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about alarana.net
Founded in September 2005, alarana.net has been designed as a quick-loading content-rich home for the visual and sonic arts of Texas-based artists. What began as a solo artist site has grown to include the photography, essays, and music of nearly a dozen artists. Funded entirely by donations, alarana.net is continuing to grow. In addition to expanding the support for the artists involved, alarana.net will soon feature contests and commissions for artists to create new works, as well as regular contests for all visitors to the site to win art and music from the alarana network. Stay tuned for a streaming radio station, a new interface, as well as new featured artists. |
Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
Lewis Carroll
About Jessica Leza
I was born in a swamp. The early years were spent combing through garage sale cassette tapes, rewinding them to just the right spot to record the perfect noise on another cassette tape. When I played these new amalgamations for my music teachers, they acted nervous.
"You are living on borrowed time," they told me.
My mother taught me the basics of photography from an early age. I started shooting black and white film on an old manual Pentax. We developed the film in an improvised washroom/darkwoom. I began singing in choirs and studying music around the same time. Visual and sonic arts have always blended and borrowed from each other from the beginning. The intermedia arts have become a natural outgrowth of these two influences.
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What alternative did I have but to study music compositions and classical voice at the University of North Texas?
As a vocalist I have performed across the US, France, Russia, China, and Venezuela, particularly in world music ensembles, rock groups, and contemporary classical ensembles. In 2006, I taught a course in business English at the Hunan Institute of Engineering in Hunan, China, during which time I collected the images used in subsequent photographic exhibitions. My photography hangs in private collections spanning five continents, and has been published by art and literature journals, as well as organizations such as UNICEF. Most recently the series "Images of South China" was recognized with 3rd place in travel photography with the Prix de la Photographie Paris. |
See upcoming exhibitons and performances here.
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MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/alarana vangoghvangoghvangogh-vangogh-vangogh-van-gogh-vangoghvangoghvangogh
My opinion is that the best thing would be to work on till art lovers feel drawn toward it of their own accord, instead of having to praise or to explain it. |  |
FAQ:
What equipment do you use?
The Minolta MAXXUM 5 (film) & the Minolta DM7 (digital)
I am a diehard fan of Fuji's color films for the rich greens and blues.
Adobe Photoshop CS for digital editing & Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 for most claymations
All music was created in the CEMI studios at UNT, or in the DogHouse studios, using old broken equipment salvaged from garage sales and rites of public humiliation. The DogHouse Studios have closed, and I will be recording in the future with a new set of equipment. Recent upgrades include a shiny new Macbook (2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 duo, 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM).
I am a student. Can I use your music or photography for my website/project/film?
All works are copyright 2007, alarana.net and may be used only by permission, with full and proper recognition of the original creator. This includes all works by featured artists hosted on alarana.net.
*about buying prints from alarana.net*
Prints purchased through my online printshop are printed with all silver traditional photo processing, the same that you'd see in a photo finishing shop, on high quality Fujifilm Crystal Archive paper, which will last over 60 years without fading. Canvas Prints are printed on high quality PremierArt™ Water Resistant canvas using archival and UV-resistant oil-based UltraChrome™ ink and water-based UV-resistant and water-resistant coating to guarantee longevity.
Prints can be mailed to your door in 59 countries: see a list here. If your country is not on this list, contact me at jessicaleza @gmail.com to make alternate arrangements. If there is a photo on alarana.net you would like a print of, but which is not currently available, please contact me.
If you are dissatisfied with your order in anyway you can get help here.
What is a lustre finish?
Lustre® is the new high quality finish from FujiFilm® which offers a perfect balance between Glossy and Matte. You must see it to believe it.
How much money do you make if I buy a print from you via deviantART?
If you are concerned about where your money is going when purchasing a print, please contact me about the individual piece in question. Prices are negotiable. DeviantART is only one way I make photography available to the public.
Prices for my photography prints in galleries are as much as five times higher than buying online. Buying online eliminates third-party commissions, hanging fees, and out-of-pocket costs such as framing and shipping. This overhead means that though online print prices are much lower, I make more money.
I would like a print signed by the artist. How can I get this if I live out of state?
If you live outside of Texas and are interested in signed prints, please contact me to make arrangements.
Do you do commissions? Are you available for a portrait session? Do you model for other photographers or artists?
I certainly do. Please contact me first via jessicaleza @gmail.com to discuss options, time tables, and rates.