Abstract Art

Abstract art can be a painting or sculpture (including assemblage) that does not depict a person, place or thing in the natural world -- even in an extremely distorted or exaggerated way. Therefore, the subject of the work is based on what you see: color, shapes, brushstrokes, size, scale and, in some cases, the process (see action painting). Abstract art began in 1911 with such works as Picture with a Circle (1911) by the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944).

Kandinsky believed that colors provoke emotions. Red was lively and confident; Green was peaceful with inner strength; Blue was deep and supernatural; Yellow could be warm, exciting, disturbing or totally bonkers; and White seemed silent but full of possibilities. He also assigned instrument tones to go with each color: Red sounded like a trumpet; Green sounded like a middle-position violin; Light Blue sounded like flute; Dark Blue sounded like a cello, Yellow sounded like a fanfare of trumpets; and White sounded like the pause in a harmonious melody.

These analogies to sounds came from Kandinsky's appreciation for music, especially that by the contemporary Viennese composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951). Kandinsky's titles often refer to the colors in the composition or to music, for example "improvisation."

The French artist Robert Delaunay (1885-1941) belonged to Kandinsky's Blue Rider (Die Blaue Reiter) group, and with his wife, Russian-born Sonia Delaunay-Turk (1885-1979), they both gravitated toward abstraction in their own movement Orphism or Orphic Cubism.

What do you think about abstract art?

Realism

Realism depicts the world, its events, and people as they really are. There is no personification of people as mythological beings, no one is glorified, romanticizing anyone or anything is out. Realism is a social commentary on the world in which we live. Artists took the common and ordinary, and elevated them to a higher status.

The focus of Realism is on the common man. For too long the workers, peasants, and laborers of life were never the subject of art. Why? For one thing, common people never had the money to commission works of art. No farmer could trade crops for a portrait of himself farming, for instance. Nor did common people have the money to go to museums, Salons, or Academies of Art. And this despite making up the vast majority of people on Earth.

Artists like Gustave Courbet felt the need to depict ordinary people and show the rest of society what their lives were like. It was social commentary, pure and simple.

Do you like this style of art?

International Thank-You Day

 Each year January 11th is marked as International Thank You Day. The origin of the holiday seems to be unknown and many believe it was artificially created by some clever greeting cards company to help generate more sales, but it doesn't really make the concept less appealing, does it? All that is expected of you to participate in the International Thank You Day celebration is to show your appreciation to the people who make your life beautiful. A reason good enough to pen a thank you note to someone special, or even to yourself! 

How did you celebrate this day?

ART

ART is creative human skill.

ART is communication about the self and the world using  sight - the Visual Arts, sound - Music, words - the Literary Arts, actions - Dance and Drama.

ART can be a combination of all of these.

ART explores media, which are the materials, images, words and actions used.

ART explores messages, subjects and objects, themes and issues.

FORMS OF ART means the type of artwork such as drawing, painting, sculpture (carving, modelling, assemblage and construction), architecture, printmaking, electronic media such as computer and digital graphics, ceramics, Visual Design, Graphic Design, collage, photography.

What forms of arts are you interested in?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HOW TO SPEND SUMMER?

School year is over... Summer is waiting for you... These are some ways how to spend it the best way:

Take up a job

Many companies hire teenagers during the summer season. Most companies face a crunch, what with existing staff vacationing with their families. Hence, for those with career aspirations, get a job. Who's hiring? Almost everyone. If you have a skill, leverage it. Right from BPOs, software firms, advertising agencies, newspapers, corporates, hospitals, hotels... the list is endless.

Take up a hobby

Ya, right. So you've heard this before. But this time around, make it happen. First of all choose your hobby well. Let it be something you've been dying to do all your life. First of all, remember to list all the things you've wanted to do. Then identify the hobby that best fits your time, budget, and location.

Learn

Learn a new skill this vacation. Let it be a crash course on enhancing communication skills -- gaining this has become very essential for everyone. It could be a short typing course to enhance your typing skills.

Learn a new game

It's never too late to learn a new game. If you are hooked on to Playstation, move on to something else -- like the Age of Empires. Games are a huge industry and who knows, one of you might get into the industry because of your sheet passion for the game. And then, if you are the brick and mortar type, run to your local toy shop and buy something for yourself. I know a lot of young people out there who love to construct and deconstruct toys/games. For more ideas, you can check out:http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/.

Go adventure-hunting

If you are the adventurous type, the world has suddenly opened up for you. Hunt for new places where you can vacation and conduct adventure sports. It could be a local dam that very few have heard of or it could be the mountain patch that becomes accessible during this season.

Nurture a pet

It could be something as no-high-maintenance like a cat. If you have the will and the time, you could get yourself a dog, a rabbit, a duck, love birds, and such animals. Talk to someone who knows about animals to make your choice.

Do some volunteering

For the socially conscious, may be volunteering with some local social agency might be a good idea. There are many voluntary groups that regularly require youngsters to contribute to their effort. Especially, the NGOs that work with street children. You could enroll up for one of these.

Create a study group

The best way to share knowledge is to create study groups. These are groups of like-minded people, who come together to share thoughts and ideas. Some of the greatest thoughts in history have come due to interactions within the young, like you. Decide on a place and a time. Choose a topic to discuss and run it to ground. Many who are petrified of group discussions can find this activity beneficial.

Learn a new tool
There are some who learn when they create. Learn a new tool... it could be working with a pick-axe or learning to use the scissor well. You could even learn tools like the tools from different ethnicities.

How are you going to spend your vocations?

How to Make a Career Choice

There are hundreds of career options out there. How do you make a career choice when you don't really know what you want to do? Does it seem like an insurmountable task? It's not. Yes, you will have to put some time and energy into making your decision, but your effort will be well worth it in the end. Follow these steps to making a good career choice. Before you can make a career choice you  have to learn about yourself. Your values, interests, skills, in combination with certain personality traits, will make some careers especially suitable for you and some particularly inappropriate.

Take a Career Quiz

http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/quizzes/workpreference_quiz.html

Do you agree with the results?