Word Count:
424

Summary:
Introduction to the striking art style of the Northwest Coast Native American Indians.

Keywords:
northwest, coast, native, american, art, pacific, canada, british columbia, vancouver

Article Body:
I had lived in Vancouver very briefly as a child and it was during that time when I was first exposed to the art of the Northwest Coast Native American Indians. It was the towering colorful totem poles out in Stanley Park that everyone gazed at with wonder and appreciation. It took about 30 years later during a return trip to Vancouver when Northwest Coast Native American art caught my eyes again.

I was in Vancouver for business and landed at the city’s new airport terminal. One could not help but notice the huge native carvings near the arrivals area. Later on during my stay, I decided to wander around in the Gastown district. It was in these shops and galleries in Gastown where I fell in love with Northwest Coast Native American art. I saw many wonderful wooden plaques representing different animals. There were also art prints, paintings, masks, wooden bowls and even furnature with these animals either painted or carved right into the pieces.

The colors and designs, which might be considered a bit exaggerated to non-native eyes, were striking as well as bold. I knew at that time that I wanted to include some of this magnificent artwork on my walls back at home. So I bought two plaque carvings and carried them home like newly found treasure.

Historically, the native Indians who lived along the river valleys and coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest were all hunters and gatherers. The region was blessed with abundant resources from both the seas and forests. These people captured in their artwork the animals they hunted and observed. These included bears, killer whales, eagles, ravens, salmons, wolves, hummingbirds and even frogs. Chiefs and mythical characters important in their legends such as thunderbirds were also included as art subjects.

Northwest Coast Native American art is just only recently gaining some major attention in some galleries and museums around the world. Compared to other native arts such as Inuit (Eskimo), exposure of Northwest Coast Native American art is still rather limited to the northwest coast of Canada and the United States. This form of artwork is virtually unknown to most parts of the world including many regions of North America. This will hopefully change as more people from around the world travel to Vancouver. The future winter Olympics in 2010 up in Whistler, BC will also have a positive impact on the region’s Native Indian art. I personally believe that Northwest Coast Native American art has a lot of potential to be internationally recognized and accepted.

Word Count:
495

Summary:
I have loved art for as long as I can remember. As a child I spent hour after hour doing art projects of all kinds with my mother and my siblings. We would paint, practice sewing or create things out of clay for hours on end. I never knew that the amount of art projects we worked on was abnormal until I got a bit older and heard all of my friends and school talking about their years of playing with trucks and action figures or being outside building forts. I guess our mother …

Keywords:
teen art

Article Body:
I have loved art for as long as I can remember. As a child I spent hour after hour doing art projects of all kinds with my mother and my siblings. We would paint, practice sewing or create things out of clay for hours on end. I never knew that the amount of art projects we worked on was abnormal until I got a bit older and heard all of my friends and school talking about their years of playing with trucks and action figures or being outside building forts. I guess our mother wanted us to be well rounded individuals so she started us on all things art from the start. I don’t remember exactly what kind of teen art I created during my formative years, but I do know that it wasn’t until recently that I learned to appreciate teen art.

To the surprise of no one that I knew, I decided to become an art teacher when I went to college. I loved art so much that I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my days than on teaching children and teens more about the things I loved. I enjoyed my elementary aged students immensely from the beginning. I loved their curiosity and I enjoyed the way they saw art. It was the teen art that my junior high aged students were creating that took me a while to adjust to.

The thing about teen art is that it is less than traditional and often it needs to be classified outside of any established genres of art. The teens in my art classes saw art in a much different way than I expected, and hence their work was much different as well. I would give them an assignment and they would create work so unlike what I had asked for and yet so creative that I couldn’t complain.

I have realized that teen art needs to be a genre of art all by itself. Why? I’ve determined that teen art is so unique because of the time of life that it represents. Teens are going through the ultimate time of transition, so it makes sense that their art would have a particular perspective and slant. And as different as teen art can often be, I have learned to appreciate it. I have learned to see it through the eyes of a teenager exploring the world and trying to make sense of their place in the world.

If you have a teenager who likes to play around with any art form, then you probably know exactly what I’m talking about with teen art. In fact, you’ve probably had similar issues in trying to recognize, define or categorize the art work that seems to make your teen come alive. My advice to you is this: teen art is something entirely of its own kind. Stop trying to make teen art into something else, and instead just enjoy it for what it is.

Word Count:
609

Summary:
One of the quickest and more effective ways to expose your art or crafts to the public is by opening a booth at an art or craft show.

Keywords:
sell art,selling art,art marketing,art shows

Article Body:
One of the quickest and more effective ways to expose your art or crafts to the public is by opening a booth at an art or craft show. Thousands of people come to these art shows each year with the intention of buying something, and there doesn?t appear to be an end in sight.

Before you pack your bags and head out to the next show, you should definitely learn as much as you can about art shows. This type of work requires planning, research and various expenses, and may not be for everyone.

A great starting point is to visit http://www.sunshineartist.com. Sunshine Artist is a great magazine that covers art shows in detail. They provide listings of upcoming art shows and information on how you can participate. They also evaluate art shows and provide reports on sales, attendance, and other important details.

It may be a good idea to head out to your first art show as a visitor before actually setting up shop. Once you arrive, walk around and just observe how everything works. Observe the booths that have the most traffic and see what they are doing right. Introduce yourself to the booth owner and see if they are open to talking about their success with you. As long as they are not in direct competition with you, they should be happy to give you some pointers.

When you sell your work at an art show you are selling directly to the public. You make all of the profit. There is no need to share a huge percentage with an agent or gallery owner.

It is probably best to sell items at various prices to accommodate the different buyers that come to your booth. If you typically sell paintings for thousands of dollars, offer smaller, more affordable prints as well. This way, your art can be available to everyone.

Make sure you can accept credit cards. Many people who visit art shows pay by credit card. If you aren?t set up to accept credit cards, then you will more than likely lose sales.

Setting up and running a booth at an art show can be challenging. Bring a family member or friend along to help you set up and help customers. It?s also nice to have someone to keep you company and provide support and encouragement.

Art and Craft shows are a great way to build a customer mailing list. Set up a little section at your booth inviting customers and browsers to provide you with their name, address, and email address. Next time you attend an art show, you can send out a mailer to your list. You can also let your mailing list know about any new art or crafts you have for sale. It may not be easy to build a mailing list, as people are a bit hesitant when it comes to parting with personal information. To entice people to join, you can offer something for free. You could create small color postcard prints of your work and put them in inexpensive frames and give those away to each subscriber.

Make sure you keep track of your expenses and sales. You want to determine if you actually made a profit, otherwise you may have to make adjustments or possibly not attend the same art show again.

Don?t get discouraged if you don?t make a huge profit your first time out. Like I said in the beginning, art shows may not be for every artist. Many artists sell at art shows exclusively, while others only use art shows once in a while for marketing purposes.

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393

Summary:
Helping you make the right decisions when buying fine art online

Keywords:
art, buy art, artwork, paintings, sculptures, oil painting, art gallery, buy art online, buy artwork,

Article Body:
Just a few years ago it seemed people thought the idea of purchasing ?clothing? through the internet was absurd. How would you know if it fits? What if it doesn?t fit? What if my credit card number gets stolen? Those were just a few of the many questions I personally had five or so years ago. Hopefully this article will help enlighten some of your inquiries.

The internet has significantly changed the art market. Significantly, meaning people now have choices at their fingertips. The sometimes intimidating and cold art galleries, is now an option. With many art websites offering money back guarantees, secure shopping and customer support, people do not have to feel as though purchasing anything off the site is Russian roulette.

Here are some hints and tips I feel might be useful:

Search and Search Some More: Without the hassles of walking/driving from one gallery to another and limiting gallery hours you have more time at your disposal to do your research. You will have the ability to view hundreds of artworks within the average time someone will be able to see a dozen by actually going to a gallery. For me that means a greater chance to find a new painting I will fall in love with.

Take your Time: Yes buying off the internet is far from perfect so follow your heart and take your time. Send the image to your friends, research the artist and take advantage of the many gallery website features available at your disposal, such as ?view-to-scale, background colors, zoom, etc?. Ask questions if you want by emailing the website and also you can compare shop. Remember if you like one artwork and its too expensive for your taste or pocketbook there is surely another painting that is similar and can fit your budget.

Protect Yourself: Read up on the website. Find out how long its been in business. See if the website provides secure shopping and secured online purchases. Read about what the customers and any articles have to say about the website and its artists. Check if the artwork will come with an authentication that you feel comfortable with and find out if they have a return policy that you find reasonable. When you have done your homework, buy the artwork and enjoy your new artwork purchased through the future of art shopping with confidence.

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509

Summary:
Buy lovely statues and works of art from ancient history at a fraction of the cost. Learn how in this quick guide to ancient art replicas…

Keywords:
ancient art replicas,christian art, buddhist art, buy buddhist art, foodogs, greek art, buy greek art

Article Body:
An affordable way to get unique works of art for your home or business is to buy ancient art replicas. These are beautifully created replicas of artwork or statues from ancient history. Art replicas can resemble modern art or art from hundreds or thousands of years ago. Ancient art replicas often date back to Egyptian art, Greek art, and ancient Christian art, or periods in history that have been long forgotten.

What is an Art Replica?

An art replica is not an original work, but a very accurate reproduction of the original. Art replicas are usually produced from scratch or touched up by skilled artists. Some art painting replicas are painted entirely from scratch while others might be copied digitally or by print and then highlighted by an artist’s brush.

Ancient art replicas portray the feeling and real-life sentiment of the original piece of work. Whether it’s an ancient painting by a Greek artist or statues of FooDogs, the replica artists or craftsmen make a great effort to recreate the original work. High quality replica paintings are usually hand-painted on canvas and are not merely “copies” of the painting. This gives the paintings a more authentic look and feel.

Ancient Art Replica Statues

Statues from the past can be replicated by creating a cast to match the shape and size of an original statue. A master mold is then turned into a replica statue using the utmost detail to capture the same quality as the original. You can buy amazing Buddhist art or Greek art statues in life-like forms to place in a home, business, or religious establishment. Ancient art replicas are lovely and admirable just like the original statues, but at only a fraction of the cost.

Benefits of Buying Ancient Art Replicas

There are several benefits of buying ancient art replicas. You’ll receive a high-quality painting or statue that is not merely a “copy.” Replicas are often created with the same amount of care as an original work and will closely resemble the original. Ancient art replicas make wonderful decor pieces and often stir conversation wherever they’re found. The statue replicas can be placed inside or outdoors. Also, art replicas are available at affordable prices. If buying an original artwork or statue, you might pay thousands of dollars whereas replica pricing often ranges from $50 to $300.

Ancient art replicas are available for many types of art as well so you can choose from thousands of products. There are also websites that specialize in ancient replicas so you can buy Greek art, Christian art, Buddhist art, FooDogs, and more from your own computer. Statues come in many shapes and sizes as well as themes so you can easily find one or two to add to your current d?cor. Whether you prefer Christian artwork such as a Celtic cross or Byzantine cross, or Buddhist art such as a statue of Buddha Amitayus or a Buddha in teaching pose, there are plenty to choose from.

Use art replicas to bring ancient history to life in your home or business today!

Word Count:
568

Summary:
Use these tips to find quality artwork while keeping spending to a minimum.

Keywords:
buy artwork online, art tips, digital reproduction, buying art online, new artists, paintings, find quality artwork

Article Body:
With plenty of artwork available online today, art lovers use this newfound market to secure masterpieces and home decor art at incredible prices. If you love to buy art, the Internet can be a valuable resource, saving you time and money. But first, learn to shop for art online wisely and be careful when choosing artwork. Use these tips to find quality artwork while keeping spending to a minimum.

Discover New Artists

The Internet offers a great opportunity to explore artwork and discover new artists. Use the power of search to find hundreds of artists. Then surf through their available paintings to find the styles that appeal to you. Ask questions about the artists by email or phone. Some artists or art retail companies use experienced art consultants to answer questions. Take advantage of this service when available.

Keep in mind that there are thousands of new artists who are very talented. Since they?re just starting out, they might offer their paintings for far less than a famous artist. Some original paintings by new artists can increase in value tremendously over time, as the artist becomes better known in the art world.

Use search engines to find art by certain keywords such as: artist name, type of art (landscapes, people, antiques, flowers, children, animals), date or time period of artwork, and medium (watercolor, acrylic, oil).

Online Tools to See the Scale of the Painting

Use Web tools that enable you to see the actual size and scale of a painting and how it would look in a room on a wall. Some websites provide these tools to help art buyers see how the artwork would look on their wall. They can choose different wall colors, frames, matting, and a variety of sizes to get a feel for how the art would complement their own home.

Authentication – Is It Important?

Buying art online is similar to buying jewelry or any other high-ticket retail item. Whether authentication is important or not is really up to you as the buyer. A good rule of thumb is if you plan to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a piece of art for investment purposes, then you’ll want to be sure it’s authentic. Use an authenticity service that you feel comfortable with and make sure the painting is not a reproduction or digital reproduction.

Also, consider if having original pieces of art is important to you. Some art lovers admire the detail, love, and experience put into a sole piece of art. They are very willing to pay more for original paintings, even if only for pleasure.

If you want artwork simply for decorating your home and have a limited budget, digital reproductions are available online at very affordable prices. These reproductions look similar to the originals, but have been reproduced for mass distribution.

Visit Local Galleries

You can also find great new artists and ideas by visiting your local art galleries. Take pen and paper with you to write down artists or the names of paintings that catch your eye. Then go online to search for these artists to see their other paintings.

Always check out online art retailers through the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Online to be sure the companies are trustworthy. Buying artwork online can be an enjoyable experience if you take time to explore all the beautiful paintings and find artwork that fits your style and budget.

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380

Summary:
If watercolor paintings are your style then here are some watercolor techniques you should try.

?Washing? is a technique commonly used with watercolors. You start by wetting the area of the paper that will be covered with the wash. Then mix up enough pigment to fill the area and apply the pigment starting at the top and overlapping on any horizontal bands. The wash is then left to dry. Don?t work it as it will even itself out as it dries.

The technique called ?dropping…

Keywords:
watercolor, painting

Article Body:
If watercolor paintings are your style then here are some watercolor techniques you should try.

?Washing? is a technique commonly used with watercolors. You start by wetting the area of the paper that will be covered with the wash. Then mix up enough pigment to fill the area and apply the pigment starting at the top and overlapping on any horizontal bands. The wash is then left to dry. Don?t work it as it will even itself out as it dries.

The technique called ?dropping in color? is a process where an additional color is added to a wet area of the painting which is then allowed to naturally bleed without any interference by the artist. The results are unpredictable with interesting color gradations.

?Glazing? is a technique similar to a wash, but instead of application to a wet surface a thin layer of pigment is applied to a dry surface over washes that already exist. It is used to adjust tone and color on a wash, and it is applied in layers until the desired affect is reached. Just be sure that each layer is dry before applying the next layer. Auroline, cobalt blue and permanent rose are good transparent pigments to glaze with.

The ?wet in wet? is a technique where you fill your brush with a very wet pigment that is then applied to a wet paper. It can be applied on top of existing washes that have dried. Just dampen these areas with a large brush. This technique provides soft subtle marks that are great for background areas.

The ?dry brush? is opposite to the ?wet in wet? technique. The brush is filled with pigment with the use of minimal water and then it is dragged across the dry paper, producing a very crisp mark with a hard edge. It is an excellent technique for front work and points of interest.

?Lifting off? is an interesting technique where the pigment is dissolved and lifted off after it has dried. Just wet the area you want to lift and then use a tissue to blot the pigment off. Reds, yellows, and blues can be more difficult to lift.

Watercolor painting is an interesting form of artistic expression and it?s a common choice for beginning artists.

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296

Summary:
Glass painting is currently one of the fastest growing crafts in UK. The subject glass painting is so vast that one can just go on writing about it

Keywords:
glass painting,lass paint,traditional glass paints

Article Body:
Have you ever heard about glass painting? Glass painting is currently one of the fastest growing crafts in UK. The subject glass painting is so vast that one can just go on writing about it.

Painting on glass is different from painting on a book. They are different ways to paint on glass, ranging from using traditional oil paints to specialized glass paints. Traditional glass painting is painting done on the surface of a glass sheet. This type of method was followed to add minute details to faces and fold of clothing which couldn?t be added with the lead lines. Traditional glass painting is actually more of drawing than painting.

Types of Traditional Glass Paints are

? Vinegar Trace Paint
? Matt Paint
? Silver Paint
? Oil based stained glass paints

Glass Painting can also be done with paints that used to paint other surfaces. Some of the best examples would be oil paints, acrylic paints, model paints or automobile paints. Glass painting can be brushed by hand but air brushing can help you with better results.

Glass Paint Instructions:

? Select the right glass
? Clean the glass dry and place it over the top of pattern. Trace the pattern with a pencil with firm pressure.
? Apply liquid lead following the lines of the pattern under the glass. It would always be advisable to apply the lead from the center and work to outside.
? Mix stains and colors well. Always add dark colors to light colors
? Blend and shade with glass stain

How to clean up Glass Paints?
? Use a thinner or a cleaner to clean brushes, eyedroppers or airbrushes.
? Use Lacquer base glass paint or Lacquer based crystal paint to clean off your hands.
? Lacquer Paints are the best option to pat dry your hands than a cleaner.

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520

Summary:
Giclee (High quality inkjet printing) can be either outsourced or done in house. There are technical, time and financial considerations in choosing the best avenue.

Keywords:
giclee, canvas printing

Article Body:
Photographers as well as painters have realized the revenue potential of printing on the variety of papers available for giclee. Giclee is the use of high quality inket machines to produce prints that will stand quality and time requirements.

Depending on the number of expected output as well as financial, technical and time resources, a decision to buy a machine or outsource needs to be considered. The positive aspect of going in house is obvious: you can print whenever you wish. Also, aside from the time spent, the cost of producing a giclee is limited to the materials and a service contract after the warranty expires.

On the other hand, there are drawbacks: the obvious investment of purchasing the hardware such as a digital camera, scanner, computer, printer etc. To produce large format giclees, this can translate into tens of thousands of dollars. What is more important is the learning curve, which is steep: I have been a professional printmaker for 15 years and I am still learning. Finally, giclee production is time consuming both with file preparation as well as the printing itself.. Do not believe the hype of salespeople and manufacturers who tell you that color matching software and profiling have made color work easy. It is not easy: exact color corrections require skill such as expert use of color layers and Photoshop masking techniques. If you are striving for precise color matching, expect to invest years learning how to. Of course someone can be hired in house. Skilled color technicians come at a price and are not easy to find. Another consideration is how often the machine will be run.

These printers do not like to site unused for days. The nozzles will clog and it will cost money in inks to flush them.
An extreme example is the Iris, which will clog severely even overnight and the nozzles will need to be manually flushed with water.
If you are an artist or photographer with a lot of spare time, willing to invest money and long hours you may be a candidate. I believe that if I was a painter I would rather paint than play around with a mountain of digital equipment. Our clients are all busy professionals who wisely chose to invest their time creating art and going out to market and promote their work.

If you decide to outsource, there are basically two avenues. You can go with a full service giclee printing company that will scan, color correct and proof your work. It is the most expensive road to take because you will pay not only for the printing but the time involved in the color correction and proofing. Set up fees and extras are common place with this option.

If you have ready to print files because you are soft proofing and have good color management skills, express services that cater to skilled customers, will produce prints with the same equipment and materials available from the full service companies.

Many websites offer a lot of information about the giclee printing process. Take the time to explore them and decide which avenue to take.

Word Count:
400

Summary:
The association of giclee printing with its conceptual cousin – inkjet printing – has led some people to question the validity of this printing medium as a true fine art system. To address this, I think that it is first important to look at the history of fine art printmaking and see if giclee printing fulfil the parameters set out therein.

Fine art printmaking has traditionally been based on the concept of creating a master plate – known as the matrix – from the original …

Keywords:
giclee printing, canvas wraps, prints on canvas, fine art printing, limited edition prints

Article Body:
The association of giclee printing with its conceptual cousin – inkjet printing – has led some people to question the validity of this printing medium as a true fine art system. To address this, I think that it is first important to look at the history of fine art printmaking and see if giclee printing fulfil the parameters set out therein.

Fine art printmaking has traditionally been based on the concept of creating a master plate – known as the matrix – from the original and using this to reproduce a predetermined number of ‘editions’ of the original artwork. Historically, the matrix was then destroyed by the artist, producing a set of truly limited edition prints. The more traditional printing techniques such as etching, lithography and linocut have evolved into art forms themselves and required a huge degree of expertise to reproduce the original to the artist?s precise demands.

Nowadays, the production of a printing matrix is no longer necessary as the high quality scanning techniques employed by printing companies results in a perfect facsimile of the original painting or photograph. Giclee printing offers incredibly high degrees of fidelity and richness of colour when compared to other ‘traditional’ printing methods and because no screen or other mechanical device is used, there is no visible dot pattern. The expertise that is employed involves the careful monitoring of the colour system through the use of colour profiling techniques and the understanding of the colourspace that the machine operates within.

The print-on-demand nature of the printing process enables photographers and artists to maintain full control over the artistic integrity of their work which, coupled with the proven archival permanence of giclee prints (when coupled with specifically designed output media and inks) ensures that the artist’s work will be enjoyed for decades. Naturally, the understanding between the artist and their customers that the edition is truly limited must be maintained. The matrix is no longer destroyed, but the original scanned file must be deleted or removed from circulation upon reaching the defined number of released editions, but this has always been the case and the advent of giclee printing has no impact on this mutual understanding.

Giclee printing is indeed a fine art printing technique and one that is truly liberating for photographers and artists wishing to share their work with the widest possible audience whilst achieving a quality that was hitherto unobtainable without huge expense.