Industries, universities and hospitals that used to be satisfied with photographs of their presidents and board chairmen by signature photographers now are commissioning portraits. The ancestry and wealth of the rich and famous are symbolized by these portraits.

In addition to South Africa where her husband headed the African operation of an American cosmetics firm, she has also painted her way through Western Europe and the United States. Although she has a studio and also has access to her twin sister’s studio in New York, she usually goes to the homes of her subjects and paints them there.

The artist says that it takes her three weeks to paint a portrait in a studio, during which she might have four to seven sittings. Working on location would turn those three weeks of painting into only five days.

The quality of the artist’s painting is affected by the location of where she paints. She would often have breakfast, lunch and dinner with the subject, affected by which way of life and the kind of home the portrait will hang in.

A famous actress wrote a biography and used her portrait drawn by the artist as a cover. She has also recorded in her portraits people who made tire and rubber as well as those who made the fa mouse tomato ketchup of 57 varieties fame.

Included also in the portraits she has already done are those of a Dominican monk and a tribal chief. The moment her work was known across the globe, she was getting unexpected commissions from everywhere.

Even if she doesn’t practice flattery, she paints her subject in the most flattering light. Costume is a matter of negotiation.

Most often, she agrees to those who wish to wear their university robes or favorite dress for the portrait. Informal wear is something she prefers women wear. She gives makeup tips and insists on day old hairdos.

As she does the portrait, she talks to the subject who in turn responds to her. Observing the movement of her lips allows her to find the smile for the portrait.

Any signs of boredom are clear in a portrait. The decision of whether the portrait should be a full body or half body or even head and shoulders is made when clients have flipped through the book of photographs displaying her work.

Another popular way of doing sketches is using ink, oil, or tempera in sepia tones. On just one canvas, she would sometimes put several sketches of just one person, putting the most detailed of those sketches in the foreground.

What you get is something you would likely see in a sketch book. She has had this career for about 20 years already, and it began when a gallery owner wanted to display a self portrait the artist had made for a show in New York. Everybody thought it was the best part of the show.

The popular perception of the Western [1] is a story that centres on the life of a semi-nomadic wanderer, usually a cowboy or a gunfighter, whose possessions include a canteen; period clothing that might include a large Stetson hat, a bandanna, spurs and buckskins; a revolver or rifle; and a saddle, but not necessarily a horse. The horse itself, the “faithful steed”, can be a major character in the story.

World cinema

World cinema is a term used primarily in English language speaking countries to refer to the films and film industries of non-English speaking countries (those outside of the Anglosphere). It is therefore often used interchangeably with the term Foreign film. However, both World cinema and Foreign film could be taken to refer to the films of all countries other than one’s own, regardless of native language.[1]

World cinema has an un-official implication of films with “artistic value” as opposed to “Hollywood commercialism.” Foreign language films are often grouped with “Art House films” and other independent films in DVD stores, cinema listings etc. Unless dubbed into one’s native language, foreign language films played in English speaking regions usually have English subtitles. Few films of this kind receive more than a limited release and many are never played in major cinemas. As such the marketing, popularity and gross takings for these films are usually markedly less than for typical Hollywood blockbusters. The combination of subtitles and minimal exposure adds to the notion that “World Cinema” has an inferred artistic prestige or intelligence, which may discourage less sophisticated viewers. Additionally, differences in cultural style and tone between foreign and domestic films affects attendance at cinemas and DVD sales.[2]

World cinema successful at the American box office

This is a list of recent successful world cinema films in United States cinemas.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Hero
House of Flying Daggers
The Lives of Others
Devdas
Pan’s Labyrinth
Amores Perros
Kung Fu Hustle
Amélie
Lagaan
Mother India
Run Lola Run

by Philip Scott Johnson 500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art Music: Bach’s Sarabande from Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 performed by Yo-Yo Ma Nominated as Most Creative Video 2nd Annual YouTube Awards For a complete list of artists and paintings visit www.maysstuff.com Created using Abrosoft Fantamorph High resolution version: www.vimeo.com Contact information: eggman913@gmail.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

1. Asheville 

                Western North Carolina is topographically the most diverse part of the state and therefore offers one of the richest travel experiences.  Asheville, some 125 miles from Charlotte, is the area’s gateway.

                Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers, it had been settled in 1794 by John Barton, who had originally named it “Morristown” after Robert Morris, a financier of the American Revolution, but it had been later changed to honor Governor Samuel Ashe.  With the 1880 arrival of the Western North Carolina Railroad, it had developed as a livestock and tobacco market, and is today the economic and recreational center for western North Carolina and a tourism base for the area’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee Indian culture.

                Second only to Miami in art deco architecture, Asheville offers several interesting sights.

                The Basilica of St. Lawrence, for example—jointly developed by Spanish architect Rafael Gustavia and Richard Sharp Smith—is a Spanish Renaissance design in brick and tile with a self-supporting dome and Catalan-style vaulting.  It had been completed in 1908.

                The early life of Thomas Wolfe, Asheville’s famous novelist, can be gleaned from a tour of the 29-room Queen Anne-style house in which he had grown up.  It is now a designated state historic site.

                Nucleus of the arts, Asheville is the cultivation point of painters, sculptures, and potters, who perfect their crafts in the Riverside Arts District.

                Asheville’s—and all of North Carolina’s—most famous and most visited sight, however, is Biltmore Estate.  Designed by Richard Morris Hunt and landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted (of New York’s Central Park fame), the 255-room, French Renaissance chateau, having required a five-year construction period during the height of the Gilded Age and some 1,000 workers, had been the result of George Washington Vanderbilt’s trips to the area in the early-1880s and his decision to have a summer residence, reminiscent of the chateaux’s lining France’s Loire Valley, built there.  It is today the US’s largest private residence and is still partly used for that purpose by Vanderbilt descendants.

                The Vanderbilts, one of the country’s wealthiest and most prominent families headed by Cornelius Vanderbilt, had amassed their wealth through railroads, corporations, and philanthropic activities.  Passing the torch to the second generation, headed by William Henry Vanderbilt, he had been able to perpetuate his success, while William Henry himself had fathered the third generation, having four sons.  George Washington Vanderbilt, one of them, had been the least active in developing the family’s business.

Opening Biltmore House on Christmas Eve in 1895, he had engaged in scientific farming, stock breeding, and forestry, and brought his bride, Edith Stuyvessant Dresser, there, three years later.  His only daughter, Cornelia, had been born in the house in 1900, and thirty years later, it had been opened to the public.

The massive house, accessible by both escorted and unescorted tours, offers a glimpse into this century-old, opulent lifestyle.  The entrance hall, portal to this era, had been the same access point used by the Vanderbilts and their guests and leads round the glass-roofed winter garden.  Perhaps the most grandiose room on the ground floor is the banquet hall.  Stretching seven stories to the wooden ceiling, it features huge tables, three massive fireplaces, Flemish tapestries from the 1500s, and a 1916 Skinner pipe organ mounted on its own loft.  It had been the location of the estate’s parties, galas, and affairs.

The private sitting and bedrooms of George and Edith Vanderbilt are located on the second floor, although, of particular note, is the Louis XV bedroom, location of Cornelia’s birth and the subsequent birth of her own two sons.

Most of the servants’ bedrooms are located on the fourth floor.

The house’s basement, location of additional servant bedrooms, features several kitchens and pantries and the recreational facilities, inclusive of a gymnasium, a 70,000-gallon indoor swimming pool, and one of the country’s first private residence bowling alleys.

Sitting on 8,000 acres of land, Biltmore Estate features several other facilities of interest.

Fronted by a grass esplanade inspired by the gardens of the 17th-century Chateau de Vaux-le-Viconte in Melun, France, it features Italian, shrub, walled, spring, and azalea gardens, and a full conservatory.

Self-guided tours of the Biltmore Winery can be made, followed by a visit to the extensive wine and delicacy gift shop, while the nearby River Bend Farm, once the center of the estate’s farming community, is comprised of a barn, a farmyard, and the Kitchen Garden, where its “field-to-table” program items are grown, before being used in the dishes served in all of its restaurants.  Aside from this produce and its wines, the dairy division of Biltmore produces its own ice cream.

Adjacent to the Biltmore Estate entrance is historic Biltmore Village.  Also co-designed by building architect Richard M. Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, and constructed between 1897 and 1905, it had been intended as a picturesque residential prelude to Biltmore Estate itself with a fan-shaped layout leading to the church, the railroad depot, and the estate’s entrance, its focal points.  Its cottages had first been occupied in 1900.

Today, it offers the quaint atmosphere of an English country village with tree-lined streets, brick sidewalks, period architecture, some ten restaurants and tearooms, and 30 shops and galleries.  In 1989, it had been declared an historic area and local historical district.

Aside from Biltmore Estate, the Grove Park Inn, overlooking the city, is another opulent building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The ruggedly beautiful, 512-room hotel, made of boulders hewn from the nearby Sunset Mountains, opened in 1913 and features massive stone fireplaces, four dining rooms, indoor waterfalls, a 40,000-square-foot spa, and beautiful views.  It has hosted an endless list of prominent people, from politicians to movie stars.

Two small, but interesting museums are located on its ground, and their buildings can be directly traced to the Vanderbilts.  Mrs. Vanderbilt, particularly, had been very interested in homespun fabrics, and ultimately established Biltmore Industries, a craft education program, which had later been sold to Fred Seely, son-in-law of Edwin W. Grove, himself architect and manager of the Grove Park Inn.  Its weaving activities had been relocated to the small buildings currently on its grounds, whereafter it had achieved worldwide recognition for its hand-loomed fabrics.

In 1953, Henry Blomberg purchased the business from the Seely family and continued it until 1980.  The daughters and sons-in-law of Blomberg, who had died 11 years later, restored the six English cottages and their surrounding landscapes, and created the two museums.

The first of these, the North Carolina Homespun Museum, had been opened to depict the history of Biltmore Industries originally founded on Biltmore Estate, but relocated to the present site in 1917, and exhibits examples of handiwork by North Carolina natives.  America’s heritage of handiwork, which is now more than 200 years old, still thrives in the southern Appalachian Mountains.  The museum itself displays a four-harness loom and examples of homespun fabric.

The second museum, the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum, once housed 40 looms, but currently displays four horse-drawn vehicles and 19 automobiles, including a 1913 Ford Model “T,” a 1926 Cadillac, a 1929 Ford Model “A” with a rumble seat, a 1940 Packard “120” Coupe, and a 1959 Edsel, all in still-running, pristine condition.

The Grovewood Gallery, housed in a 1917 English Cottage next to the two museums, sells handmade furniture, ceramics, jewelry, glass, and artwork. 

2. Chimney Rock Park 

A popular day trip from Asheville is that to Chimney Rock Park.  Located 25 miles away via winding, scenic Route 74-A, it had had its origins in 1900 when Dr. Lucius Morse, a physician from St. Louis in search of a better climate, had been entranced by its wall of stone and had envisioned a park incorporating it.  Purchasing 64 acres of Chimney Rock Mountain two years later, he had taken the initial step toward that goal, but had elected to build an elevator inside it so that all could access its summit.

In 2007, the state of North Carolina had purchased the park from the Morse family, which had continued to own and administer it since its 1902 acquisition.

The 198-foot-long tunnel, leading from the parking lot to the elevator, had been created by blasting through 509-million-year-old rock designed “Henderson Gneiss,” which had formed as magma deep within the earth and had crystallized as igneous rock called “granite.”  During the later formation of the Appalachian Mountains, it had metamorphosed into its present Gneiss form.

The 30-second elevator ride, which ascends 26 stories, could only be constructed after proper surveying had been conducted from its top and a 258-foot-high hoistway, requiring eight tons of dynamite and an 18-month construction period, had been drilled and blasted.

Completed on December 23, 1948, it had been North Carolina’s tallest elevator at the time, and today still uses its original, 3,500-pound capacity, stainless steel car, which ascends at 500 feet-per-minute.

A wooden bridge, 258 feet above the parking lot and spanning a water-carved gully, connects the Sky Lounge and Gift Shop, terminus of the elevator, with Chimney Rock, whose views, afforded by its 2,280-foot elevation, encompass 75 miles over Hickory Nut Gorge.

A recent visit, on a slightly cloudy day, had revealed multiple shades of green velvet-appearing, wave-like mountains based by the silver, reflective surface of Lake Lure.

Five hiking trails, varying between a half to one-and-a-half miles, and between “easy” and “strenuous” in gauge, afford equally beautiful vistas.

Hickory Falls, 404 feet in length, had provided the site for the filming of “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Firestarter,” and “A Breed Apart.”

Chimney Rock Park is a National Heritage Site. 

3. Cherokee 

Cherokee, located 50 miles from Asheville, can either serve as a day trip destination or an overnight location.  An introduction to the highly developed Cherokee culture, it offers an opportunity for Las Vegas-style gaming and is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

As a people, the Cherokee had called these southeastern mountains home for some 11,000 years and they are one of the few Native Americans to have continued to occupy their original territory, designated the “Qualla Boundary,” a 100-square-mile sovereign nation.  Several significant sights within this area enable the visitor to learn about their history, traditions, art, and culture.

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian, for instance—depicting its 11,000-year history—commences with their own beginning in the area’s mountains, before detailing their struggle for early survival amidst harsh climate and huge, now-extinct animals, such as the mastodon.  Their later, sedentary lifestyle, centered round agriculture, had enabled them to refine their culture and enjoy increased leisure time.

After the Europeans had arrived and claimed their land, the Eastern Band of Cherokees had been forcibly exiled to Oklahoma in 1838 in an historic movement known as the “Trail of Tears.”  Some, however, had been detoured and remained, ultimately preserving their customs and re-establishing the sovereign nation of today.

This culture can also be experienced in the nearby Oconaluftee Indian Village, which depicts mountain life in 1759.  Amid the subtle, but ever-present wafts of smoke, traditionally dressed Cherokee demonstrate beadwork, pottery, finger weaving, basketry, weaponry, animal trapping, canoe burning, and wood and stone carving.  A warrior house, waddle and daube houses, the village council house, and cabins from 1790 and 1800 surround the Village Square, where performances are periodically given.

The village is characteristic of the 64 towns spread over 40,000 square miles during this time.

A more extensive performance, entitled “Unto these Hills,” takes place during the summer months at the outdoor Mountainside Theater, and portrays the European arrival and Trail of Tears chapters in its history.  Since its July 1, 1950 debut, it has played continuously, during which time more than five million have experienced it.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel, a 576-room complex in two, 15-story towers, thresholds the town and features 3,300 games in an 80,000-square-foot casino, five restaurants, and name entertainment in a 1,500-seat pavilion.  It is adorned with the largest collection of Eastern Cherokee contemporary art. 

4. Bryson City

Bryson City, located ten miles from Cherokee, is another mountainside community which serves as a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains with their diverse, outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, horseback riding, white water rafting, camping, and climbing.

Incorporated in 1887, and named after Colonel Thadeus Dillard Bryson, it is located on the Tucksagee River and had been linked to the outside world for the first time when the rail line between Asheville and Murphy had been completed.  Along with the Nantahala and Little Tennessee Rivers, the Tucksagee River itself had formed nearby Fontana Lake, while the small town, with a population of 1,400, had been laid out in accordance with the ancient trails and roads of the Cherokee.

Its most major attraction is the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.  Tracing its origins to the Murphy Branch Line completed in 1891, it had been intended as the first leg of an eventual rail connection between Asheville and the Midwest; nevertheless, it had exposed the isolated North Carolina communities to the rest of the world for the first time, introducing hitherto unknown lifestyles and ideas to them.

During the 1900s, the railroad had operated up to ten daily trains from Alabama and Georgia to the western North Carolina Mountains and hauled materials, equipment, and workers instrumental in the construction of Fontana Dam.

After the line had been obviated by road travel, the Southern Railway had discontinued passenger service in 1948, and the Andrews-Murphy stretch had been altogether closed by Norfolk Southern in the 1980s.

The tracks, purchased by the state of North Carolina, had provided the foundation for the current Great Smoky Mountains Railroad intended for tourism and sightseeing purposes, after a group of investors had sketched out a plan for it in 1988.  Engines and coaches had subsequently been acquired from several US rail lines and extensively refurbished.

In 1999, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad had been purchased by American Heritage Railways, which operates sister lines in Colorado and Texas, and in 2007, the North Carolina branch had carried some 200,000 passengers.

All trains depart from the Bryson City depot.  Of the two primary itineraries, the first is a 32-mile, eastbound, round-trip “Tucksagee River” excursion to Dillsboro, while the second is a 44-mile, westbound, round-trip “Nantahala Gorge” run, with price depending upon one of four car types: open car, coach, Crown Coach, or Club Car, the latter of which includes train attendant service, drinks, and snacks.  There are also railroad and rafting packages, dinner trains, and several theme trips, depending upon season.

The Fryemont Inn, in wooded surroundings overlooking the town, is on the National Register of Historic Places and offers either overnight accommodations or an opportunity for excellent dining, even for non-guests.

Constructed in 1923, it features a bark-covered exterior; a rocking chair-lined, outdoor porch; a wooden lobby with a huge stone fireplace; chestnut-paneled guest rooms; and a dining room with a peaked, wooden roof supported by tree trunk beams, a second large fireplace, and polished, hardwood floors.

5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

                 The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, receiving some ten million annual visitors, is the most popular park in America.

                The Great Smoky Mountains themselves, formed almost a billion years ago, had been created when the ancient sea had flooded what is presently the eastern United States, submerging a mountain range.  Sea-deposited layers, exerting progressively greater weight upon each other, ultimately compressed the material into metamorphic rock, while a secondary layer of limestone, itself comprised of fossilized marine animals and shells, provided an upper covering some 300 million years ago.

                Fifty million years later, the collision between the North American and African continents resulted in tectonic plate shifting and the older, metamorphic rock tilted upward, sliding over the limestone and creating the Appalachian Mountains.

                Massive boulders, the result of ice age freezing and thawing cycles, gradually appeared, while erosive, water sculpting forces shaped the mountain’s rounded peaks over the millennia.

                The area had first been populated when Paleolithic hunters and gatherers had crossed the frozen Bering Strait and then migrated down and across North America.  A dissenting branch of the Iroquois Indians, later designated Cherokee, had arrived here from New England 11,000 years ago, and in 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, ventured into the mountains, discovering a sophisticated Cherokee culture and religion.  The Ulster-Scots, escaping repression in Belfast, Ireland, had also settled here because of the North Carolina Mountains’ resemblance to the Scottish Highlands.

                Rural life can be gleaned at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, and its adjacent Mountain Farm Museum, which had been created to preserve the cultural heritage of the Great Smoky Mountains at the turn of the 20th century.

                Several original, relocated structures depict this era.

                The Davis house, for instance, had been moved from the Indian Creek area, north of Bryson City.  Completed in 1900 after a two-year construction period, it is made of split, chestnut logs and is divided into three rooms, including a living room with a fireplace and a piano and a kitchen with a hearth and a heavy block table.

                The meathouse, relocated from Little Cataloochee, North Carolina, had always been positioned closest to the main house for convenience and security and preserved one of the most important food sources during this period.  Although it could have theoretically housed several types of meat, pork, which had been standardly butchered during the autumn because of its characteristically lower temperatures, had been the predominant type and had usually been salted or smoked to protect it against bacteria and insects.

                Chickens, stored in the chicken house, had provided both meat and eggs, and their feathers had been used for pillows and mattresses.

                Apples, equally stored in earth and stone wall-insulated apple houses, had been a staple of rural, mountain farm diets and were eaten raw or used to make cider, vinegar, apple sauce, apple butter, and pies.  Heartier winter apples had been stored in ground-level bins, while the more delicate summer variety had been stored above them.

                Corn, the most important, multi-purpose crop, had been used for cornmeal, livestock feed (as leaves), kindling for fires (as cobs), and stuffing material for chairs, mattresses, and rugs (as shucks).  The corncrib, the storage location, had protected it from weather and animals.

                In the sorghum mill and furnace, sorghum cane had been converted to molasses, which had then been used for syrup and in cooking.

                Hogs, the main source of meat on mountain farms, had also been formed the basis for lard and soup.  Excess meat had been sold for profit.

                The barn, the only structure original to the site, had housed livestock in the stable and feed, hoes, plows, and wagons in the loft above it.

                The blacksmith shop, complete with a forge, an anvil, and a bellows, had been relocated here from Cades Cove, North Carolina, and had been used for ironwork forging and repair of existing tools.

                The springhouse, purposefully located near a stream in order to provide a source of drinking water, had also protected food from animals, and cooled and preserved it by means of rock-line channels or elevated wooden troughs through which it had flowed.

                The entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is just beyond the Mountain Farm Museum.  Established in 1934 to protect the remainder of the Appalachian Forest, which had been severely depleted due to fires and rampant logging, the park itself, covering 500,000 acres, had been the 21st in the national system and the first to have been assembled from private land.  Sixty percent of it is located in North Carolina and 40 percent is located in Tennessee.  It features 800 miles of hiking trails, 700 miles of rivers and streams, and 200,000 acres of virgin forest.  Its lower section of the Appalachian Mountains, the oldest in the world, are characterized by densely-forested, curving peaks once described as “blue, like smoke” by the Cherokee.

                The Appalachian Trail, which stretches 2,174 miles from Maine to Georgia, runs along the crest of the Smoky Mountains and marks the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.  There are three visitor centers: Oconaluftee in the former state and Sugarlands and Cades Cove in the latter.  US Route 441, alternatively designed “Newfound Gap Road,” provides internal automobile access and crosses the Appalachian Trail midway through the park.  The hiking trails, however, provide the best connection with nature and lead to 1,008 developed campsites and 100 primitive ones.

                The park is comprised of five classifications of forest, depending upon elevation: “Spruce-Fir,” “Northern Hardwood,” “Cove Hardwood,” “Hemlock,” and “Pine-and-Oak.”  It contains 60 species of mammals, 200 of birds, and 1,500 flowering plants.

                I had recorded the following observations during a recent, late-May drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park:

                Clouds, hovering lower than the mountain peaks and nestled in their valleys, seemed to sheath the green-carpeted facades before rising like smoke tendrils, as if the entire mountain had been smoldering.  The winding, ascending road through Great Smoky Mountains National Park seemed mired in thin mist.  The multiple peaks, standing one behind the other and assuming dark blue, gray, and forest green profiles, appeared like ever-unfolding waves frozen at their upward-cycle apogees.  The dense trees, providing tunnel-like walls on either side of the road with their extended limbs, formed canopies where they met in mutual handshakes, exuding an artist’s palette of greens: dark for fraser fir and light for oak–a green blur periodically interspersed by the brown shale rocks which appeared like vertical monoliths and from which these live tree sentinels grew, although I do not quite know how.  Tiny trickles of water, gravity-induced downward over auburn and charcoal-hued rock and glinted by the afternoon sun, appeared like thin veins of liquid silver.

                Atop Clingman’s Dome, the highest peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6,643 feet, the air is thin and cool and the only view to be had is down, to the almost green-velvet facades of the rolling peaks, as if one had been rendered the high and exalted one of North Carolina and of all of the Appalachian Mountains which thread their way down the eastern portion of the United states.  With this view comes the realization that the Rocky Mountains in the west, although higher, have a reflection in the Great Smoky Mountains in the east.  And with this view comes the realization that it is not the relative size of the reflection, but that we reflect at all…

5. Conclusion

            Western North Carolina’s topographical diversity offers a rich travel experience encompassing the art deco city of Asheville and its opulent Biltmore Estate, the geological sculpture of Chimney Rock, the introduction to the highly-developed culture of the Cherokee, the beautiful vistas afforded by a journey with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, and the pristine, almost-ethereal experience of visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Related Western Artists Articles

The dawn of the 20th century was the dawn of contemporary Indian painting also. This revival of sorts in Indian art was spearheaded by the Tagore family. The famous contemporary artists of that era were mostly influenced by the great heritage of India that encompassed themes based on the two great Indian epics, the murals found in Ajanta and Ellora, Mughal and Rajput school of Miniature painting, etc.

After India’s Independence, there was a rise of unapologetic European style of painting. The contemporary Indian art gallery of those times used to comprise heavily of works from the group of painters who wanted to show pains and horrors of the World Wars and the resultant disillusionment.

There was only one painter in India though who ventured to portray the tragedies of Indian partition.

His name was Satish Gujral. His works proved to be a turning point as the subsequent painters evolved their own individual style and were able to shrug off the colonial prejudices.This led to the flourishing of new ideas flourished and the Indian art gallery of those days started exhibiting these refreshingly new art works. This was followed by art galleries and art collections all over the world.

The contemporary art gallery in India these days will display traditional art specimens, but also the latest genre of robust and bold paintings that come with a sophistication and elegance of their own.  They are a manifestation of the fusion of the myriad art forms that has influenced the development of contemporary art.

The first among famous contemporary artists of pre-Independence India was Abanindranath Tagore. He used Japanese and Chinese techniques in his paintings and was soon followed by other Indian painters who formed the contemporary Indian style of painting which is still being developed. Some famous Indian painters of the pre-Independence era were Rabindranath Tagore, Samarendranath Gupta, Amrita Shergill,  Jamini Roy, Nandlal Bose, A.K. Haldar and Raja Ravi Verma.

Contemporary Indian paintings have evolved into unique entities reflecting the emotional and intuitive concepts of Indian culture. This has been accomplished with a touch of soft magic that emanates from the elegant art works.

The famous contemporary artists renowned all over the world for their splendid paintings are Laxman Shreshtha, Satish Gujral, Deepak Shinde, Sanjay Bhattacharya, S.H. Raza, N.S. Bendre, Anjolie Ela Menon and Prabhakar Barwe. An Indian art gallery that displays the works any of these artists is usually assured of attracting many art lovers.

Handicraft as the name suggests is the art of making various articles with hand. Also known as craft-work, this is an art to be learned by constant practice and firm determination. Handicraft is being associated with India for long. This is a prevalent art of the country since the Mughal reign. The handiwork products are specifically made by skilled artisans, who have gained proficiency by tradition.

It is a universal law, that everything changes with time and get dissolved in the flow of time. But, it seems that handicraft is an exception to this law. The reason being, it neither get changed nor vanished yet. However, now it is showing some signs of advancement. Influenced by the changing fashion trends, the art of handiwork is witnessing a significant change. The artisans are striving to give a contemporary look to the hand crafted products.

The outcome of this change is really preferable.

Unlike the traditional products, the modern artifact products include candle holders, wooden coasters, Christmas hangings, fashion jewelry, photo frames and many more. These products are widely demanded the world over. Handicraft in India is not only helping millions of people in earning their bread, but is also a source of foreign exchange earning for the government. These handmade products are not only demanded in India but abroad.

Handicraft has really changed the picture of our world. No doubt, that hand crafted products are one of the best decoration items. Despite of so much modernization and technological advancement, these hand made craft items have not yet lost their charm. Instead, their national & international demand is constantly rising, crossing all the barriers.

For further information on handicraft and the various kinds of products associated with it, you may refer to the following sites:

For their wine list, even though they offer mainly California wines, they also adhere to all the many international guest they have being in the Energy Corridor of Houston such as the Catena 2001 Malbec red wine from Spain for .00 a bottle, or the Casa Lapostolle 2001 Clos Apalta from Chile for .00 per bottle, or you can have the
Belvedere Jest White from California for .00 a glass. Their beer selection is pretty wide as well as they offer both domestic and imported beers from full bodied to sweet to dry.

For their appetizers you can order the Chef’s favorite field green salad which is a blend of baby greens, tomatoes, cheese, toasted almond slivers and house dressing for .95, or the curried crab pepper which is a jumbo lump crabmeat in a whole pepper served with saffron tomato sauce for .95, or even the paneer tikka which are Cubes of home-made cheese cooked with an aromatic blend of spices & diced sweet peppers, red onions, & tomatoes in a sweet & sour sauce for .95.

For their house specialties, which all serve two people, you can order the Ashiana feast which includes a choice of soup or salad of the day and lamb roghan Josh, chicken tikka masala, prawn bhuna, navrattna korma, peas pulao, naan, raita, ankd dessert for .00 or the vegetarian feast which includes bengan bhartha, navrattan orma, saag paneer, daal Ashiana, lachedar paratha, peas pulao, raita, and dessert for .00.

Find More Indian Art Work Articles

Here is a simple wood carving craft that can be accomplished by a wood carver of any skill level. Carve a 2D man or woman figure from a piece of wood lath. This easy wood carving craft takes between ten minutes and an hour to complete, depending on the quality of the product desired and the skill of the wood carver. This wood carving craft is great for beginners to attempt.

For this easy wood carving craft, you will need:

Wood lath (wood 4-6 inches high, 1-2 inches wide, and a quarter to half inch thick.)

Saw

Carving knife

Pencil

File

Paint or permanent markers

Craft preparations:

Using the pencil, sketch a man or woman on the piece of wood lath, using the flat end of the lath for the bottom of the shoes. A rectangle works for the pants. A long sleeved or sleeveless shirt with the arms flat against the body is the simplest position; short sleeves require an additional carving detail. A woman with long hair let down is the easiest to carve; a man requires additional carving out of the neck. When your outline is drawn, take the saw and cut the wood above the top of the head/hat.

Carving the craft, easy method:

Carve away the wood between the hands and the toes. Carve around the hands and toes, and along the sides of the legs. Carve from the shoulder to the end of the wood. Then carve around the head. Your carving is ready to be painted.

Carving the craft, detailed method:

Follow the above carving method only with more attention to detail. With the knife, round all the sharp edges such as sleeves, trousers, and head. Define areas such as between arm and body, between legs, etc. Then take your file and smooth out all the rough carving edges. Your carving is ready to be painted.

Use paint that works well on wood and let the craft dry overnight. Standing the craft upright on a piece of duct tape folded over double-sided on cardboard will allow you to easily paint and dry the entire craft. The cardboard provides a drip surface, as you will want to paint the shoes after you stick the craft to the duct tape. An alternative to paint is to use permanent marker or colored pencil. Although not as good as paint, these provide a finish that is OK. Pen, although slightly better, takes forever to color with and tends to dent the wood.

You now have a simple wooden man or woman which you can proudly feature or gift to friends and family.

Source/original article: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2257497/simple_wood_carving_craft_2d_wooden.html?cat=24

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House shutters provide an exceptional curve appeal that can come in handy if youre ever going to try and sell. This is especially true of wood shutters. However, outside of aesthetics shutters need attention every few years as they are prone to damage from constantly being exposed to the elements whether wind, rain, or shine.

A good time to paint wood shutters is when you are painting your home. Either way, if youre just painting the shutters heres some tips on how to get the job done.

Tools: sand paper, outdoor latex or oil paint depending on what was previously used, wood horses (for propping up shutters during painting), paint brushes, paint pan, a sponge, dish detergent and water, a ladder. NOTE: When using a ladder its best to have someone assist you, especially if you are carrying the shutters down from a second story window. Also, you may need other items if repairs are necessary. These may include a paint scraper, wood filler, and primer.

1.Remove the shutters from the house. Its a good idea to remove them all at once and plan to paint them together as this will save time. If you go in this direction make sure you mark which window they came from and which side, as some may have settled differently than others and only fit back in their original spot.

2.Assess the shutters and make repairs:
Use a paint scraper to remove chipped or pealing paint.
Test if any part of the shutter is rotting.
If so clean out the rotting wood and purchase a product at your local hardware store and follow instructions for filling the hole.
Lightly sand of the rest of the shutter, which will give the top coat of paint better sticking power. There are products on the market that will do the same thing as sanding but with less effort.

3.Cleaning: After youve made repairs wash the shutters with dish detergent and water scrubbing with a sponge on all sides. Rinsing with a garden hose will expedite the process.

4.Use an out door primer on any spots exposed from repairs. Prime the rest of the shutter.

5.Painting:

Consider lighter colors as the sun will affect darker shades more.
When painting its important to keep the top coat even and make sure you reach every nook and cranny. If not the elements could damage the shutter sooner than you like.
You may need more than one coat. More than one will add to their shine and effect on your home.
Turn shutters over periodically to make sure paint isnt dripping and leaving streaks or marks.
Stand each shudder up to dry and reset them on the house.
NOTE: In place of painting, consider spraying as this will save a lot of time and painstaking work with a brush.

Good luck!

Looking for an easy arts and crafts project? Learn how to start a wood painting with expert tips in this free craft video. Expert: David Clemen Contact: www.davidclemenart.com Bio: David Clemen has a BFA in Fashion Design from Virginia Commonwealth University, a One Year Graphic Design degree from the Art Institute of Atlanta. Filmmaker: Reel Media LLC

Being a bit low on funds post-university it was hardly realistic for me and my boyfriend to get all new stuff when we moved in together. One of the ways I was able to spruce up our flat on a budget was to reinvent some of the furniture we already had from our parents’ houses and to make it into a matching bedroom suite of lovely distressed french style painted furniture. To date I have done up our bed (previously a toxic orange shade of pine), a large wardrobe that had previously been painted bright blue for my brothers room! and a small matching chest of drawers that I also fitted out with new handles. All of these were no hope items you would have been able to get in the local YMCA! and now they look fantastic.

Firstly a quote from my good old granddad Ron comes to mind! “your paint finish is only as good as your surface preparation and undercoat” not very catchy i’ll admit but it does the job and he does know his stuff!

With this in mind I purchased some wet and dry paper (the black kind) and some sugar soap powder from my local diy shop and got to work, rubbing down the original paint or varnish surface to provide a key. I didnt go to town on this as I was not looking to achieve a modern polished effect but I rubbed down all over to roughen the texture to allow the paint to adhere. After this was done I washed the furniture down with sugar soap and then again with fresh water and then allowed to dry.

Because I wanted an antiqued finish, I then used an old candle and rubbed wax on to all the edges of my furniture. This may sound strange but the idea is that the paint won’t properly stick on these areas and when the whole thing is dry you can flake away the waxed areas to reveal the wood underneath. This gives an aged distressed sort of look. It works best if you try to imagine which areas would have experienced most wear and tear if your bed/ wardrobe was 100 years old and apply the wax to these. For example handles, edges, finials etc.

When the surface was completely prepped I started with a medium sized brush to apply an undercoat in white to my items. After this I chose a matt eggshell finish wood paint to provide a finish that would be more durable and dirt resistant than emulsion but still give that chalky finish. I think that a gloss or satin paint would be too modern looking and ruin the overall effect. I also think that this effect works best in vintage pale looking shades of cream, sage green, mushroomey taupe or pale dusky blues/ pinks. Anything too ‘chemically’ or bright in colour will also look completely wrong. I chose an antique cream for the wardrobe (also adding vintage brass handles from ebay) and a pale sage green for my bed. Once painted all there is to do its scratch away at the waxed areas to distress the look of the finish et voila! French chic for practically no money. ooh la la indeed!

The array of colors that spread across the canvas of the sky, at the sunrise and sunset can bring smile to any one’s face. Colors have the power to infuse a sense of positivism in each and every situation. A spread of delicately chosen hues, put together in a story telling format, turn into master piece canvas paintings.  There have been many renowned artisans who have captured moments through their canvas paintings to cherish them for a life time.

‘Painting’ has been included in the curriculum of the schools as an important subject and it is not for no reason. The reason behind this is that paintings are one of the most creative methods of expressing the thoughts. Your tools of drawing, pens, and pencils are free to glide on the canvas expressing your feelings in the form of lines and curves.

These finally shape up to canvas paintings.

Canvas paintings are available in different sizes from which you may choose according to your wall and décor of the room. The canvas paintings are being looked upon as an eminent home décor element. The works of many artists are showcased in the galleries from where the people can come and select. Most of the displayed canvas paintings are meant to be sold but there are a few that are just meant for showcasing and are not sold.

Canvas paintings not only elevate the elegance of walls at homes but the offices of various corporate houses are also adorned with these classy canvas paintings. The paintings serve a dual purpose. The canvas paintings on one end spread a splash of colors and at the same time increase the degree of grace associated with the room.

The most important aspect of making canvas paintings is creativity. Any kind of courses taken up in order to learn paintings and drawings can be beneficial only if the person is already interested in the same. Creativity is an in born talent which can be only be improved by practice and learning new things. The art of drawing canvas paintings can be learned but you can make the best out of it only with your very own creativity.

The best of the canvas paintings have been made by the artists who never went to any art schools. They worked on their talent and came with the best results. So now even you may pick your paints and brushes and get started with expressing your thoughts on the paper.