The art critic: Alumna inspiration to art students

  • Diposting oleh dwa
  • Rabu, 16 Juli 2008

For all of the art majors who worry about post-Luther life, they can find inspiration from successful artist and Luther College 1979 graduate, Robyn Sand Anderson.

Anderson is a watercolor artist who has been commissioned to create works for several individuals and a variety of organizations. She is also an art teacher who recently opened her own school, Sand Studio/School of Art and Design in New Ulm, Minn. to teach all ages.

Anderson's watercolor paintings will be displayed in the Center for Faith and Life until Oct. 17, and that venue could not have been a better fit for her work. The strongest theme in Anderson's show is Christian faith, which is the bedrock for the CFL's existence.

Christian images such as the cross and white doves are rather subtle glimpses into her background, compared to other more abstract pieces that are juxtaposed with a text of Biblical excerpts.

While all of her pieces employ colors that seem to be straight from the paint tube, like cobalt blue and cadmium red, her abstract pieces display the brightest, deepest colors to give us a clue of her passionate connection to Christian faith and scripture.

Anderson's strongest abstract work is her interpretation of Genesis 1:1-4, which essentially says, "God divided the light from the darkness."

One can't help but be struck by the bright, bold colors; she uses orange, yellow and red to create a sort of falling blaze of fire in the middle of the piece surrounded by bright hues of green and blue.

When painting with watercolor, there is no white paint, so to create white, the white paper has to be left unpainted. In Genesis, every inch of the paper is covered with paint, definitely making it stand out in her show.

Intermingled with abstract images inspired by biblical passages, Anderson included representational watercolors of nature and people, which also employ bright colors.

She said, "I hope to enhance the human experience by the use of color and design, to draw the viewer's attention to all that is around us.what we consider the ordinary."

"I have always taken delight in noticing beautiful color and shape in the environment around me. Growing up in Decorah gave me constant natural beauty.what intrigues me the most is capturing ordinary human moments."

Check out this show if you are interested in viewing Anderson's take on Christianity or her portrayal of ordinary beauty.

Also, come to inspect Anderson's technical use of watercolor painting, a difficult medium that can produce wide-ranging results.

Lastly, if you would like to take an opportunity to meet with Anderson, her gallery reception is on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. in the Center for Faith and Life.

Luther Senior Art Show

Ashely Dull's senior show, "God's Nature Through My Eyes," will be in the Union Gallery until Oct. 22. In her show, Dull artistically expresses appreciation for beauty she finds in nature. She uses prints, oil paints, watercolors and chalk to capture colorful, life-like images of nature.

Titles of the works are verses from the Bible, which help describe each the piece and show Dull's connection with faith and art.

Dull intends for her work "to inspire people to take a look at God's beauty in nature and not take those gifts for granted."

--

Becky Franklin

 

Art Defined: What Is Art

  • Diposting oleh dwa

"Art is creating something out of nothing and shaping something into something else"

Throughout the centuries people have debated and discussed the meaning of various art forms and styles and what type of art deserves the title "art" to begin with.

The truth is that everything that was ever created no matter by who or what deserves to be called "art". Art is creation. Creation is art.

I remember that at university the guys that could talk about their works of art in the most articulate and intelligent manner got the best marks for their creations.
That implies that only intent breathes life into a creation.
If one takes this further, one can say that it is not a matter of intent, but a matter of interpretation. This applies at least to academic art.
Of course it does seem a rather subjective business and sometimes if I ask people coming from other fields of occupation what they think of certain art works they either say "I like it" or " I think it's ghastly" etc. and then they add with a shoulder shrug " but I'm not an expert or an art connoisseur anyway".
That makes me wonder if there is an unwritten law that commands people to have a diploma in fine arts before they are allowed to make a legitimate statement of their own opinion or perception.
And will a "Monet" or a "Turner" or a "Michelangelo" be less perfect if there are critics who rip their creations apart or if there are people who haven't studied arts and can't talk about them in an educated way but "purely" admire their art?

Some say that the more room for interpretation there is, the greater the piece of art- alluding to abstract art being the most sophisticated and demanding in comparison.
But who says that i.e. abstract painting necessarily leaves more room for interpretation than other techniques? Van Gogh's "Night café" for example is very concrete, yet, it leaves lots of room for interpretation and imagination.

Things are never just what they appear to be.

Is it possible that art only deserves to be called art as soon as it enters an art- gallery? Or as soon as it's created by a famous artist?
That certainly plays a significant role at least in the sector of public opinion and marketing. General recognition seems to enhance the value of a certain art phenomenon or artist.

What is art? When is art art? And which art is "better" than the other? .Questions that will never be fully answered and that will always be discussed and argued about.

Why is it that a painting gorilla earns a lot of cash for his pictures and some of his human colleagues who have studied painting for years go with empty pockets?

How come that a famous British artist gets headlines and cash for fasting publicly in a glass container while others die from hunger and nobody even heard of them? What makes the fasting of the one "arty" and the dieing from hunger of the other "mundane"? Is it because the one calls himself "artist"? If so, is then everything that he does "art"?

Art cannot be defined.
It is like a fish that slips out of your hands back into the water just as you thought you caught it.

Still- a rainbow is a perfect piece of art in the most perfect colours, shape and form. So is a drop of water or a pebble.
and a pebble is never quite the same when it was touched by the Master.

http://www.ildiko-art.com - Original Oil Paintings

Internet Marketer for Eiledon Solutions, a web design and website development company in Cape Town. Free Website Quote

 

Essential Supplies to Begin Scrapbooking

  • Diposting oleh dwa

Everyone is doing it - scrapbooking that is - and you think you'd like to give it a try, too. However, you're really not sure what the difference is between a scrapbook and a traditional photo album. You're also not sure what supplies you'll need. A quick lesson on the essentials of scrapbooking will bring you right up to speed.

Modern scrapbooks are different from traditional photo albums in a few respects. They hold both photographs and memorabilia. For that reason they are sometimes referred to as memory books. There is also an emphasis on writing, or journaling, in scrapbooking. Each scrapbook should tell a story.

Scrapbooks are also more aesthetically pleasing than traditional photo albums. Attention is paid to the layout of the pages. Often, pages are decorated with colorful paper and stickers, although this is not necessary.

The biggest distinction between a modern scrapbook and a traditional photo album is the emphasis on the preservation of the photos and memories. The albums, papers, pens, and adhesives should all be photo safe. Photo safe is a term that means that the materials used in creating a scrapbook are designed to do the least amount of long term damage on your photos and memorabilia. Damage includes fading, yellowing, and a degradation of the paper the photos or memorabilia are printed on.

Because of this emphasis on preservation, specific, specialized supplies are required when scrapbooking. These supplies can be purchased at many art supply stores, specialty scrapbooking stores or from many online retailers.

The supplies you will need to create your first scrapbook are:

Photos and memorabilia - Before beginning any album you should have its contents organized. You may want to do a themed album (baby, wedding, vacation, etc.) or a chronological family album. Either way, having the album's contents collected before you begin will help you complete your album more efficiently.

A photo safe album - The album you purchase should be free from acid and lignin (a substance in wood that will turn paper unstable and cause it to yellow). It should also be the correct size for the project you are tackling. This is where having your photos and memorabilia organized beforehand comes in handy. If you're creating a brag book for grandma of her new grandchild, a small album that has only one or two photos per page may be appropriate. If you're chronicling your child's athletic career and have large newspaper clippings, a larger album would be the appropriate choice.

A photo trimmer - Photo trimmers come in handy to crop out any unwanted parts of a photograph or to trim decorative paper. They do the job quickly and neatly.

A good pair of scissors - There are some jobs the photo trimmer just can't do. A good, sharp pair of scissors will come in handy.

Photo safe pens - Special pens are sold that are created to be photo safe. Look for pens that say "acid free", "photo safe" or "archival quality" on them.

A photo safe adhesive - Special tape and other adhesives that are photo safe should be purchased.
Page protectors - Page protectors are photo safe plastic covers that slip over completed pages. Some albums come with them. If yours does not, buy them.

Decorative papers and stickers - These are not essential to creating an album, but many people involved in scrapbooking like to embellish their pages with them.

Once you've gathered all your supplies, you are ready to get to work. If you need a little inspiration, you can find ideas for your scrapbook on internet sites, in scrapbooking magazines, and from other scrap-bookers.

This article was produced for http://www.Lostcrafts.com , a site which is dedicated to preserving the crafts and trades of yesterday.


 

How to Sell Your Art - Making The Most Out Of Art Shows

  • Diposting oleh dwa

One of the quickest and more effective ways to expose your art or crafts to
the public is by opening a booth at an art or craft show. Thousands of people
come to these art shows each year with the intention of buying something, and
there doesn't appear to be an end in sight.


Before you pack your bags and head out to the next show, you should definitely
learn as much as you can about art shows. This type of work requires planning,
research and various expenses, and may not be for everyone.


A great starting point is to visit http://www.sunshineartist.com. Sunshine
Artist is a great magazine that covers art shows in detail. They provide listings
of upcoming art shows and information on how you can participate. They also
evaluate art shows and provide reports on sales, attendance, and other important
details.


It may be a good idea to head out to your first art show as a visitor before
actually setting up shop. Once you arrive, walk around and just observe how
everything works. Observe the booths that have the most traffic and see what
they are doing right. Introduce yourself to the booth owner and see if they
are open to talking about their success with you. As long as they are not in
direct competition with you, they should be happy to give you some pointers.


When you sell your work at an art show you are selling directly to the public.
You make all of the profit. There is no need to share a huge percentage with
an agent or gallery owner.


It is probably best to sell items at various prices to accommodate the different
buyers that come to your booth. If you typically sell paintings for thousands
of dollars, offer smaller, more affordable prints as well. This way, your art
can be available to everyone.


Make sure you can accept credit cards. Many people who visit art shows pay
by credit card. If you aren't set up to accept credit cards, then you will more
than likely lose sales.


Setting up and running a booth at an art show can be challenging. Bring a family
member or friend along to help you set up and help customers. It's also nice
to have someone to keep you company and provide support and encouragement.


Art and Craft shows are a great way to build a customer mailing list. Set up
a little section at your booth inviting customers and browsers to provide you
with their name, address, and email address. Next time you attend an art show,
you can send out a mailer to your list. You can also let your mailing list know
about any new art or crafts you have for sale. It may not be easy to build a
mailing list, as people are a bit hesitant when it comes to parting with personal
information. To entice people to join, you can offer something for free. You
could create small color postcard prints of your work and put them in inexpensive
frames and give those away to each subscriber.


Make sure you keep track of your expenses and sales. You want to determine
if you actually made a profit, otherwise you may have to make adjustments or
possibly not attend the same art show again.


Don't get discouraged if you don't make a huge profit your first time out.
Like I said in the beginning, art shows may not be for every artist. Many artists
sell at art shows exclusively, while others only use art shows once in a while
for marketing purposes.


Do you want more great tips on how to sell
your art? Visit http://www.sellingartnews.com
today for a free 25 Part E-Course on Art Marketing!

 

20 Recipes for Homemade Art Supplies

  • Diposting oleh dwa

This article is for all the moms, dads, grandparents and childcare providers who are trying to stretch their dollars and still provide fun activities and supplies for the children. Below you will find 20 recipes for homemade art supplies including play dough, modeling clay, paint, slime, goop, glitter, sidewalk chalk, papier-mâché (paper mache) and multi-colored crayons.

* * *

Homemade Art Supply List
Along with a good supply of crayons, markers, chalk and lots of paper, your children (or grandchildren) will also love playing with these homemade art supplies and games. You can purchase many of them at the store, but why not save some money and teach your child how to be even more creative by making their own supplies?

Children love seeing how things are made, and they love the time you will be spending with them while making these projects. If you don't have kids at home, try making up a batch of something just for yourself, I won't tell if you don't!

I have been collecting these recipes for 13 years, many of them are scribbled on a scratch piece of paper. Enjoy!

Glitter

Mix together 5-6 drops of food coloring and 1/2 c. salt, stir well. Cook in microwave for 1-2 minutes or spread out on a piece of waxed paper to air-dry. Store in an airtight container, as with all of the art supplies in this article.

Sidewalk Chalk

1 c. plaster of paris
1/2 c. water
2-3 T. tempera paint

Mix plaster of paris and tempera paint, then add water and mix well. Pour into molds and let dry for 24 hours. Remove from mold and let air dry for 2-7 days depending on size. You can use paper cups, plastic butter tubs or food trays, candy molds, muffin tins, or even toilet paper tubes covered with foil on one end.

Finger Paint

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 c. cornstarch
3 T. sugar
2 c. cold water
Food coloring
Dishwashing liquid
White shelf paper

Soak gelatin in 1/4 c. warm water and put aside. Combine cornstarch and sugar in medium sized pot. Gradually add remaining water and cook slowly over low heat, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat and add gelatin. Divide into containers, adding a drop or two of d/w liquid and food coloring to each.

Paint

1 c. liquid starch
6 c. water
1/2 c. soap powder
Food coloring

Dissolve soap powder in water, add starch and food coloring.

Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough

This recipe is especially good for toddlers because they can play with the dough and then eat it. (Be sure to wash hands and work area!) It's also one of my favorite candies, when made with peanut butter and powdered sugar!

1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. honey
1 c. plus 1/2 c. powdered milk

Mix ingredients and roll into balls.

Cook Play Dough

1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 c. water
1 T. oil
food coloring

Mix first three ingredients together and then add last three. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a ball and becomes dull.

Kool-Aid Play Dough
(no cooking required)

3 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-aid
1 T. alum
2 c. boiling water

Mix together first three ingredients then add boiling water. Knead dough with up to an additional 1 c. of flour until it becomes the right consistency.

Jell-O Play Dough
(no cooking required)

4 c. flour
1 c. salt
2 pkgs. unsweetened Jell-O
4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 c. boiling water
2 tsp. cooking oil or baby oil

Mix together first three ingredients then add boiling water and oil. Mix together well and knead until dough becomes the right consistency.

Sticky Putty

3/4 c. plus 2 T. water
1 tsp. Mule Team Borax
8 ounces white glue
Food coloring

Heat water over medium heat and add borax, stir with wooden spoon until dissolved. Add glue and a few drops of food coloring, stirring constantly until glue and water mix. Pour into a plastic bowl and cool.

Modeling Clay

1 c. cornstarch
1 and 1/2 c. water
16 ounces baking soda

Combine cornstarch and baking soda together in large saucepan. Stir in water and cook over low heat until the mixture becomes thick and forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool. Knead the dough on a countertop dusted with cornstarch until smooth.

Air Dry Clay

3 c. flour
1 c. salt
1/2 c. white glue
1 c. water
1 tsp. lemon juice

Mix together until well blended. Mold into shapes or roll out and cut with cookie cutters. Let dry overnight before painting.

Papier-mâché

Mix one part flour with about 2 parts of water until you get a consistency like thick glue. Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix well to get out all the bumps.

Goop

2 c salt
1 c. water
1 c. cornstarch

Cook salt and 1/2 c. of water for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cornstarch and remaining 1/2 c. of water, then return to heat. Stir until mixture thickens. You can also add food coloring to this.

Multi-colored crayons

Peel broken crayons and melt carefully in a small aluminum pan at 350 degrees for 15 -20 minutes. Cool and break into new multi-colored pieces, or carefully pour melted mixture into small waxed paper cups and remove paper when cooled.

Disappearing Paint

Mix 1/8 tsp. "bluing" (laundry additive) with 2 cups water. Paint the sidewalk and watch the blue color disappear.

Face Paint

Mix poster paints with cold cream.

Cinnamon Clay

This recipe is great for Christmas ornaments or scented hearts around the home.

1/4 c. white glue
1/3 c. applesauce
3 T. cinnamon
1 and 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. water

Mix ingredients together until dough forms a ball. Knead dough for 1-2 minutes, adding a little more flour if needed. Roll dough out and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.

Crazy Putty
(this putty bounces)

3/4 c. of white glue


Add enough liquid starch until a ball of dough is formed, then add food coloring and knead dough until it's completely worked in.

Slime

1 c. glue
Liquid starch
Food coloring, if desired

Add starch to glue slowly until mixture becomes the right texture; slimey!

Lap Desk

Make a pillow out of scrap material, fiberfill and some poly/plastic beads to make it squishy. Attach a lap tray or board with strips of Velcro.


Copyright © by Michelle Jones. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. Michelle Jones, money-saving expert and author of Frugal Family Recipes and Dealing with Debt, is the publishing editor of Living a Better Life: The Free Money-Saving Tips Ezine. As a frugal mom of 4 herself, Michelle is dedicated to helping families save money and live a better life. Please visit her Web site at www.BetterBudgeting.com for a free subscription and bonus gift!

 

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