Japanese Art Prints
Japanese art prints, or Ukiyo-e, which literally means "pictures of the floating world, " has become an increasingly popular art form in the Western world. These "pictures of the floating world" sprang from the Buddhist ideology that joy is transient and only detachment from desire will bring true enlightenment. The concept was abbreviated to mean that if joy is fleeting, then one must enjoy it to its fullest. Thereafter, scenes of joy were depicted in Ukiyo-e. This particular movement came to fruition in the 17th century. It involved carving an image inversely onto woodblocks, covering the revealed surfaces with ink, and pressing the block onto paper, resulting in the creation of the print.
Time Travel - The 10 Things I Would Go Back in Time Do But Not Impregnate Eve of Adam Eve Fame!
My favorite science fiction theme is time travel. I'm obsessed with it. I love all the paradoxes and possibilities, specifically about going back to the past and solving mysteries or changing the present. If time travel were possible and you were allowed to go back in time, what 10 things would you do? For arguments sake, your only limits are you can not bring any physical objects from the past back with you and you can not knowingly try to change historical events. IE, You couldn't be the father of Eve's first child! You also can not store objects in the past and reclaim them in your present.
Lu Lu Bear Gets Booted From Jury Duty
Lu Lu Bear got an unexpected official invitation in the mail: jury summons notification. Lu Lu Bear sighed immediately and wondered out loud how she could get out of this civic obligation? Being truthful at heart, she didn't have the nerve to fake an excuse so Lu Lu Bear showed up anyway. Jury duty seemed to be a whole lot of meaningless time spent contained in a large room with a hundred other potential jurors. Time just slogged by and then the court clerk started calling out names. Lu Lu Bear took her number and stood in line and then they marched the jury pool up to the court room and each bear sat in their assigned seats.
Blessing of the Book
There is nothing on earth, I mean nothing at all, that can equal the hard scrapping profound labor and stirring of ones blood, and sense of sanctification that a good book can offer. That new promising book, felt in the middle of a silence, in the corner of ones lit room, perhaps looking out of a window at night, and the book, its words stick to your mind, your ribs until it finds its way out of its container and into your daily itinerary, and onto your literary shelf; faint at first, then like the radiation of an atomic bomb. The question asked (often): "Why indeed do people collect books (some being quite expensive)?
The Key A Fairytale - Chapter 2 - Ariya Part 3
My admiration for Ariya was growing; this diminutive being that took me under her wing. And as I listened to her strange voice that appeared in my mind, her words became even stranger. She said that some believe that when life ends, there is nothing, just an unconscious, eternal sleep. Others think that they will continue in a spiritual body to re-unite with past relatives and friends, and then reside with celestial beings forever like a big family. She then explained that existence lies somewhere in-between, where I would continue, but not in the way that I had imagined. She said that I have had many previous human lifetimes, ancient roots so to speak, and that both she and the sorcerer were always there with me.
American Idol and Network Marketing - Branding Yourself
I never cared for the concept of American Idol until I got hooked watching the auditions last year. Now, its a weekly ritual (and set to record on the DVR in case I'm gone). Its interesting to me... I actually get hooked on the performers and how they do. For the longest time I figured the baby-faced 17 year old crooner David Archuleta would win it all. After all, he is (in my honest but educated opinion) the most talented vocalist. He has a great future ahead of him but he lacks originality. Enter David Cook. I've always like David's style. He's a rocker with a good voice. What makes him stand out is his ability to take a song, put his touches on it, and make it sound like an original that could be a #1 hit all over again.
A Natural Georgia O Keeffe Inspiration
Like any brilliant artist, Georgia O'Keefe's imagination was sparked by a myriad of things. However, the O'Keeffe inspiration lay mainly in the natural landscapes surrounding her. The pieces she produced were most often related to her immediate environment and her personal life experiences. O'Keeffe's forte was her use of perception. Many artists can paint a beautiful flower or a majestic mountain, but few can give it the realistic magnificence that O'Keeffe brought to her art. Her works reflect an intense observation and appreciation for nature. The color tones in her flower paintings are impeccably blended.
Ten Trends That Will Affect The 2008 Art Market
The art market has outperformed the stock market since 2001 attracting the attention of many new collectors. In fact art at auction eve had strong gains in 2007 as sub-prime lending began to take its toll on the American economy. 2008 will prove to be a challenging year as collectors and investors wonder if a correction is imminent. It may be, but prices are likely to hold in the short term, though they may not see the strong increases that we enjoyed in 2007. Strong Global Supply - American and European works lead the art market, but collectors are searching more than ever for art from undiscovered regions.
Media Madness
I am finally convinced that the media are great for giving us the story but there seems to be exaggerations. A car crash becomes the headlines for two days and the same images are shown over and over again. I end up feeling like the actor in Clockwork Orange, being forced to watch horror on TV by having my eyelids kept open. Every channel will show the same story over and over and over and over again. I am not disrespecting the media nor the news channels but would it not be as interesting to talk about greatness happening? I would like to hear about what happened that was happy as well. It seems as if the media anticipates that the audience is thriving for horror and terror as a means of entertainment?
The Key A Fairytale - Chapter 2 - Ariya Part 2
A tremendous exhilaration began rising inside of me, as I watched Ariya disappear into the treetops. All of my unanswered questions now faded into the background. The appearance of this mystical being, whatever she was, liberated me to the point that I was ready to forge ahead with reckless abandonment regardless of what I would have to face. This implausible helper being had gained my complete trust and I just knew, in my heart, that I was on the right track. Nothing mattered to me now except this elusive key, and with the help of this astonishing creature, I was certain that I would find it.