best bibi jones: April 2010

Art body painting full

Ever see people having their body full of art? This art is called the body art. People paint their bodies to portray their feelings and thoughts; some even try to represent creativity. There are different categories under body art. These categories include painting, piercing, scarring, tattooing and shaping. All these represent different artistic creativity on the body. In some cultures body art is a ritual and in some cultures people try to portray themselves as unique with the help of body art. Some types of body arts can be really bizarre and getting them on the body may inflict pain. These include scarring, piercing and tattooing. But many people are willing to go through the pain to get the art on their body.

Painting is a simple technique in which special paint is used to color the body. Drawings of many things like butterflies, lizards and other things can be found on people's bodies. The interesting thing is that these paintings portray the creativity and thoughts of people. People put paint on their body when they are cheering for their teams. Also in some cultures painting the face is a ritual like the kadakali makeup is a type of art. Piercing is also considered a type of body art. Piercing is done by puncturing the part of human body and wearing jewelry. Although this process is painful but many people opt for this kind of body art. Also piercing is done in many cultures as part of ritual especially in India.

Another form of art on body is scarring which is also a painful process. It is rarely found and is considered as a ritual. The basic process involves scratching, etching or cutting designs, words and pictures as a permanent body modification. The more common type of art on body is tattooing. Many people have tattoo on their bodies. There are two kinds of tattoos which include the permanent and temporary tattooing. The process of tattooing involves the insertion of ink into the dermis of the skin. There are special equipments used for this purpose and it is also painful. All these kinds of art represent some thought. As it is said "Art is never meaningless".

Temporary Arts of Body Painting

Sexy lingerie, seductive women's apparel, and sassy clubwear are no doubt hot, but they are getting to be too common. Professional strippers and dancers have to constantly keep updating their style to become the star attraction. In that array the latest style storm in the fashion world is the sexy temporary body art.

The sexy temporary body art is sure become a bold fashion statement for those brilliant dancers and strippers out there with a flair for sensuous revealing guise. Sexy dancers can check out the incredible collection of sexy temporary paints. These body paints are not only absolutely mind-blowing, but they are also pasties that are easy to wear and are also water proof.

Who would not get turned-on watching an innocent looking stripper in the sexy Naughty Nurse Temporary Body paint Costume matched with the First Aid Silver Red Eye Paint? Strippers and dancers are sure to appear irresistible with this body art!

Professional strippers can go in for a wild gaze with the Purr Temporary Dancer Stripper Body paint Neon Animal Print Cat Costume matched with the Cheetah Print Purr Exotic False Eyelashes.

Not just sexy temporary body paint, you'll also find an excellent assortment of eye paint kits. The eye make-up, such as the Circa Exotic Eye Glitter, the Punked Exotic Eyes False Eyelashes, and the Stormy Exotic Eyes Silver Glitter Eye Paint can be the best accessories to seem sizzling in a party or club.

Not only professional dancers and strippers get to glitter in these body arts, but anyone can get a pro hot look with these awesome body paints and eye glitters.

Art Body Paint Tiger Style Paint.

Look at a cave painting- beasts in profile, perhaps a hunt- painted with pigments from the earth mixed with the fat of the animals it portrays. I see remnants of another era. I see a mural painted by people like you and I- more so than we might want to believe. As you look, feel the experience of this painting. Can't you see the light from the fire flickering? Smell the cave. Close your eyes and feel the damp air around you? You are in a cave, painting on the walls the essence of the daily lives of you and your community. Imagine it.

Imagine what it would be like to live in 15,000 B.C.E. This is long before any of the comforts we know has even remotely been thought of. This is long before transportation and communication was even possible, save for between your immediate surroundings. It's long before supermarkets and specialists- so you have to make your own clothes, catch and prepare your own food- with a limited diet, and completely take care of yourself, without dentists, doctors, or anybody else because you barely even understand your own body and how it works. Your life expectancy is about thirty, you will die of a common cold- if you survive through the winter at all, and danger lurks around every corner. How does it feel?

The Hall of the Bulls

These paintings are prehistoric, meaning they were painted before human history. That is- before history could have been kept- long before in fact. One particular cave painting was found in Lascaux, France, in 1940, and is called the Rotunda, or Hall of the Bulls. It is placed about ten feet above floor level and depicts a procession of horses and bulls. It is part of a group of paintings of Upper Paleolithic art found in French caves and is some of the earliest examples of art in history. Some other caves, however, have been found with paintings which date back some 25,000 years.

The Lascaux caves are currently off limits to the public, following a restoration period which is now under observation. Some 2,000 images were found to decorate the walls of the caves, many of which are deteriorating, or difficult to discern. Of the images that are easily recognizable, over 900 are made out to be animals, with 600 having been identified. Of these animals, the majority are horses, then stags, cattle and bison. Several images are of a cat, a bird, a bear, a rhinoceros, and a human.

What do these paintings tell us? First and foremost we see a dominant animal theme. We can clearly see the importance of the animals to prehistoric man. This was before animals were domesticated for agriculture, meat, or pets, which means all animals were wild in the eyes of our cave friends. Beasts were both prey and predator.

Sounds pretty scary doesn't it? Nonetheless, animals were an important part in the preserving of their lives. A successful hunt meant the difference between thriving and living through the winter and an end to their existence. With a limited diet of fish, nuts, berries, and meat, they could use all the food they could get, and they couldn't take a ride to the supermarket to get it. There lives were in their own hands. On the other hand, the landscape was nowhere near a safe place to venture in terms of animal threats. Larger and more ferocious animals lurked around and hunted you. They had to eat too.

So it's no surprise that we see animals taking center stage in cave art, having so much importance. A lack of animals meant a lack of meat, and an overabundance of predator beasts such as tigers meant impending danger. The animals painted on the walls are not glorified, rather painted realistically from nature. The vary in size, from small, almost pictograph representations to extremely large, namely the seventeen foot long bull in the Hall of the Bulls- the largest animal discovered in cave art. The beasts were always in profile, and usually in motion.

Who Were The Painters?

Archaeologists have used everything they could from around the caves as clues for understanding the lives of these people. They conjecture that these folk didn't actually live inside these caves, but rather in shelters just in and around the cave openings. To be able to paint on the cave walls, they used lamps made from plant materials and animal fat. They used paints made from pigment mixed with animal fat, usually combined in small cups or with flat stones. The colors were mostly red and black, but sometimes yellow, maroon, and violet. Pigments were found naturally such as iron oxide for red, ocher for brown and yellow, and chalk for white as well as for lightening colors. Black was derived from manganese.

It's hard to say exactly what was going on in their lives judging simply from the artwork. Many of the symbols found on the walls remain enigmatic. For instance, hand prints have been found which lack one or more fingers. Some historians believe this could have been some kind of hunter's code. Others think the fingers could have been removed in some sort of primitive religious ritual. Other symbols are hard to make head or tails of, including basic shapes often filled in, arrangements of dots, arrows and bars. Could these symbols be just for decoration? At this point it is almost impossible to say.

What can be said, however, is that these prehistoric artists were crafty. Besides simply painting, they were sculptors as well as engravers. Some paintings show reliefs of figures, in whole or in part. Eyes and muzzles were sometimes cut into the wall before paint was applied. In some instances natural bumps and grooves from the stone were taken advantage of to portray parts of the animals and other figures.

The actual painting was accomplished mostly by using hands- fingers to trace thick lines. But besides their hands, some sorts of makeshift primitive paintbrushes were used from branches, twigs, and even bristles of hair or animal fur. These early artists used color contrast, shading, cross hatching, and varied line thickness to portray their subjects with an amazing accuracy. Primitive as they were, talentless they were not.

It goes without saying that we can't pinpoint who the individual artists must have been. Writing was not invented for tens of thousands of years so the painter could hardly leave his or her signature. Interestingly, though, specialists have noticed certain styles among the caves and how they have evolved. The styles range from three different periods- the first being a crude portrayal of animals, barely formed and hardly realistic looking. The second is a bit more evolved, showing more recognizable animals with rounded bellies, snouts, muzzles, eyes and horns, yet the legs remained crude. The third stage shows animals which can be identified by species, and whose movement has been portrayed. At this stage, art was becoming much more realistic. The Lascaux cave paintings, seen above, belong to this period.

It's interesting to wonder who the actual artists were who created these cave masterpieces. Was there a single artist responsible or did the community contribute? Could the whole theme of showing the hunt be the result of a holy man or religious figure praying for success? Since people are found to have not lived in these caves, were they used for special rituals or ceremonies, which the paintings are meant to complement?

No one can say for sure, only hypothesize and take educated guesses. But we can say these cave people's lives are fascinating. Before society as whole began to take care of itself and make leaps and bounds in science and technology to make life easier, these people were etching an existence on their own, with only the help of nature, which is often cruel and unforgiving. Their art gives a glimpse of who they were, yet leave us to question what they were thinking. What we know is they were early Man, some of the first thinking humans, whose slow and steady evolution brought us where we are today. We can thank them for not letting the elements, the odds, and Mother Nature get the best of them. Otherwise we wouldn't have anything, let alone art. But this where art began, the whole shebang started right there in those dark caverns. If they could only see where it's gotten to. While we ponder at abstract paintings, minimalism, hyperrealism, and any other new form of expression, just remember one thing-

Zodiac Leo Body Painting

Even if you are not a Leo, you can embrace the energies being emitted to you from July 23 to August 23. Will and Scientific Reasoning are Leo's energies. When these energies descend, they become the driving force behind your actions whether you realize it or not. If you embrace these energies consciously, it's like having a tail wind behind you, propelling you forward with so much more ease and speed. In his article, we're going to focus on Scientific Reasoning.

Scientific Reasoning

Leo personifies the energy of Scientific Reasoning. As all energies and qualities can be categorized as being a part of either Will or Love, it's worth noting that Scientific Reasoning falls under Will. During Will's patriarch reign which is on its last gasping breath, Scientific Reasoning was instrumental in coming up with the plans for manifesting Will's intentions. Each astrological year as Will released one of its qualities like strength, Scientific Reasoning would be responsible for coming up with ways for implementation by Mother Earth and her inhabitants

Scientific Reasoning Stimulates the Mind

Scientific Reasoning, of course, stimulates the mind the most. During Will's reign, the mind led the way while the physical body implemented the plan. The emotions were more inward, not fully expressed. The mind overrode the emotions mostly. Sometimes, emotional energy was added as an accompaniment propelling the physical body into action whenever sluggish. Intuition was too fleeting to even be taken seriously by most.

No Longer is the Mind Leading the Way

With the shift to Love, Scientific Reasoning as it is a part of Will, is also turning inward. No longer is the mind leading the way, with the emotions acting as just the support to the mind. Scientific reasoning is being requested to come up with what could be described as heartfelt solutions. You could say the mind is slowly transforming itself, beginning to "Think From The Heart, Love with the Mind." The Mind is to solve problems arising from the feelings, especially the hurts that the emotions are expressing.

Scientific Reasoning Asked to Connect the Separate Parts

Also Scientific Reasoning is being asked now to come up with ways to connect all of Will's separate parts that are already in manifestation. And to reinvent, transform inventions that were intended for war to prove who was the most powerful, the strongest and the top dog. The internet is one of these inventions, originally developed for the military, now used for all of us to connect.

Three Times of the Astrological Year for Scientific Reasoning

There are three times during the astrological year that we are inundated with Scientific Reasoning; Leo, Sagittarius and Aquarius. Each personifies Scientific Reasoning, but as they have distinct functions as members of the Zodiac relay team, they do have their own individual expressions. Leo belongs to the Summer Relay Team, Sagittarius to the Autumn Group and Aquarius to the Winter cluster.

Aquarius Current Leader of Zodiac

Also, every 2000 - 2500 years, one of the Zodiac signs assumes the leadership role with its own style of management of the other eleven zodiac team members. Aquarius is the current leader and its style of leadership is as a facilitator. What that means is although the theme will be scientific reasoning for the next 2000 years, each Zodiac sign is asked to radiate its solutions and methods to implement the quality that is being presented each year. During 2010/2011, each Zodiac sign is asked to emit its unique solutions for implementing Beauty, although diverse, are all connected as they act as a relay team now since Aquarius started its reign.

Before Aquarius Was Piscean Supremacy

Before Aquarius was the Piscean supremacy, with each of the zodiac signs acting more like gurus when its time came, more authoritarian. One sign tried to prove it was better than the other. The Aquarian Age really only assumed full leadership in 1994; we are just at the beginning. But just look at all the scientific inventions that have arrived on the scene starting around 1825-50 when Aquarius began its descent, emitting its energies from the leadership role to Mother Earth. It is easy to see the influence of this Scientific Reasoning energy.

Love No Longer Illusive

The best is yet to come though, as Scientific Reasoning and its Zodiac Team will ensure that Love will no longer be elusive. We will discover how to "Live a Life of Love." That's the immediate quest ahead of us, which will be accomplished during the matriarch reign which officially begins on the Winter Solstice 2012.

Inner Beauty Not Seen

For the astrological year 2010/2010, Scientific Reasoning must come up with ways for Beauty indeed to be manifested. But remember, the mind is no longer leading with its concept of Beauty. Beauty was not absent during the patriarchal reign, but outer beauty took the lead, inner beauty for the most part could not even be seen, much less valued. It was the packaging, how it looked on the outside. Trophy wives, beautiful women were often bought like art possessions. Their value was as an accompaniment to men.

Authentic Accompanying Beauty

In centuries gone past, it was the men who were painted, made the most handsome, even acted out the parts of women in plays. Women were not even part of the equation, so even a trophy wife was a big step forward. Now when you say Beauty as we move into a matriarch guided era, Authentic is accompanying the word Beauty.

Transform Inner Ugliness

Thus Scientific Reasoning is given the task of helping us to transform any inner ugliness into inner beauty. Also our outer beauty is asked to be authentic, as a reflection of our inner in the moment. Now we're talking about the consciousness field, it's not that there wasn't anyone working to improve themselves during the patriarch time but it has exploded since the 70's. That's when women started to burst into the workplace as well. Your thoughts, your feelings and your words are starting to have as high a value as the way you outwardly look.

Leo During Aquarius Era

Leo is a researcher, always testing out new ways to see what works or what does not. And as Leo's time occurs during summer, it is supposed to be transparent, for all to see. It is just as important to show off the experiments that did not work, roads not to take.

It's said that Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb, an Aquarius, was delighted every time one of his experiments did not work, then he could throw out that theory and go to the next. Aquarius as the facilitator is eclectic, drawing solutions from each of the zodiac signs.

What is Love?

Living a Life of Love is one of the major goals during the upcoming matriarch vanguard, and as Leo is a pioneer, it has been experimenting since the early 70's in earnest. Lots of the experiments with love like marriages, divorces, married again, a three some, being gay, being a lesbian, being bisexual; these are all different expressions, responses to finding answers to the mystery of What is Love? So don't try to hide or be embarrassed if you are on your six or seventh relationship. What's important is, did you give up? If so, get back in the game.

Love is being less and less illusive; many know exactly how it feels now. If it doesn't feel like Love, it isn't. No facts or figures can convince you otherwise now. Love is well within your reach, go for it!

Sexy girl with a blue body paint to form small

The combination of the female body and lingerie has both fascinated excited men and women for centuries. Yet, when I glance at the selection of the top shelf publications in newsagents throughout the world, I'm always astounded at how this beautiful combination has been reduced to a vulgar version of the original pin-up girl. So, for those of you who don't know them, here's a brief history of the first illustrated pin-up girls printed throughout the United States and Europe as of the end of the 19th century...

The Gibson Girl

The Gibson Girl was the brainchild of Charles Dana Gibson (1967-1944) and is credited with being the world's first pin-up. These pen-and-ink drawings represented independent, mischievous and adventurous Victorian women with feminine s-shaped silhouettes and hair piled high on their heads. The Gibson Girl had a huge influence on fashion and her tiny corseted waist, large hips and bust were inspired by the less restrictive health corsets worn by women of the fashionable upper-middle-classes. She was equal to a modern day celebrity and appeared in publications such as Harper's Monthly, Bazaar and Life until around 1910.

The Christy Girl

Howard Chandler Christy (1873-1952) began his career as a war artist. Thanks to his preference for drawing pretty girls rather than men at war, the Christy Girl was similar to the Gibson Girl and featured on calendars, book illustrations and magazine covers. She was the prototype for the ideal American woman. Christy is most famous for his World War One poster Gee!! I Wish I Were a Man (1917) that depicts a spirited Christy Girl wearing navy blues.

The Fisher Girl

Harrison Fisher was another illustrator with a great eye for painting beautiful women in watercolour and pastel drawings on the covers of Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan. Elegant, athletic and independent, the Fisher Girl was the epitome of American feminine beauty at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Flagg Girls

Bohemian, cocky and outspoken, James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960) is most famous for his wartime Uncle Sam poster I WANT YOU. His oeuvre is made up of paintings and caricatures of beautiful American women. With symmetrical faces and full lips, the Flagg Girls were tall and wide shouldered beauties. Illustrator Flagg was the greatest U.S. artist of his time, according to Time Magazine.

Front, Rear And Side On Body Art Painting

I kept the painting as near my body as possible as I lugged my thirty-pound carry-on through the ribbon of travelers meandering through security. The cubic yard parcel covered in cardboard, brown paper, and snuggly wrapped in twine wasn't going to get out of my sight.

This was Lee's original, entrusted to me, and a gift for Claude, one of his collectors. It was also my first trip to Europe. I could tell I over-packed. I checked my other bag and wished this one were in the same place. I began to grow weary with each step lugging two cumbersome pieces.
Lee was already in Paris two days before and expected me in fifteen hours. He knew my schedule.

Lee started painting in the eighties and had some pretty good stuff inspired by the nouveau and deco movements, along with his close cohorts; beatniks, weed, and dry martinis. He graduated into bronze sculpting and Claude was a collector. Lee's past career was that of a restaurateur. After his thirty some year tour of duty there, he pretty much read the paper at the kitchen bar, still drinking martinis, and lived off his investments, when he wasn't sculpting.

"You can't take that on board," the flight attendant stated flatly when I handed her my ticket.

"I can't! Why not?"

"It won't fit in the overheads. You'll have to leave it here."
The plane was boarding. I had a $900 ticket in my hand. I had been on my feet with almost fifty pounds of weight for two hours, thrashing the throngs of molesters disguised as security agents, on my first trip to Europe, with a priceless painting, and was told I'd have to just "throw it away"!

I politely stepped out of line to assess my options and waited until all the passengers were checked in. Then I walked up to her, handed her my ticket and said, "I'm going and I'm taking this with me. And you can bet, I will find a place where it "will" fit," and I calming walked down the aisle and boarded the plane.

I sat my bag in my seat and continued to the rear of the plane with the painting where I stashed it behind the row of seats in front of the latrine relaying my story to the folks seated in front of it. Shaking their heads, they agreed they wouldn't get bumped either for a painting and to leave it there was no problem.

I got a least one dirty glare from the stewardess as she walked by as if to say, "How dare you." Then I slept until we arrived at Charles deGaulle.

The nighttime truly began when I departed the plane. Lee spotted the painting first and then me as I continued my struggle with it.

"Is that all you brought?"

"No, we'll have to go to baggage claim."

Lee knew how to get there so we were off. Well, we got there and watched and waited, and waited and watched. My bag never showed up causing another trip to Terminal one and the claims office. I filled out three pages in triplicate noting each item I had in my suitcase. That's when the reality of having over-packed really hit home. Not only had I over-packed, but I did something no one should ever do; never, never, never put your travelers' checks inside a checked bag!

I handed the completed paperwork back to the agent and was told to check with them in the morning,

"We apologize for any inconvenience and we'll do our best to locate your bag and have it for you in the morning."
I didn't feel reassured.

The next morning I called, and the next and the next and still nothing. The only thing they affirmed was that baggage somehow got transported to d'Orly, de Roissy from de Gaulle the night of my arrival. So here I was my first visit to Paris with "no baggage" no change of clothes, and no money, plus only ten days leave.

On the third day a call came in from the airline, "nous avons disponible à vous un règlement dans le montant de 375 francs."

In other words they were making a settlement of 375 francs for a nearly 600-dollar loss. I called American Express that next morning anyway to report the traveler check mishap and loss, so they cancelled those in the bag and reissued. Thankfully, I carried the stubs in my carry-on. The agent continued by saying, "Je suis sûr que nous vous récupérerons sac, mais je ne peux pas dire quand." [I am sure we will recover your bag, but I cannot say when.]

Lee and I had lounged around Claude's estate for two and half days, I, in the same clothes. Not that it was a bad place to lounge. Claude's place was a mansion deep in the forest near St. Germaine.

St. Germaine

On the north side of the property sat a dense forest. I'd gaze at it through my shuttered window from our bungalow that sat on top of the workout gymnasium. The west end of the six-car garage neighbored our stairway. The outdoor hot tub was right by the gym room, which had glass walls, but for one full, single-paned mirror covering the east wall. Lee and I were both ready to see a bit of Paris. We had been wined and dined and waited on hand and foot far too long. We decided to get some lunch in town and pick up the airport's offer, so we loaded ourselves in the rented squirrel-cage Peoguot and headed back to the airport to pick up $67 in chump change.

I signed off on it when we got there, they gave cash, and I begged Lee to take me shopping so I could buy some clothes. We headed off to Printemps at the nearest mall.

I guess I felt that I had been with Lee so long the beatnik look rubbed off and my long-standing stereotype-view of "shady" French women in black, so I had to buy a black, velvet leotard, with matching ribbon choker, modest top, spiked heels, and a red tam. I wanted to blend in with the French. Not that they dress like that, but in my personal view I felt and looked French. I even had a fancy cigarette holder complete with cigarette to droop from my lower lip if I wanted to.

The next day I wore that garb and dragged Lee to the Eiffel Tower. I couldn't miss that. Lee had other things in mind, but we still had five days. His goal was to see the works of Francois Auguste Rene Rodin in Calais, which is northwest of Paris near the waters of English Channel. His purpose was to get up close and personal with The Burghers of Calais. He doesn't surf the net, he goes straight to the source.

Paris

Musee d'Orsay

Not far from the Eiffel Tower is the Musee d'Orsay housed in a former railway station that was built in 1900. It was here I got my first glimpse of "Gates of Hell", also a piece by Rodin. Reinauguration of this museum in its present form took place in 1986. Inside is a treasure trove of art produced between 1848 and 1917, including Impressionist and Post-impressionist works. Most of the paintings and sculptures are found on the ground floor and the skylight-lit upper level, while the middle level showcases Art-Nouveau.

Musee Rodin

Nearby was the Musée Rodin, which displays bronze and marble sculptures by Claudel, and Rodin, including casts of some of his most celebrated works. There's a sculpture garden in the back. It was just around the corner from the Hotel d'Invalides and near the Hotel Biron. This Musée Rodin was the final town home of Mr. Rodin.

Rive Droite

The area north of the river, the Rive Droite (Right Bank), includes the tree-lined Avenue des Champs-Élysées, running west to the Arc de Triomphe. Watch out driving there. There are no traffic lights. Traffic lights do exist down the avenues, but not at the massive traffic bulkhead by the Arc. It's 'one-for-all' and 'all-for-one', well it was a 'free-for-all' where a person hears a lot of lively horn music and a barrage of French slang. East of the avenue was the massive Musée du Louvre, the Centre Georges Pompidou and a district of museums, shops, markets and restaurants. South of the Pompidou Centre on the Île de la Cité sits Notre Dame. The Saint Germain de Prés and Montparnasse districts lie east of there.

The next day we borrowed Claude's car. I was very happy not to take the Peugeot. It rattled and shook and we were so close to the ground, besides having such a frail looking, unsafe body. Claude's car was a 2500 Turbo Saab and Lee drove like a maniac from Paris to Calais. The hilly French country roads dip and curve like a meandering river. It is pretty barren, but for every 10 to 15 kilometers another church steeple crops up making us aware there was more to France than Paris. Westerners think Paris is all there is of France, and along with the French everyone goes to Paris. It is, after all, largest city the French have. It's where to shop!
By the way, one can (although, not legally) go just as fast off the Audubon as on. We were up to 125 km in three seconds or less in this turbo. I felt weightless and as though I left my body in Paris.

Calais

The Burghers of Calais is a commemorative piece to six of Calais's most respected citizens willing to give up their lives to save the rest of the town's people. It is truly awesome and huge. More on the history of the Burghurs; after the English victory at Crecy, near Abbeville, in September 1346, Edward III of England laid siege to Calais. In its 11th month the starving Calaisiens decided they couldn't take it. The Governor, Jean de Vienne, sent a message to the English king saying he would surrender if everyone in the town, soldiers and citizens alike, was given a pardon. The king replied that he would accept the surrender provided six of Calais's most respected citizens came to hand over the keys to the castle and town to arrive barefoot, with nooses around their necks, and that they should beg him for mercy.

They were Jean d'Aire, Jacques and Pierre de Wissant, Jean de Fiennes, Andrieus d'Andres and Eustache de Saint-Pierre, one of the town's richest inhabitants. Edward's consort, Queen Philippina, was so moved that she pleaded with the king not to harm them, which he did. They became heroes. This piece was made between 1884 and 1886 and stands in front of the British Parliament building in Calais.

Rodin created his works in the 19th century the Impressionism era of art history. An almost scientific interest in the visual experience began in the late 1860's to late 1890's. French painting, sometimes called optical realism utilized the effect of light and movement on the appearance of objects. The Impressionist motto is the human eye is a marvelous instrument. Fascination with light and movement was at the core of their art.

Rodin castings can be seen in the United States in Philadelphia at the Rodin Museum and at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA in the sculpture garden. A casting of the Burghers stands in the NYC Metropolitan Museum. San Francisco's Palace of the Legion of Honor has an excellent collection as well.
After lunch in Calais where our French waiter didn't understand the French word for mustard when I asked for moutarde, we drove to Brussels and on to Luxembourg where we holed up for the night.

Luxembourg

Just after touring downtown where ornate, thin buildings loomed over threatening to crush us, we stopped at a red light. It turned green and Lee remained parked in the lane of traffic. I soon became mesmerized by the lunatic in the car behind us, shaking her fist out the window and screaming profanities at us.
"Lee, don't you think you better drive, or get out and see what she wants."

He started to drive and she continued fast and hard on our tailgate still pitching a fit. Then she pulled up along side and we pulled over.

The gals' name was Tammy. She lived in Luxembourg and was yelling in that language [It was not French, she insisted, it was Belgique. I think I insulted her.] at us for not going when the light was green. [Sometimes Lee forgets to pay attention to small details like that, and my navigation skills went out the window that time.] When she learned we were American tourists, she changed her tune from "mad, wet hen" to "I will do anything if you take me to America with you."

We turned the car around and followed her to a bed and breakfast called Auberge Le Chatelet located at Bd. de la Pétrusse 2, Luxembourg City 2320, Luxembourg. Its rooms are divided between two lovely old Luxembourg homes with comfortable furnishings and a rustic restaurant. Tammy's friend owned it. Tammy spoke excellent English; it was the other language that was questionable. After a small meal with Tammy at our side and three more hours later, she finally gave up and went home, while Lee and I retired for the night sinking into a down mattress and crisp white sheets. In the morning we were served a traditional continental breakfast with cheese, meats, juice, and sweetbreads. It was moderately priced and cozy.

Rotterdam

The next day we drove on to Rotterdam, were stopped by a policeman. My heart stopped. I thought we were going to be ticketed for something, I just didn't know what. He said we were driving as though we were lost. I think we were, but Lee insisted, no we weren't and continued into downtown where we parked and found the nearest bar. Lee just had to check out the legal hashish bars, so we entered the Bulldog. It was interesting, but not my gig. A heavy cloud filled the entrance shrouding visibility and the smell curled my nose hair. It was too much for me.

After a beer and some of his shenanigans we drove to Utrecht and spent the night at the Best Western Amrath Hotel at Vredenburg 14, Utrecht, Holland. This sits near Central Station with gorgeous Amsterdam thirty minutes away. We had juice, toast and coffee that morning. Try the traditional toast in Holland covered with colorful aniseed sprinkles. It is delicious if you like the taste of licorice, which is similar to aniseed. Then we were on to Amsterdam, Maastrich, into Germany near Essen, and back to the south of France. We drove the Black Forest, but didn't stop. Yes, there were many castles peering out of those deep, dark woods.

We packed a lot into four days and traveled 820 miles. I haven't donned the total "shady lady" garb since my trip; I think I wore it out already. I managed to bring mon seul leotard noir home with me and I wear it to bed sometimes and quietly reflect on my Paris moments, chuckling, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do".

Claude loved the painting I was able to get to him unscathed. I tried to barter it for his car to no avail. The car was black, too, but the painting wasn't. That would have been a kick, Lee giving Claude a black canvas called Black Cat in the Dead of Night. I wouldn't put it past him.

Despite having no luggage and the 'fast,' but thankfully not too furious, four-day road trip in Europe, it was an unforgettable and wonderful experience.

japan body painting

Few images of Japanese culture are as evocative as an elegant lady in a beautiful silk kimono. Although rarely worn nowadays, the kimono holds a special place in the hearts of Japanese and Westerners alike; a symbol of refinement, sophistication and taste. Yet 'kimono' translates simply as 'clothing', and was the everyday attire of all Japanese people for centuries.

In modern Japan you will still see the occasional old lady who has never worn anything except kimono, but most people only don their national costume on special occasions. Weddings, New Year celebrations and highbrow performances are all places where you can see women (and men in their hakama version) wrapped in fine silks; their clothing revealing much about their social status, lifestyles and tastes.

There are many types of kimono and many ways of wearing each type. Each nuance has meaning which can be 'read' by others. Young, unmarried women wear bright, gaudy furisode with sleeves reaching to their ankles. This shows they are old enough to marry, but are still eligible and looking for a suitable bachelor. During the wedding, a heavy uchikake is worn on top. After the ceremony, the kimono is changed for a shorter-sleeved, married woman's version to signify that she is no longer available.

Married women wear black tomesode or paler houmongi to formal occasions such as weddings. In this case, black is a joyful colour as it shows off the bride's bright colours to greater effect. Here, the tomesode has colourful embroidery and auspicious motifs around the base.

In summer, light cotton yukata are easy for everybody to wear and can be seen during Japanese festivals and informal outdoor events.

It is very difficult to put on a kimono as there are many different folds, tucks and ties involved. Furisode can include up to 35 different pieces so the dresser must be very skilled (and the wearer must be very patient!). Several layers of underwear, ties and pads turn the body into a cylinder shape - it is not desirable to have a voluptuous figure and any curves will be flattened down or padded out. The kimono collar is ALWAYS worn left-over-right for both men and women. This is perhaps the most important point, because the only time you wear it right-over-left is as a corpse, at your own funeral!

The main kimono is tied with an obi, a strip of stiff, hand-woven silk approximately 13 feet long. The obi is wound around the body several times and then tied at the back. Why at the back? Well, traditionally, courtesans tied theirs at the front for 'easy access', so tying at the back denotes a woman's virtue. The way the obi is tied also says a lot about the woman. Young women wear theirs very elaborately in the shape of a butterfly, turtle, bow or bird. Older women prefer a simpler shape with perhaps a picture on the obi itself. Those courtesans just tied it in a big knot as it wouldn't be staying there for long!

The kimono is made from a single long piece of silk which is patterned before it is sewn together. Some are painted with lucky images using stencil dyes or freehand painting. Others are painstakingly embroidered with single-ply threads. Some have a mixture of painting and embroidery and can cost a small fortune. The obi can be almost as expensive as the kimono as it is hand-woven and takes many weeks to produce.

So, what about footwear?

Japanese people take off their shoes before they enter a house, temple or other special building, so traditional Japanese shoes are easy to slip on and off, looking a bit like Western flip-flops. Often, the shoes are exquisitely decorated on the inside, so that when they are removed people can see the lovely patterns. Japanese socks even have split toes so they can be worn with zori shoes. Tabi socks are made from starched white cotton and have elaborate hook and eye fastenings. They slide so beautifully across tatami flooring that this noise is an integral part of the Tea Ceremony.

I hope you are beginning to see how each component of the kimono is essential to the overall effect. It must be worn absolutely correctly otherwise the wrong impression will be given, but can be adapted to reflect the personality and feelings of the wearer.