Beware the eyes…an intriguing and deftly executed new street art project from Barcelona.
Chronicled on tumblr at Ojo Senor
The Streets Have Eyes – Los Ojos de Barcelona
Snuff Bottles – China’s Historical Art and Culture
Snuff bottles were used to store snuff. This display was inside the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore. Snuff was powdered tobacco mixed with a blend of aromatic substances. This was rumored to be a magical panacea for common ills, including the cold. It was taken by breathing in the fragrant aromas which were emitted after effervescence. Snuff consumption was a habit that quickly developed into an addiction. It was a manifestation of the class and the upper and ruling classes used it to show off their status and re-instate their place in the social hierarchy.
This practice started in the Qing dynasty, in the 18th century, in China. Due to its reputation of possessing medicinal properties, snuff consumption slowly propagated all over China. China’s weather is humid and the snuff had to be stored in small, portable containers.
Each bottle had its own miniature spoon to scoop out the measured portions of snuff. This tobacco can be placed on a snuff dish or in the palm and slowly enjoyed through breathing in via the nose.
Common flavors of snuff included spearmint, cinnamon, raspberry, orange, rose, menthol, camphor, whiskey, bourbon and tonka bean.
It was insufficient to boast that one smoked snuff. The snuff bottles gained attention when workmanship distinguished their price and uniqueness. The more intricate the design, the more valuable it became and the humble functional snuff bottle became the trophy of merit.
The rich showed off their wealth, status and power by owning exquisitely hand crafted snuff bottles. Precious materials like jade, porcelain, lacquer, amber, coral, hornbill, bamboo or other natural resources were used to make snuff bottles. There is literally no limit in the types of snuff bottles that can be designed. The snuff bottle is the average size of a bottle of prescription medicine from the doctor.
http://artculture.com/culture/traditions/snuff-bottles
"street art on the reservation"
Chip Thomas is a man with multiple identities. He’s a longtime Indian Health Service physician working on the Navajo Reservation. He’s also a great photographer. He’s also the wheatpaste artist known asJetsorama, and his large, street art-style images of the people in his community resonate with striking power against the stark Arizona landscape.
A site-specific installation by French and Chinese contemporary artist Huang Yong Ping is on display at theOceanographic Museum in Monaco. Titled ”Wu Zei”, the work accompanies the museum’s “Méditerranée”exhibition dedicated to dwindling biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea.
Wu Zei is a giant sea creature 25 meters across, meant to be a hybrid between an octopus and a cuttlefish. It hangs suspended from the museum’s famous Medusa chandelier–hence the glowing head–with tentacles reaching out into the exhibition space. The creature both evokes the life of the sea and refers to the looming, human-caused disasters that threaten marine life.
The installation is the latest an impressive series of efforts by the museum to link science–oceanography in particular–with art. The series includes last year’s Cornocopia exhibition by Damien Hirst, and an installation by Mark Dion coming later this year. Wu Zei will remain on view through May 2012.
A fast-rising star of theArgentinian art world,Adrián Villar Rojaswill represent his native country at this year’s Biennele in Venice. At just 31, he will be one of the youngest artists to be given the honors of national representation.
Adrián Villar Rojas emerged on the Buenos Aires art scene with exhibitions in 2004-2005, and achieved broader recognition in 2008-2009 in international exhibitions in Ecuador and Puerto Rico. In 2009 he produced his already iconic Mi familia muerta (my dead family), an enormous whale stranded in a forest, for the 2nd Biennial of the End of the World in Ushuaia, Argentina. Since 2010 his reputation has grown with the presentation of new large-scale works including Las mariposas eternas (the eternal butterflies) at the Kurimanzutto Gallery in Mexico City, and Mi abuelo muerto (my dead grandfather), a site-specific installation at the Berlin Academy of Art.
Rojas produces multimedia works that address broad, unanswerable but pressing questions about the nature of humanity and the fate of the world. His entry for theVenice Biennale 2011 promises to continue the line of monumental clay sculptures that began with Mi familia muerta, exploring themes of multiple realities and the nature of a civilization’s final aesthetic productions, “the last artwork of humanity.”Rojas highlights both his Argentinian creative heritage and metaphysical preoccupations in the title of his Venice entry: Ahora estaré con mi hijo (Now I shall be with my son) is a line from the Borges story “The Circular Ruins”. In the story a mystic spends years attempting to bring a boy to life by dreaming him into existence–only to discover, in the moments before his death, that he himself is the product of another’s dream. Rojas’s dream-become-real will soon be on display in the Argentina Pavilion at the Arsenale di Venezia.
“I build monuments because I’m not ready to lose anything.” Adrián Villar Rojas
I LOVE PAINTINGS
The festivities begin with the opening of Recent Paintings at Michael Kohn Gallery May 19. The show includes representative pieces from several recent bodies of work, in addition to a series of new paintings. Expect plenty of color and graphic complexity, in service of a world view that may or may not be illuminating.
THE FINE ART OF SURFING PHOTOGRAPHY
LA photographer and gallery owner Ed Freeman wants to takesurfing photography to a higher level. Which is not easy, given the vast cultural archive of imagery associated with perhaps the most photogenic of sports. Surf shots are fun to look at, documenting a unique convergence of raw natural beauty and human skill, grace and fortitude.
For his new show, Freeman tries to position his images outside the realm of documentary sports photography. He calls it “surfing photography as fine art”, and acknowledges up front that “this is not reportage photography…I’ve taken all the liberties in editing and retouching that are permitted to artists but forbidden to journalists.”
Freeman starts with a series of amazing images taken on Oahu’s North Shore. His artistic refinements and digital enhancements turn these into jaw-droppers. The stated goal is to capture not just the grace and beauty of surfing, but it’s spiritual heart and soul.
The show opens June 11 and runs all summer at the Ed Freeman Gallery. It’s at 945 Chung King Road in downtown LA.
Cultural Dance in Korea
This is one of the most popular and appealing Korean folk dances both at home and
abroad. This dance is performed by a troupe of youth with folding fans. The dancers
open and close the fans with a lighthearted smile to a flowing rhythm. The climax is
when the dancers form a big fluttering flower. They wear colorful costumes akin to
those once worn by dancers of the royal court. Note the crowns of peony blossoms
which are painted on their fans. It appears to have evolved under influence of both
shamanic and traditional Joseon Dynasty performance.
A JAPANESE DRESS
Kimono is a dress that the Japanese always wear. Kimono is a tradional dress in Japan. Like jere on our country we also have a traditinal dress we call it "Barong Tagalog"
Traditional clothing of the Edo period, (1600-1868), included the kimono and obi as we know them today. The obi did not, however, become a prominent part of a woman’s ensemble until the mid Edo period. It was then that designers, weavers and dyers all focused their talent on creating a longer, wider and more elaborate obi. Obi measurement was then standardised to 360cm long by 30cm wide.
Edo fashion was influenced by the design and style that courtesans and entertainers wear. Women of the samurai class continued to wear the simpler kosodekimono, tied together with an obi made of braided cords. Outside the samurai class, women experimented with a more elaboratekimono - the furisode, which is often seen on the Kabuki stage. Characterised by long, flowing sleeves, the furisode kimono was accented by a large, loosely tied obi.
For many years, the obi bow was tied either at the front or on the side. By the mid-Edo period, the obi bow was tied in the back position. It was said that this style started in the mid-1700s when a Kabuki actor, imitating a young girl, came on stage with his obi tied in the back. Another reason that the back position became more acceptable was that the sheer bulk of the wider obi became too cumbersome to be positioned in the front of the kimono.
The Meiji era, (1868-1912) witnessed a revolution in the textile industry with the advent of electric weaving looms and chemical dying techniques from the West. During this time, a woman's kimono ceased to be worn in the free-flowing style of the earlier days. The new fashion was to tuck the kimono at the waist to adjust the length of the kimono to the woman's height. These tucks and folds were visible and became part of the art of tying the obi.
Edo fashion was influenced by the design and style that courtesans and entertainers wear. Women of the samurai class continued to wear the simpler kosodekimono, tied together with an obi made of braided cords. Outside the samurai class, women experimented with a more elaboratekimono - the furisode, which is often seen on the Kabuki stage. Characterised by long, flowing sleeves, the furisode kimono was accented by a large, loosely tied obi.
For many years, the obi bow was tied either at the front or on the side. By the mid-Edo period, the obi bow was tied in the back position. It was said that this style started in the mid-1700s when a Kabuki actor, imitating a young girl, came on stage with his obi tied in the back. Another reason that the back position became more acceptable was that the sheer bulk of the wider obi became too cumbersome to be positioned in the front of the kimono.
The Meiji era, (1868-1912) witnessed a revolution in the textile industry with the advent of electric weaving looms and chemical dying techniques from the West. During this time, a woman's kimono ceased to be worn in the free-flowing style of the earlier days. The new fashion was to tuck the kimono at the waist to adjust the length of the kimono to the woman's height. These tucks and folds were visible and became part of the art of tying the obi.
GEISHA "A JAPANESE CULTURE"
Geisha (芸者 "person of the arts") are traditional Japanese artist-entertainers. The word Geiko is also used to describe such persons. Geisha were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and are still in existence today, although their numbers are dwindling. "Geisha," pronounced /ˈgeɪ ʃa/ ("gay-sha") is the most familiar term to English speakers, and the most commonly used within Japan as well, but in the Kansai region the terms geigi and, for apprentice geisha, "Maiko" have also been used since the Meiji Restoration. The term maiko is only used inKyoto districts. The English pronunciation ˈgi ʃa ("gee-sha") or the phrase "geisha girl," common during the American occupation of Japan, carry connotations of prostitution, as some young women, desperate for money and calling themselves "geisha," sold themselves to American troops.
The geisha tradition evolved from the taikomochi or hōkan, similar to court jesters. The first geisha were all male; as women began to take the role they were known as onna geisha (女芸者), or "woman artist (female form)." Geisha today are exclusively female, aside from the Taikomochi. Taikomochi are exceedingly rare. Only three are currently registered in Japan. They tend to be far more bawdy than geisha. Other public figures who contributed to the creation of the modern geisha were Oiran, or courtesans, and Odoriko, dancing girls. The Odoriko in particular influenced geisha to include dance as part of their artistic repertoire.
"THE LAST SUPPER"
Last Supper is Leonardo's visual interpretation of an event chronicled in all four of the Gospels (books in the Christian New Testament). The evening before Christ was betrayed by one of his disciples, he gathered them together to eat, tell them he knew what was coming and wash their feet (a gesture symbolizing that all were equal under the eyes of the Lord). As they ate and drank together, Christ gave the disciples explicit instructions on how to eat and drink in the future, in remembrance of him. It was the first celebration of the Eucharist, a ritual still performed.
Specifically, Last Supper depicts the next few seconds in this story after Christ dropped the bombshell that one disciple would betray him before sunrise, and all twelve have reacted to the news with different degrees of horror, anger and shock.
"LA GIOCONDA"
Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is one of the most famous and most celebrated works of all time. The mastery of the painting lies in its subtle detail, including the faint smile, and Mona Lisa's distinctive gaze. The work is said to have been commissioned by a gentleman named Francesco del Giocondo, who hired Leonardo to paint a portrait of his wife, and this is why The Mona Lisa is sometimes referred to as La Gioconda. While this is a theory on the origination of the painting, scholars have disagreed throughout the ages about how factual this story really is.
The Mona Lisa, aside from being one of the most recognized works in the history of art, is also one of the most widely reproduced works ever. Of course there are numerous Da Vinci posters available, many of which are of The Mona Lisa, available in different hues and a variety of sizes, there are also many other reproductions of the work. For instance, Andy Warhol used the Mona Lisa in the creation of one of his prints, and Botero reproduced his own version of The Mona Lisa, a cartoon-like oil painting. In 1954,Salvador Dali created a self-portrait of himself as Mona Lisa.The use of The Mona Lisa does not end there; The Mona Lisa has been the inspiration behind countless novelty items including clothing, jewelry, houseware, as well as having been used in many modern day advertisements. La Gioconda has even been reproduced topless, and the Da Vinci poster has been turned into a mockery with the Mona Lisa in possession of marijuana, and even sporting hair curlers or braces.
THE MAN BEHIND MONA LISA
Leonardo da Vinci means “Leonardo from the town of Vinci,” and is generally referred to in short as “Leonardo” rather than as “da Vinci” He received a fresh burst of public interest in 2003 with the publication of The Da Vinci Code. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most prominent artists around the world, and his fame will never cease.
Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, near the village of Vinci about 25 miles west of Florence. He was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci, a prominent notary of Florence.
When Leonardo was 15, his father apprenticed him to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading artist of Florence and a characteristic talent of the early Renaissance. Verrocchio’s great skill and passionate concern for quality of execution, as well as his interest in expressing the vital mobility of the human figure, were important elements in Leonardo’s artistic formation. His earliest known painting is a product of his collaboration with the master as Leonardo stayed on as an assistant in Verrocchio’s shop after completing his apprenticeship. It was a standard procedure in the Italian Renaissance.
"HIS MASTERPIECE"
Lavendera. 1936. Oil on panel. 15 1/2 x 12 1/2 (replacement gold leaf frame 21 x 18). Professionally restored 2-inch vertical crack, lower center. Signed 'F Amorsolo' and dated, lower right. This painting comes with a certificate of authenticity from Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, the artist's daughter and studio assistant. Illustrated: Maestro Fernando C. Amorsolo Recollections of the Amorsolo Family, page 139. Price upon request.
A woman wearing a red skirt and sash, and a white blouse and head covering, holds up the clothes she is washing with her left hand. According to Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, "This scene could be in one of the streams in Marilao, or Sta. Maria, or Bocaue in Bulacan Province as these are the places he frequented spending time working on the spot. Marilao is the place where he saw and courted my mother. The tree at the back that has the color like of bamboo plants could be just wild bushes with the bright light of the sun striking it. One could a portion of this plant in between the rocks. The tree at the right side is definitely not a mango tree. With the vines hanging from it, it could be that of a balete tree.
( I really admire him for his creativity and love for his obra or his masterpiece)
-Fernando Amorsolo's Obra
"OUR ANCESTOR"
The first Filipino who was distinguished as the Philippines National Artist in Painting was Fernando Amorsolo in 1972. His paintings were exhibited on January 23, 1969 during the inauguration of the Manila Hilton's art center and he was named as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Arts". Amorsolo's works covered a variety of subjects but he was especially known for ideal and romantic subjects that portrays the images of life in the countryside of Filipino women such as the Dalagang Bukid or Dalagang Nayon. He also painted historical paintings on pre-colonial and Spanish colonization and events of Filipino customs, fiestas, occupations and cultures.The technique of backlighting and the use of natural light were Amorsolo's trademarks.
"im an artist"
ROMEO V. TABUENA
Born in 1921, Iloilo City. UP Fine Arts. Learned his craft with the AAP, at the Students’ Art League in New York on a grand tour of Europe, and at the Academie de la Chaumiere in Paris. Shows and exhibits in Washington D. C., New York, LA, Chicago, New Mexico, New Jersey, Sao Paolo and in known European galleries. Works featured in publications like the “American Artists”, “Diplomat”, “Literary Review” and the “Reporter”.
His creative output are much in demand and paintings are in the collection of known international art connoisseurs and museums. Considered today as the most prominent living Filipino painter, acclaimed in both Europe and the Americas. Listed in “Who’s Who in American Art.” Residing in Mexico for the past two decades with his Norwegian wife Nina.
Born in 1921, Iloilo City. UP Fine Arts. Learned his craft with the AAP, at the Students’ Art League in New York on a grand tour of Europe, and at the Academie de la Chaumiere in Paris. Shows and exhibits in Washington D. C., New York, LA, Chicago, New Mexico, New Jersey, Sao Paolo and in known European galleries. Works featured in publications like the “American Artists”, “Diplomat”, “Literary Review” and the “Reporter”.
His creative output are much in demand and paintings are in the collection of known international art connoisseurs and museums. Considered today as the most prominent living Filipino painter, acclaimed in both Europe and the Americas. Listed in “Who’s Who in American Art.” Residing in Mexico for the past two decades with his Norwegian wife Nina.
( i am not very much familiar of this man but when i saw his painting i feel that i am also an artist, and i'm proud i'm a Filipino)
The Art of MIni
(source:http://www.abcarticledirectory.com)
Summarized briefly, miniature painting is a form of painting that is deeply rooted in many cultures and spans centuries. The Lathams are a family of American artists practicing it in today’s modern art market of galleries and exhibitions. As an artist, Rebecca Latham as well as her mother, Karen, and sister, Bonnie, strive for detail in their painting. Studying with a Flemish master, they have developed their styles for painting extreme realism. Their works, both large and small, are painted “in miniature”.
Early Beginnings
Miniature painting is a traditional style of art that is very detailed, often referred to as painting or working “in miniature”. Because of their origins as illuminations, they are also painted to have as smooth of a surface as possible. (It is also suggested that miniature art may have been influenced by the medals of ancient Rome as well) Miniature art can be traced back to ancient Egyptian manuscripts on papyrus scrolls. Monks are also often highlighted for their contributions to early miniature painting with their beautifully illuminated manuscripts such as the Celtic Book of Kells and England's Lindisfarne Gospels (both of which measure around 9" x 12"). Some early manuscripts contain miniature paintings on their pages that depict beautiful arrangements of life sized flower arrangements on their borders. The history of miniature painting is also seen throughout the world in various other cultures.
Miniature painting began out of necessity for illustrating documents and manuscripts to aid those reading them during a time when many were not able to, before printing was invented. The miniature helped to convey the story and meaning of the written word. Therefore, the art of miniature painting is directly connected to the book arts. The various sized illuminations (pictures) were cut out of these books or documents so that they could be carried more easily. Later, developing from the carried miniature, portrait miniature artists were commissioned to paint small portraits – paintings that were used as we use wallet sized photographs today. These sizes of miniature paintings became popular with collectors and are often referred to as “hand held miniatures”. Portrait miniatures were painted in larger sizes as well, for example master miniaturist, Nicholas Hilliard, Peter Oliver, and Sir Charles William Ross all painted works that were of a larger size.
Sizes
Miniature painting is sometimes confused and assumed that the pieces must be small or depict subjects on a smaller scale to be considered miniature art, though this is not the case. It is helpful to keep in mind that the origins of the term "miniature" have nothing to do with a size. The word miniature comes from the terms 'minium' (used for the red lead paint used in illuminated manuscripts) and 'miniare' (Latin for 'to color with red lead').
Miniature painting is a style and technique of painting, and as such, a wall sized work could be painted “in miniature”. Authors of the Yale University Press publication, “The English Miniature” have stated that miniatures have been painted large and some works are even considered to be gigantic. Numerous faculty members of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London confirm that miniature paintings are not restricted to smallness. Larger sized miniature paintings are documented throughout history and are recognized today, though painting larger works in miniature is more difficult and time consuming than a smaller piece if the same attention to detail is observed. Miniature art is also unique in that it was and is often used on objects, such as the Russian lacquer boxes that are beautiful examples of Russian miniature painting.
Exhibitions
Today, there are miniature art societies in western society to help promote and preserve traditional miniature art and the “spirit of miniature”. Their exhibitions feature the hand held miniature paintings (or sculptures) and each exhibition has its own unique guidelines and rules for artists showing in their exhibit. Some of these rules limit the size of work to be no larger than a set square inch. Others limit the size of a subject, such at the 1/6th scale rule that a subject may not be painted larger than 1/6th of it's natural size, or the 2” rule, that an object in the painting may not exceed 2”. Scale rules were initially put in place as a guide for artists starting out in miniature art. There are also many framing restrictions for society miniature works as well. All of these rules are put into place by each show for their own individual and unique exhibitions, and do not define what miniature art is.
Artists painting miniatures throughout history were not restricted in their artwork by scale as their subjects were painted to any measurement or scale that the artist deemed pleasing to the eye and their patrons, for both manuscripts and other miniatures. Subjects that are naturally small in size, such as butterflies and insects, were painted life sized. Thus the 1/6th scale rule that is used by some shows and societies today unfortunately causes a bit of confusion to those new to the art form who commonly assume that is it a part of a mechanical criteria of the miniature's definition. The world's experts in miniatures do not recognize the rule as legitimate, and view those embracing it as unknowledgeable, and dismiss them.
The term "miniature", as it addresses miniature painting, is often confused with "miniaturize" and some miniature art exhibitions do not refer to miniature as it's initial meaning of techniques, but rather the size of the painting (miniaturized painting). They are two very separate descriptions.
Miniature painting is an art form that is very rich in history that continues today by artists from around the globe. The beautiful ornamental qualities of the miniature should be preserved whether it be the intricate large pieces, or intimate hand held works.
Early Beginnings
Miniature painting is a traditional style of art that is very detailed, often referred to as painting or working “in miniature”. Because of their origins as illuminations, they are also painted to have as smooth of a surface as possible. (It is also suggested that miniature art may have been influenced by the medals of ancient Rome as well) Miniature art can be traced back to ancient Egyptian manuscripts on papyrus scrolls. Monks are also often highlighted for their contributions to early miniature painting with their beautifully illuminated manuscripts such as the Celtic Book of Kells and England's Lindisfarne Gospels (both of which measure around 9" x 12"). Some early manuscripts contain miniature paintings on their pages that depict beautiful arrangements of life sized flower arrangements on their borders. The history of miniature painting is also seen throughout the world in various other cultures.
Miniature painting began out of necessity for illustrating documents and manuscripts to aid those reading them during a time when many were not able to, before printing was invented. The miniature helped to convey the story and meaning of the written word. Therefore, the art of miniature painting is directly connected to the book arts. The various sized illuminations (pictures) were cut out of these books or documents so that they could be carried more easily. Later, developing from the carried miniature, portrait miniature artists were commissioned to paint small portraits – paintings that were used as we use wallet sized photographs today. These sizes of miniature paintings became popular with collectors and are often referred to as “hand held miniatures”. Portrait miniatures were painted in larger sizes as well, for example master miniaturist, Nicholas Hilliard, Peter Oliver, and Sir Charles William Ross all painted works that were of a larger size.
Sizes
Miniature painting is sometimes confused and assumed that the pieces must be small or depict subjects on a smaller scale to be considered miniature art, though this is not the case. It is helpful to keep in mind that the origins of the term "miniature" have nothing to do with a size. The word miniature comes from the terms 'minium' (used for the red lead paint used in illuminated manuscripts) and 'miniare' (Latin for 'to color with red lead').
Miniature painting is a style and technique of painting, and as such, a wall sized work could be painted “in miniature”. Authors of the Yale University Press publication, “The English Miniature” have stated that miniatures have been painted large and some works are even considered to be gigantic. Numerous faculty members of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London confirm that miniature paintings are not restricted to smallness. Larger sized miniature paintings are documented throughout history and are recognized today, though painting larger works in miniature is more difficult and time consuming than a smaller piece if the same attention to detail is observed. Miniature art is also unique in that it was and is often used on objects, such as the Russian lacquer boxes that are beautiful examples of Russian miniature painting.
Exhibitions
Today, there are miniature art societies in western society to help promote and preserve traditional miniature art and the “spirit of miniature”. Their exhibitions feature the hand held miniature paintings (or sculptures) and each exhibition has its own unique guidelines and rules for artists showing in their exhibit. Some of these rules limit the size of work to be no larger than a set square inch. Others limit the size of a subject, such at the 1/6th scale rule that a subject may not be painted larger than 1/6th of it's natural size, or the 2” rule, that an object in the painting may not exceed 2”. Scale rules were initially put in place as a guide for artists starting out in miniature art. There are also many framing restrictions for society miniature works as well. All of these rules are put into place by each show for their own individual and unique exhibitions, and do not define what miniature art is.
Artists painting miniatures throughout history were not restricted in their artwork by scale as their subjects were painted to any measurement or scale that the artist deemed pleasing to the eye and their patrons, for both manuscripts and other miniatures. Subjects that are naturally small in size, such as butterflies and insects, were painted life sized. Thus the 1/6th scale rule that is used by some shows and societies today unfortunately causes a bit of confusion to those new to the art form who commonly assume that is it a part of a mechanical criteria of the miniature's definition. The world's experts in miniatures do not recognize the rule as legitimate, and view those embracing it as unknowledgeable, and dismiss them.
The term "miniature", as it addresses miniature painting, is often confused with "miniaturize" and some miniature art exhibitions do not refer to miniature as it's initial meaning of techniques, but rather the size of the painting (miniaturized painting). They are two very separate descriptions.
Miniature painting is an art form that is very rich in history that continues today by artists from around the globe. The beautiful ornamental qualities of the miniature should be preserved whether it be the intricate large pieces, or intimate hand held works.
Below is a video featuring miniature paintings done by a Filipino- Nelson M. Castillo, the father of Philippine Miniature Paintings.
I AM A FILIPINO
by: Carlos P. Romulo
I am a Filipino - inheritor of a glorious past, hostage to the uncertain future. As such I must prove equal to a two-fold task- the task of meeting my responsibility to the past, and the task of performing my obligation to the future. I sprung from a hardy race - child of many generations removed of ancient Malayan pioneers. Across the centuries, the memory comes rushing back to me: of brown-skinned men putting out to sea in ships that were as frail as their hearts were stout. Over the sea I see them come, borne upon the billowing wave and the whistling wind, carried upon the mighty swell of hope- hope in the free abundance of new land that was to be their home and their children's forever.
This is the land they sought and found. Every inch of shore that their eyes first set upon, every hill and mountain that beckoned to them with a green and purple invitation, every mile of rolling plain that their view encompassed, every river and lake that promise a plentiful living and the fruitfulness of commerce, is a hollowed spot to me.
By the strength of their hearts and hands, by every right of law, human and divine, this land and all the appurtenances thereof - the black and fertile soil, the seas and lakes and rivers teeming with fish, the forests with their inexhaustible wealth in wild life and timber, the mountains with their bowels swollen with minerals - the whole of this rich and happy land has been, for centuries without number, the land of my fathers. This land I received in trust from them and in trust will pass it to my children, and so on until the world no more.
I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes - seed that flowered down the centuries in deeds of courage and defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot blood that sent Lapulapu to battle against the alien foe that drove Diego Silang and Dagohoy into rebellion against the foreign oppressor.
That seed is immortal. It is the self-same seed that flowered in the heart of Jose Rizal that morning in Bagumbayan when a volley of shots put an end to all that was mortal of him and made his spirit deathless forever; the same that flowered in the hearts of Bonifacio in Balintawak, of Gergorio del Pilar at Tirad Pass, of Antonio Luna at Calumpit; that bloomed in flowers of frustration in the sad heart of Emilio Aguinaldo at Palanan, and yet burst fourth royally again in the proud heart of Manuel L. Quezon when he stood at last on the threshold of ancient Malacañang Palace, in the symbolic act of possession and racial vindication.
The seed I bear within me is an immortal seed. It is the mark of my manhood, the symbol of dignity as a human being. Like the seeds that were once buried in the tomb of Tutankhamen many thousand years ago, it shall grow and flower and bear fruit again. It is the insigne of my race, and my generation is but a stage in the unending search of my people for freedom and happiness.
I am a Filipino, child of the marriage of the East and the West. The East, with its languor and mysticism, its passivity and endurance, was my mother, and my sire was the West that came thundering across the seas with the Cross and Sword and the Machine. I am of the East, an eager participant in its struggles for liberation from the imperialist yoke. But I also know that the East must awake from its centuried sleep, shape of the lethargy that has bound his limbs, and start moving where destiny awaits.
For, I, too, am of the West, and the vigorous peoples of the West have destroyed forever the peace and quiet that once were ours. I can no longer live, being apart from those world now trembles to the roar of bomb and cannon shot. For no man and no nation is an island, but a part of the main, there is no longer any East and West - only individuals and nations making those momentous choices that are hinges upon which history resolves.
At the vanguard of progress in this part of the world I stand - a forlorn figure in the eyes of some, but not one defeated and lost. For through the thick, interlacing branches of habit and custom above me I have seen the light of the sun, and I know that it is good. I have seen the light of justice and equality and freedom and my heart has been lifted by the vision of democracy, and I shall not rest until my land and my people shall have been blessed by these, beyond the power of any man or nation to subvert or destroy.
I am a Filipino, and this is my inheritance. What pledge shall I give that I may prove worthy of my inheritance? I shall give the pledge that has come ringing down the corridors of the centuries, and it shall be compounded of the joyous cries of my Malayan forebears when they first saw the contours of this land loom before their eyes, of the battle cries that have resounded in every field of combat from Mactan to Tirad pass, of the voices of my people when they sing:
Out of the lush green of these seven thousand isles, out of the heartstrings of sixteen million people all vibrating to one song, I shall weave the mighty fabric of my pledge. Out of the songs of the farmers at sunrise when they go to labor in the fields; out of the sweat of the hard-bitten pioneers in Mal-ig and Koronadal; out of the silent endurance of stevedores at the piers and the ominous grumbling of peasants Pampanga; out of the first cries of babies newly born and the lullabies that mothers sing; out of the crashing of gears and the whine of turbines in the factories; out of the crunch of ploughs upturning the earth; out of the limitless patience of teachers in the classrooms and doctors in the clinics; out of the tramp of soldiers marching, I shall make the pattern of my pledge:Land of the Morning,Child of the sun returning…Ne'er shall invadersTrample thy sacred shore.
"I am a Filipino born of freedom and I shall not rest until freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance - for myself and my children's children - forever.
(a proud filipino i am, a descendant of one once called damn. But still, i will stand dignified, for in my vein runs the filipino blood. Below is a video portraying the beauty, elegance, finesse and uniqueness of filipinos in terms of arts, music and dance.)
Our Culture
We are all just
Just here looking all around
Around the world, we have come
Come to a land
Land of fortune
Fortune to all, we are all different
Different we dare, show us your culture
Culture is all around us
Us be taught, us be educated
Educated we will survive
Survive as many peoples
Peoples are very dear
Dear to our country
Country is our home
Home to very many
Many different cultures
Australian culture, of course.
- by: Paul Barratt
Christmas: A National Fiesta
Image of the " SAGRADA PAMILYA "
The Philippines is known as the "Land of Fiestas," and at Christmas time, this is especially true. Filipinos are proud to proclaim their Christmas celebration to be the longest and merriest in the world. It begins formally on December 16 with attendance at the first of nine pre-dawn or early morning masses and continues on nonstop until the first Sunday of January, Feast of the Three Kings, the official end of the season.
The Philippines is the only Asian country where Christians predominate. Majority of its people are Roman Catholic. Christmas, therefore, is an extremely important and revered holiday for most Filipinos. It is a time for family, for sharing, for giving, and a time for food, fun, and friendship.
To most Filipinos, Christmas is the most anticipated fiesta of the year and is celebrated accordingly. The splendid climate of this tropical island nation, the abundance and beauty of its flowers, and lovely landscape, its multitude of culinary delights, and above all its warm-hearted people with their true devotion to family and faith all contribute to a holiday celebrated in the true Philippines fiesta tradition.
DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS CULTURE...
Belgian
The children there believe it is kindly Saint Nicholas who brings them their presents. They also believe he rides a horse so they leave him hay and carrots and water for the horse just outside the house on December 6.China
The Christians in China light their homes with beautiful paper lanterns. Santa is called Dun Che Lao Ren. The children hang stockings just as we do.CZECHS
They serve a very large and delicious dinner with many courses. Courses are like a appetizer, followed by soup, then a salad, then maybe the first meat dishes, and so on till the dessert is served. They serve this meal on Christmas Eve and it does not matter how big the family is, there is always a place set at the table that is set for the Christ Child.France
Santa is known as Pere Noel. He is accompanied by Pre Fouettard who keep track of who has been good or bad for Pere Noel. In some parts of France, Pere Noel brings small gifts in the beginning of December (Dec 6) and comes back to deliver more on Christmas. In France the children get to open their gifts on Christmas, but the parents and other adults have to wait until New Years. In France the children place there shoes by the fire place in hopes that le Pere Noel/Father Christmas of le Petit Jesus/Little Jesus will place gifts for them. They also have dinner at midnight on December 24 this is called Le Reveillon. They have a cake called La Buche de Noel that is served after the dinner.
Tiny clay figures are used in the Christmas Crèches, Mangers. These figures are most unique as they are dressed in what is popular in provincial clothing that year. The figures are Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the Wise Men, the Shepherds, and Angels.
Italy
It Italy, the main exchange of gift doesn't occur until January 6th, the day traditionally believed that the Wise Men reached the baby Jesus. Italy has La Befana who brings gifts to for the good and punishment for the bad. She is the same character as Russia's Babouschka who refused to give the Wise Men food and shelter. The nativity scene may have first been set up by Saint Francis of Assisi. This first one was set up in a cave outside of a village and the villagers were so impressed by the display that now many of the communities compete for the best nativity.
a tribute to our motherland
i woke up smiling
patriotism i am thinking
love from our heroes
enough to erase all my sorrows
blood was shed
freedom was embedded
gratitude for them inside my heart
something to call a priceless art.
below is video
treasures to show
kept and preserve for every filipinos
proud to shout i'm one of those indios
SOURCE: YOUTUBE.COM a GMA7 Special
Losing Thy Culture
The Bushmen have provided a wealth of information for the fields of anthropology and genetics, even as their lifestyles change. One broad study of African genetic diversity completed in 2009 found the San people were among the five populations with the highest measured levels of genetic diversity among the 121 distinct African populations sampled.
Knowledge about our ancestors is the greatest contribution that bushmen had provided us. But now, we seem to forget everything and set them aside.
Below is a video about the vanishing of one of the treasures that our world has.
CULTURE IS IMPORTANT
The cultural values of a community give it an identity of its own. A community gains a character and a personality of its own, because of the culture of its people. Culture is shared by the members of a community. It is learned and passed from the older generations to the newer ones. For an effective transfer of culture from one generation to another, it has to be translated into symbols. Language, art and religion serve as the symbolic means of transfer of cultural values between generations.
Culture is a bond that ties the people of a region or community together. It is that one common bond, which brings the people of a community together. The customs and traditions that the people of a community follow, the festivals they celebrate, the kind of clothing they wear, the food they eat, and most importantly, the cultural values they adhere to, bind them together.
Culture is seen as a system of social control, wherein people shape their standards and behavior. The cultural values form the founding principles of one’s life. They influence one’s principles and philosophies of life. They influence one’s way of living and thus impact social life.
"I AM IMPORTANT"
A common usage of art is to show ideas. Ideas can come in many forms, writing, talking but art is and can be viewed by many without the need of voice. People look at art to look at different ideas that they want to know more about or may be studying. Art can shows ideas about the past, what has happened as of late, what is currently happening and what may happen in the future. Art can show ideas about society, something good or something bad.
Art can also be used to show meaning. People can use art to show love, to show boredom and to show creativity. Art can be meaningful because of the images that can be collected into one small area. It is then up to the person to look at this form of art and to think about it and to make a conclusion about it. Is it shocking, it is sad or is it nice? If someone is sad, they may choose to paint something that is deep, dark and not bright. If someone is in joyful mood, they may want to paint beautiful things in life, such as children, nature and seasons. Art is meaningful because of the colors, shapes and depictions it can create.
Art is also a great tool for learning. Art can be found in almost everywhere where there is a school. Art is important because of what it can be used for. Art is fun and acts as an interactive tool for reluctant learners, younger students. However, when these students grow up, they can learn to appreciate art for what it can do for them. In the process, people can learn a lot because art is almost as effective as written things. Sometimes, art and writing go hand in hand.
Art also acts as a great thinking agent. It allows for thought because of what it means to analyze art. People are not suppose to just look at art for what it is. They are supposed to draw ideas and to really think about what is going on in the picture. Art stimulates thought because it is required for greater understanding.
Lastly, art connects people around the war. Although, art is not a language, people do not need to know anything about another language and can draw ideas from what they see. Everyone in the world can make their own voice heard. Everyone can see it.
PAINTING
In the last half of the 19th century, Filipino painters showed enough maturity of concept and technique to merit critical acclaim. Damian Domingo got recognition as the “father of Filipino painting.” Towards the end of the Spanish regime, two Filipino painters won recognition in Europe – Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo and Juan Luna. Hidalgo’s Antigone and Luna’s Spolarium were both acclaimed in Europe as masterpieces of Filipino painting. In 1884, Luna won the first Gold Medal at the Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes for his Spolarium. This monumental painting shows fallen gladiators being dragged to an unseen pile of corpses in a chamber beneath the Roman arena.
THEY LOVE ART
Young students love stories about dinosaurs. They like to read about, look at and draw different kinds of prehistoric creatures. Art activities can be further enriched when they are linked to related subjects. It is suggested that art teachers link this lesson sequence with science and history. By looking at how scientists have worked out what dinosaurs looked like, teachers are able to help students to develop an understanding of evolutionary time lines.
As students develop an understanding of how long ago dinosaurs roamed the earth, they will develop an appreciation of the ways in which information can be gathered from fossils. Fossils not only tell what prehistoric animals looked like, but as different kinds of fossils are dated together chronologically, a picture of habitats can be reconstructed so that scientists and historians make educated guesses about evolution and the past.
Students will be asked to develop the skill of creating a clay impression. They will learn about how to make a plaster cast from their negative shape. In that way students will develop an appreciation for how fossils help modern generations learn about and value the Earth's past.
"THE GOOD LIFE"
‘The Good Life’ was a comedy programme set in suburbia in Southern England. A couple were trying to be self sufficient not on some remote hill farm in Wales, or in a Tuscan idyll, but right where they were, a tube ride away from central London and surrounded by thousands of other people who were trying to live their own version of ‘The Good Life’ i.e. one where the golf club, the right schools and expensive holidays were the norm. The comedy came from the contrast between the two.
Well no here has yet turned their front garden over to leeks and swedes, but in England vegetable seed sales now out strip those for flowers. Just a few yards away from my front door is the huge, triple tiered village planter. Last year it was full of salvias, petunias and begonias, but the council decided they couldn’t afford it this year. Instead the emphasis has been on beans, herbs, strawberries and salad greens, although there are still a few salvias sticking out of the very top tier, so that people don’t have to use a ladder to reach the vegetables they want. The plants come from volunteers, mostly spares from their own gardens, and they are free for anyone to take.
Many in this village have large and productive gardens. Perhaps they don’t need such bounty, but there are a few people who only have yards, and others who are no longer fit enough to garden. One friend is in a wheel chair, but that doesn’t stop her keeping an eye on the planter and there is a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she shows me two tiny strawberries she has harvested.
The local Baptist church also has two smaller planters and another large one outside the Catholic Presbytery as well as others in more out lying places. What is worrying is not the beans and herbs, but the cash cutting of which these initiatives are the evidence. The borough plans to close 12 of its libraries and the central one is to be moved to a much smaller building. Yet council members still drive big cars and presumably claim expenses.
The rest of us are all having to consider our finances. My daughter starts a new job next week, but her increase in funds will have to be used to pay back her student loan. We aren’t broke and have many things our grandparents could not have imagined, but steady jobs are not on that list. My future son–in–law has just received a very welcome pay rise, but it is only guaranteed for six months, so he will continue to live on the smaller amount, rather than splash out on a bigger property or a newer car.
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