Raw Art Journals

The art of the UK refers to all kinds of visual art in or associated with the UK since its creation in 1707. Britain became part of western art tradition and history, during the 18th century and once again started to take the most prominent place in European art and exhibitions during the middle ages, being especially powerful in landscape art and portraiture. Rising UK prosperity led to a highly increased production of both decorative arts and fine arts.

The European Romantic period generated the very diverse talents of Turner, J.M.W, William Blake, Samuel Palmer and John Constable. The Victorian time saw an amazing diversity of traditional art, and a much improved quality of work than before. Much Romantic Victorian art is now out of fashion, with interest concentrating on the innovative moments of Pre-Raphaelites at the close of the century.

The training of the traditional artists, which had long been feeble, began to be improved by the government and private initiatives in the 18th century. The combination of general public exhibitions and later opening times of art museums brought art to a much wider public, especially in capital city of London. In the 19th century religious art was promoted, and once again became the most popular, after a virtual absence in many nations, and movements such as the Glasgow school (Academic art) and Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood.

The United Kingdom’s contribution to the start of Modernist art was relatively good, but since the Second World War UK artists have made a powerful attempt at contemporary and traditional art, particularly with figurative work, and the UK remains a centre of exhibiting globalized art in the traditional world.

The beginning of art in the UK can be seen at Stonehenge from 2600 BC, and the gold and tin works of art launched by the Breaker inhabitants from around 2150 BC. The trend of Catholic art reached the UK isles rather late, not earlier than about 400 BC and grew a particular “Celtic insular” trend seen in powers such as Shield Battersea, and some bronze mirror backs equipped with intricate areas of curves, trumpet-shapes and spirals. Only in the United Kingdom isles can the Celtic equipped style be seen to have survived throughout the great Roman times, as displayed in objects like Celtic motifs and Stafford shrine moorlands, now mixed with Mediterranean elements and Germanic interlace in Christian insular tradition and art.

This had a short life but spectacular blooming in all nations, coming from the British in the 8th and 9th centuries, in works as such as the Book of Lindisfarne and Book of Kells. The Insular art was influential across Europe north, and especially so in later Saxon-Anglo art, although this was subject to many of the latest continental influences. The British contribution to Gothic and Romanesque art was powerful, especially in illuminated Monumental sculpture and manuscripts for churches, though the other nations were now essentially federal, and in the 16th century UK struggled to save with developments in painting on the region.

If there’s one true thing that can be said about the art market today, it’s that it’s more diverse than ever. There are now more places and ways to buy virtually any type of artwork today. Best of all, the prices for art are diverse enough to allow lower net worth individuals to make sound investments. The advent of the Internet and its role in ushering in the information age has made it possible to both buy and sell art through the web, providing more opportunities to invest in art than ever before.

Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned art collector or a novice still collecting your first few pieces, there are a handful of basic rules to follow when investing in fine art.

Make Verifications

For instance, although the Internet has made it easier than ever to buy artwork, it has also raised new issues that need to be taken into account. For instance, online sellers normally indicate a lot of information when describing a piece of art. The only problem is how to verify that information. Herein lies the importance of asking as many questions as you can to verify the authenticity of a piece. Sellers can be unreliable, since they’re likely to have typed in the information themselves. Your best bet is to approach an independent consultation to get expert advice with specific art pieces for sale. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to buy your art pieces from one source, and have it examined by another.

Take Down Everything in Writing

Taking down all information you can about the artwork transaction is a basic yet effective method of protecting yourself. Note down everything in writing, from information about the art piece, seller, price and return/exchange policies. The traditional method of having a signed document legally notarized will protect you, particularly when a need to go to court arises. Make a point to get as much information as you can about the seller. This will be useful for future purchases and questions about the artwork you may have already purchased.

Discuss Return Policies Thoroughly

You and the seller must have a clear discussion about the possibility of returning art. Oral agreements won’t suffice, so make sure you take down all relevant information in writing. Better yet, have a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist or seller. An original copy must be furnished to ensure the transaction is 100% ironclad.

Art refers to the creativity of a person that can be used to improve and increase an investment. Art investment is just like any other investment that one can choose to invest in. For most people who invest in a high quality art work, the main objective is to embrace the art skills that were used to in the work. This helps to promote the art designers whose investment is in art designs.

Art and collectibles trading depends on the market forces just like other forms of investments. However there are other factors that determine the prices of art work investments. Some of these factors include the condition of the painting, authenticity, and the visual appearance of the work. This matters because the art work has to attract people who want to invest in the work. Just like any other investment in the world the decision to buy a piece of art is more of an art that a science.

The biggest problem that faces the investor is the challenge of identifying the piece of artwork that is good, genuine, undervalued and created by the painters who have a future in art. One needs to explore and understand the subject of art as much as possible. The investor needs to know the style of painting tin order to know if the painting is a classic or universal in appeal.

An investor who chooses to invest in art needs to have clear horizons and gestation time to purchase the art. The quality of the painting, provenance, condition of the painting and the period that the job was done are important considerations that one has to put in place. The popularity and fame about the skills of the artist is a determinant due to the huge impact that skills and experience has on the quality of the work. hence, the success of an art investment is determined by the skills of the artist.

It is also important for the investment to be insured with a reliable insurance company in order to help cover the risks and loses that may occur unexpectedly. An investor should choose the right policies that meet the criteria of the investment in terms of operation and the assets owned. The pricing of the artwork should be done carefully. One needs to consider certain factors such as the rate of inflation and the market target the investor targets to sell the product to. Inflation has raised the operation costs in many investments in the world, hence the need to consider all the costs are important to avoid the investment incurring unnecessary losses. The quality of the work is what determines the success of an investment, buyers will be attracted to take part in an art investment if the artwork is of high quality.

Discounts and offers are very important in promoting art products. The investor should consider introducing discounts on the products in order to increase the market base of the product which can also help attract more customers to the business, and create the feeling that investment in art is the best option for an investor.

There are many forms of art in the world. One of them is formally known as “Arabesque”, or the “Islamic Art”. For decades, Arabesque patterns have been used to beautify the interiors of mosques and Islamic palaces around the globe. Basically, Arabesque is an art based on geometry and the use of the Arabic alphabet in artistic ways. Arabesque was developed, at least indirectly, due to Islam itself.

It is a well known fact that Islamic teaching came and prohibited almost all sorts of arts that were known back in the sixth century. The reason, we are told, is that only God can act as a “creator”. In this context, for example, an artist who draws a picture of any living being, or a sculpture that sculpts a statue of a human being, is “guilty of creation” for a lack of a better term. It is fair to say, however, that this interpretation of the Islamic scripture and sunnah (the teaching of prophet Mohamed) are still being debated by progressive Muslims to this day and especially since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the last truly Islamic State.

Yet it is interesting to note that those very peculiar teachings of Islam, or at least their strict and very conservative interpretation, have led to the development of such a wonderful new art, that of Arabesque, the Islamic art as it’s officially known. Well, as the saying goes, need is the mother of all inventions. The need for an art that the Muslim communities can use to build their own identity with the continued spreading of Islam was becoming obvious.

Well, it was also obvious that Islam, even with its most conservative interpretations, never prohibited writing for example. It also never prohibited drawing except of living beings. Moreover, the Quran, the holy book of the Muslims, was also writing using very artistic style of the Arabic alphabet which is very rich with decorative fonts and artistic characters. It was at that time that the Arabesque art, as we know it today, was truly born. Muslims started competing on the use of different geometrical patterns (especially that they were very knowledgeable of geometry as a science by that time as well), along with different and newly innovated alphabetic fonts to decorate their mosques, palaces, furniture, and much more.

One of the myths that seem to crop up regularly is that writing a book is producing great art. And like great art, it flows majestically from the muse to the artist in an organic waterfall of words.

Bull feathers and Hockey Pucks!

This myth is responsible for more bad books — most of which were never published, thankfully — than any other of the myths that new writers need to ignore.

The myth goes that you should spend some time dreaming about your topic. Then you sit down, maybe with three words, and begin to write. If you really push it, you can write an outline first. But basically, you create your characters. You define your setting. Then you put your characters in the setting and see what happens. You let your characters define your story for you. The words just flow organically and the story appears magically as characters reveal themselves to the reader. When you finish, you go back and rewrite anything that isn’t working quite right. Then you go back and rewrite it again. And then you go back and… well, you kinda get the idea.

Fortunately, under the old publishing model, most books written this way never made it past the slush pile. If they got that far. Unfortunately, with the growth of self-publishing, this myth is becoming a writing system for many writing trainers. And the system of choice for many published writers.

The truth is that the basis for any great art is great craft. All of the great artists — Picasso, Rembrandt, Monet, Dali — spent years perfecting their craft before they ever began to create art. Notebooks filled with sketches of hands, and feet and flower arrangements.

The same situation exists for writing. Art requires craft. And writing a book is mostly about the craft of writing. Art is what happens when you blink and realize that your soul and your reader’s soul share the same hopes and fears.

Writing a book does not need art. It needs craft. Art is just a fortunate coincidence. There are three key characteristics necessary for writing a book. These characteristics lie at the heart of the writing craft. And if your hope is to someday produce art, then you must first produce great writing.

The craft of writing a book begins with your control of the English language. In school, we’re taught a formal version of the language. More precisely a version that has its origins in the ego of the Victorian scholar. When we leave school, we need to leave that concept of English behind. In its place are the concepts of reading ease and connecting with the reader. As James Thurber said, “When I split an infinitive, it is going to damn well stay split.”

It continues with your ability to put the pieces and parts of a story together. To craft a story, as the saying goes. For a fiction writer that means the ability to manufacture characters, settings and a plot. For a non-fiction writer, that means the ability to organize ideas, illustrative stories and concepts.

Bringing it all together is your writing system. Writing is an activity like any other. It has a process — a set of steps that must be followed. It has an environment. And it has actors — the writer, the reader, the editor and the publisher. How all these work together when writing a book, is your system. And it will define how quickly and how effectively you are in writing a book. And how well your book is received by your readers.

Congratulations on your decision to buy art online! You are about to join a new group of art buyers and collectors who are making an effort to work alongside artists to revolutionize the way art is bought and sold. Gone are the days when art sales and purchases were almost always brokered by brick and mortar art galleries, because thanks to the power of the internet and its ability to bring people together, selling art online and buying art online is just as easy and safe if you know what to look out for. When you buy your art online, there are some risks to consider. As with anything online, the anonymity of the internet attracts some shady characters, and so it is important when you wish to buy some art online, to do so only from a reputable established online gallery. Reputations are still powerful things, and you need to verify the identity of the artist / seller and the owner of the online art gallery website, and then you can rest assured that you are about to buy art online that is legitimate.

Finding a reputable online gallery or marketplace is one of the most important things you can do when you decide to buy art online. There are many different styles of online galleries and marketplaces and then dozens of each different style, so how can you be sure you are working with a reputable website and staff? There are a few things that you can look for before you buy any art online from a website-based gallery or marketplace. First, look for contact information or a contact form for the website owner or operator; if there is no directly obvious information identifying the owner of the website you would like to buy art somewhere online, never fear! Many people safeguard their information by keeping it out of the public eye, but if you use the contact form and explain why you would like to know, you should get a response back that will enable you to go from there. Also use the contact form to send a question or comment to the site staff and see what quality of response you get back; is it a form letter or is it plain that a live person wrote a response to you? And last, look around the net at some of the major review websites and see what both buyers and sellers are saying about their experiences of buying art online from that website.

When you buy art online, it is important to protect yourself and your money. There are plenty of unscrupulous sellers and dealers out there in the world who would be happy to take your money for a misrepresented product, leaving you the buyer holding the bag so to speak. One of the best tools in a buyer’s arsenal is a healthy dose of skepticism, which means that you should always be suspicious of the claims someone makes and be cautious enough to verify all information in an item’s description before you try to buy any kind of art online from anyone, whether it’s a gallery or direct from the artist. Most importantly, you need to find out and verify these three things before you buy art online: First, the seller’s identity and if they are not the original artist, the identity of the artist as well. Next is the condition of the art; request as many pictures as possible as well as an independent report of the item’s condition if this is practical. And lastly, determine if the seller has any sort of customer satisfaction / return policy or guarantee that you can use to send the art back and receive a refund if there is a problem with the art.

As always it is important to remember the saying “Buyer Beware” when it comes to whether or not to buy art online; this does not mean that everyone is out to take your money for an inferior or misrepresented product, but rather that it can and does happen and a healthy dose of caution never hurts when looking to buy art online. Make sure to browse reputable online marketplaces and galleries and to always verify as much information as you can before you buy, and you will soon be on your way to building a full and satisfying collection of fine art.

Selling art through traditional channels is something that is becoming increasingly difficult to do; more and more buyers are choosing to buy art online, and artists and dealers are having to adapt to this shift in the art market. Why should you sell art online? One of the main reasons to sell your art online is because the internet allows for much more efficient marketing, allowing you to reach your target market faster and more effectively no matter where they are located. The trouble with traditional sales through on the ground venues and networks is that they are largely localized; this means that the buyers coming in are often from the surrounding area and not often from another part of the country, let alone the world. This can limit an art buyer in what is available to them, and this is one of the reasons that online art sales have been soaring.

There are also many more payment options available to you and your buyers when you sell art online. Virtual systems such as PayPal allow you to process payments quickly and securely while the company handles the details of the sale and no one sees any personal information such as a credit card or bank account number. It is also possible to process payments using credit cards, checks, money orders, and even cash though this is usually not recommended. Virtual payment processing or payments done through a bank such as those with credit cards are usually best especially if you are working with different currencies from other countries as banks will convert or exchange these for you and deposit your money in your native currency which of course makes things easier for you!

One of the best parts of being able to sell art online is the ease with which buyers and sellers can communicate. One of the things many buyers do not enjoy about traditional galleries is the lack of communication with the artist, and the difficulty they have learning more about the person who created the art they wish to buy. When you are an artist and you sell art online, your buyers have an opportunity to meet you in a virtual sense, and learn anything you are willing to share with them. If you are a dealer, then you can still share any information the artist has authorized you to share with potential buyers to help them better understand their favorite works.

Would you like to sell art online? If the answer is yes then your first stop should be a search engine! Simply type in “sell art online” or “buy art” and look at the first page of results. You will likely find a list of the most trusted and reputable online art galleries on the internet and have a list to work with as you learn more about online art sales and how to get the most for your time and money when you sell art online.

Are you curious about what some good reasons might be to buy art? The truth of the matter is that there are many reasons to buy art, but some of the most common reasons involve the health benefits of art, the potential art has to inspire people, and the opportunities for investment that art can offer. Anyone can buy art, no matter their age or background, so if you are someone who loves art but has never bought art before, never fear because the market is open and opportunities are waiting for you, especially if you buy your art online.

There are numerous health benefits that are associated with owning and viewing art. If you buy fine art that you enjoy, and display it where you can see it often, scientific studies have shown that you will experience a positive change in your mood and a reduction in your stress and tension levels. This is because art is very relaxing to look at, and it works with the pleasure centers in our brains to produce chemicals that encourage happiness and relaxation.

Fine art is very inspirational, and all forms of art have the potential to inspire the people who see them. From painting to sculpture to sketches and so much more, if you buy art and have the opportunity to look at it every day you are almost certain to be inspired by it. If you are facing a looming deadline or have had a long hard day at work or at home and you look to your art for inspiration, you might be surprised at the uplifting feelings you will have. Many people have been able to take inspiration from the pieces they see when they are looking to buy art and use this in order to choose the art that is right for them.

If you want to buy art, you should also know that art can be a potential investment opportunity. Fine art is always in fashion, it is just a matter of finding a market for a particular piece of art. If you are mainly collecting art for yourself and want to make sure that it will at least maintain its value, there are several things that you can do. The first is to learn as much as you can about the artist and the piece before you buy anything, and the second thing is to make sure that you get a valid certificate of authenticity as this will be very important if you want to sell your art later on.

Art offers so many things to those who buy it and own it, including but not limited to increased health and well-being, creative and personal inspiration, and of course the possibility for appreciation in value if purchased as an investment. There are as many reasons to buy art as there are people to own it, and each person’s reasons are unique to them. The main thing you should consider when you buy art is whether or not you will enjoy it for years to come!

While I consider handmade pens as art, the reason they are so beautiful must be credited to the wood from which they are made. So, what, then makes a handcrafted pen art? For wooden pens, there is a specific term that is used to describe how that species looks. It is called grain.

It’s in the Grain

“Grain” is what gives wood its unique characteristics. What determines the wood’s grain is how the tree grew before it was cut. On the bark, it is easy to tell where a knot or burl would be because there is a big circle or bulge on the side of the tree. Any tree that has an elbow joint or branch will have a drastic change in grain, from one direction to another.

There are some pieces of wood that come straight-grained, that is, they do not have very many special attributes. These pieces of wood mostly produce a solid pattern and may primarily be of a single color. Some types / species of wood are more prone to being straight-grained. Some, are more prone to having unusual grain. Although there isn’t a hard and fast rule, there are trends. More often than not, Walnut has a straight-grain pattern. But, when you find a piece with knots or other figure, it becomes special.

Imperfections Make it Perfect

Wood that is named “curly” have properties where its grain swirls often in a back and forth pattern. It has an unusual visual effect which pertains to the way light reflects from the wood. It is iridescent. When a wood with this quality is held in light, there will be parts of the wood that shine and others that do not. This quality runs across the entire piece of wood. Curly Maple is a common wood that has this quality. The wood is of one color, but the light bends, or shines, differently in places.

Some woods have a knot in them. This is a place where a branch had been growing on a tree and then died, creating a dark circle where the dead branch was. This part of the wood is highly unstable because it changes the direction the grain runs, but, if handled properly, can add character and beauty to the wood. There is also a special type of knotting in the grain called Birdseye. A wood with Birdseye has little knots mixed in with the grain which look like a bird’s eye. Birdseye Maple is a great example of this feature.

Most species of wood can produce a burl. In a burl, there is little consistent grain. A wood with this quality can have a variety of imperfections from darker sections of grain to heavy knots. Burls are highly unstable which means that the wood can move on its own easily. The best time to use a burl is when it is dry. Because of how unstable burls are, extreme caution must be taken so that the wood doesn’t split in two.

A species of wood can have multiple grain types. Maple does not have to have just one type of grain pattern. Curly Birdseye Maple has the curly effect along with Birdseye in the grain. Because burls have inconsistent grain, many types of grain can be found in them. A slab of cherry burl can have some thicker discolorations among its grain along with some Birdseye and knotting.

One wood in particular has very unique grain: Snakewood. Snakewood is a brownish wood that is super dense; it is one of the few woods that will sink in water. The grain on it looks like snakeskin all the way through the wood and no visible growth rings can be seen. When finished, the wood turns out to be very beautiful.

The Heart of the Matter

Wood also has heartwood and sapwood. Sapwood is found on the outer part of the tree, while the heart wood lies in the “heart” (center) of the tree. There is a distinct difference between the two: Sapwood is lighter in color and softer that the heartwood. Pens can be made out of just sapwood, heartwood, or a combination of both to create a drastic color change.

Some of my pens are made out of wood that is laminated. Laminated wood consists of multiple pieces of wood that are arranged in a specific pattern. These blanks must be prepared before being turned. For this type of wood, the pattern in which the wood is laminated can be considered the grain.

If it were not for the vast peculiarities and differences between pieces of wood then all of pens would look the same. From straight-grained wood to the wildest of burls, the imperfections of the wood cause breathtaking impact. Essentially, the more imperfect the wood, the more unique the work of art. The wood itself is art.

When you look through the prints of photos that you’ve taken, the chances are that there is one or two which really stand out from the crowd. It may be because of the personal impact of the content, or the artistic quality of the imagery, but whatever the reason, it is images like these which make the perfect candidates for reproduction as stunning canvas prints.

Putting canvas prints up on the walls of your home is one of the easiest, cheapest yet most effective ways of stamping your identity on the place. The choice of art which you display is about more than just choosing something which blends in with the rest of the colour scheme. The art which you hang in your own home makes a statement about you, whether you like it or not, and helps to create the impression of you which people take away with them. That’s why many people hope to be able to find something more than the images which are available in the average art shop or furniture retailer. The fact that images such as these are mass-produced can’t help but detract from any notion of originality or artistic creativity. Of course, we’d all like to be able to afford original works of art produced by artists on our behalf, but in reality this is something which is well beyond the reach of most average people. That’s why being able to produce works of art which are based on your own photo prints is an option which more and more people are choosing to take advantage of.

Turning your photographs into art has been made incredibly simple by the technology which is now widely available. The hardest part of the entire process may well be narrowing your choices down to just the one image from your whole collection. Whether it’s a family portrait or a dramatic nature shot, it will be something which you feel will look stunning when enlarged to a full-sized print, and all that you need to do is upload it to the relevant website. Once you’ve done this, you’ll find the software provided incredibly easy to use, since it’s been designed to guide you through the process on a step by step basis, allowing you to select the size and shape of the finished print, from small and square to a huge landscape or portrait format, and include any features such as sepia or monochrome appearance. The finished product will be printed on the best quality artists canvas, wipe clean and impervious to sunlight, and stretched onto a strong wooden frame in a way which ensures it will last for many years to come. Not only will it be a work of art fit to grace the walls of your own home, but prints such as this make exceptional photo gifts. Not only can you give gifts which are created using your own images, but it is also possible, on a smaller scale, to create personalised greeting cards, which get your message across in a uniquely stylish manner.

Creating canvas prints to give as gifts or to decorate the walls of your own home is both rewarding and effective. Everyone who prints photos has the wherewithal and equipment necessary to design and create a sunning and unique work of art.