfastened the harness of her cockpit chair. She was too close to too many gravitation bodies, and even if she lived and her ship was intact, the Jump will not be easy. She didn’t want things to touch her, lest they be fused together after the failed Jump. An odd mixture of the galactic and molecular. She could never happily roam through the universe that way. But, she must do something, and fast. She couldn't bounce back and forth anymore. She had to choose, and stay, and cultivate it.

The creatures’ weapons detonated millions of kilometers away, but still lit her cockpit through the blast shielding. She could feel the twinkly kisses of heat that marked the bursts of hard radiation. If she lived through the Jump, she could worry about her personal problems later.

She had to keep the monsters busy, and let the bomb reach the star. The resplendent fires of a billion years’ worth of solar fuel would cleanse this system of the threat to all life; An experiment that ran amok, a beast that simply could not be tamed. The monsters screamed into the dark, calling for the end all of other species on a micro level. It was fitting that her task was to do the same to them, and of herself. Her heart ached with the thought of a molten rock that was once Earth.

Beams and bombs lanced across the monitors as the monsters loomed in the empty space between planets. She knew if she waited too long, the bomb would have taken her gravity point away, dumping the spooler and stranding her here.

The ships cloak fails as one of the many random fusion bombs washes too many particles across her shimmering hull. The radiant burst alerts all the nearby ships to her location, and she watches across the light barrier as her macro self as they turn toward her, clawing at the space between with brilliant arcs of fire and anger.

The countdown reaches zero. The bomb cannot be intercepted at this point. In a few short minutes this entire system will cease to exist. Her desire to remain true to herself will be gone forever. And maybe, to have existed at all would be nothing but a streak of color in the inky blackness of space. She didn’t fuss too much with the causal paradoxes that came with her ships FTL drive.

She pressed the button.

The Universe dropped away into a single finite point, the human craft spread out across the entirely of time and space. Her hair blew in the solar winds of galaxies long burnt out. The warm of eternity awaited. She was herself in that moment.

Then instantly ceased to exist.

It was worth it for that one brief micro moment.

THE END

and more...
http://MendyZ.com

The Enchanted Tin pot

A Short Story - Inspired by Young Woman Bent Over the River A painting by the artist MendyZ


Kate Woodley looked at the enchanted tin pot in her hands and felt stressed. This was unusual for her. She generally had no qualms, and was calm in her isolated environment. She calmed, then tensed again. Her soft body locking up scared her. Kate whirled around searching for the source. she noticed the cracked window, her potbellied stove, her drying hosiery, and the meager supplies stacked neatly in a corner of her wooden home. A home tucked beneath the mountains shadow.

She sat on the rolled up mat that served as her bed, and felt the bamboo mat reeds beneath her thin gauzy dress. she sighed as the feeling dissipated mildly from her bones. She reached for the simple end table, which only held a candle perched on a volcano of melted wax, and a tin pot. Clinked the spoon as it scraped the bottom and used her whole fist to grip the spoon and bring the now cold soup to her lips.

Where had the time gone, she had just finished heating up the can of soup. She mused a little on that, and then let it slip gently from her mind. This was how she survived the past few years. Just forgetting. Or at least working hard at forgetting. Her misgivings, her sweetness, her past lives, all of them.

She walked over to the cracked window and reflected on her damp surroundings. She had always loved the depths of the creepy Santa Cruz Mountains with its fair, weathered and fat trees. It was a place that encouraged her tendency to feel less stressed. But, she knew she was not safe. She never would be.

Then she saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure of Ashley Teller. Ashley was an admirable but creepy woman with thick collarbones and sweet skin. She marched onward piercing Kate's memories until they shattered and fled on their own accord.

Kate gulped. She glanced at her own reflection. She was a stable, now instantly cowardly, with frumpy collarbone and shaky sternum as her ragged breath began to quicken. Her ancient friends saw her as a depressed, dripping deity. Once, she had even spent a generation helping a frail old lady recover from a flying accident. But now all she could do was arch her back as she dropped to the ground in a convulsion. Not even a stable, strong person was prepared for what Ashley had in store today.

The clouds danced like throwing demons, as the Santa Cruz Fire ripped through the serene mountains, making Kate blubber and bounce. She saw stars as she hit her head on the tin pot pouring forth a spray of dark red blood across the cracked window pane.

As Kate crawled outside over the weathered treads and Ashley came closer, she could see the heavy glint in her eye. She could see the smoke outline her body, and felt the energy drain from her body.

"I am here because I want peace," Ashley bellowed, in a deranged mocking tone. She slammed her fist against Kate's chest, with such force that it rattled her senses. "I frigging hate you, Kate Woodley."

Kate looked back, even more shocked and still fingering the enchanted tin pot. "Ashley, your evilness is draining me," she replied. "We used to have something together". "Something special", she pleaded.

They looked at each other with concerned feelings, like two screeching, selfish spirits loving at a very scheming accident, which had soft bells music playing in the background and two gentle spirits crying to the beat.

Kate studied Ashley's thick collarbone and sweet skin. Eventually, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you peace," she explained, in pitying tones. She rubbed the tin pot. A screeching sound poured forth from her body and enraged the roiling air around the two of them. A crack splintered the air, and then the gully was silent.

Ashley looked sleepy, her body raw like a wet washing station. "Anybody up there", Kate whispered in mocking joy.

Kate could actually hear Ashley's body shatter into pieces. Then the admirable coward hurried away into the distance to seek wash her battered dripping skull, and off into another gully to hide from enemies of centuries past.

Not even a drink of hot soup would calm Kate's nerves tonight.

THE END

You can get the print that this short story was Inspired by From here. Young Woman Bent Over the River by the artist MendyZ. You can even get this painting on a phone case, makeup bag, or backup battery!

Tactless Cow

A Short Screenplay
Inspired by the painting Flaming Orange Blue Kittyartist MendyZ

INT. A SWEET SHOP - AFTERNOON

Daring gardener PROF ZOE JONES is arguing with thoughtful cleaner MISS HANNAH BOGTROTTER. ZOE tries to hug HANNAH but she shakes her off.

ZOE
Please Hannah, don't leave me.
HANNAH
I'm sorry Zoe, but I'm looking for somebody a bit more brave. Somebody who faces her fears head on, instead of running away.
ZOE
I am such a person!
HANNAH frowns.

HANNAH
I'm sorry, Zoe. I just don't feel excited by this relationship anymore.
HANNAH leaves.

ZOE sits down, looking defeated.

Moments later, admirable fishmonger DI ROBERT THUNDER barges in looking flustered.

ZOE
Goodness, Robert! Is everything okay?
ROBERT
I'm afraid not.
ZOE
What is it? Don't keep me in suspense...
ROBERT
It's ... a cow ... I saw an evil cow gobble a bunch of kittens!
ZOE
Defenseless kittens?
ROBERT
Yes, defenseless kittens!
ZOE
Bloomin' heck, Robert! We've got to do something.
ROBERT
I agree, but I wouldn't know where to start.
ZOE
You can start by telling me where this happened.
ROBERT
I was...
ROBERT fans himself and begins to wheeze.

ZOE
Focus Robert, focus! Where did it happen?
ROBERT
The Eden Project! That's right - The Eden Project!
ZOE springs up and begins to run.


EXT. A ROAD - CONTINUOUS

ZOE rushes along the street, followed by ROBERT. They take a short cut through some back gardens, jumping fences along the way.


EXT. THE EDEN PROJECT - SHORTLY AFTER

CHANTAL PARKES a tactless cow terrorises two kittens.

ZOE, closely followed by ROBERT, rushes towards CHANTAL, but suddenly stops in her tracks.

ROBERT
What is is? What's the matter?
ZOE
That's not just any old cow, that's Chantal Parkes!
ROBERT
Who's Chantal Parkes?
ZOE
Who's Chantal Parkes? Who's Chantal Parkes? Only the most tactless cow in the universe!
ROBERT
Blinkin' knickers, Zoe! We're going to need some help if we're going to stop the most tactless cow in the universe!
ZOE
You can say that again.
ROBERT
Blinkin' knickers, Zoe! We're going to need some help if we're going to stop the most tactless cow in the universe!
ZOE
I'm going to need paperweights, lots of paperweights.
Chantal turns and sees Zoe and Robert. She grins an evil grin.

CHANTAL
Zoe Jones, we meet again.
ROBERT
You've met?
ZOE
Yes. It was a long, long time ago...

EXT. A PARK - BACK IN TIME

A young ZOE is sitting in a park listening to some piano music, when suddenly a dark shadow casts over her.

She looks up and sees CHANTAL. She takes off her headphones.

CHANTAL
Would you like some white mice?
ZOE's eyes light up, but then he studies CHANTAL more closely, and looks uneasy.

ZOE
I don't know, you look kind of tactless.
CHANTAL
Me? No. I'm not tactless. I'm the least tactless cow in the world.
ZOE
Wait, you're a cow?
ZOE runs away, screaming.


EXT. THE EDEN PROJECT - PRESENT DAY

CHANTAL
You were a coward then, and you are a coward now.
ROBERT
(To ZOE) You ran away?
ZOE
(To ROBERT) I was a young child. What was I supposed to do?
ZOE turns to CHANTAL.

ZOE
I may have run away from you then, but I won't run away this time!
ZOE runs away.

She turns back and shouts.

ZOE
I mean, I am running away, but I'll be back - with paperweights.
CHANTAL
I'm not scared of you.
ZOE
You should be.

INT. NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM - LATER THAT DAY

ZOE and ROBERT walk around searching for something.

ZOE
I feel sure I left my paperweights somewhere around here.
ROBERT
Are you sure? It does seem like an odd place to keep deadly paperweights.
ZOE
You know nothing Robert Thunder.
ROBERT
We've been searching for ages. I really don't think they're here.
Suddenly, CHANTAL appears, holding a pair of paperweights.

CHANTAL
Looking for something?
ROBERT
Crikey, Zoe, she's got your paperweights.
ZOE
Tell me something I don't already know!
ROBERT
The earth's circumference at the equator is about 40,075 km.
ZOE
I know that already!
ROBERT
I pickle my earwax and keep it in a jar under my bed.
CHANTAL
(appalled) Dude!
While CHANTAL is looking at ROBERT with disgust, ZOE lunges forward and grabs her deadly paperweights. He wields them, triumphantly.

ZOE
Prepare to die, you tactless cauliflower!
CHANTAL
No please! All I did was gobble a bunch of kittens!
HANNAH enters, unseen by any of the others.

ZOE
I cannot tolerate that kind of behaviour! Those kittens were defenceless! Well now they have a defender - and that's me! Zoe Jones defender of innocent kittens.
CHANTAL
Don't hurt me! Please!
ZOE
Give me one good reason why I shouldn't use these paperweights on you right away!
CHANTAL
Because Zoe, I am your mother.
ZOE looks stunned for a few moments, but then collects herself.

ZOE
No you're not!
CHANTAL
Ah well, it had to be worth a try.
CHANTAL tries to grab the paperweights but ZOE dodges out of the way.

ZOE
Who's the mummy now? Huh? Huh?
Unexpectedly, CHANTAL slumps to the ground.

ROBERT
Did she just faint?
ZOE
I think so. Well that's disappointing. I was rather hoping for a more dramatic conclusion, involving my deadly paperweights.
ZOE crouches over CHANTAL's body.

ROBERT
Be careful, Zoe. It could be a trick.
ZOE
No, it's not a trick. It appears that... It would seem... Chantal Parkes is dead!
ZOE
What?
ZOE
Yes, it appears that I scared her to death.
ROBERT claps his hands.

ROBERT
So your paperweights did save the day, after all.
HANNAH steps forward.

HANNAH
Is it true? Did you kill the tactless cow?
ZOE
Hannah how long have you been...?
HANNAH puts her arm around ZOE.

HANNAH
Long enough.
ZOE
Then you saw it for yourself. I killed Chantal Parkes.
HANNAH
Then the kittens are safe?
ZOE
It does seem that way!
A crowd of vulnerable kittens enter, looking relived.

HANNAH
You are their hero.
The kittens bow to ZOE.

ZOE
There is no need to bow to me. I seek no worship. The knowledge that Chantal Parkes will never gobble kittens ever again, is enough for me.
HANNAH
You are humble as well as brave!
One of the kittens passes ZOE a shiny talisman

HANNAH
I think they want you to have it, as a symbol of their gratitude.
ZOE
I couldn't possibly.
Pause.

ZOE
Well, if you insist.
ZOE takes the talisman.

ZOE
Thank you.
The kittens bow their heads once more, and leave.

ZOE turns to HANNAH.

ZOE
Does this mean you want me back?
HANNAH
Oh, Zoe, of course I want you back!
ZOE smiles for a few seconds, but then looks defiant.

ZOE
Well you can't have me.
HANNAH
WHAT?
ZOE
You had no faith in me. You had to see my scare a cow to death before you would believe in me. I don't want a lover like that.
HANNAH
But...
ZOE
Please leave. I want to spend time with the one person who stayed with me through thick and thin - my best friend, Robert.
ROBERT grins.

HANNAH
But...
ROBERT
You heard the lady. Now be off with you. Skidaddle! Shoo!
HANNAH
Zoe?
ZOE
I'm sorry Hannah, but I think you should skidaddle.
HANNAH leaves.

ROBERT turns to ZOE.

ROBERT
Did you mean that? You know ... that I'm your best friend?
ZOE
Of course you are!
The two walk off arm in arm.

Suddenly ROBERT stops.

ROBERT
When I said I pickle my earwax and keep it in a jar under my bed, you know I was just trying to distract the cow don't you?

THE END

You can get a print of this amazing cat painting on all sorts of functional items, even a backup battery for your phone!

The Enchanted Tin pot

A Short Story - Inspired by Young Women Washing Bent Over River A painting by the artist MendyZ


Kate Woodley looked at the enchanted tin pot in her hands and felt stressed. This was unusual for her. She generally had no qualms, and was calm in her isolated environment. She calmed, then tensed again. Her soft body locking up scared her. Kate whirled around searching for the source. she noticed the cracked window, her potbellied stove, her drying hosiery, and the meager supplies stacked neatly in a corner of her wooden home. A home tucked beneath the mountains shadow.

She sat on the rolled up mat that served as her bed, and felt the bamboo mat reeds beneath her thin gauzy dress. she sighed as the feeling dissipated mildly from her bones. She reached for the simple end table, which only held a candle perched on a volcano of melted wax, and a tin pot. Clinked the spoon as it scraped the bottom and used her whole fist to grip the spoon and bring the now cold soup to her lips.

Where had the time gone, she had just finished heating up the can of soup. She mused a little on that, and then let it slip gently from her mind. This was how she survived the past few years. Just forgetting. Or at least working hard at forgetting. Her misgivings, her sweetness, her past lives, all of them.

She walked over to the cracked window and reflected on her damp surroundings. She had always loved the depths of the creepy Santa Cruz Mountains with its fair, weathered and fat trees. It was a place that encouraged her tendency to feel less stressed. But, she knew she was not safe. She never would be.

Then she saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure of Ashley Teller. Ashley was an admirable but creepy woman with thick collarbones and sweet skin. She marched onward piercing Kate's memories until they shattered and fled on their own accord.

Kate gulped. She glanced at her own reflection. She was a stable, now instantly cowardly, with frumpy collarbone and shaky sternum as her ragged breath began to quicken. Her ancient friends saw her as a depressed, dripping deity. Once, she had even spent a generation helping a frail old lady recover from a flying accident. But now all she could do was arch her back as she dropped to the ground in a convulsion. Not even a stable, strong person was prepared for what Ashley had in store today.

The clouds danced like throwing demons, as the Santa Cruz Fire ripped through the serene mountains, making Kate blubber and bounce. She saw stars as she hit her head on the tin pot pouring forth a spray of dark red blood across the cracked window pane.

As Kate crawled outside over the weathered treads and Ashley came closer, she could see the heavy glint in her eye. She could see the smoke outline her body, and felt the energy drain from her body.

"I am here because I want peace," Ashley bellowed, in a deranged mocking tone. She slammed her fist against Kate's chest, with such force that it rattled her senses. "I frigging hate you, Kate Woodley."

Kate looked back, even more shocked and still fingering the enchanted tin pot. "Ashley, your evilness is draining me," she replied. "We used to have something together". "Something special", she pleaded.

They looked at each other with concerned feelings, like two screeching, selfish spirits loving at a very scheming accident, which had soft bells music playing in the background and two gentle spirits crying to the beat.

Kate studied Ashley's thick collarbone and sweet skin. Eventually, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you peace," she explained, in pitying tones. She rubbed the tin pot. A screeching sound poured forth from her body and enraged the roiling air around the two of them. A crack splintered the air, and then the gully was silent.

Ashley looked sleepy, her body raw like a wet washing station. "Anybody up there", Kate whispered in mocking joy.

Kate could actually hear Ashley's body shatter into pieces. Then the admirable coward hurried away into the distance to seek wash her battered dripping skull, and off into another gully to hide from enemies of centuries past.

Not even a drink of hot soup would calm Kate's nerves tonight.

THE END

Short story inspired by Portrait painting of a hotel in Red Gray Black by mendyz

Short story inspired by Portrait painting of girl in red by MendyZ

It's easy to get lost in thought, isn't it? To be doing some mindless or rather repetitive task and then just have your mind wandered away, leaving you in this autopilot state. Your mind is thinking about all the embarrassing or wonderful things you've done with your life. To be frank, my mind always liked to play with the awkward things, my brain likes to imagine double every awkward thing I have ever done. It does it to the point where even the tiniest of infractions of social rules or law, are applied into detonations of nuclear proportions of defacement of basic human decency. As I exposed photos in the red room, seeing the pictures fade in from the white, I felt my brain drift off to one I took the photos. Seeing the features of a dog and, behind it, a wonderful wall covered in colour books with titles that belonged in the 18th century, I thought back to the adventure that led me there.

I had offered to walk my friend's dog, a wonderful golden retriever. that had golden hair like it was made out of shredded Spanish doubloons. Walking her around town, I quickly found the old warehouses that lined the outskirts of my town. They weren't the nicest of places, covered in spray paint and smelling like a mixture of paint, urine and, what I could only imagine to be, ever illegal substance on Earth. As I walked along the warehouses, I noticed a gap between a set of two of them. A gap wide enough to fit a small lorry between them. The dog started to turn towards it and, as I was about to yank the leash to guide him away, I noticed a wonderful house in the distance. Looking down the gap, I saw the beautiful victorian house. Made out of beautiful painted wood, the windows bricked up with red bricks, and the roof somehow still stable. The dog barked at nothing, it yanked against the leash and tried to bolt down the gap. I told it to calm down but it bolted again, the leash escaping from my hand.

The dog rushed down the gap, bolting towards nowhere in particular as its long legs took like strides as the dog dashed with the speed of a small cheetah towards the house. Shouting, I gave chase. Running like an idiot, holding my bag, stuffed with my camera and notepad, I ran towards the dog. The dog stopped in front of the Victorian House door, sitting there like how a dog sits at a back door, waiting for its owner to let it out. Sitting there, wagging its tail, as I was had my hands on my legs, trying to fill my lungs with the precious oxygen that they so needed. The dog kept barking at the door, sitting there like the idiot that it was. Eventually, I filled my lungs with enough air to straighten myself out.

Walking over to the dog, I had patted it on the head and asked it to shut up. Taking a inquisitive hand, I pushed at the door and it, without a single creak, swung open. As the door got half way open, the dog ran in, throwing the door open the entire way. The wooden slab smacked against the bricked up wall, making the brick sound like a siren as the rocks made a resounding sound as the dog ran around the abandoned house, barking its head off as it went. I saw it dash up and down the wooden stairs, run in and out of doors, dive in and out of rooms and the whole other nine yards. Taking a step inside, I looked around the abandoned building. The wood was only barely rotten, the rooms still filled with furniture, the doors still strong. It was like I stepped through a portal to a hundred or two hundred years ago.

The dog finally stepped at the top of the stairs and turned its head at me. Giving an excited bark, the dog dashed into another door. Taking the short flight of stairs up towards where the dog dodged into, I muttered under my breath about that stupid dog. Woofing at me from a slightly ajar door, I propped open the door and saw a lovely beautiful sight. A study with an entire wall covered in a large bookshelf, and the entire bookshelf completely stocked with old books of every colour of the rainbow and every size imaginable. They look like they were all in mint condition, with barely a scratch on them. Looking down, I saw the dog staring at me with one of those goofy canine smiles. Pulling a camera out of my bag, I crouched down and snapped a picture of the dog, immortalizing that goofy smile.

I smiled as the red light of the red room twinkled in my eyes, it was a beautiful sight all of those books. As the picture matured, I smiled, patting the bag, now filled with beautiful books. It was truly a beautiful sight. Memories are a wonderful thing. Life doesn't always have conclusions, but the events can still be treasured as such. I always remember that house, even if there was no story conclusion to that tale.

It is odd to wake up to music. Not, I don't mean, like hearing the music you picked for your alarm clock. That's fairly normal. To hear the first notes of Ode of Joy because you thought it would be ironic to have that as the opening to your first groggy moment of the day. The Ode of Joy playing as you tried to pull yourself out of the warm grasp of your blanket, that's rather normal. Hearing any music as your alarm is normal. It is downright ordinary and, even, possibly the most normal thing on Earth. The most normal thing on Earth is being that you wake up to music from an alarm clock or an alarm on your phone. Odd to imagine that, everyone waking up at similar times to music that they once chose because it was their favourite song and is now their most hated song.

Maybe, at one point when you wake up, someone is listening to the same song as you are. Listening to the exact same guitar or the exact same voice as you as you both do the roll of shame out of bed. That is an incredible thought but it is not the odd thing that happened to me. I woke up to actual music. Living on the very top floor, I hear everything that goes on the roof. If there is someone fixing a satellite to the roof, I hear the bolts being drilled into the floor. If some teenagers are goofing off up their with some bottles of beer, then I hear them drinking, laughing and throwing the bottles around. It is rather normal for me to hear everything on the roof at any time.

What is not normal to hear on the roof is what I could only consider to be a wonderful melody on a guitar. The twangs of her guitar made me rattle my brain to try to imagine what song those notes dare came from to be played by such a beautiful sounding guitar. Racking my brain, I couldn't imagine a single song with the same notes, the same pattern; my thoughts rattled with ideas of the ideas behind the twanging strings but never I could feel when the song came from. My mind, as I rolled out of bed, finally made the decision is that it's an entirely new song. Flipping open my phone, I saw the day, the time and everything under the sun. I wondered who on earth could be playing on the roof at seven in the morning on a Saturday. As I pulled on a bra, panties, and a set of comfortable clothes. The kind you could wear inside and slouch all day but if you left the house, you somehow felt you were underdressed in the prying eyes of the public. Even if you are sitting in the fast food place that rivalled entire nations in criminal activity, these were the clothes you would still feel underdressed in.

As I threw those clothes on, I thought about what person was up there. I have to admit, at first I thought it was some hipster wannabe, thinking he was John Lennon and Martin Luther King Junior all rolled into one. I had a few small fantasy as I opened up my apartment door of smacking a stereotypical hipster with his acoustic guitar covered in bumper stickers and political slogans. Climbing the stairs up to the the little room that held the ladder to the roof, I heard her voice for the first time. A beautiful soothing voice, the voice of, as I've said before, an angel. She was truly beautiful to hear, her voice sung of beautiful poetry and wonderful tunes. It was like hearing a person talk about something they were truly passionate about. Yet, it was more than that. It was like hearing someone sing about something they were passionate about, if they had the voice box of a temptress. It was like a siren without the ill effects of meeting one.

Climbing up the ladder, I pushed open the hatch and stared out. There, sitting cross legged, staring out at the rising sun, was a very beautiful girl. I know that sounds awkward, like how what a teenage boy would write in his journal, because they can't say diary, about the girl that got a crush on. Yet, I can't describe her anymore perfectly because I think I might confuse anyone with my description. All I can really say is that she had hair going down to her back, it curled in beautiful spirals, and it picked up the rising sun like it was an art structure that was made exactly for that purpose. An art piece that was made for the beautiful purpose of shining the sunlight in a specific way. She was sitting there, playing the beautiful music and singing to herself. Well, she thought she was singing to herself.

I couldn't understand a word she was saying. At the time it was in a language I couldn't understand, yet, when paired with that guitar, was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I felt like it was like hearing music for the first time in your life. Imagining living two decades of your life with no music, no elevator music, and then, out of nowhere, you hear the most beautiful music ever. To hear the Mozart's Ode of Joy for the first time. She had a beautiful voice that seemed to infect my soul. From the ladder, I called to her. I didn't really know what to say, so I said; "Do you play the guitar?". The most awkward thing I could have ever said as a first impression. She said "I do".

The exact same thing I said to her and the priest today.

Robotic Abe Lincoln short story about art

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.


I, however, was an Abe Lincoln in a strange children’s restaurant. You have to admit, what children is going to want to hear presidential speeches over pizza? Some apparently. I remember that there were even a few kids that looked excited to see George W. Bush talk and talk about “The Pet Goat” to the point where the cassette tapes inside his brain were wearing down. There was every president in this strange Chuck E. Cheese knock-off. There was even George Washington. He got a lot more love than the rest of us, he was treated a bit like a celebrity. George even got a pose, he was like a warrior with his sword and his Star Spangled Banner cape. He got regular maintenance, so he always looked perfect. His face was regularly painted white and he always looked on top of his game.


His voice, unlike the rest of ours, was still crisp perfect. His tapes never skipped, they never burned out, and were always just perfect. He must have been getting regular replacements for months, if not weeks. Every president, from Hoover to the recently constructed Obama, hated the guy. He always, when the lights went out, would go on and on about how the kids all loved him. Have you ever met a person who you just didn’t like immediately as soon as you saw them? That was George Washington. He had this face that you just hated immediately and you are trying to find a reason to hate him because you don’t actually have one. I developed my reason from years of staring at him but the first time I could see, I just remember having him on sight. The reason I hated him is because when everyone left and the last minimum wage earning teenager locked and bolted the doors, there wasn’t even a minute silence. He just immediately starts chatting and talking and will not shut up. I think I might have made a list in my head at one point to why I hate him.


He just always talked about how much kids loved him, constantly. It was like the only thing he cared about was that he had these snot-filled fans that would treat him like he was a god and they were meant to bring sacrifices to the great George Washington. No one cared when he spoke, no one bothered to correct him when he said he got more visitors than anyone, and no one dare mention anything that he would take offence to. I remember Roosevelt once exploded at him, telling him to, and I quote, “finally shut up about the bags of disease that stare at him from glazed over eyes”. When the acne-infested teenager walked through the doors, they thought one of the local teenagers had took an ax to Roosevelt's head. His face was completely torn open, his moustache hung down like a swinging pendulum. He was taken into the maintenance room and gave out a few days later. He was finally fixed up except for the long metallic scar along the back of his head. When the lights went out again, we all rushed to see the scar and look over Roosevelt. He looked safe enough, he didn’t sound it though. His voice and eyes were shaking, his pupils stared at my face as if he was scared of me. I asked him what was wrong and, before Roosevelt could answer, George Washington gave a tut. We all turned to him with scowls, muttering things under our breath. Breath we didn’t have but you know what I mean.


Washington declared us all cowards. Bush declared he was a coward and punched him in the jaw. Before it could escalate to a full on fight, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan broke it up, holding the two presidents away from each other. They pinned the two attackers against the walls of the dirty Chuck E. Cheese knock off and whispered how the other president wasn’t worth it. I sighed and looked as my friends pushed each other against the walls and told them not to fight. I wanted to laugh really, I wanted to start bursting out in robotic, halting laughter at the hypocrisy of it all. A house divided against itself cannot stand. As they fought, I went behind the cashier desk and opened one of the “Staff Only” doors. Grabbing the lost and found box, I looked around inside it. I found a yellow scarf and wrapped it around my neck. A window, left open, fluttered in. The wind picked up the scarf and made it dance with it. I closed my eyes and jumped. The window broke open as I fell onto the street corner and the burglar alarm blared within the pizzeria. I didn’t care anymore, I didn’t care that the alarms were going off or that my friends would wonder where I was, I was free. I was out of where I had been forever and a day.


I started running down the street as I heard sirens. Then, I never stopped running.

Chicago Artist MendyZ Creates Stunning Works of Art of the Chicago Skyline

There are only a handful of large cities like New York, Los Angeles or Miami that can boast an interesting and uniquely original skyline. But Chicago takes the cake. Chicago is a work of art. It has been called a more cleaner New York with all the best features crammed into a smaller area. Chicago is gorgeous and original. It has the hustle and bustle of a large grand city, but the friendship and kindness of a small town. There is politics, and culture, and things that attract a worldwide audience such as the work of art affectionately called the bean. It takes a special artist to grasp what the skyline has to offer and instill it within a medium. The Chicago artist MendyZ has worked on this in numerous series of his works. He has captured Chicago on paper, canvas, sculptural, intaglio, serigraph, in oil, and acrylic. He has been called an upcoming modern master. But his latest works are sculptural works of art on canvas. They are both anchored and weightily while appearing light and lofty. This is definitely what Chicago likes to do as well. That is be intense and full of substance while being a light and airy city of love, aesthetic, and balance.

Chicago has been around for over 100 years in it's present form. It has been an innovator and pushed the architectural envelop within the realm of skyscrapers. It is easy to grasp this by simply looking at the skyline from afar. The aesthetic intensity of this amazing string of buildings work together just as a canvas to hold the picture of our city in its entirety. Of course Chicago has had the tallest worldwide building for over 25 years and still holds that title nationwide. The Sears Tower (also called the Willis Tower in recent years), and the newer Trump tower help keep us nationally ranked for pushing the limits of the sky.

But don't let those two keep you entertained within our gorgeous city, we also have the John Hancock, Aon Tower, and the Prudential Plaza building which help us maintain an amazing skyline to paint and recreate on canvas as original works of art. Chicago has this deep inherent aesthetic quality that generates the perfect composition on canvas. It makes the artist job easier, and allows MendyZ to work on the hard intangible task of infusing a sense of wonder and self within the artwork. If you look at the recent works of the artist MendyZ you will notice that the artist has taken advantage of the clusters of buildings and the general incline and ebb and flow of the coast. In general the city of Chicago is notable for having a well-organized &consistently balanced and beautiful skyline.

The Chicago galleries are filled with Chicago artists like MendyZ that have created wonderful works of art of from the architecture of the city. You can recreate a photo by going to the Adler Planetarium which is south of the loop, Michigan Avenue, and Millennium Park with the Bean on one of the most eastern point of the city behind the Shedd Aquarium. Or you can head north to the Beaches near Boystown and Lakeview and Lincoln Park and take a view of Lake Shore Drive looking south towards the John Hancock Center and Drake Hotel. Either way by creating a photo of yourself you can enhance and personalize the artwork you purchase from the artist MendyZ. They will hand cohesively on your wall together and raise lots of conversations in the years to come.

Artist paintings of Chicago' skyline can be easily found but the key is discovering artists like MendyZ that can not only recreate the skyline but also infuse it with a sense of oneness with the artist. There are many fine artists, and each has their own unique and fantastically creative style that offer the art connoisseur a wide choice of original artwork to select from. Never was there a better city to buy paintings of than Chicago!

If you are coming to visit the city be sure to stop by the gallery.

If you live in the city please subscribe for amazing deals, upcoming events, and special lectures by the artist MendyZ. Click Here


If you are limited in time be sure to drop us a message and we will coordinate a private viewing time of all the Chicago Art Series' by MendyZ. Click here.


Sincerely hoping that you enjoy the great city of Chicago,

MendyZ

Press Releases MendyZ View Press Release

Chicago Medical Group Purchases MendyZ Paintings

The group buys two lobby-sized paintings from the MendyZ medical research art series

Chicago, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/20/2013 -- The MendyZ paintings on medical research have been gaining popularity and the art series is drawing attention from medical quarters. The Chicago Hospital Clinic and the Physician Medical Group have bought two paintings from the MendyZ art series related to medical research. The paintings are reported to be huge and lobby sized in the order of 6 X 8 feet or more. The research oriented art series related to medicine has grown now to have many paintings in various sizes and styles drawing inspiration from various clinical medical fields.

The art series developed by the artist MendyZ is rated to be successful from the popularity it has managed to achieve as well as the unique perspective of the artist. The artist takes complex scientific ideas an distiles them to a single viewpoint that adds to the medical issue at hand and makes it accessible for everyone. The research related art series compiled and developed by the artist MendyZ, a fine art artist with Exclusive Canvas Art, a Chicago art gallery, will be put on display for exhibition. The more recent upcoming exhibition named Prisoners: Mind, Body and Soul will feature a collection of rare art works from MendyZ series. The exhibition is set to feature only a few of the research related art works as these are rare and not all of them are available.

The famous paintings from MendyZ such as the Digitalis Purpurea also known as Common Foxglove and CD4+ Antigens are sold out and are unavailable for display at this exhibition as consignment procurement is complex internationally where these were purchased. The more recent paintings have been sold to Northwestern Cardiac Research Central Division. The additional research related art works are to be featured in the exhibitions set to be organized in midsummer. The display of the additional art works is to be hosted by Exclusive Canvas Art, an art gallery in Chicago, which the artist MendyZ is associated with, and at the exhibition Prisoners: Mind, Body and Soul.

The show is set to feature about 200 original works from the artist. “The show will have well over 200 original works in a diverse and prolific array of styles and mediums sure to excite collectors ranging from the very tiny 6 inches by 8 inches to a soaring 6 by 8 feet high”, say the organizers of the event. The organizers have arranged for private viewing of the art as well just west of downtown Chicago. This rare and private opportunity with the artist can be yours by contacting the new art studio of MendyZ in Chicago.

For further details on MendyZ art works log on to http://www.MendyZ.com or contact the gallery for a catalog of the most recent works.

About MendyZ
MendyZ is a fine art artist at the Exclusive Canvas Art Gallery based in Chicago. He is into research related art works in the field of medicine. His subject matter is not limited to medicine as can be seen in his latest Chicago series, Prisoners series, and sculptural textural abstracts on canvas. MendyZ’s work is prolific, diverse, and sure to delight. His works span a vast array of mediums, from oil, acrylic, intaglio printmaking on paper, serigraphs, monoprints, lithographs, sculptural in clay and metals, and others.

Media Contact
Mendy Zimmerman
MendyZ Chicago Art Studio
222 N Maplewood Chicago Illinois 60612
Tel: 847-693-7847
Email: MendyZ@ExclusiveCanvasArt.com
http://www.ExclusiveCanvasArt.com and
http://www.MendyZ.com

Join artist MendyZ in the new art gallery, studio, and event space.

The earth without ART is just Eh

Request a catalog of fine art by the Chicago fine art artist MendyZ

Request Catalog for the fine art by MendyZ

Catalog will include the most recent art exhibitions and art series by the fine art artist MendyZ.

Comments by jurors, curators, and the artist accompany the following famous series'

Including Prisoners: Mind, Body, and Soul
Dysphoria
St. Sebastian
St. Luke
Structural Canvas Abstracts
Realist Contemporary with Figure

And much much more...

Come learn about these exhibitions from behind the scenes and gain insight into the artist MendyZ's much loved artwork.

MendyZ is a contemporary realist figure painter with works in abstract form, and other styles and on the way to becoming a modern master with works on canvas, sculpture, paper, intaglio etchings, serigraph and screenprinting, acrylic, oil, and numerous other mediums. The works of art are becoming more and more coveted. Take a moment to join our mailing list as the works move fast from the artists studio and into the second market at much higher prices. Join for 30% off

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Chicago Art Exhibitions and Festivals 2013 where you can find art by the artist MendyZ

Amdur Productions:

Barrington Art Festival
Barrington, Illinois | May 25 - May 26, 2013
Millennium Art Festival
Chicago, Illinois | May 31 - Jun 2, 2013
Promenade of Art
Arlington Heights, Illinois | Jun 8 - Jun 9, 2013
New Buffalo Art Festival
New Buffalo, Michigan | Jun 15 - Jun 16, 2013
The Art Center's Festival of Fine Craft
Highland Park, Illinois | Jun 22 - Jun 23, 2013
Gold Coast Art Fair at Grant Park
Chicago, Illinois | Jun 29 - Jun 30, 2013
Chicago Botanic Garden Art Festival
Glencoe, Illinois | Jul 5 - Jul 7, 2013
Buffalo Grove Art Festival
Buffalo Grove, Illinois | Jul 13 - Jul 14, 2013
North Shore Festival of Art at Old Orchard
Skokie, Illinois | Jul 27 - Jul 28, 2013
Glencoe Festival of Art
Glencoe, Illinois | Aug 3 - Aug 4, 2013
Art at the Glen Town Center
Glenview, Illinois | Aug 10 - Aug 11, 2013
Lincolnshire Art Festival
Lincolnshire, Illinois | Aug 17 - Aug 18, 2013
Port Clinton Art Festival
Highland Park, Illinois | Aug 24 - Aug 25, 2013
Third Ward Art Festival
Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Aug 31 - Sep 1, 2013
Downtown Downers Grove Art Festival
Downers Grove, Illinois | Sep 7 - Sep 8, 2013
Highwood Starving Artists Festival
Highwood, Illinois | Sep 21 - Sep 22, 2013
The Inside Show
Highland Park, Illinois | Nov 22 - Nov 24, 2013
Gulfstream Park Art Festival
Hallandale Beach, Florida | Dec 14 - Dec 15, 2013

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City of Chicago Sponsored art exhibitions:

JUNE

Millennium Art Festival
Friday, May 31 - Sunday, June 2, 2013

Lake St. at Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL 60601

11am-7pm, Sunday: 11am-5pm; FREE Admission

The 5th annual Millennium Art Festival is free to the public, showcasing the original art of approximately 150 artist. Live music and food will also be featured.

Visit amdurproductions.com or call 847.926.4300 for more information.

JULY

African/Caribbean International Festival of Life (IFOL)
Thursday, July 4 - Sunday, July 7, 2013

Union Park

1501 W. Randolph @ West Lake St. and N. Ashland Ave.

Chicago, IL 60607

12 Noon-10pm; Advance $15/$20

A July 4th Independence weekend celebration for the entire family. More than 70 Caribbean reggae, and world music acts, 3 stages and 200 exhibitors/vendors.

Visit www.festivaloflife.biz or call 312.427.0266 for more information.



Festival of Life Health Awareness (FOLHA)
Thursday, July 4 - Sunday, July 7, 2013

Union Park

1501 W. Randolph @ West Lake St. and N. Ashland Ave.

Chicago, IL 60607

12 Noon-10pm; Advance $15/$20

The Festival of Life Health Awareness (FOLHA) is combined with the International Festival of Life (IFOL), July 4th- 7th, 2013 Independence weekend in Union park, Chicago. Its objective is for the mobilization of victims of Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDs and other diseases in a united force for the eradication of all diseases that affecting the human bodies.

Visit www.festivaloflifehealthawareness.com or call 312.427.0266 for more information.



Windy City Ribfest in Uptown
Friday, July 5 - Saturday, July 7, 2013

4700 N. Broadway

Chicago, IL 60640

Friday: 5-10pm, Saturday: 12 Noon-10pm, Sunday: 12 Noon-9pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

The 11th Annual Community Gospel Festival consists of one full day of family fun, food, information booths, activities for kids and adults, and a phenomenal gospel concert featuring Chicago’s own talent.

Visit www.chicagoevents.com or call 773.868.3010 for more information.



11th Annual “I Have A Vision” Community Gospel Festival
Saturday, July 6, 2013

Grand Crossing Park

7655 S. Ingleside Ave.

Chicago, IL 60619

7am-6:30pm; FREE Admission

The 11th Annual Community Gospel Festival consists of one full day of family fun, food, information booths, activities for kids and adults, and a phenomenal gospel concert featuring Chicago’s own talent.



Taste of Lakeview
Saturday, July 6 - Sunday, July 7, 2013

3200-3400 N. Lincoln Ave.

Chicago, IL 60657

Saturday: 12 Noon-10pm, Sunday: 12 Noon-9pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

Join us as we experience Chicago’s ultimate music and culinary fare. If you like to enjoy delicious food and listen to music, then this event is a must see! Artisans and crafts vendors, a wide variety of great food, and an array of street performers add to this incredible weekend.

Visit www.starevents.com or call 773.665.4682 for more information.



Roscoe Village Burger Fest
Saturday, July 13 & Sunday, July 14, 2013

Belmont and Damen (2000 W. Belmont)

Chicago, IL 606187

11am-10pm; FREE Admission, $7 gate donation

The savory patty and a rockin' music lineup are in the spotlight for Roscoe Village's 4th annual burger extravaganza. In addition to flippin' good food and music, arts/crafts and a "Kids' Zone" for children and families are on the weekend's menu. Among the nearly 15 burger vendors are Butcher & The Burger, Hamburger Mary's, Rockit Burger Bar, Cortland's Garage and newcomers Indie Burger, Etno Village Grill and Yoshi's Cafe. Music headliners include Cowboy Mouth and Sister Hazel.

Visit www.chicagoevents.com or call 773.868.3010 for more information.



West Fest
Saturday, July 13 - Sunday, July 14, 2013

Chicago Ave. between Damen and Wood

Chicago, IL 60612

12 Noon-10pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

There is something for everyone at West Fest, the street fair that reflects the eclectic persona of the booming West Town neighborhood. This annual fest features top notch live music – from local cutting edge bands to national touring acts to the best DJs – on three stages (lineups TBA), plus Kid Fest, Pup Fest and an extraordinary array of vendor booths from neighborhood retailers, restaurants, artists. West Fest gives the estimated 60,000-plus attendees each year a taste of what makes West Town one of the hottest destination corridors in Chicago!

A great way to explore exciting West Town is with the ‘Discover West Town’ mobile app, which includes a complete business directory as well as a ‘hot deals’ feature. To view the app online, visit westfestchicago.com.



Taste of River North
Friday, July 19 - Sunday, July 21, 2013

630 N. Kingsbury (at Kingsbury and Erie)

Chicago, IL 60654

Friday: 5-10pm, Saturday: 12 Noon-10pm, Sunday: 11am-8pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

More so than the other cookie-cutter street fests this summer, the Taste of River North (ToRN) truly reflects the identity of its booming neighborhood – one of the fastest growing in the country. ToRN continues to get bigger each season, with a record 40,000-plus attending in 2012, by giving a taste of the culture that makes River North so distinct. Now in its 12th year, ToRN takes place July 19 – 21 again in the picturesque riverfront setting of Ward Park. Along with a multitude of great restaurants and world-class galleries from the hood, ToRN also features non-stop live music, headlined by Chicago’s own Lucky Boys Confusion and breakout Canadian rockers The Sheepdogs.

Visit tasterivernorth.com for more information.





45th Annual Sheffield Garden Walk & Festival
Saturday, July 20 & Sunday, July 21, 2013

Sheffield Ave. btwn. Webster St. and Belden Ave.

Chicago, IL 60614

Festival: 12 Noon-10:15pm, Gardens 12 Noon- 5:30pm, Kids’ Corner 12 Noon-5pm; FREE Admission, Requested Donation $7-$10

Summer’s Best Festival! Celebrating 45 years of beautiful gardens, rocking music, great kids’ activities, and delicious food. Visitors are invited to tour 100 traditional and innovative residential gardens along the landmarked streets. Guided architectural and garden tours are available and Master Gardeners offer gardening advice at the Garden Center. Nationally acclaimed bands will headline the Garden Walk’s always stellar music lineup. Youngsters can enjoy a wide variety of activities at the Kids’ Corner including a petting zoo, pony rides, amusement rides, face painting, storytelling, sing-a-longs and crafts. Neighborhood restaurants will be dishing up terrific food and cold beverages.

Visit www.sheffieldgardenwalk.com for more information.



Celebrate Clark Street Festival
Saturday, July 20 & Sunday, July 21, 2013

On Clark St. between Morse and Estes

Chicago, IL 60626

Saturday: 1-11pm, Sunday: 1-10pm; FREE; Requested Donation $5/person $10/family

The Rogers Park Business Alliance will host the 8th Annual “Celebrate Clark Street Festival.” The Rogers Park festival has grown from a community celebration into one of Chicago’s most renowned and unique street festivals, attracting over 25,000 people annually. The festival will feature world music, local bands, food and arts and crafts and a children’s section.

Visit www.celebrateclarkstreet.com or call 773.508.5885 for more information.



54th Chicago Venetian Night
Saturday, July 27, 2013

31st Street Harbor

Chicago, IL 60616

At Dusk; FREE

Come be a part of one of the favorite Chicago lakefront traditions at the Chicago Yachting Association’s 54th Venetian Night at 31st Street Harbor! Now at it’s fabulous new venue, bring your friends and family to see the best lighted boat parade on Lake Michigan as boats compete for awards. Live music, food, and good times are sure to be had. You don’t want to miss this great tradition!



Taste of Lincoln Avenue
Saturday, July 27 & Sunday, July 28, 2013

Lincoln Ave. and Fullerton

Chicago, IL 60614

12 Noon-10pm; $10 gate donation

One of the city's most iconic summer street happenings celebrates its BIG 30 in 2013! The popular (and sprawling) fest takes place over several city blocks in the heart of Lincoln Park. Features 250-plus vendors, food and nearly 40 acts on four music stages. Every music genre is represented: from blues and country to rock, folk and dance.

Visit www.chicagoevents.com or call 773.868.3010 for more information.



Wicker Park Fest
Saturday, July 27 & Sunday, July 28, 2013

Milwaukee Ave between North and Paulina

Chicago, IL 60622

12 Noon-10pm; FREE Admission, Requested Donation $5

Don’t have the coin for Pitchfork for Lollapalooza this summer? Driven by dozens of burgeoning musicians, Wicker Park Fest gives other Chicago music fest big guns a run for their money. Not only does the annual street bash present an enviable lineup that reflects the neighborhood’s hip personality, but it also only cost $5 (suggested donation) for admittance. On July 27 and 28, the music fest that ranks with music critics and fans alike as one of the best of the season includes: a dedicated children’s fun area, arts area with installation and performance art, dozens of local vendors and environmentally-friendly production efforts.

Visit wickerparkfest.com for more information.

AUGUST

Wrigleyville Summerfest
Saturday, August 3 - Sunday, August 4, 2013

3300 N. Seminary (Seminary at School)

Chicago, IL 60657

Saturday: 12 Noon-10pm, Sunday: 11-9pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

Wrigleyville Summerfest offers plenty of tasty food and beverages to be enjoyed, plus many local vendors showcasing their products and services. Not your average festival, Wrigleyville Summerfest features a Kids Zone with interactive games and family-friendly activities during the day in addition to the live music, beer, and savory flavors that Chicagoans know and love. Make sure you and your family check out this out of the park celebration beginning August 3rd at Noon sharp.

Visit www.starevents.com or call 773.665.4682 for more information.



58th Annual Ginza Holiday
Friday, August 9 - Sunday, August 11, 2013

Midwest Buddhist Temple

435 W. Menomonee St.

Chicago, IL 60614

Friday: 5:30-9pm, Saturday: 11:30am-9pm, Sunday: 11:30am-7pm

Donation of $6 for adults, and $5 for students and senior citizens

The 58th Annual Ginza Holiday, a large Japanese cultural festival, will be presented by the Midwest Buddhist Temple (MBT) on Aug. 9, 10 and 11 at 435 W. Menomonee Street in Chicago’s historic Old Town.

Flown in from Tokyo for this event, four master craftsmen (Waza) will demonstrate their generation sold skills creating unique crafts. The public will have the opportunity to meet the Waza and purchase their crafts. Several other exhibits and booths will be filled with Japanese dry goods, snacks, kimonos and jewelry.

For more information, visit www.ginzachicago.com



Retro on Roscoe
Saturday, August 10 & Sunday, August 11, 2013

2000-2400 W. Roscoe

Chicago, IL 60618

Saturday & Sunday: 12 Noon-10pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

Retro On Roscoe features Chicago’s top talent and entertainment on 3 main stages and six full blocks of artisans, antique vendors, and cool merchants that provide a shopping experience that is second to none. Local restaurants and regional favorites fill the venue with summertime samplings and tasty treats

Visit www.starevents.com or call 773.665.4682 for more information.



Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest (GAAF)
Saturday, August 17 & Sunday, August 18, 2013

Glenwood Avenue Arts District, Rogers Park

6900-7030 N. Glenwood, 1400 W. Morse

Chicago, IL 60626

12 Noon-10pm; FREE Admission

The 12th annual Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest (GAAF) is a free, weekend long street fair that features 100 outdoor artist exhibits and live entertainment on three outdoor stages.

Experience art, music, dance, theater as well as food and drink, on the brick-laid streets of the Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest in Chicago's historic Rogers Park neighborhood.

For more information , visit www.GlenwoodAve.org



Brazil Fest Chicago
Friday, August 23 - Sunday, August 25, 2013

3000-3200 W Logan Blvd. (near Milwaukee Ave.)

Chicago, IL 60647

Friday: 5-10pm, Saturday & Sunday: 12 Noon-10pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

Our festival is scheduled to take place in the heart of Logan Square – a trendy, multicultural neighborhood that is home to a growing number of professionals and young families. The festival aims to educate and entertain by sharing Brazil’s diversity and the richness of its culture through food, music, dance, folk art, and other art forms.

Visit www.starevents.com or call 773.665.4682 for more information.



Taste of Latin America
Friday, August 23 - Sunday, August 25, 2013

3600 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

Friday: 5-9pm, Saturday & Sunday: 11am-9pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

This second annual culinary happening in the Logan Square neighborhood showcases the unique foods of nearly 15 Latin American countries including Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and Cuba. There are also cooking demonstrations, an eclectic world music lineup and arts & crafts.

Visit www.chicagoevents.com or call 773.868.3010 for more information.



The Boulevard
Friday, August 23 - Sunday, August 25, 2013

3000-3200 W. Logan Blvd. (near Milwaukee Ave.)

Chicago, IL 60647

Friday: 5-10pm, Saturday: 12 Noon-10pm, Sunday: 12 Noon-9pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

Logan Square has well over 100 restaurants, cafes, bakeries and bistros, packed into this comparatively small area, serving just about every kind of cuisine one could want. This theme is carried throughout The Boulevard, which features local fare, vendors and some of the greatest bands out there.

Visit www.starevents.com or call 773.665.4682 for more information.



Chicago Food Social
Saturday, August 24, 2013

900 N. Branch St. (Kendall College Parking Lot)

Chicago, IL 60642

11am-10pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

The re-concepted version of 2011 and 2012’s popular Food Truck Social will now include a selection of Chicago food trucks AND a curated group of notable chef-driven local restaurant vendors and chef demonstrations. Prominent special guest celebrity chefs will provide live preparation demonstrations and sell selections of their culinary creations. The restaurant vendors here will not be you’re A-typical “fest” variety. Each will be hand-picked by the restaurateur from the recently Michelin-Starred Longman and Eagle, Will Duncan. A live music stage programmed by Empty Bottle Presents will help set the scene.

Visit chicagofoodsocial.com for more information.



Taste of Greektown
Saturday, August 24 - Sunday, August 25, 2013

400 S. Halsted

Chicago, IL 60607

12 Noon-11pm; FREE Admission

Hellenic pride will take center stage when this annual culinary fest in Chicago's West Loop returns for its 24th year. Blending old and new world traditions, food and spirits from neighborhood eateries will again be the main attraction. There will also be music and entertainment including Greek bands, belly dancers and games for both kids and families. A NEW fest highlight in 2013 will be the debut of a fine arts area.

Visit www.chicagoevents.com or call 773.868.3010 for more information.

SEPTEMBER
8th Annual
79th Street Renaissance Festival and Family Jam for Peace
Saturday, September 7, 2013

79th St. (between Racine and Loomis)

Chicago, IL 60620

10am-7pm; FREE Admission

The 79th Street Renaissance Festival and Family Jam for Peace is a free, open, community festival with something for everyone. If you are on a tight budget, but still want to treat your family to wonderful, cultural events this summer - this event is for you. We showcase local and national acts on the main stage, have a free luncheon for seniors in their own special area, showcase 79th St food vendors, have an amateur basketball tournament and championship, and have a huge kids corner complete with clowns, bounce houses, live animals, and a Ferris Wheel! Admission is free. Food and handmade items sold at very reasonable prices. We welcome you to Auburn Gresham - one of Chicago's official 77 neighborhoods and definitely one of its best kept secrets!



Northside Irish Fest
Friday, September 13 - Sunday, September 15, 2013

3900-4000 N. Lincoln Ave.

Chicago, IL 60613

Friday: 5-10pm, Saturday: 12 Noon-10pm, Sunday: 12 Noon-9pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

North Side Irish Fest will celebrate the rich Irish heritage of our Chicago neighborhood. We will offer food and bring the Irish cuisine to a new level, with local sports dishing out their best interpretation of the classics. For those of you with a bigger appetite, there will be an eating contest each day, so don’t forget your elastic pants!

Visit www.starevents.com or call 773.665.4682 for more information.



Lakeview East Festival of the Arts
Saturday, September 14 & Sunday, September 15, 2013

3200-3450 N. Broadway

Chicago, IL 60657

Saturday: 10am-6pm, Sunday: 10am-5pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation suggested

The Lakeview East Festival of the Arts showcases more than 150 juried artists featuring world class original paintings, sculpture, photography, furniture, jewelry and more. In addition to the art on sale, the Festival features live demonstrations and entertainment stages where some of Chicago’s favorite musicians play throughout the weekend.

The festival is rated one of the top festivals in the Midwest with unique attractions and features an urban City landscape oasis, local music, cuisine, children’s activities and performing artists.

Visit www.lakevieweastfestivalofthearts.com or call 773.348.8608 for more information.



Hyde Park Jazz Festival
Saturday, September 28 - Sunday, September 29, 2013

1130 Midway between Ellis and Woodlawn

Chicago, IL 60637

Saturday: 12 Noon-10pm, Sunday: 12 Noon-9pm; FREE Admission, $5 gate donation

The 6th Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival will feature a line up of some of Chicago’s most critically acclaimed artists as well as nationally and internationally recognized jazz talents. Presented on 17 stages across Hyde Park, this one-of–a-kind two-day free festival showcases collaboration between academic, cultural and community institutions, and local businesses to present 40 free live jazz performances in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings.

Visit www.starevents.com or call 773.665.4682 for more information.



Design Harvest
Saturday, September 28 - Sunday, September 29, 2013

Grand Ave. between Damen & Wood

Chicago, IL 60612

11am-8pm; FREE Admission

Contemporary and sustainable design thrives in Grand Avenue's Design District, where on one weekend the best local makers and collectors of design objects pop-up shop in an aesthetic marketplace. At its core, the annual Design Harvest is a creative celebration of design. Specifically, it's a showcase of the wide spectrum of home & garden disciplines, brought together in a stylish and accessible manner. This one-of-a-kind street fest also features original live music (lineups TBA), unique food vendors, hay rides, and more. Attendance each of the first three years has continued to grow by leaps and bounds - a sign that this fest is a summer mainstay!

Visit design-harvest.com for more information.



West Town Art Walk
Friday, October 4 - Saturday, October 5, 2013

On Chicago Ave. between Damen and Ogden / Milwaukee

Chicago, IL 60612

11-9pm; FREE Admission

For a third consecutive year, West Town’s large artist community boasts its talents at this pop-up gallery / Art Walk. Stroll along Chicago Avenue checking out original art in local participating boutiques, salons, restaurants and galleries. West Town is quickly shooting to the forefront of destination neighborhoods, with the artsy West Chicago Avenue corridor paving the way. If you're familiar with the area, or are just West Town-curious, don’t miss this event!

Visit westtownchamber.org more information.



Chicago Arts Festivals and Events 2013

Chicago Cultural Center Presents
Various Music, Visual Arts, Theater, Dance, Film and Lectures Series

Year-round

www.chicagoculturalcenter.org

Discover the free visual art and performance programs presented at the Cultural Center by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and its partners.

Creative Chicago Expo
March 1 & 2
Chicago Cultural Center

www.creativechicagoexpo.org

The 10th Creative Chicago Expo is an annual resource fair that connects Chicago's creative community - Workshops, Resources, Information and Networks for Chicago’s creative community. Professional development for music, dance, theater, design, visual arts, film, fashion and more.

Chicago's 176th Birthday Celebration
March 4
Chicago History Museum


Mark your calendar and join us in celebration of the City of Chicago’s 176th Birthday with a special event hosted at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark Street on March 4, 2013.

Chicago Neighborhood Festivals
May - September

www.chicagoneighborhoodfestivals.u

More than 400 neighborhood festivals take place in Chicago each year, showcasing the city's ethnic customs, music and food.

Chicago Farmers Markets
May - October

www.chicagofarmersmarkets.us

Chicago's Farmers Markets bring more than 70 vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers to neighborhoods throughout the City of Chicago.

Chicago Kids and Kites Festival
May 4
Montrose Harbor in Lincoln Park

www.chicagokidsandkites.us

Chicago Kids and Kites Festival is a fun-filled day to celebrate the joys of being a kid.

Chicago Memorial Day Parade
May 25
State St. from Lake St. to Van Buren

www.chicagoparades.us

The Chicago Memorial Day Parade honors all men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

Millennium Park Music Series
Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays - May 27-July 29
Loops and Variations - June 13-July 18
Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz - July 25-August 29
www.millenniumpark.org

Free music taking place at Millennium Park all summer long starting with the cutting-edge indie rock and pop music series Downtown Sound, followed by Loops and Variations, a series of six concerts that mix new music with electronica and closing out the summer is the acclaimed Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz series, which showcases jazz with a distinctively Chicago flavor on six separate nights, culminating in the 35th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival.

Chicago Blues Festival
June 6-9
Grant Park

www.chicagobluesfestival.us

The Chicago Blues Festival is the largest free blues festival in the world and remains the largest of Chicago's Music Festivals.
Chicago Bike Week
June 10-14

www.bikechicago.us

A celebration of Chicago’s commitment to become more bicycle friendly and environmentally conscious.
Bike to Work Rally
June 14
Daley Plaza

www.bikechicago.us

Ditch the car and choose the economic and healthy alternative by becoming a bike commuter. Join fellow cyclists, local media, cycling groups, Goose Island Beer Company and the City of Chicago on Daley Plaza (Washington and Dearborn Streets).
Chicago Gospel Music Festival
June 20-23
Multiple Locations including the Chicago Cultural Center

www.chicagogospelmusicfestival.us

The Chicago Gospel Music Festival will return in 2013 with performances taking place in multiple locations throughout Chicago.
Chicago SummerDance
June 27 - September 15
(Thur., Fri., Sat. & Sun.)
Grant Park, Spirit of Music Garden

www.chicagosummerdance.org

For eleven weeks each summer, the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park blossoms into an urban dance space. The series offers an introductory one-hour dance lesson by professional instructors followed by two hours of live music and dancing.
Taste of Chicago
July 10-14
Grant Park

www.tasteofchicago.us

Taste of Chicago is the nation's premier outdoor food festival showcasing the diversity of Chicago's dining community. The delicious array of food served at Taste of Chicago is complemented by music and exciting activities for the entire family.
Chicago Air and Water Show
August 17 & 18
North Avenue Beach

www.chicagoairandwatershow.us

The Chicago Air & Water Show is the largest spectator event in the United States and the longest ongoing show of its kind in North America.

Chicago Jazz Festival
August 29 -September 1
Cultural Center, Millennium Park & Grant Park

www.chicagojazzfestival.us
The longest running of the city's lakefront music festivals. For the past 35 year's, the Chicago Jazz Festival has been a Labor Day weekend tradition.

World Music Festival
September 12-22
Multiple Venues

www.worldmusicfestivalchicago.org

This city-wide, multi-venue, eleven-day festival has attracted over 600,000 concertgoers and has presented more than 600 artists and ensembles from over 80 countries since it began in 1999.

Chicago Music Summit
September 20
Chicago Cultural Center and multiple venues throughout the City

www.chicagomusicsummit.org

The Chicago Music Summit is a NEW program presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to shine a spotlight on Chicago’s vibrant music scene and connects musicians and entrepreneurs with local, national, and international industry professionals. Featuring panels, networking events, and concerts, the Chicago Music Summit provides free professional development and showcase opportunities for professionals working in all sectors and genres.

Fine art artist MendyZ has moved to a brand new studio just west of downtown.

We will be celebrating the move with a mid-summer art exhibition titled Prisoners: Mind, Body, and Soul. There will be over 200 original pieces of art works ranging from 6x8 inches to 6x8 feet high. Works will cover numerous styles, mediums, and series'.

Stay tuned for more information by joining our email list below.

Join the email list for MendyZ for the most up to date information on the new gallery space, new studio, and summer events.



The original artwork will be available to be seen in private viewing session. There are limited slots available and they have moved incredibly fast in the past so don't delay in setting one up. There are many benefits to having a private viewing, but the main one is that you get to learn about the artwork directly from the artist while also getting a discount from 30%-50% off of select original pieces that will be in the art show.

Click here to request a time for a private art gallery showing for MendyZ's new summer art exhibition.

We hope you can join us for the new mid-summer art exhibition, or earlier in your private gallery tour where you can purchase art early and at a huge discount.

MendyZ

Resident Fine Art Artist at Exclusive Canvas Art | A Chicago Art Gallery

220 N Maplewood St. Chicago Illinois 60612

MendyZ Moves to a new state of the art studio just west of downtown Chicago

The resident fine art artist MendyZ from the Chicago art gallery Exclusive Canvas Art will be celebrating the new studio move to 220 N Maplewood Chicago Illinois 60612 with an art exhibition titled Prisoners: Mind, Body, and Soul. The art show will have more than 200 original works that will be on display from a vast array of past and new art series'.

To purchase art at a discount and get an early private viewing of the artwork please call 847-693-7847 and express your desire to make an early purchase of the art by MendyZ.