Cuban artistry is an assorted multi-ethnic coalescence of American, African and European aesthetic design mirroring the multi-ethnic population make-up of Cuba. Artists from Cuba embraced the European modernist movement and the 1920-1930 era saw a growth in Cuban vanguardism trends; these movements were characterized by a mixture of modern aesthetic genres. Illustrious Cuban creatives tended to hail from the early 20th century (e.g. Amelia Pelez).
Perhaps the most well-known art (of sorts) to come out of the island of Cuba was THAT shot of Che Guevara (photo by Mr Alberto Korda) which went onto become possibly one of the most recognisable images of the past century.
The native Cuban artist movement amassed momentum after the opening of San Alejandro academy in 1818, which was developed to satisfy the European taste of the Cuban middle class. Towards the end of the 19th century, landscapes were very representative within the Cuban art movement and classicism was still the style of choice.
Even So, the pioneering Cuban contemporary artist of the late 1920s had rejected the academic formulas of Cuba’s national art academy. In their formative years, many Cuban artists had resided in France, where they learned and assimilated the founding rules of modernist primitivism, surrealism, and cubism. They returned to Cuba dedicated to new aesthetic styles and were eager to combine this new artistic leaning with a Cuban influence. The vanguardia artists attained worldwide acknowledgement in 2003 when the Museum of Modern Art presented the the Modern Cuban Painting show.
Outdoor stone fireplaces are probably one of the best and inexpensive ways that you could add elegance style and of course heat to the outdoor space at a home. Crafted with appealing stones, an outdoor stone fireplace causes a perfect gathering place on frosty nights.
Building it out of stone is the most preferable material for building an outdoor feature of any kind, as it is ongoing and non-combustible. This versatile material can be well-shaped and produced to suit any outdoor setting, both modern and classic, or even one that you thought out yourself.
Outdoor stone fireplaces are not only fun and great to sit around even during the winter months, but they also embody strength and durability and are a perfect option for the patio, backyard or pool. It is easier to install and clean when compared to a multitude of outdoor fireplaces. The most notable feature of any outdoor fireplace is this it can withstand the harsh climatic conditions.
The outdoor fire place can be a source of joy for the whole family, and in this time of energy problems and rising costs of heating it might serve as a partial solution for some, try thinking about what it would do for you.
You’ve looked over several magazines, websites and books about scrapbooking, and you feel like you’re ready to go. However, in all these articles you’ve looked over, you realize there are a few words that you’ve heard your wedding photographer talk about…words that scare you a little bit…and cause you to doubt yourself with the thought, “I’m not a professional photographer…what have I gotten myself into?” These frightening words you will find aren’t so frightening after all, and putting them into use will really spice up your scrapbook.
The first word is Cropping…which, simply put, is cutting off the boring, messy, or distracting parts of photos. For the most part, photos look best, and professional, when they have straight sides and clean edges, like a square or rectangle. Sometimes even a circle or ovals will work well. Another way to crop photos is to cut along the edges of an object or a person, like an outline, and remove the background altogether. If you’re really feeling creative, cut a portion of an object out of a photo, leaving the rest of the photo intact. This will give you a ‘jack-in-the-box’ effect.
It is important to use the proper tools when cropping your pictures so you get crisp, 90 degree angles. This may mean buying something else when you head to the craft store. There are numerous small, inexpensive paper cutters to help you with this job. Try to avoid cutting photos with the fancy-edged scissors from your child’s craft kit. Your best bet is to cut the photo with smooth edges and use the fancy scissors on a colored paper mat around the photo.
Speaking of mats…that brings up the second intimidating word…matting. Matting is basically giving your photo a background with a separate piece of paper. But, you may think, “Why waste the time doing that?” by having a narrow edge of colored paper around the outside edge of your photo, you can ‘bring out’ a certain color in photos. This can enhance the visual impact of the photo. Try using more than one color mat at a time. Don’t slack off with matting, rather, be creative, and you will find a little cropping and a little matting can really go a long way with your scrapbook.
To signup for 7 Great Scrapbooking Tips for free, check out http://www.scrapbooking-is-fun.info. Alternatively, check out the book “Creating Stunning Scrapbooks - 101 Handy Tips” at http://www.scrapbooking.learnheaps.com to learn more about scrapbooking.
Body jewelry has become an accepted form of self expression. We see it everywhere from the street to the gym to the pool. It is so common now that I barely even take notice when I see someone sporting lip rings or a stud in their tongue. A few years ago this would have been completely shocking to me, but now it is normal and almost passé. However, sexy body jewelry is something that will always be noticed, or perhaps will never be seen by anyone but that special someone.
One of the sexiest places for women to be pierced is the belly button. Of course for the ultimate effect of the sexy body jewelry it’s preferable that the woman have a toned and tanned stomach to go along with the jewels. For men, nipple piercing has become more popular. It’s not uncommon to go to the beach, pool or local gay bar and see more than a few men sporting some sort of jewelry in their nipples. Of course women may have their nipples pierced as well, but it’s not something most of us will encounter in a public place. There are plenty of other sexy places for piercing and body jewelry, but I will leave that discussion to your imagination.
