Sand Artist Charlene Lanzel

Charlene Lanzel is a self-taught American artist, born in La Crosse, Wisconsin on January 29th, 1967. Charlene started painting at the kindergarten easel, and continues to create to this day. It had always been her dream to pursue a career in the arts. Her Father, Mother and Grandfather were visual artists themselves, and spent ample time exposing Charlene to drawing, painting, wood carving, ceramics and other visual art forms that provided a sound foundation for her artistic mastery later in life.

Charlene was first published in an instruction book for elementary school art teachers at age 9. At her high school in Onalaska, Wisconsin, she was invited into the Gifted & Talented Artists program. Upon graduation in 1985, she received the Senior Art Award and Art Scholarship. After a short move to Minneapolis in 1985 to explore life on her own, the restless artist relocated to New York City in 1987 at the age of 20.

Charlene Lanzel began working as a display artist a year later in 1988, when she joined the art department of lower Broadway's once notorious Unique Clothing Warehouse, a center for New York City underground fashion in the 1980’s. Charlene’s responsibilities included: window displays, mural painting, sign painting and props. Charlene’s hard work paid off, and eventually she became Art Director of Unique Clothing Warehouse until the store’s closing in 1991, when she began working as a freelance muralist.

Charlene attended the Fashion Institute of Technology from 1992-1995. She focused her study on the History of Art & Architecture, Screen Printing and Entrepreneurial Business.

From 1996 to 2008, Charlene Lanzel was represented by one of the world's leading mural painting companies, Silver Hill Atelier (formerly Modeworks). As a lead artist for Silver Hill, Charlene designed and painted murals for casinos, restaurants, retail stores, theaters and private residences worldwide. Some projects include: Planet Hollywood, Godiva Chocolatier, Hong Kong Disneyland, W Hotel Chicago, Mohegan Sun Casino, Nobu 57th St., Mesa Grill Las Vegas, Cheesecake Factory and Disney's Tokyo Sea Resort, among many others.

In 1999, Charlene Lanzel teamed up with L.A. based muralist Tracy Lee Stum to paint Italian trompe l'oeil murals for the Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. The two artists also competed together at the prestigious XXVII Centro Italiano Madonnari Street Painting Festival in Mantova, Italy. Their effort produced a bronze medal and the two artists appeared on the front page of the Gazetta Di Mantova newspaper, which stated they are, "...technically considered some of the best in the world...". In 2003, they collaborated with over 30 of the world's top street painters on a 70 ft. reproduction of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling at the Youth In Arts Festival in San Rafael, CA. In 2010, Charlene worked with Tracy again at the USA House of the Olympic Games in Vancouver, where they created spectacular 3D interactive chalk art murals.

Charlene Lanzel is a well known for her fine art paintings and has shown her work in galleries around New York City, in Chicago, Las Vegas and Amsterdam. Charlene and her work have appeared in many publications, including 2010 appearances in The New York Optimist and Time Out NY Magazine. Time Out has called her, "...lovely and talented...”. In 2010, Charlene was invited to show her art at the prestigious Fountain Art Fair in New York City.

Charlene Lanzel is a multi-faceted diamond who seems to shine at every point. Leaving no stone unturned, she keeps us wondering what she'll do next.... Charlene currently resides in New York City and works as a fine art painter and sand animation artist.

Charlene Lanzel is a world-renowned performance artist from New York City who uses her hands in the sand to create living sand animations. This is an amazing live performance using just sand, a light box and a projector. Charlene creates these fluid story illustrations for large audiences, with an overhead camera instantaneously projecting onto a large screen for the audience to see.

As a life-long artist, feeling limited by one image painted on canvas, Charlene Lanzel became fascinated with live sand animation when she saw it for the first time in 2004. It wasn’t until 2010 though, that Charlene embraced the idea of becoming a performance artist herself. A spark of an idea suddenly raced through her mind. Charlene then lost no time in building her first sand box, and started to experiment with this new found art form on her own. Although difficult, she was able to master sand animation techniques, due to the artistic inclination she was born with, and her very successful career as a working muralist and fine artist.

In February of 2011, Charlene released her first sand animation video on YouTube, and within weeks she was scouted to perform for Cirque Du Soleil at the opening night party for Zarkana at Roseland in New York City. Soon after, Charlene began traveling around the World, fascinating audiences with her magical sand animation performances. Charlene’s sand art combines her passion for artistic expression with her love of music, storytelling and performance art into one unique and mesmerizing art form.

The 10 Best Countries To Live In Around The World

10. New Zealand

People in New Zealand have a high life expectancy, living an average of 82 years.

> Human Development Index score: 0.910
> Gross nat’l income per capita: $32,569 (30th highest)
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.1 years (17th highest)
> Expected years of schooling: 19.4 years (2nd highest)

A typical New Zealander starting school in 2012 was expected to receive more than 19 years of education, higher than in every country except for neighboring Australia, and perhaps an indication of the country’s strong education system. New Zealand invested 7.2% of its GDP on education in 2012, one of the highest expenditures worldwide. And while spending does not always yield strong outcomes, New Zealand students consistently performed above-average on international assessment tests. Like most livable countries, New Zealand residents also enjoy one of the world’s highest life expectancies. A newborn was expected to live more than 81 years as of last year.

9. Canada 

 Tying with New Zealand, Canada ranks high in education level. More than half of its residents graduate from college.

> Population: 35.5 million
> GNI per capita: $42,155
> Life expectancy at birth: 82.0 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 99.9%

Canada has one of the better-educated populations in the world. Nearly all adult citizens — 99.9% of residents 25 and over — have a at least some secondary education. The nation’s students also score among the best in the world on standardized math, science and reading exams for 15 year olds. The United States often compares its own health care system to Canada’s public system. Based on life expectancy at birth, it appears that Canadians are healthier on average than citizens of most other countries. Also, just 81 males and 51 females out of every 1,000 people are not expected to live past 60 years in Canada, one of the lowest adult mortality rates among nations reviewed by the HDI.

8. The United States 

 The U.S. ranks high in financial wealth. Americans earn an average of $52,947 per year.

> Population: 322.6 million
> GNI per capita: $52,947
> Life expectancy at birth: 79.1 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 95.0%

With a GDP of $16.2 trillion, the U.S. economy is the largest in the world. Workers in the United States are also among the world’s most productive. On average, each U.S. worker contributes $91,710 to the economy, third in the OECD after only Luxembourg and Norway.

Younger American students lag behind many of their peers abroad. U.S. students rank 22nd in the world in reading performance, 34th in math, and 26th in science. One potential explanation for the relatively poor academic performance may be a lack of investment in education. The United States spends only 5.2% of its GDP on education, a lower expenditure than most OECD nations. However, based on the tertiary enrollment rate, Americans are more likely to pursue higher education than residents of every other country except for Greece and South Korea.

7. Ireland 

 Crime is low in Ireland. The homicide rate stands at only 1.2 per 1,000 people, according to the most recent data available.

7. Ireland
> Population: 4.7 million
> GNI per capita: $39,568
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.9 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 79.6%

Like in many of Western Europe’s wealthier nations, Ireland has relatively strong medical institutions and its residents are healthy. Just 3.2 out of every 1,000 newborns die before age 1, for example, almost half the infant mortality rate of 6.48 deaths per 1,000 newborns across all OECD nations. Similarly, just 82 males and 49 females per 1,000 Irish residents die before the age of 60, each significantly less than the OECD male and female mortality rates of 60.5 and 112.5, respectively.

Ireland residents spend 12.2 years in school on average, one of the higher mean years of schooling in the world. If current enrollment trends continue, Irish children can expect to receive an average of 18.6 years of education, the fifth most of countries reviewed.

6. Germany 

 This country ranks high in overall health. People live to age 81 on average and have a relatively low risk for diseases like malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis.

> Population: 82.7 million
> GNI per capita: $43,919
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.9 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 96.6%

The 1990 Human Development Report ranked Germany as the 12th most livable country. The 2015 report ranks Germany sixth in the world for the third consecutive year. The Western European nation does especially well in educational measures. The average number of years of schooling among German citizens is 13.1, higher than in every other country reviewed. German students also rank among the top 20 countries in the world in reading, math, and science. Germany, which is one of a minority of countries with a female head of state, is ahead of most countries in gender equality. Roughly 36.9% of parliament seats are held by women, a larger share than in all but 21 other countries.

Germany is also a relatively safe country. With fewer than 1 homicide for every 100,000 residents reported each year, it has one of the lowest murder rates of the 188 countries examined. By contrast, it is significantly lower than the 4.7 homicides for every 100,000 U.S. residents annually.

5. The Netherlands 

 This country has one of the lowest rates of income inequality in the world, and it's been continually decreasing since the mid-1990s.

> Population: 16.8 million
> GNI per capita: $45,435
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.6 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 89.0%

The Netherlands, like many other Western European nations, has a high life expectancy and a strong education system. The Netherlands spends 12.9% of its $755.3 billion GDP on public health, a higher share than any country other than the United States. Partially as a result, Dutch citizens have remarkably good health outcomes. The Netherlands’ infant mortality rate of 3.3 deaths per 1,000 newborns is almost half of the infant mortality rate across OECD nations. Similarly, the country’s 81.6 year life expectancy at birth is among the highest worldwide.

A higher share of Dutch children are enrolled in secondary school than in all but two other countries. If current enrollment patterns continue, a Dutch child can expect to receive about 18 years of schooling, the seventh highest of any nation.

4. Denmark 

 The gender wage gap is now at only 15%, a percentage that is declining due to mounting protests by workers. For comparison, the gap hovers at 64% in the US.

> Population: 5.6 million
> GNI per capita: $44,025
> Life expectancy at birth: 80.2 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 96.1%

High public spending on education helps Danish citizens enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Denmark spends 8.8% of its $235.7 billion GDP on public education, compared to the average OECD expenditure 5.1%. Partially as a result, Denmark has a higher share of students enrolled in secondary school than in all but three other countries. If current enrollment patterns continue, Dutch children can expect to receive 18.7 years of education, a longer period than in all but three other countries.

Compared to most advanced economies, Denmark is relatively safe. There is less than one homicide per 100,000 Danes, much less than the 4 murders per 100,000 persons across all OECD nations.

3. Switzerland 

 People in Switzerland enjoy low-cost tuition; students can go to college for less than $1,000 per semester.

> Population: 8.2 million
> GNI per capita: $56,431
> Life expectancy at birth: 83.0 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 95.7%

Switzerland is home to one of the healthiest populations in the world. Life expectancy at birth in the nation is 83 years, higher than in all but three other countries. A long life expectancy may be attributable to higher than average investment in public health. Switzerland spends 11.5% of its total GDP on public health, one of the largest shares in the world. Switzerland is also a relatively safe country. With roughly 0.6 homicides for every 100,000 residents, the country’s murder rate is one of the lowest of countries reviewed.

Along with health and safety, the Swiss also do well by several education-related measures. The country’s schools are proving effective as Swiss students rank seventh in the world in mathematics. They also rank among the 20 top in reading and science.

2. Australia 

 In the past 10 years, the Australian government increased its investment in education by more than 25%. The UN found that most students go to school for around 20 years.

> Population: 23.6 million
> GNI per capita: $42,261
> Life expectancy at birth: 82.4 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 94.4%

By international standards of wealth, health, and education, Australia is the second most livable country. Australia currently has the highest share of children enrolled in secondary school of any nation. Australian children are expected to spend over two decades getting an education in their lifetimes, the highest years of expected schooling worldwide.

Relatively few adults in Australia die prematurely. Just 45 females and 78 males for every 1,000 Australians die before reaching the age of 60, much lower than the adult mortality rates of 61 females and 113 males for every 1,000 people who die prematurely across all OECD nations. At the age of 60, the average Australian can expect to live for about 25 more years, the third highest old-age life expectancy on the planet.

1. Norway 

 For the 12th consecutive year, Norway ranked highest in life expectancy, education, and standard of living. Thanks to the country's robust healthcare system, the average life expectancy is 82 years.

> Population: 5.1 million
> GNI per capita: $64,992
> Life expectancy at birth: 81.6 years
> Pct. of pop. with at least some high school: 97.1%

While each of the Scandinavian nations has historically done very well in the HDI, Norway has ranked first in each of the last five years of the report’s release. Like most other nations with a high quality of life, Norway’s population tends to be very wealthy. The country’s GNI per capita of $64,992 is among the highest in the world. It is also more than $12,000 per person higher than the U.S. GNI per capita. Like its Scandinavian neighbors, wealth and other aspects, such as employment and political power, are relatively evenly distributed throughout the population based on gender. The country ranks as one of the best of countries reviewed in the HDI gender equality index.

'Healing' detected in Antarctic ozone hole

Researchers say they have found the first clear evidence that the thinning in the ozone layer above Antarctica is starting to heal.

The scientists said that in September 2015 the hole was around 4 million sq km smaller than it was in the year 2000 - an area roughly the size of India.

The gains have been credited to the long term phasing out of ozone-destroying chemicals.

The study also sheds new light on the role of volcanoes in making the problem worse.

Skin cancer worry

The natural production and destruction of ozone in the stratosphere balances itself out over long time, meaning that historically there has been a constant level to protect the Earth by blocking out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

Its absence increases the chances of skin cancer, cataract damage, and harm to humans, animals and plants.

British scientists first noticed a dramatic thinning of ozone in the stratosphere some 10 kilometres above Antarctica in the mid 1980s.

In 1986, US researcher Susan Solomon showed that ozone was being destroyed by the presence of molecules containing chlorine and bromine that came from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These gases were found in everything from hairsprays to refrigerators to air conditioning units.

The reason the thinning was occurring mainly over Antarctica was because of the extreme cold and large amounts of light. These helped produce what are termedPolar Stratospheric Clouds.

In these chilled-out clouds, the chlorine chemistry occurs that destroys the ozone.

Thanks to the global ban on the use of CFCs in the Montreal Protocol in 1987, the situation in Antarctica has been slowly improving.

Several studies have shown the declining influence of CFCs, but according to the authors this new study shows the "first fingerprints of healing" and the ozone layer is actively growing again.

Prof Solomon and colleagues, including researchers from the University of Leeds in the UK, carried out detailed measurements of the amount of ozone in the stratosphere between 2000 and 2015.

Using data from weather balloons, satellites and model simulations, they were able to show that the thinning of the layer had declined by 4 million sq km over the period. The found that more than half the shrinkage was due solely to the reduction in atmospheric chlorine.

Normally measurements are taken in October when the ozone hole is at its largest. But this team believed they would get a better picture by looking at readings taken in September, when temperatures are still low but other factors that can influence the amount of ozone, such as the weather, are less prevalent.

"Even though we phased out the production of CFCs in all countries including India and China around the year 2000, there's still a lot of chlorine left in the atmosphere.

"It has a lifetime of about 50-100 years, so it is starting to slowly decay and the ozone will slowly recover.

"We don't expect to see a complete recovery until about 2050 or 2060 but we are starting to see that in September the ozone hole is not as bad as it used to be."

One finding that puzzled researchers was the October 2015 reading that showed the biggest ozone hole on record over Antarctica.

The scientists believe that a key contributor to the record hole was volcanic activity.

"After an eruption, volcanic sulphur forms tiny particles and those are the seeds for Polar Stratospheric Clouds," Prof Solomon told Science in Action.

"You get even more of these clouds when you have a recent major volcanic eruption and that leads to additional ozone loss."

"Until we did our recent work no-one realised that the Calbuco eruption in Chile, actually had significantly affected the ozone loss in October of last year."

The study has been hailed as "historically significant" by some other researchers in the field.

"This is the first convincing evidence that the healing of the Antarctic ozone hole has now started," said Dr Markus Rex from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany.

"Right now the state of the ozone layer is still really bad, but I find it very important that we know the Montreal Protocol is working and has an effect on the size of the hole and that is a big step forward."

Differing views

However others are not entirely convinced that the decline shown in the new study is down to a reduction in the amount of chlorine in the stratosphere.

"The data clearly show significant year to year variations that are much greater than the inferred trends shown in the paper," said Dr Paul Newman from Nasa.

"If the paper included this past year, which had a much more significant ozone hole due to lower wave driven forcing, the overall trend would be less."

Regardless of these questions, the scientists involved in the study believe the ozone story is a great role model for how to tackle global environmental problems.

"It's just been remarkable," said Prof Solomon.

"This was an era in which international co-operation went rather well on some issues. I was inspired by the way the developed and developing countries were able to work together on dealing with the ozone hole," said Prof Solomon.