A hair dryer  set on low effortlessly blows dust off silk flowers.

A soft, dry paintbrush  cleans hard-to-get-at places like pleated lampshades and the corners of bookshelves

A toothbrush is the gadget of choice for cleaning in narrow areas around the edge of the kitchen sink, faucet handles, light switches or grout between the tub and the wall.

Coffee filters  put a shine on glass, mirrors or chrome without leaving behind any lint or marks.

A plastic paint spatula scrapes hardened batter from kitchen countertops and baked-on food in the over.

The father of a primary pupil who fell onto a paintbrush in a classroom accident is seeking 2.5m compensation…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: teaching. The blog is also related to: teach charter.

* Dewi magazine, June 2005

The debut opening of Roy Petley’s gallery in London caused an uproar in the West End, with people seen queuing down the street to get in. In fact, that wintry October night saw so many people in the gallery that the fire department responded four times to heat alarms going off in the building.

This dream of an art gallery began many years ago by a boy abandoned to a children’s home. Trapped in a dark and dreary world, even the beatings by his guardians could not curb Roy’s irrepressible spirit. “My escape was painting and drawing, the reality was horrible. I quite liked the fistfights but I didn’t like the beatings,” he confides. Becoming the first ever to receive a scholarship at the children’s home at the tender age of sixteen, Roy left for Brighton University but after his first semester he decided to go to Florence in the arms of a beautiful woman. His thirst for the foundations of art, well-drawn, well-coloured and well-painted works naturally drew him to the Italian masters of old; Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. Several years later, after living through his work in Italy, he returned to his homeland, England. There, he exhibited on the Green Park railings, a then melting pot of would be artists.

A chance meeting with the Duchess of Kent was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with the British royal family. The late Queen Mother and the Prince of Wales are collectors of his works, the late Queen Mother being particularly fond of his Norfolk landscapes. A whirlwind romance with an adoring public commenced, with sell-out shows following him wherever he went, from London to Barbados, Dublin to Dallas.

To satisfy his love of beautiful sports cars, three Alfa Romeos, engine red Ferraris and an E-type Jaguar once decorated his backyard. He even appeared on Good Morning Texas, flanked between William Shatner who “was on before me trying to promote a video game for Star Wars”, and a piano-playing-pot-bellied-pig who refused to perform. “It wouldn’t play the piano because it was camera shy”, Roy deduced.

Roy’s rags to riches story caught the eye of both the BBC and Sky Television, resulting in documentaries on his life and his art, and forced a change on his outlook on life. “I used to have people lining up to buy my work – but once the BBC did their documentary on me, they ended up banging on my front door trying to buy a paintings, it became a nightmare!” he exclaimed. Once dubbed the Best Dressed Man in London, this sort of major publicity was not in line with Roy’s solitary nature. In the early nineties, he chose tranquillity over fame and moved to a lonely farmhouse in the south-west of France. “I left England to become an unknown, to have a peaceful life”, he said. He quickly applied his energy to rebuilding his new-found home, which was soon to be featured in House & Garden, Homes & Gardens and Interior magazine.

the last of the sun by Roy Petley (courtesy of Petley Fine Art)

An impressionistic painter, he finds inspiration in his surroundings. In the summers, he is often found by local fishermen knee-deep in water, drawing models draped in flowing white dresses and adorned with wide-brimmed hats that Roy is known for collecting, or painting his neighbour’s children licking ice lollipops in his rose garden.

Self-taught, Roy experiments with all mediums, disclosing how he changes “mediums when I want to change my mind-set”. At his leisure, he moves effortlessly from pastel to oil, watercolour to sanguine. He speaks of each medium with equal passion, stressing on the ability to draw well being essential when working with any medium, particularly watercolour – “There is no changing it…there is only one chance”. He continues on saying, “watercolours are my reference for my oil paintings, an oil painting becomes a fuller version of the watercolour on a canvas.” He describes how Degas used to work with charcoal before drawing in the pastel, but prefers himself to draw with colour immediately. He is also is quick to illustrate that “pastel is a dusty medium and after a short period of working with it, I am always happy to return to my natural medium – oil.”

The subjects of Roy’s works are as varied as his mediums, drawing upon inspiration from anything and everything – portraits, still life, cityscapes and landscapes have all felt the touch of his brush in his paintings. “I usually have an idea of what I want to do before I begin, I see the world through my paintbrush and palette – all that remains to do is to recreate the image that I see in my mind.”

Whether it be landscape or still life, light and shadow are the basis of his works. There is a certain light and youthfulness, a grace and joyfulness that emanates from his paintings. He depicts an untouchable innocence that is reminiscent of childhood and days gone by. Although it may seem an old-fashioned and romantic world, this is Roy’s world as it exists today. Each painting draws you in, engages you with its subtle colours and soft lines.

sunlight in the dark canal by Roy Petley (courtesy of Petley Fine Art)

It is said that once you have had a show in Cork Street, you have made it in the art world. Having exhibited in galleries on the street for over a decade, Roy had reached a point in his life where he wanted to give something back. In his youth, Roy himself had approached gallery after gallery, carrying his portfolio, and had been turned away. In later years, the same galleries would beg him to exhibit with them – he wanted to provide artists with the opportunities he never had, with “a gallery they can trust, where artists feel comfortable”, where the open doors and laid back atmosphere would encourage artists – especially the younger ones. In the autumn of 2003, he did just that. “I started up the gallery because I was really fed up with how artists are treated”, he explained.

Petley Fine Art sets itself apart from other galleries because as Roy proudly states, “this is the first time an artist has owned a major gallery promoting work other than his own”. True to his word, Roy has raised the bar for the whole area by filling his gallery with only the finest paintings and sculptures from an international pantheon of artists. “We have famous artists, infamous artists, and also young artists just starting out in their careers – regardless of where they are in their careers, it is their talent that attracts us to them.”

It is this refreshing concoction of artists that gives the gallery its lively character and explains why artists enjoy exhibiting there. Neil Forster, an artist of Petley Fine Art and an established portrait painter whose sitters include The Prince of Wales, speaks highly of the gallery. “I thought this gallery opening in “the” art street of London and offering art with no over-intellectualizing or posing, is so refreshing that it must in time be one of the most visited galleries in London.”

Roy is also quick to point out that a lot of effort has been made to ensure nothing distracts from the paintings. His long-standing motto being, “the art is foremost, the gallery secondary and all emphasis is on the artists”.

Filled with boundless energy and enthusiasm, Roy floods his gallery with the same vitality he fills his paintings. Now with three galleries spread across Europe, Petley Fine Art seems to be going from strength to strength. As for Roy, does he miss the good old days when he was a struggling painter? “Well,” he laughs, saying, “I have artists ringing up at 4 AM telling me their problems with their wives who are jealous of their models. One artist calls up and says can I come see you now? I think, what’s going on here?”

Petley Fine Art
9 Cork St
London
W1S 3LL
+44 207 494 2021
http://www.petleys.co.uk/

(photo: Titania Veda)

1. Collect your Interest from the Bank, before you deposit NP in for that day.
2. Play Fruit Machine, and you might even win a Paint Brush,who knows?
3. Get some Omelette to feed your pet.
4. Get some Jelly to feed your pet.
5. Go to Coltzans Shrine, and your pet might get a stat boost (HP, Attack, Defense, Agility),an item,or nothing at all. How sad
6. Play Tombola, and you could win Bottled Faeries,Codestones and other random assorted items.
7. In the month of December go to the Advent Calendar each day to get items and Neopoints.
8. Visit the Snowager (at certain times, see my Snowager Page) and you might get a random item.
9. Go to Healing Springs when your pet is sick, or wounded.

Quite the opposite, actually. In June, Andrea and I put our home in SE Portland up for sale, and began the constant cleaning and searching for a new home that has kept me busy most of the summer. With all the home maintenance, and my renewed interest in road cycling, the last thing I’ve wanted to was photography, and I rarely had time to get out camping or hiking.
Additionally, Andrea and I bought a new iMac, and now I’m without Photoshop to process photos anyway. Despite this, I did manage to take a great trip with my Dad in August. For a couple years now, I’ve wanted to visit Mount Jefferson….specifically the Jefferson Park Area and Bays Lake. I’ve heard that the area has one of the most amazing displays of wildflowers in Oregon, with spectacular views of the mountain. When my Dad said he had time to go up there for a weekend trip, I was definitely game.
We arrived at the Whitewater trailhead a little later than we wanted, Noon, and started up the steep 1.5mile initial climb. By the time we reached the ridge above, the heat was pretty bad, and hiking on the ridge is open an unprotected from the sun. I recommend everyone avoid summer afternoon hiking on this stretch. The views from the trail are downright amazing though, with views of valleys to the south, and Mt. Jefferson to the East.
After about 6 miles, you reach flower-filled meadows with Jefferson in full view. The first grouping of lakes is Scout Lake and Bays Lake. Bays Lake is a little hidden, but we managed to link up with a friend there. We had slightly overcast skies, but at sunset, the sky was illuminated with the most brilliant orange and pink color bouncing off the cloud cover. Here is the view of the mountain from our camp that night.

TECHNICALS:

POST PROCESS:

The color was breath-taking, but not a lot of detail in the sky.  For the most part, we just sat by the lake and enjoyed the view.

The next morning, I got up and was given the same drab conditions at sunrise.  I had a portrait-type photograph of the mountain in mind, and began composing the shot.  As I did, some clouds to the north began to open up just enough for sunlight to come in, and give a little contrast and color.  This image I exposed and processed to capture the calm feeling of the lake in the quiet morning, and give a sense of the scene.  There are a series of rocky island inlets…very rugged….on the lake.  I used a portrait-type focal length to try and set up this foreground island against the soft mountain in the background.  Total silence, fish jumping, and very soft light coming in…. I felt very lucky to be at such a place.

TECHNICALS:

POST PROCESS:

After having breakfast, we headed out to explore the wildflower meadows around us.  The light was really harsh, and we were anxious to get back on the trail before it got too hot, but I managed to take these quick shots that are just a small sample of what you can find there.  Lupine…..paintbrush…..and Aster, among others are everywhere.  It’s amazing, really.

TECHNICALS:

Jefferson Park and Bays Lake are easily my favorite summer campsite I’ve been to.  The mountain is very photogenic, and the wildflower fields surrounding it have so much variety, you could spend 2 to 3 days there and enjoy yourself immensely.  The lake are also crystal clear, and warm enough for a morning swim.  Nothing beats a morning swim with a mountain like this in view.

GIMP di BlankOn

GNU Image Manipulation Program atau yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan GIMP adalah perangkat lunak untuk manipulasi grafik berbasis raster (semacam Adobe Photoshop). GIMP berjalan pada desktop GNOME dan dirilis dengan lisensi GNU General Public License.

GIMP pada awalnya dikembangkan untuk desktop X11 yang berjalan di platform Unix/Linux. Namun saat ini software ini sudah diporting ke beberapa platform sistem operasi yang lain yaitu MS Windows dan Mac OS.

Grafik yang dihasilkan oleh GIMP disimpan dengan format XCF dan bisa diekspor ke berbagai format gambar seperti bmp, jpg, gif, pdf, png, svg, tiff, dan masih banyak lagi yang lainnya.

Untuk awal, GIMP memang terlihat lebih rumit dari pada Adobe Photoshop. Namun kalau dicermati, GIMP hampir sama dengan aplikasi yang berbayar tersebut. Yang membedakan adalah bentuk tampilan dan ikon-ikonnya saja.

Disini, saya tidak memberikan panduan bagaimana penggunaan GIMP dari awal, namun beberapa tips menarik yang bisa kita gunakan untuk mempermudah pengolahan gambar.

Salah satu tools yang sering digunakan untuk memanipulasi gambar adalah paintbrush. Secara standar, paintbrush tidak memiliki opsi dan model yang banyak. Namun kita bisa menambahkannya sendiri.

Cobalah Anda membuka halaman deviantart. Anda melihat-lihat contoh-contoh karya seni atau langsung mengetikkan kata kunci gimp brush di halaman tersebut.

Di sana, Anda dapat mengunduh file-file yang berisikan model-model paintbrush sesuai selera. File tersebut nantinya perlu Anda letakkan di /usr/share/gimp/2.0/brushes/.

Setelah Anda memasukkan file tersebut, Anda bisa langsung melihat dan mencoba model-model paintbrush dengan cara menjalankan aplikasi GIMP dan meng-klik paintbrush tools.

Paintbrush Tool

Silahkan dicampur-adukkan sehingga hasilnya sesuai selera.

Runa

Well it’s cold and wet outside so I’m staying inside and painting all day.  I have a set of five small watercolours that I am working on, I like having a few paintings to work on at a time so that while one is drying I can work on one of the others.  I also don’t loose interest or inspiration in painting because there are different ideas for each one.

Human Breaking Down

src:http://fineartamerica.com/featured/human-breaking-down-bruce-combs--reach-beyond.html

2 Lots of Old World Christmas…Rusty Tin Angel…Tin Santa

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.
Link to eBay Store

Link to eBay Store

Link to eBay Store

Link to eBay Store

Welcome to a new regular feature called Handy Gal where I will share with you my wonderful tips and tricks I have learned along the way. Today, it’s all about paint.

Don’t wash those Paintbrushes, stick them in the freezer: Lets say you are painting something and you need to let it dry out between coats or you just want to eat some lunch. Cleaning paintbrushes off is such a chore, only to know that you are going to be using it again. So heres my handy gal tip: Wrap your wet brush up in plastic, foil or if its stinky paint put the whole brush in a plastic zip lock bag and place it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it again, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw out. Once thaw its ready to use!

Paint can drain holes, so your paint does not dry out: When I paint, I always dip my paintbrush directly into a can of paint. I than dab the excess paint on the rim of the can. While doing this, paint  dribbles into the recessed groove where the lid goes. If I didn’t have paint drain holes, this entire groove would fill with paint. Once that paint hardens, I wouldn’t be able to get a good, airtight seal when I replace the lid and my paint would dry out. Which is no good. So heres how to add drain holes to your paint cans.

1) Shake the can of paint well, then open it by prying off the lid with a paint can opener.

2) Hold a flat head screwdriver so that the tip rests inside the recessed groove where the lip of the lid goes. Use a hammer to tap the top of the screwdriver so that the flat head goes through the metal. (I prefer the flat head screwdriver but a nail could be used instead). ☛If you pound the screwdriver too hard, you may run the risk of flipping or tipping the can over, creating a huge mess. Hold the can steady with your feet or knees for extra stability.

3) Pound another hole in the groove about 1 inch away from the first hole. If using the nail, extract it, then continue moving around the circumference of the groove, punching holes about every inch or so.

4) Paint as usual. When you dip the brush in the paint and then dab the excess against the rim of the can, the excess paint will drip into the groove and then drain through the holes. Although you will still get some dried paint residue in the groove, it won’t fill up with dried paint and you’ll have no problem achieving a tight seal when you replace the lid. ☛When replacing the lid back on the can to shut it, cover it with your paint rag before hitting it with a hammer / mallet to close it. This will prevent any paint from splattering on you.

Todos los que venimos de windows conocemos esa mítica aplicación llamada Paint, que estoy seguro al 99% que todos hemos utilizado. Pues bien hace algun tiempo me encontre con Paintbrush que es muy similar a Paint pero que bajo mi punto de vista tiene alguna mejora más, como por ejemplo al crear un fibujo nuevo darte a elegir el tamaño del mismo, a parte de una interfaz mucho más cuidada

Espero que os guste y que lo disfruteis!

Enlace de descarga: Paintbrush

Salu2 y gracias!

In my creative space today are all my favourite art materials that I like to use.

Here are my top recommendations for building up your artist toolbox. Go for quality over quantity and build up your toolbox over time. I have found there is a big difference in the quality of art materials and how long they last, for example, I bought these berol felt tip pens in my first year of university and they are still as bright and vivid as ever over ten years later! Cheaper paints and gesso need more coats and therefore, run out sooner and take longer in painting and the colours are not as vivid. Where to save money is on scrap ephemera in your art journalling and collage, use found objects in your art and scrap paper and cardstock.

A range of sketchbooks in various sizes. I love spiral bound sketch books, but the choice is yours.

A large easel if you have the space and also one for when you’re on the move. I like my tabletop easel that comes with me on holiday. It even came with its own little travel bag and I really like the design of it because it holds my paints, brushes and pallet inside and then opens up as an easel:

A selection of paints. I like acrylics for layering and they dry quickly and also painting a background colour in my journals. I also use acrylics to mix with clear gesso to make different  coloured gesso.

Matte Medium is great for thinning acrylics, as well as, a varnish.

My favourite kind of painting is in gouache. Again, I use Winsor and Newton.

I really like Caran d’Ache Neocolour II Artist Crayons. They provide lovely, vivid colour and are a mix between pastels and crayons. Use with water to create a watercolour effect.

A selection of paintbrushes and spatualas

 Derwent Fine Art Pencils are my favourite

A great selection of pens is a must for pen lovers! Plenty of bright and pastel colours for doodling, edging, outlining, lettering and labelling.

Micron05 pens; Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens; Sharpie Pens; Triplus fineliner assorted colour pens by Staedtler and Sakura Gelly roll pens

Gesso - read about Gesso here

Plaid Modge Podge seals and glues in one application – great for a finish on decoupage. Available in matt and gloss; and dries clear. Sparkle finish modge plodge adds a glistening effect to projects and outdoor mod podges is great for plant pots, sealing and protecting wood, slate , tin etc.

An xacto pen knife is a must for cutting out rubber stamps and making stencils and cutting out shapes

A good pen knife and scissors are essential kit items for cutting card and paper. I use Fiskars softtouch multipurpose scissors for fabric and have a pair in my knitting bag too. I think they are the best on the market.

Don’t forget an eraser and sharpener too.

Parece impossível, mas assista o vídeo abaixo e veja esta magnífica proeza hehe

Embossing is usually found in scrapbooks and greeting cards and is a fun grown-up activity.  Now this project has been scaled down for the younger set using toilet paper!  The age and skill level of this project depends on how intricate the design and how large the stamp you use.  Larger, chunkier stamps such as the large foam stamps are good for younger children while smaller more detailed stamps are good for older children with more patience and care while working.  Since you are “painting” with water, this project is virtually mess free!  Click here for another version of this project.

What you will need:

• Toilet paper(1-ply)
• Cup of water
• Small paintbrush
• Stamps
• Markers, paint or ink

Step 1: Begin by choosing your stamp, filling your cup with water and ripping several sheets of toilet paper off of your roll.

Step 2: Place a piece of toilet paper over your stamp and gently paint with water to avoid ripping the delicate toilet paper.

Step 3: Carefully add another piece of toilet paper on top of the previous piece and paint with water.  Be sure to get around all of the lines of the stamp’s design when “painting.”  Continue adding layers of toilet paper until you have reached your desired thickness (usually about 6-8 pieces).

Step 4: While still on the stamp let your toilet paper dry.

Step 5: Once dry, remove your toilet paper from the stamp.  This picture shows the underside that the stamp was pressed into.  You can now color your embossed image and cut it out, using it for all sorts of fun projects.  To create interesting color designs try stamping your stamp in ink before you begin applying the toilet paper.  The paper will suck up the ink and the water will make it bleed, giving a cool effect.

Congratulations!  You have just done easy embossing with stamps and tissue paper.  How did your project come out?  What did you use your embossing for?  Please share your comments and pictures in the comments section of the blog.

The city of eight hundred fifty two.

We,
rebuild it or cover it,
change it or redefine it,

but do little to forget it.

“I couldn’t paint a picture to save my life!” 

Sound familiar? I’ve heard far too many people disparage their innate creativity this way, haven’t you? It’s as if putting paint to canvas is the only measure of creativity there is.

Don’t get me wrong, I certainly admire the obvious creativity of visual artists in every medium. But I’ve also seen “art ingénues” pick up a paintbrush and produce beautiful pictures that no one else could have created but them. They may even surprise and delight themselves – if they are able to accept the evidence that they are, indeed, creative!

Are YOU creative? Delete that question.

The real question is:  “HOW are you creative?”

There are many ways people create. One we all share is the way that we uniquely create our experience of life everyday. This is evident in where you go (or don’t go), what you choose to do, what you habitually think, how you feel, the way you react to people and situations, where you focus (past, present or future), and much, much more. There is a HUGE canvas of creativity open to you each day and night of your life – and you’re selecting which paintbrush to use!

How’s it working for you now?

This baby is not going to hang around long; someone is going to claim it. You never know when you’re going to need a paintbrush, and this one seems to be in excellent condition. The current economy has turned us into a bunch of hoarders.

Description:

A man is awake at night, unable to sleep. The fears and anxious moments of the day keep him awake. He tries reading, but still he is awake.

src:http://fineartamerica.com/featured/insomnia-donna-pidlubny.html

This past week, we just finished painting our new studio.  No joke, that shit was pretty labor intensive.  Nonetheless, totally fulfilling and I have a new appreciation for the world of paint.

The video above, Reulf,was created by Quentin Carnicelli, Charles Klipfel and Jean-François Jégo for a student Art project at the  University of Paris VIII. 

I watched the entire thing, then cried.

Via Beautiful Decay

-LaRoushe

Furiously working away today on basing figures from Firezone which arrived on Saturday I noticed just how much our tools become a part of us. Above is the tool which started this epiphany, a humble Humbrol paintbrush purchased in the early eighties when they were still making good sable brushes under that brand name.

The paints flaked away, very likely into my bloodstream, from so much use and the fibre of the thing has actually curved to fit my hand perfectly. It’s a joy to use, but like most of my paintbrushes it’s getting near the end of it’s days. I’ve got more than fair usage from them all though, given they were typically bought around thirty years ago. The key to this longevity is the quality, I’ve always gone for the most expensive paintbrushes I can find, plain sable at the very least even if the prices seemed eye-watering at the time.

Lately I’ve started replacing them with Winsor & Newton Series 7, although slyly as if I had taken a mistress. Only ever painting with them for short bursts of time and never in front of the older brushes. Now if you’ve not heard of these it’s only fair to point out they’re not cheap, being as they’re made from Kolinsky Sable, although the name is a bit of a pedant’s dream being as a Kolinksy is a form of weasel and not a sable at all.

The series 7 was first made following a royal command from Queen Victoria in 1866, and at around £7 for a 000 size you can’t help thinking they might be made by royal hands. Although even if you only get a decade of use from one it’ll only have cost you around two-tenths of a penny per day. Look after them and you’ll easily get three decades of jolly painting from them, and then the economic benefits of quality really kick in.

Be quick though. If you’re hopelessly middle-aged like me these are very likely the last brushes you’ll ever need to buy, but if you wait much longer you’ll find your last words might well be “Kolinsky! Kolinsky! I never got to wear them out…”.