Life And Painthings

Cheaters , Miracles and Life

2012-01-12T19:09:00.001+01:00

I have experienced last weeks someone who try to cheat me . Anyhow without success . It started a few days before Christmas Eve. I received two e-mails from two males. Both of them wanted to brought my original Paintings. I was very happy because I run out of money and I thought how all my problems disappear immediately. But I find out how they are simple cheaters and not even very smart.
Much nicer what happen to me was kind of Miracle in the same time when two of them tried to cheat me.
So I was unhappy because I was broke. Than somehow money come and I was able to go in the shopping centre and brought all what I needed and more... I think I will remember this Miracle forever as well as cheaters too. Life is going on . This year I wish to everybody good health ,luck and enough money for living . Of course I wish the same for myself too!

Ready To Give Up

2011-05-20T21:57:00.000+02:00

Today I am ready to give up everything. Am I kidding? I look so tired and I am tired . I write this and next moment I asking myself what's happen with me ? Really!
In my entire life I was in many different situation . I was kneeling but I stand up again somehow ! But now!?!
I am ready to give up. Obviously I changed or I am fed up of fight with hard time . In the corner of my mind, in other hand, I know that I 'll fight or I'd die first .In my life I never give up , even if I know very well that I'd lost more than achieve. Must be something wrong with me...

Nothing hurt you more than words used to hurt. Especially words from your beloved family number . My family are not large one . We are only few of us and all my love is open for them any time . I can do everything what is possible or even impossible for them and I never give up. What to do when hard time last longer than usually ? How to get it over when I walk one step, but next day it turn me two steps back . I know that I am more nervous than usually. Anyhow I am sure that am not going to give up. Tomorrow is new day !

Spring Is Here Again

2011-04-15T17:01:00.000+02:00

Spring is here again with nice sunny days and some kind of happiness. I feel much better or more optimistic than in the winter time. Like even air smell somehow different , nature is awaking up and life look easier. Seems to me that spring swap away our problems or just make it less important . I struggle with money all the times and especially when weather is dark from morning my all inspiration fly away from me. If I look out from my window and weather is fine I feel like I can do everything ... Usually I start with new Paintings and finished some of unfinished and make a lot of other jobs.
I am very happy because spring is here again ! Today is so nice outside and I hope something good must happen I feel it . I need so little for happiness ...

Long time I didn' t publish anything simple because I was not enough optimistic and all what I wrote and red it I save as draft . Not that many people read this but anyway I like to keep my bad time for myself and share with you only good feelings . I hope you can understand me. I wish you all to enjoy in the spring as much as me !

Happy Time , Christmas Time

2010-12-20T15:11:00.000+01:00

Happy Time , Christmas Time
This year December come faster than I expected . Few days ago when my son started to search for Christmas things I suddenly remember last Christmas. Seems to me that it was around the corner...So fast time fly ! My late mother used to say how life is very short. Time run day after day, year after year and one day you hardly recognize your face in the mirror. From there stare on you one different , older face , with many wrinkles around eyes, new ones...
Christmas time is usually happy time for all Christians. Of course if they have enough money and a little luck to be with beloved ones that days.I hope that everyone will be happy this days , me too.The other day I sit in front of television watching Africa' s people and their happiness with rain which come. They are so happy with rain ! How it is in life ?! Somebody need just rain but in other hand somebody is never content with much more .

I wish to everybody Merry Christmas deeply from my heart !

Everything Will Be Fine , You'll See...

2010-10-19T18:17:00.002+02:00

            Everything will be fine, you'll see...
   I already wrote this blog but it disappeared. Only title was published. I have to write again but it will be different because I write directly from my mind , not from paper. This situation is same with telephone numbers which we kept in our mobile. If we lost our mobile or something else happen, we loose numbers too. All my friends have already problems with telephone numbers which they kept only in the mob. phone and me as well.What is worst we do the same again. This is something what can make you feel bad when it's happen.
        Life used to be very difficult when problems follow each other in waves. Than we are unhappy and seems to us that bad time last much longer than good time. It's not truth ! I imagine life as an circle.It's move round and round. After bad time must come good time.
       Poor people think that reach ones have not problems at all.No way ! Their problems are maybe different but everybody have better and worst time in life.Many times I woke up expecting one ordinary day but it turn as extraordinary ! We must hope , smile and keep optimism high ! Everything will be fine, you'll see !

Summertime is Usually Happy Time

2010-06-19T19:42:00.000+02:00

Summertime is usually happy time for me and I think not only for me because of several reasons. First of all in my area weather is just best for this time of year. One can walk slowly near the sea as long as wish or swim in very clean azure blue sea. In the summer , school year is finish and children are free almost three months . Most of workers like to have their vocations during summer too.
My country, or better to say my town is full of tourists from all the world and they are very colorful . One can heard many different languages every few steps. They shooting photos , buying souvenirs , watching around... I like to see them . It's interesting that any time at street some of them asking me for way or something else . Even if I don't know how to explain what they need I try to do it somehow.

In the summer people look happier . Maybe because of sunny or light clothes . I feel good in this time of year and daily problems are less heavy than in the winter. I like summer !

Everywhere in the town you can see interesting performances from strangers and from our children or grown ones . Also music is on the every corner . During summertime my town breathe on some special way .

Great Surprise

2010-05-16T23:01:00.000+02:00

Last few days my son was busy with our comp every time when I wanted to surf. So I let it be . Today I started with some other things and than I just wanted to write something. At my great surprise I find out several more followers I got! Really great surprise to me. I have many followers at Facebook and Twitter as well but not very much at my blog. Seems to me like people are not interesting in reading nothing more than two sentences and that 's it . Maybe I have wrong . By the way I was sure that when I mention my blogs few times , not need to repeat it constantly.
Anyhow I write my blogs with own pleasure but followers keep you going on . I am very thankful to every one who follow my sites. I know that every topic is not interesting for everybody and we all have less and less time to spent in front of comp.
We forget how nice is to slow down even from time to time ! When I walk on the street people are in hurry like crazy. Nobody walk slowly as it was before normally , when you go outside with children or with your dog. I keep thinking where they hurry? Why ? If they come one or five minutes earlier at their destination what will happen ? I like to walk and I like to walk from leg to leg , enjoying to look around me , to take glaze at sky , trees , houses and faces ... Walking and thinking is great . On this way I get inspiration for my Paintings too. Every night I walk around with my dog. It become kind of ritual and I like it very much.

If I have heavy day I am happy that it's over and I say to myself : tomorrow is a new day, new happiness... So my dear try to slow down walking around for hour or more and you'll feel much better than before. Just try it. Nothing to pay for it . And don't forget to keep smiling !

SEA IN MY HEART

2010-04-28T18:05:00.000+02:00

       I live at Adriatic coast . I love Sea . Above is one of my Paintings . Several years ago when I was far away from seaside I make this one Paintings. I call it - Nostalgia - because I miss the sea around me. In my town I can see the Sea any time even from my home window. I walk with my dog near the Sea when is rainy day , sunny , windy , at night time too. Every time Sea is nice , different , colorful and inspiration for me.
    Walking and watching the Sea I used to think of so many different topics . I like night time walk much more than daily. At night is quietly and there are nights that me and my dog are alone near the sea. My dog like the sea as much as me I think.
Many of my Paintings I make on my mind first , walking slowly , watching waves , moon light , sky... I remember one story which happen many years ago in Bruxelles capital of Belgium. One very dear woman liked my Paintings and she often visited me in my home there. I liked her too. From time to time I was homesick. It was one of that occasion and I described her beauty of sunshine at sea and invited her to spent holidays in my house near the sea.At my great surprise she told me that it's not for her , because she doesn't like sea at all. I couldn't believe my own ears ! Till that time I was sure how everyone like to walk near sea , to look beauty of different blue colors between sky and sea ....

For me only nature is perfect . I like sunny days more than rainy days. Spring and summer I prefer than autumn and winter but it's nice to have all four seasons . Sea is beautiful always and for me special as I wrote before I love sea.

Sitting , Thinking , Art , Limits ...

2010-04-15T16:00:00.000+02:00

    This moment I'm not sure which title to write because I feel that topic will change . It's same with my Paintings. Many times I started with one idea and during work change absolutely everything. I don't like limits and in any kind of Art there are no limits. Of course that luck of money can forced you to buy smaller canvas , but it's not reason for limits.
    I intended in one discussion about limits in abstract art. According my mind people limited themselves where they need limits (money , drink , smoke etc. ) and where limits are not necessary at all . Art is Art , because one must be talented and headstrong to live as artist and for art . I know many artists who give up fight and become Professor for Art with regular monthly payment. They decided to limited themselves . Are they happy with that kind of life or not that's the question.
   We are all different . Somebody can give up their own dreams , hopes and wishes . Life is not easy. My mother used to tell me during my growing how life is daily fight . I didn't understand why because as child problems are quite different and Mom or Dad would solved it for you . Many years later I find out that my mother was right.
   I think that everybody have something what make us different from each other. I have brother. He is few years older than me. We grown up in same condition , same parents , same primary school we intended , anyway , we have nothing in common.... I have two grown sons and they are also very different persons. For example : one is very pedant , other not ... My older son love drums , younger prefer guitar to play. They have different character too.

During my life I've contacted many people. Some of them limited themselves in every possible way and when I met them I usually say just hello kept my way. Nothing to speak about with them . Also I met open minded people with whom I have talked about many topics .

According my mind life have plenty limits and some limits must be , but Art can't be limited ! If somebody think different than please explain to me . Anyhow I think like this .

Easter Eggs On My Way

2010-03-23T04:18:00.000+01:00

Every year I used to make plenty unique Easter eggs. Some of them I give as present to my family, friends and my children friends.They are always different from year to year, even I used not same type of colours. Anyhow that eggs could last for many years because I first empty them. Next I fix that hole and started with colours. It must dry and I decorated it. For make children happy I paint funny faces or all short story on it.There are rabbits , chickens ,butterfly , flowers , trees ... Of course I have other coloured Easter eggs which we eat when we knock them with each other. That ones I did with healthy colours .

Easter is soon and this time I will decorated them again on my own way. I don't know how many I make till this Easter but surely hundred or more and never two was the same. I snapped pictures of eggs which was not so nice to give it as present ( according my mind) so it remain in my home. Wishing you all happy Easter!Bless you evermore! Sannitta

Night in Museums

2010-03-12T16:29:00.000+01:00

In my town ones at year there are "Night in Museums" when you can visit every Museum, Gallery and Exhibitions for free during one o'clock at night. Many citizens come out from their homes that night. It was about two weeks ago and weather was cold but nice.I am sure for many it was first time to visit some of Museums. Parents with their children, youth and oldest were passing by me... Somebody was in hurry because they wanted to go from Gallery to Museum but more than three they couldn't visit anyway. Some our Museums are in the center of a town , others are not.I met many faces which I hardly meet somewhere else. We will meet probably next year at " Night in Museum".

I am involved in art all my life and Gallery's, Exhibitions & Museums are part of my life and I like from time to time visit all this in my town... I find interesting every time something. Of course, when I travel for me is normally to visit as much as it is possible from Museums there.But not for other people! I find out that there are persons who never were in the Theater in their own town ! Not in any Museums ! Never seen any Exhibitions ! Even price for tickets are symbolical and it's not because of price I'm sure , but maybe not habits or...?

It's nice idea for this "Night in Museums" and I wish it more than once at year ! I remember many smile faces that night . Beauty is beauty and where is so nice for eyes and soul than in the such a places.

Frozen Egg

2010-03-12T14:16:00.000+01:00

Today I decided to give my dog one egg. I heard that it is good for dogs and from time to time I do it. So I pick up one fresh egg from my fridge. I knock egg as I usually do but nothing happen.Can you imagine what I find out ? This never happen before to me ! Frozen egg! Immediately I check my fridge and other food inside but everything seems normally. Even other eggs was not frozen. I slow down a little bit fridge and snap some photos of this frozen egg. That's it . I like to show you photos but I have some problems with it.When I find out how to do it I 'll do.It's really something to see frozen egg .

Why You Should Care For Others

2010-02-21T22:57:00.000+01:00

The world we are living is a shared world. We share resources that we need for our life. No one can live alone. We need each other very much. God made us to live and grow together. We will be happier and fulfilled if we can throw our self centered thoughts.
If we choose a win-win approach for every situation we face, and get whatever we want by not using others, we can live a better life. The success of others makes us more successful.
Let us take an example of doing business. This principle applies there highly. First of all, try everything you can to see a satisfied customer. Help them in whatever way you can. Even if you can not solve their problems, show them that you care for them. This is called building positive relationship. People love the one who loves and cares for them. This is a win-win approach which results in success for both parties; your customers and your business.
You can take whatever part of your life, work, family, social life... everything. You will be more successful if you only help others to be successful. By success what I mean here is not about financial success only. Rather I mean all rounded success.
There are people who have millions of dollars and do not own happiness, satisfaction, personal character, positive influence on others. I do not consider this as success. Money is not the only thing we need in life.

However, the definition of success here is that of the all rounded one; with personal character, happiness and satisfaction, financial freedom, in general achievement of goals. You only get this only through a win-win approach. Help others to succeed and you will be successful. That is why you should care for others. By Hanna Shiferaw

Christmas

2009-12-16T16:50:00.000+01:00

Christmas is almost here. I can't believe how fast it come for me every year. Maybe I have so many work to do and time fly away too fast ... First of all I want to clean up my house and discard all unnecessary and too old things . For example shoes are not worn , newspapers and magazines , old clothes etc... When I finish this what take days , than come up question about Christmas tree ; natural or not , new one or from last year, decoration with some new pieces or all in one colour ...When my boys was younger my biggest problem was to hide presents from them before I put it under the tree. Even then it was always some days before Christmas and they tried to found out what was in the boxes. They usually asked me if they can see only one present . There were many funny moments with presents. Sometimes I make big box for small toy in it and wrap it very well.They remember all life happiness of childhood . Me too ! I think everybody remember childhood as best time in life , because there are somebody who keep you safe and happy . Not only at Christmas we are extremely happy but Christmas is full of happiness for all Christians . Especially for children ' s perception ! In recent years people are trying to make happy children without parents and poor children in the world what is nice ! Our duty is to make children as happy as it is possible ! Marry Christmas to everyone!!!

December is December

2009-12-03T16:29:00.000+01:00

Shopping,shopping,shopping....In this month, last one in the year,everybody look happy and everyone carry several shopping bags in their hands.They greeted you with smile passing by. Seems like all problems are gone and everybody have enough money for presents!Even children are speaking of going with Mom shopping.It's normally because advertisements are everywhere around us.I like to see the smiling faces, but not only in December.Maybe I am wrong, but I don't think so.Is reason for happiness shopping or the end of year, or something else ? Who know !Keep smiling dear people !

2009-11-10T19:33:00.000+01:00

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."

So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes,
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello."

John Prine's, "Hello In There"

An Ordinary Day

2009-11-04T15:24:00.000+01:00

Life is sometimes easy going but there are days full of different problems to show up. For example: my one bulb is blown.Immediately after the second. And it is it. More than four I have to change past week.It is same with cellphones credits. Also battery for camera is finish and I have to buy new .This is only beginning .I know all scenario! Next what come up are the account to pay each month... All this and much more happen in less than five days. Why?Is this scenario familiar to you too? By the way I need to buy new Canvas and several colours, things for cleaning etc. etc.So, ordinary days turn into strange days just with one small bulb. I already buy four more bulbs, but who know what will be beginning next time? Anyhow I hope that some months I will have only ordinary days.

Always A Mom: A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

2009-10-28T18:47:00.000+01:00

Always A Mom: A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

Plane is Best for Travel

2009-10-24T20:59:00.000+02:00

I like travel near by or far away. Not important where ! Till now I used almost everything from traffic : train, bus , car , ferryboat , plain... Most of all I like plane ! Not only because of fastness , or for good customer service .A trip to any destination by plane for me is always a fun adventure. I enjoy sitting near the windows and look out. If I couldn't see the earth because of weather or darkness than I watch clouds and they became pictures in my mind. Many times I flights and I made a several Paintings back home. One of Paintings is on the top . There are islands in the Adriatic sea from bird's perspective. Our airport is close to sea and every plane make circle just above the sea and you are able to see so many islands different sizes and shapes.Something really beautiful . That is why I like to travel by Plane.

25 Ways to Be Happy

2009-10-14T19:28:00.000+02:00

I say that you should feel and be happy and enjoy life as much as you can, for nobody is going to be happy every moment of every day all the time. Life just does not work like that, but you can do it most of the time, as much as possible. Happiness needs to be earned, worked at and also appreciated. For those of you who seem to feel or think you have no real reason to be happy, also for those who seem to life a trouble free life as well, here are some thoughts as to help you remember that life is good, and you should be happy as much as you possible can all the time.
Change your way of thinking. Try and live every day you have as if it might just be your last day. Studies have shown that people that has survived a terminal illness or some horrible accident, those who witnessed a tragedy or has lost a loved one has a completely different perspective on life. Many will say that they no longer leave anything for later, they travel when they get the chance, they learn new skills as soon as they can and they contact long lost friends or relatives without notice or waiting. They know, as we all should know, that there might not be a later ever, later does not really exist.
Keep some sort of journal of the good things that happen to you every day. Keep a going list every day of all good things that happen to you, only the good nice things, nothing else. That lovely thing someone said to you the other day for example. You will not remember all the small nice things if you do not write them all down, then you can also go back and read up on these on the day that you might feel a little down and just pick yourself right up again. Problems can be solved and bad things will be cleared away from your thoughts when you write the good things down too. Go ahead; I dare you to try it, because it works!
Get some perspective on your life. Think about how you would like to be remembered by others, and what you would tell your children and grandchildren about your life. What would matter most, the meeting that you had to attend, the same meeting that caused you to miss your child's school concert or an important sports event? Which would you enjoy more? Which would leave a lasting memory forever?
Do not let the small things bother or stress you. To waste your energy by getting upset about life's small minor irritations is not worth it at all. Smile and just wave it out of your way, if it is the driver that will not let you pass or move over in the next lane, smile and wave at him, he is upset, rude and aggressive but that is his problem, not yours. So you missed you ride or the train, fretting about it is pointless, it will not bring the ride or the train back, it is gone. Sit down, relax, smile and enjoy that coffee or your favorite drink while you wait for the next ride to come along.
Do those unpleasant or difficult chores and tasks you have that need to be done as soon as you can. Get it over with, do them right now. Procrastination drains a lot of your energy and only burdens your mind. When you are constantly thinking and worrying about something that needs to be done, just do it now, you might as well get it over with and get it out of the way.
Make some changes in your routine. When we do the same thing day after day, week after week, life begins to seem like a real boring chore. We need to create some interest in our daily lives, and we need to start to do new exciting things. Like if you normally sleep in on a Sunday, then your normal sleep in becomes a habit, no longer a treat. Rather opt to get up early this next Sunday, and go and have breakfast in the park. You will be nice and early, you will beat the normal crowds and you will be on your way home as they start to arrive. Your day will even seem longer and you will have started it with a pure enjoyment. And for those who never sleep in, opt to arrange for one of those somehow, and experience the luxury of having a good sleep in.
Do not try to keep up with the neighbors or anyone else. So they have it all, the swimming pool, the latest equipment, the new luxury car.... Who cares? Take a closer look, then you will se that he works on weekends, and they never seem to have any time for each other or the kids, they never seem to have friends over and they never seem to relax. Who do you think is better off, really?
Have a big clean out, divest and rid yourself of useless stuff. Get rid of it all, the clothes you have not worn for a year, or the dinner service you've always hated, those kitchen utensils that are always in the way that you never seem to use, those unused linen just laying in the cupboard, the cot linen on the shelf when baby has already turned six. Old toys, books you don't read and don't like, furniture etc., give it all to charity or hold a garage sale and get it all out. Think about it this way, your old stuff can help our young families that is just starting out or students and also the poor that really needs it more than you do. The bonus to you is that your shelves and cupboards are clutter free and clean, you have more space. Your housework will be easier and more enjoyable, you vision is clearer and the feng shui of your home is improved as well.
Learn to say no. You do not have to do it if you don't really want to. Your life is already very busy as is, and you are running from one thing to the next already. Give yourself space and think, think about yourself and give yourself time to do something for yourself. You are also important in your life.
In your relationship, remember to love and appreciate your partner for who and what he or she is. Can it be that your partner has really changed so much? Maybe you are the one who has completely changed. Or, and think about it, might he or she actually be the same person that you fell in love with, the one you used to adore so much. Your relationship might need some work, everything in life needs some repair work and maintenance from time to time, but all the parts should still be in good working order.
Do not let familiarity breed contempt. Your family and your partner deserve noting less than the same consideration you give to others. And you also deserve the same from you family and your partner as well. Look after each other.
Tell your partner, your family and your friends that you love them, and really mean it. Tell them what it is that you love about them, tell them and praise them when they do things well. A little well deserved praise never hurts and before you know it, you might be told the same things, when you are doing things well too, you never know... and the added bonus to this is that is really makes you feel good.
Do not always be a shoulder to lean on for troubled friends. It is hard, and it is a very difficult thing to do, but if your friend's problems are affecting you, then you need to try not to be involved and available to them all the time. Distance yourself a bit, they also need to address and sort their own problems themselves and also move on away from the problems.
Phone, e-mail, contact or even write an old fashioned letter to some of your old friends or family. You seem to have lost touch, but it doesn't need to be forever. Even some family that you haven't spoken to for months or years, they would actually love to hear from you too.
Use some greenery, flowers and plants to enhance your mood. Cut some fresh lovely flowers from your garden, or het up early and head to the markets and fill your home with loads of cheap nice lovely flowers and some fruit and vegetables. We all had pot plants at some stage, what happened to those anyway? Lets bring them back, they fill your house with life and vitality, and they need little work and attention.
Go to the beach. The long views, the wind in your hair, the waves crashing, your bare feet in the sand, the sun on your skin - there is nothing so good for the soul as a beach trip. Even a walk in nature or on a hill will have a renewed an invigorating effect on you if you cannot get to the beach.
Create something yourself, with your hands. Paint, sculpt, sew, bake, garden etc., and create anything with your hands.
Breathe some fresh air. Stop what you are doing, to outside or open the windows wide. Breathe slowly and deeply to the bottom of your lungs and feel the stale air leave you again. Do this a few times a week at least, just take a moment to breath in some fresh air.
Go for a walk. Walking is gently exercise that will renew and invigorate you both physically and mentally. Taking a regular walk will make you feel better about your life and yourself soon, and you will soon be feeling better every day.
Rend a comedy, and have a good loud laugh. Especially some of the old classics that we have all seen years ago, these always work for me. Even if I have already seen it a few times, it seems to make me laugh louder every time. These are very good stress and tension relievers.
Move your furniture and ornaments around for a change, change rooms and paint some walls. It is very much true, a change is as good as a holiday; go on just try it and you will see.
Give yourself something to look forward to, something exciting. Book a message or body pampering for you; plan a night out or book a weekend away or plan an entire holiday. Treat yourself, but plan ahead so that you have time to wait in anticipation and look forward to what is in store for you.
Invite some friends or relatives or just someone you know from somewhere over for dinner. Get everyone to dress up, and decorate the room and the table as well. Like a real fancy dinner party. Greet everyone with cocktails or champagne and have soft music playing. Spend time with the invitations, and the planning of the menu; enjoy the shopping, preparations and cooking. People cannot help but to respond positively when you have gone through a lot of effort for them. Such a night will be good fun, but do not get stressed over the cleaning of the house before hand, leave it, no one will notice anyway.
Smile, smile, smile. Smiling is contagious, just try it and you will see. When you are on the bus or train, just smile at someone without any reason, or when walking past someone in the shop, just smile and nod at them. Smile to yourself as well, as if you might have some very intriguing secret or you know something that no one else knows. Just smile for no reason at all.

Make someone else happier, make their day. This might sound a bit corny, I know, but why the heck not? Just do it, start by suppressing the urge to blast your horn at someone that annoys you, smile at them and let it go. Or you could always go one step further and volunteer some of your spare time to charity, and help those that really need it.

This text I reed today and I find it very interesting so I copy it for you. I hope you'll like it as well as me.Author is: CINDY J STONE .

New day and new hope

2009-10-13T18:59:00.000+02:00

http://www.sannitta.webs.com

Today is very cold. I like to said :" No problem today is a new day."I believe that phrase and also try to cheer up others when they talk about their problems. Who have not problems? I don't know any person without problems, but one by one will disappear. Must be like this! When was warm weather just a few days ago I heard people saying that is too much for this time of year. Today they are unhappy because of wearing jackets and shoes instead of sandals...So, if there are not financial problem or illness than is weather guilty for bad mood. Why are all became pessimists ? Why so much a liar and cheating between us? Seems to me strange that most of us are unhappy. Anyway I will keep trying to find good and honest humans even it become hard to recognize truth when somebody give you a story. Maybe I am a last dreamer..Never mind let me be a dreamer. I feel happy from little things . Not win a lottery, not to have a castle , but just to have a few good friends, my family and me healthy, enough money for pay accounts and for life , some smiley faces around me and that's it. I will wait for new day and with new hope...

Our Family Pet

2009-10-10T19:05:00.000+02:00

Our family pet with name Zipa every day make us happy. She is just three years old . We always have a dogs ,even several years we have had two dogs and cat in the same time. All of them were special and loved, but this our dog is different. When she look in my eyes I feel that she know exactly what I am thinking.More than other toys Zipa like balls. Every kind or format of balls! It's really fun watching her play with her toys. Also she like to swim grabbing her ball and carrying it out from the sea.Other toys very fast finished in small peaces but balls not.If it is tennis ball she chew it , not cut it.

Zipa love people specially children ,other dogs too and she never fight with any one. If some dog barking at her she avoid it quite like nothing happen at all .Not any aggression or anger in her behavior.It is pleasure to walk outside with Zipa. When I stopped to cross the street she stopped too.I am sure that she understand all what we are talking. It's always surprise me how she know when she'll go out with me or someone else from family members ! I love my dog . It's hard to understand some people cruelty. For me is truth that :" Who don't like animals , don't like humans as well ."

Mosaic Art

2009-09-30T22:43:00.000+02:00

The Mosaic is truly one of the world's great art forms, in terms of both longevity and durability it must be near the top. Archaeologist are are still today periodically unearthing beautifully preserved and intact Roman Mosaic throughout Europe.
The technique of Mosaic is so simple that it was most likely developed independently in many different cultures around the world. The instinctive nature of mosaic , placing one tile after another is quite reminiscent of building work, placing one brick on top of another. However there is certainly a greater delicacy required when creating a mosaic. From the ancient Greeks to the Romans, Mosaics became the norm for the wealthy, decorating floors, walls, bathing areas and even temples and public buildings.
A well designed, coloured and highly finished mosaic would certainly have been a sign of power and prestige in Roman times. Some of the larger ones would have literally thousands of pieces of tile or hand cut 'tessera' within them. Many hours of preparation work and labour would have gone into producing each and every mosaic.
The power of the art form has certainly lasted up until the present day. Contemporary mosacists use almost exactly the same techniques as the ancient Romans would have done. The only difference are the advances in tool technology and the wider choice of materials to use.
Today, mosaics can be made of such exotic materials as coloured ceramics, polished stones from around the world and even stained glass. It is to be seen whether contemporary mosaics will last quite as long as those of the ancient Romans. Generally, the Mosaic Arts patterns are created by arranging Tiles or Glass Pieces in a creative way. A simple picture or even a photograph can also be used to create Mosaic Tile patterns.
As mentioned above, Mosaic is a form of Tiling, which is used to create art pieces such as, Mosaic Table Tops, Mosaic Pools, or in homes. In modern times, digital images are used to create Mosaic Art, an art form known as Photographic Mosaic. In a Photographic Mosaic or Photo mosaic, each Pixel is an image and several such Pixels make up one large image. An individual Tile or Pixel in a Mosaic is known as Tessera. Mosaic Tiles are available in several Shapes, Sizes, Forms, Textures, Layouts, and Colors, which make them customizable and a lot of variety can be achieved with the artistic capabilities of these tiles.
Making a Mosaic Art is not as difficult as it sounds. There are two main methods, each having same preparation namely, Direct Method and Indirect Method. The difference between them lies in the way the Mosaic Tiles are distributed. Following are the steps for making a Mosaic Art:
Preparation:
• Decide on the pattern of your Mosaic.
• Photocopy the design or pattern so that it can be traced easily onto the Mosaic platform.
• Choose the suitable Tile for the Mosaic depending on the design.
Direct Method:
• Using an adhesive, fixes the Mosaic Tiles straight to the Mosaic Floor.
• Grout the Tile after the adhesive dries out.
This method is suitable for small projects. Direct Method is also easier as compared to the Indirect Method. In this method, the Mosaic is visible therefore; adjustments to the Tiles can easily be made. This method however, is not suitable for large projects.
Indirect Method:
• Create a Mosaic on a sheet of Brown Paper. The Mosaic should be made upside down.
• Apply the Mosaic Tile face down onto the paper, using adhesive.
• Transfer it onto the walls, floors, or craft projects.
This method is generally used in the case of Glass Tiles and Pebbles, but can be difficult with Ceramic Tiles having same surface underneath. The Indirect Method is used mostly for large projects, which have continuous elements or areas needing particular shape.

Crazy Yodeling

2009-09-17T22:49:00.001+02:00

Colors Are Important for good mood

2009-09-05T21:07:00.000+02:00

The colors you choose in your life can and does make a difference in your levels of stress. The colors you feel most comfortable with are the colors that best relieve your stress.
. Your mood is relaxed and calmed by the visual .
Remember you have the choices of what you wear and how your home looks. Trends and fashion fads come an go, these are stress causes.
You determine what you like and what makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. You empower yourself to color your world the way you feel happiest.
Colors have many different meanings. Have you ever been in a blue room, feeling calm and relaxed, and then walked into a red room and you began to feel chatty and excited?
The change in your mood wasn't just coincidence - it was an actual psychological and physiological response to the colors of the rooms.
When you are planning to decorate your home, the colors of your rooms should be one of your first considerations. You want to choose colors that you're not only comfortable with, but also colors that will create the right types of moods for both you and your guests in each room.
Let's start with some of the more common colors:
Blue is a calming, relaxing color. The color is good for bedrooms but can destroy the mood in a dining room as it serves as an appetite represent. Combined with green, blue exudes a natural atmosphere in a room. For centuries, green has been representative of life and birth, but on the flip side, it has been known for jealousy and inexperience. Like blue, green is a relaxing color. The color symbolizes a certain harmony both in the world and in life.
Red on the other hand, is an appetite and conversation stimulant. Red is a fiery color that at times represents both hatred and passion. Red also represents power; thus the use of it for celebrities on the red carpet and red ties for powerful executives. Yellow is also a powerful color. Since yellow is the color of sunshine, it has a happy, uplifting aura. However, yellow can also be the color of melancholy and cowardice. Carefully pick the hue of your paint and decorations, noting the feelings you get in the presence of those colors.
Pink is a soft color often used in the decorations and room decor for little girls. Psychological studies have actually shown that this color causes physical weakness in people. Orange is a mixture of red and yellow, so it has all the warmth and comfort of those colors. Some oranges - such as the color of pumpkins and fall leaves - is a stimulant and good for use in the dining room. Purple has always been a special color, representing royalty and spirituality.

Purple is known for stimulating creativity in small doses, but large amounts of purple can cause depression and moodiness.
Considering the meanings of the different colors is an important part of decorating your room. You should consider both the way the colors make you feel - for example, if you fell in a vat of yellow paint when you were little, yellow is probably not a cheerful color for you - but you should also take into account the way that it will make your guests feel. Using blue in your dining area will likely suppress your visitors' appetites, and despite how much you may love the color for your dining area, you should consider their needs and desires as well.

Charcoal Drawing

2009-09-05T16:04:00.001+02:00

One of the most commonly used mediums by artists is the drawing charcoal.
Drawing charcoal is easily accessible, can create the lightest of grays to the rich darkest of blacks and is very easy to work with.
Its popularly seems to be steadily growing over the years as more and more artists realize its unique quality to enhance the visual presentation of many of their sketches and drawings.
Compared to that of the pencil, drawing charcoal is arguably more visually stimulating.
Also people will tend to take you more seriously as an artist, since drawing charcoal is used by some of the most renowned artists from all over the world.
Before using drawing charcoal for your artistic endeavors, you must be aware that there are a few different types of charcoals to choose from.
The first is the drawing charcoal pencil. The drawing charcoal pencil is merely tightly compressed pieces of charcoal wrapped in a plastic or a timber like material.
Charcoal can be flaky and powdery, so if you decide to use a charcoal pencil without its plastic or timber like wrappings, you may end up with dirty hands.
The charcoal pencil is also very easy to sharpen, which is very important for the finest details of your drawings.
Another of type of drawing charcoal is the Willow and vine charcoal. The Willow and vine charcoal is generally unwrapped and can produce shades from pale gray to a deep black.
This utensil is great for the everyday sketches. One of the most noticeable traits of the Willow and vine charcoal is that it tends to smudge.
Hard charcoal is a strong, tough sketching tool used primarily for extremely fine lines. You may be want to use hard charcoal on strong, thick paper.
Charcoal is general is very affordable. So you try them all out until you find the one that fits your needs the best.
Charcoal is a drawing tool which is used by many artists for the creation of various sketches.
It is a blackish residue having impure carbons, which are obtained by removing water from the animal and vegetable substances.
Generally, it is preserved by the process called fixative.
Usually charcoal is used in three forms by an artist.
1. Vine Charcoal.
2. Compressed Charcoal.
3. Powdered Charcoal.
Let's get down for more details of each one...
1. Vine Charcoal.
This charcoal is made from the burning sticks of wood in soft, medium and hard categories. Bamboo charcoal is the leading tool in Japanese charcoal drawing art.
2. Compressed Charcoal.
Compressed charcoal is a powder which is mixed with gum binder, and it is compressed into round as well as in square sticks. The hardness of stick depends on the amount of the binder. To cover wide sections of a drawing surface, finely powdered charcoal is mostly used.
3. Powdered Charcoal.
Sometimes if artists draw over the toned areas using charcoal it becomes darker, but it can become lighter if an artist wants.
Here's the difference between pencil and charcoal as a drawing tool. The main and most important difference between both pencil and charcoal is that the charcoal creates a line which is darker,
velvety, and it will spread easily. Artists generally use both natural and artificial charcoal as drawing media.
Natural charcoal is a part of wooden charcoal and its characteristics suitable for an attractive drawing. The drawing begins with outlining the whole object using charcoal.
The main and most important feature to use charcoal is its unique ability to spread over the drawing surface.

Flowers From My Balcony

2009-09-02T17:57:00.003+02:00

I snap some pictures on my balcony . This flowers I watch every day and I am happy to see it growing.There are some very interesting story about it ,but today I am not in writing mood...
Just few pictures of my little "garden" you can see.There are much more ... Sometimes there are plenty of different colours.Anyhow always is nice to see it.When I spray the flowers I feel calm.

Holidays in our sweet little place

2009-08-27T17:50:00.000+02:00

     We waited long time to finish all what we have to do, pick up our things and go to spent several days in small fishing place.There is nature so full of colors that you feel your heart beating faster when you look around.We have house almost in the middle of wood with very, very blue sea around. Just about twenty meters is far from sea. Imagine !
   I feel now great. My batteries are full again.
I have to walk outside with my dog and I'll continue next time this story.
   What to tell you more? Simply when you spent same times out of your usually area started to feel like new energy overhead you and it's great feelings! As soon as I come back I started a new canvas oil painting , than I sit in front of my comp and spent some time there,than I did all what is usually to do at home etc. Still I am full of energy.I hope I''ll feel like now long time.Here I 'll show you some more pictures from our little place ,also our turtles...

Date Because it's Fun

2009-08-15T13:18:00.005+02:00

There are number of things that we have talked about already when it comes to the dating game. But it must be remembered that after all is said, the most important thing that you have to do, is to have fun. The reason that you are out there exposing your neck, is to receive pleasure and to enjoy your life as much as possible. So don't forget that dating is not supposed to be a chore.

When you go out there to meet people, you have to enjoy what you are doing. You will be a much better dater if you do it because you love it. People are only good at the things that they love to do. The biggest reason for this is that when they love to do something and are having fun doing it, they are willing to put in all the time in the world to get the best results possible. Think about why it is that you are so good at video games, or riding your bike, or whatever it is that you love to do as a hobby? The reason is that you spend hours doing it. No one has to prod you to hook up and kill aliens for hours; they don't have to, because you love to do it.

For the same reason, you should date because it's fun. If it is not fun, then there is something that is bothering you. Look into what that is and change it. Don't approach dating as a chore or as a frightening thing like cold call sales or something. Do it because you enjoy women and you love to meet them, be with them, etc :)

When you do it because you deeply enjoy it, you bring joy to others. Women will see that you are fun and happy and they will love you for it. Basically what makes you happy, makes the women that you are dating or approaching happy. It sound too good to be true I know, but this is the case. If you don't believe me, then go out there and try it and see what happens.

Go out there and enjoy yourself. Have fun meeting gorgeous women that give you joy. If you this, you will discover in a very short time that happiness is very contagious.

Fears In Human Life

2009-08-14T03:53:00.008+02:00

Fear is the most basic human instinct. It's based on a defensive mechanism that is used to protect you from things like pain, and threats.

It's a necessary emotion to ensure our survival when something like a tree is falling and we are standing right under it. The emotion of fear itself is only supposed to last for a short amount of time. If it occurs for a long period of time it can be damaging to our bodies.

Fear is the emotion that debilitates you and prevents you from being free. It affects the healing process in your body and your overall well-being. It can affect our lives directly and indirectly. In this article I hope to bring up the indirect ways as regard to our health industry.

As a reader I hope you get much more out of it and apply whichever method(s) to improve your overall life.
Psychologists have mainly looked at fear regarding phobias and how it affects our lives socially and emotionally. Phobias only account for a small percentage of the population.

The lighter forms of fear affect the population on a much larger scale.Fear is as real to you as you think it is and last for as long as you hold unto it. Fear can be the stealer of your life and the killer of your soul.

Fear is dispelled the minute you take action to face it head on; the moment you move against the pressure, the thoughts and do the opposite, the power of that fear dies instantly. It's like having a fear of heights and making the decision to take the elevator to the Empire state building, get out of the elevator and walk out onto the balcony.

There you realized that what held you captive were simply what you fed to your mind and it really had no power over you; only what you gave it. The release and rush you experience in that moment can be summed up in one word "freedom".

Freedom from the fear of failure, rejection and the unknown makes room for love and faith to grow. Love, faith and fear cannot dwell together, one will always over power the other. The force that has the most power will prevail; fear is always seeking to paralyze our thinking, as is the force of love and faith always seeking to strengthen and free us.

Human Nature

2009-08-14T02:47:00.012+02:00

There are aspects of human nature, like the stealing, cheating, killing and all the other violence, which are in conflict with modern civilization. But even these behaviors are evolved as our tactics to survive.
Prehistorically, they are "lovely" tactics. Our modern civilization should not be defined as the opposite of human nature, instead it should be defined as a better way to serve our human nature, and to serve the most essential human natures.
Our civilization is a massive social structure characterized by its high degree of labor specialization and commercial trading on top of the specialization. This new social order (in contrast to the prehistoric small tribal life) has significantly increased our productivity and efficiency, thus can satisfy our essential human nature (human needs) much better than prehistoric life style.
Unfortunately, this new social order requires us to collaborate in a massive scale with mutual trust and social order, instead of cheating and killing of each other.
Thus, our "lovely" surviving tactics of killing, stealing, and cheating, which are the products of million year evolution, might no longer be appropriate. Our evolution process is too slow compared with the social and culture changes, and we have not yet completely evolved into model citizens.
But I am sure, compared to our hunting ancestor ten thousand years ago, we are much more tame. We don't want to kill someone on the street without good reasons. We still cheat and occasionally steal a bit, but what is the big harm? Sometime it might even serve some social needs. It has been said that you cannot survive a single day without lie.
The big human tragedies is more a result of civilization went wrong, rather than a result of basic human nature.Human nature is the only thing we have, it is the center, it is the basis to define good and bad, correct and wrong.
Beyond human nature, there is no direction. How do you know what they said (above human nature) is really above, not below. What do they use as the measure? There is only one thing they can use, that is God, the imaginary God. Yes, if you believe in God, believe in super nature, then everything related to out human selves is filthy, vice and none worthy.
Restricting ourselves is the best way to follow God. God is above, is the direction, and what the Bible said is the direction. But what a pitiful life to degrade ourselves to such a low position.

How do you know what they said (above human nature) is really above, not below. What do they use as the measure? There is only one thing they can use, that is God, the imaginary God. Yes, if you believe in God, believe in super nature, then everything related to out human selves is filthy, vice and none worthy. Restricting ourselves is the best way to follow God. God is above, is the direction, and what the Bible said is the direction. But what a pitiful life to degrade ourselves to such a low position.
What is the fun of living? Why should not we kill ourselves? The trouble in religion is that we cannot even kill (eliminate) ourselves, since our soul will survive! I haven't seen any recipe to kill the soul yet. A person with such a view will have a very low self esteem, lower than the life of ant. It is a fundamentally miserable life, because they are told to do everything against their nature. They distaste themselves, and cannot even kill themselves. For them, rise above their human nature is their daily struggle, because they are still human, they are merged in human nature.
Human nature is the goal, is the thing we need to follow, need to serve. We should do things for the human nature, not against human nature, and not restrict human nature. As the possible conflicts within the set of human natures under the modern setting of civilization (labor specialization and goods trading), like the violence, we have to sacrifice the small part in order to better serve the larger and more essential part. But it is a sacrifice. We have to do it, not we want to do it. But the overall goal is to better serve our human natural as a whole, especially the basic natures, like the food, sex and intelligence. The goal is to make us happy, not to make the God happy.

Learn Oil Painting

2009-08-10T16:35:00.004+02:00

Oil paint dries very slowly, Unlike acrylic paints which dry very quickly. Acrylic paint was initially created as an underpainting medium for oil painting.

It is perfectly stable to put a base of acrylic and then place oil paint over it. Linseed oil added to oil paint will extend color, increase flow and increase workability. Oil paint with added medium is called long, oil paint used directly from the tube is called short or stiff.

You place you oil paints on a wooden board called a palette the very best palettes are made of pear wood.

It is very important to understand your paints and know which colors are:

Transparent (see through) Semi Opaque (slightly see through) and opaque (not see through) getting started put as much oil paint on your brush for two strokes three maximum always end your brush stroke on the canvas.

Make sure that you use linseed oil only when you are painting with the wet on wet method or process.

Do not confuse yourself with all of the many other mediums. Wait to discover those when you are more experienced. If you can actually afford the professional paints, definitely go ahead and buy them. You will notice immediately that they are completely different from the student paints.

Always buy the best brushes that you can afford. The Da Vinci brand brushes are the best professional brushes. Buy long handle bushes. The technique is to hold near the end of the handle. When developing talent one point to consider is the ability to take risks. Just play around with your paint however first understand it, only paint at an easel and make sure to stand back from your painting all the time. Never put your expensive brushes in turps when you are working in a session. Go ahead and wipe them clean with paper towels or cloth wash out your brushes in turps or a similar solvent at the end of a session and then be sure to clean immediately with soapy water.

Preparing the canvas the foundation of you piece

It is quite essential that you put on the first underpainting or wash on your canvas. This takes away the glare of the white (which will reflect back at you, quite annoying) and the more layers of paint you get onto your canvas the better and the more professional looking your painting, the more luminous the paint ant the more the painting will sing out with color and texture.

Traditionally an earth color of a burnt umber or raw umber, raw sienna or an ochre was painted on as a good first underpainting. Sometimes it can be pretty exciting to paint on a bright red or dark blue as your first underpainting especially when you are in the habit of putting on three or four layers and seeing the underpainting come through your painting. Use a big wash brush to apply the first underpainting it you use acrylic as your underpaint it will dry quickly and get you started quicker.

How to apply oil paint in two methods

1. Wet on wet or All Prima (in one step)

2. Stage Painting or Glazing Fat over lean

Wet on wet is applied by using the paint stiff, which is directly from the tube Or thinned to the consistency of salad dressing with linseed oil the essential part of painting wet on wet is making your brushes and painting knives do the work for you.

You definitely want to have full control of your brushes and experiment with different brushes to see the marks and texture streaks that they make.

Never work with turps unless you are working with the glazing method.

Never ever stand your brushes in any turps working in your painting session.

Turps will burn the bristles and inevitably there will be some left in the brush when you start to use color.

This will make it difficult to keep control of the flow or thickness of paint. The glazing technique is a process of building up your painting in a series of layers of the thinned paint.

I found this specific method for the glazing technique with oil paint it is called fat over lean

A Lean 1st layer thinned with solvent

A Lean 2nd layer thinned with less solvent

A Lean 3rd layer thinned with less solvent

A Fat 4th layer straight from tube

A Fat 5th layer thinned with little linseed oil

A Fat 6th layer thinned with more linseed oil

It is very essential that you this process exactly follow or the layers of paint will dry at different levels and possibly crack the paint. Granted, it is a slow method and you absolutely need some patience however the results are spectacular tonal values which are essential in painting. This glazing method gives you full control of creating tones in acrylic paint. Here there is no mystery about paint.

Remember that paint is just pigment with a binder. In the case of oil paint, it is just a pigment with a drying oil usually linseed oil is used for this. The very best professional oil paints you will find are Michael Harding and Old Holland. Windsor and Newton and some other makes are good as well just make sure they are called professional paints and not the lesser quality student paints.

One last thing, Oil Paint dries very slowly, have patience and enjoy the journey. Paint on.

Mixing Acrylic Paint

2009-08-10T16:02:00.003+02:00

Acrylic paint is favored by artists who have the ability to work fast. The reason for this is because acrylics dry fast. It is therefore important to understand the science of mixing acrylic paint. When you use oil paint it takes hours and even days for the paint to dry. Acrylics can dry almost straight away. When you use acrylics you can use it from the tube. If you want the paint to be thinner then simply add a little water. Water can be used as a medium because acrylics are water based. Mixing acrylic paint correctly can mean the difference in the success of your work.

When beginning mixing acrylic paint, to conserve your acrylics it is advisable to release tiny amounts onto your palette. It is a good idea to use a plastic palette for acrylics. This will enable you to spray water over the palette and acrylics to keep it moist. A simple every day spray bottle will do. Another good alternative is to use a palette called 'stay wet'. The acrylic paint is placed on wax coated paper. This paper is put over damp watercolor paper. Doing it this way may be awkward for the painter because there is no thumb hole.

After mixing acrylic paint you must keep damp cloths on hand to wipe your brushes. You wipe the brushes after you rinse them. Wiping with a damp cloth will stop water channeling down the ferrule on your work. If water does this it will leave splotches. Acrylics mixed with water can be used in exactly the same way as watercolors. It will also make acrylic painting suitable for air brushing. However, if you want a better flow of paint but don't want to compromise color strength then choose some other medium instead of water.

Anything that is going to take extra time is a hazard when acrylic painting. This is because it gives the paint time to dry before you are finished with your task. One such task is the blending of colors. The only way to counteract this is by working as quickly as you can, using dampened paper and your spray bottle. Any painter using acrylics must work confidently and it also saves time if the painter plans beforehand. On the other hand, there are painters who like the idea of using quick drying paint. They say it elevates their creative process and they are left with a painting that could be regarded as spontaneous.

Those painters who plan before they start painting will know exactly where and when they want to produce edges that are sharp. An effective and cheap way of doing this is to use masking tape. One of the benefits of acrylic painting is you can use masking tape and it will not ruin a layer of paint that is already on the board or canvas. If you want to be left with a sharp line that is even then the edges of the masking tape must be firmly pasted. Do not paint acrylic too densely over the edges. If the acrylic is too thick there won't be an even line when the masking tape is lifted.

Many artists use either oil or acrylic painting to produce their work. Acrylics are more economical and it is a way for art enthusiasts to afford a great piece of art work as opposed to oil paintings that are a lot more expensive to paint and to buy. Though acrylic is a cheaper paint option, you can produce extraordinary art once you've mastered the correct method for mixing acrylic paint.

Paint Brushes

2009-08-10T15:48:00.007+02:00

The quality of a paint job is highly dependent on the tools used. The consistency of the paint film and its final finish are dependent upon the condition and quality of the brushes. If the brushes are stubby and inflexible, the work will be marred. Brushes of an inferior quality are a continuous source of frustration and not worth the money saved. The bristles on cheap brushes tend to loosen and stick to the wall. Good brushes, although more expensive at first, will prove economical and satisfactory, in that they will last longer, aid considerably in producing a better finish, and save time and effort.

With a comparatively small number of brushes, it is possible to do nearly all ordinary painting jobs. Common wooden furniture like a bathroom cabinet, cupboard, or bathroom vanity can be painted with basic tools. Bathroom cabinets are simple enough to sand and paint, though bigger and more complex projects most likely require a wider array of brushes. Taking good care of your brushes is essential in saving money and getting the best quality work from them.

Before dipping a new brush in paint, tap it gently across the hand to remove dust and the loose bristles, which were left in the brush when it was finished. Brushes that are to be used again the following day may be kept fresh by placing them flat on a paint-can cover, and pouring a small amount of linseed oil over them. Do not bend the bristles. Another method is to wrap them in wax paper, or in several thicknesses of newspaper. Varnish brushes should be kept apart from paint brushes. Never keep brushes in water.

This practice is to be severely condemned. Water will ruin the bristles and the brush will lose its flexibility. Thus, when cleaning your brushes, do not leave them overnight to soak in water from the bathtub. even if you were using bathtub paint. Brushes that are not to be used for some time should be washed well in benzine or turpentine (benzine is much cheaper), then washed with soap and warm water. Do not use hot water. Stipple brushes should be washed in benzine or turpentine, and then washed with soap and water, even if they are to be used the next day.

Shellac brushes may be cleaned in alcohol or in dilute ammonia. If cleaned in ammonia, they should be rinsed in clear water. Wash calcimine brushes thoroughly in cold water, rinse well, and hang to dry. Do not put calcimine brushes in hot calcimine. Dry brushes, if not too far gone, may be reclaimed by placing them in hot kerosene. Place the brush container in a pail of hot water away from fire and let brushes soak until softened. Wash in benzine and shake out well. Brushes, especially new ones, should not be kept in a hot place. The bristles are held in place by the handle.

Heat will cause shrinkage of the base of the handle and consequent loosening of the bristles. This is one reason why people do not often paint while taking a steam bath or a hot steam shower, even if it is enclosed in a steam shower unit. One method of removing water or other liquids from a brush is to place the brush in a container wide enough so that the sides are free, and then to twirl the brush between the hands. This method will remove most of the liquid without injury to the brush.

Don't Be Sad

2009-08-08T12:02:00.006+02:00

Don't Be Sad - An excellent book to read and benefit from. Don't be sad is an excellent book by Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni.This book is based on Islamic principles and gives excellent advice on variety of matters like handling past, dealing with criticism, handling boredom, being content and patient, how to handle the wrong done by others. People are many times affected by what others say about them. If they let others affect them too much, then they are actually giving a lot of power to others. We should not let this happen. We should try and not be overcome with grief when someone says something bad about us. People will always find fault with others, throw tantrums at them and be jealous of the successful ones.

If someone is jealous of you and constantly throws tantrums at you, then it is infact a thing to feel happy about. It is because the author says that people will not kick a dead dog. There must be something in you that makes others jealous of you.

There must be some quality, some skill in you that is making others feel inferior or insecure. So they resort to such behavior with you. You can let them feel more rage by forgiving them for their behavior, ignoring their negative comments and constantly trying to further improve your skills and strengths.

The book talks from an Islamic perspective on improving yourself, your life and dealing with sadness. If you want to know how to overcome grief and not fall prey to depression and sadness then this book might be a must read for you.

There are many reasons for depression. Among them are stress, boredom, loneliness, not being treated properly with others, criticism, past memories etc. If we can learn how to effectively deal with these things so that they no longer affect us, then it can be a big bounty for us.

This book comes out with sound advice for dealing with all the above mentioned problems. So its an essential read for almost all people of all walks of life. It can help us get better at handling our negative emotions so that we do not get easily affected by problems and negatives happening in our lives.You can buy this book at many popular stores, If you are unable to find it at your local bookstore, you can purchase it online. It is available at Amazon.com and other such sites.

Famous Indian Contemporary Artist - New Style of Painting the Canvas

2009-08-07T18:02:00.000+02:00

Indian art is of great essential significance in harmony to its civilization and legacy.

Art is a mixture of different types and styles; it modifies its phases, as the paint brush comes in the hands of diverse painters belonging to wide areas in world, having different background, sense of style.

In the present time the modern and figurative art form is of high demand not only in India but also in foreign countries. Modern form of painting is the outcome of the creativeness plus experimentation that the stalwarts of art have started.

Indian contemporary Art introduced in 21st century is a wide-range art. It ranges and has made his mark from the exclusive business empires offices, royal classes, to the houses of the middle-class art lovers. Indian art can be categorized variedly based on many criteria, one of them is medium. In which the artist is classified as oil painting artist, acrylic painting artist, water color painters and many more.

But this should not be the main criterion, as in 21st century painting artist do not work on any single pattern, they have a versatility in them to experiment new shades altogether.

The other way in which artists are classifieds is the place to which they belong i.e. their origin.

On the other hand most of the artists keep on moving from one place to another. They do not do not append their artwork with any typical school of art.

Indian contemporary artists take their insight from a mixture of sources and styles; Indian Artwork has still maintains its separate style and flavor. It has the capacity to merge the new style of art in it.

Indian contemporary art has won applause from all over the world. An unbelievable variety and originality is present in the Indian art. The contemporary Indian art is an ideal intermingle of Indian culture, history, religious beliefs, philosophy and diversity. This art form is day by day becoming more popular and famous all over the world. It has a great demand in the art market.

India has many famous contemporary artist added to its list. Their style of painting is a much of high class superiority, for the upper class people. It's a smooth, shinny; glossy style showcasing the wide range of variety. In this growing contemporary style modern materials are also used to give it a new edge. Natural fabric material like wool, cotton, silk, linen is used. These contemporary artist has the art to impress you with there brilliance and imaginative values.

Acrilyc Paint And Oil Paint Are The Best For Canvas

2009-08-07T15:08:00.006+02:00

Oil paint and acrylic paint are the best for canvas. There are advantages and disadvantages for each type of paints. Centuries ago, artists did their masterpieces in canvas.

For beginners though, canvas painting can be daunting. There are so many materials to use like brushes, paints, canvas, etc. Oil on canvas has been a very popular choice for many artists over the years. They are best for extended projects because the oils don't dry fast.

Artists paint by layers because applying a thick coat of paint will eventually crack when it dries. Artists can put off painting for the next day, and they just rejuvenate oil, artists use mineral spirits and turpentine.

Also, it is easier to correct mistakes because of the time it takes to dry up. Brushes used for oil painting have a shorter life span because these brushes need to be thoroughly cleaned and in the process they lose their shape.

Canvas painting using acrylic paint is different from using oil paint because acrylic paint dries fast. Paintings are finished as quickly as they are thought of. If you are in a rush or are impatient, use acrylics because painting by layers will only take you hours.

To avoid smearing, some artists can use masking tape on the dried acrylic paint. This cannot be done with oil paint. Like oils, acrylic paint can be mixed and the possibility for color is endless. Unlike the brushes used for oil paints, you can clean brushes for acrylic paint with soap and water. These brushes retain their shape and have a longer lifetime.

Canvas Paintings For Home Decor

2009-08-07T14:42:00.004+02:00

Canvas paintings give people tasteful options for filling their empty walls and hallways. Aside from adding color and texture, a painting can also speak much about the personality of the homeowner. It does not have to be too expensive to be able to be considered fine art. The more important thing is that the homeowner appreciates it and understands it.

The first thing to consider is where it is to be placed. It is obvious that a different kind of painting is more suitable for every room. It would be a good step to envision a painting in a room before deciding to purchase one. The size of the painting should coincide with the space allotted for it. For instance, it would not be a good idea to put up a huge painting in such a small space. It would lead to making the room look more cramped. Likewise, the color theme of the painting should also be considered. The overall color palette used in the specific room intended for the painting should accommodate the colors in the painting. Unless the work of art is intended to be used as an accent, the colors should not be too far from the color concept of that room.

More importantly, the specific style the room has should be complemented by the selected canvas paintings. For instance, it is very common for modern style to have neutral walls in shades of cream, white and grays. The canvas paintings can take the role of being the accent pieces in the walls. This means that against those neutral walls, paintings with bases such as reds and oranges would really stand out. At the same time, homes with a modern style need to stick to clean cut designs meaning the paintings should tone down on the curves and flourishes and stick to jagged lines and geometric shapes.

Colored Glass in Your Home

2009-08-07T13:42:00.010+02:00

In accordance with the style and theme of your room you may choose from traditional, contemporary, transitional and Tiffany pendant lighting fixtures. All these varieties provide elegance, clean cuts, bold lines and architectural superiority. However, it is better not to mistake pendant lighting with chandelier lighting. The former generally hung from a single sconce on the ceiling and sprouts a single chain or metal tube from there.

The colored glass pendant lightings come in a large variety of shapes and size including rectangular, square, triangular and round. The contemporary lighting designers even experiments with a wide spectrum of shapes in order to create exclusive and appealing light fixtures. You can also find some pendant lights that have abstract shapes and designs that can revise the atmosphere of your room and create a mesmerizing effect.

However, the most common type of colored glass pendant lightings are dome shaped and cone shaped. The dome shaped pendant lightings are either shallow spreading ample amount of light or narrow in order to release more direct ray. These types of colored glass pendant lightening are usually crafted with materials that are capable of holding a dome shape. The cone shaped pendant lightings are more directional lighting source that allows only a little amount light to escape.

Antique glass includes so many different decorations, sizes, forms and shapes. Having any type of antique glass in your home can add to the beauty and character or theme that you would like to create. No matter what the size of your room or home is, there is always room for a piece of antique glass. Let us explore the shapes, sizes and forms that antique glass can take.

First of all, antique glass is not always clear. As a matter of fact, antique glass tends to be colored. This is not always the case, but stained glass is a classic antique feature that is found in churches, on antique lamp shades, and even on chandeliers. Clear glass allows light to shine through, which offers a beautiful rainbow that can reflect on a wall, mirror, or floor. Colored glass can sparkle when light shines upon it, giving is an elegance and a glow.

Antique glass comes in many shapes as well as colors. Glass chandeliers, vases, dishes, glass baskets, and bowls are among the different forms that antique glass can take. You might find clear glass antiques in these varieties, or some that are colored glass in yellow, green, blue, purple, and virtually any other color. You might even see what is called "milk glass" which is like a white porcelain antique glass. Milk glass is often painted with flowers or other designs to give the antique piece distinction and character.

There are many other types of antique glass besides milk glass. There is art glass, opalescent glass, pressed glass, historical glass, elegant glass, depression glass, carnival glass and Victorian glass. Flint glass, and early American Pattern glass are popular. Each style has a different texture, thickness, color, design and uniqueness to it.With so many forms, styles, shapes and colors to choose from, it may be difficult to choose which kinds of antique glass you will want to add to your home.

How on Earth Do You Stand Steadfast When Your World is Crashing In?

2009-08-05T04:28:00.001+02:00

Many are hanging on by a thread and going through some very difficult trials. Daily we hear of someone losing a loved one, terminal cancer diagnosis, mental struggles with panic attacks and anxiety, job losses, abuse, and the list goes on and on. When your world feels like it is crashing in you can find strength to make it through and come out stronger.

For starters, you need to know there are some things that will never be developed in you without going through a struggle in life. After the storm, you will also know and be able to say ... 'if it hadn't been for the Lord'. Your confidence and trust in the Lord will increase and you'll know it wasn't your own doing that brought you through.

No doubt about it, when there's a knock on the door at the midnight hour you need more than your own strength or theory of who God is. You need God - with no trepidation and fear. You need to KNOW God. And you need to know God did not bring you this far to leave you now. God is your very present help in time of trouble.

Bear in mind also, if your heart is still beating you are a target for the devil. But what the devil meant for bad, God can turn to good! God's grace is sufficient for you during your trials.

Like my pastor often says, 'Life is Life for Everyone'.

In 1 Peter 4:12 it tells you not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice. Then James 1:2 says to count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Some key references to help you through the storm:

Temptation is common, but God is faithful and will provide a way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The waters will not overflow us and the fire will not burn us because the Lord is our God and He is with us. (Isaiah 43:2-3)
When I am weak, then I am strong through Him. (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Cast All your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Many are the afflictions of the righteous but God delivers them out of them all. (Psalm 34:19)

Are you with me? You must remember that you are not staying in the trial, but going through it. To overcome your trials the word of God must abide in you. We are told in 1 Peter 5:9 to resist the devil steadfast in our faith. Standing steadfast requires speaking only what the word of God says. (Not confessing our troubles.)

It's no secret that, many of our struggles are attacks from the enemy. But we have help to overcome. The sword of the spirit is the spoken word of God and an offensive weapon. We have the ability to speak and chose our words, so we Must Chose Them Wisely. Imitate Jesus when He was tempted and say 'it is written', 'it is written', 'it is written' and speak what is written in the word of God over your situation.

Don't abandon ship during the storm, because 1 Peter 5:10 says that after we have suffered a while, the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, will make us perfect, established, strengthened, and settled. God's grace is sufficient to bring us through the storm better developed and stronger than ever before.

May you experience growing prosperity as you overcome the trials of life through your faith!

Your Future Starts Now

2009-08-05T04:22:00.003+02:00

When we are young it is easy to believe that we have all the time we need. The future is so far away that it feels like there is no end to it. As we get older, the future begins to get shortened and we can begin to see the horizon, although it still seems far away. Suddenly, we realize that the future isn't far away, and we don't have as much as we once had.

Waiting until someday leads to disappointment. There isn't anything wrong with planning for the future, but we need to live in the present. If there is something you want to do, now is the time. The future may or may not be waiting for you. Don't put off what you want because you think you have plenty of time. You might, but you might not. As the quote reminds us, "Live each day as if it is your last. One day, you will be right."

Consider This

Today is the future you have been waiting for. Don't put off living until someday. Live today as if your future is not guaranteed because actually it isn't. So often people put off doing what they want to do thinking there will be plenty of time; when work slows down, next year, or just plain simply "someday". Don't put your dream off. Begin living it today. When the future comes it will be a bonus and you will have a longer time to enjoy the dream you created.

Reflections

Are you waiting for the future to have the life you want?

My Request

This week begin doing what you have been putting off for the future. A new project, a change in your environment, an improvement to your relationship; whatever it may be for you there is always a step or two you can take today to realize your dream. You don't have to wait. The sooner you get started on the dream, the longer you will have to enjoy it. Consider that "someday" will never come and it will never be found.

Notable Quotes

"The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time." Abraham Lincoln

"Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed." Wayne Dyer

"Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and playtime." W.E.B Du Bois

The Mystery of Life

2009-08-04T22:56:00.003+02:00

"To the average person life is an enigma, a deep mystery, a complex, an incomprehensible problem, or appears so, but it is very simple if one holds the key. Mystery is only another name for ignorance; all things are mysteries when they are not understood, but when we understand life, it no longer appears mysterious."

As I was reading these words today from Working With The Law by Raymond Holliwell, I could not help but recall a time when life for me seemed to be an enigma, a deep mystery as Holliwell describes it.
It was not until my mid thirties I had a mental shift and realised that what I held foremost in my mind created my outer reality.

For this reason I have come to believe that this Law of Thinking long before I had heard of this term or read about it, is by far one of the most powerful laws in the universe. Our mind is a powerful force, perhaps one of the most powerful forces we know.

As Bob Proctor says " thought waves are cosmic waves that penetrate all time and space".

In essence this law states that what we mentally dwell on will continue to show up in our lives over and over and over again.

If we continue to dwell upon thoughts of lack, fear of losing our jobs, fear of being cut back from work, fear of losing someone in a relationship, fear of losing money, fear of getting sick, these conditions will gravitate towards us and manifest in conditions in our life.

Keep in mind that whatever you think in your mind are seeds that will grow. Good or bad thoughts, whatever they be, will sprout out into your world. And if you want good seeds to grow, plant good thoughts. As for the bad thoughts, replace these thoughts .

As Holliwell writes " As we replace the thoughts that are as weeds, they will die of their natural selves, for such weeds die from lack of cultivation. As long as we allow things to seem real to us, we are putting our energy into it. We are nurturing it; we are feeding it; we are keeping it alive; we are putting our faith into that things, whether we lie it or not, and it must naturally grow, for the Law of growth is ever working to produce whatever seed plant.

Thinking is something that flows though us continually. There isn't a moment nor even a microsecond that we are NOT thinking. If our thoughts are scattered, we serve only to cause for ourselves confusion and much unhappiness.

Now one can see the value in needing to collect our thoughts and harness and control our thoughts. For if we harness it; in other words discipline ourselves to a more constructive state of thinking then we will not be victims of what is quite often termed 'bad luck' or a 'raw deal'. There is no such thing.

Once we begin to comprehend this we can fully appreciate what Holliwell means when he says that " life no longer appears mysterious".

Sarah Winchester and Her Mystery House

2009-08-04T22:52:00.003+02:00

Sarah L. Winchester was an heiress and the owner of the Winchester Mystery House. Sarah Winchester was born in September 1839 in Connecticut. She married William Wirt Winchester, the heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company empire. They had only one daughter, who died a few weeks after her birth in 1866. In 1881, her husband William died of tuberculosis leaving her 50 percent of the company, which fetched an income then of $1,000 per day.

In her grief, Sarah was led to believe that the family was cursed by the ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifle. A psychic advised that to exorcise herself, she should move west and build a house for herself and her spirits.

In 1884, she moved to what is now San Jose, California where she bought a house located on 162 acres of land. She began extending the house without any apparent plan, a procedure that continued 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 38 years. Two issues obsessed her -- 1) the number 13 and 2) the belief that if she ever stopped building she would die. She tried to incorporate 13 wherever possible, like having 13 bathrooms, windows with 13 panes etc. Since the construction went on haphazardly, it was full of anomalies such as staircases that led nowhere and windows opening onto walls. A stage was reached where workers had to navigate by using a map. Construction stopped only when Sarah Winchester died in 1922 at the age of 83.

Today, the Winchester Mystery House is a historic national landmark. It is open to the public seven days a week except for Christmas.

The Mystery of Stone Ship

2009-08-04T21:26:00.001+02:00

(Advance) It's a very old rock structure, brown, with a sandy like texture to it, about the size of a 17th Century Ship, it resides in the middle of the Perene Rio, in the Central Jungles of Peru, called Satipo. Deep within the jungle nearby this rock structure, lived a tribe of natives, the 'Ashaninka,' derived from the earlier natives called the 'Arawak' ...I have visited an Ashaninka tribe myself; they are a warm hearted peaceful people, very creative in the arts. And so now for the Legend...:

Throughout the bloody and frightfully sixteen-hundreds, the so called Colonists (Colonos), with their slave ships, sought out the Ashaninka natives, for slaves, sold them to the highest bidder, in the Lima, and Huancayo markets, and in other parts of Peru, along with other cities of South America. The Colonists jammed an absolutely peaceful people into the guts of the ship; it was absolutely body to body. The officers were very cold and dehumanizing. The aftermath of these years took a toll; the Colonists had rapped the land like fire in dry grass-of its masses, putting them into slavery. These natives: insulted, frightened, none of them to return to their tribes. And the Colonists kept their recurrent surge up, keeping the slave-flesh, in the hole of the ship, with stale, deadly breath and putrid surroundings, many died on the journey to the markets, thrown over the stern of the ship for the fish and vultures to eat, once dead.

On a given day, something took place, that would mold into a legend, something, every Colonist would ponder on thereafter, and ship captains would forever take into account, when they'd sailed down the Rio Perene by what would be named-forevermore the 'The Rock of Stone Ship.'

It was an atrociously hot day. The rain had stopped; the captain had anchored his ship in the middle of the river, scouts lowered a small vessel into the waters, turned the boat towards an orchard like opening of the jungle, they were to search for tribal members, and return to the ship with the information, where they were now, how many of them were useful as slaves. In the meantime the Captain and his crew remained waiting onboard.

In those days, the chief of the Ashaninka kept a look out for the ships. They knew what the Colonists were contemplating, and of course the ship was taller than anything in sight and filled a good portion of the center of the river, and it was of course a symbolical threat once seen. And on this hot summer's day, it was seen by the chief, and his bodyguards.

The path the chief and his bodyguards were on came out on to the top of a hill; there they prayed that none of their kind would be kidnapped into slavery this day.

The scouts from the ship looked about spent quite a lot of their time trying to find stragglers, or the tribe itself, but they saw nothing, nothing but massive trees which shaded them from the hot sun, and would condemn them as they rested and fell to sleep, and when they awoke and went back to inform their captain of their fruitless search, they noticed suddenly the ship was gone. Refusing to believe the ship and its crew, and its captain could have left so anonymously, they moved about, but the only thing they found was a rock island mound in the middle of the river, that wasn't there before, it resided where the ship had been anchored.

It was a brown structure, likened to the ship itself in design and some details, as if it was melted down from wood to soft stone, somewhat circular dimensions, the rock island being the same size of the ship, which was now covered with large ants, running about.

The Chief, now looking down from the top of the hill, could see the newly formed mound, and the three scouts standing on it, in disarray, he said nothing, just bowed his head.

Written 7-17-2009, in part, at the hotel in Satipo, while visiting the rivers and falls and natives of this Central, Peruvian Jungle

Does Your Pictures Send The Right Message

2009-08-01T17:59:00.003+02:00

Will your picture send the right message?

I had a conversation the other day with a complete stranger. An 80-something year old woman. The two of us rambled on about knitting (a hobby I recently picked up) and art, and she said something that's had me thinking for days. "When you are doing anything, you must have a vision. You must have a plan for the finished product or you will end up lost in the process."

This is something I have heard over and over, and I am sure you have, too. But how many of us follow it? If you have been studying art for any amount of time I'm sure you understand that the plan you had and the finished product are most often different. Sometimes because you changed your mind, or what you wanted just didn't look right when implemented. However, there are a few "golden rules" you need to decide on before you begin your painting (or whatever your chosen media is). One of the most important things to decide is lighting. Lighting set the mood for your painting and without it, your art may not convey much of a message.

The same piece with lighting from above would look very different when lighted from below or behind. Two source of light can create great effects. Think logically about lighting before you begin your art, and you will be much happier with your results.

Some questions to think about are:
Is there one source of light or more?
What direction and how far away is the light coming from?
Is it shining through anything?
Is there anything in the picture for light to reflect off of? Things like clothing, jewelry, walls, ceilings, etc..
Is the light natural or artificial?

Deciding all of these in the planning stag will help you move through your art with more confidence and ease, and you'll end up MUCH happier with the results. Even if you change you mind multiple times throughout the process.

Music Evokes Emotion and Influences How We Perceive the World

2009-08-01T17:12:00.001+02:00

Music has an undeniable power to evoke emotion. Music is present at every important social gathering - weddings, funerals, birthdays, inaugurations and more. Every 'normal' human being responds to music's mysterious ability to tap into the boundless ocean that is human emotion. Music even calls into question the long-standing notion that there is one objective reality which can be accurately perceived. Music brings up fundamental questions such as...

Why does music evoke emotion?

How does music affect emotion?

Is music a basic human need like shelter, food and meaningful work?

Such questions cut to the very core of human nature. Answers to these questions would help to clarify the unique role of music in our lives.

Music Impacts Our Emotions

It has been shown in research that different types of music evoke different emotional reactions (in most people). For example, Lewis, Dember, Schefft and Radenhausen determined the effects of music versus videos on several assessments of mood - the Optimism/Pessimism Questionnaire, the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List, and the Wessman-Ricks Elation and Depression Scale (1). Experts rated a number of songs and videos as either positive or negative. The study found that songs had a major impact on the emotional state of the listener, yet the videos did not. Not surprisingly, music that was rated positively increased participants' positive moods. It was exactly the opposite for negative (i.e., sad) music. As you may have guessed, the mood of a piece of music tends to induce similar emotions in the listener.

Chastain, Seibert, and Ferraro (2) backed up these findings and found that certain music narrowed participants' attention. It was found that participants attended to and recalled words that matched the mood of the music. In and of itself, this is not surprising.

Music Influences How We See Inanimate Objects

More surprising are the results reported by Stratton and Zalanowski (3) where the mood of the music influenced how participants perceived paintings. The music influenced participant emotion and emotion influenced perception. In the study, paintings were paired together with music. Each piece of music was either depressing or positive in the emotion it evoked per the experts. Participants rated the emotions evoked by the paintings as well as the songs. Participants categorized the paintings by the type of music to which the listened, but not vice versa. In other words, paintings rated as sad by experts were perceived as sad by participants when paired with sad music. Yet those same paintings were perceived as positive when paired with happy music; the same findings were reported when positive paintings were paired with happy or sad music, respectively.

Amazingly, the way in which we perceive a seemingly static object is not as clear-cut as first thought. The emotions invoked by music influence not only our ears, but our eyes as well. Emotions most likely influence every one of our senses (i.e., smell, touch, taste, and mind).

Music Affects How We Perceive Others

If emotions and music can influence our senses and how we perceive objects around us, do they also influence how we view other people? They do. Music seems to prime our minds to perceive people in a similar emotional light.

In a fascinating study, Bouhuys, Bloem and Groothuis looked at the extent to which music influences how participants read the facial expression of emotions of others (4). Studies have demonstrated that normal people are quite good at correctly identifying the emotion on a person's face (without music). Yet listening to music can lead one to believe that an individual's face looks more happy or sad than it really is. For instance, a slow tempo, melancholy song can influence participants to believe that a person looks sad even when they are expressing no emotion at all. On the other hand, when participants listen to faster tempo, upbeat, elevating music, they believe a neutral face is more or less happy. Music has a significant effect on how we perceive the world.

Although it is not clear why music has such an influence on our emotions, mood and behaviors, it seems clear that music does alter how we perceive the world around us.

Temporary emotions caused by music change what we pay attention to, what we perceive, and how we interact with others. It brings into question the notion that there is one objective reality that can ultimately be accurately perceived.

Holidays in Europe

2009-07-30T17:14:00.004+02:00

Have you ever considered taking a holiday in Europe? Europe has all the makings of an unbelievable holiday spot. The culture is second to none, the history is breathtaking and the sites and sound will have you in awe. Europe is steps back in time were simple activities made sense. Europe is a highly traveled destination for history buffs and adventure seekers alike. For the history buffs there are plenty of ancient buildings just waiting to be explored. Here are a few landmarks that should not be missed.

European Landmarks You Must Visit

Eiffel Tower one of Europe's most recognized landmarks stands as an icon of French society. The Eiffel Tower build by its namesake Gustave Eiffel has been a landmark since late 1889. Construction took two years for it to be completed, when finished the tower stood 986 feet high. At the time of completion it stood as the world's tallest tower. It retained this title till 1930 when a little known building called the Chrysler Building snatched it title. The Chrysler Building measured a whopping 1,047 ft tall beating the Eiffel tower by 61 feet. Being so tall the Eiffel tower became very popular with tourist and native Europeans. Today, the Eiffel Tower is just as popular. To date is has had more than 200,000,000 visitors since its construction.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral is another great landmark that should not get passed up. Located on the Île de la Cité in Paris, the Cathedral has stood since 1250. The church was built on the site of the first Christian Church of Paris, Saint Etienne basilica. In 1960 Bishop Maurice de Sully deemed the first church unworthy of it lofty roll as the "parish church of the kings of Europe" and had it demolished. Construction of the new church began in 1163 and was completed in successive parts. The foundation of the church which was laid in 1163 was commissioned by during the reign of Louis VII. Construction of the magnificent west front with the distinctive two front towers began around 1200. During this time many architects were involved in construction of the Cathedral. It is evident by the different architectural styles of the two towers as higher heights were reached. Check out the architectural highlights inside the Cathedral, they will be breathtaking.

Towers of London

The Towers of London is her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress. It is located on the north bank of the River of Thames within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is the original fortress build by William the Conqueror in 1078. The fortress is surrounded by a moat with a complex of several building set within a ring to provide protection for the King and Queen. The primary purpose of the Fortress has been for a royal palace, a prison, a place for execution and torture, a Zoo, a public records office, a mint and a treasury. This is a massive complex with many corridors and halls. Tours of the Towers are done daily, but it is recommended to plan in advance to get tickets.

These are just a portion of the many sites that are available in Europe. There are also beaches, castles, bridges and museum with a large selection of ancient artifacts from an era that has since past.

Be Happy Today

2009-07-30T16:38:00.004+02:00

There is a saying that life is what happens to you on the way to your goal. If you only focus on being happy when a certain set of circumstances occur, then you are missing so much joy.

Be happy today and live every moment of your life as if it were your last. Squeeze every drop of enjoyment from every second of every day. Focus on how great you feel now. Don't wait until some set of conditions happen.

Look around you now for pleasure. Is the sun shining? Is a great song playing? Find something right now that you enjoy. Be grateful for having friends and loved ones with you. Be grateful for things you take for granted, like clean water, electricity, a roof over your head. Many people don't have the things that we take for granted. Be grateful for the meal you are about to eat and your job.

You can find something good about everything you do during the day. You can find something good about everyone you meet. Try it, its fun, especially when you meet someone who tries to hide the good in themselves. I look at these people as a challenge. It makes life fun to crack those nuts.

Another way to make you feel great is to help others. Find ways to do little things for others. Don't expect anything for it, except a warm fuzzy feeling. You'll be surprised at the little rewards you will receive, unexpectedly. This helps you feel good and it spreads like a virus. You do something nice for someone; they feel good and do something nice for someone, and so on.

Someone once told me, if you don't like doing something, don't do it. You can always find a way to get someone else to do something for you, if you think hard enough. The funny thing is everyone has different likes and dislikes, so you can find someone who likes what you don't and do something for them that they don't enjoy. There is no need to do anything you don't enjoy.

The best way to be happy today is to do things you enjoy. Look around and love where you are, love the people you are with and love yourself. If you don't it's up to you to change things. Don't wait, do it now. Be happy today.

The Perfect Gifts For The Dog Lover

2009-07-30T16:19:00.003+02:00

If you love your pup then treat him in a special way. For the dog lover, there are many dog gifts that you can give to your pup to make him feel good and love you just a little bit more. Dogs are not hard to please whether you have a Maltese, Shih Tzu, Rottweiler, cocker spaniel or a golden retriever, every type of dog breed will fall in love with these types of doggie lover dog gifts. You will find gifts for a variety of price ranges.

For the dog lover, you have many selections to choose from when it comes to dog gifts. There are even specially made dog gifts for the dog lover such as yourself. Many doggies love the smell of a new treat. There are a variety of flavored dog treats that you can purchase for your dog as a dog gift. Dog owners know how much their pride and joy will love to nibble on these treats. Some treats come in the following variety of flavors: chicken, bacon, duck and cow ears.

There are many types of gifts that the dog lover can purchase for his pup. These gifts can include dog beds, dog clothes, dog toys and chews, dog grooming kits and much more. These items come in large and small sizes. They can also be gifted to your dog whenever you deem it right to give him a special treat for the day. Sometimes you don't even need a special occasion to find a doggie gift.

Nevertheless, sometimes for all of the hard work that owners put in to taking care of their dog, there are specific gifts just for dog lovers. If you have a friend or relative that loves dogs and you are looking for a gift, purchase a gift just for dog lovers. One of the most popular gifts is a t shirt with the dog owner's dog of choice on it with a cute logo such as "Got Dalmatians" or I Heart Shih Tzu's. These are one of the most popular types of gifts specifically for people that real love dogs.

Such brands that are available for these comfortable and special t shirts include the following dog breeds: Dalmatians, Airedale Terrier, Cane Corso, Pit Bull, Poodle, Corgi, Pomeranian, Basset Hound, Australian Sheppard, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Great Dane, Rottweiler, Greyhound, cocker spaniel, Boxer, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, golden retriever, Saint Bernard, Scottish Terrier, Mastiff, Old English Sheepdog, Yorkshire Terrier, Sussex Spaniel and many, many more.

People who love their dogs want to express their appreciation for their pet. Therefore, they use every chance they can to express it. You will notice great gifts include jewelry. Such jewelry pieces that you can find include bracelets, necklaces, earrings, belt buckles, broaches, pins, pendants, rings, hair clips and much more. They also adorn your favorite dog.

Another great gift that dog lover's love are garden statues and figurines of their favorite furry friend. Some of these statues are very life like and are used as indoor statures. They are made of porcelain and painted exquisitely to look life like. They are then finished in a shiny finish. Others for the garden are made of stone which can resist the harsh weather much better.

If you love dogs or you are looking for gifts for someone who does the choices are endless. Such examples include aprons, calendars, clocks, towels, coasters, key chains, stationary, flags, picture frames, cosmetic bags, candles, pillows, playing cards, pajamas, and cookie jars. They also have a variety of prices so you can find one that fits your budget and you can pick up these gifts online or at pet stores.

Embracing Color,Embracing Life

2009-07-30T16:00:00.002+02:00

Would you like to be the kind of person who embraces life and has a home that shows it? Perhaps you already are that kind of person and you want some ideas to bring the excitement you feel for life into your home. Adding great color may be just the decor choice you are looking for. Decorating with color is easy and brightens any home. Some basic color tips are all you need to give your home the lively look you dream of.

Color concentration or knowing how much to use of which color to use. Select three colors to use a background color and two accent colors. Your background color will be used in about sixty percent of your room. It will not only cover the walls, but it will also be a background for many of your accessories. Accent colors will be used for base boards, crown molding, and accessories as well. Draw your ideas for these colors from fabric or items you love. After you have selected a color scheme it will be very easy to select other pieces of décor. Some items that you should consider are art, throw pillows, and area rugs.

Employing good art is an excellent way to add life. Select pieces that speak to your personality. If you can relate to a particular piece then you will be satisfied with it as a long term choice. Also this artistic display will add a touch of your personality, while creating a flow of color through the room. All of your accessories should be creative color accessories which help you accomplish this goal.

Another example of creative color accessories are throw pillows. Throw pillows help your color scheme to be prominent and blend well. These items can add excitement through patterns and shapes. They will provide comfort and establish a prominent theme throughout the room. Area rugs can help to do all of these things on a much larger scale.

Area rugs do not simply provide color or design to a room, but they blend all of the existing features to give a perfect finish. Area rugs can be found for any color scheme. They are made in many various shapes and sizes so that they can match any theme and will fit in any size room. When you add an area rug to your design you draw all aspects in the room to finalization, much like topping a gift with a bow. Area rugs may even be used as art. Often an area rug may be suitable to use as a tapestry rather than just a rug. This looks fabulous and can create the same finished feeling.

Giving your home the look of life embraced is simple and inexpensive. Do not spend another day in a boring home. Add color to your life with these simple tips. The result will be an impressive room with a pleasing burst of personality. You will welcome both friends and family to join you in your embrace of color and life.

Moving to Different Place

2009-07-30T15:45:00.002+02:00

Moving from one place to another is a tedious task. However, sometimes it becomes mandatory when you get transfer in your job from one place to another. Some people need to relocate themselves in order to have better job and business prospects. Whatever is the reason, people always hate the chaos caused by moving to a different place.

Well, it is true that relocating yourself as well as all your home stuff is a very tough task and you need to do a lot of labour and arrangements in order to manage it. One simple solution can be hiring a professional Packers and Movers. It will keep you out of any trouble related to moving your home and belongings. However, if you do not want to hire any professional packers and movers, you can choose to do the task of your own.

Packing and Moving without Professional Packers and Movers

To perform all packing and moving task you need some essential inputs like Moving Kits, Moving Boxes, and other Supplies for Moving. You have different type of stuffs at your home, and you need to ensure their protection from any kind of breakage or scratches during the moving process.

According to the type and size of stuff at your home, you need different kind of boxes to pack them properly. Thanks to the experienced manufacturers of supplies meant for moving, they make moving boxes in varying shape and sizes. You can easily find boxes of all sizes matching large as well as small stuff of your home.

Handling of Fragile Objects while Moving

Everyone has some fragile objects in their homes that need special attention and care while moving. These objects include glassware, large picture frames, showpieces, as well as handmade objects like paintings. Apart from that, electronic items like Television, Microwave, Music Systems, DVD and CD players, Computers, and all other electronic stuffs need to be protected from jerk or fall. In order to reduce possible damages one needs Bubble & Stretch Wraps before packing them into their respective boxes.

You can also think of buying specialized moving Kits that consists moving boxes in all shapes and sizes, different kinds of bubble wraps, stretch wraps, tapes and dispenser, as well as box markers. These comprehensive moving kits are enough to complete your packing process. You can find these complete kits according to the size of your home. These moving kits come according to number of rooms.

So when next time you need to move from one place to another you can save some money by doing packing and moving without any external help by professional packers and movers. Order for required supplies for moving and start packing your stuff. It's really fun.

Decorative Painting

2009-07-30T15:13:00.007+02:00

It's amazing to find decorative painting dominated by women. Julia, Karen, Dee, Marcia - all women, only four of dozens of others, each proudly showing off incredibly beautiful work samples. Why decorative painting should be the exclusive turf of women (relegating men to being merely house painters) stupefies. If it's any consolation, at least the Great Masters have all been male.

Decorative painting is of interest to every DIY decorator for the many exciting possibilities it opens for decorators looking for an inexpensive way to perk up their homes. In a sense, decorative painting artists are pushing the envelope on home decorating. Faux finishes from onyx to alabaster, from serpentine to breccia are now available to the DIY decorator, very handy in raising the glam factor of any home decor, or in tying together the decor style dictated by one's acquisition of magnificent wall grilles and other metal art. Wrought iron wall grilles, stuccoed walls, terra-cotta and plaster pots with relief designs in faux verdigris, Corinthian-capital base of a glass-top table in faux granite-- what more can a Mediterranean style fan want?

If the DIY possibilities excite you well enough to want to try your hand at decorative painting, here's what you need to know about the different types of paints. Green concerns make water-based paints popular. Of interest to you are latex paint, aerosol acrylic paints, craft acrylic paint, ceramic paints, and fabric paints.

Latex paint
Latex paints use acrylic resins, vinyl resins, or both. You'd want to choose latex paints of acrylic resins because they provide an even and complete finish and wear longer, but you might settle for acrylic-vinyl mixes, or all-vinyl depending on your budget. Latex dries fast, wears well, and can be custom-mixed to your precise color. It's available flat for a matte appearance or high-gloss for a more durable finish.

Craft acrylic paint
This is 100 percent acrylic-resin paint which should not be confused with the ones used for canvas painting. Sold in 2-oz, 4-oz, and 8-oz bottles, they come in various colors and in fluorescent, iridescent, and metallic versions. If a thinner consistency is needed, they can be diluted with water, latex paint conditioner, or acrylic extender.

Fabric paints
Although acrylic paints can be used to paint on fabrics, there's a paint that's manufactured exclusively for fabrics: fabric paint. To avoid unnecessary stiffness, remember to apply lightly. You know you're doing it right when you can see the fabric's texture. The painted fabric can be machine-washed or dry-cleaned once heat-set.

Ceramic paints
These are paints specially formulated for ceramic surfaces, although you can use acrylic or latex paints on a previously-primed surface. Subjecting the finished product to hardening in low temperature improves the paint's adhesion, durability, and water resistance.

Aerosol acrylic paints
This type dries quickly and covers well. Extremely handy, they can be applied quickly, and are best-suited for painting irregular surfaces. To be on the safe side of green concerns, use only the type that's free of fluorocarbons and methylene chloride.

Container Homes Are Ecological & Sustainable

2009-07-29T19:54:00.004+02:00

Have you ever considered looking into shipping container homes? If the answer is yes, then you are in for a real surprise. For starters, shipping container homes are the most environmentally stable and sound form of home development on the market today.

Using only a tiny percentage of the typical materials to build most standard homes, costs and labor to actually create one of these is astounding compared to constant price increases of your average house today.

The overall structural strength of a shipping container allows the builder to develop multi-story dwellings, offering a larger living space without expanding its footprint. The heavy corrugated steel framing allows the unit to withstand 65,000 lbs of stacked weight.

It has been estimated that 86% of the materials used to build a shipping container home have been recycled. Also, the main foundation design is not as expensive and uses a fraction of material which is much quicker to assemble.

If you are concerned about the transportation infrastructure of these containers, no need to worry because it already exists, so the container homes can be easily moved by train, ship or truck, thus reducing major transport time.

Everything needed to complete the final product is delivered in one trip. An investment is already made by not having to pay extra money for several deliveries and separate construction materials.

Many people today have explored the possibility of getting a shipping container home. With a little research on the internet, you will be amazed at what is available today. The cost of regular constructed houses are sky rocketing as we speak. Even the materials being used are getting cheaper and seem to not last as long as they once did in the past. With the money you can save by investing into a container home, a bright future is in store for you.

Feng Shui Living Room

2009-07-29T03:28:00.002+02:00

Your feng shui living room needs to be a warm, welcoming and happy place in which to entertain and for your family to gather together. Whatever style of Feng Shui décor you choose, whether it be formal, casual, traditional or contemporary, your living room affects your friendships, family relationships and your success.

The feng shui living room is the most public part of your home, It is the liveliest room so the qi needs to flow in a lively fashion. It is a yang room so take care to add touches of yin softness such as scatter cushions, and also coolness, like leafy, green plants.

The best orientation is the one that captures the most sun. It should face towards the south (In the southern hemisphere it should be face north), For an early rising family it should have a easterly aspect and a westerly aspect for one that likes to stay up late.

If your living room doesn't have the ideal orientation, you can adjust the feng shui by other means. Bright, cheerful colors will make it livelier. A tropical fish tank will add a restful focal point while the movement of the colorful fish will help to stimulate qi.

The shape and size of the furniture in your feng shui living room should reflect the dimensions and the shape of the room. If your pieces of furniture are too large the flow of qi will be disrupted causing you to feel uncomfortable. If you have a square shaped room, use a square, round or octagonal table. If the room is rectangular use a rectangular table.

How you place your furniture will have a huge affect on how well on how well your feng shui living room works. Where possible, place furniture against the four walls. Avoid placing chairs in a position that puts the persons back to a full-length window or door as it gives the feeling of insecurity. Chairs should be placed to encourage a free flow of movement for people and qi, as well as for conversation. Take care not to place chairs between two opposite openings. The qi generated by members of your family passing through will interfere with your conversation and you will lose concentration and probably your temper. You can put them to the side of the qi channel, encouraging a flow of qi rather than disrupting it.

Sitting face to face can be confronting so place the chairs at a slight angle. A shared table between the chairs helps to break down the barriers between people.

Don't place chairs under exposed beams because anyone seated beneath will find it oppressive. If it is unavoidable, hang a pair of bamboo flutes or the like from the beam.

Apply these simple feng shui principles and you can ensure that you will live the tranquil, serene life in your feng shui living room.

Healthy Living is Good Nutrition,Exercise,And Vitamins

2009-07-29T02:48:00.003+02:00

If your like me; it's hard to maintain good health. What I mean by good health is eating nutritious foods like fruits, nuts, vegetables, salads, poultry, and meats. There is a secret to eating right. It's not so much in what you eat, but how much and how fast you eat it; that is what can make the difference. Always use moderation - excessive eating and drinking is not good for your body.

Then getting in some exercise every day, like walking, (go for a nice even paced walk after dinner). Try jogging early in the morning before it gets too hot, or running after work to help you wind down from your day. Sign up to a fitness gym and workout two or three times a week. These are a few of the things that work together to keep us healthy.

Unfortunately:

There are just way too many temptations out there to throw us off track. It seems like almost every other corner there is a fast food stop or a coffee shop with sweets in it. If your not into sweets (although I cant' imagine anyone not liking them) there is a ton of processed stuff that they call goodies, that you can munch on (But only a few; remember moderation). Then there are so many vehicles now that it is easier to drive or ride to your destination than walk or peddle a bicycle. These temptations can seriously impede our striving for good healthy living.

ALSO:

Many of us take some type of daily vitamins and supplements to strengthen our immune system, but that alone is not enough. Physical checkups by a doctor at least twice a year is a good way to keep tabs on how well you are, and what more you need to do.

Home Improvement Ideas To Consider

2009-07-29T02:41:00.002+02:00

Home improvement is a very widespread field, with many ideas from which to choose. During the summertime, countless people think about remodeling their homes, making improvements to certain rooms of the house, but are often not sure which improvements to do. Low-cost home improvements that not only improve your home's appearance, but also help you save money in the long run, are the hottest plans currently. I'm writing this to list these ideas and hopefully, help spark your imagination. These are the top 5 home improvement ideas for 2009:

1.) Installing "Green" Technology - Due to the need of almost everyone to save money right now, and because of the increased awareness of the need to save our environment, the top home improvement plan right now is the installing of "green" technology, also known as "going green." This could include such installments as solar panels, power-generating windmills, environmentally-friendly cleaners, energy efficient heating and cooling system, and energy-saving light bulbs. Solar panels may be costly at first, but they will save a huge amount of money in the long run by generating your own electricity. The same goes for the energy efficient heating and cooling system - it will help you save money on your electric bills. Windmills can not only help you generate your own electricity, but they can be made with parts from the junkyard. You can't get much cheaper than that! Also, many of these "going green" improvements will help you qualify for a tax break and help out the environment. It's a win-win situation.

2.) Install a programmable thermostat - This may be a very simple improvement, but don't underestimate it. Installing a programmable thermostat will help save money on your electric bills. How does it do this? Instead of having the air conditioning or the heater running all day, the pre-programmed thermostat only turns on the AC or the heat when the temperature of the house gets too hot or too cold. This keeps the central heating and cooling system from running unnecessarily and, in turn, saves you money.

3.) Re-insulate your home - Making sure your home is well insulated will also help save you money on electric bills. That is because a well-insulated home will not let out cool air in the summer, and it will not let out warm air in the winter. That also keeps hot or cold air from drafting into the house.

4.) Paint or re-decorate your living space - This may seem like a very simple improvement to your home, but it is effective. Painting your rooms and re-decorating in soothing colors and accents will help you relax and want to spend more time in your newly decorated home. Pamper yourself along with the new designs and you will feel like you are at a spa getaway.

5.) Put in a patio - This is probably the most expensive option (unless you have close friends or family who are carpenters) but it is worth the splurge. A patio or a sun deck will allow you to relax and soak up some rays in your own back yard. You can grill out with family and friends, sun bathe on a chaisse lounge, or watch the stars from your patio. The good thing about putting in a patio is that it is actually less expensive than adding a room onto your house. A patio may be a small addition, but it will more than pay for itself with all the hours of relaxation it will afford.

No matter which home improvement idea you decide to choose, the payoff will be well worth it. Even if these ideas aren't what you are looking for, there are many other low-cost home improvement ideas. This year, less is more is the approach to home improvement, and saving money is the best thing.

Still Life Pencil Drawings

2009-07-29T02:32:00.003+02:00

Still Life is an art term, that refers to a special kind of picture. It represents an arrange of inanimate objects (hence the name) such as a bowl, a cup or fruits. Usually the arrangement is made according to the artist's purpose. A Still life pencil drawing can be symbolic, with an underlying meaning, or aesthetic, in which case the purpose is to communicate beauty.

About Still Life Pencil Drawings

A still life work can have many purposes. If we work in color it can help us understand how color acts in real life, how the light bounces, and how an arrangement of colors can bring a special mood to the painting. Using colored pencils we can begin studies about color, and work in the finest details. But in the case of black and white pencil drawings, the purpose of the still life pencil drawing is different. A still life pencil drawing can help us study shapes and see how they interact on our eyes, we learn how to measure correct proportions and how they can make the difference betwen a good drawing and a remarkable drawing.

When we get into shading, we then study tonal values. There are no colors here so we must learn how to see things in black and white mode, and correctly define which are going to be the dark and light areas on our still life pencil drawing.

Still lifes are the most available subjects in the world, and while some people may consider still life drawing boring, the fact is they teach us a lot. When you have no idea of what to draw, just make an arrangement of things you have at your house and start your still life pencil drawing. Don't take just as bring cups and fruits, but instead focus on what you can learn from this. If you keep practicing on drawing still life scenes you will find out that you have a much better understanding on how light works, and how objects relate to each other within a composition and color scheme.

The Revolution Of Modern Art In TheTimeline Of Art History

2009-07-29T02:20:00.005+02:00

The excellency of every art is its intensity, capable of making all disagreeable evaporate."- John Keats

A true art is one which is centered on a timeline of events of the world. New art styles have appeared and vanished, with the beginning of the industrial revolution and have meanwhile reflected the gradual changes that have taken place in art in our society. The 19th century painters considered art to be a representation of images that reflects moral values, Christian sentiments, righteous conducts, virtuous behaviors and noble sacrifices. The history of modern art starts with impressionism in Paris - a movement against the rigid painting done inside academy. The usage of light and strong colors was paramount for the impressionist art movement. Different movements fauvism, expressionism, cubism, surrealism and many other paved the pathway of the artist and the modern artist belief in the freedom of expression. They brush their thoughts and ideas into strokes of their art.

With the progress of the century this artistic freedom has become fundamental to progressive modernism. The artists seek freedom not just only from the rules of academic art, but from the demands of the public. And finally they have claimed that art should be produced not for the public's sake, but for art's sake. Art for art's sake is a release from the age old tyranny, rules and purpose; it is an excercise of freedom. 'Art for art's sake'- A phrase coined by Francis Schaeffer in his little treatise, Art and the Bible: "A work of art has value in itself." He said "Art is not something we merely analyze or value for its intellectual content. It is something to be enjoyed." But what about the works of art that are without beauty? Without the precious stone of beauty a piece of art whatever modern may be it is will become a pillar of caricature, without any innate value. We all know the famous poet Keats remark on art: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness."

In the 19th century, art was discussed by critics and historians largely in formal terms which effectively removed the question of meaning and purpose from consideration. But modern art was to be discussed in terms of one great thread that is style - color, line, shape, space, composition -- conveniently ignoring or playing down whatever social, political, or progressive statements the artist had hoped to make in his or her work. Eventually it emerged that modern art is practiced within a closed formalist sphere separated from and not to be contaminated by the real world. Modern art should act like an effective instrument of social betterment, understandable by common man. Art should have its own intrinsic value regardless of everything. But it is not mere an articulation of images, rather the "true" art behind the image that was deemed important. We all know: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,- that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

Painting Composition Says It All

2009-07-29T02:09:00.006+02:00

In painting, painting composition is very important. Another way to explain painting composition is to say the arrangement of the painting. How the artist arranges the subject and other elements is what decides on whether or not the painting is pleasing. An artist should put some thought into how his or her painting is going to look. It would be completely wrong to stick the subject in the middle of the painting if it would look right to one side. The artist must see the painting in his or her mind's eye. Painting composition is all about balance. If it doesn't have the proper balance it will look clumsy. A painting is the expression and creation of the artist but it is also to be appreciated by others.

When it comes to painting composition it is true that some people just do have a good sense of what works. However, most of us have to practice and experiment before we get it right. There are also painters who make a sketch before they paint. The first thing to plan is the focal point. This is your main subject. All other elements in the painting should coax the eye to the focal point. This could be achieved by an obvious means like a pathway or in an inconspicuous way like a color that is recurring.

There are some basic rules to follow when it comes to painting composition. It is best to have elements that make up an odd rather than an even number. Neither should your elements be neat and orderly. When portrait or landscape painting, if you compare a cultivated hedge with a wild bush it becomes obvious. The cultivated and clipped hedge is very neat and precise and very boring. The wild bush has varying lengths of foliage and an unusual shape. The wild bush looks a lot more interesting than the cultivated hedge. You want your portrait and landscape paintings to look and be interesting.

If you discover that you do a specific subject well and it's well received do not keep on using it. You and everyone else will get tired of it. When it comes to painting there should be variety. Others do not want to look at your paintings and immediately figure out your plan. They don't want to feel they are being manipulated. Your painting must always appear to be spontaneous. A painting should never look rigid. It should draw the viewer in naturally. This should happen even if you spent a great deal of time planning your painting.

Lastly, another word on painting composition. Keep the elements in your painting away from each other. You must not allow the elements to overlap. Overlapping stops the viewer from taking in the painting as a whole. The eye gets sidetracked from the complete picture. This is exactly what you don't want. It is the complete painting composition that speaks to the viewer. It is possible for the viewer to get a completely different meaning to what you intended. This happens less frequently in portrait and landscape paintings and more frequently if you do an abstract painting. However, there are paintings that are easily recognized such as flowers or animals. The more you paint the more quickly you will be able to decide and implement

Extreme Black - Personal disorder and 8 signs to look for

2009-07-27T19:28:00.001+02:00

Relationships have their challenges even when the dynamic is healthy and the partners are mentally balanced. However, these challenges become nearly insurmountable when one of the partners suffers from a personality disorder. These disorders, among them narcissism, sociopathy, and psychopathy, are fundamental differences in the hard wiring of the brain or personality. Thus, they are virtually untreatable and cause enormous amounts of destruction in a relationship. If you are bewildered, confused, and hurt by the destructive actions of your partner, it is possible that their incomprehensible behavior may stem from a personality disorder. While only a licensed mental health professional can diagnose a personality disorder, here are 8 signs to look for:

1. Lack of remorse. A person with a personality disorder such as sociopathy and psychopathy lacks the conscience most of us possess. They will not experience guilt as we do. They may mimic the emotion, or be upset to be caught, but true remorse is absent. They may even believe the victim "deserved" to be exploited or hurt because they were weak or dumb enough to be taken in.

2. Lack of empathy. This is a common traits of narcissists. They are unable to put themselves in someone else's shoes. As a result, they may appear to be callous and self absorbed.

3. Lack of impulse control. Instant gratification is important for those with personality disorder. This can lead to destructive compulsive behaviors in the realm of drugs, alcohol, and sex.

4. Grandiose sense of self. Your partner may exaggerate accomplishments, behave in a haughty manner, look at others with disdain, expect preferential treatment, and expect to associate with "special" people or institutions.

5. Manipulation, conning, and compulsive lying. Your partner may be exploitative, taking advantage of you and others. They may live a parasitic lifestyle, taking all they can. In addition, they may lie constantly about everything and anything.

6. Consistent irresponsibility. Your partner may have difficulty holding down a job, paying bills on time, or meeting other commitments.

7. Propensity for violence. Your partner may have angry outbursts, and have a tendency toward violence, though not all psychopaths or sociopaths are violent.

8. Extreme black and white thinking. Your partner may be preoccupied with thoughts of ideal love, beauty, or power. They may also view you either as perfect and amazing, or worthless and terrible, with little in between.

Free of Stress,Put yourself around people who will make you laugh

2009-07-27T08:44:00.001+02:00

When stress gets built up, it just isn't somewhere you want to be. I bet your wishing that you could find a way to be stress free. There is no way to become completely stress free but you can do things that will make you come close. Some stress can be good but if you get to much of it, it will take you downhill.

If your starting to feel very stressed out, remember to tell yourself to relax. We need to take a few minutes a day to relax. However you like to relax, by laying on the couch letting your mind drift off or maybe simply by listening to music that is easy to listen to.

We can be so busy with our lives sometimes but you must find time to do what you want to do each day. If it is only a half an hour, take it. You need time for yourself, maybe you like to go fishing or play golf, whatever you like to do you must do it. If you can't have a little bit of fun, your life will build up stress.

Put yourself around people who will make you laugh. By laughing more throughout the day, this will make you less stressful and will make you happier. Did you know laughing a lot can even burn calories? That is pretty neat if you think about it!

Take time and put some exercise into your day. Exercising releases a hormone which will make you happy, taking the stress away. It will also make you healthier to exercise each day. By living a healthy lifestyle, it will put you closer to becoming stress free.

By doing these little things to help relieve stress, it will put you on the road to becoming stress free. Next time you feel stressed out, tell yourself to relax and chill out!

Artists

2009-07-27T08:40:00.001+02:00

Artists everywhere must be cautious. The enemy is all around you. It lurks in the halls of the Universities. It hovers in Art Galleries and rears its ugly head on discussion forums, chat rooms and blogs. It tries to crush the newcomer, attack the weak and undermine the individualism of the artist. This enemy is a bully of the highest order and is insidious in its infiltration of the artist's mind. An artist may awake one day only to discover that his friends have become possessed by it. It can be frightening and confusing. A possessed friend becomes a stranger. He displays strange behavior and words. The attitude becomes cynical, the words, elitist and the criticism, stinging. A weak artist, may easily succumb to the possession and meekly follow the dictates of the leader. A strong artist will stiffen his spine and walk to the beat of another drum. And the enemy will be merciless in its pursuit and condemnation of this category of artist.

Good grief! Just what or who is this evil entity that threatens the individualism and artistic freedom of Artists of the World? Is there a group who even has the power to keep an artist from creating his art in any form or any style? Sure there is. And it's called the Art Community. It's an interesting community as there is no membership fee or actual location. The members are located everywhere, even in your own art groups. To be a member you must have certain requirements:

Dislike any art that the public likes
Be able to trash Barney and Thomas Kincaid in the same breath
Be able to sniff disdainfully
Profess verbally and eloquently what you feel "real art" is
think that only Galleries can sell art
forgive and humor the famous illustrators for creating realistic art
be able to verbally attack any new artist's efforts or comments on art
be able to gag when the names Bill Alexander and Bob Ross come up in conversation

Double Good Grief!. The membership can be anywhere! Members of this group have been known to spit in fury, stamp their feet, write scathing critiques and are particularly good at looking down their noses at anyone who does not agree with the elitist beliefs of the membership. The ultimate bullying machines, they delight in attacking lurkers on forums, meek artists in critiques, seniors learning to paint and even children learning to draw. They show no mercy in their campaign to spread their perceived art truths among the public and any artist who attempts to market their art draws particular venom. It can be funny to watch and observe.

It takes a strong artist to laugh at the enemy. Nothing makes them angrier! The only way to overcome the aggression campaign of the Art Community......is to laugh in their face and then ignore them!

So Artists of the World, paint what you like. Love who you like. Make money with your art (that really annoys them) and remember, if the Art Community quests were so lofty and spiritual, why are they all so unhappy and angry?

Create and enjoy!

Star

2009-07-26T18:04:00.000+02:00

The web has enormous selections of shooting star tattoo designs. Somethings fishy, though. Why is everybody (around 90%) getting led to the awful, generic laced collections, instead of the places that put up real, high quality artwork? If this sounds like what you're going through, listen to the following steps, because it can make a huge difference in the kind of shooting star tattoo designs you find.

Just two very short steps. That's all it takes to drastically change the quality and originality of the artwork you get to pick from. There's one very straight forward reason why most people end up clicking through mounds of cookie cutter tattoos. It's because of the rampant use of search engines, by an overwhelming portion of the population. It might be the easiest way to find shooting star tattoo designs, but none of that matters, because it's the same generic junk over and over again.

This is the only kind of artwork website that search engines include in their results. It stinks. All of the better and bigger galleries get completely left out, for only a small percentage of people to find. If you want to pick from crisp, crystal clear tattoos, now is the time to switch over to large forums. It's going to be your fast and furious way to uncover so many of the hidden galleries, which have shooting star tattoo designs that are fresh and high quality.

The only thing you need from a big forum is the archive section and their topic search tool. The rest is a piece of cake. Using that search tool, you'll be able to bring up tons of topics about tattoos. You are free to browse and read through has many as you want. Doing this will lead you to so much great information, because many of those topics end up being a place where people help each other out, by giving links and names of the awesome artwork sites they've managed to find. Such a simple trick leads you to tons of quality shooting star tattoo deigns and new websites to look through. It's as simple as it gets.

Nobody can make you settle on generic shooting star tattoo deigns besides yourself.

Great Way To Stay Young And Beautiful

2009-07-26T17:45:00.000+02:00

According to researchers social dancing provides the body with many health benefits. It may help reduce stress, increase energy, and improve strength, muscle tone, and co-ordination. Dancing can also burn as many calories as walking or riding a bike. One factor that determines how many calories you will use is the distance you travel while grooving to the beat. In one study, researchers found that square dancers covered five miles in a single evening.

Other aspects of dance that contribute to your cardiovascular conditioning depend on how long, how often, and how intensely or vigorously you dance. Experts recognise the benefits of dance in lowering coronary heart disease risk, decreasing blood pressure, and managing weight. Another plus of dancing is that the weight bearing movements of your steps can strengthen the bones of your legs and hips, important for maintaining bone health as you age.

While we may not all be leaping around into our nineties, dancing is one activity we can (hopefully) do for the rest of our lives... and the social aspects are all part of its allure. It's a great way to make new friends, be creative and expressive, and just plain old enjoy life. And, the best part of dancing is the fun you can have while you're doing something great for your body because your heart and bones don't know whether you are jogging, in the gym or dancing!

Success Quotation

2009-07-26T17:29:00.000+02:00

If you Google "success", you'll come up with some 400,000,000 hits. Google "success quotations" and you'll fine 11,400. "Success in life", and you'll have 1,100,000 options from which to choose.

Folks love success quotes. So, here's a few and perhaps you might be curious about what they have in common:

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do." Bob Dylan

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives." Albert Einstein

"Just as the tumultuous chaos of a thunderstorm brings a nurturing rain that allows life to flourish, so too in human affairs times of advancement are preceded by times of disorder. Success comes to those who can weather the storm." I Ching No. 3

"The successful man is the average man, focused." Anonymous

"Getting what you go after is success; but liking it while you are getting it is happiness." Anonymous

So, what do they have in common?

What these quotes have in common is that they're all someone's else's quotes, someone else's notion of success.

What I often find in my work are many who walk around with someone else's neat, cool, pithy success definition swimming around in their mind, but have never personalized it - so it's a "nice idea" but at 9:00 Monday morning they're mired in their own mis-alignment, confusion, self-doubt and mis-direction as they're attempting to gain "success" by mimicking another's dream or another's (idea of) success.

For me, the most important tool for success is reflection, deep reflection which many cannot or will not undertake. Thus, they live a life of indecision and dis-harmony as there's little to no alignment between what they say, feel, think and do.

On the other hand, many of these folks define success as "results". But getting results without learning something about one's self often leads to an incomplete and often "un-success-ful" life in the short or long term. Do-ing alone (i.e., results) without be-ing is not a solid formula for success. Perhaps the "successful" Bernie Ebbers of Enron and others who ended up in ignominy and infamy and testaments to this.

Many folks accomplish results ("success?") but without personal growth - and often wonder why they don't feel better, alive, fulfilled - often admitting they don't experience good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind, albeit they say they are "successful".

For me, the idea many have of success, can be quickly obliterated just as if they had written the word "success" in the sand on the beach - ephemeral - wiped out in a moment by a wave (of uncertainly, a hurricane, health issue, job loss, divorce, accident, old age, bank failure, etc.). Or, can it? It depends.

For some folks success can be gone in an instant; for others, not so, regardless of the circumstances. True success is perhaps discerning the difference.

So, I guess there's "success" and there's "success". Are the rich successful? The starving artist? The person in the corner office on the 52nd floor? The person in the mail room in the basement? You? Me?

Being successful requires a conscious exploration of what success means to you - creating your own quote. Until and unless you take the time to define success for yourself, there's a good chance someone else is defining success for you. Is that OK?.

So, if you lack you own success quotation, perhaps today is the ideal time to begin to create one.

So, some questions for self-reflection are:

Do you consider yourself successful? If so, using what criteria?
Are you ever jealous or envious of others' success?
Do you ever feel empty, unhappy, or unfulfilled even though you are a success? If so, why do you think that's so?
How do you define "rich"?
Is your self-worth defined by your net worth?
How much of your life is spent doing what you think you "should do" as opposed to doing what you "want to do"?
Do you find meaning, fulfillment and happiness in your life at work, at home, at play and in relationship?
Do you plan your vacations with more care, attention and detail than you plan your life?
Do you ever fear success?
Do you have true and real fun in your life? If not, why not?
Do you learn from your mistakes?
How did you come to be a "success?" How are you coming to be successful?

"Even the most daring and accomplished people have undergone tremendous difficulty. In fact, the more successful they became, the more they attributed their success to the lessons learned during their most difficult times. Adversity is our teacher. When we view adversity as a guide towards greater inner growth, we will then learn to accept the wisdom our soul came into this life to learn."

Love

2009-07-26T17:10:00.000+02:00

We lose ourselves in the euphoria of a romantic relationship when we fall in love. Love is glorious. So is Life! We are happier than ever before. This relationship is different from any other. You never felt this way about anybody before. He truly is different from anyone else.

He is perfect. He hangs on your every word and laughs at all your jokes. You talk on the phone several times a day and text each other in between. You talk about him to your girlfriends, to your family, even to strangers in line at the grocery store.

He thinks you are perfect, too. You share all your secrets, your fears, your hopes. You feel like you have known each other forever. It is so wonderful.

You only want to be with him. He only wants to be with you. You feel so confident and secure. Nothing can shatter the joy and excitement you feel when you are together.

Months go by and you decide to commit only to each other. You dream and make plans for the future. He even starts talking of marriage. You are unbelievably happy.

Unfortunately, this euphoria does not last.

Love is glorious until it is not. He does not call as much. He makes excuses and break dates. He is not as attentive as he was. You think you must have done something wrong so you do everything you can to cling to him. He starts moving away from you. Then he breaks up with you.

You are devastated; plunged into the depths of despair! What happened?

Life happened!

As long as we remain human, we will undergo some suffering and sadness in our romantic relationships. If we are not aware of this, and do not accept it, we grow disillusioned and miserable.

You are obsessed with getting him back. You feel your life is over since you don't have him. You think only his love will make you happy. Wrong!

You can not be truly happy if you depend solely on someone else to make you so. Until you change your attitude about yourself and your worth, you will remain joyless. Once you become strong in your pride in yourself, you no longer have to be a victim. You will find the love you need.

Friend

2009-07-26T03:56:00.001+02:00

Who can know how valuable a friend is, with the exception of the one who considers the friend? Having someone we share our deepest thoughts and aspirations with, can bring hope into an otherwise empty life.

A friend may be a member of our family we grew up with, or it may be someone we have only recently met. People make friends in many different ways.

When your best friend is a someone you grew up with, you continue to hold dear many of those childhood experiences you shared, throughout life, they tend to keep you close.

Unlike the childhood friendship, a new friendship takes nurturing, sharing, much conversation and investment of time. The rewards of any friendship are far greater than the effort it takes to grow a relationship.

Though most people have a list of, "friends" they can name to you, most will honestly tell you there are only one or two truly best friends in their lives. Every good friendship requires time to develop!

A good friend is to be cherished above the possession of gold! When you experience friendship, you experience unity of spirit. To the degree you have mutual interests, you will feel spiritual bonding.

You cannot buy a true friend, a friend loves at all times, they do not hold grudges and they forgive you before you even have to ask.
Money cannot bring about this sort of relationship, only by free choice, can you find someone who will be this type of true friend.

When you have a friend of this quality, you will want to let them know how special they are to your life, don't pass up the moment! Do it now, call, write, or just sit down and list off to them the qualities you appreciate in them and what those qualities mean to your life. We must not overlook the value we gain from friendship.

Many people marry their best friends, only to let that friendship be squandered away due to lack of involvement and investment, don't let this happen to you. As you realize the good qualities in your friends, realize how their good qualities better your life, give thanks, give thanks, give thanks! Be grateful, thankful and happy, because you have the opportunity of returning this wonderful gift of friendship, as no one else in this life, can do!

Be a friend!

Life

2009-07-26T03:46:00.000+02:00

Passion

To have a dream is one thing. To live a life that you feel passionately about is a dream come true. You can have that life. Yes, you can!

What is your passion? What would you like to do more than anything else on earth? If you asked 10 people what their passion is, 8 out of 10 would tell you that they do not know. Ladies and gentlemen we need to stop living to work and start working to live. We all need to find our passion and start living our dreams. If you are not living your dream who's dream are you living. Working towards this goal starts with you. Today is now and you have no more time to waste. I am not saying quit your job tomorrow. I am simply asking you to think about what you want out of life for a minute. I am asking you to start taking positive steps toward your passion. Napoleon Hill, (author of How to win friends and influences people) a motivational speaker once said, "I would rather fail at what I love then do what I hate."

The times that our parents grown up in is passed. Things have changed as the world has changed. The left-brain world is slowly disappearing. Today you have to be more open minded and creative. Flexibly is a skill and if you can adaptable to this ever changing world you can be a great asset. The right brain world is coming back and it is coming back strong. To succeed in this ever-changing world know that those who are creative are having a easier time recreating themselves. The people that are willing to make regular adjustments in their lives are the people who are recreating themselves. Lets face it in the circle of life things are forever changing. If we do not change with it, we find that we have been left behind. We also need to get back to family and basic values. As Stephen Covey (author of the 7 habits) says, we need to work on the Philosophy of Family, The Synergy of Sincerity and Develop your family mission statement.

Create a Dream Board write down your goals and work to make them come true for you and the ones your care for in your life and world.

If we work on marble, it will perish. If we work upon brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble into the dust, but if we work upon immortal minds, and instill into them just principles, we are then engraving upon that table that no time will efface, but will brighten and brighten to all eternity. Author no-known

This starts with you first.

To have a dream is one thing. To live a life that you feel passionately about is a dream come true. You can have that life. Yes, you can!

New art

2009-07-25T23:05:00.000+02:00

Impasto is a painting technique in which the artists preferred pigment, which is most often oil painting, is applied so thickly to the canvas that the brush strokes or palette tool marks are clearly visible to the viewer. Only a very small number of artists ever attempt to take this type of technique to the extreme of using only the palette knife, and not the paint brush, to apply their paints to the canvas. It is an even rarer few who master this type of expert technique. It can take an artist of even advanced expertise many years to become proficient using this technique in this way.

Palette knife painting can be accomplished using acrylic paint pigments but oil painting with this type of tool really takes the technique to the highest level. Because of the longer drying time associated with this style of painting the artist is able to go back into the piece and rework sections and add deepening layers of pigment and detail to the fine art piece. Oil painting using the palette knife offers a unique way to add in both varying textures and colorful layers of paint rich in pigment and color while still expressing a rare energy. Fine art painting, because of the freedom it offers the artist, creates dramatic works of art that recreate movement and light in a way that few other painting techniques can hope to match.

Utilizing the palette knife in this unique way when oil painting offers the artist a freedom few can achieve when using the more conventional painting techniques. It frees the hand, as well as the mind, opening the painter's ability to express themselves and allowing them to tap directly into their subconscious. Using the technique in painting for the past forty years, since being a student at the world renowned Vitebsk Art School, and credits palette knife painting with making it possible for the artist to capture his personal optimism and positive life perspective in his fine art landscape paintings, flower paintings, cityscapes, and music paintings which are all available in worldwide art gallery settings, at art auction, and as limited edition art prints. He has become such a well known master of the palette knife oil painting technique that his work is instantly recognizable and never imitable. It is impossible to mistake an palette knife oil painting for anything else.

Today Leonid Afremov has over 4,000 paintings, in 60 galleries all over the world in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Israel and the U.S. Afremov moved to the U.S. because of his art and his extraordinary ability as a person to help enrich the American Art Culture. The Afremovs launched a new art auction website in October 2008 where visitors can purchase his paintings directly from the artist starting at $1.