Happy Holidays to all you wonderful souls out there! - by Annette Labedzki

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I had a wonderful Christmas in Hawaii. We arrived just in time to greet the flash floods and torrential downpour of tropical rain. The same storm that attracted California had also visited Hawaii. Vancouverites have no idea what real rain is! Luckily for us the weather changed for the better and we soaked up the sun and enjoyed daily outings and adventures. I love being on the catamaran and I went for a sail three days in a row! The first day we discovered a school of Hawaiian spinner dolphins, we followed and watched them as they were jumping and showing off for us! What a special treat to witness them in their own environment: also to be part of their environment and not just watching them on “Planet Earth” or on the discovery channel! On the second day  we were very very fortunate to have a whale shark visit our boat! The fish was huge and a teeny bit scary to say the least! However we were told that it is a docile shark! Okay, I’m glad we didn’t become his Canadian snack or lunch! On Christmas day Santa was rowed in and chaperoned by two beautiful Hawaiian women. Supposedly Santa’s reindeer can’t swim so therefore he needed to be rowed into shore!  The vacation was great but now it’s back to reality. Painting, video making, photography, digital art, marketing, feeding the students, husband, son and three cats!

Happy New Year to you all!

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How to Make Victorian Juice Lid Ornaments - by Annette Labedzki

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How to Make Victorian Juice Lid Ornaments

 

The traditional Victorian picture ornaments form one of the best Christmas decorations. Simple to make, they can be created out of discarded and recycled household items, like juice can lids. Once you understand the basic technique of these ornaments, just let your imagination soar. The source of pictures can be varied, including old Christmas cards, discarded books, wrapping sheets, etc. Another good source for high quality pictures can be the internet. Just get the print of your favorite image and get down to work. The instructions below will help you design your own Victorian Juice Lid Ornament in few easy steps.

 

Material Supplies

·        Lid with smooth edges from juice can

·        Suitable holiday picture – card, wrappings, print outs, etc.

·        A pair of craft scissors

·        Glue

·        Ribbon

·        Lace

·        Craft bead strings or ornamental cords

·        Metallic paint

·        Velvet fabric, white fur cloth, laces, or wired ribbons

·        Glitters, mirrors, decorative badges (floral or holiday themed), craft Christmas bells, etc. as per choice

 

Steps for making Victorian juice lid ornaments:

·        Basic Construction:

§         Step 1. Measure the circular portion of the lid inside the rim.

§         Step 2. Use the measurements to cut out the required picture or background image, in a circular shape.

§         Step 3. If you want to superimpose some designs or figures over a base image, cut out such designs neatly along the outlines and keep aside. Skip this step if you wish to go with a single complete picture.

§         Step 3. Stick the background image inside the rim.

§         Step 4. Paste the cutouts of the desired elements over the base created in Step 3. If the entire picture is a single piece, skip this step.

§         Step 5. Paint the visible rim of the lid in some metallic color, like gold, copper, or silver.

 

·        Decoration: Before embarking upon this area, plan the type of look you want for your ornament. Gather the resources accordingly.

§         Step 1. Take a length of velvet or fur strip, ribbon, lace, or the like. Its length will depend upon the size of the lid.

§         Step 2. Flip the prepared lid. Glue its backside along the edges. Apply a second round slightly inside the rim.

§         Step 3. Gather the material of your choice from Step 1 and paste it along the rim, such that it has a ruffled appearance.

§         Step 4. Flip the lid to its frontal side.

§         Step 5. Glue the beads string or ornamental cord on the inner rim of the lid or as a border of the pasted circular image or base.

§         Step 6. Make a hanging loop for the ornament with the help of a ribbon.

§         Step 7. Use decorative craft material, as mentioned above, to give the final changes.

 

 

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His Most Famous Painting (Portrat des Albert Paris von Gutersloh) - Egon Schiele - by Annette Labedzki

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His Most Famous Painting (Portrat des Albert Paris von Gutersloh) - Egon Schiele

 

Austrian painter Egon Schiele (1890-1918) was a well-known 'Expressionist' artist of the early twentieth century. His paintings were often pronounced as disturbing, with his creatively erotic paintings leading the front. The intensity of his work however, has been appreciated over the years. Schiele painted several portraits in his lifetime, most of which are his own. The human figures he created always 'Symbolized' something. They were the carrier of expressions Egon wanted to demonstrate. In 1918, Schiele painted his magnum opus, a portrait of his friend Albert Paris von Gutersloh, called "Portrat des Albert Paris von Gutersloh." This portrait corroborates the degree of contortion and agony Egon liked to depict in his paintings.

 

"Portrat des Albert Paris von Gutersloh" is an oil on canvas work with the dimensions 55 1/4cm X 43 ¼ cm. The picture shows a very garish and strikingly convoluted image of Schiele's fellow Austrian painter Albert Paris. In the midst of a flame like bright reddish-orange background, Albert Paris is seated on a sort of an emotional electric chair. He is dressed in an off-white shirt, blue trousers, and a royal blue tie. His clothes are wrinkled and his whole body seems to be shaking under the effect of convulsions. His eyes are in a state of great shock and there is not even a hint of smile on his countenance. It seems like he is undergoing immense psychological turmoil. The hands of the protagonist are raised upwards with the right palm facing the viewer and the left hand raised up to his own shoulder. Both the hands are twisted. Schiele has dexterously used bold contour lines to create three-dimensional effects in the picture.

 

"Portrat des Albert Paris von Gutersloh" is the typical of Schiele's style of painting, compelling and distorted, with thick brushstrokes. Like most of his pictures, it too depicts anxiety and torture. It seems as if the protagonist is reacting to a major electric shock. The portrait is an unfinished work. The painting speaks aloud not just of Egon's recorded observation of Albert's physical appearance, but also conveys his own then state of mind. Similarly, most of Schiele's other paintings too are 'Expressionist,' where the use of dark, exaggerated lines & very bold colors is made, and the painting strives to show its hidden connotations. To serve this purpose, the symmetry and the beauty of the painting had to be compromised slightly by making it twisted and painful, as visible in Egon Schiele's "Portrat des Albert Paris von Gutersloh."

 

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How to Make Halloween Balloon Spiders - by Annette Labedzki

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How to Make Halloween Balloon Spiders

 

As Halloween nears, everyone is gripped with the excitement of wearing fancy dresses and creating thematic decorative pieces. Halloween balloons are some of the most interesting and versatile items, which are quite easy to create. One of the most popular shapes is the balloon spiders. They can be placed along the wall, left on tables or floors, hung outside on the trees or bushes, and so on. If you have separated a corner of your house for Halloween style ornamentation, keep your spiders singly or in groups, around that area.

 

Tips to create Halloween balloon spiders in shortest time:

·        Choosing colors: You may choose to have solid color spiders or patterned ones. One of the options is to choose a suitably designed balloon in definite colors or with streaks/spots. The other way is to paint your completed spiders, especially if suitably colored balloons are not available. Try to stick to more earthy colors, blacks, or grays to impart a more realistic look!

·        Making basic structure: Inflate a desired sized balloon, but keep it only two-third filled to allow the margin for twisting. Tie it at its opening tightly either with the help of a thread or by looping.

·        Shaping up the head: Twist the balloon around one-fourth of its size, such that the smaller portion contains the tied mouth (opening). It is a good idea to wind a string tightly around the twisted partition (representing the neck). Blow up two small balloons, preferably red, orange, or white. They will be used as the eyes. Therefore, keep the size proportional to the original structure. Tie them to the 'mouth' of the large balloon horizontally.

·        Creating legs: For the four pairs of legs, use elongated balloons. One of the easiest ways to create the bents in the legs is to tie two inflated pieces angularly. However, the structure of such spiders is not very stable and placing them in a standing position is particularly difficult. A better approach is to take a longer balloon. Angle it halfway and twist a small portion around the bend. The resulting figure will look like a bent leg with a ball-like joint. Similarly, create the rest of the seven legs. Now, tie the legs tightly at the neck area and readjust them to give the desired positioning.

·        Finishing touches: Use colors, stickers, or add-on shapes to give more spooky appearance to your spider.  

 

 

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His Most Famous Sculpture (Puppy) - Jeff Koons - by Annette Labedzki

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His Most Famous Sculpture (Puppy) - Jeff Koons

 

Jeff Koons, a widely recognized American sculptor, is celebrated for his loudly colored colossal reproductions of trite objects or balloon animals, essentially made of stainless steel with stupendous mirror finish. He emerged as an icon in the history of art with his groundbreaking sculptors of delicately crafted objects, such as "Puppy." Born in 1955 in Pennsylvania, Koons' earliest works were bulk-produced inflatable flowers and toys positioned warily on mirrors. He studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

 

His unique focus on the selection, medley, production, and the presentation of commercial products took him to recognition in 1980s. His sculptures and photographs completed during this phase explored current American iconography and the affiliation between accepted 'Kitsch' and 'High Art.' Throughout the 90s, Jeff's curiosity in the timeless perfection of his art had slowly encompassed the corporeal philosophies of ephemerality and circularity. His works repeatedly portrayed an obsession with sensuality and sexuality. His sculptors has been extensively exhibited both in the United States and Europe, including major museum such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1992), ("Puppy") the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain (1997), the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1992), and at the Sonnabend Gallery, New York (1999).

 

Jeff Koons shot to instant fame for his public sculptures, such as the colossal floral sculptures "Puppy," then displayed at Rockefeller Center, to be later permanently installed at the Guggenheim Bilbao, and "Split-Rocker," displayed at the Papal Palace in Avignon, France. In 2006, "Balloon Flower (Red)" was unveiled at 7 World Trade Center in New York City. 'The Broad Collections' of Koons' works are unsurpassed globally and displayed turning points from each phase of his inimitable and ever changing career. This collection boasts of 24 of his best works.

 

The temporal brilliance of his style was highly accredited in his work "Puppy" (1992). This 43 foot-high dog topiary is fashioned exclusively in a breathtaking cover of thousands of flowering plants. Created for an art exhibition in Bad Arolsen, Germany, this West Highland White Terrier puppy is designed with a variety of flowers on a steel surface. In 1995, it was dismantled and re-installed at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney Harbor, on a new stainless steel frame with an inner irrigation system.

 

Later, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation purchased the puppy in 1997 and re-installed it on the terrace outside the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain. It has also been reincarnated in its classic, demountable adaptation at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. In 2000, the work traveled to New York City for an exhibition at Rockefeller Center.

 

He effortlessly ascribed ordinary objects with both artistic merit and an inherent sense of sexuality. His works emphasized on the sensuality hidden in all the angles of everyday life. Jeff's art have always attracted the extremes of enthusiasm and ire, and is amongst the most expensive artifact in the world.

 

 

 

 

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Color Symbolism of Purple: Defining Royalty and Abundance Ideally - by Annette Labedzki

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Color Symbolism of Purple: Defining Royalty and Abundance Ideally

Since the beginning of the human civilization, colors have been used to depict certain elements and thought processes. ‘Color Symbolism’ can be found in the earliest forms of art like ‘Cave Paintings.’ Mostly, the meanings and the linkages of colors have been derived out of their occurrence in nature. Purple color and its shades naturally exist in the form of some most revered and precious flowers, such as violets, lavender, lilac, and orchids. Therefore, it is regarded as the color of royalty and abundance. Purple is an amalgamation of two characteristically opposite forces and this earns it the reputation of the ‘ideal’ color.

Red color is associated with fire, energy, action, and zeal. Blue is symbolic of tranquility, dreaminess, peace, and relaxation. Blended together, these two colors form purple, which carries the underlying qualities of both. One range of qualities it symbolizes, include fiery passion, pride, flamboyance, pelf, and so on. On the other hand, it also stands for romance, mysticism, knowledge, wisdom, spirituality etc. Medieval art with royal themes was dominated by this color, often to depict the robes and the garments of kings and the other members of royal descent.

Fresco paintings by the legendary Leonardo da Vinci and other artistes of that era predominantly featured deep purple. It was more so because this common color could be used for nobility, sacredness, and mysticism alike. Purple has been used in various combinations to bring out different qualities in a scene. Use of this color with earthy tones, such as beige or muddy was often used to emphasize its ‘Symbolism.’ In combination with more vibrant colors or greens, it was used to depict spring season and life. Purple, in its lighter versions, defines delicate love and romanticism. Pink and light purple make up the choicest color scheme in amorous subjects.

Like other significant colors, purple also carries different connotation in different parts of the world – some even negative. Thai people associate it with death and lamentation. Widows in Thailand don this color to portray mourning and sadness. Opposite is true in other cultures. Egyptian Queen Cleopatra’s favorite color, purple, is associated with kingdoms and dynasties. The Americans treat it as a representative of patriotism and valor. Its ‘Purple Heart’ is a high level of military honor bestowed upon brave soldiers. Precious stone Amethyst is deep purple in color and is believed to have therapeutic properties. Therefore, the Native Americans also treat it as a color healing. In all its forms and variants, purple is one of those colors that find the greatest presence globally.

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How to Draw like Leonardo da Vinci: Bones and Muscles of Thigh - by Annette Labedzki

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How to Draw like Leonardo da Vinci: Bones and Muscles of Thigh

The years 1510 and 1511, in the career of the Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci, were dedicated to the detailed drawings of human anatomy. In association with Dr. Marcantonio Della Torre, he covered body appendages and vital organs in equal measures. These pen and ink sketches differed significantly from his earlier tryst with mythological temperas and frescos. These scientific works in anatomical topography were biological diagrams of remarkable accuracy, derived out of first hand eyewitness understanding. Unverified accounts suggest that Leonardo da Vinci dissected almost 20 male and female dead bodies for his drawings. Therefore, a great deal of diligence and astute observation goes behind any attempt to replicate these sketches. The following guide is designed to help you draw human thighs like Leonardo da Vinci. Modern terminology is used for easy understanding.

• Reference. Do not try to rely on your understanding or memory for creating the bones and muscles of thighs. Medical works by Da Vinci were precision sketches that must be replicated without any ‘tweaking.’ Obtain reference images from books, journals, or the internet.
• Style. Da Vinci executed his works in series, where views included details and completeness varied. The idea was to give as many details as possible. There are longitudinal sectional drawings, complete muscular topographies, standalone bones, skeleton, and so on. Choose beforehand, the type of work you wish to recreate.
• Bones. Drawing the thigh skeleton is among the simplest of all. Each human thigh has only one bone, Femur. It is the longest and most powerful of long bones in the body. The upper end consists of ball joint head on the inner side and the trochanters (greater and lesser) on the posterior side. The lower extremity of femur appears like two small, adjacent balls. Da Vinci’s recreations of femur from different angles are particularly known for their accuracy.
• Muscles. Da Vinci noted that upon reaching knee, the thigh muscles take form of tendons and eventually that of cartilage, which is attached to the knee joint. Keeping this in mind, he made several comprehensive structures, demarcating each type of muscles distinctly. In such designs, the muscle mass immediately below skin and a part of femur are visible. The frontal, back, and side views are depicted through separate drawings. The anterior end of a thigh consists of Sartorius (the longest muscle in human beings) and quadriceps (vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, & rectus femoris). The middle muscles are gracilis and adductors. The posterior compartment is made up of biceps femoris (hamstrings muscle), semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. Da Vinci’s works portrayed the anterior and posterior muscles in detail.

Once you are through with the sketching part, add some shading effects. Remember that these strokes are used to demarcate different muscles and not for adding any aesthetic value.

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Near Eastern Art � Vehicle Art: The Story of Mobile Creativity - by Annette Labedzki

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Near Eastern Art – Vehicle Art: The Story of Mobile Creativity

Vehicle Art – Introduction & History

Among the mobile creative forms in Pakistan the heavy-load vehicles art is the most prominent one. Interestingly, in a nation with the per capita income of less than $2,000, an average transporter’s ‘decoration’ expenditure is $3,000-5,000 per vehicle! The penetration of this genre is reflected by the fact that the drivers/owners consider an unornamented heavy vehicle ‘unacceptable.’ In the due course, oil/water tankers and rickshaws were also roped in for artistry. However, small surface area here inhibits creativity and flamboyant imagery. Unverified accounts indicate 19^th century as the starting point of this style, yet the expert opinion on the actual dates remains divided. The early nineteenth century traders, farmers, and other citizens decorated their bullock carts & horse carriages in vibrant patterns, which graduated eventually into vehicle art.

The Details

Some schools of thought refuse to acknowledge the genre as a formal dimension. However, the bright colors, bold patterns, intricate designs, and popular themes have helped it proliferate much farther than any other style. This style is popularly called ‘Moving Art,’ where the base metal structure of the automobile takes place of a stationary canvas frame. Apart from the standard paint medium, external embellishments, like shells or corals are also employed. In most cases, structural adornment similar to ’shaped canvasses’ is done right above the frontal windshield of the vehicle. This is either prepared over metal designs or as woodcarvings. Other additions can be string lights, fixed neon lights, bells, chains, and mirror work to name some.

Karachi is considered the hub of professional vehicle decoration trade. Nevertheless, various representational forms carry their unique regional flavors. The trucks from Baluchistan and Peshawar flaunt heavy wood trims, while those from Rawalpindi and Islamabad use prominent plastic artifacts. Camel bones adorn the trucks in the Sind region.

The subjects often revolve around beautiful spiritual messages and holy verses, set in ornate Arabic, Urdu, or Hindi dialects. The ornamental literature in the form of calligraphy, praises the Lord for the wonderful world. Some of such works are carried out with a touché of Romanticism to idealize peasantry, flora & fauna, and women. The unorthodox themes include the replication of Indian movie posters or the portraits of Indian stars, a rage among the Pakistanis.

The Artists

Cornered as informal and raw, Pakistani Vehicle Art could not fetch fame and identity for its artists. These people are commoners carrying goods from one place to another to earn a modest living. They lead nameless lives, while spreading creative joy to their customers.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to judge the importance of Pakistani Vehicle Art as several vehicle owners are found taking personal interest in themes, tools, and techniques involved in decorating their vehicles. These artworks travel everywhere and are often symbolic of the owners’ religious, social, and political views along with their general outlook towards life.

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Image: Aesthetic, Functional, and Valuable - by Annette Labedzki

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Image: Aesthetic, Functional, and Valuable

Image – The Concept

The word ‘image’ comes from the Latin word ‘imago.’ It refers to a picture that resembles an object, a living entity, or a scene. Broadly speaking, images may be created both, manually and digitally (with the use of latest computer based technology). Most of the manually created images include carvings, drawings, and paintings. On the computer, images can be generated using input devices and various creative software programs. The three most commonly used image file formats for scanning, internet, and printing use are JPG, GIF, and TIF.

Types of Images

Images can be two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional (3-D). While 2-D images include screen displays, photographs, maps, graphs, and even abstract paintings, 3-D ones have an ‘illusion’ of depth in them. Applicable in videos, photos, and statues mostly, this effect is created by presenting a slightly different image to each eye. There are special software available in the market to create 3-D images. The various types of images include:

• Fixed – Also called as hard copy, it refers to a type of image, processed digitally, or photographed, and transferred on fabric or on paper.
• Volatile – This type of image has a temporary existence. It could be something as simple as a mirror reflection of an object or their display on a cathode ray tube.
• Moving – This refers to movies, videos, and animated display. Moving images are created with the help of a video camera that takes a series of photographs rapidly in the strips of film.
• Still – Referring to a non-moving, static image, this term implies the ‘non-mobile’ ones. Photographs are an excellent example of this type, where the images are captured through a device called camera. The medium of recording in a camera can be either a photographic film or digital memory. Digital images can be stored electronically and can be reproduced on paper as well.
• Mental – This type of image exists in the mind of an individual as either memory or imagination. It refers to the perception of an object, scene, or event not actually present for the senses. The subject in question may not even be real and may exist simply as an abstract concept. Sigmund Freud’s theories on human behavior are based on mental images.

Conclusion

Images have come a long way with the developments in technology. Graphic designing is now a full-fledged career option with scope in almost every field. Medicine, entertainment, engineering, designing, and animation – today images play an invaluable role everywhere, facilitating a fertile, growth-oriented future.

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His Most Famous Assemblage (Canyon) � Robert Rauschenberg - by Annette Labedzki

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His Most Famous Assemblage (Canyon) -   Robert Rauschenberg

Born into a family of Fundamentalist Christians on October 22, 1925, Milton Ernst Rauschenberg or Robert Rauschenberg was one of America’s most prolific and significant artists. He got his art training from the Kansas City Art Institute and at New York’s Art Students League. Robert Rauschenberg hands worked at various creative mediums and styles, such as photography, printmaking, papermaking, performance, and dance. He gained fame in the 1950s for his atypical transition of ‘Abstract Expressionism’ to ‘Pop Art.’ Robert Rauschenberg is well known for his “Combines,” especially “Canyon,” an innovative and somewhat chaotic compilation of painting and sculpture, using eclectic everyday provisions and items.

Robert Rauschenberg’s “Canyon” (1959), a mural ‘Combine,’ is an assemblage of buttons, photographs, a stuffed bald eagle, carrying a rope attached to a pillow that is perched from the main panel and tied to a string. The 87″ x 70″ x 24″ mural is promptly pulled down to the ground with an assured gentle landing. “Canyon” is a soft insinuation towards Rembrandt’s ‘The Rape of Ganymede’ (1635). To maintain a relentless rapport amongst the pictorial subjects in “Canyon,” Rauschenberg delved greatly to bring out new items such as, sheet metal and enamel on wood. The artist once said, “I think a painting is more like the real world if it’s made out of the real world.”

Art that was appealing and interesting, created out of the banal, formed the core & the emphasis of Robert’s creation over beauty, a fact well corroborated through his “Canyon.” The ‘Combine’ employed a broad spectrum of elements, such as oil, house & tube paints, pencil, paper, metal, photographs, fabric, wood on canvas, buttons, mirror, stuffed eagle, cardboard box, pillow, and nails. This diverse work of multiple connotations, unifies just one creative philosophy, that of free & independent randomness. To clear his understanding of art, Robert once commented, “It is neither Art for Art, nor Art against Art. I am for Art, but for Art that has nothing to do with Art. Art has everything to do with life, but it has nothing to do with Art.”

All through his artistic journey, Robert Rauschenberg urged to communicate to the audience through objects and items that played as representational aids, giving American contemporary art and sculpture a new meaning and aspect. Robert Rauschenberg’s other famous assemblages, other than “Canyon” are ‘Gloria’ (1956), ‘Summer Rental III’ (1960), and the famous ‘Monogram’ (1959). The master of creative experimentation, Robert Rauschenberg, died on May 12, 2008 due to heart failure in Captiva Island, Florida. His ‘Contemporary Art’ piece “Canyon” presently graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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Western Art � Electronic Art: The Crossroads of Technology & Creativity - by Annette Labedzki

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Western Art – Electronic Art: The Crossroads of Technology & Creativity

Electronic Art – The Concept

Originated in west, Western Art dominates most parts of the world. It is of course one of the oldest in the history, dating back to approximately 3000 B.C., with a very clear line up of creative competence. Creative improvements and widening were witnessed in the form of carvings, paintings, standing stones, and other sculptures. Presently, Western Art is more a high-tech zone, involving the use of electronic media and equipment for the development of creative – a horizon known as Electronic Art. Owing to its immensely accurate, intricate, and creative output with tremendous efficiency, this technical genre is considered the strongest pillar of the art history.

The Details

Creatively, Electronic Art can be divided in the following elements:

• Information
• Media
• Video
• Digital
• Interactive
• Internet
• Electronic Music

Of these, Media Art is the one involving creativity in the most fundamental sense such as painting. A mix of Conceptual and Systems Art, the designing part in Electronic Art is done with the help of electronic devices. High precision cameras capable of producing some effects help capture the shots, which are then digitally processed and improved on computer to get the desired artworks. Owing to global technology proliferation and quick & accurate turnaround, Electronic Art is fast gaining a lot of popularity. Digital paintings are given the perfect touch with the help of modeling software, some digital cards, and often robotics too. Digital colors in huge variation of shades well compensate for ‘messy to many’ water or oil colors.

The Pre-requisites & Scope

The only pre-requisite with Electronic Art is that you need to have the advanced digital skills. The artist needs to learn to use the graphics software to attain the required result. Once adept, the range of creativity can be encashed through general artistic exhibitions, architecture, civil engineering, movies & animations, digital outdoor advertising, stage designing, web designing, video games. The artists may project themselves through their websites or subscribing to various online art supporting organizations. Therefore, apart from satiating the creative senses, Electronic Art is one of the most rewarding careers.

The Artists

Roy Ascott (British – 1934), Maurice Benayoun (Algerian – 1957), Angie Bonino (Peru – 1974), Heiko Daxl (German – 1957), David Em (American – 1952), Ken Feingold (American – 1952), Ingeborg Fulepp (Croatian – 1952), Perry Hoberman (American – 1954), and Eduardo Kac (American – 1962), are some of the key Electronic Artists.

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Art is a Reflection on Society � a Perspective - by Annette Labedzki

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Art is a Reflection on Society – a Perspective

Art has always been a reflection of the emotions, personal struggle, and the path breaking events of a contemporary society. When a society demands or undergoes a change, art has mostly subtly complied with it. The Oxford Dictionary describes art as “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” In effect, art definitely is an expressive platform for individuals, groups, as well as society, especially the radical changes or events witnessed thereof. It usually depicts the current or a particular scenario in the purview of the political situation, economic, social, geographical, the emotions spun therein, the undertones of revolutions, and uprising, to name just some.

If we go periodical about discussing art as a reflection of society, then we begin from the most ancient. The ‘Prehistoric Art’ consisted of paintings on the rocks and caves, which symbolized their routine lifestyles and rituals. The paintings were therefore, an evidence of their culture, which helped historians derive information about the life, culture, and the civilization of this era. The famous ‘Indus Valley’ or ‘Harappa,’ ‘Greek,’ and ‘Egyptian’ civilizations, especially had prolific artistry, including sculpture, architecture, paintings, engravings, and metal art. In fact, the most we know about these amazingly rich civilizations, is credited to their narrative artifacts and buildings only. For instance, the ‘Egyptian Civilization’ believed in life after death. The society therefore, had a strong spiritual framework, concentrating more on the human journey after death. They believed in immortality and worshipped many deities, a fact distilled from the paintings adorning the walls of the great Pyramids. The Greek Civilization however, was more emphatic about the human form, its poise, and beauty, reflecting mostly on the attires, body languages, hairstyles, and cultures prevailing over different periods.

Creativity adopted the sects of ‘Art Movement’ to depict the realities of a contemporary society, vis-à-vis, its stable fabric, regularly changing aspects, and even revolutions. The impact of the contemporary socio-political scenario has also always been portrayed. For instance, before the First World War, Paris used to bustle with great political activity. This restlessness somewhere influenced the development of ‘Cubism’ by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. ‘Cubism’ involved the depiction of a particular subject from multiple angles, a practically prevalent situation then. The artistry turned mysterious in essence, to manifest the hatching of diverse political conspiracies in Paris at that time.

Expressionism’ was another art form developed, when the society was undergoing transitions at different levels, including creative. There was a revolt against the traditional outlook towards art. A modern approach was adopted. The ‘Modern Art’ was a blend of ‘Abstract Realism,’ in which the subject was distorted to depict its reality and emotional upheaval. The colors in the paintings have nearly always portrayed the true emotions of the subject, the event, or the mood of the artists.

To conclude, we can say that art may always not be beautiful aesthetically or comprehensible to all. It however, should be powerful enough to portray the current emotions of the society, including exposing harsh and subtle truths, while also encouraging the betterments. The only constant in the world is change. In tune, societies metamorphose through different annals of time and art helps capture the resulting twists and turns in the contemporary culture and lifestyle.

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Western Painting � Digital Painting: An Art Style with a Mix of Tradition and Modernity - by Annette Labedzki

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Western Painting – Digital Painting: An Art Style with a Mix of Tradition and Modernity

Digital Painting – The Concept

Digital Painting is a budding Western Art form, involving the use of the traditional styles of painting, including impasto, oils, and watercolor, executed finally through digital tools on a computer. The painting is made on the computer directly by using various brushes and painting effects. However, it is definitely not an exclusively computer ‘generated’ art style. Traditional art styles, such as pastels, watercolors, oils, air brushing, and even charcoal effects can be created using the digital medium.

The Details

Most Digital Painting software, like Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, and ArtRage enable the artist to create their own brushes, by giving them the flexibility to choose the correct shape. These Digital Art software have been designed specifically to provide several options to painters, including millions of colors, palettes, brushes, and other painting tools, and a canvas, whose size can be chosen. Most famous types of Digital Painting are Realism, Watercolor, Fantasy, and Impressionism.

Advantages

Digital Painting allows for a hassle free environment with almost no mess. The artist can ‘undo’ a mistaken stroke, at any moment. Graphics Tablet replicates an actual drawing surface and helps ensure precise hand movement of the artist. However, some people say that the control accorded in holding a brush directly in the hand is much better than that available in the digital style of painting. The digital artists have at their disposal, several tools not available to the traditional painter. Some of these include a virtual palette consisting of millions of colors and almost any size canvas or media. Digital Paintings accord flexibility in as much as they can be simply printed on a paper, or can be uploaded on a computer. In addition, being technical in nature and various online tutorials available, anyone interested can learn it.

The Essence

Digital Painting demands a lot of patience, as it requires tremendous attention to details. Color combinations as well as the artist’s perspective, both are very important. This beautiful art style requires discipline as well as the ability to ensure a good creation, necessitating both, talent as well as technical skills on the part of the artist. While one may argue on the benefits and the drawbacks of Digital Paintings vis-à-vis traditional paintings, it is also true that art is simply about expression. It is not so much about the medium, as much it is about the artist’s creativity and pleasure or attraction it creates for the viewer. In such a scenario, the importance of theme soars high. Digital Painting is still an evolving art form with a lot of creativity and talent yet to come.

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Simple Steps on How to Draw a Skull - by Annette Labedzki

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Simple Steps on How to Draw a Skull

The skull is one of the universal and primitive figures vis-a-vis art. Considered fascinating and beautiful, this structure symbolizes the fundamentals of entity: life and death. It usually adorns a paranormal impression, maybe because often through it, we tend to explore the uncanny questions of life after death.

In art, a skull is flaunted as a logo/symbol, tattoos, or other designs. Owing to its ease of formation, it is a favorite draw for many. The skull is the division of the skeleton, which envelops and protects the brain and the sense organs.

To start with drawing a skull, gather its visual clip for reference. Conduct a few practice sessions on rough papers before you begin. The following steps concentrate on the steps to create a 'successful' skull drawing:

Step 1. Draw a big egg shaped figure as the outline of the skull.

Step 2. The prominent skull features – the eyes and the mouth - must be recognized and marked in the egg shaped head. Make sure to keep the distance between the eye sockets even. Also, examine keenly the total shape of the sockets, eye openings, and their contour. They are usually not defined circles, but are irregularly drawn out like distorted eggs. Lightly, sketch out the skeleton shaped nose.

Step 3. Carefully sketch the cheekbones and the eyebrows bone structure. Darken the eye and the nasal openings. These three depressions will have the darkest tone on skull drawing.

STEP 4. Form the jaw by drawing a door handle like shape. Fit it well up to the cheekbones.

Step 5. Start concentrating on the details, like sketching the teeth and some cracks in the skull. Mostly, the teeth are set in a weak grey shade, rather than white. This makes your teeth look more natural and realistic. Darken with pencil lines or ink to define the scalp, the nose, and the cheekbones.

STEP 6. Finally, outline the whole skull with a darker pencil for highlighting it on a white paper.

To discover a more realistic approach of drawing skulls, look at anatomy books and three-dimensional sketches, easily available on net. Replicate the drawings of actual skulls, or draft from a skull model with a pencil, until you perfect all the niceties and details. The skull is an iconic symbol, simple to sketch. It is measured as the foundation of portrait drawing. With a large number of fancy painters including skulls in their works on shield, swords, and various sculptured imaginations, skull sketching is here to stay.

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Magic Realism: Post-Expressionists' Return to Realism - by Annette Labedzki

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Magic Realism: Post-Expressionists' Return to Realism

Magic Realism – The Concept

In the art genre Magic Realism, actual scenarios are interwoven with fascinating and dreamy elements in sharp details, all blended in a 'Realist' flavor. The fictitious fragments are often derived from myth or fairy tales associated with an artist's culture. Such works reveal the sophisticated fantasy world, a painter perceives outside the objective mainstream of a common person. In effect, Magic Realism is a tool to explore the miraculous world from the respective artist's view.

The History

Franz Roh (1890-1965) a German historian, photographer, and art critic first used the term 'Magic Realism' in 1925 in his book 'After Expressionism: Magic Realism: Problems of the newest European paintings.' Through this Roh aimed an art style 'New Objectivity' to describe an emerging Post-Expressionist form in the Western Art. It tried emphasizing the 'magic,' everyday objects carry in the form of their strange appearances. During 1940-50, Magic Realism hinted at the fantastic artworks of the American Post-Expressionists. However, the term soon got associated with the 'metafictional' work of writers, such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Columbia, 1927), Gunter Grass (Germany, 1927), and John Fowles (England, 1926-2005). Thereafter, apart from art this term is also employed for literature and films, amalgamating reality and fantasy.

The Artworks

• 'The Door' (1941), 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (1944), 'Portrait of Mary Block' (1957), and 'The Window' (1963) by Ivan Albright (America, 1897-1983)
• 'The Fleet's In!' (1934), 'Herrin Massacre' (1940), 'The Seven Deadly Sins' (1949), and 'Male Nude' (1966) by Paul Cadmus (America, 1904-1999)
• 'Subway' (1950), 'Government Bureau' (1956), and 'Lunch' (1964) by George Tooker (America, 1920)
• 'Richmond Bridge' (1948), 'Boy with a Donkey' (1948), and 'Portrait with a Rose' (1955) by Bettina Shaw-Lawrence (England, 1921)
• 'The Story of Richmond Hill' (1937) and 'Cotton from Field to Mill' (1938) by Philip Evergood (America, 1901-1973)
• 'Christina's World' (1948), 'In the Orchard' (1974), and 'Gone' (2002) by Andrew Wyeth (America, 1917-2009)
• 'Iconography of Myths and Legends of Chile' (2002) by Marcela Donoso (America, 1961)
• 'Car' (1973) and 'Self-Portrait' (1979) by Gregory Gillespie (America, 1936-2000)

Conclusion

Even in the Contemporary Art scene, the term 'Magic Realism' encompasses both, 'magic in everyday reality' and 'fantasy overtones in the real world.' Many artists continue to derive inspiration from Roh's ideals of faithfully rendering reality to reveal the inherent magic in ordinary objects. Another close genre of artists creates overly fantastic work quite similar to the Latin American literary Magic Realism. Exploited optimally in literature in Visual Arts, the Magic Realist depictions are ironically hardcore routine and real! Bordering on the line of Post-Expressionism and often even used interchangeably, Magic Realism has been a 'mundane' art frontier. The 'regular' and 'provided' themes are covered with an approach to explore the obvious intrinsically. The contradictory definitions of the art style however has debased the term over the years.

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His Most Famous Painting (Madame Pompadour-Portrait of Beatrice Hastings) � Amedeo Modigliani - by Annette Labedzki

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His Most Famous Painting (Madame Pompadour-Portrait of Beatrice Hastings) – Amedeo Modigliani

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was one of the most unique and innovative Italian artists, who always rendered an idiosyncratic and distinctive painting style. Controversies however, surrounded his destitute life and was therefore, never famous among his contemporaries. Modigliani adopted the ‘Expressionist’ style of painting, where the depiction of emotions was primary. The painter blended this emotional high with twisted reality for a distinct expression in his portraits, including his masterpiece “Madame Pompadour – Portrait of Beatrice Hastings.”

Modigliani was a very handsome and attractive man, well capable of luring women easily. In 1914, he met a very eccentric English poet, Beatrice Hastings, who later became his mistress. During this time, Modigliani lived a very Bohemian lifestyle, heavily addicted to drugs & alcohol. Beatrice Hastings even quoted, “A complex character. A swine and a pearl. Met him in 1914 at a crémerie. I sat opposite him. Hashish and brandy. Not at all impressed. Didn’t know who he was. He looked ugly, ferocious and greedy. Met him again at the Café Rotonde. He was shaved and charming. Raised his cap with a pretty gesture, blushed and asked me to come and see his work. And I went. He always had a book in his pocket. Lau Tremont’s Maldoror. The first oil painting was of Kisling. He had no respect for anyone except Picasso and Max Jacob. Detested Cocteau. Never completed anything good under the influence of hashish.”

Beatrice Hastings was a very pompous and haughty woman, who was an unfortunate victim of Amedeo’s drunken rage. She was the model for many of his paintings, which eventually resulted in a famous fourteen portraits series, in 1915, entitled “Madame Pompadour – Portrait of Beatrice Hastings,” of which only three were exhibited. Beatrice Hastings was a very proud writer, literary critic, and a vocal feminist. Her nature at times was a complete contrast to that of Modigliani’s. Due to her haughtiness, he nicknamed her Madame or madam Pompadour and created her portraits. The portraits were famous for their ability to portray the existing close relationship between Modigliani and Beatrice. Modigliani always gave key attention to the facial features of the subjects. Since he also adopted the style of ‘Cubism,’ his portraits were sharp and projected in manner.

Due to Beatrice’s nature, Amedeo depicted her as an aristocratic ‘English Madame.’ The portrait, through its title subtlety, depicted the relationship between King Louis V & his mistress, which ironically manifested his relationship with Beatrice Hastings. Amedeo and Hastings’ relationship lasted for two years, which died an unfortunate death, due to their contrasting attitudes.

In the “Madame Pompadour – Portrait of Beatrice Hastings,” Modigliani rendered ‘Cubism’ by simultaneously depicting the sides of the face through different viewpoints, as well as having a collage effect with the writings on stonewall. The ‘Expressionist’ style was evident through the distortion of the face and the depiction of Modigliani’s personal interpretation of Beatrice Hastings. The misspelled graffiti written on the painting as well as its backdrop of a stonewall reflect the deviation from reality.

Modigliani died on January 24, 1920, at the young age of 35, due to tuberculosis and overdose of drugs and alcohol. His artistic innovations and idiosyncrasies will always be fondly remembered among art lovers. His “Madame Pompadour – Portrait of Beatrice Hastings” will stand as a testament of his talent and an innovation in art.

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His Most Famous Painting (The Four Seasons: Spring, summer, autumn, and Winter) - CY Twombly - by Annette Labedzki

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His Most Famous Painting (The Four Seasons: Spring, summer, autumn, and Winter) - CY Twombly

"The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)" is the series created by CY Twombly, an American, calligraphic style Graffiti painter (born 1928) from Lexington, Virginia, in the year 1993-94. Twombly studied art in Boston, New York, and at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. As the name suggests, the painting is comprised of four parts, representing "Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons)." Twombly used synthetic polymer paint, oil, house paint, pencil, and crayon to create the four canvases. Of the four, the canvas of "Spring" measures 10' 3 1/8" x 6' 2 7/8" (312.5 cm x 190 cm), "Summer" 10' 3 3/4" x 6' 7 1/8" (314.5 cm x 201 cm), "Autumn" 10' 3 1/2" x 6' 2 3/4" (313.7 x 189.9 cm), and "Winter" is 10' 3 1/4" x 6' 2 7/8" (313 x 190.1 cm) in size.

In "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)," CY Twombly portrays the changing color of the countryside scenery of four seasons. The four series painting also seems to build a resemblance to the human life cycle. "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)" conveys the philosophy of 'life goes on.' It seems to emphasize that every ending thing starts again. That is, rebirth follows death, just like spring (rebirth) follows winter (death).

With different phases, the feel is different. Where winter is cold and deceasing, spring evokes the happy expression of life with new fruits and flowers blooming all over again, as is excellently reflected in the forest of Botticelli's Primavera (Italian word for Spring). In "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)," CY Twombly too has perfected the feel with the use of his brilliant color scheme that goes on to strike the right connotations, associated with each of the four canvasses. In fact, the classic color palette has added entirety to "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)."

For "Spring," Twombly used vibrant red curves, with bright yellow splashes on them. The red curves look similar to ancient Egyptian boats, which is a common sight in several of Twombly's creations. "Estate (summer)" goes warm in yellow, with predominant colors expressing the state of youth and pleasure. The use of white denotes love melting in mad heat. "Autunno (autumn)" relates to the season of harvesting and the famous wine festival of Bassano. A few coats of red and the phrase such as "Your Blood" imply the rise of Bacchus, the mythological god of wine. Finally, "Inverno (winter)," is the most thinly scattered amongst all of Twombly's 4 seasons canvasses. In this artwork, the words are mysteriously disappearing beneath the transparent white mist. A competent blend of yellow and green create the much-required hued depth, to reflect its deadly cold property.

One of brilliant sparks of CY Twombly, "The Four Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (Quattro Stagioni)" is currently displayed at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

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