Canvas Prints for Modern Wall Art

The concept of using different types of abstract designs for decorating walls is gaining popularity. There are different types of designs that can be used as modern wall art to decorate the walls of your home. The vinyl wall art and canvas prints are some of the different wall art designs that are in vogue these days and are used by many people.

In case of canvas prints for modern wall art you can get designs printed on the canvas and use it to decorate your home. There are many companies that deal in canvas prints but it is advisable to choose one after careful scrutiny. Choose a company that provides good quality wall art at a reasonable price. Some of these companies help you to get your photographs on the canvas prints. You can send in the pictures to them and give your specifications along with it so that they can help you get one which suits your budget.

One of the pioneers that deal in canvas prints is CanvasDezign. Here you can either choose a picture that is available with them or send your pictures online as well. For a small modern art canvas print the image should be at least 250 kb in size while for a large canvas it should be 500 kb. If you are not happy with the colour of the image then the company provides the option for re-colouring the painting to suit your need. At the same time, if you wish to add special effects to the chosen image then that is also provided by the company. This can be done to transfer your pictures to canvas and for other abstract images as well.

The canvas print wall art can have a blank edge or may also use wrap around edge to make it attractive. To know more about this form of modern wall art you can visit any website that deals in canvas prints. This would help you to get canvas prints at very reasonable prices. The different types of designs that are available with them include abstract prints, prints related to landscapes and cities, floral prints, geometric  prints and other designs. Apart from this wall art, vinyl wall art is another popular form of modern wall art and is used extensively.

Conrad Mckee
http://www.articlesbase.com/shopping-articles/canvas-prints-for-modern-wall-art-693937.html

The Beauty of Butterfly Art

Butterflies have forever been a subject of great curiosity and admiration to soul beings down the centuries. And it’s no question too! They are the most lovely and delicate of all living creatures and their wings are made up of a riot of insignia not seen some place else in character. An acquit acrylic butterfly build with one separate, gorgeous specimen composed as if in mid-getaway is the wonderful gift to give an elite self on a crucial reason.

Butterfly Art

Butterflies are so scenic by themselves; it does not take much else to invent a handsome butterfly art masterpiece using true, colorful, preserved butterflies. Butterfly art takes many forms.

Ethereal butterfly winged rings is vacant as hoops, rings, bracelets and brooches. Butterfly spectacle that could be hung on the edge or sited on a slab is versatile and its beauty rightly mendacity in the eyes of the beholder. You may find the navy butterfly present with many different-sized dejected butterflies slyly given, very appealing; while the qualities may accident in darling with the elegant hand-crafted desolate butterfly skeleton that holds just one sole specimen.

Different Types of butterfly frames

Advancing technology has also enhanced the way butterflies are preserved and displayed. Older kinds of butterfly frames have become obsolete and are replaced by new ones that not only pose the butterfly better, but also use better preservation techniques. The three most regularly used types of butterfly frames involve the Riker Mount, the Wooden shadow box and the Clear Acrylic Case.

The Riker Mount is the cheapest and most prime kind of butterfly enclose, in which a preserved butterfly is sited in a box, pushed between the goblet top and the fiber batting that is stuffed inside. There is no protection against wetness and mushroom, foremost to deterioration of the specimen in due time.

The Wooden shadow box composes of a regular box with two stiff sides and flute panels on the front and rear. The woodland is used primarily to enhance the appearance of the butterfly trick. However, being dissimilar resources and having different increase rates, glass and lumber cannot be connected to form a sealed environment and the preserved butterflies are still exposed to the ravishes of the atmosphere.

Clear Acrylic Cases are the recommended worthy of butterfly frames. The preserved butterfly specimen is encased in a three-dimensional skeleton made of 100% acrylic on all sides.

This provides better protection from atmospheric conditions, especially dampness, as the acrylic edges can be smoothened down and welded together to form a finished seal. The sealing practice additionally includes injecting a gas that prevents the formation of mildew or construct and prevents any parasitic larva eggs from hatching and subsequently destroying the butterfly specimen. Clear acrylic suitcases also bargain enhanced viewing as the beauty of the butterfly mounted within, counting its underside, can be admired thoroughly.

Butterfly Winged Jewelry

The style and eerie worth of butterfly wing necklaces is almost impossible to resist.

Butterfly winged rings is not necessarily butterfly-shaped, but consists of an actual split of butterfly wing that is embedded in an exonerate enamel resin. You could record a horde dealing only with butterfly wing trinkets and you’d find each chunk matchless and equally stunning; the flag luminous and iridescent.

What’s makes butterfly wing jewels even more appealing is the no butterflies are harmed or killed to make the handsome bracelets. Butterflies are reared on butterfly farms and the wings are precisely serene from butterflies that have died after about 30 existence, which is their full life span.

JC Schwartz
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-beauty-of-butterfly-art-674559.html

Teenage Bedrooms and the Art of Compromise

When decorating a teen’s bedroom, there is so much more at stake than simply a tasteful finish. Teenagers want their bedrooms to express their individual style and who they are becoming as they mature. The most success teen bedrooms are ones that involved the teens themselves in the majority of the décor decision making. For your teenager, it is more about being treated like a young adult and feeling trusted than the décor itself, so try be open minded to their ideas and be willing to compromise. Introducing a set of boundaries and guidelines right from the start will avoid any tantrums and show let them know you are willing to bend within reason.

Unlike rooms for young children, their probably won’t be an overall theme to the room as the interests and influences of teenagers vary greatly and alter rapidly. A much more eclectic style is probably more likely to keep them entertained.

When your teenage son or daughter shocks you with the news of their intention to paint their room black, this is not normally something driven by morbid woes. What this act really is, is an attempt to be taken more seriously and move away from the frills and pinks or blues and balls. Instead of black, offer some other equally sophisticated shades such as a deep aubergine, rich burgundy or chic teal or cappuccino. Then add some dark wooden blinds for real urban cool. And seen as they want to be treated like grown ups explain that grown ups have pictures rather than posters, obviously you must allow them their heroes so offer to better hang their poster collection in some youthful frameless glass mounts. Mix this up with some contemporary wall art.

When choosing furniture remember to consider any hobbies your teen might have. We know that teenagers spend a lot of time surfing the net, listening to music and playing games on their video consoles so look for contemporary furniture that helps House such activities.

Bedspreads, cushions, beanbags and any other soft furnishing are all temporary and can be changed at any point so use such items to show how much space to make decisions you are allowing your teen by giving them total say over them.

Be wary of making your teenagers bedrooms too much of a haven, and certainly do not include a microwave- it may seem like a long way off but one day you will want them to actually leave! Stay alert for tell tale signs that your teen is setting up a landlord free home for life and look out for the following classic give aways- a bath, a toilet, a fridge or, if for instance your address happens to be No 11 Long Lane, any mail suspiciously addressed to No. 11A!

Hopefully all of the clever compromising will pay off as with a room that they feel they had a big influence in designing, your teenagers will treat the space with respect consider it their responsibility- perhaps for a whole week!

Terry Henman
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/teenage-bedrooms-and-the-art-of-compromise-674348.html

Great success Friday night for “Art at the Braley”

After the great success of the Art Exhibit hosted by the Church of Scientology of Pasadena in the Braley building last April, the Art Exhibit returned last weekend with 31 local and international artists. On August 21, 2009, at 6:30 pm, the President of the local Church of Scientology, Ms. Eden Stein, and the President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Paul Little welcomed all artists and public. More than 500 people visited the show throughout the night, leaving deeply impressed by the art and its terrific presentation.

Arts of different culture, nationality and technical ability filled the 18,000 square feet, varying from painting, photography and sculpture to abstract composition. The space was made available by the Church of Scientology of Pasadena in support of the arts in the city.

“In this day and age, where life seems to be a little more difficult each day, and the morals of society seem to be declining, the Church of Scientology wants to help in improving the quality of life for everybody. As art is important to the City of Pasadena, we want to do our share in providing art to the community,” said Stein.

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology was quoted as saying, “Works of art are viewed by people. They are heard by people. They are felt by people. They are not just the fodder of a close-knit group of initiates. They are the soul food of all people.”

Mr. Little, President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce emphasized the value of art for the city. He said, “One of the things that Pasadena prides itself on is the serious involvement, appreciation and the understanding that art brings something to the community beyond just pretty pictures. The arts are a very important part of what creates the character of the community, as well as the inspiration for the people.”

The tremendous impact of the show was brought about by the fantastic work of all the artists, from the color darkroom printings of Christine Caldwell to the “Lost World” series of paintings from William Silver, who also worked as a background artist for animated features from Walt Disney such as Mulan, Tarzan and Brother Bear. Other artists showcasing their works include Gavin Scott, Alex Sadoyan, Minas Halaj, Samuel Halaj, Marina K Rehrmann and Ashot Khudaverdyan. All artists together contributed to the success of this show.

Merel Remmerswaal

A Guide to the Most Significant Art Movements of the Past 500 Years

Renaissance

The Renaissance (meaning rebirth) was a cultural movement that started in Italy in the fourteenth century, and spread throughout Europe. In art, the style of painting became highly realistic, and attempted to mimic nature as closely as possible.

• What to look for: a rich three-dimensional perspective, human subjects in proportion (usually wearing robes and making grand gestures), and convincing representation of spaces.

Baroque

The term Baroque is often applied to art of the whole of the seventeenth century, and first half of the eighteenth century. Painters expanded on the naturalistic tradition established during the Renaissance, and extended their subjects to include landscapes, and still life. Baroque painters often set their subjects in vast landscapes, or interiors with extended views through doors, windows, or mirrors.

• What to look for: melodramatic spaces, fat cherubs, light rays and fruit bowls.

Rococo

Rococo was a decorative art that originated in France in the early eighteenth century and is marked by elaborate ornamentation, with a profusion of scrolls, foliage, and shell-like forms.

• What to look for: paintings of the aristocracy at play, asymmetry to composition, many small-scale ornamental details, and pastel colours.

Neo-Classicism

During the Neoclassical period (mid eighteenth century), the work of the Greeks and Romans (pre- Renaissance) became popular again, and paintings depicted historical subjects.

• What to look for: paintings with sharp outlines, cool colours, armour, spears and sandals.

Romanticism

Romanticism is assumed to be in opposition to Neoclassicism, and the term used to refer loosely to a trend in art of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It was characterized by the avoidance of classical forms and rules, emphasis on the emotional and spiritual, nostalgia for the grace of past ages, and a fondness for exotic themes.

• What to look for: complex compositions, intense colour, soft outlines and heroic or scantly clad subjects.

Realism (1850 – 1880)

Realism came about in France during the Industrial Revolution. Realist Artists attempted to create objective, accurate, detailed, and unembellished representations of the external world based on the impartial observation of contemporary life. The name Realist refers to their subject matter; humble citizens doing everyday work and previously considered unworthy of representation in high art, rather than mythical heroes, Biblical or classical subjects, and portraits of the rich.

• What to look for: paintings of poor people working.

Pre-Raphaelites (1848)

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were a group of young English artists who rebelled against the style of the day that was being taught at the Royal Academy and other art schools. They felt the art was dark and muddy in colour, and the subject matter artificial. They admired the work of the artists of the fifteenth century, and their name, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, honoured the depiction of nature in Italian art before “Raphael”. Pre-Raphaelite artists believed art should have a serious, moral purpose and often filled their work with symbols suggesting deeper meaning. Most of all, they believed in artistic excellence. To give their paintings a lighter, fresher look, they used bright colours and painted on a white canvas, rather than a brown one. While the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood lasted less than ten years as a group, other artists carried on with the style, which became broader and more muted in colour.

• What to look for: subjects taken from the Bible, Shakespeare and the legend of King Arthur. Paintings exhibit meticulous detail, intense colours, tight handling of paint and complex compositions. Many works are highly realistic.

Impressionism (1860 – 1900)

The Impressionists were a group of French artists discontent with academic teaching, and who shared approaches, and techniques. They abandoned traditional formal compositions in favour of a more casual and less contrived arrangement of objects within a picture. The identifying feature of their work was an attempt to record a scene accurately, but without the use of traditional muted browns, greys, and greens in favour of a lighter, more brilliant palette. They stopped using greys and blacks for shadows, and used short (visible) brush strokes to produce flecks of unblended pure colours. They cast off literary and anecdotal subjects in favour of candid portrayals of ordinary people (doing regular things in everyday locations), landscapes, and architecture. Indeed, they rejected the role of imagination in the creation of works of art. Their name derives from a criticism of the first “impressionistic” work publicly displayed.

• What to look for: paintings look normal from far away, but close up they are a bit of a mess. Also look for the same the same image painted two or more times under different lighting conditions.

Post-Impressionism (1860 – 1905)

Post-Impressionist were not a cohesive movement, and the style of individual artists vary. Post-Impressionism was simultaneously an extension of Impressionism, and a rejection of its concern for the naturalistic depiction of light and colour in favour of an emphasis on abstract qualities or symbolic content. Post-Impressionists continued using vivid colours (e.g. Cézanne painted red grass), thick application of paint, and distinctive and visible brushstrokes.

• What to look for: You see paint first, and the image second.

Abstraction

Abstraction is a generic term for art that does not represent recognizable objects. Abstractionist abandoned art as the imitation of nature in favour of imagery from the imagination and the unconscious. Abstraction comprised a number of different movements, such as Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism, and Expressionism.

• Fauvism (1905 to 1907), as a movement, had no concrete theories. The name derives from the judgment of a critic who referred to the artists disparagingly as “les fauves” (wild beasts). Fauvist artwork is characterized by distorted forms, bold and vivid colours, often applied unmixed, and a spontaneity and roughness of execution. Fauvism was short lived, and most practitioners became Cubists.

What to look for: You may say to yourself, “I could do that.”

• Cubism (1907 to 1914) retreated from traditional perspective in favour of geometric forms. It attempted to achieve the illusion of three-dimensional forms in a different way by showing many aspects of familiar objects all at once from many vantage points to create new combinations.

What to look for: You may ask yourself, “What is it?”

• Futurism(1909) was an Italian movement with the intention to reject tradition ideals, and celebrate the aesthetic generated by the speed and power of the machine, and the energy and restlessness of modern life. Futurists adopted the Cubist technique of depicting several views of an object simultaneously with fragmented planes, and used rhythmic spatial repetitions of the object’s outlines in transit to render movement. Their preferred subjects were machines, and urban crowds. Their palette was more vibrant than the Cubists’.

What to look for: You may ask yourself, “What is it?”

• Dada (1916–1923) was initially a Swiss movement who channelled their revulsion at World War I into an indictment of the values that had brought it about. They were united not by a common style, but a rejection of conventions in art. Through unorthodox techniques, they sought to shock society into self-awareness. The name Dada itself was typical of the movement’s anti-rationalism. Various members of the group are credited with selecting the name for its childish and nonsensical connotations.

What to look for: You could be forgiven for not recognising a Dada exhibit as art (e.g. Duchamp “improved” the Mona Lisa by drawing a moustache on her).

• Surrealism (1924) flourished in Europe between World Wars I and II, and grew principally out of the earlier Dada movement, and was similarly a reaction against the “rationalism”. It attempted to join fantasy and everyday reality to form a new reality, and drew on the theories of Sigmund Freud, that the unconscious was the source of the imagination. Many different forms of Surrealism developed, including the realistically painted images of Salvador Dalí.

What to look for: something that simultaneously looks real, and unreal.

• Expressionism: was an art movement of the early twentieth century in which traditional adherence to realism and proportion was replaced completely by distorted colour and form to emphasize and express the intense emotion of the artist.

What to look for: dribbling, drippy paint splattered on the canvas.

Portraits by John Burton

John Burton

A Guide to the Most Significant Art Movements of the Past 500 Years

Renaissance

The Renaissance (meaning rebirth) was a cultural movement that started in Italy in the fourteenth century, and spread throughout Europe. In art, the style of painting became highly realistic, and attempted to mimic nature as closely as possible.

• What to look for: a rich three-dimensional perspective, human subjects in proportion (usually wearing robes and making grand gestures), and convincing representation of spaces.

Baroque

The term Baroque is often applied to art of the whole of the seventeenth century, and first half of the eighteenth century. Painters expanded on the naturalistic tradition established during the Renaissance, and extended their subjects to include landscapes, and still life. Baroque painters often set their subjects in vast landscapes, or interiors with extended views through doors, windows, or mirrors.

• What to look for: melodramatic spaces, fat cherubs, light rays and fruit bowls.

Rococo

Rococo was a decorative art that originated in France in the early eighteenth century and is marked by elaborate ornamentation, with a profusion of scrolls, foliage, and shell-like forms.

• What to look for: paintings of the aristocracy at play, asymmetry to composition, many small-scale ornamental details, and pastel colours.

Neo-Classicism

During the Neoclassical period (mid eighteenth century), the work of the Greeks and Romans (pre- Renaissance) became popular again, and paintings depicted historical subjects.

• What to look for: paintings with sharp outlines, cool colours, armour, spears and sandals.

Romanticism

Romanticism is assumed to be in opposition to Neoclassicism, and the term used to refer loosely to a trend in art of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It was characterized by the avoidance of classical forms and rules, emphasis on the emotional and spiritual, nostalgia for the grace of past ages, and a fondness for exotic themes.

• What to look for: complex compositions, intense colour, soft outlines and heroic or scantly clad subjects.

Realism (1850 – 1880)

Realism came about in France during the Industrial Revolution. Realist Artists attempted to create objective, accurate, detailed, and unembellished representations of the external world based on the impartial observation of contemporary life. The name Realist refers to their subject matter; humble citizens doing everyday work and previously considered unworthy of representation in high art, rather than mythical heroes, Biblical or classical subjects, and portraits of the rich.

• What to look for: paintings of poor people working.

Pre-Raphaelites (1848)

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were a group of young English artists who rebelled against the style of the day that was being taught at the Royal Academy and other art schools. They felt the art was dark and muddy in colour, and the subject matter artificial. They admired the work of the artists of the fifteenth century, and their name, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, honoured the depiction of nature in Italian art before “Raphael”. Pre-Raphaelite artists believed art should have a serious, moral purpose and often filled their work with symbols suggesting deeper meaning. Most of all, they believed in artistic excellence. To give their paintings a lighter, fresher look, they used bright colours and painted on a white canvas, rather than a brown one. While the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood lasted less than ten years as a group, other artists carried on with the style, which became broader and more muted in colour.

• What to look for: subjects taken from the Bible, Shakespeare and the legend of King Arthur. Paintings exhibit meticulous detail, intense colours, tight handling of paint and complex compositions. Many works are highly realistic.

Impressionism (1860 – 1900)

The Impressionists were a group of French artists discontent with academic teaching, and who shared approaches, and techniques. They abandoned traditional formal compositions in favour of a more casual and less contrived arrangement of objects within a picture. The identifying feature of their work was an attempt to record a scene accurately, but without the use of traditional muted browns, greys, and greens in favour of a lighter, more brilliant palette. They stopped using greys and blacks for shadows, and used short (visible) brush strokes to produce flecks of unblended pure colours. They cast off literary and anecdotal subjects in favour of candid portrayals of ordinary people (doing regular things in everyday locations), landscapes, and architecture. Indeed, they rejected the role of imagination in the creation of works of art. Their name derives from a criticism of the first “impressionistic” work publicly displayed.

• What to look for: paintings look normal from far away, but close up they are a bit of a mess. Also look for the same the same image painted two or more times under different lighting conditions.

Post-Impressionism (1860 – 1905)

Post-Impressionist were not a cohesive movement, and the style of individual artists vary. Post-Impressionism was simultaneously an extension of Impressionism, and a rejection of its concern for the naturalistic depiction of light and colour in favour of an emphasis on abstract qualities or symbolic content. Post-Impressionists continued using vivid colours (e.g. Cézanne painted red grass), thick application of paint, and distinctive and visible brushstrokes.

• What to look for: You see paint first, and the image second.

Abstraction

Abstraction is a generic term for art that does not represent recognizable objects. Abstractionist abandoned art as the imitation of nature in favour of imagery from the imagination and the unconscious. Abstraction comprised a number of different movements, such as Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism, and Expressionism.

• Fauvism (1905 to 1907), as a movement, had no concrete theories. The name derives from the judgment of a critic who referred to the artists disparagingly as “les fauves” (wild beasts). Fauvist artwork is characterized by distorted forms, bold and vivid colours, often applied unmixed, and a spontaneity and roughness of execution. Fauvism was short lived, and most practitioners became Cubists.

What to look for: You may say to yourself, “I could do that.”

• Cubism (1907 to 1914) retreated from traditional perspective in favour of geometric forms. It attempted to achieve the illusion of three-dimensional forms in a different way by showing many aspects of familiar objects all at once from many vantage points to create new combinations.

What to look for: You may ask yourself, “What is it?”

• Futurism(1909) was an Italian movement with the intention to reject tradition ideals, and celebrate the aesthetic generated by the speed and power of the machine, and the energy and restlessness of modern life. Futurists adopted the Cubist technique of depicting several views of an object simultaneously with fragmented planes, and used rhythmic spatial repetitions of the object’s outlines in transit to render movement. Their preferred subjects were machines, and urban crowds. Their palette was more vibrant than the Cubists’.

What to look for: You may ask yourself, “What is it?”

• Dada (1916–1923) was initially a Swiss movement who channelled their revulsion at World War I into an indictment of the values that had brought it about. They were united not by a common style, but a rejection of conventions in art. Through unorthodox techniques, they sought to shock society into self-awareness. The name Dada itself was typical of the movement’s anti-rationalism. Various members of the group are credited with selecting the name for its childish and nonsensical connotations.

What to look for: You could be forgiven for not recognising a Dada exhibit as art (e.g. Duchamp “improved” the Mona Lisa by drawing a moustache on her).

• Surrealism (1924) flourished in Europe between World Wars I and II, and grew principally out of the earlier Dada movement, and was similarly a reaction against the “rationalism”. It attempted to join fantasy and everyday reality to form a new reality, and drew on the theories of Sigmund Freud, that the unconscious was the source of the imagination. Many different forms of Surrealism developed, including the realistically painted images of Salvador Dalí.

What to look for: something that simultaneously looks real, and unreal.

• Expressionism: was an art movement of the early twentieth century in which traditional adherence to realism and proportion was replaced completely by distorted colour and form to emphasize and express the intense emotion of the artist.

What to look for: dribbling, drippy paint splattered on the canvas.

Portraits by John Burton

John Burton

Great success Friday night for “Art at the Braley”

After the great success of the Art Exhibit hosted by the Church of Scientology of Pasadena in the Braley building last April, the Art Exhibit returned last weekend with 31 local and international artists. On August 21, 2009, at 6:30 pm, the President of the local Church of Scientology, Ms. Eden Stein, and the President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Paul Little welcomed all artists and public. More than 500 people visited the show throughout the night, leaving deeply impressed by the art and its terrific presentation.

Arts of different culture, nationality and technical ability filled the 18,000 square feet, varying from painting, photography and sculpture to abstract composition. The space was made available by the Church of Scientology of Pasadena in support of the arts in the city.

“In this day and age, where life seems to be a little more difficult each day, and the morals of society seem to be declining, the Church of Scientology wants to help in improving the quality of life for everybody. As art is important to the City of Pasadena, we want to do our share in providing art to the community,” said Stein.

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology was quoted as saying, “Works of art are viewed by people. They are heard by people. They are felt by people. They are not just the fodder of a close-knit group of initiates. They are the soul food of all people.”

Mr. Little, President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce emphasized the value of art for the city. He said, “One of the things that Pasadena prides itself on is the serious involvement, appreciation and the understanding that art brings something to the community beyond just pretty pictures. The arts are a very important part of what creates the character of the community, as well as the inspiration for the people.”

The tremendous impact of the show was brought about by the fantastic work of all the artists, from the color darkroom printings of Christine Caldwell to the “Lost World” series of paintings from William Silver, who also worked as a background artist for animated features from Walt Disney such as Mulan, Tarzan and Brother Bear. Other artists showcasing their works include Gavin Scott, Alex Sadoyan, Minas Halaj, Samuel Halaj, Marina K Rehrmann and Ashot Khudaverdyan. All artists together contributed to the success of this show.

Merel Remmerswaal

Great success Friday night for “Art at the Braley”

After the great success of the Art Exhibit hosted by the Church of Scientology of Pasadena in the Braley building last April, the Art Exhibit returned last weekend with 31 local and international artists. On August 21, 2009, at 6:30 pm, the President of the local Church of Scientology, Ms. Eden Stein, and the President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Paul Little welcomed all artists and public. More than 500 people visited the show throughout the night, leaving deeply impressed by the art and its terrific presentation.

Arts of different culture, nationality and technical ability filled the 18,000 square feet, varying from painting, photography and sculpture to abstract composition. The space was made available by the Church of Scientology of Pasadena in support of the arts in the city.

“In this day and age, where life seems to be a little more difficult each day, and the morals of society seem to be declining, the Church of Scientology wants to help in improving the quality of life for everybody. As art is important to the City of Pasadena, we want to do our share in providing art to the community,” said Stein.

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology was quoted as saying, “Works of art are viewed by people. They are heard by people. They are felt by people. They are not just the fodder of a close-knit group of initiates. They are the soul food of all people.”

Mr. Little, President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce emphasized the value of art for the city. He said, “One of the things that Pasadena prides itself on is the serious involvement, appreciation and the understanding that art brings something to the community beyond just pretty pictures. The arts are a very important part of what creates the character of the community, as well as the inspiration for the people.”

The tremendous impact of the show was brought about by the fantastic work of all the artists, from the color darkroom printings of Christine Caldwell to the “Lost World” series of paintings from William Silver, who also worked as a background artist for animated features from Walt Disney such as Mulan, Tarzan and Brother Bear. Other artists showcasing their works include Gavin Scott, Alex Sadoyan, Minas Halaj, Samuel Halaj, Marina K Rehrmann and Ashot Khudaverdyan. All artists together contributed to the success of this show.

Merel Remmerswaal

Great success Friday night for “Art at the Braley”

After the great success of the Art Exhibit hosted by the Church of Scientology of Pasadena in the Braley building last April, the Art Exhibit returned last weekend with 31 local and international artists. On August 21, 2009, at 6:30 pm, the President of the local Church of Scientology, Ms. Eden Stein, and the President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Paul Little welcomed all artists and public. More than 500 people visited the show throughout the night, leaving deeply impressed by the art and its terrific presentation.

Arts of different culture, nationality and technical ability filled the 18,000 square feet, varying from painting, photography and sculpture to abstract composition. The space was made available by the Church of Scientology of Pasadena in support of the arts in the city.

“In this day and age, where life seems to be a little more difficult each day, and the morals of society seem to be declining, the Church of Scientology wants to help in improving the quality of life for everybody. As art is important to the City of Pasadena, we want to do our share in providing art to the community,” said Stein.

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology was quoted as saying, “Works of art are viewed by people. They are heard by people. They are felt by people. They are not just the fodder of a close-knit group of initiates. They are the soul food of all people.”

Mr. Little, President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce emphasized the value of art for the city. He said, “One of the things that Pasadena prides itself on is the serious involvement, appreciation and the understanding that art brings something to the community beyond just pretty pictures. The arts are a very important part of what creates the character of the community, as well as the inspiration for the people.”

The tremendous impact of the show was brought about by the fantastic work of all the artists, from the color darkroom printings of Christine Caldwell to the “Lost World” series of paintings from William Silver, who also worked as a background artist for animated features from Walt Disney such as Mulan, Tarzan and Brother Bear. Other artists showcasing their works include Gavin Scott, Alex Sadoyan, Minas Halaj, Samuel Halaj, Marina K Rehrmann and Ashot Khudaverdyan. All artists together contributed to the success of this show.

Merel Remmerswaal

A Guide to the Most Significant Art Movements of the Past 500 Years

Renaissance

The Renaissance (meaning rebirth) was a cultural movement that started in Italy in the fourteenth century, and spread throughout Europe. In art, the style of painting became highly realistic, and attempted to mimic nature as closely as possible.

• What to look for: a rich three-dimensional perspective, human subjects in proportion (usually wearing robes and making grand gestures), and convincing representation of spaces.

Baroque

The term Baroque is often applied to art of the whole of the seventeenth century, and first half of the eighteenth century. Painters expanded on the naturalistic tradition established during the Renaissance, and extended their subjects to include landscapes, and still life. Baroque painters often set their subjects in vast landscapes, or interiors with extended views through doors, windows, or mirrors.

• What to look for: melodramatic spaces, fat cherubs, light rays and fruit bowls.

Rococo

Rococo was a decorative art that originated in France in the early eighteenth century and is marked by elaborate ornamentation, with a profusion of scrolls, foliage, and shell-like forms.

• What to look for: paintings of the aristocracy at play, asymmetry to composition, many small-scale ornamental details, and pastel colours.

Neo-Classicism

During the Neoclassical period (mid eighteenth century), the work of the Greeks and Romans (pre- Renaissance) became popular again, and paintings depicted historical subjects.

• What to look for: paintings with sharp outlines, cool colours, armour, spears and sandals.

Romanticism

Romanticism is assumed to be in opposition to Neoclassicism, and the term used to refer loosely to a trend in art of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It was characterized by the avoidance of classical forms and rules, emphasis on the emotional and spiritual, nostalgia for the grace of past ages, and a fondness for exotic themes.

• What to look for: complex compositions, intense colour, soft outlines and heroic or scantly clad subjects.

Realism (1850 – 1880)

Realism came about in France during the Industrial Revolution. Realist Artists attempted to create objective, accurate, detailed, and unembellished representations of the external world based on the impartial observation of contemporary life. The name Realist refers to their subject matter; humble citizens doing everyday work and previously considered unworthy of representation in high art, rather than mythical heroes, Biblical or classical subjects, and portraits of the rich.

• What to look for: paintings of poor people working.

Pre-Raphaelites (1848)

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were a group of young English artists who rebelled against the style of the day that was being taught at the Royal Academy and other art schools. They felt the art was dark and muddy in colour, and the subject matter artificial. They admired the work of the artists of the fifteenth century, and their name, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, honoured the depiction of nature in Italian art before “Raphael”. Pre-Raphaelite artists believed art should have a serious, moral purpose and often filled their work with symbols suggesting deeper meaning. Most of all, they believed in artistic excellence. To give their paintings a lighter, fresher look, they used bright colours and painted on a white canvas, rather than a brown one. While the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood lasted less than ten years as a group, other artists carried on with the style, which became broader and more muted in colour.

• What to look for: subjects taken from the Bible, Shakespeare and the legend of King Arthur. Paintings exhibit meticulous detail, intense colours, tight handling of paint and complex compositions. Many works are highly realistic.

Impressionism (1860 – 1900)

The Impressionists were a group of French artists discontent with academic teaching, and who shared approaches, and techniques. They abandoned traditional formal compositions in favour of a more casual and less contrived arrangement of objects within a picture. The identifying feature of their work was an attempt to record a scene accurately, but without the use of traditional muted browns, greys, and greens in favour of a lighter, more brilliant palette. They stopped using greys and blacks for shadows, and used short (visible) brush strokes to produce flecks of unblended pure colours. They cast off literary and anecdotal subjects in favour of candid portrayals of ordinary people (doing regular things in everyday locations), landscapes, and architecture. Indeed, they rejected the role of imagination in the creation of works of art. Their name derives from a criticism of the first “impressionistic” work publicly displayed.

• What to look for: paintings look normal from far away, but close up they are a bit of a mess. Also look for the same the same image painted two or more times under different lighting conditions.

Post-Impressionism (1860 – 1905)

Post-Impressionist were not a cohesive movement, and the style of individual artists vary. Post-Impressionism was simultaneously an extension of Impressionism, and a rejection of its concern for the naturalistic depiction of light and colour in favour of an emphasis on abstract qualities or symbolic content. Post-Impressionists continued using vivid colours (e.g. Cézanne painted red grass), thick application of paint, and distinctive and visible brushstrokes.

• What to look for: You see paint first, and the image second.

Abstraction

Abstraction is a generic term for art that does not represent recognizable objects. Abstractionist abandoned art as the imitation of nature in favour of imagery from the imagination and the unconscious. Abstraction comprised a number of different movements, such as Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism, and Expressionism.

• Fauvism (1905 to 1907), as a movement, had no concrete theories. The name derives from the judgment of a critic who referred to the artists disparagingly as “les fauves” (wild beasts). Fauvist artwork is characterized by distorted forms, bold and vivid colours, often applied unmixed, and a spontaneity and roughness of execution. Fauvism was short lived, and most practitioners became Cubists.

What to look for: You may say to yourself, “I could do that.”

• Cubism (1907 to 1914) retreated from traditional perspective in favour of geometric forms. It attempted to achieve the illusion of three-dimensional forms in a different way by showing many aspects of familiar objects all at once from many vantage points to create new combinations.

What to look for: You may ask yourself, “What is it?”

• Futurism(1909) was an Italian movement with the intention to reject tradition ideals, and celebrate the aesthetic generated by the speed and power of the machine, and the energy and restlessness of modern life. Futurists adopted the Cubist technique of depicting several views of an object simultaneously with fragmented planes, and used rhythmic spatial repetitions of the object’s outlines in transit to render movement. Their preferred subjects were machines, and urban crowds. Their palette was more vibrant than the Cubists’.

What to look for: You may ask yourself, “What is it?”

• Dada (1916–1923) was initially a Swiss movement who channelled their revulsion at World War I into an indictment of the values that had brought it about. They were united not by a common style, but a rejection of conventions in art. Through unorthodox techniques, they sought to shock society into self-awareness. The name Dada itself was typical of the movement’s anti-rationalism. Various members of the group are credited with selecting the name for its childish and nonsensical connotations.

What to look for: You could be forgiven for not recognising a Dada exhibit as art (e.g. Duchamp “improved” the Mona Lisa by drawing a moustache on her).

• Surrealism (1924) flourished in Europe between World Wars I and II, and grew principally out of the earlier Dada movement, and was similarly a reaction against the “rationalism”. It attempted to join fantasy and everyday reality to form a new reality, and drew on the theories of Sigmund Freud, that the unconscious was the source of the imagination. Many different forms of Surrealism developed, including the realistically painted images of Salvador Dalí.

What to look for: something that simultaneously looks real, and unreal.

• Expressionism: was an art movement of the early twentieth century in which traditional adherence to realism and proportion was replaced completely by distorted colour and form to emphasize and express the intense emotion of the artist.

What to look for: dribbling, drippy paint splattered on the canvas.

Portraits by John Burton

John Burton