Aussielicious

Unfortunately over the weekend, my relationship came to an end. I’m sad and disappointed but sometimes these things do need to end whether you are ready to admit it at the time or not.

Every now and then someone emails me with samples of their art or photography. Some I like, some I don’t. Guy James Whitworth falls into the category that I really do. Guy is about to have his first solo exhibition since moving to Australia from London 15 years ago. He’s had solo exhibitions back in the UK and group shows in both the UK and here.

With this series Guy is trying to show more than just an accurate representation of someone on paper, the bold neon colours that he’s using represent the dreams, ambitions and passions of the subject. Guy has also said that he’s not just interested in drawing and painting those with the body beautiful but tries to capture the beauty in everyone, young and old, fit and not so fit alike.

“Like Neon Within” is exhibiting at the Pine Street Gallery, 64 Pine St Chippendale, Sydney and runs from 2nd November to the 12th November.

I’m sure some fans will say it shouldn’t have happened without Andy Whitfield in the lead, but the team behind Spartacus have released the trailer for the upcoming season “Vengeance” picking up where season one left off.

Hollywood is never going to give up on a good money making series just because someone (very sadly) died, and there is a long tradition of people stepping into the shoes of a former cast member. Bewitched had two Darren’s after all. I for one am keen to see how this series pans out, especially since Lucrecia makes an appearance even though she was killed at the end of the first series. Of course the main reason a lot of people watch it is for the amount of very toned buff flesh on display.

This video really captured my attention when I saw it yesterday. I’ve posted in the past that I love dance photography. Taking movement and freezing it in a visually pleasing way is really hard to do but when it’s done well at just the right time, it’s gorgeous.

I have a vague concept of how this might have been done, but that’s as far as it goes. However it’s been done, I love it. Water and moving bodies nearly always look beautiful and this is no exception.

I recently told you all that I have finally got the concept for my next exhibition sorted and I’m really looking forward to shooting the images over the next 5-6 months. The exhibition was going to be in February next year but I’ve moved it to the middle of the year as I just wasn’t going to be ready and the last thing I want to do is rush it.

So you had all better keep Wednesday 19 June – Tuesday 3rd July 2012 free to come along, and bring your money. Now I just need to lock in all the models, shoot dates, locations, props and all those other bits and pieces.

As someone that was single for a decade and never had a real relationship, this relationship I find myself in has been a wonderful smooth ride. Every now and then I realise just how much of a bumbling goof I can be.

I’m still learning just how to handle being in a relationship, and while I never expected it to be easy all the time, I’ve been surprised at just how easy we have had it so far. So when I mess something up, I hate it. Not because I’m a perfectionist but because I love my boyfriend and I really don’t want to hurt him. He’s making me way too happy.

So I guess I have to curb some of my natural instincts of avoiding issues and when one comes up, deal with it head on. Like most men, I’m not good at admitting my faults, but I am learning.

A few months ago my boyfriend and I went along to a party thrown by Trashy Events and had a hilariously fun night. Everyone went to a lot of trouble to get dressed up and there were some great costumes. Well those lovely folks are having another party called Halloween Whores. Go to the Trashy Events site to get the details and buy tickets and come and dance up a storm with us.

I’m trying to refine my costume this week. One of my burning man outfits is getting another run but with added accessories, and underwear this time!

One of the hardest things when you are an amateur photographer is trying to find people willing to model for you. Gay men always seem to want more time to get into shape. Even the guys with god-like bodies want more time and say they are too fat.

LeBeau Foto is rebelling against the airbrushed and retouched perfection in his new project. He is shooting guys in natural, available light only and is not retouching a single thing on the models. The result is a set of images that are natural and elegant and honest. The guys still look fantastic but aren’t intimidating or unattainable about it.

This is a purely gratuitous post featuring the pure beefcake of Joe Manganiello with a busty lady-friend enjoying the waters of Hawaii.

As we all know, Joe plays Alcide the werewolf in True Blood and as a result loses his clothes a lot. This is a fact that we are not at all disappointed about or troubled by. Joe is set to lose all his clothes in the upcoming flesh-a-thon movie about a bunch of male strippers based on Channing Tatum’s early days making a living shaking his groove thing. Joe has said there isn’t any full frontal but very little is left to the imagination.

Just how ridiculously hard is it to maintain a body like that?

I’ve posted the beautiful video work of Matthew Brown here on Aussielicious before and guess what? I’m about to do it again. Matthew has entered a Digital Diary of Italy competition and his video is absolutely beautiful. As usual it has a haunting quality to it, beautifully edited to the music. Delicious!

Who would have known that growing up in America’s Midwest means you like a good hug? I never did, but that’s what I’ve learnt from an interview with Kellan Lutz. The other thing I learnt is that gay men are all neat and he’d rather live with a gay man because we keep the place tidy. I beg to differ on that one Kellan. My boyfriend will attest to the fact that my room is usually a mess. But we’re going to let that slide because Kellan loves us.

What else did we learn from Kellan? We learnt that he goes to spas and is happy chilling out nude in the hot tub and has mediocre gaydar. The fact that Kellan was sitting nude in a hot tub with a guy he didn’t know at the time was hitting on him but is totally fine with it is fantastic.

Of course the cynical blogger in me thinks a lot of this could be good press to win over an audience that might be just as happy if he never said a word as long as he keeps his shirt off. But I will take it at face value. Kellan loves the gays!

If you were kayaking a long way off shore and a Blue Whale, the world’s largest mammal, surfaced swimming along side you, what would you do? Jump in? I sure as hell would. That’s exactly what this guy did. Later in the video there are other boats nearby but this guy seems to be the only one swimming with them. I know it’s illegal to approach whales closer than a certain distance but if they swim up to you, then it’s hardly your fault is it?

It’s a way better experience than this guy had ending up standing on a great white shark!

In this cheeky promo for U.S. TV network The CW, they use their hunky male stars to promote the fact that they are doing their bit for global warming, and also saving on costume budgets by making the male stars perform shirtless. Of course it’s a gratuitous method to get the ladies and us gay men to watch them. It sounds like a good plan to me.

All over the gay blogosphere today report after report was posted about the coming out of Heroes Vilain and Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto’s coming out. In an interview he casually dropped in a couple of references to being a gay man and how he’d been inspired by the suicide of bullied gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer to come out and be honest and hopefully set a good example.

A lot of actors in Hollywood are too afraid to come out for fear of losing roles and people not believing them as straight characters. It’s funny how prejudices can still pervade even in an industry built on suspending disbelief. Charlize Theron won an Oscar for her portrayal as a serial killer but I doubt she has ever killed anyone in real life. Nicole Kidman won an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Wolfe in The Hours but I seriously doubt she’d ever leave the house if she had a nose like that of her character. Neil Patrick Harris very convincingly plays suited up casanova/sleaze Barney in How I Met Your Mother but I’m sure his partner David would attest he’s not out hitting on woman all the time.

Congratulations Zachary on the elegance and style with which you’ve handled your coming out, the reasons behind it and I wish you all the success in your career.

Next Sunday evening sees the second birthday of “I Remember House” at the Ivy here in Sydney. In honour of their birthday I have a double pass to giveaway to a lucky reader. Obviously you need to be in Sydney next Sunday 23rd October 2011, as the prize is entry only. Anyone who reads the blog can enter, but you need to be in Sydney for the event.

What do you need to do to enter? The first person to email me with “I Remember House” as the subject with the correct answer to the following question to my email address (brenton.parry@gmail.com) will have the double pass. It’s not a difficult question so you’ll have to be quick!

Q: What city in Australia was Brenton born in?

Update: Congratulations John, you were the first to respond and correct with your answer of “Wollongong”