Buying Paintings: Gothic Art

Some of the most valuable early artwork comes from a point of time before the Renaissance had begun, and going on through the early Middle Ages, referred to as the period of Gothic art. During this particular time in history, the artwork took on telling narrative stories through pictures, and much of these pieces were Christian and secular in nature. Some of the earliest examples of Gothic art are sculptures found on cathedral and abbey walls, and the first real form of Gothic artwork began as architectural works in fact, even becoming the subject matter for many stained glass windows at the time. The style of painting that further defined Gothic art wasnt produced until nearly fifty years after Gothic architecture and sculptures, and even though the break between Romanesque artwork and the Gothic styles has remained imprecise at best, the beginnings of Gothic artwork seems to occur in various areas at different but related intervals. The artwork began in England and France around 1200, and in other areas like Germany and Italy between 1220 and 1300. The paintings stayed just as narrative as the architecture on church walls during this time, and has stayed the territory of secular storytelling for a long time afterwards. Though Gothic art in paintings has had a relatively short time as the medium of choice amongst the artists, there is evidence that the artwork falls into four particular styles of these paintings, and these were the most common forms during this time period. The fresco, the panel painting, the illuminated manuscript, and the artwork done on stained glass are all depictions of Gothic painting. Of these particular types, stained glass artwork had remained a strong reminder of those ages long past, and is still created by master artisans that learned their trade skills from these dark ages. In the case of the other three particular forms of Gothic painting, frescoes continued to be used as the pictorial narratives on church walls in southern Europe, and were a consistent incorporation of early Christian and Romanesque traditions. In Italy, during the 13th century, the panel painting began and spread throughout Europe. With this proliferation, panel paintings became even more predominant by the 15th century, and becoming even more popular than stained glass at the time. Since not all monumental works have survived, illuminated manuscripts are the most complete record of Gothic painting, and provide a comprehensive account of styles that would otherwise perished. As the state of the world began to change, so too did the interpretations of the artwork as a reflection of these changing times and attitudes, and the movement became known as International Gothic by the late 15th century. From there, it had evolved into an art form depicting not just secular stories and allegories, but also resulted in the occurrence of more illuminated manuscripts and paintings as increased trade and the rise of cities and universities grew. With this proliferation of growth, more people were literate, and lead to better records kept with this occurring. Leading up to many of the well-known medieval artists today. The International Gothic style of artwork was developed in Burgundy, Bohemia, and northern Italy in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. During this period in Gothic art, artists traveled widely around the civilized world at the time creating a common aesthetic among the aristocracy of the time, and removing the concepts of contrary artistic styles. The main influences for this period in artwork were derived from northern France, the Netherlands, and Italy. It was during this time, that aspects of rational uses of perspective and setting became a common feature, and other features included flowing lines and rich coloring. In the case of Gothic sculpture, it had evolved from the elongated forms of the Romanesque style, and became a more naturalistic expression in the early 12th and late 13th centuries. Influences from Greek and Roman statuary were incorporated into drapery, facial expressions, and poses. The sculptor Claus Sluter and the changing tastes for more naturalistic styles became a harbinger for the end of the Gothic period of art, and signaled the beginning of the evolution into Renaissance period at the end of the 15th century. In a time period where upheaval was the normal occurrence of many of the people then, Gothic art fell into the broad scope of medieval artwork that included such disparate elements and styles as Viking art and Celtic art, but in varying degrees relied upon the artistic heritage of the Roman Empire and the early Christian Church. In fact, much medieval artwork has the history of these elements conjoining and converging into the remarkable artistic legacy we read about today, and have contributed over time to the outcome of many other forms of art from the Renaissance to the present day. PPPPP 800

Callebaut Belgian Chocolate: The World's Finest Chocolate from Belgum

From chocolate bars to chocolate cakes, a lot of people simply love eating chocolate. Even people on strict diet have admitted that they cheated at least once when they were dieting by eating chocolate. In fact, dieting people have humorously said that chocolates were their number one enemy in a war and they always lose. Although chocolates have existed for centuries, almost everyone still enjoys eating chocolate. Some people even dubbed this delicious treat as the "happy food" where it can put a smile to depressed people after eating one. In a more medical approach, researchers have found that chocolate is definitely good for your body. It reduces blood pressure, and it was also found that the chemicals found in chocolates keeps your blood flowing and it also keeps your heart healthy. You also need to consider that old people who loves eating chocolate outlived other people of the same age because they testified that chocolates keeps them happy, and it keeps them feeling younger. Indeed, this guilty pleasure candy is considered to be the most popular candy in the world. If you love chocolate and you love to make chocolate products and delicacies, you should consider getting a Callebaut Belgian chocolate. Callebaut Belgian chocolates are considered to be the world's finest chocolates and are used by popular restaurants all over the world for their chocolate delicacies. Callebaut has been producing chocolates for 120 years and is a well known company for producing the finest chocolates in the world. In fact, Callebaut chocolates are the number one choice of professionally pastry chefs, chefs de cuisine, and even ice cream manufacturers all over the world. Callebaut chocolates are superior in quality and it can be used in any of your cooking with chocolates included in recipes. Callebaut only makes its chocolates from the only finest grades of cocoa beans found in the south. They ensure high quality chocolates to their clients and are trusted by their clients all over the world. Whether you are a professional pastry chef, or you just like to cook chocolate delicacies, or you just want to eat chocolate, Callebaut chocolates is you chocolate of choice. You can be sure that the chocolates provided by Callebaut (whether you like it mixed in with other foods as part of the ingredient or you just want to eat it in its pure form) are made with the highest quality cocoa beans that you will surely love. If you love making chocolate pastries, Callebaut can offer a one-of-a-kind chocolate taste that will significantly improve your chocolate pastries where every member of your family and friends will surely love. Callebaut chocolates can be ordered in blocks or it can also be ordered in its liquid form. Whatever kind of chocolate you want, you can be sure that Callebaut has it. They also offer different kinds of chocolates, from dark chocolate to milk chocolate and even white chocolate, you will surely have what you want with Callebaut chocolates. So, if you are looking for a way to improve your chocolate pastries and other chocolate delicacies, you should purchase Callebaut chocolates. This Belgian chocolate can satisfy your chocolate cravings and purchasing in bulk will provide you with great discounts. Whether you own a pastry shop, or you just simply love cooking chocolate delicacies for your family and friends, you can be sure that Callebaut chocolates can satisfy your chocolate cravings. Your chocolate delicacies will be one of the best with Callebaut chocolates.

Buying Paintings: Futurism

A 20th century art movement with its roots in Italian and Russian beginnings, Futurism is said to have largely began with the writing of a 1907 essay on music by the Italian composer Ferruccio Busoni, and explored every medium of art to convey its meanings. The Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was the first to produce an article in which was summed up the major principles that became the Manifesto of Futurism in 1909. It included the passionate loathing of ideas from the past, and with that enmity of political and artistic traditions, espoused a love for speed and technology. The philosophy of Futurism regarded the car, the plane, and the industrial town as legendary of the technological triumph of mankind over nature. With Marinetti at the helm, a few artists of the time introduced the tenets of the philosophy to the visual arts, and represented the movement in its first phase in 1910. The Russian Futurists were fascinated with dynamism and the restlessness of modern urban life, purposefully seeking to provoke controversy and attract attention to their works through insulting reviews of the static art of the past, and the circle of Russian Futurists were predominantly literary as opposed to being overtly artistic. Cubo-Futurism was a school of Russian Futurism formulated in 1913, and many of the works incorporated Cubisms usage of angular forms combined with the Futurist predisposition for dynamism. The Futurist painter Kazimir Malevich was the artist to develop the style, but dismissed it for the inception of the artistic style known as Suprematism, that focused upon the fundamental geometric shapes as a form of non-objective art. Suprematism grew around Malevich, with most prominent works being produced between 1915 and 1918, but the movement had halted for the most part by 1934 in Stalinist Russia. Though at one point, those Russian poets and artists that considered themselves Futurists had collaborated on works such a Futurist opera, but the Russian movement broke down from persecution for their belief in free thought with the start of the Stalinist age. Italian Futurists were strongly linked with the early fascists in the hope for modernizing the society and economy in the 1920s through to the 1930s, and Marinetti founded the Futurist Political Party in early 1918, which was later absorbed into Benito Mussolinis National Fascist Party. As tensions grew within the various artistic faces that considered themselves Futurists, many Futurists became associated with fascism which later translated into Futurist architecture being born, and interesting examples of this style can be found today even though many Futurist architects were at odds in the fascist taste for Roman imperial patterns. Futurism has even influenced many other 20th century art movements such as Dadaism, Surrealism, and Art Deco styles. Futurism as a movement is considered extinct for the most part with the death of Marinetti in 1944. As Futurism gave way to the actual future of things, the ideals of the artistic movement have remained significant in Western culture through the expressions of the commercial cinema and culture, and can even be as an influence in modern Japanese anime and cinema. The Cyberpunk genre of films and books owe much to the Futurist tenets, and the movement has even spawned Neo-Futurism, a style of theatre at utilizes on Futurisms focuses to create a new form of theatre. Much of Futurisms inspiration came from the previous movement of Cubism, that involved such famed artists as Pablo Picasso and Paul Cezanne, and created much of the basis for Futurism through its philosophy. PPPPP 586

Purchasing Belgian Chocolate in Bulk at a Very Cheap Price

Purchasing Belgian Chocolate in Bulk at a Very Cheap Price If you are planning to put up a small business, you may consider starting a business that sells products that people will always want. So, what do people want? Of course, the food industry is the obvious choice. However, you should consider that putting up a restaurant can be quite a hassle. You have to have a kitchen, rent a large place to accommodate enough customers and you also need to purchase a lot of ingredients for cooking not to mention that you also have to hire waiters/waitresses, and chefs. So, aside from restaurant, you can still consider staying with the food industry by putting up your own chocolate store. You have to consider that chocolates are one of the most popular foods in the world. Although chocolates have been around for centuries, it is still one of the most sought after treat that people all over the world loves to eat. You have to consider that from children to old people, chocolates bring happiness. It has been found that this delicious treat can make depressed people happy and is better than any other anti-depressant drugs available in the market today. Even diet fanatics have been lured by chocolates to bend their diet rules a little. In fact, you may have caught your spouse or your sister who is in a strict diet sneaking in the kitchen to bend the dieting rules a bit by eating just a tiny amount of chocolate. Even dieters have humorously said that chocolates are their number one enemy but almost always end up being defeated. As you can see, everyone has their guilty pleasures with chocolates. So, if you are thinking of a great business, you should consider opening a chocolate store. However, before you rush on and put up your chocolate store and start selling different kinds of chocolates, you have to consider that not every chocolate is the same. You have to make your chocolate store popular, so you have to sell popular chocolates. And, not just any popular chocolates, you have to be sure that you sell only the finest chocolates and in time, your store will have the reputation of selling one of the world's finest chocolate where people would always want to buy from. You have to consider that there is a lot of country that produces different kinds of chocolates. However, only a handful of countries produce high quality chocolate that everyone will love. One country that you should consider is Belgium. Belgium is known for producing one of the world's finest chocolate and if you are considering starting a business that sells only the finest chocolates in the world. You should consider selling Belgian chocolates. It is recommended that you should purchase Belgian chocolates in bulk for your stock because you will be able to acquire huge discounts and resell them at the same retail price. By purchasing Belgian chocolates in bulk, you will see that you will save a lot of money and you will be able to keep your customers happy because of the cheaper price you offer for these fine chocolates. Online bulk buying of Belgian chocolates can also get you greater discounts and great promos. Online shopping is cheaper, and it's more convenient. So, consider this option if you are looking for different kinds of Belgian chocolates for your chocolate store. In time, you will see that you will have regular customers purchasing chocolates from you. If you want to sell a lot of Belgian chocolates, you should consider putting up your fine chocolate store in a place frequented by tourists, such as the airport and a bus station. You can also consider putting up a chocolate store in the mall. Always remember that you are the chocolate seller and you should never ever touch your products if you want to make a large profit. Although you may be tempted to eat just one, you have to consider that once you start eating, you can will always want some more.

Buying Paintings for Relatives

I have found that people buying paintings for relatives usually have a very specific thing in mind when they set out shopping. It is very rewarding to find just the right painting for a space that really needs it. Sometimes color is the only consideration. Content is also very appropriate to consider. If you are buying a painting for someone that has very distinct tastes, it is important to keep that in the forefront of your mind. The painting of a rooster might be great for one relative but not for another. Size constraints need to be taken into account when buying paintings for relatives. If your Aunt Eloise lives in a small apartment, buying a painting for her that takes up an entire wall is not a good idea. It is a good idea to take a look at the place the painting will go before purchasing one. Color can be a big factor in the buying of a painting. If the color clashes with your relatives dcor, they will probably not be very excited about hanging it. If the color is just right, it will hang on their wall for a very long time. Religious themed paintings are difficult to buy for friends, but easy to buy for relatives. More than likely, you know what religion your relatives adhere to and what symbols are most relevant to it. Jewish symbolism is lost on a Christian family and vice versa. Choosing to buy paintings for relatives based on the artists previous work is also a good method of finding great art. If your relative already has purchased art from an artist that they like and that they hang prominently in their home, then it is a safe bet to buy another piece from the same artist. Sometimes buying a nice painting for a relative has a point of inspiration, like a vacation. If your mom and dad just visited Paris, a nice painting of Paris might be a great choice. It is good to know what landmarks they enjoyed most and find an artistic representation of it. I have some relatives that Ive bought paintings for that were interested in the Middle Ages. I found some very nice reproductions of the work that was popular in that time period. Buying reproductions is acceptable if the painting is prohibitive in cost. There is an aunt that I adore that is always buying painting for relatives. Her heart is in the right place, but she has a hard time picking paintings that are appropriate for the recipient. She bought her daughter a lovely painting that was Baroque and completely did not fit the feel of her home. Landscape paintings done in the Romantic style look so nice in my uncles home. I bought him a reproduction of a Monet that he hung in his study. I enjoy watching him study that painting. My little sister has requested that anyone buying her a painting should stay away from Van Gogh. She has equal dislike for Cezanne and Gauguin. Im not sure why she feels so strongly about Modern and Contemporary art. I happen to like cubist paintings by Kandinsky. My husband bought me a reproduction of a Kandinsky that I keep in my den. I can look into it and see so many different things. The painting comes to life and I feel so many emotions when I look into it. PPPPP 569

Building the Confidence and Self Esteem of your Teenager

The teenage years are probably the most awkward years for your teenagers. When a child reaches this age, he or she faces many new changes and challenges. It was much easier when they were younger because parents have total control over their children but as babies grow up to be teenagers along comes the development of the minds to think on their own. Teenagers want to try new many things and they are ever more ready to meet challenges head on but what scares most parents are the facts that not all new things are good and that not all challenges are meant to be attacked head on. The parents though are careful to be interfering because at this stage the teenagers want to prove themselves so they think that resisting their parents is cool. This is indeed a difficult situation but one sure way a parent can be of help to a teenager is to help the teenager build his confidence and self esteem. A teenager with high self esteem and has self confidence have an edge over those who are easily swayed by the crowd and who cannot defend themselves from people who just wish to manipulate them into making the wrong decisions or into doing things that are bad for them. Parents should be able to teach their teenagers that people come in all shapes and sizes that way they will be able to be more accepting of their physical attributes and would also be non-judgmental of others. Encourage them to get into activities where the playing field is equal. Sports is a great way to develop the social skills of your teenager and a chance to excel. A teenager with good social skills would be able to handle all types of people and situations. Excelling in anything can boost a teenagers confidence and self esteem. Teenagers should earn their self esteem because that way they will not give it up just like that. Parents can support them in this endeavor by constantly giving well deserved and genuine praise. While parents cannot be there all the way, they should always be ready to lend a hand when their teenagers need a hand to hold on to. For sure there will be failures along the way but a little failure is always a good sign. What is most important is to teach them resilience. Parents are not meant to shield their children from pain and discomfort but rather for them to make sure they will go through pain and discomfort and then come out fine. Make sure that it is clear that you will never abandon them no matter what. Give them the vote of confidence that they can handle the situation because that is the only way to show respect to their independence. As much as parents want to be their number one cheer leaders in a loud way, the quiet belief in your teenagers will make more impact. Reality bites, we all know that but always there is always a room to go forward. Hopefully all these things will guide parents in making life easier for both them and their teenagers. No one says that this will be an easy ride but like in any case we can always find ways to make things lighter for us and for everyone around us.