Which Gadget Websites Have the Best Cool Gadgets For Men?

Whether you are buying for Father's Day, father's birthday, boyfriends birthday or just to show a man in your life how much he matters to you, gadgets are the best gift for men. Men love gadgets as they never really want to grow up and find it hard to let go of that child like fun feeling you get from playing with toys.

There are of course many gadget websites and shops online, so it is a bit of a mind blowing project when trying to find gadget gift ideas for the man in question. The best thing to do is narrow it down first so work out what the man in question enjoys the most, it might be fishing, soccer, biking, gaming or something high brow like literature or art. But believe me there are cool gadgets for men of any kind.

So once you have narrowed it down to say for example soccer, Google it as 'soccer gadgets' and see what you find. There are many great gadget shops and gadget websites which have search facilities but again it is still advisable to narrow down to at least two subjects before searching or you will find just too much choice and it will blow your mind and you'll end up buying nothing.

Beware of the delivery times when buying online as they will sometimes say two weeks or ten days but once you order, it may take longer, so give yourself plenty of time. Try and avoid Chinese copies as invariably the items appear to be the same and great copies but they generally don't last as long as the real thing and develop problems within six months of the purchase. Its false economy and you really don't want to have to explain to your man when his gadget stops working that it's a cheap Chinese copy.

My advice would always be, shop on the main gadget sites with established histories or online gadget shops that are backed by big organisations of which there are many. eBay isn't really the place for gadgets as they are mostly Chinese copies or refurbished. By the way 'refurbished' is the new marketing speak for 'second hand'. It is a great way to get a bargain for yourself but not for someone very special in your life. Again you really don't want to be explaining that it's refurbished (second hand) if it goes wrong.

Probe a bit when chatting to find out what the man in question is missing in his gadget world. If he really wants a particular thing, by finding out you have just made your job a whole lot easier. Don't forget men get preoccupied easily so it will be quite easy to find out what he wants without giving it away that you are buying it for him as a present. As long as you are vague in the conversation he won't realise. Besides us men forget what you said within 10 minutes of the conversation changing.

Source : Ezinearticles

Simple Girlfriend Gift Ideas to Help You Out

Women love gifts whether they are for a special occasion or not. When you are out shopping for the perfect gift for your girlfriend, make sure you have done your home work beforehand. It may seem hard to think of the perfect gift, especially if you think she already has everything. But, don't let this thought discourages you. Here are some simple girlfriend gift ideas that will definitely be of great help if you cannot think of one.

Cosmetics are great gifts that can never go wrong. If she wears full makeup to work and never leaves the house without a slap of a red lipstick, she will not mind having a few more makeup stuffs especially coming from you. Make sure you do your research well and find out the kind of colors that she loves to use before picking up a makeup set.

Women love to be taken out for a romantic dinner date on special occasions. A romantic candle dinner date at home is a nice change from the norm. You can add in a gift basket and a massage treatment as part of the dinner package at home. This is very thoughtful gift idea that will be enjoyed thoroughly by your special woman.

Gadgets are also appreciated by women but take care in selecting one that is easy to use and practical. A portable video or music player is the perfect choice as your girlfriend gets to use it while she cooks or jogs. Though women don't necessarily need the biggest TV or latest stereo set, you may not know if this is true unless you ask them.

You know your girlfriend is into arts. Use this advantage to turn a favorite photo of both of you into an amazing piece of artwork. If you are not inclined to art, don't fret as there are always art stores that can actually perform the artistic interpretation of a simple picture. A personalized art such as this is thoughtful. She will want to show cast it by hooking it to the wall, for all to see.

Use your imagination and understanding of your girlfriend's needs and you will be amazed at the gift ideas that you can come out with.

Source : Ezinearticles

Gift Ideas from South Africa

Are you looking for gift ideas to give to friends on your return from South Africa or gifts with a traditional African theme? There are a number of different ideas that you may choose to give and the advantage with these gifts is that most are handmade and therefore no two products will be alike.

South African Beadwork

Beadwork is a popular choice of gift from South Africa and can include anything from beaded key-rings to beaded bowls, ornaments and other items. Beads have long been used in the African tradition and amongst the Zulu people were also used as a means of communication.

South African Art

Artwork from South Africa including both paintings as well as sculptures and other artwork is another popular choice. Pictures of women walking with pots on their heads or tribal warriors are commonly associated with South Africa and can be used in any room where you want an African-inspired theme. South African art may come as prints, originals, or made into cards, etc.

Wirework

Wirework, although not part of the traditional African heritage, has become very popular in Africa today and you can get many different items done in wirework and often you will find items that contain a mixture of both wirework and beading. Wirework decorative motorcycles and bicycles are quite common amongst wirework from this region and show the western influence in this nation.

African Prints

African prints such as the Big 5 animals and South African flora and fauna can be made into clothing, kitchen items and other fabric items with an African-inspired theme.

Why South African Gifts?

The advantage of these gifts is that most of them are unique, each handcrafted individually by the artist; this of course, does not however apply to fabrics or art prints. Another advantage of buying South African gifts is that you help to support people who are often in extreme poverty and use these as a means of supporting their families. To many people the ethnic appeal is also a strong reason for their purchase.

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Make My Photos Into Pop Art

Have you heard about Pop Art? Maybe you've heard the word thrown around lately, or have even had the privilege to see a few classic works from famous artists like Warhol or Lichtenstein, but did you you know that you can have your very own photographs turned into custom works of pop art for a surprisingly affordable price? With photo manipulation programs, tools, and skills becoming prolific, it is easier than ever to have your own treasured photographs transformed into cutting edge works of custom art.

Pop art has its origins rooted in the 1950s, and was originally a movement in the art world that sought to embrace the mass produced visual media of the time and integrate it into fine art pieces. It has seen a resurgence in recent years, much of which is due to the wide spread use of photo manipulation in every day life. Loosely defined, this style involves isolating objects from their environment and arranging them, often with other pieces, in new surroundings. The pieces are meant to inspire thoughtfulness, and many famous pop artists used these works as an almost satirical commentary of the transitional times they lived in. In the modern day, when dealing with photographs and digital photo manipulation, this typically means using a program like Photoshop, GIMP, or other editing tool to cut subjects out of digital photographs and place them against a different or created background. American Pop Art pioneer Andy Warhol made the art form synonymous with bright colors applied to the same image, arranged in multiple panels on one piece in complimentary color schemes, though that certainly is not the only interpretation. Warhol styled photo art is the most prominent in creating custom pop art from people's photographs in the modern day.

So how does one go about acquiring their very own custom pop art work? It's easy. An internet search turns up several different offerings, all with different options and styles, as well as finishes. Some companies will stylize your image and return it to you as a digital file, while others create posters, others print on photo paper, and still others create it and print on canvas. Pop art on canvas is one of the most striking options, since it further merges fine art into the process. These custom canvases are hand stretched and created using archival materials, so you know that your piece of custom photo art will last a lifetime and beyond.

Source : Ezinearticles

Know About Natural Coral Sculptures

Coral sculptures are a delicate and requires a lot of patience for sculpting. Being a hard material to work with, artists need to have skill and time to handcraft unique works of art. Natural ocean coral is a delicate but hard material to work with. Red ocean bottom coral is the precious material, most common artistically used form for coral sculptures. This formation of natural coral is found at very deep depths of our marina ocean sea bottoms. Red Coral is one of the most desired types of ocean coral to work with sculpting artists for density. It sets within the deepest of the ocean depths with low sedimentation and in very dark cavern and crevice depths. The original species and several other related marine coral species are mainly found on ocean bottom at a depth of 10 to 30 meters below.

The Atlantic was at one time, the main original gathering grounds for Red Coral until close depletion of the main Red Coral areas from harvesting. Within recent years, there has been a healthy harvesting of the discovered material, near the Strait of Gibraltar and next to the Taiwan oceanic area close by the strong currents. Red Coral has a gift of past and present beauty for the collectors desiring this gift of earthly nature.

The Red Coral preferred for sculpting, grows upon the deep rocky bottom in very dark environments, most often resembling small leafless bushes measuring up to a meter tall. The Red Coral is a skeleton mixture of hard calcium carbonate. This is a natural product that can be polished to a fine glassy shine with a flowing range from a range of warm pink to the darker reddish color tones, many items from jewelry to sculpture are derived from this product of nature.

With this naturally intense glossiness and permanent vibration of colorization, natural oceanic Red Coral has historically and is presently manipulated into many forms of sculpture. Coral jewelry has been discovered archaeologically in ancient Egyptian and prehistoric European burials, along with crafted modern desired collectible items of our modern day. Due to the softness and opacity, coral is commonly molded into beads along with formative types of animated sculptures.

Historically coral is connected all the way back to Greek mythology. Within the Greek story of Perseus inadvertently concurs the sea monster Andromeda with Medusa's blood that turns to coral. Perseus place Medusa head on the riverbank while washing his hands after the concurring aftermath of Medusa. As the blood of Medusa flowed, coral was formed, adventitiously defeating Andromeda. Within the Roman culture, there was belief of protection from harm by coral as well as a cure to wound made by snakes and scorpion along with diagnosis of diseases by the coral color changing.

Today, various types of coral are well manipulated into a wide variety of beautifully designed items, from jewelry to delicate sculptures. From historical Romans to our current artistic worldly cultures of today, the oceans gift of this precious material is manipulated, designed and sculptured into a welcome beauty of for us to enjoy from some of the deepest depths of our world.

Source : Ezinearticles

Gift Ideas - For the Man Who Loves Gadgets

If you have to buy an interesting gift for your friend, father or even boyfriend, here's a list of cool gift ideas that are ideal for the man who loves gadgets and gizmos and always knows what he wants.

The irreplaceable iPod. Every man wants an iPod. This is not because he actually wants to listen to music all day, but because now he can. He can listen to music in his car, at work, at the gym and even at home - but best of all, he can listen to the music that he wants to listen to! The iPod is the irreplaceable accessory of the 21st century, and whether you want a Nano or a Mini, every man knows the social benefits of having this great little music player. Here's a tip: the bigger the better! And if it has a full color movie screen, this will make the perfect gift for someone special.

The automatic toilet seat. This is not a joke. Ask any man what he hates most about living with his wife or girlfriend and he'll tell you that he hates being yelled at about leaving the toilet seat up. The automatic toilet seat is a nifty gadget that automatically lifts up when it senses that there is someone standing in front of it, and will automatically flush and put itself down again when that person has moved away. Not only is this great for avoiding potential toilet-seat fights but it is also really smart for mid-night bathroom excursions when you sometimes forget to check if the toilet seat is up at all (because really it should be at all times anyway!).

A set of stylish novelty cufflinks. Cufflinks are the hallmark of the sophisticated individual and the true gentleman. Also, they make every man feel like he is James Bond for a night. Forget about those stuffy crest cufflinks that have your initials on them and get a set of sophisticated novelty cufflinks that are actually miniature working dice, or a light up poker chip, or even working carpenters levels! Endless fun is had by all when pairing these cheeky cufflinks with a stylish French cuffs shirt.

The remote controlled helicopter. Every man is actually a little boy trapped inside a man's body, and that boy wants big man toys. Don't fool yourself - remote control helicopters are the most awesome and most incredible big man toy around! You get to pilot your own helicopter through the treacherous swamps of your home and safely get those little paratroopers to their secret mission in your living room, and sometimes (when your girlfriend is out of the house) you can invite your friends over and have helicopter wars and try to avoid obstacles like the ceiling fan and expensive artworks!

The totally awesome Space Pen. This pen is more than just a simple ink-filled pen! The legendary Space Pen can write upside down, under water and can even work in space! The first and only pen designed to withstand the anti gravitational forces, this pen is ultra cool and looks awesome too. Enough said!

Source : Ezinearticles

Five Great Ideas For Imaginative Or Exotic Gifts

We've all experienced that moment of being faced with the prospect of having to buy a gift, but being at a loss for what to buy. Another gift card seems too impersonal. A shirt or a sweater seems too humdrum. And cologne or perfume is unimaginative. Sometimes, you just need inspiration to find unusual or exotic gifts. Here are five great ideas to get your imagination going.

Games: If the person on your gift list loves to play games, consider getting him or her a game that reflects his or her interests. Say, for example, that the chess player in your life also happens to be a Civil War buff. Why not give a chess set where the Union and Confederacy battle it out on an etched glass board? If she's an amateur Egyptologist, she'll love chess sets that feature Pharaohs and warlords. There are chess sets and other games that feature Chinese warriors, African animals, and medieval knights and dragons. These exotic gifts serve double duty, since they are both collectors' items and usable games.

Arts and Crafts: Arts and crafts sets make wonderful gifts for children. Whether the gift is a sticker book, a set of beads, a jewelry maker, or a bucket of fuse beads and instructions, craft-oriented gifts engage the imaginations of children and allow them to create something with their hands. Adults also enjoy crafts; even those who aren't already avid hobbyists may enjoy the challenges and rewards that a craft set will bring. A new grandmother, for instance, might find a new hobby with a scrapbooking starter set, while an avid baker would appreciate a decorating set and high-end food colors.

For the Garden: Whether your gift recipient has an acre of land or a small patio, you can give an imaginative present that is perfect for the outdoors. Consider a folk art wind chime, a beadwork stepping stone, garden statuettes, or a miniature park bench that seats potted plants.

Contemporary or Classical Art: Although it's sometimes difficult to determine a person's taste in art, you can't go wrong with art that reflects an interest or a hobby. If the person on your gift lists collects angels, for example, she'll be delighted with a sculpture of an angel with a harp. If she loves sea creatures, she'll treasure dolphin figurines. As long as you know what brings her peace and joy, you can't go wrong with art that reflects her passion.

Relaxation Bliss: With the hectic pace of today's lifestyles, virtually no one takes enough time for himself or herself. Use your imagination to come up with exotic gifts that encourage your recipient to unwind and relax. A basket filled with mint and sage bath products will both relax and rejuvenate, while a tote filled with tropical bath products like lime and coconut will seem like an island vacation. If your gift recipient has kids, tuck in a handmade coupon good for a few hours of babysitting to make your gift even more memorable.

Source : Ezinearticles

Murano Glass Paper Weight - A Gift to Treasure

A very close friend of mine gifted me something very special on my birthday - a beautiful paper weight. Embedded within, was a fine layer of 24 carat gold. Right in the middle of the gold-sheet, lay the colorful artwork of an exuberant little gold fish - brilliant and clear through the Italian Murano glass. I wonder why I had never thought of such a brilliant yet simplistic gifting idea.

Murano glass products do make such fantastic and extraordinary gifts. Murano glass paper weights, in particular, are perfect gifts for people who like to spend great deal of time working at the desk or for anyone who loves a good piece of art. Each of these pieces is hand blown and thus unique, quite like the great 'Glass Making Tradition' of the Venetian island of Murano.

Glass Making in Murano goes as far back as the thirteenth century. The Island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon remains the hub of Europe glass art since 1291. So, if you have a Murano glass work, you own a piece of history. Not only does it adorn your office desk, it also adds elegance to the entire space.

These products are vastly popular because of their utility and classy appeal. Many modern day companies continue to produce paper weights reminiscent of the old era while having developed their own contemporary style. These paper weights are created in many shapes, designs, and styles. The most popular being the ones with Millefiori pattern works or the ones with 24 carat gold layering. Animal Figurines, natural patterns, geometric designs, there is something for every palate.

Nowadays, various web portals allow you to customize your own designs with the help of leading glass artists. The possibilities are endless! Customized weights with quotations, name-engravings, personal messages, photo-etchings are offered to choose from. There is something available for every taste and pocket. Flawless Murano glass tends to bring out the best in the paper weights without detracting from the artwork within.

A Murano Glass Paper Weight is truly a great gift that is uniquely inspirational and imaginative. It will bring an end to your search for a perfect employee incentive gift. Not only as gifts, these wonderful pieces of artistry make for great collectibles and are every collectors choicest keepsakes!

Source : Ezinearticles

Fashion Accessories - The Ideal Gifts For Fathers Day

Father's day is fast approaching and you'll be contemplating what to buy. Tradition plays a major role in honour of the Father. For many decades the most popular gift for him has been the silk tie. More recently cufflinks have been competing for the top spot.

So if you're all out of gizmos, gadgets and novelties return to tradition. Go online and let your fingers do the walking. You'll find an array of high quality men's fashion accessories from the current collections of many well known designer brand labels.

To make it just a little easier, here is something to kick start your search for the ideal Father's Day gift. While browsing our critiques you'll discover numerous historic anecdotes about the progress of fashion through the ages.

Every significant movement in art can be traced through the design of cufflinks. Jewellers like Cartier and Tiffany crafted work of art cufflinks in mother of pearl, crystal; precious stones...These famous fashion names establish designer cufflinks as the essential accessory for men, but don't forget your silk tie, otherwise the doorman may not let you into the club-house.

Carrying on the tradition; Vivienne Westwood Cufflinks mark a significant change in the direction of men's fashion accessories. It is our pleasure to present a selection of beautifully crafted cufflinks from one of the most influential designers in British Fashion history.The Orb is now an internationally recognised brand symbol, with a difference.

Ian Flaherty. Has championed the use of Swarovski crystals in his designs and chooses to shun the opportunities to manufacture overseas, all his cufflinks are made at in his Battersea studios in London. His claim to fame is the Cube, voted one of the best Fathers day gifts in 2007 by Victoria Gray of The Sunday Mail Magazine.

Lbb London

they typify contemporary accessories design, choosing classical influences to buck the whimsical trends of today. Their metal cufflinks conform to all the key elements of good design. They have sold consistently well over the years.

Historic Anecdote

A pioneering Paris fashion designer, Jean Patou, invented the designer tie. He made silk ties from women's clothing material including patterns inspired by the latest art movements of the day, Cubism and Art Deco.

Source : Ezinearticles

One Year Anniversary Gifts - 5 Common Gifts to Buy Your Spouse on Your 1-Year Anniversary

The traditional gift in the USA for a One Year Anniversary is of Paper. In Britain the gift is of Cotton. There is also a modern gift list where it is suggested that the gift be a clock! Below are 5 sets of common and not so common gift ideas to help you decide on that perfect gift for your spouse.

After one year of marriage it may be nice to share memories and a photo-album or picture frame may be a good gift choice. You could collect pictures from throughout the year and use the album to illustrate the story of your first year together. You may want to get a special photograph taken of the two of you and place it in a nice frame. For the more technologically minded you could consider using an electronic photo-frame where the pictures change and you control what is shown. However, some people find that having digital pictures printed and mounted in an album is a more meaningful gift. The album itself can contain a personal message and perhaps a travel or theater ticket stub to bring back memories.

Another form of paper gift is a ticket. Perhaps a travel ticket to a cosy weekend away. You could journey back to where you met, became engaged or married. If you do not want to travel too far then consider a trip to the theater or to a concert. The tickets might be for some new experience together such as a balloon ride or some white water rafting!

If you do not want to travel at all then how about a book as a gift? You could give your partner's favorite book from when they were a child. You could give a book about a hobby or interest. You could purchase a first edition or a signed copy. You could present the latest best seller as a travel book along with the tickets for a vacation.

A work of art might be a suitable one year anniversary gift. How about a copy of your partner's favorite picture? You could consider a signed print or a photograph. There are services that will produce a sketch, oil painting or pastel portrait from a photograph for a very personal work of art.

If you want to pamper your partner then consider giving a voucher for something that they might enjoy doing. There are vouchers for 'Spa Experiences' with massages and beauty treatments. There are vouchers for experiences such as driving fast cars or flying light aircraft. The experience may not be something you want to do, but something your partner has always wanted to try.

If you do decide to give a paper gift for your one year anniversary then ensure that it is beautifully wrapped. Even a card can have a bow around it to make it special.

Source : Ezinearticles

Art As a Gift For Him

Artwork can be an excellent gift for him. It is not exclusively the province of those who are very knowledgeable in art, and this is particularly true when it suits the interests of the recipient of the gift. After searching shops for hours or futilely trying to pry just what he wants from him, many a gift giver may give in and give the usual gifts tie, socks or even a pipe because he may have everything.

A true surprise though can be found in art as a gift for him. Whether he is art connoisseur who has favorite artists and styles or not, it can be a very suitable gift which is a true change from the traditional.

For example the average guy who enjoys looking at a nice painting but really doesn't give art museums and artists much thought may not be impressed by a reproduction of a masterpiece no matter how beautifully done or how wonderful the subject.

However, a portrait of him or him with his bride can be an exceptional gift him and the best part is that he does not even have to know about it. A portrait which at one time in history took weeks or sometimes years of sittings can now be commissioned from a photo. Everything about the portrait can be specified including the background, how true to life the portrait is and the size. This can be an unusual and welcome surprise gift for him that will be treasured for years and he does not even have to really know much about art to appreciate it.

On the other hand, art as a gift for him when he is a fan of a particular style or painting can be an exquisite gift, which is treasured due to its uniqueness. Rather than the same old well-done prints as gifts, gift givers may consider reproductions, painted by hand in oil on canvas. There is no print or poster in existence that can compare to the vibrancy of a Vangogh reproduction on canvas, where even the brush strokes are full of energy.

Not every art lover is a fan of the masterpieces and some prefer the thrill of discovery with a new artist or new works. Such pieces can be commissioned or found with a suitable subject and style perfect as a gift for him. Popular art is extremely popular as a gift and tastes can range from abstract to landscapes, from realism to surrealism.

Although starving artists seemed as if they were around every corner years ago, the artist has become harder to locate, at least the ones capable of work on commission with exacting standards. While the lucky person may find an artist living right around the corner who can produce the work specified in the period desired not so many are lucky.

Source : Ezinearticles

African Hand Carved Figurines - The Work of an Artisan

Africa has many great artists but in the West African area there are a great number of artisans who specialize in making figurines and statuettes from wood. They are skilled in the art of making hand carved African figurines and wooden sculptures.

This skill is not easily acquired and can not be learnt in one day; it is a craft that on average is developed over a ten year period. When you think about how long it would take to become an expert in this craft you can see why the people of Aburi are definitely one of the best at what they do. There are many different types of art pieces that are made in this region of Africa and these can range from sculptures, textiles to abstract paintings. The process of making wooden African figurines for example is a lengthy and time consuming practice and can take nearly a whole week before it is done.

The process often goes through stages similar to this summary:

To start of with the tree is cut down and taken to a warehouse where it is broken into miniature pieces. Then it is left for the night. When it is morning the expert carvers all from different parts of the town, come to collect the hard woods needed to help them start on their next project. They spend numerous days carving the wood until they can say they are pleased with the end result. The carving then goes through a stage where it is polished till it is noticeably shiny and then left to dry of. Once dry the carving is ready for shipping to where ever it is needed. This is just a quick run through of what needs to happen in order for these fine art pieces to be made and presented to the world.

Even though the African carvers and artisans in most of the third world countries do not make alot financially, especially when we take into context the fact that they are earning not just for themselves but for their families. In the past these artisans were taken advantage of, for their hard work and artifacts. They were being paid extremely small amounts by western countries who paid sometimes something as little as twenty pence for the artisans time and effort spent creating a difficult wooden artifact for somebody else half way around the Earth to receive joy from. There is a new law now in place called the fair trade act which covers these hardworking artisans. The law states that these artisans should have a larger share of the money made from their efforts and craftsmanship. Even though the amounts these artists are making are still very minute considering how much of a contribution they make in order for bigger businesses to survive. The artisans provide the products so its only right that they are also credited through what they are paid.

Source : Ezinearticles

Sweet 16 Party Ideas and Themes

One birthday that definitely needs to be celebrated in style is your teenager's sixteenth. Pulling together some great sweet 16 party ideas can make for a very special occasion. The teenage years can often be a difficult time for your child, they may be feeling awkward and unsure of the changes they are going through. Arranging for a unique and unforgettable sweet 16 party will help your teenager feel as though they are successfully moving away from childhood and toward adulthood.

That being said, you should plan the party with a more "grown-up" theme. Avoid games or activities your teen may find childish. One of the most important aspects of a sweet 16 party like this is assembling the perfect guest list. Avoid the temptation to invite a lot of other adults or small children. Fill out the guest list mainly with your teen's friends. The fewer adults there are, the more the partiers will feel at ease and be able to enjoy themselves.

A good sweet 16 party idea is to send personalized invites to all the guests. There are a number of software applications you can use for this. Or, if the guest list is small enough, you may even hand write the invitations on fancy paper or letterhead. You can use paper embossed with the logo of your teen's favorite sports team or movie characters. Use your imagination and keep the invitations unique and interesting.

A theme party is one of the more popular sweet 16 party ideas. Make sure the theme will appeal to the teen's crowd and is consistent with what is currently popular. You may need to consult with some of his/her friends or other teens to get a good grip on this. What we enjoyed on our sweet 16 party may not fit for your teen today. Some popular themes are movies and Hollywood, rock, rap or rhythm & blues music, or boys will enjoy a sports theme while girls may prefer a fashion theme. A slumber party may work as a sweet 16 party for girls but probably not so much for the boys.

No sweet 16 party is complete without a great spread of food. Arrange a menu of your teen's favorites. Don't be concerned too much with the healthiness of the food today. Let the partiers load up on pizza, burgers, fries, sandwiches, cake and ice cream. Don't forget to provide an assortment of cold beverages such as soda, energy drinks and juices.

While games may have been the staple of birthday parties in the pre-teen years, most teens won't be too excited by lining up for pin-the-tail on the donkey or whack the piñata. They may be more interested in simply socializing with their friends or dancing to their favorite music. However, some good sweet 16 party ideas that might interest them are a game of limbo, egg toss or apple relays. Up the ante by offering some great prizes such as CDs, DVDs or gift certificates.

Source : Ezinearticles

Funny Scavenger Hunt Clues

Scavenger hunts bring an immediate smile to most everyone. They close their eyes and think back to Christmas scavenger hunts they might've played long ago with their parents or at that favorite pirate birthday party they never could forget. Most adults haven't has this kind of fun in ages simply because the creativity and time it takes to come up with one is just something they don't have the extra minute or energy to do these days. What if those silly little scavenger hunt clues weren't something you had to do by yourself? What if you could just imagine what theme you'd like to go with and CLICK! - one would be ready for you?

Funny scavenger hunt clues can't be basic. They have to turn a mouth into a smile. Witty clues can't be boring.. they have to make you think, make you wonder and then suddenly you know what to do. Sharing scavenger hunts with your family is an amazing way to think outside the box and instead of spending all your time writing it, you just find it...download it.. and follow the simple directions to make it come to life for those you love the most.

Planning a pirate birthday party gift for your child just like the one you remembered? What does this clue do for you? Now don't forget to say it in that comical pirate slang! "Old pirates and sailors are called seadogs and salts. Are you savvy, or do you think this is false? If you agree, you deserve a reward. Look under the table where it's stored. Don't be a scallywag or scurvy dog. Take just one doubloon, and don't be a hog." Scavenger-hunt clues aren't just silly either.. they scream out for clarifications on new rhymes and outrageous sayings your little ones probably haven't heard before. Need a cute rhyming scavenger-hunt game for those little ones that are just learning to read? How is this one for you? "The one who bought the gift is the buyer. The one who dries your clothes is the ____" You guessed it! Dryer. Those faces are bound to break out in giggles.

Source : Ezinearticles

Montserrat - Emerald Island of the Caribbean

Montserrat is known as the 'Emerald Isle' of the Caribbean. It has Irish roots and is covered in lush, green rainforest. A unique island, it is reknowned for the friendliness of the islanders and offers an excellent opportunity for nature lovers and sunseekers alike.

In 1995, the Soufriere Hills Volcano erupted, destroying the former capital of Plymouth and meaning that many inhabitants moved overseas or to the North of the island. Today, Montserrat is rising from the ashes and with the opening of a new airport at Geralds last year, tourists are starting to consider the island as a serious tourist destination again.

Once the home of George Martin's Air Studios, it has seen many famous including Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sting and others. In fact, it used to be known as the jetset island of the Caribbean. The legacy continues and George Martin is currently involved in the development of a new cultural centre on the island.

Whilst the golf course and marina were destroyed by the volcano, yachts are increasingly mooring at the Little Bay Harbour and people are arriving to see this very special place. The volcano remains active, one of the most studied in the world, and is a draw also for scientists, tourists and independent travelers alike. Stunning views which have been likened to 'Dante's Inferno' can be seen from St George's Hill which overlooks both the volcano and what remains of Plymouth. Tours to view the volcano can easily be arranged, and trips to Plymouth with a police escort. There is also a chance to learn more about volcanic activity on the island by attending a tour at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (www. MVO.ms).

Current volcanic activity means that on a clear night, visitors can view the glowing dome and rock falls from Jack Boy Hill on the East of the island from a safe distance. The majority of the population live in the 'Safe Zone' which means that in the event of an eruption, there is likely to be no problems other than ash fall. Monitoring at the MVO means that residents would be notified in advance of a likely eruption but at the present time, this is unlikely.

The beaches on Montserrat are serene and uncrowded. You are unlikely to find more than a handful of people on most of the beaches at any time. Because of the volcano, most of the beaches have silver grey sand, some of which are surrounded by rainforest which makes them both pictures and unique. The only white sand beach is at Rendezvous Bay and can be reached by hiking over the Silver Hills or by water taxi from Little Bay. After walking over the hills, you are rewarded by a pristine white sand beach, covered in coral and pink shells with crystal clear blue water. It is an amazing place for a day's outing.

During the turtle egg laying season, you may see baby turtles hatch. This is generally August and September, but you are quite likely to see turtles in the sea here at any time and recent visitors spotted baby turtles at Woodlands Beach in December. There are also magnificent reefs surrounding the island, some easily accessible from the beach as at Woodlands Beach, others further out at sea. Multi-coloured corals and fish make Montserrat a scuba diver's paradise and snorkeling is equally rewarding. Snorkelling and scuba diving trips can be arranged through The Green Monkey Dive Shop (www.divemontserrat.com) or the Seawolf Diving School (www.seawolfdivingschool.com) , both of which can offer PADI training if desired. Fishing and boat trips can also be arranged.

This year, the Montserrat Riding Stables should be opening which will give opportunities for horseriding on the beach or camping/horseriding trips. Please contact Turtle Bay Apartments for further details.

Festivals include a colourful month long Christmas festival, including calypso competitions, parades, bands and festivities around St Patrick's Day featuring celebrations at Festival City, food stalls and a boat trip round the island. See the Tourist Board website for more information.

Arts and crafts are thriving on the island. Montserrat is home to many artists and musicians, both local and international and craft outlets include Inge Kreb's craft shop where she has everything from pottery to lace that she makes herself, gift shops at the National Trust and Vue Pointe Hotel selling local crafts to beautiful handcrafted jewellery at several stores. There is a photography and painting gallery at the Turtle Bay Coffeeshop with a variety of work on show from both the resident photographer and local artists. A workshop with Caribbean Travel Photographer of the Year, Igor Kravtchenko, is planned for next winter. There is also a range of fantastic volcano shots taken by Kevin West for sale at his shop, The Last Coconut in Paradise.

Source : Ezinearticles

How to Choose the Right Decorating Style For Your Home

Choosing the right decorating art style is important to making your home feel like your own. It can sometimes be difficult to figure out what your style is, but there are clues you can use to help yourself figure it out. What stores do you shop at? What magazines do you read? Asking yourself these questions will help you get a glimpse at your individual sense of style. You can learn even more about your style preferences by taking a good look at your own home. Similar trends or even items that tend to repeat themselves in your home are a clear indication of your style preference. Like a certain room best? This is probably a good indication that that room possesses the kind of style that most appeals to you.

Sometimes items that look the most out of place can offer the best clues. Do you have a piece of furniture that doesn't match the room it's in, but you absolutely love it? This might be a sign that that piece has the kind of style you love, but you might have been afraid to go in that style direction for an entire room or your entire home. There are lots of clues to what your real style preference is, and if you keep your eye out, you'll know how you should be decorating in no time.

Before deciding on a decorating style, consider the style of your dwelling itself. While this doesn't have to completely determine the way you decorate, it does play a role. If you live in a modern high rise, a country look might not be for you, though that might look great in a small brick house. Multiple styles will often work, but there may be one or two that may not. On the other hand, choosing a completely opposite style could work in some cases if you're willing to be bold.

Retro Style
Bright colors, vintage appliances, the Jacobsen Egg Chair- sound appealing? If these things are what excite you, retro style may very well be for you. Decorating in retro style enables freedom of expression and the ability to combine dissimilar pieces in a way that comes together in your home. If you enjoy scavenging for 1950's vintage items and pieces that come with stories, retro decorating is for you.

Some well known pieces that coordinate well with retro style are mid-century modern classics like the Ball Chair and the Egg Chair. To illustrate this style in your home, you may also want to look for tables and chairs in bright colors, vintage appliances, and accessories like a mid-century rug or a George Nelson clock. Varied colors and textures will complete the look and have you on your way to a retro style home.

Traditional Style
Traditional remains one of the most popular decorating styles. This style has a familiar feeling and appeals to most age groups. Traditional art style homes often feature decorative trim and detailing like crown molding and patterned fabrics. These homes are accessorized but not over the top, remaining pleasantly predictable and without any wild accents.

To decorate your home in traditional style you'll want to start with jewel toned walls. Remember the emphasis is on comfort, and to achieve a look of understated elegance. Wallpaper can be used to add life to your walls, and its patterns should complement your fabric choices. Use varied textures and fabrics, but keep your overall look consistent- do not try to mesh too many different style groups. Choose lamps with ivory or white shades in the living room and a four posted bed in the bedroom, and you'll be on your way to a stunning exhibit of traditional style.

Source : Ezinearticles

Christmas Decorating - How Your Children Can Help

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year. There are huge demands on your time and resources. Learning to delegate some of your Christmas tasks will make the holidays more enjoyable and give you more time to do what you want. Decorating can be a time-consuming and tedious task. Handing over part of that job to your children will make them feel involved in the holiday and give them something to do.

Kids are really quite capable of helping decorate for the holidays. By remembering that some of their imperfections bring a certain charm to the holiday, letting them help you with decorating will become something that you enjoy and look forward to, rather than a hassle.

Even the tiniest tots can pitch in and help. The family Christmas tree doesn't have to be perfect. Let them do the bottom branches. If you insist on a perfect tree, put another in the family room and let your children decorate their own tree.

Making ornaments is good place to start. Finger-painting on freezer paper is good messy fun. Use the non-glossy side. What to use for paints? A little bit of liquid laundry starch mixed with food dye, or powdered tempera paint is an inexpensive solution. When the paper dries, trace cookie cutters for ornaments or package tags. Or use the paper to wrap gifts. Grand parents especially love this kind of wrapping paper.

With the cookie cutters out, make Christmas sugar cookies with real sugar cookie dough or make a batch of salt dough clay. Paint before baking with food dye mixed in raw egg yolk and a clean paintbrush. Put a hole in the top with the end of the straw. Then bake and hang with a ribbon for another easy tree decoration. 

Old cards are a rich resource for decorating craft projects. Trace and cut circles out to use for gift tags. Punch with holes and add a ribbon. Use card cut circles for more Christmas ornaments. Bend the edges around a smaller centered cardboard triangle and then glue the edges together back to back to make another kind of ornament.

Snowflakes cut from paper are an easy project for older children to make. Putting them in charge of the little ones, will keep everyone occupied. Fold the paper in half the long way, and then into thirds with a point at the center. Make a curvy cut around the edge. Then cut out triangles and other geometric shapes along the folded edges. It's always a surprise to unfold the cut snowflake and see what an easy, but beautiful snowflake you have made. Hang from the ceiling with mono-filament line, or tape with clear tape on the windows.

Another way to decorate with snowflakes is to find a simple snowflake rubber stamp or carve one with an eraser or potato. Dip in white paint and cover solid colored paper for more gift-wrap or stamp directly on the windows. A little goes a long way to make a winter wonderland.

When everyone is involved, Christmas becomes the relationship ideal many strive for.  Make sure that you use your kids as much as possible. Keeping them busy decorating will help keep boredom away and make them feel an important part of the festivities.

Source : Ezinearticles

Ideas For Making Homemade Crafts Out Of Garbage

In this day and age, landfills are becoming over filled and anything we can do to help with recycling makes a difference. One great way to recycle is to make homemade crafts using things you would normally throw away.

Before throwing something away, think to yourself: can this be used again in a craft project? Even if you don't intend to use it right away, or if an idea does not come to mind immediately, still save it if you think it could be re-used. Keep a box of some recycled items with your craft supplies, so if you find a project you will already have the item needed on hand.

Of course it is much easier to come up with a craft if you have some ideas on what can be done. But always be creative and try to come up with new ideas too! Here are some ideas to get you started.

Cleaned out soup cans or vegetable cans can be used for a variety of crafts. If you fill them with water, and allow them to freeze in the freezer, you can punch holes in the side of the cans using a hammer and nails (the ice inside keeps the structure and keeps the can from denting). The holes can be punched to form a design. The outside of the can could be painted and when a tea light is added, they make beautiful luminaries. These can be hung up on a patio, lined up along the driveway for a party, or used indoors as beautiful decorations.

Soup can lids can be painted on or decorated using decoupage, and turned into refrigerator magnets or Christmas ornaments. Photos can be applied using decoupage too, and they can be made into a family tree mobile.

Empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls can be used for a variety of craft projects, many suitable for children. Try making a pencil cup holder by gluing three toilet tubes together vertically, and glue them on a sturdy cardboard base. Empty paper towel rolls, when cut into one-inch sections, can be made into napkin rings. Just paint them and glue on decorations, like seashells or other embellishments.

The foam plates that come under many types of meat from the grocery store can also be saved and reused for many different craft projects. They also make great trays for mixing up paints.

Coffee cans could be made into pretty containers by simply decorating the outside of them. Children will have covering them in construction paper and attaching foam shapes to the outside. Adults may enjoy decorating the cans by using decoupage to decorate them. You can have the cans match the décor of any room in your house and then use these handy containers in your bathroom to hold hair supplies, in the garage to hold tools, or in the kitchen to hold spatulas and spoons... the possibilities are virtually endless. Coffee cans could also be turned into beautiful birdhouses that work quite well.

Empty milk and cream containers are great for children's crafts, where they can be decorated to look like animals, like a duck or chick. Old tennis balls can be turned into puppets, by slicing a slit through the side of the ball to become a mouth. And of course there is always the sock monkey puppet, a great use for a sock that has lost its partner!

Source : Ezinearticles

How to Celebrate the Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox has been an important time of the year for many cultures throughout history. Equinox literally means "equal night", and the Spring Equinox is the time when the day and the night on the equator are of equal length.

This astrological event has traditionally been celebrated as a great time of rebirth and renewal. It usually falls on March 20th, and the next day marks the first day of Spring.

There have been a few recurring symbols throughout history which represent this event. One of these is the egg. The egg represents rebirth and the potential of the new season. Many people celebrate this time by hard-boiling and painting eggs.

Another common symbol is the rabbit. Rabbits are very quick at reproducing and renewing themselves, so humans have always looked to them for fertility guidance. Giving a bunny to your friend as a gift during this time is an excellent idea.

Finally, flowers have been a common motif throughout history. This is the time of the year when flowers finally begin to bloom after spending the winter dormant. If you live in an area where the flowers have already begun to bloom at this time of the year, then a great way to celebrate is to go into the fields and pick a bunch of flowers. You can bring them back to your home and create many different craft products out of them. If flowers haven't begun to bloom yet, you can usually order some from a flower delivery company. There are very few things that can light up the face of your loved-one like a carefully designed flower arrangement.

Another great way to celebrate is by wearing the traditional colors of the Spring Equinox. These include pastel colors and green.

You may have noticed that many of these celebration recommendations match the celebration of Easter. This is no accident, since Easter is the dominant form of celebration in our culture. There is little coincidence that the celebration of Christ's rebirth occurs around this time.

However, it wasn't necessarily recommended that you hide the eggs or get the bunny to hide the eggs. There are many different myths, rituals, and traditions that have grown up around these basic symbols. They date back thousands of years to the ancient pagan cultures, and most of our modern cultures adopted the practices from them.

Source : Ezinearticles

How To - Craft Ideas For Easter

A really fun craft that's cute and edible is some easily decorated art eggs.

These are crafts that also serve as a centerpiece. Corn syrup is used instead of glue. Icing can also be used for glue or décor like hair. A lifesaver candy can be used as an egg holder to put your egg on. You can decorate your eggs with other candies. Sprinkles can add nice colors to your design. Who would have thought?

Another great Easter craft is made with a sock. You can make cute little animals like a chick or bunny. Once your craft is complete you can put the sock on top of a real egg to have it stand up. This is so easy and simple to make you can make an assortment of them in no time. Your kids can help make these for a fun Easter they'll never forget. This also makes for a really neat school project. For a chick you need:

Orange felt for the beak, googly eyes, stems (pipe cleaners), feathers and art craft glue along with scissors. Cut the sock just above the heel straight across, this part you may want to help the kids with as scissors can be dangerous. You then glue the eyes onto the top of the sock to start the face. Take the rectangular piece of felt and cut the corner off. After this is done, you take the glue and put it on the middle of the feather where it's all gathered and a bit on the tougher side, you glue the feather on the back side of sock for its wings. To get the chicks feet you twist the stems (pipe cleaner) for the cute little feet. If you want to make a bunny, instead of pipe cleaners you can use cotton balls for the feet and nose and use pipe cleaners for the whiskers. You can use all different colored socks to have a fun arrangement.

Source : Ezinearticles

The Largest Easter Egg Hunts in the United States

The Easter egg hunt is a time honored tradition which provides entertainment to both children and adults. Often on Easter, our families come together, and we like to hide Easter Eggs for our children to find. But are you providing a world class experience for your children? If you want to participate in one of the best hunts in the world, here are a few you might try.

1. White House Easter Monday Egg Roll

This is a tradition which was begun by President Rutherford Hayes in 1878. Although it has been canceled a few times due to war, the tradition has continued up to the present day. Attendance is now determined by a lottery system, and 30,000 lucky children get to hunt for Easter Eggs on the White House lawn. There are also many other activities like face-painting, story-telling, music, food, sports, and games. In 2010, the theme of the White House hunt is "Ready, Set, Go", and it is part of Michelle Obama's project to teach kids about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating.

2. The Garrison Egg Hunt in Homer, Georgia

For 50 years, the Garrison family has single-handedly provided the small town of Homer, GA with an annual spectacular hunt. In the 80's they were officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest Easter egg hunt in the world, although their record has since been broken. However, they are still the world's largest hunt of REAL eggs, with at least 72,000 real eggs. This number is usually matched by an equal number of plastic eggs for a hunt of epic proportions.

3. Easter Egg Hunt of Stone Mountain Park in Georgia

What is it about Georgia and their hunts? In 2006, Stone Mountain Park hid an astonishing 301,000 eggs for visitors of the theme park to find. Over 10,000 people participated in this egg hunt. Some of them found special eggs which contained coupons for free DVDs.

4. The Cypress Gardens Adventure Park Easter Egg Hunt

This was the largest hunt ever recorded, with more than half a million eggs. It took almost 10,000 people only an hour to find all the eggs. Hidden inside one of the eggs was a full scholarship to one of Florida's local colleges.

Source : Ezinearticles

Why Paint Abstract Landscapes? Here's How to Do It!

Why paint abstract landscapes when you're having a love affair with pure abstract?

Pretty simple!

Never under estimate the value of "content" to the average suburban art browser and buyer. Until you hit the big time, are taken on by a major gallery and have high profile showings you will mostly be selling your art to people who visit art shows in the suburbs.

So give them what they want! And they want content. They want a picture of something they can recognize... so that's what we paint for them.

Absolutely do not throw out your love affair with abstract. Continue with your abstract works - after all in the "big" art world it is the "avant garde" abstract artists who get recognition these days. Just look at the shows at the MOMA in New York. But it takes time to achieve that status and sadly... very few of us will; meantime you can easily starve or lose heart while you wait.

There's nothing quite like a sale to get you painting enthusiastically again. The biggest rule of sales in any sphere - and I have sold things for 35 years - is to find out what people are buying and give it to them.

"Landscape" is the No. 1 best seller and "Abstract Landscape" is No. 2 followed by Abstract in No. 3 spot. So "Abstract Landscape" can be a pretty lucrative niche.

The simplest way I have found to paint abstract landscapes is to take the work of a great landscape artist (I like Van Gogh because he's semi-abstract to start with) and block out the scheme of a painting that inspires you. I usually do this by making a black and white print of the painting and blocking in the light to dark values in say 3 to 5 steps. Then decide where you want your centers of interest, choose you palette and start blocking in the larger areas of color. In abstract landscape there is no need to try to create any 3D or perspective. You can if you want but it's not necessary.

Now you need a serious center of interest. I often like to use houses and clouds in abstract landscape. But trees, boats, mountains, people and water work well too. Keep the detail to a minimum and continue to work on your color areas and centers of interest.

You can begin with the general idea of the original painting as your inspiration but as you go along you will find that your own painting has diverged greatly from the great artists painting.

This is not plagiarism - it's a short cut to inspiration and helps your painting start faster because you have a plan to follow. Of course in copying a Van Gogh you're not infringing copyright anyway, but regardless, if you're working toward developing your own style then making exact copies will only slow you down.

Source : ezinearticles

One of the Most Famous Oil Painting Portraits

For centuries, artists have been creating fascinating work in oil painting portraits. By simply showing the face of another human being, a whole host of emotions can be stirred by the observer. There are many famous portraits that have been done with oil, many of which you would know, even if you are just becoming introduced to art.

The most famous portrait ever created would have to be the Mona Lisa. This masterpiece took Leonardo Da Vinci several years to complete and it is believed that it was finished shortly before his death in 1519.

So, what makes the Mona Lisa so fascinating? To begin with, the expression on the woman's face has captured the hearts and imaginations of observers for centuries. While some view the expression as a complete enigma, some feel that the slight smile on her face indicates that she is hiding a secret. Anyone observing the puzzling face can come up with a different interpretation and not be wrong.

The notion that the subject is hiding a secret is especially wonder-inspiring as it seems counter intuitive to the positioning of the woman's hands. The full detain of Lisa's right hand over her left instill feelings of a faithful and devoted wife. So, then what is this mysterious secret Lisa seems to be carrying? Or perhaps, there really is no smile? You be the judge.

Mona Lisa also has no eye brows or eye lashes. Some believe that she was never given these or any other facial hair, because woman of that time would pluck them out, considering them to be unsightly. However, some are of the belief that she was actually originally painted with lashes and brows but that they gradually disappeared over time, possibly because of over cleaning.

In 2007, French engineer Pascal Cotte declared that with high resolution scans of the portrait show evidence that the painting did have lashes and brows at one time. Most who view the painting today see the lack of facial hair as an addition to the mystique and allure of the work.

In addition to the woman herself, the painting also fascinates people with its background and surroundings. Behind Lisa, is a landscape that leads into icy mountains. There is a bridge in the distance and several winding paths. The shapes and patterns of the rivers and valleys behind her are echoed in the curves of her clothing and hair. Many view this as somewhat of a link between humanity and nature.

This also raises the question of whether this is a portrait of an actual woman or whether it is a depiction of an ideal. The calmness, harmony, gentleness and virtue of the imagery make many art enthusiasts believe that the Mona Lisa was born out of a desire for peace in the artist's soul.

Source : ezinearticles

Art as a Good Investment Option?

Paintings and art does not come cheap. Some famous artist paintings are sold for million dollars where as some for thousands and some for only hundreds. However, none of the above mentioned art is cheap. The smallest piece of art work may cost you say $300 at a time. Therefore, if you expect something more out of the piece of artwork you purchased you are not wrong.

There are several lucky art collectors, who have been collecting excellent art pieces for years. Some artists' paintings they collected in the past are worth much more than paintings were bought for. The artist and his work became famous and the collector had all the rights to gain from it.

You too can shop for art and paintings and expect that the piece of artwork you bought will fetch you a price worth a lot more. It cannot happen only with a single art piece or a painting. Collectors are in a habit of making investment in art work after carefully examining the art work.

Examining does not mean that it should merely be attractive to eyes. Excellence of art is determined by the smoothness and finish of the work. Excellence is also seen by the choice of subject and how well the subject has been expressed in the work of art. An art piece or a painting may have single colored strokes but whether these strokes are able to reflect what the mind was thinking is more important.

Moreover, art pieces are bought after a lot of thought; these pieces are examined for their condition and the vibrancy of display of colors in art. Shoppers of art and paintings need to see that the piece of work they are about to buy is authentic and unique. A bulk product may not be of any use for an art collector, since some one else possess a similar painting.

Therefore, for a piece of art to be purchased and treasured as unique it is absolutely necessary that it is one and only in the world and truly made by the artist himself. Work of art is a pride to possess because it came as an inspiration to the artist and has been created by following the heart and vision rather than the market trends. Most of art buyers also give thought to detailing of the piece of art. For shopping art work it is necessary to have an eye for art. You should be able to decipher and segregate a good piece and not so good one even if it comes from the same artist.

Source : ezinearticles

Art School Taught Me That Painting is Dead

As long as I can remember I knew that I was an artist; as a young teen I knew that I wanted to pursue fine art and painting as a career. I remember my first few days in art school, I was so excited! Finally I would study that which I loved most; painting!

I eagerly participated in the lectures and went to every class with a smile on my heart and big ears trying to absorb as much information as possible.

One of the first things the instructors mentioned is that "painting is dead". I couldn't believe my ears. What were they talking about? That was a great way to discourage someone. I felt terrible, here I am a painter, something I knew about myself for a very long time, and the school is telling me that painting is dead. Did this mean that I was dead? I considered myself lucky because I already at a young age knew what I wanted to do with my life; so many people spend a lifetime trying to figure that one out! When I heard that remark I felt that not only did I have to start from scratch as a painter but I had to dig myself out of a negative dead hole, painting was dead remember?

They said painting was dead because in the mid-1800's photography could replace paint by representing and documenting the world in a much more precise and quicker manner than what could be accomplished with a brush and paint.

Marcel Duchamp simply gave up painting entirely and focused mainly on dada and neo dada objects which later became the inspiration for conceptual art.

In my humble opinion painting is alive and well. Painting is alive because it is driven by the art market. It continues to live because of the institutions which promote it; museums, galleries, collectors, critics and art schools. Now what about the artist? If I am alive , and I am a painter, therefore painting is alive!

Source : ezinearticles

Crashing Through the Blank Canvas - Great Oil Painting Ideas to Get Off That Fence!

One of the greatest challenges I face as an artist is....

The Blank Canvas!

But not for the reason you may think! I've got some great oil painting ideas to help you crash through your blank canvas crisis. Just follow along!

Remember when you were about 11 years old, and your Grandma would give you a quarter, (no that my Dad's generation) would give you a dollar and a quarter, (now I'm telling my age) so in today's money it's more like $10.25! Anyway, you're at the candy counter trying your best to figure out how to wisely spend your money.

So much goodness in front of you, and so small a tummy to eat it all!

Yes, it's not for lack of an idea, but rather, which of a hundred oil painting ideas to do next. That's a passion I wish all could have. Hopefully, within this article, I can help you develop your passion for this most enjoyable thing we call Oil Painting.

I guess it's because I'm a person that views the glass half full rather than half empty. Actually, I see it running over!

Try this.

Find a subject that pulls at your heart strings. Think about family, hobbies, home. Find something that you love, that gets you excited and makes your heart thump when you dwell on the subject.

Then incorporate this subject into your paintings!

Along with this however, try to remember to find that something that will never run out of reference material. It can be people, animals, nature, mountains, lakes, fishing, old buildings. All of these have a special place in my heart but flowers seem to be the thing that give me joy! Once you have found that special something, become an expert at it. You will then have a lifetime of idea's that will fuel your passion to paint!

Imagine never running out of idea's to paint. This solves 50% of most artists' dilemma, the white canvas. The other 50% of this problem will be solved in using a decision process to narrow your idea to the best of the best! Here's what I do:

I will usually always have 4 to 6 ideas floating around my head at any given time! As I complete one work, I begin reviewing my latest "idea" folder and lay out all my photo's, sketches, etc. Then, as I review them, I pull away one by one by doing a comparison check. I look at an idea thats been in my head awhile and compare it to just one other idea. The Best stays, the other is put away till next time. I'll do this to all the reference photo's until I'm left with only three. I'll print these out on my ink-jet and usually after an overnight wait, one will speak to me above the others. If not, I just begin the painting process on all 3 at the same time. WOOHOO!

As one layer is drying on the first, I begin work on the 2nd then the 3rd. My gallery owner loves this 'cause when I give her several pieces, her customers love having choices. Try these oil painting ideas the next time you're on the fence facing that blank canvas and can't decide which way to jump off!

Source : ezinearticles

Photo to Pop Art - Traditional Art Movement on the Canvas

Photo to pop art had been developed for a more versatile and durable art canvas. We all know that a canvas is known to have a life longevity that will last for decades under the proper maintenance. Thus, this art canvas is one of the best gifts you could ever give to someone that is close to your heart. Photo to pop art canvas is not only limited to a gift-giving purposes only, it is also a great interior decoration that boost the beauty of your wall.

Photo to pop art printing is always seen in our everyday life. We could see a lot of its kind in the magazine, comic strip or even in our local museum that features some traditional painting that also included the art canvas. This kind of art is also used in the promotion of the product and some advertisements usually seen in our television.

This marketing strategy is in line with the energy that is manifested by youth. Thus, the product is magnified with the help of an art image that conveys a message about what is being advertised. We could say that this traditional art has a great impact to the modern day businesses.

You may think that like fashion, photo to pop art painting may be categorized as new and the latest form of art. But, you have to remember that this was recognized last 1960's and still, it is popular in the art industry. Therefore, we could say that it has nothing to do with a changing trends, whatever is new and trendy, photo to pop art print remains in the midst of its known usability in field of art.

Pop art painting is usually seen in the personalized t-shirt, cups and the other personal things. But, with the involvement of the latest technology, this art could be painted to a more elegant canvas. With the aid of a special software that employs some graphic design, the art canvas look natural as if it is being painted manually.

Commonly, we can see those samples of art canvas in the wall of some homes. There are also some clients who ordered their artist to have a canvas that will cover-up the entire room for a more unique sense. This is the start wherein a lot of artists prefer not to paint their product in volume for they rather accept orders from their clients. The production is lessened because the product is already centered on the demands and orders of their costumers. This canvas is more personalized as compared to the expensive painting because their clients have to send their picture that will be turned to pop art. And after that, it will be printed to a canvas that will be an additional attraction to your wall and will last for a century.

Photo to pop art canvas may not deduce the popularity of the common abstract expressionism, but it has its own property that made it remain in the art industry.

Source : ezinearticles

Orange Paintings Have a Real Charm and Attractiveness

The magnitude of the importance of the painting is massive and unlimited in human life. Painting and drawing is much more vibrant and elegant which it catches the true ethos of human life within a short framework. The color matching is an excellent way to speak the untold story which lies embedded in the mind of a person who has no other alternative way but the painting through which he can feel comfy to express his inner feelings and emotions. The art is the reflector of a human character and at the same time it will hold back the time which has already passed away.

Therefore, art and picture/painting are interlinked. The orange painting is really colorful and glamorous. They color of orange is not only attractive but also very vibrant and eye catching. I have recently purchased a nice painting which has sketched the seaside in wonderful way. The true combination of orange and red has made it unique and unbeaten. Your eyes will be stuck to the painting and you will be in jocund mood by having the glimpse of the drawn picture. If you go to an art exhibition, you must see the wide range of collection of the orange paintings which are unique and excellent.

Few months back, I felt it urgent to buy a wonderful painting which I decided to offer one of my bosom friends on his wedding ceremony. This painting has depicted two hearts which are mingled with splendor. My friend loves orange color and he was in jocund mood after receiving my gift. It is the token of love and appreciation. The color of orange is really impressive and it can change the true spirit of your life. If you are young and energetic in mind, you must choose the orange colored painting which is really a matter of attraction to the young painters and those who have just learnt to love someone. The painting produces much influence on human beings.

Specially the abstract art has the massive impact and influence on the mind of a man. It will express the unspoken love in much more elegant way. The dazzling sienna color mingling with orange brightens the life of a young heart which will be more vibrant but dreamy. It will help you to sail your boat in the Utopian land where you will gambol with your sweet heart in the lawn or the rose garden.

Orange painting has such a tremendous force to attract the mind of young hearts. To celebrate the marriage ceremony of my niece, I have taken bold decision to go to a young artist for the collection of oil painting which has been painted in orange tint. The painting is really marvelous and up to the mark. If you also show the same interest in orange painting please search the internet and collect the updated information about different oil and water paintings which are colored in orange. You can also feel free to visit the art gallery or any archive where you will come into close contact with the vast number of paintings and pictures which over excel other artistic creativity.

Source : ezinearticles

How to Draw Like Leonardo Da Vinci - The Heart

It is interesting to see how doctors and scientists the world over are referring to the studies done centuries ago by a non-science person, to unravel the mysteries of modern day. Leonardo Da Vinci's anatomical study of the human heart is a case in point. This work was a part of a series of almost 200 drawings Da Vinci made in his later years. His understanding of the function of the heart valves has provided a fresh perspective to the ongoing research endeavors. His detailed coverage of the mitral valve has offered new ways to address its dysfunction. Therefore, any attempt to recreate these heart drawings art must cover the significant aspects of his explorations. The following guide will help you draw like Leonardo Da Vinci:

• Reference. Among all of his anatomical works, the heart drawings are one of the most easily accessible. A large collection is available on the internet. You may also look for books or journals.
• Technique and Style. Da Vinci dissected several corpses to aid his learning and representation of anatomy. He carefully examined each part and organ from different angles and portrayed the structure of progressively created sections. Therefore, some drawings of the heart show longitudinal sections, some represent the transverse sections, and the others, the complete organ. Leonardo da Vinci supplemented all his drawings with explanatory notes. His interest in comprehending the functioning of the organ, apart from its structural frame, rendered these works much more complex and descriptive.
• Subject Coverage. As mentioned earlier, Da Vinci covered the heart in more than one form, like the heart alone, the heart with veins & arteries, the connection of heart with other organs (lungs and trachea), sections revealing the internal structure, and so on. Leonardo Da Vinci was the first one to conclude that the human heart is primarily a muscle and has four chambers - the upper two auricles and the lower two ventricles. From this point of view, the longitudinal section diagram holds considerable value. Overall, the human heart has a strawberry like shape that tapers down. Da Vinci lacked the knowledge that blood circulates in the body. He believed that the liver creates blood, which reaches lungs for cooling and the tissues use it up. Nevertheless, he made a breakthrough discovery of the eddy currents in the Aorta that regulate the functioning of the heart valve.
• Details. Once you have sketched the external fundamental shape of the heart, placing the pulmonary veins and arteries is not a difficult task. In the case of transverse and longitudinal sections however, keener observation and exactitude is required. Such drawings by Da Vinci are quite complicated and somewhat hazy, representing all the components with a varying degree of shading art or checkered spaces.

Be extra cautious with shading and labeling of your work such that the parts appear in their natural shapes and forms.

Source : ezinearticles

Sand Painting - Art to Soothe the Savage Child

Your four year old is having a hard day. He's whiny and uncooperative, and even a hug and a tickle won't lift his mood.

Time to bring out the sand painting.

That's what Michelle Kahan of Bedford, MA does when her almost five-year-old daughter gets cranky. "It's like magic if she's in a bad mood," says Michelle. "It makes her feel better instantly."

There's a reason: sand is nature's way of calming us. Imagine how you feel when you're on the beach, digging your toes into the sand, letting the grains run softly through your fingers. Remember tirelessly building sand castles, carving out moats, and watching the water fill them and then sink away. Think how the sand invites you to lie down on it for hours, listening to the rhythm of your own heart.

Art sand has that same ability to soothe and inspire. Sand painting requires no tools or glue: colored sand is applied directly with the hands onto sticky canvases and then rubbed gently to make it stick. This tactile activity enhances the sense of touch, building and improving fine motor skills while it helps kids slow down and enjoy the process. And they love the colorful results, which can be different every time.

For a child, painting with sand can be a satisfying way to soothe himself when he is upset. It can also help him communicate how he's feeling. Sand canvases have a simple picture cut into the top liner - a friendly dog, for example. The picture can turn out differently depending on the child's choices. He peels off parts of the liner, pours colored sand on the sticky, and rubs the sand gently. As he gains mastery over the basic steps, he will learn ways to create more complex pictures that reflect his own mood - the dog becomes a sad-eyed beagle alone in a room or a big red dog romping in a field of flowers.

Sand painting works to calm kids down because:

• it's sensory, bringing together physical energy with imagination
• there's a natural rhythm to it - peel, pour, and rub - that is comforting
• the picture tells a story that helps kids talk about their feelings
• it's easy to be successful: even very young children can make colorful, pleasing designs

Get the most out of sand painting with your child by scheduling art as part of daily "down time" for the kids. Keep a supply of favorite sand canvas images on hand. Get involved! Work together with your children, even if they already know how to do it, so you can talk about the pictures together as they create their masterpieces.

Source : ezinearticles

Musical Themed Paintings - Make Your Heart Dance

When a painter paints the picture and paintings, his main concentration falls on the few important factors like the perfect selection of the themes, the color matching and choice of the fantastic ideas for designing the picture. Now, he will be successful in painting the wonder pictures when he is able to utilize his artistic talent and the philosophical views to paint the pictures. For instance, musical themed paintings are really much attractive and elegant. A piece of musical themed picture will energize your mind to listen to music. To be frank, music plays an important role to purify the heart and mind of audiophiles.

Music has the tremendous force to make a person fit and healthy. The painting is such a convenient way to express the inner emotions, you can be satisfied to see the picture which will give you many unsolved answers to the queries. It will enrich your mind refiltering your emotions. On the other hand, paintings which are based musical themes will give you chance and golden opportunity to increase your likelihood in music. Couple of months back, one of my bosom girl friends asked me whether I would be able to find a good picture for her. Actually, she is singer and she likes to play different musical instruments as well. Recently, she bought a new house and she liked to decorate rooms with good furniture pieces.

Painting is the indispensable part of the inner decoration and she didn't forge to mention her eagerness in decorating her lounge and bed chamber with the glamorous and magnificent paintings. As I am very competent and efficient in collecting the pictures and paintings, I tried my level best to opt for the excellent painting. Osnat is my favorite painter who has enriched the art and painting by creating several wonderful paintings and pictures. As she was a true audiophile and singer as well, I preferred to buy a painting on musical theme. Osnat has painted a number of pictures on music related issues. I purchased one of his paintings. It was big in size and the quality of painting is really superb.

You will see a number of musical instruments have been depicted fantastically in the picture. The painter has beautifully used orange and yellow color shades for the revival of the elegance and brightness of the paintings. Later, I found another musical themed painting which is based on musical instrument. The abstract guitar has been painted in the picture. It is so wonderful that you will be spell bound after watching the nice painting. There are other pictures and paintings which are also based on various types of musical instruments and tools. All these pictures are really attractive and nice. There was a picture under the title Music of Fire. It is not fully based on musical theme. However when I bought it for my friend, she told me after watching the burning flame that it seemed to dance in rhythmic way. She liked it very much and she said to me that I had the inclination towards such pictures which had some abstract musical themes.

Source : ezinearticles

Chinese Art - Chinese Batik

Chinese Batik is also called La Ran in China. Researches show batik originates from ancient China. It was then called La Xie. As early as in Qin and Han Dynasties, people in southwestern minority regions of China, finding that wax can prevent from dyeing, proficiently mastered the craft of batik. They used bees wax and worm wax as material in preventing dyeing.

By the time of Dong Han Dynasty, the batik skill was rather mature. By Xi Jin Dynasty, a dozen of color batik products could be produced. In Tang Dynasty, batik prevailed. The batik skill has been passed on generation after generation in the minority regions of Guizhou province and it has been spread widely across different regions.

Design of traditional Guizhou batik is based on realism. The artistic language is simple, pure, straightforward and powerful. Especially, its design pattern is free from confinement of details. Bold variation and exaggeration are employed. Such variation and exaggeration are out of the simple but wide imagination and it is full of charms. Batik designs are quite rich and colorful. Most of them are taken from actual life or stories, typical of the traditional culture.

Thin blade of bronze knife, dipped in heated wax, freely draws designs on white cloth, which prevents from dyeing. Then colors needed are dyed on the cloth. Later, the cloth is put in hot water to boil and clear designs would appear on the cloth.

The traditional batik designs are often evenly and harmoniously distributed on four sides. There are various patterns but in good order. The overall effect is stressed instead of paying too much attention to the details. The design patterns are of rhythmical beauty since the lines and points are orderly arranged. The peculiar batik ice line adds more charm to it. Apart from the traditional blue, there are many other colorful batik. The ice line is characteristic of batik. The formation of ice lines is that wax lines are destroyed in constant rolling and dyeing of the cloth, which soaks into the lines of the cloth, leaving natural patterns on the cloth. The natural patterns are enchantingly beautiful. Like fingerprints of human beings, they are different from each other, which further augments the depth of its beauty.

Source : ezinearticles

Paperweights - Jewels of the Art Glass World

Solid glass paperweights seem to belong to another time. Yet there are thousands of paperweight collectors today. What draws collectors to the diminutive world of paperweights? Nothing is as beautiful or mysterious as a handcrafted paperweight, especially if it was fashioned by a master glass artist.

A Glass Family

Growing up in a glass family, I developed a love for paperweights early in life. By the time I was fourteen years old, I was collecting my uncle's paperweights. He was a glassblower and owner/operator of Hamon Glass Company in Scott Depot, West Virginia. My uncle, Robert L. Hamon, was known for his marvelous paperweights.

Other members of my family have made paperweights, as well, but none have been more serious than my uncle.

Rose Paperweights

Robert L. Hamon made a wonderful paperweight called the Hamon cut rose. Different than a crimp rose, a hand cut rose is more beautiful. Each petal is individually formed by cutting in four places a small blob of hot glass, which is encased in crystal. The Hamon roses almost looked real, floating in a faceted slab of crystal, their petals flanked by beautiful green leaves. He made rose paperweights in several colors, such as ruby and orange, but my favorite was yellow.

My uncle made sulfides, cane weights and ice pick paperweights. The latter were most interesting to me, as a young man. Gorgeous crystal covered twisted, swirling abstract forms. No two were ever alike. These were usually dome-shaped, and were rarely faceted, unlike the other weights he made. Faceting creates little windows through which one can view the weight's interior. And, as a bonus, the facets create lots of light reflections, which give the weights a certain mystique art.

What a passion Robert had for handcrafted paperweights. Some of his sulfides can be found in the collections of former Presidents of the United States and other dignitaries. For many years, avid collectors bought his weights and displayed them prominently in their homes and businesses.

A Dazzling Display

While I loved the esteemed paperweights of famous glass shops, such as Baccarat and St. Louis, none were more interesting to me than my uncle's paperweights. I loved to visit his studio where literally hundreds of his paperweights were on dazzling display. Some were sitting on small bases which shot a beam of light through the glass, creating a remarkable effect. Inside each glass globe there was a fascinating world of color, character and form.

How I would sit for hours in the Hamon Glass studio staring into those exquisite glass globes, exploring the swirling inclusions with an eager eye. My uncle's finest weights seemed to reveal a world within a world, a magical, colorful world whose secrets were discovered only by those who cared to tarry long enough to enter the hidden kingdom of handcrafted glass.

In any good glass collection you will find vases, bowls, paperweights, figurines and other types of decorative glass. Yet nothing is as alluring as the paperweights. Like poison arrow frogs, the marvels of the rain forest, paperweights are the jewels of the glass world.

Source : ezinearticles

Making the Best Out of Wedding Caricature

Weddings are memorable moments any married couples would love to treasure. The common practice nowadays is to go to a wedding studio, get your pictures taken, and you will have albums of portraits of you and your loved one. Instead of doing something so conventional, you can try getting your very own wedding caricature done to depict the moment. It's not only a fun way of keeping the memory; caricatures stand out amidst your photos.

You can also get creative with your invitation cards and gifts. Instead of getting something out of the sample stand, you can put the art into the cards and gifts. Your guests will be delighted to receive something so different, and so remindful of the occasion. And just to add humor to the occasion, you can get your wedding caricature framed up at the entrance of the occasion. Your guests will be thankful, and better, have a good laugh if they figured that they didn't set foot into the wrong party as they compare their invitation card caricature with the framed one. It never hurts to light their hearts up before they step in.

You might also be interested in acquiring the services of a caricature artist during your wedding. You and your guests can get them to draw your individual caricature, or as a group. You might want to get your artists to draw their pictures at the reception area, where people sign in to enter. While it makes a great entertainment to see each of your features to pop up, it also helps people break the ice as they compare their caricatures with one another. Nevertheless, they make great memento for anyone.

Another thing you could do is to make your caricatures into comics. You could get the service of a caricature artist to draw out the journey you and your spouse had gone through together. It could begin with how you and your spouse met, to how the two of you became a couple, up to the wedding proposal, and then the day itself. Make it into a book for everyone to see, or put it up on the slideshow, it will put a smile not only on your faces, but also on the faces of your guests.

Imagine your wedding day. Now imagine how your guests are smiling throughout the wedding. Now, isn't that a sight to remember? You can make it possible with your very own wedding caricature.

Source : ezinearticles

Wedding Details to Impress Your Guests

Everyone wants to have a memorable wedding. What better way to make a lasting impression than by making a splash with your wedding plans? Check out these wedding details which are sure to impress your guests.

Ice sculptures are a long tradition for elegant affairs. Rather than the basic ice swan, however, take your display to the next level. A modern chic ice sculpture will often feature a special surprise like a "luge" run for vodka to make ice cold martinis during the cocktail hour. Have your chilly sculpture crafted into an updated shape, such as your monogram or an oversized diamond ring, and watch your guests be wowed.

Fountains are always impressive, and I am not talking about the kind which have water in them. If you want your guests to end the evening on a high note, you cannot go wrong with a giant chocolate fountain. Surround the waterfall of delicious chocolate with tasty things to dip, such as sweet strawberries, fresh marshmallows, and salty pretzels. Evergggyone loves chocolate gift, and a chocolate fountain will prove to be irresistible.

Another fantastic way to use a fountain is to fill it with lush flowers. Imagine how gorgeous it would look to place a large tiered stone fountain into the entrance of your reception venue. When your guests enter, they will be greeted with an impressive floral display, the likes of which most have never seen before. Trust me, this sort of detail is sure to leave a lasting impression.

Sparkle and glitz always make a splash, especially when the party is a wedding. There is almost no limit to the ways in which a bride can make use of crystals, from her crystal wedding jewelry to her decorations. Festoon centerpieces with strands of dazzling Swarovski crystals in the same color as your crystal wedding jewelry. Hang long strings of crystals and orchids behind the altar for the ceremony. You can even use crystals to add sparkle to the little details, like the boutonierre stems and the bride's bouquet wrap. Everyone will be dazzled by the splendor of the crystals.

Entrances and exits matter too when you are trying to make a big splash. Let your entrance to the reception as newlyweds be one that no one will ever forget. Rent an elephant to ride, hire a New Orleans jazz band to lead you into the reception parade-style, or think of your idea. Whatever you do, just make sure that it is unforgettable. The same goes for the end of the wedding. Treat your guests to a spectacular fireworks display to end the evening with a bang.

Late night activities are fast becoming a big wedding trend. Instead of ending the reception after the cake is cut and the bouquet is tossed, plan an afterparty which will keep your guests dancing until the wee hours of the morning. Hire a great d.j., keep the bar open, and serve a special late night snack. You can hire a hot dog cart, a man to make fresh warm donuts (yum!), or have an ice cream truck roll up after midnight to keep your late night revelers going strong. Your guests are sure to leave saying what an incredible party your wedding turned out to be!

Source : ezinearticles

Your Art Can Express Your PersonalityYour Art Can Express Your Personality

Throughout the years there have been many artists who have shown their emotions through every stroke of their paint brush. The say that "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" and how true this is when it comes to art. I have only been painting for 8 years and through these past 8 years have brought out my feelings and thoughts on a piece of watercolor paper with a brush holding a rainbow of many beautiful colors. It doesn't matter what subject you paint as long as it comes from your heart.

There are so many subjects to choose from, but if the artist is emotionally upset, you will usually be able to detect it in his or her paintings. Sometimes the colors will be dark and carelessly strewn across the paper or canvas when days seem upsetting. However, the artist that is happy and carefree will put out a painting of such glorious and bright colors, showing the world how happy he or she is. Their paint brush will glide across the paper or canvas like an ice skater on a smooth and glossy body of frozen water. They will complete their paintings quickly and then sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor. The artists who is having trouble expressing themselves, will look over their work many times before they are content with the results they have just displayed and only then when everything is perfect show their art to the world.

All types of artists, whether it be a painter, sculptor, carver, writer, etc., will depict their feelings throughout their works. I, myself, try not to paint on days when I am feeling down as I don't like my work to show if I am sad or upset. Van Gogh and Salvatore Dali had art work of splashing color, but if they were upset it didn't come out in their works and we all know what life styles they had.

So pick up your paint brushes, pens, carving tools and express your feelings. Who know if you are having a bad day, that expression of art might just change your mood.

Source : ezinearticles