OlamideDIY PENCIL'S IT!!!

Hello Everyone!!!

Its another wonderful Tuesday and a great opportunity to meet with you again and present what's new on the blog. I'm very much excited about this post because it highlights creativity at its very core. Today, we colour someone who leaves you stunned at what his fingers readily produce and the passion he exudes in original presentation of art. He is young, intelligent and of great talent. His name is Olamide Samuel, popularly referred to as OlamideDIY.

Words will always be words no doubt, but art I dare say speaks louder and deeper. People say a picture says a thousand words but Olamide's work speaks beyond as he brings art alive in drawing very life-like portraits of ordinary people and celebrities using pencil, paint and charcoal.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet OlamideDIY's fingers:

 

Raised in Abuja-Nigeria, the 21-year-old artist says he fell in love with pencil art at a very young age. This skill he has been able to harness through the years, beating the imagination of many. In a week, he creates an average of four pieces, never compromising the need to practice newer techniques and reinvent himself.  He admits he is passionate about creating art. He particularly chooses to work with celebrities because the audience can easily relate to them and see how accurately he is able to reproduce 'real' on paper to the very last detail.

With the launch of his new website - www.olamidediy.net his portraits can be commissioned for prices starting at USD 300 and some portraits have sold for as high as USD 2,000 a piece. Some notable clients of his include:

Barr. Jimoh Ibrahim (Nigerian Multi-billionaire); Mrs. Nike Okundaye (World renowned Batik designer); Pastor E.A Adeboye (General Overseer RCCG); Mr. Emmanuel Jegede (MD/CEO Nicon Insurance Corporation); Mr. C.K Ayo (Vice Chancellor, Covenant University Nigeria), Femi Kuti (World renowned Afro-beat Musician); David Adeleke - Davido (Music Artiste); Tolu -Toolz- Oniru (On-Air Personality); Ayo Balogun - Wizkid (Music Artiste); Damini Ogulu - Burnaboy (Music Artiste).

A graduate of Babcock University in Nigeria, 2013, Olamide studied International Law and Diplomacy and is currently underway to pursuing an MA in Security, intelligence and diplomacy at the Buckingham University, United Kingdom. His aspirations leave much to be expected in the near years. Certainly, this is some huge potential waiting to erupt.

More of Olamide's art could be viewed on YouTube. You could also follow him on Twitter and Instagram @olamideDIY to view regularly updated pencil drawings and paintings. 

Olamide could be reached through email at olamidediy@gmail.com. Please also feel free to add a comment or two about this work and subscribe for further posts. 

For updates on the blog  please follow @colourmeamba. If you wish to contact or seek information, please email colourmeamba@gmail.com.

It was really nice hanging out with you all today. A big Thank you for stopping by and of course to OlamideDIY for allowing us the opportunity to colour him on the blog today!

I hope to see you all here again same time next week!!! Bye :)

I WANT.............IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD

If you were offered an opportunity to desire something relevant in your neighbourhood and openly state it, what would that be? A nearby airport, shuttle buses, less traffic, frequent electricity, free wireless, better schools and of course the list should go on.. 

On today’s post we sure hope that list continues as you share your thoughts in noting what you desire for your neighbourhood right here. Having drawn on the Neighbourland Online Project made available and free to use anywhere in the United States (read about it here) we decided to make available this interactive platform to have us all share and offer ideas or desires for our neighbourhood, communities and country at large. 

As a public experiment turned successfull, the Neighbourhood project provides opportunity for residents, passers-by, likeminded people and organizations to connect with themselves in public space to say what they want for their communities and see what other people want too. Through such, people ask questions, gather feedback and more often than less speak with one voice.. See some examples here:

So, its your turn now.. 

LET'S HAVE YOU SHARE WHAT YOU DESIRE TO BE AROUND YOU. There are no limits. What would you like to see happen in your City, Community, Government, School, Offices and homes. The floor is open. 

PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENT SECTION EITHER ANONYMOUSLY OR OTHERWISE. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOU.

SOURCES
http://candychang.com/projects/
http://candychang.com/neighborland/

UNVEILING TODAY'S GUEST BLOGGER!!!

Hello lovely people, its Tuesday again!!!

I'm pretty much excited about  a number of things today. First, its a unique blogpost, second, my Alma Mata, Federal Government Girls' College Calabar clocks Forty and thirdly, Colourmeamba gets to unveil her newest guest blogger.

YES! Word went out that Colourmeamba was in search of guest bloggers - People who appreciate creativity and flexibility, have passion for writing and are willing to share their creative contents on a wider social platform.

So, today's guest brings something entirely new to the blog. After reading one of her pieces (and accidently deleting it..lol)..it occured to me that there had to be more, wherever that came from. Her usage of words in relaying deep messages intrigued me and I couldn't help but invite her here. Let me quit the talking and hand you over to Mezo Akpe as she presents 'Renewing'.



FEE-FAI-FO-FUM 
I'm the chant that echoes like the sound of a talking drum.
Once the silent whispers of a steady eerie wind,
I've grown louder and bolder from the point of my origin.

I've got one foot outside my invisible door
I won't let you hold me back no more.
To pay a price over and over again,
Was not the plan for which I was made.

You walk with your shoulder and head held high
Though you've soiled your hands with the blood of an innocent child.
How many miles will you walk before they know,
Of the life you robbed and the future you stole?

I've got one foot outside my invisible door
I won't let you hold me back no more.
I refuse to dwell upon my mistakes
Lest I be left in this fortress to waste.

FEE-FAI-FO-FUM
You cannot fight what you've become
You deceive the blood of your blood
And the flesh of your flesh
You cannot deny you're the cause of all their distress.

I've got one foot outside my invisible door
I won't let you hold me back no more.
To wallow in unforgiveness is a trait of the proud
But salvation, I take, is the path of the sound.

You failed at dawn
You failed at dusk
Your shield is of wood
Your sword is to rust
Your temple is unclean
You can't fulfil your dream
There are no chances of you winning....
So don't try and try
You always end up in tears and a sigh.

I've got one foot outside my invisible door
I won't let you hold me back no more.
For as long as I live
I won't accept defeat

Though the echoes of my past resounds repeatedly.
To be brave is not to stand without fear
To be brave is to dare and be sure to declare
That the choice you have made
Is to keep rising in your faith
And ignore the taunting voice that wants to change your fate

Fee-Fai-Fo-Fum
NO, I WON'T LET YOU HOLD ME BACK NO MORE!!!

'Fee-Fai-Fo-Fum' is gotten from an old popular English fairy tale, 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. It was an expression used by the evil giant when sniffing out his human prey. He goes, "Fee-Fai-Fo-Fum...I smell the blood of an English man. Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread." 

Its representation in my poem signifies The Voice of Negativity. The poem is about the battle between one's mind and decisions. The mind sending accusations, guilt, fear, regret....and the individual fighting self condemnation, to move on despite the fact that what the voice says is true.

About the Writer
Mezo Akpe studied Mathematics at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
She has a passion for the Arts as she loves to write inspirational stories and poems. She is also an actress and a dancer.



I don't know about you, but I could picture the stage performance of this poem. While you re-read the lines of Mezo's classic write-up, do bear in mind that  there's many more from where that came. I would love to see her perform it soon. Mezo would love to hear your thoughts and so would I. Please comment below and feel free to subscribe for further Tuesday posts.

The twitter handles to follow are @PridingPride and @colourmeamba.

Thanks so much for clicking by. ENJOY THE REST OF THE WEEK :-)

RICHARD TURERE'S LION LIGHTS

Hello Everyone..

Hope you're having a wonderful Tuesday. I am, and I couldn't be more pleased. The feedback on this blog has been encouraging so far and I want to thank everyone who has taken out time to talk to me directly or place a comment or two here or on other social platforms. Thank you so much.

The primary goal this blog tends to achieve is to present stories of people with exceptional ideas making great impact around them. This hopes to inspire and motivate anyone who decides to visit any of the pages. Very soon, we hope to widen the scope a little to include extra pages that would have you more excited about Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to it.

Nevertheless, today's post presents the story of a young Masai fellow who turned his hatred for lions into an idea (Lion Lights) that he has been well acknowledged for. Please read on: 

The Masai people of Kenya value their cattle. They would do anything to preserve them. But when predators become constant threats to their livestock, the situation becomes very unbearable, causing discomfort and insecurity within their communities.

Somewhere South of the Nairobi National Park, Richard Turere lived with his parents and catered for the family's cows. However, as wild animals migrated out of the park freely, lions followed them and in the process his father's cows suffered huge risks and were usually killed. 

Because of this, Richard grew up hating lions. As a young boy responsible for his dad's cows he tried to find ways to prevent these from occurring. First, he used fire but instead it helped the lions see through the cowshed. Richard didn't give up. He tried scarecrows, but the lions proved more clever. One night while walking round the shed with a torch, he noticed that no lion came. It didn't take Richard too long to realize that the lions were afraid of a moving light. With such discovery, the young lad began his journey to inventing 'Lion Lights' - an idea which has become very useful to many cattle rearing communities in Kenya.

He rigged up LED bulbs on poles around the enclosure 

Dubbed "Lion Lights," the lights are connected to a box with switches and to an old car battery powered by a solar panel. They were also devised to flash in sequence, tricking the lions into believing that someone is moving around carrying a flashlight.

Turere's innovative system became a big success. His family hasn't lost any livestock to lions since they installed the system, whilst many neighbors and other pastoralists across Kenya have now installed the "Lion Lights."

Turere has been given a scholarship at Brookhouse International School, one of Kenya's top educational institutions.

"One thing that's unique about Richard is that if you give him a problem, he'll keep working at it until he can fix it," says leading Kenyan conservationist Paula Kahumbu. "He doesn't give up; he doesn't find things too difficult; he's not afraid of being unable to do something and I think this is why he is such a good innovator."

Richard says he wants to work in aviation when he grows up. "Three years ago when I was in the savannah herding my father's cattle I used to see the planes flying over and landing at the airport and I was like, one day I'll be a pilot and an aircraft engineer," he says.

I hope Richard Turere's Story inspired you..

So, do you have an idea?
Would it solve a problem?
Have you tried producing it?


Watch Richard tell his story on TEDtalk here:





SOURCES

http://ipkenya.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/kenyan-cattle-herder-seeks-petty-patent-protection-for-lion-lights-invention/
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/26/tech/richard-turere-lion-lights/
http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_turere_a_peace_treaty_with_the_lions.html