Pyrography Art

Pyrography, also known as wood burning or poker-work, is where an image is burned in to the wood with a hot device. The device is also referred to as a poker, hence the name 'poker-work'.

The literal translation of Pyrography is 'writing with fire'. I personally like to think of it as a legitimate way of letting out part of the pyromaniac in in us, haha.

This art has been around since the beginning of mankind. It was very popular among the Egyptians and different African tribes and is a traditional folk art in many European countries like Romania and Hungary. It can also be found in other countries around the world like Argentina in South America for example.

Even though Pyrography art is mainly done on wood, leather and gourds are other materials which lend themselves very well for this form of art. No matter what material you use to create your work on, the outcome is absolutely stunning.

Just be careful when you start out with this art; you don't want your work to go up in smoke! :-)

See also:
Pyrography Art II
Pyrography Art - Materials And Tools

More Pencil Art

Here is one of the commissioned portraits I did a while back. It was a mile stone because it was the first drawing with 2 faces in it. It was quite a challenge to get the proportions right.

The more faces there are in a drawing, the smaller they get and the less detailed. That also depends on the size of the paper which is used of course. It may not be completely in accordance with the picture, but it did turn out well I think.

I hope and pray things will be slowing down and I can get back to drawing again. I am way behind. Several friends have new babies and a family member has asked me to draw one of their other grand kids.

Now that I come to think of it... I still want to put our little critters on paper!

Pencil Art - Materials And Supplies

You don't really need that much to get a drawing going: some (colored) pencils, a smudger, sharpener, sketchbook, ruler and some erasers will do the trick.

I personally do not like to use a smudger because it does not give me the effect in the grey scales that I am after. I rather use my fingers to smudge. Depending on the applied pressure, I can determine how light or dark I want the outcome to be.

I also use two different kind of erasers: a regular, rectangle one for the larger areas and one in pencil form for the more intricate details.

Be sure to get the right kind of paper. Your drawing will not come out as perfect as it could have been when you use just any kind of paper.

Most craft stores will carry all the supplies and materials you may need. In case they don't, you can easily find them online.

Books on how to start may be very helpful and if you like, you may want to solicit the help of tracing paper to create a rough outline of your drawing.

Give it a try and see what works best for you.

Maybe you find out you are drawn to this art. :-)

Pencil Art II

It is believed that somewhere around the 1500's graphite was first used. A large mine containing pure graphite was found near Borrowdale parish in Cumbria, England and the deposit was used to mark sheep with.

Graphite is rather soft and even though it was sawed in sticks, it turned out early that it needed some sort of casing or holder. People used to wrap it in string or in sheepskin for stability and the first pencil was born.
It apparently were the Italians, who thought of encasing the graphite in wood.

Graphite often has to be broken down to remove all the impurities, which leaves nothing but powder. In 1662, the first graphite sticks were manufactured in Germany by compressing the powder in to sticks.

In 1795 a french officer mixed the powder with clay, molded it in to rods and fired them in a kiln. By in- or decreasing the amount of graphite, the gradation of the stick could be altered.

In 1812 America produced their first pencils. The production was a rather slow process and a neighboring pencil mill owner decided to automate the process and also came up with the hexagon- and octagon-shaped wooden casings which we are still using today.

Colored pencils have wax-like cores with pigment and other fillers and come in every kind of color. As you can see, there are some great artists out there who make good use of all these pencils.

I don't think they mind being called 'Pencil pushers'. :-)

Keep Your Cool

Even though it is not quite summer yet, it is already getting pretty hot outside. I am so grateful for our well working auto air conditioning; it makes a world of difference.

I certainly hope the air conditioning in our car will hold up through the summer. If not, it would be the first thing on our list to get it fixed. It would not matter whether we would need an AC Compressor or any other air conditioning part, it can easily be found by visiting the 1airconditioning.com site.

Every auto air conditioning part or auto A/C compressor, new or re-manufactured, comes with free shipping. That is even cooler!

Pencil Art

My drawings are 'free hand', in opposite to using a projector. A projector will cast the imagine you want to draw on the paper and all you have to do is trace it with a pencil.

You may like to try that, but personally it does not appeal to me; it presents no challenge. I usually take a photograph as an example, make a rough outline and then work in the details.

The reason why I use a photo is because the subject does not whither, it does not depend on the weather and when it is a person then they don't have to spend untold hours sitting in the same position, ending up with a cramp. Grin.

Depending on the subject, it takes me 3 to 7 full days to complete a drawing and it is worth every second of it. It is never boring and the results are unique pieces of art, which give a great sense of accomplishment.

I love working with pencil; the possibilities are endless even though it may not seem so. The subtle gradations in grey give depth to a drawing and emphasize the difference between light, dark and shadow.

As you can see, it is not all black and white! :-)

See also:
Pencil Art II
Pencil Art - Materials And Supplies

Web Hosting Art

It took me a while, but it finally got through to me that it is not as simple as it sounds to find a new web host. After my other web host had left me out in the cold with two of my blogs frozen up, I decided it was time to get my own domain. That was easier said than done though.

First of all, the search I did on webhosting gave me such a long list, that it would take an enormous amount of time to scour through all of them and then determine which one would be the best and the cheapest. It is even more difficult if you have no clue what to look for.

Second, non technical as I am, I had no idea what all those technical terms meant and what I would need. Getting To Know Web Hosting Terms is therefore of the utmost importance for anyone looking for a new or another web host.

To save yourself a lot of time, brain strain, grief and money it would be wise to consult the WHR site. They list every web host you can possibly be looking for. I have no doubt that you will find exactly the one that is right for you!

smART

This is just a funny to end your weekend and start your week with a laugh:

Three engineers and three professors are traveling by train to a conference. At the station, the three professors each buy a ticket and watch as the three engineers only buy one ticket.

"How are three people going to travel on only one ticket?" asks an accountant.

"Watch and you'll see," answered an engineer.

They all board the train. The professors take their respective seats but all three engineers cram into a rest room and close the door behind them.

Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the restroom door and says, "Tickets, please!" The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on.

The professors see this and agree it is a clever idea. So after the conference, the professors decide to copy the engineers on the return trip and save some money.

When they get to the station, they buy one ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the engineers don't buy a ticket at all.

"How are you going to travel without a ticket?" says one perplexed accountant.

"Watch and you'll see," answered an engineer.

When they board the train all three professors cram into a restroom and the three engineers cram into another one nearby. The train departs.

Shortly afterward, one of the engineers leaves his restroom and walks over to the restroom where the professors are hiding. He knocks on the door and says, "Tickets, please!"

I am not sure whether this is an art or just being smart. Even if it would be the last, it still has got the word art in it, haha. Either way, I could not pass this one up and I hope you got a good laugh out of it as well. :-)

Dog Art - Grooming

I think it is an extremely creative form of art to groom dogs. Just consider it for a moment; you have to be able to see the potential of the fuzzy hairball you are presented with. On top of that, bringing it to fruition while working with an animal that may not sit still and/or fight you all the way is not an ability everyone possesses.

I don't even know if they always achieve their goal. Maybe that is why the owner of this business decided to get a lion to guard his shop?



Oops, they got me fooled!


You got to admit; if this is not creative, then what is?!

Overlooked Art

Since I have constantly been searching for all kinds of art, I totally overlooked the obvious: pencil art!

It suddenly dawned on me that I had neither put up one post on this art form nor on oil and water color painting. How silly of me and I intend to correct that as soon as possible.

The reason why I called pencil art 'the obvious' is due to the fact that it is one of my hobbies. You may already have noticed the slide show in the side bar, showing some of my drawings.

I am not too bad at it, if I may humbly say so myself. I know however that there are artists who create pencil art which is so lifelike that it makes you scratch your head and wonder whether you are looking at a photograph or an actual real drawing.

Stick around and be amazed!

Mosaic Art - Materials And Supplies

Shards can be used to create all kinds of art: jewelry, wall or window art, for decorating furniture or sprucing up all kinds of items, including garden ornaments.

You will need the following materials:
- Assortment of china and pottery plates, cups, etc.
- Tile nippers and/or a hammer
- Multipurpose ceramic tile adhesive (mastic)
- Colored sanded grout,
- Craft sticks the size of popsicle sticks
- Dust mask for nose and mouth
- Rubber gloves
- Plastic container
- Dry rags

If you don't have any shards, you can buy starter kits online, but it is probably cheaper to buy remnants of tiles at the store or pottery at a yard sale and have a blast smashing that.

There are lots of books, videos, software and supplies available online as well as in the stores. Try to be creative though and save anything that might be a possibility to incorporate in your art.

If you like to get the hang of it, it would be good to start out easy with this step by step terra cotta flower pot, which I found online:

To come up with a design, just use your imagination and keep in mind that anything goes. If you don't have any or enough shards, you can smash old dishes or pottery to pieces and use them as they break. For a precise and controlled cut you can use tile nippers. It is recommended to wrap the pieces in rags before you start smashing and to wear eye and hand protection for safety.

The best way to glue the shards on to the pot is by applying the adhesive to the back of each shard with a popsicle stick and then press it onto the exterior of the flower pot. Once you are done, let the pot dry for at least 24-48 hours, depending on the size and weight of the items you used, before grouting it.

Sanded grout is more durable than unsanded and it will prevent the shards from being scratched. You can either color it yourself or buy pre-colored grout. Use your dust mask while mixing the grout. Apply the grout to the entire surface of the pot, cover the shards fully and press it in the cracks between the pieces.

Let the grout set for about 10 minutes and then take of all the access grout. Wear gloves and remove the main portions of grout from the pot with your hands. The smaller craft sticks lend themselves well to remove the grout from the more detailed areas. Once you are done and happy with the result, use a terry cloth towel to wipe off any left over dust from each shard and your masterpiece is done.

It may not be a bad idea to use weather resistant sealer on the in and outside of the pot. That may prevent it from falling to pieces. :-)

Mosaic Art / Pique Assiette

It happens, although not very often, that something slips out of my fingers and shatters in to many pieces. I don't make a big deal out of it and always refer to the Dutch saying: Shards bring luck.

I wished however that I had swept up all those shards of ceramics and glass and instead of dumping them in the trash can, had saved them in a bucket or container. I could have used them for Pique Assiette art. I will keep it in mind for next time though.

Pique Assiette or shard art is a form of mosaic which incorporates pieces of broken ceramics like plates, dishes, cups, tiles and other found objects into the creation. The French term quite literally means, "stolen from plate".

It is believed to be introduces by Raymond Edouard Isadore, a french man who lived from 1900 - 1964 in Chartres, France and utilized all the shards of glass and pottery he found in the fields surrounding his house, to decorate both the inside and the outside of his home along with everything else in it.

Maison Picassiette, as his house was called later, is now a well known tourist attraction as well as a historic monument. His creative mosaics can be admired throughout the year and may lend themselves as inspiration to do some shard art yourself.

I have no doubt that once you put it all together, the result will be a great piece of conversation. :-)

Mosaic Art

I think we are all familiar with mosaics and have seen them before. This art has been around for ages and the Greeks used it in many of their temples, villas and other main and/or important buildings.

These mosaics mainly consist of small squares in different colors and arranges in such a way that it portraits either figures, animals or symbols. Sometimes they tell an entire story.

This art is never boring and easily to incorporate any home decor and style. Maybe that is why it is survived throughout time and is still around. It probably can be found in many homes; maybe as wall art, maybe used as an inlay for a table or plant stand.

I can see how this art/craft appeals to so many people: it is like solving a puzzle and presents a challenge to piece it together. I don't know why that did not dawn on me before.

I guess I just found the missing piece, huh?! :-)

See also:
Mosaic Art / Pique Assiette
Mosaic Art - Materials And Supplies

Button Art - Materials And Ideas

It is lots of fun to come up with or find some original projects for both kids and yourself to make from buttons. Maybe you have some cute ideas of your own, but in case you don't, this may be a good start:

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Buttons
Pipe cleaners
Permanent markers
Craft glue
Googly eyes
Craft beads

Time: 30 Minutes or Less
1. Gather buttons, pipe cleaners, permanent markers, craft glue, googly eyes, and craft beads.

2. Then encourage your child to make any creature he can imagine by threading the pipe cleaners through the buttonholes.

3. Get creative by linking multiple buttons and by molding the pipe cleaners into interesting shapes such as tails, antennae, legs, wings, and more. (Remember that you can twist together 2 pipe cleaners for extra length.)

4. Once a body is done, add a mouth with a marker and glue on 2 (or 3 or 4!) eyes.

For more craft and art ideas, I recommend you do an online search. You will be surprised how much you will find; it will keep you busy for a while. There are also several books available on button art and crafts.

The main materials you need are buttons of course. You may have saved up a nice collection of your own over the years and if not, they can easily be purchased and don't cost and arm and a leg. Maybe you can even raid your mom's or grandma's button collection and keep your eyes peeled at yard sales; it is very possible that you will find bags full of them.

Depending on which art or craft you decided on, you may need needle and thread or glue and a glue gun to start with. Anything else depends on either the project, or your own imagination.

I hope this art pushed the right button to get your creativity flowing! :-)

Button Art II

The application for buttons is more then I could have imagined. I found some unique jewelry online which was made of buttons, like this necklace. It is a cheap, easy and fun way to expand your jewelry collection with pieces that will complement any outfit.

Since buttons come in almost any kind of shape, size and so many colors, I can see how they lend themselves extremely well for this art and craft. No more sore feet trying to find that particular bracelet or belt, just buy a bag of buttons and create it yourself.

It will not only turn out to be original and unique, but as cute as a button as well. :-)

Web Site Design Art

I have several blogs and even though they are for my personal use, I like to have a web site which is nice to look at and still serves the purpose. From my own experience I can tell you that web site design and web site development is extremely tedious and time consuming work. It is not something everyone is capable of doing; you need knowledge and expertise to make it all function.

There are many web site developers around who are offering their services, but you do want to make sure you are dealing with the best, especially when it concerns a business web site. Web Site Design Denver Colorado by Notion3 will assure you of a professional looking and working web site, even when they have to work on a budget.

Notion3 has been in this business for over six years and they are capable of competing with the larger firms due to their expertise, talented professionals, customer satisfaction and low prices. They listen closely to your wishes, whether those are on web site design or graphic design and marketing / advertising. That helps in designing a site a lot quicker and more cost effective as well.

Even though designing a web site is called a business, it is an art in my book.

Button Art

I like watching Home and Garden TV, especially those shows where they spend little to no money to transform a room and use existing materials to create art. It was at one of those shows where I saw them create wall art with... buttons!

They hot glued buttons on a white painted piece of wood and framed it. My imagination went wild; if you can make wall art with buttons, then there are likely to be other projects one can use them for besides embellishing shirts.

Oh wait, if I can think of that then others might already have as well and carried out their ideas. Yup, I found lots of art and crafts made from buttons. Take a look at these gorgeous creations.


These creations seem to be sown on to the fabric, but if you are not too skilled at that, you can always glue them on to wood. It sure would save your fingers from being poked with a sharp needle.

I can think of a few more ideas which would be helpful to spruce up a few things with buttons. I sincerely doubt they are original, but I will share them anyway:
- To give a lamp a different look and incorporate it in the decor, glue buttons on the top and bottom rim of the lamp shade.
- Glue buttons on a piece of cork to create one of a kind coasters.

I am positive you have some ideas of your own and I would appreciate it if you would share. You never know; your idea may be right on the button for someone else! :-)

See also:
Button Art II
Button Art III
Button Art IV
Button Art-Materials And Ideas

Something To Consider

Today before you say an unkind word
- Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food
- Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your spouse
- Think of someone who's crying out to God for a companion.

Today before you complain about life
- Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before whining about the distance you drive
- Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job
- Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down
- Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

I don't know about you, but this made me stop, consider and count my blessings. :-)

Shell Art - Materials And Supplies

You don't really need that much to express your creativity with shells. You may find that you already have the equipment in your possession: a glue gun and glue sticks. Speaking from my own experience, I would recommend using clear glue sticks, unless you are working with artificially colored shells.

You will need shells of course. In case you don't live near a beach, shells can be ordered through the Internet, which includes artificially colored shells, starfish, coral and other sea life products.

You can use a large oyster shell or a piece of drift wood as the base for a figurine. A plain wooden box can be the foundation for decorative purposes and anything that has the potential for being a background can be applied for framed wall art.

Should you be looking for inspiration or new ideas, there are craft books available on the Net and I am almost sure that they can be found in craft stores as well.

If you are interested and like to see other people's work, visit one of the Trade Shows. They are held practically all year around.

Well, that's it in a (nut) shell. :-)

Enjoying The Beach

Summer is on its way and now is the time to be looking for some new trendy Swimwear and be ready for the beach.

Danger lurks among all those millions of people, who come to enjoy the sun and sea at those sandy, white beaches and it is good to know that there are lifeguards present to watch over you.

They need to have the state of the art in Lifeguard Swimsuits, since they have to move fast and be able to swim without anything prohibiting them from saving lives.

Currents, rip tides and exhaustion can get several people in danger, but with lifeguards equipped with only the best Lifeguard Swimwear, we all will be able to relax even more at the beach.

Shell Art II

Sea shells have been used for many purposes: as currency, tools, for studies and collections. The use for shells as jewelry even dates back to prehistoric times.

Shell jewelry is still as fashionable and trendy as ever. It can be purchased in many stores and online, but lots of people have taken up creating shell jewelry as a hobby.

Bracelets and necklaces are probably the most known shell jewelry among people, but there are also earrings made out of shells available.

To make the shells usable for jewelry, whether that be a necklace or earrings, small holes have to be drilled in the shell.

I am not quite sure whether you can buy them already prefabricated, or if you will have to do that yourself. It seems to me to be an intricate and time robbing endeavour though, to drill such small holes at the right places.

I suppose it all comes down to practice. You will eventually know the drill. :-)

Shell Art

I love talking a walk on the beach. It is not so much for the calming and soothing effect the wind, water and all the sounds have on me, but mainly for all the little treasures laying around and buried in the sand.

It is the beach combing which appeals to me. I gather up shells, small pieces of drift wood and anything else that might come in handy and use them to create something with, like this little shell bird.

I figured that I would not be the only one who is doing this and I was right. Some people have turned this hobby in to a divined form of art.

Since seashells come in all kinds of sizes, shapes, forms and colors, they lend themselves for many applications and the diversity of art is great.


Besides figurines, shells can be used to decorate and object with. This gorgeous little box is a wonderful example of decorating with shells.

To compliment a bathroom or bring a little beach life in to the living room, simply take a glass vase, fill it with sand to the level you like and put some shells, starfish and/or other beach finds on top of it. This is a simple, easy and cheap way to spruce up a room. Even though it seems a minor thing, it has a great impact on the room's atmosphere.

I suggest you try this wonderful art. You may find that it brings the artist in you out of his shell. :-)

See also:
Shell Art II
Shell Art - Materials And Supplies