Legends Live Forever
A Signature Collection by Toni Payne
Legends Live Forever is collection of Fine Art Still Life Photography centered around growth, love, fruitfulness, abundance and spirituality. The full collection will be released over time in small batches of 10-12 pieces till I reach my goal of 120+ pieces. This is a long term art project that will be designed over time as my story develop.
Legends Live Forever is available as an NFT and minted on the Ethereum blockchain on my own Manifold ERC 721 Smart Contract.
About the Artist
Who am I? I am an enigma. I rose from the ashes and took the stone thrown at me and began to build a legacy. I am the Queen of my castle and the captain of my ship. I am strength personified. I am imperfect, this is sometimes clear in my actions. I’ve been through many phases and seen many places. I have felt pain, joy, love, and heartbreak. You know me because destiny has brought you here, in this moment, you see me, in a world where it is easy to feel unseen. I wield a camera as a form of expression. I enjoy beautiful things. I tell stories of what was, what is and what will come to be. Some call me creative, but my goal is to be called Legendary. I am Toni Payne -Orisha of my own destiny and I welcome you on this journey with me.
My Artist Bio
Toni Payne is a Still Life Photographer and Spoken Word Poet who creates dynamic art from things you would otherwise consider mundane. She enjoys capturing the essence of things using composition, color, lighting, and sound. Exploring spirituality through her art is one of her artistic goals. She is also the host of the NFT Talk Show podcast where she educates about NFTs and founder of the Champayner Social Club, an art lovers club who also prioritize doing social good.
About the Collection
Your art will outlive you. Even when you stop, it will continue. – Toni Payne
Legends Live Forever is a collection of Fine Art Still Life Photography Artworks intended to arouse diverse sensations in the audience. The story starts in Chapter 1, with pieces titled after poems written during distinctive events in my life. Each chapter will take its own form. It is left to the audience to put the pieces together and arrive at their own conclusions. This collection will be an ongoing story of that which was, is, may and will come to be.
Each piece that will be presented in this collection represents the past, the present, and the future. The story starts where I found myself lost and everything I had worked hard and sacrificed for, came crumbling down before my eyes because it truly did not belong to me, and it wasn’t my legacy.
I came to the realization that you can put your all into something, but if it is not truly yours, it can never be yours. The choice was clear. You can continue to spend all your years’ building someone else’s legacy, or you can build your legacy and live through your art – forever.
There is a saying that goes, “may we never encounter a challenge that we do not have the strength to overcome.” This is relevant to my life story. I sought refuge in poetry and wielded a camera to shake off the feeling of feeling useless to myself. I went back to what should have always been. I chose to be the author of my fate by facing the most challenging part of the beginning of this story with my head held high and today I stand before you, a woman with a newfound purpose. Legends Live Forever is the fruit of this purpose.
I thought I had lost everything, but I found that I had gained myself. The road to self-discovery was tumultuous. Some days I am still not sure I have arrived. I wrote a lot during these times, I still do. Many times, out of frustration, many times to ease the pain, and many times, just because I wanted to live a life of fantasy through my poetry. I choose for things to be visually beautiful. I choose love, abundance and fruitfulness.
Legends Live Forever leads to the story of my renaissance. A reminder that as long as you live, there is hope to steer your story. It is the reincarnation of my ability to create, sustain, and bear fruit, but this time, the legend is me. My art is me and I am it. We are forever immortalized in our art, never to be forgotten. And in our own right, we are all Legendary and Legends Live Forever.
How to Display Your Legends Live Forever Piece
Legends Live Forever is an experience. The beauty of NFTs is also in its versatility. Now you can collect art from artist around the world and display them on a digital screen. While metal prints work beautifully, a great display and experience a legends live forever NFT pieces is by using an NFT Digital Frame like the 43″ Frame pictured above.
Why Still Life Photography Art NFTs?
Many well-known and legendary artists have done still life art works. Some examples include Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh. Still Life Art has evolved over the years. Contemporary Still Life art can be paintings or photography.
The earliest known Still Life Art dates to 15th century BCE and was created by Egyptians who would depict images of food, utensils and items used in everyday life. These paintings were painted in tombs and gives us insight into what was deemed important enough to document during those times. Still Life features inanimate objects that are arranged, mostly on a table to create a composition. Often included in Still Life art, but not limited to, are organic objects like flowers, fruits, food, and everyday items like glassware or vessels.