Welcome to Mermay!

The idea of Mermay--a month-long celebration of the beautiful creatures of the sea--was originated by animator and illustrator Tom Bancroft. His hope was that it would inspire artists to practice their craft and share their creations with the world. 

Here at Shades of Gray, we may not be artists, but we love sharing the work of others for you to enjoy. Every Wednesday in May, you'll find three or more mer-portraits in this space. 

If you want images that are okay to use in whatever mermaid project you can think of, NUELOW Games has something that might interest you.


Also, if you feel like drawing some mermaids (or mermen for that matter), here are some tips on how to it from Mr. Meremay himself.

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It's International Dance Day!

It's that day again where we celebrate the grace and beauty of dancers.

 

 
 Dancers sacrifice a great deal for their craft. Some of them spend so much time on their feet, dancing, that they forget how to properly sit down.

 
 
 

And then there are those who dance so much they forget how to walk properly.

 

But we appreciate that they are willing to go through such grueling workouts and difficult lifestyle... and we are thankful for all that they give us. Especially on April 29 for the Shades of Gray picture show!

 

 Meanwhile, Bianca Scaglione was running majorly late, but still put in an appearance!

(And you can pass the time between now and next International Dance Day by watching the fun videos on Bianca's YouTube Channel. Things are in color over there, but don't be frightened!)

Picture Perfect Special: Frances Dee

Frances Dee was born in 1910 and she led the nomadic childhood of an Army Brat. When she was 19, her father was stationed in Los Angeles, and Dee began working as an extra in movies. Although she was doing it primarily for fun, she came to the attention of casting directors and by 1930 she had graduated to lead female roles.

 
 

In 1941, she co-starred with John Wayne in "A Man Betrayed". This film can be watched in the Shades of Gray Screening Room by clicking here. Check it out for a great example of Dee's low-key acting style.

But, before you leave, here are a few portraits and publicity stills taken of Dee during her years in front of the camera. (From 19230 through 1954, Dee maintained a busy schedule, appearing as lead or co-star in several films each year. She retired from acting and public life in 1954, to focus on her family and children with husband Joel McCray.)

  

 
 
 

Fanny Friday

 

The Bardot Quarterly

International Dance Day is almost here! And Brigitte Bardot is getting ready early this year!

 She knows she's going to appear on Shades of Gray in half-a-dozen or so posts this year, so she knows there will be more people watching than usual in these parts. She's practicing extra hard and studying the routines, so she can make the best possible impression on visitors!

Um... maybe we spoke too soon. But at least she'll be driving home the unifying theme of the blog today!

   

It's National Record Store Day!

On National Record Store Day, we celebrate those large (and sometimes small) black platters can hold groovy music in their grooves!

Fanny Friday

Happy Birthday, Jennifer Garner!

On this day in 1972, actress Jennifer Garner entered the world in Houston, Texas. She's the daughter of a retired English teacher (her mother) and a retired chemical engineer (her father). She initially intended to follow in her father's professional footsteps, but as she began her studies at university, the love of the stage she'd had since childhood overtook her and she switched to studying acting.

Garner first appeared on screen in 1995, with small role in a start-studded Danielle Steele adaptation, "Zoya" and spent the rest of the '90s playing bit parts and supporting roles in TV series, as well as in films for both the small and big screens. Her first major television role came on the dramatic series "Alias" in 2001, and for the past two decades her star has done nothing but rise. 

We celebrate Garner's birthday with a few pictures taken of her over her over three decades she's spent in front of cameras (so far)!

Happy birthday, Shu Qi!

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi turns 48 years old today. Although she's a celebrated actress in her home country and elsewhere in East Asia, she is not so well known in the rest of the world.

Outside of Asia, she is best known as "the package" in the original "The Transporter" (2002) film and a co-starring turn with Jackie Chan in "Gorgeous" (1999), but that may be about to change...

Because, while 48 is considered an unlucky number by many numerologists, among the Chinese it is considered a lucky number that indicates that a person is "destined to prosper".

We'll have to check back in with Shu Qi when she turns 50, to see which numerologists have it right, evaluating whether her life's trajectory has been upward or downward.