Operation Scrapbook

Archive for March, 2009

There are hundreds and hundreds of pastimes and hobbies that we can get involved with and have seen that many people are looking for card making ideas in order to supplement their interests in scrapbooking and related activities. Some people prefer to stay indoors and pursue their hobbies and interests as opposed to those who prefer to be running around outdoors and exerting a lot of energy. Pursuing card making interests is something that many people are getting a great deal of fulfillment and enjoyment and will be continued to be pursued by many.

Art Portfolio of Romsey celebrates the work of one of Britain’s most popular living artists, ‘The People’s Painter’, Jack Vettriano. The UK’s largest ever retrospective of Vettriano’s prints features an exceptional collection of five new signed limited editions taken from his latest series of paintings, three of which are based on a French Riviera theme. There will be many rare editions for sale including the hugely popular Along Came a Spider.

Jack Vettriano was born in Fife, Scotland in 1951 and left school at the age of 16 to become a mining engineer. Vettriano experimented with drawing figures in his teenage years, but was first encouraged to paint when a girlfriend bought him a set of paints at the age of 21. Vettriano spent the next 14 years teaching himself to paint, gaining inspiration from his local town of Kirkcaldy and in particular the local art gallery, The Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery.

The turning point in Vettriano’s career came in 1989 when two paintings were accepted for the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual exhibition in Edinburgh. Both paintings were sold on the first day of the Exhibition and marked the beginning of Vettriano’s new career as a full time artist. The following year, an equally enthusiastic reaction greeted the three paintings which he entered for the prestigious Summer Exhibition at London’s Royal Academy.

His new life as an artist began. In November 1999, Vettriano’s work was shown for the first time in New York, when twenty paintings were displayed at The Fifth Armory, Park Lane. Fifty collectors from the UK flew out for the opening night of the Fair and all twenty paintings were sold out within an hour of the opening. Jack Vettriano’s most recognisable painting, The Singing Butler, which was originally rejected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, sold at Sotheby’s in April 2004 for £744,500.

Vettriano has become a phenomena, and there has been a huge media interest in his life and work. In 2003 he was awarded an OBE for Services to the Visual Arts and was subject of a South Bank Show documentary, ‘Jack Vettriano: The People’s Painter’. He has also received an honorary degree from the University of St. Andrews.
In the last 25 years Jack Vettriano has had a number of sell out Exhibitions in Edinburgh, London, New York, Hong Kong and Johannesburg. His work is collected by the likes of Jack Nicholson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Tim Rice and Robbie Coltrane.
Loved by the public but often dismissed by the critics, major art galleries refuse to hang Vettriano’s paintings. Peter Howson, one of Scotland’s most respected living painters, attacks both art critics and curators for their scorn of Vettriano’s work. “If Tracey Emin, Martin Creed and Damien Hirst can get into the Tate, the Jack Vettriano deserves to be in national collections as well – I think the elite really have a fear of him.”
Vettriano has commented “I’m often dragged into the debate about whether my work should be shown in public collections and whilst I feel that this is for others to decide… I’m delighted that fans of my paintings will now be able to see a body of work of which I’m very proud”.
Vettriano’s discovery of painting has led him to become one of the most popular artists of our time, and an inspirational figure to many. His figurative oil paintings present a nostalgic commentary, often with an air of romance and sensuality that has an almost universal appeal. His figures describe an intense state of affairs, creating a narrative which is left for the viewer to ponder.
Jack Vettriano divides his time between his homes in Fife, London and Nice.
“Lovers, Strangers and Stories” gives the public the chance to have their very own signed limited edition Vettriano. This is one art exhibition certainly not to be missed.

I baby-sit a lot of children. I’ve had a lot of clients since I was in approximately seventh grade and they all require my services almost all of the time. If I’m not picking up toys or cleaning I’m almost always trying to find something fun to do with the kids. Their ages range from six months to ten years, so there is a lot as you can see, to take care of. Some of the kids are too young to do certain crafts, but I’m able to do a wide range of crafts with all of them. One craft that I made with a couple of the kids was custom printed coasters. The coasters were so much fun to make and some of them were even paper coasters, making it very inexpensive and easy to entertain the kids.

The coasters were a great idea and a fresh new craft to add into some of our daily routines. The kids were used to watercolor painting or coloring but the coasters were a nice surprise that I could afford. We drew out our ideas and thought about what we wanted to draw on our coasters. The kids wanted to draw beautiful plants and goofy animals and they even wanted to make something for their parents, which was great. We used paint and pencils and markers and crayons, so the kids had a wide variety of supplies to work with. I think that the coasters, especially the paper coasters, were a great idea as far as art ideas go. We’re so used to creating unimportant art, but the coasters were great!

I also think that the coasters were a great way for the kids to express their artist qualities. Some of them aren’t old enough to be in an art class in school, so making these crafts at home is a great way to let out those artist expressions. Plus, the coasters were officially custom printed coasters that they could use everyday. Another great thing is that the coaster craft is a simple cleaning job. I didn’t have to try extremely hard to clean everything which was awesome. I think that getting the kids involved in such a sophisticated craft really makes them feel more involved too.

The coasters were really simple to complete when the kids were finished with their designs. I didn’t require the usage of a kiln or the oven or anything like that. All that we required the use of was a simple and easy to use painter’s gloss. It was really inexpensive and made the crafts seemed really genuine. The kids really loved their finished product and now that I know that this craft is a hit, I know what to do when the other clients’ children that I baby-sit grow up and get a little bit older. These crafts are not only great for fun but they are great for a bad snow day when you are stuck inside too. Your kids or even kids you might know at a pre-school or that you may baby-sit will really be excited about this art craft too.

It really does feel good to do something that is fun while using re-purposed items and saving money.

A friend of mine invited a few friends over to a small dinner party with a few friends last week. After chatting and discussing news with everyone and eating our fancy finger foods I noticed that she had purchased some gorgeous custom coasters. I asked her where she had purchased them and she told me that she had purchased them at a little consignment shop. I was really interested in them and asked her to wrap one up in one of her recyclable plastic shopping bags. After looking through a ton of stores for a set of my own custom coasters, the only thing that I had found to purchase was a cute set of non woven bags.

I called my friend back to let her know that I hadn’t found anything like what she had purchased, so we decided to throw yet another craft party and we ended up making our own. It was a lot of fun but it would have been a lot easier to buy them from a store. We also decided to use some plastic shopping bags to create some awesome art designs. We were so bored that we even made a plastic shopping bag dress! We dressed up a manikin with them and that was awesome. It actually resembled much like a real dress!

My neighbor also has some really nice non woven bags. The material is eco friendly and a lot nicer than normal bags. They can be embroidered with initials or even decorated with jewels and iron on prints. It is a great craft to do when you’re bored or a snow day and it is so easy to get all of the materials. A local craft store should offer all of the materials that you will want or need. I found my non woven bag at a local thrift store, but your local craft store should carry any plain non woven bags, so that you can make it your own. Personally, I like my bags to have a lot of color. This is why I often look for an already made bag or a plain bag that I can put a lot of my things in.

Speaking of color ideas for your non woven bags or custom coaster crafts, try using a piece of jewelry or clothing for inspiration. I’ve used a numerous number of intriguing pieces of jewelry that come in a wide range of color. Go to your local craft store, bag up some supplies in a plastic shopping bag and begin your personal coaster or non woven bag project. I can promise that it is extremely awesome and is a great fix for any boring day. To add to the fun, try to get together a big group of people and assign them all an item of supplies to bring. This way everyone brings something different and great pieces of useful artwork can be created! Everyone gets to bring a non woven bag or their very own custom coaster home to their friends!

We have decided to have our little get-togethers every week. It has turned into a great way to have fun and save fundsat the same time!

With the recent economic recession, entertainment industries like restaurants need all the help they can get. Advertisement is a popular way to attract business, and what better way than to show your customers how appetizing the food looks? As you know,food photography has proven to be a successful way to promote any type of eating establishment. In addition, talented food photographer can be found all over the world, so taking the snapshots is simple and it has a great impact. It’s not only the food industry that has taken to product photography, however; many other companies out there include appealing pictures as their main advertisement—and it always seems to work.

Advertising is a tricky—and expensive—business. careers in the advertising world are spread all across the board, working in areas such as cultural study, planning and design, graphics and marketing. a lot goes into designing an ad, but studies show that without a doubt, sight is the most affected aspect when it comes to appeal.For this reason, product photography is important to the advertising industry. Food photography is a profitable offshoot of product photography, because it sensitizes to the viewer’s taste buds.

Food photography is not as easy as it may appear. capturing food on film requires an artistic outlook ofa mundane setting. For example, food is everywhere, but not all food is suitable for pictures. Artists consider a few aspects: color, texture and lighting. First, colors should be rich, not dull . Customers are more enthralled by fresh looking foods, not foods that look rotten or processed. Food photographers often choose foods with rich natural color, like fruits and vegetables.

Next, texture is important for variance and attraction. Berries are often photographed because they have an interesting texture, as well as creative dishes like chocolate mousse. Mixing up textures makes the photograph more interesting, and more appetizing.
Finally, artists depend on lighting in product photography. Light, sunny filtering makes viewers feel good, adding positive connotations to the adversitement.

If photography is your passion and you think food is interesting, then you may want to consider a career in food photography. Many design schools offer courses on photography; some even have programs channeled specifically toward food. If not, another aspect of the advertising industry may be a better fit. Either way, the advertising industry is always hiring, as the need for advertisements is always expanding.

Photography is an important aspect of advertising and the photographers are considered respectable. Product photographers need a keen eye for for detail and a meticulous attitude toward their subject. This job is not for everyone, but those who are tend to be talented.

If a job as a product photographer, or any other job in advertisement, interests you there are many ways to get involved. Most schools offer courses and even majors in marketing and advertising, and many firms [offer internships| have internship programs[/spin] to give it a try. Advertising is a well rounded career—it allows the creative juices to flow while helping others, creating the ultimate reward.

Complimentary woodworking plans are a great resource for students and shop teachers. Having a menu of ready made plans handily gives students a selection of items to build in the wood shop. This is easier for them than taking time to design something themselves or having to come up with their own concept for a wood project. Having free shop plans available for their students also helps shop teachers. Not only do they eliminate the time needed to prepare lessons, but since they are free they also save money. When teachers have a choice of plans to utilize, they can offer each student projects which are aimed to the student’s specific ability and skills.

There are free woodworking plans for beginning level students, such as the etched glass wall mirror. This project involves building a frame for a pre-made glass panel. This project needs only miter cuts and rabbet to buildl the frame. The only other tasks needed are assembling, sanding and finishing. This project needs a minimal effort and materials to complete.

A more difficult woodworking project would be to make an end or coffee table. The tables will use a frame built, including legs, cross members and a lower shelf. These plans will require using larger tools. The student will also have to know how to attach the material for the table top and shelf from smaller boards. There are free woodworking plans printed for both which can be made using etched glass panels just as the wall mirror has. This design consistency is crucial since it provides for projects of a variety of skill levels and complexity using the same type of glass panels with etched layouts. Following this common theme makes for a unified lesson plan where all the projects have a unified, consistent feel while still allowing for variations in students abilities and time commitments.

All of the students can be offered the same decorative glass panel and then have the alternative of building a project with it that they prefer. Advanced students can also use the glass etching panel to build complex projects, such as a cabinet with glass doors or a glass fronted grandfather clock. These projects will entail making complex doors as well as the frame. The frame will need involved mortise-and-tenon joints as well as dados. The top, side and back panels will require gluing up smaller stock. The students will employ the router table and planer for this project and the table saw and jointer.

By using free woodworking plans, shop heads can provide their students with projects which will match their skills while still having a overlapping component. By using a selection of pre-made plans, teachers have standard criteria for marking and can spend more of their time to teaching the students.