Category: Photography

  • ART LIFE UPDATE: CREATING THE PRINCE ARTIFACTS TOTE BAG

    Ever since I graduated from fashion school, I’ve wanted to create a merchandise line. At the time, I wanted to be a fashion illustrator and sell branded items, like Hello Kitty or Lisa Frank. Of course, I didn’t know how I was going to do that. As I did my research, I discovered how costly it was to design a product range and have it manufactured. I gave up on the idea as I moved onto other things.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    Having made the decision in the last five year, to focus solely on my photography, the idea for a merchandise line rose again. I felt that my images could be more than just artworks hung on a wall. They could become part of everyday items, like bags and home accessories. I saw that the technology for printing mediums had advanced greatly since I last experimented with them as a student. I could print high resolution images on transfer paper and heat press them on to fabric. New ideas were born!

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I bought some transfer paper and the first product I designed was this tote bag. I really just wanted a lightweight tote bag to carry my shopping, or packages I need to bring to the post office. It’s a large size, but it folds up nicely to go inside my purse. It’s made of muslin fabric. Muslin is a staple for any fashion designer. It’s a cotton cloth used to make initial samples of a design to test out the pattern. The fabric is lightweight, but tough wearing. I love the shabby chic vibe of muslin.

    Muslin fabric ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I printed my Prince Artifacts photo on the front side of the bag. But then I got some more ideas… I added these strips and arranged them to look like stickers. I was inspired by the way sometimes guitarists like to paste up stickers all over their guitar cases. I designed a piano keyboard pattern on one strip. I was inspired by the way Prince had piano keys incorporated into his decoration at Paisley Park. I designed my own leopard print pattern, emulating the look of washi tape. I was inspired by Prince’s signature leopard print guitar straps. And then I added a strip with the words “Love God” in Prince’s own handwriting, that I traced over from a Christmas card that I saw online. And of course, I added my own brand logo with the textile label.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    The process was several weeks in the making. Initially, I thought about just buying ready made tote bags, but I didn’t find any I liked. They were poor quality and made using cheap labour in foreign countries. They weren’t what I envisioned. So I decided to design and make my own bags. I ended up making three prototypes to get it just right. First, I did a sample to test out the transfer paper on some leftover fabric I already had (from over 15 years ago when I was in fashion school!). Then I ordered more fabric, but it was different from the initial sample. I decided to wash the sample to see how well the artwork would hold up. It shrank. Then I realized that I should have pre-shrunk the fabric.  So then I washed the fabric and I made another sample. My first sample didn’t have the strip of leopard print. That came later when inspiration kept brewing, and one night, I spent hours designing leopard print on my iPad Pro with pencil.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    My experiences have taught me that if an initial idea doesn’t come out the way you hoped it to, don’t give up. Just set it aside. Ideas came return in new ways later on. Keep working towards your goals. I try to spend everyday working little by little towards a goal.


    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    A Special Offer
    I just listed the tote bag in my shop. As a promo offer to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Prince’s passing (April 21), I am offering free custom monogramming when you order this bag. Normally, I would charge an additional $5 for the customization. I will also throw in a freebie, two Cosmic Duo Art Greeting Cards, Comic Day and Cosmic Night, its design was inspired by Paisley Park (the cards are a $14 value). Offer will end on my birthday, May 5, 2020. No promo code needed. See here for details.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    Image above: “Sewing” by Andrea Mai.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

  • ART LIFE UPDATE: MORE #STAYATHOME & PRINCE-INSPIRED ARTWORKS

    Despite my intuitive feeling that my art show might not happen this year (I submitted a notice of cancellation to the venue), I decided to move forward in action for my overall plan anyway. I used the art show date as a deadline to push myself. And now I am  getting closer to where I want to be in my work. I have developed new artwork prints and product designs. The world is in chaos, but I am peaceful inside.  It doesn’t mean that I don’t care about what’s going on, but I see no point in worry or complaint. I take necessary precautions where needed. I accept that this pandemic may take longer than we hope for it to pass, might as well settle in for the long haul. People are upset that they have to stay inside, questioning how real it is,  how valid are the threats to justify it. I try a little everyday to work towards my goals, because I believe in making lemonade when life hands you lemons.

    One such goal is working on my online art shop, adding new products and coming up with the best ways to present and package my art. In the past, I was reluctant to invest in the production of my work. I saw how others were using drop-shipping to sell their work. But after much consideration, I do not see it as a viable option for me. Perhaps it works for others, (or maybe in the future). But it is not for me. My preferred approach is hands-on. I want to be in control of production. I want make it special.

    After an experience where a photo lab failed to send out my order, they allegedly lost all my prints and told me that they would reprint it immediately and deliver it to me. I do not like the idea that there could be unauthorized prints of my work floating around out there. That is why for prints that are not produced in-house, I offer a Certificate of Authenticity. In another experience, I was attending a warehouse sale for blank t-shirts from a printing company. I saw amidst the piles of t-shirts, that some were printed. Were they prototype samples for a customer? I don’t know, but it made me question; who knows where your designs could end up without your knowledge? It begs the question, how well do you know your suppliers? Do you trust that they will destroy all unauthorized samples or not sell them without your permission? That is why I have decided to produce as much of my own work where reasonably possible.

    Admittedly, the audience for my work is very small. While I considered the option of using drop- shipping services like Printify or Society 6, to produce my designs and artwork, it is not a business model that works for me. Custom printers want to make a high profit margin for their print-on demand services, but they cut every corner on the cost of materials, leaving me, as the artist very little opportunity to reasonably mark up the items for a profit. The product quality does not justify the cost, in my opinion. As an artist,, I would have to be selling large volumes for this model to be worthwhile. I found the finished products very expensive for what it is, and I would have to order sample products for approval. The start-up cost would be very costly, meanwhile I could have s[ent that money and invested in my own production supplies.


    I have relaunched my two Prince prints. The prints were originally produced by a lab the silver-halide method, which I love, but have decided to move on with printing in-studio. I currently have two options, mat and frame, or mat only.

    Prince Artifacts with mat and frame. Click here to view more. ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

     

    Prince Sun with mat. Click here for more. ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    The metallic paper I use to print on, reflects a subtle golden light from it when viewed at certain angles. It creates a stunning effect when viewed in person.

    Prince Sun. Click here for more. ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I also have the Prince Artifacts in a greeting card version.

    Prince Artifacts Greeting Card. Click here for more.©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    And I was suddenly struck with inspiration to create these two new Prince-inspired greeting card designs. They are  what I call the “cosmic duo”, as they are titled Cosmic Day and Cosmic Night. (And yes, for those of you well-versed Prince fans, Cosmic Day was an unreleased song title by Prince.) It was inspired by the ceiling murals at Paisley Park. In the sitting room area for visitors,  is a painted ceiling with piano keys and a view of the night sky. There is also a version of it in the conference room upstairs. The central hall is covered with painted clouds. I find this interesting, because that is exactly what I dreamed of having on my bedroom walls when I was a kid.

    Cosmic Day Greeting Card. Click here for more. ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

     

    Cosmic Night Greeting Card. Click here for more. ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I have two other Prince-related pieces. I was able to source some unused vintage Prince vinyl. It has the original Paisley Park labelling. They did not come with any record cover art. I hate to vinyl go unloved. I thought the 7-inch singles looked cool mounted on over my circle prints. So I created these two prints, and mounted the vinyl over it.

    7 Framed Vinyl Wall Art. Click here for more. ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

     

    Nothing Compares 2 U Framed Vinyl Wall Art. Click here for more. ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I actually have another Prince-related item that I’m working on, that I’m very excited about. I will fill you in on it when it’s ready.

    Image above: “Behind the scenes” by Andrea Mai.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

  • ART LIFE UPDATE, SPIRITS REACT TO PRINCE AT MICHAEL’S – EVP March 8, 2020

    I’ve ben busy since February, preparing for an art show in May. Though it might not happen, as this coronavirus pandemic has caused school closures and event cancellations. They say that it might last until June or longer. I am not surprised though. I have not felt optimistic about 2020. The end of 2019 saw riots in Hong Kong and Paris. The virus was slowly erupting in China, and has now it has reached all around the world. I had a feeling at the beginning of the year, that things could get cancelled. I intended to lay low this year. But the art show placement was assigned to me since last year. I procrastinated working on it. Then in January, I started making plans for it. I made some decisions to grow my art business. I invested in buying equipment and art materials. It’s been a real process, something that I had been avoiding for years. Up until tis point, I’d only been testing the waters to see if anyone would buy my art. Having the art show as a firm deadline to work from, gave me the push. Otherwise the hesitation about what to do could drag on. So even if this art show doesn’t happen, it’s all work that I had to do anyway.

    Test print ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    The biggest decision I made, that will affect my art the most, is choosing to print my own work. I bought a photo printer. I had been sending my work to print at a professional lab. I love the results that the labs give, but it’s not flexible enough for my business, logistically speaking. The cost of shipping really ads up, plus the waiting time. All the prints listed on my shop are currently lab printed. They are printed using the silver halide method on a metallic finish paper. The process involves photo paper that reacts to light. There is no ink involved. It is really the best, and I will still offer it for large size prints. I have a found a metallic finish paper that I can use on my inkjet printer that offers very compelling results. They are not the same, but it is still just as beautiful. Silver halide prints are have a super shiny finish, they are more silver toned and look very 3D, whereas the inkjet metallic is also very shiny and glossy, it leans more on the golden side. There is a subtle golden glow that projects from the paper. Below are photos of silver halide on metallic versus inkjet on metallic. The photos hardly do it any justice, you really have to see it in person.

    Silver halide prints ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.
    Inkjet prints ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    Creating art prints and products for people to buy has a real process involved. Every detail must be considered. Decisions must take place before things can get started, as they will affect the materials and equipment that I need to buy. For instance, choosing what sizes of the art prints to offer, only until this is firmly decided, that then I can consider what my packaging options are. And then comes the sourcing, and that is one of the most crucial but challenging steps. One must envision how they will package and present their artwork to the customer, and then find the appropriate materials. Have you ever heard the saying, that God only gives you what you can handle? In the past, I have found that if I did not have the packaging ready for my online store, the sales for larger orders would not come in. I used to think that I could just wait to get an order in and figure it outtlater. But those orders never came. Then I splurged on the packaging and the orders came in.


    Last week, I went to Michael’s to get a hold of a white Sharpie marker. I recorded EVP while I was in there. I rarely ever get to go to Michael’s. I could honestly spend hours in there.

    These clips turned out pretty good. I tested them on my laptop speakers and you could hear them audibly. But I still recommend headphones for a better listening experience. The clips are repeated on loop.

    Here is someone saying, “Hi Prince”.

    I think we must have ran into some of his fans, as this one said, “I adore you, Prince”.

    This one asked, “When did you die?“. P said, “2016”.

    Some one said, “Orange tree… Eat an orange”. I think there must have been an orange tree there on the spirit side.

    Someone offered P a drink, “You wanna drink?”.

    “Orange juice”.

    Someone said, “Angels in here”.

    “There’s an angel”.

    I spent about 50 minutes there, browsing. I had already gotten what I came for, but I couldn’t stop looking. But it was getting late in the day. P said, “It’s getting late. Gotta go”. I felt him tugging at me to go.

    But before I left, Michael Jackson’s song came on, Remember the Time. The spirits there knew it was going to come on the radio. They said, “Next is Michael Jackson”.

    I only bought the Sharpie and went home.


    I have a collection of art prints and greeting cards coming soon. I found a really wonderful inkjet cardstock to print on for cards. The print quality is amazing. I already have one card posted in the shop. It’s the card version for my Prince Artifacts print.

    Prince Artifacts greeting card ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved. Click here to buy.

    These recordings were recorded using  my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on March 8 2020.

    Image above: “Ink and prints” by Andrea Mai.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

  • THEY MOVED THE CLOUDS FOR ME – EVP January 15, 2020

    Can Spirits Send Messages In The Clouds?

    Our hotel was walking distance from Niagara Falls, so we walked to Prospect Point, the only spot where you can see both the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls at the same time. It was cloudy, windy, and very cold. I recorded EVP as I took photos.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I got some good clips, but you can hear the wind and the water in the background. I tested  the clips on my laptop speakers, they are audible, but some are better with headphones. The clips are repeated on loop.

    As we walked along the river towards the falls, it was very cold, and I wondered if P was cold. I imagined for him, a black sateen bomber-style jacket with black rhinestone crystals encrusted on the back that formed his symbol. Though I’ve heard that one can give gifts to spirits by thought, I never really knew if it works. P said, “Andrea, a new coat“.

    He then said, “I got it, thank you”.

    It was very windy, P said, “Windy”.

    Then he said, “Lost my hat”. Fortunately, after that I heard someone found his hat. It must have blown away.

    There seemed to be talk about P’s new coat with with the spirits nearby. Someone asked him what the symbol was, probably referring to the symbol on the coat. He said, “Love sign”.

    P said, “Nice and warm”.

    Someone said, “Hey Prince”.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    As I was taking photos, someone said, “Like this”, and another said, “That’s pretty”.

    The sun was starting to come out and there was a small strip of light appearing halfway along the horizon. It was beautiful, but I said that I wished the rest of the clouds would move so that the light could fill up the horizon. As we waite for someone to return from the washroom, I noticed that the clouds had moved and the whole horizon was beaming with light!

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I heard them on the EVP, saying, “Move it away”.

    It was stunning, I knew someone was helping us with the weather. After we left the park, the entire sky cleared up and it was bright and sunny. I felt really blessed to see such beauty.

    These recordings were recorded using  my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on January 15, 2020.

    ©2020 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

     

     

  • PRINCE REACTS TO PHOTO BOOK – MY NAME IS PRINCE – REVIEW AND EVP – November 19, 2019

    Yesterday, I woke up to a notice in my inbox that the My Name Is Prince photo book was on its way. I checked the tracking and found out that it had already arrived outside my door.

    I noticed this book when it was first listed on Amazon. There was no cover photo yet, but I knew it was going to be good, because it was from Randee St. Nicolas. She worked with Prince on the 21 Nights photo book. I could tell, that she must have been his favourite.

    Eight before all this Prince stuff happened to me, I was just deciding to focus on my photography. At the time, I wasn’t quite sure of my talent as an artist. But I could sense him, cheering me on to keep going with my work. I later learned that Prince also loved photography, he took a personal DSLR camera on tour with him. And one of my first EVPs of him, was him saying, “Nice camera”, referring to my Canon M3.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I decided to record EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) as I unboxed the book. I’m always just curious to know what the other half is up to on the other side. Generally, recordings done at home in quiet, are harder to hear. I still managed to get some good clips, though they are more quiet than my usual. I tested it on my laptop’s speakers and I can still hear them, but you will hear them better on headphones. The clips are repeated on loop.

    P said, “That’s me”.

    He said the name of the book, “My Name Is Prince”.

    “Oooh, so great”.

    “Wow, it’s a big book, wow”.

    He said, “She is my favourite”. He said this in reference to Randee being his favourite photographer to work with.

    He said, “Gonna hang up”. Oh, was he on the phone?

    And then right after, he said, “I’ll show the book next time you visit me”.

    He said after, “I called my mom”.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I really enjoyed reading the essays from the photographer. As a photographer myself, I can always appreciate the stories behind the photos and the kind of talk relating to photography. I was pleased to find out that this was a kind of book that she and Prince had already talked about doing when they were working on 21 Nights. She wasn’t sure if it was right to do this book without him. I am glad she did, and I know he is excited about it as well.

    It’s a big coffee table size book. the spine being 1.5 inches thick, you know it’s a hefty book. It’s a survey of all the work she’s done with him over the 25 year working relationship. So a section of the photos are from the 21 Nights project, with some previously unpublished works. There are lots of never before seen photos.

    As a photographer, I love her dramatic style, her use of color, her use of composition is beautiful. Her essays would be inspiring for creative professionals, as she describes the working style of Prince, and the way he thought.

    I knew I would love it, knowing her previous book. Somehow I knew without knowing, that she would have some recent photos of him. The last section was photos from her last working session photographing Prince in 2014. For me personally, I hold more more dearly, his recent photographs. Because they tell of a man, of what he became before he left us.

    I really appreciated all the stories she shared. Most noteworthy to me, is of her mentions about Duane Nelson, Prince’s half-brother, who worked as his bodyguard during some period. For me, it s personal, that I enjoyed these stories. As I have encountered Prince’s family in the afterlife, I know that Duane comes around to play b-ball with him on occasion, and sometimes still acts like a bodyguard.

    Thank you Randee, for putting together such a beautiful book.

    These recordings were recorded using  my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on November 19, 2019.

    Image above: “Prince photo book” by Andrea Mai.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

  • SPIRITS REACT TO THE NORTHERN LIGHTS – EVP September 27, 2019

    As I had mentioned in my previous post, I got to see the Northern Lights in Iceland on the first night of my trip. I decided to book an additional tour  just for seeing the lights. I had heard from tour guides that Thursday night was going to be really good.

    That night, they took us to two spots, until we finally settled in at a spot at Blue Mountain. I could see the  lights from the bus window. When we got off the bus, the lights were so huge. It was right on top of us. You could see the lights from almost every angle you turned. It was so big that I couldn’t contain it all in the frames of my camera. It was just too big. Once the light started to dissipate, and people started to settle down a bit. I started to get to work on the photos. Though the lights had become less visible to the naked eye. it was very visible on camera. The camera can see a wider spectrum of light that the eye cannot.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    During this time, I was recording EVP as well. I wondered what the reactions of spirits would be, if they were there.

    Some of these clips are a bit quieter. I’ve tested them on just my laptop speakers, and while I could still hear most of them, I still recommend headphones.They are repeated on loop.

    Getting off the bus, I heard P saying, “I’m gonna take pictures”. Someone then said, “Good for you”. I am both pleased and amused that P can continue his hobby doing photography from where he is. But at the same time, I wonder, is he taking pics of me unaware? I wondered if photography still existed on the other side. But I don’t see why not. As I have dreams about being with my camera and taking photos.

    Some spirits noticed the presence of angels, they said, “There’s an angel. Three angels here”. I had said in previous post, that I had been praying to see the Northern Lights. I was quite certain that angels were assisting us. We had seen the lights so unclose, right on top of us, it was like we were being bathed in it. It was truly the most spectacular sight.

    P explained to them about the angels, “They travel with me”. This, I’m pleased to know, that my prayers get answered, that we are protected.

    Prince’s mother, in spirit, had joined us on the trip. I knew she was coming, as I had told him, she was welcome to, after I heard her say to P about wanting to travel, after seeing one of my photos of Month Blanc. Here, P says, “That’s my mom”.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    Here is a clip when we were watching the Northern Lights. Someone said, “Wow”.

    They said, “Look out there. Wowwwww”.

    Another voice said, “It’s big”.

    They commented, “Angels help”.

    Someone said, “You see, there’s angels there”. This one might be hard to hear without headphones.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    Someone said, “Wow, Prince here”.

    This clip just sounds really cute. I don’t know what they are saying, it sounds like hooting, and then there is a high-pitched “Wow” coming from a girly voice.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    The night ended, and we got back on the bus. I was still recording, but I forgot. I caught this voice saying, “I’m coming, getting food”.

    Someone asked, “Where does the bus go?”. From what I have observed, spirits will travel using means of transportation from our reality. Sounded like some spirits followed us onto the bus to hitch a ride from the field in the middle of nowhere along the highway.

    Someone replied, “To Reykjavik”.

    P ws talking to other spirits on the bus. He said, “God is so good”.

    On the rest of the recording, I heard P talking to these other souls about God. I’m not going to post these clips, because they are too quiet. Someone had said that she was worried about where she was going to go for the night. P told them, “You can always go home. Don’t worry.” But her response was “They don’t want me”. P assured her, that God loved her, and that all she had to do was pray to find out. They prayed together. Very soon after that, something happened, I do not know what exactly. But I presume that she was taken home, because after that, someone else said, “I want to go home, like her”, and another said, “I want to be with God”.

    To be honest, when I hear conversations like these, it makes me cry, knowing that these souls had suffered the unknowing of Gd’s love for them. I am so glad that P wants to help them. Yet I am still saddened, knowing that it seems even harder in our reality, that many will not see this, will resist the message, will reject it and fight you on it. I feel like it is even harder here. It seems that the spirits can realize it more easily if they are given a push. Here it seems, materiality gets in the way.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I nearly forgot to mention. After the immense display of the Northern Lights floating over us, another tor bus pulled up to join us, but they had already missed the grand show we had just witnessed. We were, in the right place, in the right time. I swear, it must have been angels guiding the tour bus I was on.

    I feel so blessed after this experience, especially to know that God does hear us. I wish everyone would have the chance to feel this.

    May God bless you.

    These recordings were recorded using  my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on September 27, 2019.

    Image above: “Northern Lights” by Andrea Mai.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

  • WHEN GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYERS – EVP September 24, 2019

    A week before going to Iceland, I checked the forecast, it was said to be rainy all week for the time I was going to be there. So I prayed every night asking that the weather would not ruin my trip and seeing the Northern Lights. As the week progressed, it appeared that there was a good chance that the clouds would clear up later in the week, making it a good possibility for seeing the lights. However, we had a scheduling issue, as one group member had to leave early, so we had to cram in the schedule so that she would make the most of her shortened trip. This meant that one of the evening tours had to be scheduled for the first day upon our arrival. The tour included hunting for Northern Lights. And the forecast was showing rain and clouds.

    I continued to pray that somehow we could still see the Northern Lights.

    We arrived that early morning with rain. Though the rain had stopped later in the morning, it was still cloudy. That early evening, as we got on the tour bus, the sun had come out, and the skies had cleared. And there appeared a rainbow!

    The tour took us to Secret Lagoon, a lesser known hot spring spa. Truly a delight to bathe in the natural geo thermal water coming from the streams. The minerals and algae in the water is revitalizing, leaving the skin smooth and supple. I really liked this one, as the mini lake had varying levels of heat. Iceland has the best water sources in he world, and even just showering in the tap water is amazing.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    Before dinner, the guide told us that he wasn’t optimistic that we would see any lights. It was explained to us that the conditions were not good. It was still cloudy. But after dinner, the skies were looking clearer, snd we could see the stars. He said he was a bit more optimistic about it. I kept praying. You can see in the photos, how cloudy it was.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    We drove for a bit and I got my tripod ready. He took us to a spot on the side of the road and we saw the Northern Lights peaking through the clouds!

    Photographing the Northern Lights is new to me, even though I am experienced in night photography, this is different, as you are photographing something in the dark. The screen on the back of the camera can only pick up a tiny bit of the light. Manual settings have to be used, you have to be prepared beforehand. I was too quick to start photographing before making sure that I got the camera lens adjusted to the most optimal focus length. There isn’t much time to waste, as the lights are only there for a moment. I managed to get 57  frames in a single position. And with that I was able to string all the photos together into this 7 second video of the Northern Lights. By the way, that is me playing guitar in the music.

    Later the guide drove us to another spot that was parked full of big tour buses. We were just a small group of about ten people. He was told by the other guides that they saw the same lights we did, but it was not as visible from where they were. I felt truly blessed that we got to see it where we did. I knew that there must have been angels helping us that night, perhaps guiding the driver where to go.

    When I got home, I reviewed my EVP recordings and found out that there were indeed, angels. Please note that some of these clips are quieter than others. Turn up the volume on your device, or try it with headphones. The clips are repeated on loop.

    Here, I was outside of the tour bus, and P said, “Angels”.

    Here someone says, “Help us see it”.

    Here P says, “Thank you, angels”.

    It was quite windy that evening, P said, “It’s cold”.

     

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    Earlier on the tour bus, someone called out to P, “Prince”.

    P was singing to himself while we were waiting on the bus, “Doo doo doo, do do”.

    This was just at the start of the trip. I did get to see the Northern Lights a second time later in the trip. It was phenomenal, and I will talk about it in a later post.

    I feel truly blessed, knowing the unlikeliness of seeing the lights that night. I truly wish that more people knew that God does answer prayers. Maybe not in the way you expect, maybe not in the time frame you wish. But there is something taking place, that you are just not aware of when you pray to God asking for help.

    Image above: “Rainbow in Reykjavik” by Andrea Mai.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

  • ANGELS AT GOLDEN WATERFALL IN ICELAND – PHOTOS AND EVP September 26, 2019lucas

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  • HE SAID, “LOVE GOD” – HALLGRIMSKIRKJA, REYKJAVIK EVP AND PHOTOS – September 28, 2018

    Last week, I came back from a trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. I had a wonderful time. It is a beautiful country, and I really enjoyed myself there. And of course, I took lots of photos and EVP while I was there. I will be reviewing them in the coming weeks and sharing them.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    On my last day there, we want to Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik’s largest church. We didn’t do much in terms of city tours, as we went on day trips to the countryside. This church was the only place in the city that I insisted that we go to. I felt drawn to go there, above all places.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I went at the perfect time, or maybe someone was nudging me about when to go. As we had some spare time in the early evening on the day before, but I insisted we go the next day.  While I was there, I got to hear the organ being played, and I even got to see a rainbow appear through this incredible crystal bowl near the alter.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    It was such a breathtaking experience to be in this space, that I almost forgot to record EVP. But luckily, I did remember to. Most clips are pretty clear, but others you might want to listen with headphones. Sound quality can vary depending on what device you are using. Turn the volume up to the highest. Clips are repeated on loop.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    For the duration of the trip, I felt very blessed. I knew that P must have been travelling with some angels that were helping us to see the Northern Lights.

    On the recording, I could hear a chorus of voices saying, “God”.

    I noticed on the recording that right before I would click my camera, a little voice was saying, “Bop”. This happened three times! I really wonder who was this, and what was going on? Were they directing my photos?

    Here is P saying, “I thank God”.

    Someone said, “Oh my God”. It sounded to me that they were reacting to seeing Prince there.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    A man started playing the organ, and P and others started singing with the music. He said my name, “Andrea”.

    He told me that there were “Three angels here”.

    They sang, “God loves you all”.

    They sang, “Jesus is coming… Coming soon”.

    They sang, “Wash your robes”. I know that this is in reference to Revelation, in preparation for Christ’s return, one must repent and accept Jesus’ gift of salvation.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    I found two clips where P sang, “Love God”. When he was alive, he would sign his autographs with this phrase, (during the time when he did still give autographs).

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    A voice said, “Look, look this way up”.

    When the organ playing was finished one of his sets, the people applauded. I heard P say, “Praise God”. I also heard him say this telepathically at the time.

    I knew that at some point, a rainbow would appear through the crystal once the sun hits it at the right angle When It finally did, someone said, right before I saw it, “There it is, there is a rainbow”.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

    It was truly a beautiful experience. What a blessing! I felt so uplifted after this visit. I know that God has commissioned me to deliver messages through my work. I hope this makes it out to those who need to hear it.

    May God bless you.

    These recordings were recorded using  my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on September 28, 2019.

    Image above: “Hallgrimskirkja” by Andrea Mai.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.

  • THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS – EVP May 24, 2018

    Last year, I did my first trip where I recored EVP on location during my trip. I have a wristwatch that records audio, and I would just leave it on while I’m walking around. When I was in Brighton, I did some recordings at the Royal Pavilion while I was taking photographs.

    I lived in Brighton during my mid-twenties. I loved that Brighton had the feeling of smallness, but at the same time it was an exciting place to be in. You could walk from one side of town to the other within a half hour. From where I used to live, I could get to the seashore within a ten minute walk. I wanted to go back and see how it was like now.

    New Road, Brighton ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved. Prince available here.

    Unfortunately, my trip was adversely affected by the pouring rain on the one full-day that I had there. I only went to places near my hotel. I got out in the morning and took photographs of the Royal Pavilion. I had the recorder on, of course.

    It turned out that I didn’t get a lot of great clips that morning. Being outdoors, the recorder picked up a lot of the wind from the bad weather. I could hear conversations occurring between P and other spirits, but they were only whispers.

    The Royal Pavilion ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved. Print available here.

    However, I did get this one amazing clip that has, to this day, caused me much curiosity. I was outside of the Royal Pavilion, along the front garden, taking photographs, it was starting to rain. No one was near me. A man’s voice called out, “Why are you running, princess!”. (The clip is repeated on loop)

    Who could have this person been talking about? Was it a real princess that they were referring to? Why was she running? I found this totally intriguing, so I looked up the history of the royal family who resided in the Royal Pavilion.

    The Royal Pavilion was a holiday summer house, the building design took inspiration from India and China. King George only had one child, Princess Charlotte of Wales. She would have spent some time at the Royal Pavilion and the Brighton seaside. According to what I read, Charlotte was a feisty, candid personality, she had a mind of her own. When Charlotte was of marrying age, her father was keen to arrange her marriage to someone that she was not fond of. When talks of the marriage contract could not be agreed upon by Charlotte, she broke off the engagement. When she heard that her father had intended to respond to her braking off the engagement by confining her in isolation, she ran out of her Warwick House (in London) residence onto the streets. A man, who saw from his window, saw the distressed princess and helped her get a hackney cab to get away.

    Eventually, Charlotte married someone that she did love, but she died at age 21, after giving birth to a stillborn.

    Could it be that this voice was calling out to Princess Charlotte? I wonder why she was running!

    This clip was recorded using  my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on May 24, 2018.

    Image above: “Brighton” by Andrea Mai. Print available here.

    ©2019 by Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.