A painting by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo called Tres Personajes ("Three People") was rescued from the trash on the side of a New York City street, just 20 minutes before the trash truck came by. The painting is expected to get up to one million dollars at auction. It was stolen 20 years ago. The lady who found the painting discovered it was stolen while she was doing Internet research on the painting she rescued. So now the rightful owners have the painting, and she will also receive $15,000 of reward money!
Read the full story here: LINK
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
California Fire Charities
If you would like to help the fire victims in California,
CNN just recommended two charities for this:
FatherJoesVillages.org
and the San Diego Humane Society
I think there are also charities listed on CNN.com
CNN just recommended two charities for this:
FatherJoesVillages.org
and the San Diego Humane Society
I think there are also charities listed on CNN.com
Monday, October 22, 2007
Are you a Cat Person or a Dog Person?
We have 2 Cat Persons and 2 Dog Persons in our family.
The youngest two kids, I'm not sure about yet but I think one is a Dog Person and the other is a Cat Person, which will make us 3 for Dogs and 3 for Cats.
If someone can handle a dog panting Alpo-breath right in his or her face, well, they are a definite Dog Person. They like everyone.
A Cat Person tends to be more quiet and calm than the Dog Person. Cat People don't like anyone getting right up in their face and panting. Cat People recognize that a human being has to earn a cat's respect.
A Dog Person thinks that cats need to stop being so stuck up.
A Cat Person will spend $15,000 on their cat's kidney operation.
A Dog Person thinks Fluffy's company isn't worth that much money.
A Cat Person thinks it's nasty that dogs poop anywhere with total abandon. They think it's also gross that dog owners need to pick up their dog's 'doodie.'
A Dog Person thinks it's nasty that cats go doodie in a box that you keep in your house.
They also think it's gross that cat owners need to scoop out the cat box.
But we need to come up with a name for a person who is a little of both. I am probably 70% Dog Person and 30% Cat Person.
Overall, I prefer dogs, but we had a cat for 18 years who I loved dearly (although we had the usual Dog Person/Cat disagreements.) We had to euthanize her 2-1/2 years ago. It was an unexpected turn of events, and I had to cry in my car for about 45 minutes before I could drive home. So, maybe I am mostly a Dog Person, but a cat stole my heart.
My dog portraits in pencil
Cat portrait drawn in pencil
The youngest two kids, I'm not sure about yet but I think one is a Dog Person and the other is a Cat Person, which will make us 3 for Dogs and 3 for Cats.
How do you recognize whether a person is a
dog person or a cat person?
dog person or a cat person?
If someone can handle a dog panting Alpo-breath right in his or her face, well, they are a definite Dog Person. They like everyone.
A Cat Person tends to be more quiet and calm than the Dog Person. Cat People don't like anyone getting right up in their face and panting. Cat People recognize that a human being has to earn a cat's respect.
A Dog Person thinks that cats need to stop being so stuck up.
A Cat Person will spend $15,000 on their cat's kidney operation.
A Dog Person thinks Fluffy's company isn't worth that much money.
A Cat Person thinks it's nasty that dogs poop anywhere with total abandon. They think it's also gross that dog owners need to pick up their dog's 'doodie.'
A Dog Person thinks it's nasty that cats go doodie in a box that you keep in your house.
They also think it's gross that cat owners need to scoop out the cat box.
But we need to come up with a name for a person who is a little of both. I am probably 70% Dog Person and 30% Cat Person.
Overall, I prefer dogs, but we had a cat for 18 years who I loved dearly (although we had the usual Dog Person/Cat disagreements.) We had to euthanize her 2-1/2 years ago. It was an unexpected turn of events, and I had to cry in my car for about 45 minutes before I could drive home. So, maybe I am mostly a Dog Person, but a cat stole my heart.
My dog portraits in pencil
Cat portrait drawn in pencil
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Ch-Ch-Changes...
I made some changes to the blog this morning. I have been meaning to do some updating for some time now, then I ran across this web article that just repeated what I already knew - my blog had gotten overly filled with ads on the sidebars, and looked tacky. I didn't even need to read the whole article before I decided I needed to make the changes immediately.
I kept a few good ads and put them on the lower left side of the blog, then I thought it would be nice to give smaller businesses the ability to do some advertising here on the Artist Life blog.
There's a little box on the left that says "See Your AD Here"....it is not pay per click advertising (which can be a bad choice for advertisers because of click fraud) - the little ad box is ads that you can buy for periods of time. You choose by what period of time you would like to advertise.
It is incredibly easy to place an ad, and if you want to put in a bid for another price for your ad, feel free to do that too. If it is reasonable, and your company/product is family friendly, chances are good that your ad will be approved. CLICK HERE if you would like more information on placing your advertisement.
I kept a few good ads and put them on the lower left side of the blog, then I thought it would be nice to give smaller businesses the ability to do some advertising here on the Artist Life blog.
There's a little box on the left that says "See Your AD Here"....it is not pay per click advertising (which can be a bad choice for advertisers because of click fraud) - the little ad box is ads that you can buy for periods of time. You choose by what period of time you would like to advertise.
It is incredibly easy to place an ad, and if you want to put in a bid for another price for your ad, feel free to do that too. If it is reasonable, and your company/product is family friendly, chances are good that your ad will be approved. CLICK HERE if you would like more information on placing your advertisement.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Question of Using Grids to Draw
"Hello, my name is Morgan. I like to draw pencil portraits.
I have used griding on a couple of my last drawings. They turn out more proportional, but I feel like it is not the real deal. It seems like almost anyone could just grid a drawing. Do you think that is cheating in order to sell them? Thanks"
Dear Morgan,
No - I don't think it's cheating at all. I think Michaelangelo used a grid system (I might have the wrong artist, but it was one of the 'greats' like him)...in their day, they used a wire grid that was set up vertically, with candlelight cast through it, to have the grid fall on the subject and/or their paper.
When we take our car to the mechanic, and he uses diagnostics and special equipment to get the car fixed right, nobody would argue that he is doing a good job and a right job. For some odd reason, when artists use tools and techniques to get a good end result, it's a problem?!?
I think if anyone else accuses you of 'cheating,' and they are an artist, they are just jealous.
Some people think that all great art must come through great pain and suffering, and I think that's just silly.
I do feel that the grid system is fine if you can also draw well on your own, or to use it as a starting off point, but to try not to depend only on any one method, there are so many approaches to drawing.
Hope this helps,
Darla
I have used griding on a couple of my last drawings. They turn out more proportional, but I feel like it is not the real deal. It seems like almost anyone could just grid a drawing. Do you think that is cheating in order to sell them? Thanks"
Dear Morgan,
No - I don't think it's cheating at all. I think Michaelangelo used a grid system (I might have the wrong artist, but it was one of the 'greats' like him)...in their day, they used a wire grid that was set up vertically, with candlelight cast through it, to have the grid fall on the subject and/or their paper.
When we take our car to the mechanic, and he uses diagnostics and special equipment to get the car fixed right, nobody would argue that he is doing a good job and a right job. For some odd reason, when artists use tools and techniques to get a good end result, it's a problem?!?
I think if anyone else accuses you of 'cheating,' and they are an artist, they are just jealous.
Some people think that all great art must come through great pain and suffering, and I think that's just silly.
I do feel that the grid system is fine if you can also draw well on your own, or to use it as a starting off point, but to try not to depend only on any one method, there are so many approaches to drawing.
Hope this helps,
Darla
MySuperSaving Site
A friend of mine, Lin, has a website with links to free samples and deals.
Today (October 18,2007 only) you can try it out for free!
She has disabled the password protection, so you can go in and try out the entire site. If you like it, you can sign up to receive one month's free trial. After that, it's only $3 a month.
Check it out at: http://www.mysupersaving.com/
Today (October 18,2007 only) you can try it out for free!
She has disabled the password protection, so you can go in and try out the entire site. If you like it, you can sign up to receive one month's free trial. After that, it's only $3 a month.
Check it out at: http://www.mysupersaving.com/
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Send letters of Thanksgiving to the Troops
Want to send a letter of thanksgiving to our troops? Please read below - also please do NOT send the letters to me, but follow the directions in the letter below if you would like to participate. Thanks! Darla
The Bert Show's Big Thank You
Each letter should be heartfelt, handwritten, original, and free of any political statements. The purpose of the letter is to express thanks to the military personnel serving the United States. We reserve the right to eliminate those messages that are political in nature and that do not reflect a positive message in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Those letters will be destroyed.
All letters must be on 8.5 X 11 paper or smaller. Do not use glue, tape, staples, cardboard, glitter or otherwise attach anything to the paper. Decorate using crayons, pencil, etc. Use both side if you like, but use one page per letter only. Do not send cards or photographs. Feel free to include your mailing and email address, if you like and you may get a response. Do not put letters in individual envelopes.
Do not send anything except letters. We cannot accept donations of any kind, and they should not be included or attached to letters.
Please review the guidelines below to submit your letters:
Every individual letter is important, but for organizational purposes, please try to submit letters in bulk whenever possible. Work with your school, church, sorority/fraternity, office, neighborhood, etc. and send all letters bundled as directed below.
Letters should be bundled in groups of 50, 100, or 250 and held together in with two rubber bands, one wrapped lengthwise and the other widthwise. This will help tremendously with sorting. The top page in the bundle should indicate clearly how many letters are included. Do not bundle letters unless they are in groups of 50, 100, or 250.
If you have a partial bundle of less than 50 letters, fasten them together with a paperclip. The top page in the group should clearly indicate how many letters are included.
If you are submitting 10 or fewer letters, the letters can be folded to fit into a standard business-size envelope.
Starting on Wednesday, October 17, letters can be dropped off at any Atlanta-area Taco Mac loaction. These locations can be found by clicking here: http://www.taco-mac.com/georgia.htm
If you prefer to mail in your letters, send them here:
The Bert Show's Big Thank You
3070 Windward Plaza
Suite F 350
Alpharetta, GA 30005
Our deadline is Friday October 26. All letters MUST be received by this day. Letters received after that deadline may not be sent to the military and will not be returned.
The Bert Show's Big Thank You
Each letter should be heartfelt, handwritten, original, and free of any political statements. The purpose of the letter is to express thanks to the military personnel serving the United States. We reserve the right to eliminate those messages that are political in nature and that do not reflect a positive message in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Those letters will be destroyed.
All letters must be on 8.5 X 11 paper or smaller. Do not use glue, tape, staples, cardboard, glitter or otherwise attach anything to the paper. Decorate using crayons, pencil, etc. Use both side if you like, but use one page per letter only. Do not send cards or photographs. Feel free to include your mailing and email address, if you like and you may get a response. Do not put letters in individual envelopes.
Do not send anything except letters. We cannot accept donations of any kind, and they should not be included or attached to letters.
Please review the guidelines below to submit your letters:
Every individual letter is important, but for organizational purposes, please try to submit letters in bulk whenever possible. Work with your school, church, sorority/fraternity, office, neighborhood, etc. and send all letters bundled as directed below.
Letters should be bundled in groups of 50, 100, or 250 and held together in with two rubber bands, one wrapped lengthwise and the other widthwise. This will help tremendously with sorting. The top page in the bundle should indicate clearly how many letters are included. Do not bundle letters unless they are in groups of 50, 100, or 250.
If you have a partial bundle of less than 50 letters, fasten them together with a paperclip. The top page in the group should clearly indicate how many letters are included.
If you are submitting 10 or fewer letters, the letters can be folded to fit into a standard business-size envelope.
Starting on Wednesday, October 17, letters can be dropped off at any Atlanta-area Taco Mac loaction. These locations can be found by clicking here: http://www.taco-mac.com
If you prefer to mail in your letters, send them here:
The Bert Show's Big Thank You
3070 Windward Plaza
Suite F 350
Alpharetta, GA 30005
Our deadline is Friday October 26. All letters MUST be received by this day. Letters received after that deadline may not be sent to the military and will not be returned.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Whew!
| You Could Not Be a Vampire |
 Sorry, but you're not just cut out for flesh eating, turning into a bat, and living forever. But that's okay. The sight of blood turns your stomach... without even thinking of drinking it. And while you definitely would never be a vampire, you're exactly the type of frail prey Dracula wannabe's crave. Maybe it's time to arm yourself with a cross and some nasty garlic breath! What you would like best about being a vampire: The raw power (though you wouldn't admit it to anyone) What you would like least about being a vampire: The whole killing thing |
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Nice new look of website
If you haven't been to my website lately, check out the new look: LINK
What's new is the 'topper' or leaderboard I think they call it, at the very top of my site.
I just love how it has depth and that two-toned swoosh line. The left part of it is basically my new logo that I will need to incorporate into all my marketing materials (oh great, work!) But it looks so wonderful it will be so worth any time it takes to get it all organized.
I shouldn't have been putting this off for so long. It's really 'Step One' of branding, to think of a logo etc.
If you like it and want something for your site, here's the lady to contact, and tell her I sent you!
She was great to work with!
~Darla
What's new is the 'topper' or leaderboard I think they call it, at the very top of my site.
I just love how it has depth and that two-toned swoosh line. The left part of it is basically my new logo that I will need to incorporate into all my marketing materials (oh great, work!) But it looks so wonderful it will be so worth any time it takes to get it all organized.
I shouldn't have been putting this off for so long. It's really 'Step One' of branding, to think of a logo etc.
If you like it and want something for your site, here's the lady to contact, and tell her I sent you!
She was great to work with!
~Darla
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
How long will my graphite pencil portraits last?
Well, the first drawings were done in the 1400's.
Drawings that Rembrandt, Durer, and other artists created
in the 1500's survive today.
That is a very long time, but when you take into account
that they did not have the quality of materials that are available today, that is a VERY long time!
When you go about ordering a pencil portrait, the quality of materials the artist uses should be taken into strong consideration. It's not just about price when you are considering something that is important to you and your family history.
I use acid free Strathmore 500 professional grade drawing paper.
I special-order the pencils I use. They are Japanese animation pencils, because I find they have a greater amount of graphite in them. They also have a very smooth quality that I love. I put my pencil portraits in archival art sleeves that I also special order.
So how long will my pencil portraits last?
Considering the better quality materials, if you keep your portrait out of direct light - (light is okay, just don't let strong light hit it continuously)...
A pencil portrait I create for you should last at least 500 years with proper care. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a family member's pencil portrait from so many years ago, handed down in the family? You can start that tradition, today.
See my art portfolio online at http://www.pencil-portrait-drawing-artist.com
All portraits are unconditionally guaranteed.
Darla
Drawings that Rembrandt, Durer, and other artists created
in the 1500's survive today.
That is a very long time, but when you take into account
that they did not have the quality of materials that are available today, that is a VERY long time!
When you go about ordering a pencil portrait, the quality of materials the artist uses should be taken into strong consideration. It's not just about price when you are considering something that is important to you and your family history.
I use acid free Strathmore 500 professional grade drawing paper.
I special-order the pencils I use. They are Japanese animation pencils, because I find they have a greater amount of graphite in them. They also have a very smooth quality that I love. I put my pencil portraits in archival art sleeves that I also special order.
So how long will my pencil portraits last?
Considering the better quality materials, if you keep your portrait out of direct light - (light is okay, just don't let strong light hit it continuously)...
A pencil portrait I create for you should last at least 500 years with proper care. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a family member's pencil portrait from so many years ago, handed down in the family? You can start that tradition, today.
See my art portfolio online at http://www.pencil-portrait-drawing-artist.com
All portraits are unconditionally guaranteed.
Darla
Monday, October 01, 2007
Homes of the Billionaires
If you could own any of these billionaire's homes,
which one would you pick and why?
I like Paul Allen's home (pictured here), I kind of like its' Frank Lloyd Wright sort of look.
I'm not taking any amenities into account, just going by the look of the outside of the house.
Of course, the yacht isn't half bad either.
See all the homes here and come back and comment and let us know which one you would live in! LINK
my house portraits in pencil drawn from your photo: LINK
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
