Clay Pot Crafts:  Make a Bell for the Porch

Clay pot crafts are a cute way to make home decorations.  In clay pot crafts, clay flower pots can be crafted into a variety of decorative things that appeal to gardeners.  Usually, the crafter begins with new pots.  The pots are often decorated with paint as well as being tied together with rope or cord to create things.

Pots for clay pot crafts can be purchased in many different sizes, from tiny ones not more than 2 inches in diameter, to huge ones over a foot across.  For a beginning project, start with smaller pots.  The beginner should also choose clay pot crafts that don’t use too many pots in too elaborate a design.

An example of a good craft for someone new at clay pot crafts is to make a bell from two clay pots.  Buy one pot that is about five or six inches in diameter, and another that is very small.  You will use the small one as the clapper for the bell.  You will also need some decorative cord, two large wooden beads, and paint in desired colors.  You may also wish to purchase some glue-on jewels to decorate the bell.  The bell makes a nice decoration for a front porch.

Cut the cord two feet (60 cm.) long.  Fold the end over 3 inches (8 cm.) and tie in an overhand knot, making a loop.  This loop is for hanging the bell from a hook or a nail.  Now turn the larger clay pot upside-down.  Pass the loose end of the cord down through the hole in the pot.  Lay the pot on its side and slide one of the large wooden beads up the cord until it is about 10 inches (25 cm.) from the loose end.  Now tie the cord around the bead so that the bead cannot slip from its position on the cord.  If you have done this correctly, you can lift the pot by the loop.  In clay pot crafts, the beads must be large enough to stop the cord from going through the hole in the bottom of the pot.

On the loose end of the cord, you are going to attach the small pot in the same way.  Slide the small pot up the cord to make it easier to tie the other large wooden bead on the end of the cord.  Now when you lift the entire arrangement by the loop, the smaller pot should hang freely inside the larger pot, making a pleasant sound when it claps against the larger pot.

Decorate the outside of the larger pot with paint as desired.  You may like to paint it in black and white patches for a Holstein cow theme.  You may also like to decorate the top of the bell with silk or dried flowers and greenery and a ribbon bow.

For a variation on this craft, make three of the bells and hang them from a horizontal piece of driftwood or other interesting piece of natural wood.  When making hanging clay pot crafts, always make sure the beads are large enough and are tied tightly in place, because the clay pots will break if they fall to the ground.

Other clay pot crafts include making a large doll or scarecrow of nested pots strung together and painted.  The doll can sit on a chair or a step of the front porch.  Paint his face to look like a scarecrow, a jack-o-lantern, a gnome, or a child.  Clay pot crafts are especially suited to being displayed outside.

Arts and Crafts Idea:  Foam Sheet Glasses Case

Are you a camp director, teacher, or homeschool mom looking for a new arts and crafts idea for your kids?  Or maybe you are a recreation director at a senior center or nursing home and could use a new project.  Either way, this arts and crafts idea will be interesting and fun for all.  This glass case can be used, given as a gift, or converted into a necklace purse.

To make the glasses case, you will need the following simple materials:  a square of craft foam, plastic or large blunt needles, lanyard lace or thick yarn.  Cut two rectangles from the foam, each 3-1/2 inches (9 cm.) by 6 inches (15 cm.).  With a hole punch, make holes on three sides of each rectangle, leaving one short side unpunched.  Make the holes 1/2 inch apart and allow at least 1/4 inch between the hole and the edge of the craft foam.  The holes need to line up so that the two pieces can be laced together.  If you are preparing the craft for small children, you should make the holes yourself.  Otherwise, the crafters can do this step if you have enough pairs of hole punches.

At this point the crafters can cut decorative shapes from other colors of craft foam, or you can buy sets of ready-cut foam shapes.  If you are doing the craft at a special event, like vacation Bible school, choose shapes that echo the theme of the event.  For instance, if the Bible school or camp has a cowboy theme, find shapes that fit well, such as boots, cowboy hats, and stars.  Let the kids choose the shapes they like and glue on as desired.  You might also like to provide beads or sequins to glue on as well, especially if the crafters are a little older.

The next step in this arts and crafts idea is to thread the plastic needle with the yarn or lanyard lace.  Yarn might be a little easier to handle, but lanyard lace is shiny and attractive.  In a pinch, some teachers of small children use a bobby pin as a needle.  It is certainly a safe alternative.  Simply loop the yarn through the opening and use the open end of the bobby pin as if it were the point of the needle.  The children can now begin to lace the front and back of the glasses case together.

To turn this arts and crafts idea into a necklace purse, simply attach a piece of lanyard lace to each corner making a long handle.  Kids will enjoy using this case as a place to store secret notes and small objects.  If they’d rather, they can give the glasses case to a parent, grandparent, or friend who wears glasses.  Either way, this arts and crafts idea will be interesting for all.

Start an Art Collectible Hobby and Beautify Your Home

Collecting is a fun hobby, and one of the most interesting things to collect are art collectibles.  Many different items can be painted with artwork and become an art collectible.  Hobby enthusiasts collect such things as saw blades, and wooden eggs which have had artwork painted on.  People even collect designer rugs as art.  Another art collectible hobby is collecting limited edition plates, thimbles, Christmas ornaments, and figurines produced by such companies as Bradford Exchange.  And of course, many people collect fine art paintings.

The person with an art collectible hobby will probably find his or her own favorite artists whose works they appreciate.  They can choose to focus on one particular artist, either past or present, or they can choose from the works of many artists.  On the other hand, they may collect art and art objects around a theme they enjoy, such as cigars, wild animals, or piano music. 

One may think of an art collector as a rich person who has the money to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on an original Van Gogh.  A person of more modest means can collect art too, however.  Post cards are a good place to start.  Most art museum gift shops offer high quality, glossy postcards printed with some of their more notable acquisitions.  By buying those cards one really appreciates, anyone can have an art collection.

Ebay is a good source of art collectibles whatever type of art or collectible you fancy.  In fact, if you are just starting out, the choices and options can be overwhelming!  Just remember that you can sell your own belongings as well as buying those of others.  This should make the impact on the budget a little less powerful.  Other ideas for inexpensively collecting art collectibles are scouring flea markets, thrift shops, and garage sales.  You never know what treasure someone else may be getting rid of.

One nice thing about art collectibles is that artists can be found in every part of the world.  The art collector should scout the local art shows, museums, and artist’s hangouts to find out just what sort of talent can be had less expensively and close to home.  Because of the local flavor of some artwork, art collectibles make good travel souvenirs.  For instance, the artist Linda Barnicott specializes in paintings of scenes, buildings, and landmarks found around  Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.  Similarly, collectors can find local artist almost everywhere.

An art collectible hobby will keep you interested in life and give you a home filled with art masterpieces as well.  If you enjoy pretty and interesting things around you, consider starting an art collectible hobby today.

Master Painters. From the works of John Ruskin. With plates

Salvador Dali

Landscape Fine Art Poster Print by Paul Cezanne, 28×22
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Born out of the artists’ desire to break away from the canons of the Academy, French Impressionist artists Manet, Monet, and Renoir explored contemporary subjects and scenes in new and experimental ways. Major contributions of the Impressionists include painting everyday life, they choice to paint en plein air, outdoors, instead of in the studio and most importantly, the fleeting effects of light on a particular subject. These “impressions” of light became the primary subject matter, especially for Monet. On the bridge between Realism and Impressionism is Edouard Manet. Born in Paris in 1832, he preferred a more classical approach to painting. However, his subject matter in paintings such as Le Dejeuner Sur L’herbe and Olympia gave him the reputation as a nonconformist. Manet places the Olympia we see in classical paintings in a contemporary setting rather than an allegorical one and she looks directly at the viewer. The refusal of the salon to show these paintings earned him the dubious title, “Father of Impressionism”. Claude Monet is best known for his paintings of his garden at Giverny. In the 1890’s he began to build a water garden around his house. There he painted his famous water lily paintings. By 1909 he had conceptualized an idea for a vast project of water lily canvases that would envelop an entire room. From 1916 almost until his death he worked on these canvases. He spoke of this endeavor, “In the night I am constantly haunted by what I am trying to realize. I rise broken with fatigue every morning.” In these canvases perspective is reduced to the water lilies floating on the surface of the water. Pierre Auguste Renoir’s painting, Le Moulin de la Galette is a study in impressionism. The scene is of working class people enjoying the leisure of a Sunday afternoon. The artist set up an easel right near the location and painted from life. Renoir was especially concerned with the play of light and shadow as they danced across the surface of an object. The fondness for impressionism exists today because these images capture forever the changing moments of time that we can all relate to in our contemporary world.

A Life of Picasso: 1907-17: Painter of Modern Life v. 2
Customer Review: A Fan Explains His Hero
Where does genius come from? What are the motives? What are the stars that guide? Picasso was arguably the most original and influential artist of the 20th century. In volume one of four planned volumes (three of which have been produced to date), John Richardson collaborates with Marilyn McCully to establish the detailed record of how Picasso developed as a man and an artist through the early Rose period. The book is made richer by Richardson’s friendship with the artist and his access to Picasso’s memories of key events. But he doesn’t slavishly accept Picasso’s version (except in damning Matisse as inferior to Picasso) but rather checks out the different versions and picks what seems to make the most sense. Picasso’s fanatic desire to succeed was fueled in part by his contempt for his father’s failed career as an artist and his father’s views that Picasso should follow in his footsteps. Picasso also needed to be treated as special, more than most of us. Groveling before exploitive dealers built a lifelong passion to be in charge. Picasso also knew that Paris was where he had to shine and suffered greatly to make his success there. His struggles will impress you. Where the book is unequaled in my experience is in tracking down the sources of Picasso’s images, gestures, styles, and innovations. The book is filled with black and white images from the works of other artists, Picasso’s notebooks, photographs of the scenes and subjects, and related works that Picasso did. From these, you get a better sense of Picasso as a synthesizer of styles and modes. In closely examining Picasso’s work from these years, it’s easy to develop superficial impressions of what sort of man did those paintings. For instance, the paintings of women show someone who feels compelled to alternately adore and dominate women . . . especially sexually. Learning later that he locked his mistress into the studio even on the hottest days when he left adds to that impression. The book provides other powerful insights of this sort by relating the heavy use of opium by Picasso and his circle of artist friends during the Blue period. A lot of the models seem stoned in those paintings. Could it be that they were? Picasso loved to paint the circus performers and one of his first mistresses was one. Could it be that those performers are really emotional self-portraits? The book isn’t clear on that point, but the possibility of the interpretation will occur to you. A few central mysteries are left undeveloped. Why did Picasso stick so long with styles that he later abandoned and which didn’t sell well when he was very poor? Picasso admitted to Richardson that the Blue and Rose periods had been mistakes. Why did Picasso slow down his production at times when he had contracts and shows upcoming? How did Picasso incorporate his love for poetry into his paintings? At times Richardson is over the top in his fawning. Here’s an example. Picasso is described as clearly one of the great poets of the 20th century, but Richardson doesn’t reveal any evidence . . . nor was Picasso doing any poetry writing at the time of this volume. I suspect that the fawning was the price of admission for his access which rewards us in other ways. Ultimately, the book’s main weakness is that the images are not in color. Fortunately, color is less important to Picasso’s work during this period than in later periods. Perhaps there will be another edition at some point that will bring the full dimensions of the work to bear at least for the masterpieces. Enjoy your immersion in Picasso’s chaotic world.

Impressions of Light: The French Landscape from Corot to Monet
This large, lavish journey through the art of the 19th-century French landscape offers a host of masterful works, among them Corot’s Forest of Fontainbleau, Millet’s End of the Hamlet of Gruchy, Renoir’s Rocky Crags at L’Estaque, and Monet’s Rue de la Bavolle, Honfleur. As is often the case, however, some of the most wonderful things to see are also the least expected: rare and unusual monotypes by Degas, three states of a softground etching by Pissarro, and numerous works by some of their lesser-known but equally important contemporaries. Unlike previous books on the topic, Impressions of Light presents a unique and stunningly complete group of work that introduces a new level of complexity into the discussion of French landscapes. Rather than considering the landscape as a steady, linear development and the product of a single medium, it takes into account the many crosscurrents and intersecting developments in French art, from the Barbizon school through the post-Impressionist period. In addition, it studies the landscape in a variety of media–painting, prints, and photography–exploring both the individual artists’ perceptions and the ways in which they influenced each other. With over 80 paintings and 70 works on paper from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s collections, and published to accompany a major exhibition, Impressions of Light encompasses more than 100 years and 56 artists working in a dozen different media. It holds the broadest possible view, yet never loses sight of the extraordinary intricacy that makes the landscape so enduringly appealing.
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Customer Review: Come Visit Beautiful French Landscapes
The book Impressions of Light by George Shackleford et al is a companion book to an art exhibit of works from Boston’s Museum of Fine Art. The paintings are landscapes created by France’s greatest nineteenth century painters and photographers. Most of the painters are Impressionists but others schools are represented as well. The book also contains sketches which were part of the exhibit. The sketches, as well as the written commentary which accompanies many of them, allows the reader to better understand the creative process of the painters. The factual information in the book is very extensive and helps the readers see more in the works than normally meets the eye. Perhaps what is most interesting about this book and the collection of paintings and photographs included it is the plethora of lesser known works by these great artists. Readers, especially those who have been fortunate to view the exhibit, will be transported to the settings of these great works and gain a deeper appreciation of these great artists and photographers.
Customer Review: A spectaculrly beautifully, illustrated art history
Impressions Of Light: The French Landscape From Corot To Monet is a lavishly, richly, spectaculrly beautifully, illustrated art history showcasing one hundred years of French art and 56 French artists. Included area wealth of rare and unusual monotypes by Degas, three states of a softground etching by Pissarro, and numerous illustrative works by lesser-known by equally significant contemporaries. Of particular interest is the attention paid to intersecting developments in French art from the Barbizon school through post-Impressionism. Enhanced with more than 80 paintings and 70 works on paper drawn from the MFA collections, showcasing the French landscape through painting, prints, and photography, Impressions Of Light deftly explores individual artists’ perceptions as well as the manifold ways that influenced each other. Impressions Of Light will prove to be a welcome and much appreciated contribution to Art History collections in general, and 19th Century French landscape art and photography in particular.

In 1874 Monet and his colleagues decided to appeal directly to the public by organizing their own exhibition. The press derisively labeled them “Impressionists” because their work seemed sketchy and unfinished (like a first impression) and because one of Monet’s paintings at the exhibition bore the title Impression: Sunrise (1872, Mus?e Marmottan, Paris). Monet’s compositions from this time were extremely loosely structured, and the colour was applied in strong, distinct strokes as if no reworking of the pigment had been attempted. This technique was calculated to suggest that the artist had indeed captured a spontaneous impression of nature. During the 1870s and 1880s Monet gradually refined this technique, and he made many trips to scenic areas of France, especially the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, to study the most brilliant effects of light and colour possible.>