Who Was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel?

Eiffel Tower

Yes, you guessed it.  Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was the engineer and bridge builder of the Eiffel Tower.  The Eiffel Tower was built for the Paris exhibition of 1889.  Alexandre Effel was born in 1832 and attended the Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris from 1852 to 1855. 

Although you may not strictly consider building bridges or towers an art form, there is a certain amount of grace, fluidity and movement to the structures that mimics sculpture. In fact, in many of today's modern art sculptures the same principles of structure can be seen.

Eiffel also was master of airy two-hinged arches, such as that over the Douro river in Portugal. 

Eiffel designed the inner structure for the Statue of Liberty

Eiffel also gained fame by being responsible for designing the inner structure for the Statue of Liberty in New York.









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Embroidery as an Art Form

Embroidery is the decoration of fabric by means of a needle and thread.  It is needlework, but not just your basic everyday needlework that constitutes the creation and mending of fabric into garments and useful items, like pillows or sheets.  Embroidery is an art form that decorates or enhances the visual appeal of fabric.  It often creates a picture or design and is intended to be decorative. 

Embroidery has its history from a very early age, with paintings and carvings from Egypt indicating garments were embroidered in very early times.  Also history indicates early embroidery workings from the Orient and every quillwork (another means of embroidery) was done by the North American Indians and African tribes.

Different styles of embroidery, depending on the materials at hand in local cultures, have evolved in different parts of the world. 

Many embroidered works are treasured in today's art markets, where these artworks have gained appreciation by the use of colorful silks and gold and silver threads made into beautiful designs. 

Embroidered items can be simple in nature, working in only one color to create the design, to the use of thousands of strands of fine needlework made into all manner of items, from tea towels, pillow cases, curtains, to clothing and wall hangings.  Elaborate scenes can be created from using various threads integrated into the picture to create depth, shading and definition. Embroidery can also be abstract in design.

The embroidered works can be done by hand or by machine. 

The use of thread and fabric is yet another type of art form.  Art takes its shape from many mediums, like paint or sculpture.  Embroidery is another example of how beauty in art can be expressed using a different medium.

Here are a few books on embroidery that may interest you, whether you are trying to create your own embroidered artworks or are simply wishing to view embroidery masterpieces:

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Photography as Art

Art has many mediums and forms.  One type of art that is always popular is art photography.  This is where a photograph can stand alone as a piece of art, or where a photograph is manipulated into a new art form.  The subjects for photographic art is as wide as the world.  You can enjoy a colorful sunset, a beautiful landscape or nature scene, a unique picture of a cute animal, a still life, or even people composed in an artful setting.

Many photographers are having fun manipulating photographs into a new dimension.  There are many computer programs that help with this which can create stunning pieces of art.

Here a few examples of photographic art:

Photograph entitled "Good Mother Monkey"

"Flower Art"

"Colorful Leaves"

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If you are an artisit you may  wish to try out your own talents for photographic art.  All it takes is a digital camera, a simple computer program (if you wish to manipulate the pictures) and a bit of imagination.  You may discover a whole new talent, and a new way to make an income from your art!

Experimentation with Art - Anime

I am always experimenting with new art techniques and new ideas for my art.  I find this fascinating and fun.  Recently I tried the anime style of art (see picture).  Its like a comic-style that is greatly popular right now.  There are loads of possibilities for characters and even a lot of flexibility in technique.  It isn't just about flat comic style characters that appear in kid's comic books.  Some of the designs for anime that I have found are really exceptionally detailed, and some are sexy and x-rated.  (I'm not sure I have the 'balls' to do the x-rated versions myself, although I can appreciate all the wonderful detail that went into such works.)  Backgrounds for the artwork is just as detailed and fantastic as the work done for the characters themselves.

Experimenting with different styles of art and different techniques is always good.  It helps expands your mind and talent, and opens up a world of new opportunities.

Try it yourself.  Look at other's works and see how you can apply your talents and techniques to their styles.  You may find a new form of art that you really enjoy.  With anime, it opens up the possibility of a lot of fantasy characters and sci-fi works.  Wouldn't that be a lot of fun?

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Artists - Ways to Become Inspired

If you an artist you know it happens -- you get artist's block. You get to a point where you don't know what to do next. Sometimes this is as a result of too many projects going through you head, or sometimes you just feel tired and can't think of anything you want to paint. (I speak of painting, but this can also relate to sculptors or other types of artists). It feels as though you have hit a brick wall and there is nothing left in the world that is interesting or unique.

So, what do you do to break this block?

One way is to turn to nature. Go for a walk along a woodland path. Take a stroll through a park. Heck, even turn on one of the nature channels on T.V. Everytime I turn to the nature route, I find something interesting to set off my creative juices. I am not strictly a nature painter -- I paint a lot of people -- but nature still thrills me and inspires me in all my painting. I can see a young girl sitting underneath that canopy of leaves in the woods. I can see a fairy sitting on that mushroom beside the rotting log. I can see an angel in flight through the blue, blue of the summer sky. You get the idea!

Another way to become inspired is to read the history of another artist. Even if you don't paint like that particular artist, some of the details in their work can inspire you to try different things in your own work. Perhaps their use of color, or the way they have incorporated an object as a symbol in their painting. Maybe its how they painted what was the normal everyday life of their time. Or possibly something in their style of painting that you always wanted to try--now may be the time.

You can also try a different medium. If you are a painter, try sculpting a little. If you make jewelry, try sketching clothing designs in pastels. This could not only lead you to new ideas in your own work, but may turn you on to a new phase of art.

There are many ways to combat artist's block. Look around at the world you live in and try new things. I guarantee there is a world out there that only needs a new way to look at to help you become inspired.

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Art Trivia - Who was Albert Besnard?

Albert Paul Besnard was a French painter and etcher, born in Paris on June 2, 1849. His work revealed adherence to French academic tradition mingled with contemporary influences, especially English. Some of his early works, such as "Procession des Seigneurs de Vauhallan" displayed a romanticized classicism derived from Ingres, of whom he was a pupil.

Besnard seems to have originated the technique in his works of suggesting form by coarse cross-hatching while omitting the closed line.

Albert Besnard also made many impressive portraits in oils, etching and pastels. He also did frescoes in the Ecole de Pahrmacie and the Nouvelle Sorbonne.

Besnard was director of the French Academy from 1913-1921 in Rome and of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris after 1922. Besnard died in Paris in 1934.

The picture at right is a portrait done by Albert Benard entitled: "Madame Roger Jourdain"

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Art Trivia - Who was Francois Duquesnoy?

Did you know that Francois Duquesnoy was a Italo-Flemish sculptor usually called Il Fiammingo? He was born in Brussels but lived in Italy. His actual date of birth is unknown (about 1592-1594) and he died in 1643. Along with Alessandro Algardi, they represented a more conservative influence within the baroque movement. His two most famous works were the monumental statues of St. Susanna (at Sta. Maria di Loreto in Rome) and of St. Andrew (found in the crossing of St. Peter's).

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Art Trivia - Definition of Drawing

What is a drawing? From the encyclopedia Britanica, "Drawing is the presentation by chiefly linear means of an object, person, landscape, symbol, emotion, idea or scheme." A drawing can be a sketch that can be turned into a larger or more involved work, or it can stand alone for its own sake. The drawing can be drawn with a pen, pencil, stylus of some kind, brush, crayon, needle, chalk or any other means of putting lines to paper, cloth, parchment, canvas, wood, stone or other surface. A drawing can even be seen as a painting sketch before the actual painting has begun. In its three-dimensional form, an engraving could also be considered a drawing.

Drawings can be just a valuable as any other form of art. Many artists sell drawings as a finished art form. In other cases, preliminary drawings have been sold after a more advanced piece has been created, and at quite a large price. Consider any drawings made by artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh or Picasso.

As an artist, you may just be interested in drawing and not advancing to a different medium (such as oil paint or watercolor). In today's art world there is a place for you and a way for you to make a living with just your drawing talents.

Above is a drawing I did ("Ducks in the Grass") that I am selling on one of the various fine arts websites. You too can put your talent to work for you.

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Art Trivia - Pablo Picasso

Did you know that Pablo Ruiz Picasso, the initiator of Cubism, was born on October 25, 1881. His father was also an artist and was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona. Picasso received his first lessons in art from his father.

The painting shown is called "First Communion".

Art Trivia - Futurism

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876-1944), an Italian poet and dramatist published in Figaro of Paris, the first official manifesto of Futurism. Futurism was about (in general) the love of danger, the admiration for speed in machines, the glorification of wars and general destruction of the past (including museums). He wanted to free a rising generation of painters, sculptors and literary men for more expression in their crafts.

Along with a number of writers, the Futurism movement gathered 3 young painters, Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carra and Luigi Russolo, who were later (in 1910)joined by Giacomo Balla and Gino Severini. Futurist pictures have been compared with a frozen motion picture or a series of superimposed candid camera shots or stroboscopic photography. The most direct example of Futurism is in Balla's work from 1912 "Dog on Leash" (shown)which depicts a sequence of multiple positions of moving forms of a small dog being walked.

To view my artwork, go to: The Hojt-Tonte Gallery

A Bit About the Art of India

The art of India may be described as theological or traditional because, like the art of the European middle ages, it was dedicated to revealing the divine nature of the gods and advancing the church. The aim was to instruct men in the truths of religion with the objects of worship. The Indian artist was trained in the uses of proportion and harmony to produce images which, in their abstract perfection, suggests the divine nature of the original, basically abstractions of the human form.

The Indian artist tried to create a supernatural ideal often presented in abstract terms only related to the actual physical body or its proportions. The art was intended to suggest better than mortal attributes, and also had a sensualness about it, often with references to fertility.

To view my artwork, go to: The Hojt-Tonte Gallery

Who is Alexander Wyant?

Born in 1836 at Port Washington, Ohio, Alexander Helwig Wyant was a U.S. painter. His landscape paintings evolved from the tight realism of the Hudson River school to the subjectviism of the Barbizon school.

His best know work, one of his early landscapes, is "The Mohawk Valley" painted in 1866 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City). All of his early works were characterized by their near-photographic faithfulness to the subject, romanticism and a wide panoramic effect.

The art of his later years showed more maturity and freedom. This is shown in "Moonlight and Frost"(Brooklyn Museum)(shown in picture) and "Landscape in the Adirondacks" (Metropolitan).

To view my artwork, go to: The Hojt-Tonte Gallery

Creating an Art Collection

Many people believe that having an 'art collection' has to be an expensive undertaking. That isn't necessarily the case. Of course, if you want to collect pieces from the Great Masters you certainly may have to pay a fortune for each work. But, you can collect art that you like that doesn't have to cost as arm and a leg.

There are many artists today that are worthy of collecting. You need to find one that you like and follow that artist. Buy pieces that you LOVE--ones that you can follow on a journey through the artist's career. You may not be able to buy (or even want to buy) every piece that artist creates, but you can still buy a sampling of his/her works that can lead to a collection.

You can also go a different route for your art collection. You may like a certain type of art - say landscapes - and collect different works within that category. Or perhaps you like natural wildlife art or still life's. Within those categories, you can hunt for works from different artists and even styles that may appeal to you.

You also may want to do a more economical route and buy prints instead of the real paintings. Prints of your favorite artworks can still lead to a collection. Some prints (limited edition prints) can still be quite valuable.

The main point to building and creating an art collection is to go with pieces that really appeal to you. You can have the enjoyment of displaying them in your office or home, and be able to show off your collection and the knowledge you gain from owning that piece of art.

Art Collecting Tips: Go slowly with your art collection. Start with one piece at a time and build up to a larger offering. You may find that as you go along your tastes may change to appreciate a different kind of art. If you amass more works than you have room to display, store some of the works and rotate them.

To view my artwork, go to: The Hojt-Tonte Gallery

Art Comes in Many Forms

Art is beauty for the eye and can come in many forms. Of course, there are paintings of varying kinds--oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media--and in varying styles--traditional, modern art, landscapes, country folk art, etc. There is also sculpture which involves and adds another dimension to the art form. You can also have photographic art, both in realistic pictures of objects or photos that have been manipulated into a new art form. There are collages and pen & ink studies. There are so many different forms that art can take.

It is up to the artist to create and it is up to the viewer to enjoy and interpret. You can look at one piece of art and see one thing while someone else can discover some other meaning from the work.

Art is really a personal thing that is enjoyed by the beholder. Art can take many forms. It is up to you to find the meaning a particular piece has for you.

View my artwork at: Hojt-Tonte Art Gallery