StorySTellArt Calendar: A 2014 plenty of art, stories and stars

You can watch the video in English here

Have you ever contemplated the breathtaking beauty of the sky at night and you have been moved by the grandeur of the Universe? Have you ever wondered what relationship you have with all you see up there, and what you do, here and now, on this planet Earth?

Sure, like me, the answer is yes.

Our ancestors, not so different from us, looked up and asked themselves the same question so many times, and dreamed all kind of stories about it, which were told for the years to come. Myths of gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines; stories that connected their daily life with whatever was going on up there, with their crops and harvests, with life, and death, with the creation of everything that exists and the miracle of being alive.

We are living in a time where you cannot enjoy the brightful blanket of the stars everywhere. In a time when we feel deprived of stories that make any sense about who we really are and what is waiting for us outside. I felt the urge to merge a fraction of these stories, a speck of the stars and a cupful of art to glue it all together into the shape of a calendar that will help us reconnect throughout next year...

StorySTellArt Calendar 2014 was born after my first painting exhibition alone. I came out of a creativity blocking lasting years… a month before, more or less. I returned to painting galaxies and nebulae, with pastel pencils and my hands, those deep space marvels who aren’t usually available in such a great esplendour to the naked eye. In a way, La Palma island asked me to bring a piece of heavens to pastel paper. For the ones not familiar with this island, where I live since May 2012, it is probably the place in the world with more astronomical observatories per inhabitant.

When you exhibit 12 pieces of artwork in the beginnings of september, with all the notebooks and diaries and the like around you, you cannot avoid linking the paintings with the months of the year.

Yes, it was a way for the paintings to get to more people. More so, I wanted recent and ancient stories of the Universe to be a part of it, and also let you know, without googling it!, when you can look up for a meteor shower, or an eclipse, or other astronomical events further than just the moon phases. Something that could make you remember to raise your gaze to the skies and feel you are not alone.

With your help, I would love to offer you an artwork. A story. A date for asking wishes to a falling star. An inspiration. Each month, next year.

Here you can see one of the first design trials, January 2014 (this one is in Spanish).

Here you have a most advanced version!

And an updated English version!

It will show you...

… a colour reproduction of one of Serie Estelar first twelve pastel paintings

… a short description of what is depicted and where to look for it at night

*… a scientific and inspirational phrase related to our past and that of the Universe

… a few sentences of a cosmic myth, legend or story from our ancestors all over the world (origins, evolution, constellations, planets, and the like)

… and these special moments when you should look up at the skies more: meteor showers, eclipses, planetarian opositions and conjunctions...

And of course, last but not least, your name and the names of many more people who believe in this project and want to hang the calendar at home, to be with you all year long. Names will be displayed in the undercover, linked to the stars on a planisphere. :)

With lots of love! More so, I am reading a lot and searching for relevant astronomical dates, and enjoying plenty of star lore from our ancestors, dressed up some of it like myths, legends and tales. I am also looking for scientific inspirational stories of our Universe evolution.

More practical details? Here they go...

The pictures displayed in the calendar were painted with pastel pencils in a paper meant for this kind of work, to be photographed later (don't like to scan pastel paintings!). ;)

Oh yes, the tiny drawings inside the days' boxes were sketched with Chinese ink and treated later to add colour with...GIMP, the open source software I use to work with images.

Designing flows better when I dive into it with pencil, paper and markers first, and edition comes later through Scribus, another open source program.

Printing, even more so, will be aligned with my values and those of the calendar, so it will be done by an ecodesign-expert firm, El Tinter.

The final product will be a wall-hanging calendar, in a shape of an A4 magazine (open it's an A3 size), with 24 pages plus 4 cover-undercover. Paper will be FSC 50% recycled 150g, and they will use vegetable oil-based inks.

It will be printed in Spanish, and in Catalonian and English if there's enough demand of it (I need a minimum of 100 calendars to make it viable in each language. SO COME ON, HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD!!! ;)

Wow... in so many ways!

• Giving money directly to the project, that will help the calendar be printed out, in exchange for an incentive. In the column on your right you can findthe differemt options with their incentives. With just 10 euros (about $11-12 dollars), plus shipping expenses, you get the calendar and yout name inside it.

If you don't like Paypal, or typing your credit card or bank account online, and you would like nevertheless to contribute with money and getting your calendar, please email me at and we will find a way..

Of course, you can make your donation through all the crowdfunding campaign. Though the sooner we achieve our goal, the sooner most of the calendar will go to press, so it can be ready in the beginnings of 2014.

• Spreading the word and sharing the project with whoever you think will like it, for them or as a gift.

At the bottom of this page you will find the links for sharing it through email, Facebook or Twitter. If you've got a blog or webpage, and wanna share it there also, there's a small widget to embed you can use too. The link is also available for sharing into forums and other online sites.

• Or better yet... options are aplenty: Are you member of an astronomical entity? Working in the media? Got a shop (online or not), or know of some who may like to have the calendar there? Do you love stories, and got some beautiful ones about the kosmos? Are you an institution, NGO, small corporation, whatever, and wnat to contribute in a way not displayed in here? Do you want to offer an incentive, whether product or experience, in exchange for some calendars or your logo on it? Do you want Serie Estelar exhibition at your place?

You will find easily more options to cooperate than me, for sure. Ask me at the bottom of this page or email me at .

Let's talk about it! Thank you!

Money will help to:

• Print over 500 -1000 StorySTellArt Calendar 2014 (Spanish, English and Catalonian editions), given the above mentioned conditions, and bringing them to the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain

• Perks and shipping expenses

• All kind of taxes and comissions (Verkami's, Paypal's, and the like).

These days, besides this crowdfunding campaign, I am in a frenzy but exciting time of reading, designing, editing and asking for budgets, collaborations and so and so.

The calendar will be almost ready to go to press in late November. But cover, backcover and undercover will have to wait a little more. I'll tell you more about the cover in the next section. Undercover is where your name will show up, so I cannot push the button til this campaign is over!

My goal is to have it printed before New Year's Eve, and that you can have the calendar at home in January; whether you live in Spain or abroad. We'll find the way! Just remember shipping expenses are not included if you live outside Spain!

If you opted for the 30x40cm printing or the 5 calendars, I'll send you all in one package.

If you opted for one of the original paintings, I'll write you to arrange things so it can arrive your home safe and sound ;)

And if you chose one of the shows, know that they will be held between January and March. I will tell you more when the events are planned, after all the calendars are delivered.

...about the stories

I will offer a complete online recording of the stories displayed in the calendar, for you to download. They will be available for the crowdfunders on Christmas, and for everybody who purchase the calendar later on. They will go public, for everybody, on spring 2014. Yes, there will be an English version... and I will do my best!

... about the paintings

Up to now there are just 12 Serie Estelar paintings, and you can find them detailed in here.(I am working in uploading the translation!). A picture for each month.

So... I am lacking an astronomical cover!For a short time though, I know. Because I will create one with your help. What I am asking you is simple: choose between 5 galaxy and nebula photos. The one who gets more votes before December 3rd will be painted on paper, 50x65 cm size to be used as cover, and later on maybe you end up hanging it on your wall too!!! Where can you vote? Easy.

Come into the StoryStellArt Calendar section of viviendoelcambio, look at the photos and their names, choose the one you like the most, and fill in the form you will find linked there (go for the English version). I need all the information so I can check it with verkami first, and I will use birthday dates for the cover painting raffle!!! I'll keep you posted! :)

Verkami's blog will be updated so you can receive all the information about the project, images, videos... and maybe there will be a surprise or two!

Any question, you can leave a message here, or email me at [email protected]. I will answer ASAP!

Wishing you a 2014 plenty of stories, stars and art!