best bibi jones: October 2010

fantasy art women

This poem is about seeking out the magic that is mine and yours,fantasy art women., fairies in art, mermaids that sing deep in the ocean to sailors they have captured for true loves sake. All we need do is decide that it is real to us and embrace its music.

Fantasy art women
in your backyard
right where I left them.
Surprised?
Not to worry
I am sure they are still breathing
resting under covers of flower petals.

Fantasy women
who come out after dark
wanting to see if the tide has come in
if the ocean still roars.
They run to meet the foam
laughing through tears
hoping for magic
knowing it can be found
somewhere.

Fantasy art
I keep my canvas primed
ready for inspiration.
Last time I looked
my goddess' were singing
so I began to dance.

This fantasy art woman
me
fantasy woman
art on every wall
has learned to dance and sing
from stories told on canvas.
Neglected at times
only a goddess might think so
jealous soul.
I will hear my goddess say,
"Did you forget my voice?
My paintings are my heart."
The only answer possible
"No, not ever."

Innocent angels still wait
I draw them
keep them in my pocket
lest I forget their wings are fragile.
Lest i forget wing of my own.
I will forever hear their whispers
after every sunset
and before each sunrise
what else it there to do?

Fantasy woman
yes
I hold out for that magic
I paint and sculpt on rainy days
days that seem closed
yet days that mention flight
despite the weather.

Fantasy art women
drawings I hold dear
special efforts at times
for free fantasy art
mine for the giving
giving blessings.

Goddess art
I tried to call
left messages about my plans
watercolors meeting paper
oils meeting cotton
clay meeting my fingers.

There were whimsical angels
inside every poem you wrote to me
I put them in a jar
and hid them till I felt ready
to hear their singing.
my fantasy
angel art.
Dear whimsical angels.
My fantasy art women
left out after dark
in your back yard.

ABOUT Kathy Ostman-Magnusen

I paint and sculpt female fantasy art and map fairy tale adventures. I dream of beautiful women on canvas and art of exotic women.

I have illustrated for Hay House Inc.,"Women Who Do Too Much" CARDS, taken from Anne Wilson Schaef's book. I also illustrated for Neil Davidson, who was considered for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing, and several other publications. My paintings are collected worldwide.

Looks more picture below : Best ...

Hanging pictures in a space, along with adding decorative flair to a room, also allows us to bring style and character to the spaces reflecting our individuality. Everything we choose, colour, type or shape of artwork adds our personal touch and warmth to any space. How the wall art or framed photographs or any other collectibles are hung, either as a single frame or as a grouping of frames, influences the entire look of any room. Hanging pictures properly needs more deliberation and concentration than one might actually think as it is not just hammering a nail in the wall and resting your picture on it.

The following are 7 best tips and tricks for hanging pictures besides following the foremost guideline which is to hang the picture at the eye level for the average person.

1. The wall art, when hung, should aesthetically please the eyes of an admirer once fixed on the wall. So remember, the size of the frame should always be proportionate to the size of the wall. Smaller frames best adorn the narrow walls whereas larger frames or group of frames look best on comprehensive wall sizes.

2. Wall art should be relative to furniture size. An artwork broader than the item beneath will give a feeling of "off-balance". Make sure that the length of the frame is 75% to 80% of the length of the furniture piece placed below and should also not be placed too high; the distance between the base of the frame and the top furniture should be 20 cm maximum.

3. If you want your picture to stand out and make a statement, select a picture that best complements the colour of your room or couch or carpet and effectively brings out the mood you want to attain. Vibrant and bold colours add flamboyance whereas pastel shades infuses serenity in the ambiance. However if you are looking for an art-deco-inspired look, then main colour of the picture should be in contrast to that of the walls. For instance if the walls are green then select a picture that has bright red tones in it as it will not only make the wall focal point but also add vigor to the entire room.

4. Hang the picture securely. Make sure that the frame rests flat against the wall and use specially designed picture hooks instead of nails. If the frame is heavy or very large then install the hooks in the wall studs to get the robust support that is required.

5. In recent years, the trend of an art shelf has emerged to rest the art pieces. In fact it is a great way to give a stylish and contemporary look to a room. You can also mix and match the artwork with other ornamental objects like silver, crystal, books and other collectibles to create a more elegant vignette.

6. Hang one big picture or canvas in a prime position to make a statement. A focal point in the room can be created in this way where a natural bay window or fire place is missing. A bench or stool can be placed below the large paintings to "anchor" them to the space.

7. While hanging pictures in groups, try to add diversity to the arrangement by using frame and mats of different shapes and sizes but still complimentary to each other.

To tackle a blank wall can be very intimidating but I am sure with these tips on hanging pictures, you can create a well-dressed wall.

German Bodypainting Festival 2007

One of my favourite galleries is when Pietermaritzburg organises "Art in the Park" and I certainly wasn't disappointed this year.

This year the day was divine a slight crisp morning gave way to brilliant blue skies and bright warm sunshine. The paintings were arranged under the trees beside the river and as I walked in some school children struck up on their steel drums to entertain us with their foot tapping music, lending a very festive air to the whole proceedings. It was a perfect day to see a a fabulous display of paintings from fifty-five artists from around South Africa.

The first paintings to catch my eye were the ladies painted by Ronnie Biccard, each one expressing sensitive subtleties of mood, colour and emotion in big dollops. Isaac Sitole had some striking wood-carving prints and seems to have caught the eye of international audiences which is brill.

My friend Marion was busy networking or selling something when I passed by her beautiful watercolours but she still had a moment to stop for a smiley photo. Coral Spencer Domijan a fellow Durbanite was painting away in the sunshine, a huge beachscape but she had a suitcase exploding with smaller paintings mainly of people who could tell a whole story with their body language. I dropped in on my mate Nicky Chovuchovu for a chat and landed up buying another of his paintings for my collection - it sits on my mantelpiece at the moment, so I can enjoy it all the time till I find a good home for it.

As I rounded one corner I came across something beautifully different and eye-catching collaborative effort of a young couple called Mpenja or Everett Duarte a South African and German artist Frances Schandera.

Body painting. Terry Runion. art

Are you considering making a living (or at least a little money on the side) doing body painting? Is it even possible to make a living doing body painting? Yes, you can make good money as a 'pro' body painter, and even kids as young as twelve have made good money (like $500-$400 in an afternoon) doing simple painting techniques like airbrushed temporary tattoos at fairs and festivals.

It may be difficult to believe that there are so many different ways to make money doing body painting. I know that when I first discovered the art of body painting, I thought maybe you could make some temporary money at a party or fair. But there are many, many more possibilities, as you will see.

Here are just 10 of the ways you could get paid to do body painting:

1. Doing body painting at parties. You could hire yourself for a night or a day and get paid either by the hour or a flat fee for the event.
2. Painting party-goers before they go to a party or event. Themed or holiday parties would be a good opportunity for this. Make sure you mention that you could body paint their friends, too!
3. As a professional body painter for the theatre. You could do one show for a discount to get in the door and get some recognition, if you don't have a track record yet.
4. Travel with the circus as their 'in house' makeup artist.
5. Become the official body painter for a dance company. Again, you could work for a low fee or even free to get in the door.
6. Face painting alone opens up several opportunities: parties, festivals, fairs, and special events all are possible places for you to set up shop. Just make sure (as with all these options) that you are using proper, non-allergenic paints meant for face painting alone.
7. Special events like graduations, celebrations, fundraisers, and reunions.
8. Sports events: painting fans in their team colors and symbols has had a long tradition.
9. Festivals around the world. There are several festivals specifically for body painting around the world, but there are many more that would be a great place for body painting. Look up the festivals in your area and find out how to become a vendor and what their requirements and rules are.
10. Teach others how to do body painting. You could hold a one-time workshop, give ongoing group classes or even do an online body painting course (as I am doing).

I hope this gives you some good ideas about how you could make money as a body painting artist. Maybe you have even thought of some ways that I didn't include...great! Choose one method, research what you need to do to get started, and go for it!

Bonus Tip:

Here's a secret hint...as you are considering one of the possibilities above. Don't choose what you think would make you the most money...choose what you think you would happiest and best at doing. You will always make more doing something you love doing, in the long run!

body painting body painting on the chest

The human body is the tool through which somebody experiences life and his surroundings as well as interacts and communicates with others. To some people, however, the body is another piece of canvas through which they could express themselves, their beliefs and their traditions.

Drawing a Picture, Telling a Message

Just as paintings hanging on walls make a room more beautiful, body art can enhance a person's good physical attributes. Some ladies have a sunflower tattooed on their backs so that they can wear backless dresses that will reveal their flawless skin adorned by the tattooed flower. In this sense, body art is worn the way diamond necklaces are - it is meant to adorn and enhance the wearer's beauty. However, there are other much more complex reasons for the proliferation and practice of body art. These reasons can be cultural, political, or spiritual.

Body art is extremely common in jails. Tattooing and branding are some of the most common rites of passage for inmates who wish to be part of certain groups. Body art can also be used to declare personal beliefs and political stand. In this case, body art can be compared to graffiti on the wall; it declares what the person wearing the art believes. People in ethnic groups also used tattooing extensively as a form of ornamentation. In some cases, tattoos were used to mark how many people a warrior has killed in battle.

Body Art Types

Widely known types of body art are body painting, tattoos, shaping, scarification, branding and body piercing. Body painting is usually done by painting on the body, usually covering the whole body completely with water-soluble makeup or paints. Body painting is very similar to painting on canvas, however, it can be more difficult to accomplish as the body has contours that makes painting pictures and scenes on the body more complicated.

Tattoos, probably known by all, are permanent decorations on the body applied through the use of an electrically ran needle. Body tattoos usually cover a relatively small portion of the body. Favorite places for body tattoos are the chest, the upper arms, and the back of the shoulders. Body tattoos are relatively permanent, too, as the picture or the letters are etched onto the skin.

Body piercing is accomplished through the use of materials such as beads and precious stones and metals. Ear piercing is probably the most practiced by women and some men for accessorizing. Today, piercing is performed on almost all parts of the body such as the nose, the lips, the tongue, the eyebrows, the bellybutton, the nipples, and others. Shaping, on the other hand, is done to permanently shape the body according to a person's preference. Methods of this type of body art are foot binding - common among Chinese women.

Scarifications are more unconventional methods of body art. There are religious groups that deliberately scar their body (usually with pointed objects like knives) using a prescribed pattern. Somewhat similar to scarification, branding is another type of body art that involves a whole lot of pain. This was originally done to farm animals (cows and horses) and originally used for identification purposes. This is accomplished through placing an extremely hot piece of metal with a certain design on the body until it burns the skin and leaves a mark that may last forever.

Whatever form of body art is practiced, it is certain to elicit varying reactions. Body art can be beautiful, captivating, or disturbing depending on the beholder's point of view and set of values.

Body Painting Body Painting booth

An auto accident can happen in a split second. You are always left with many questions and are always wondering what happened. As well as wondering how and when you are able to get your automobile repaired. Whether it is repairing a full dent repair or just repairing a simple scratch in the paint. There are many services that are available to you when you are in the time of need.

One service that is available to you for your auto repair is frame straightening and reconstruction. Sometimes when you are in a auto accident it is so bad that it actually bends the actual frame of the automobile. Now you are able to have that problem easily fixed for you. Having a bent frame can be very detrimental to your car in a number of various obvious and unpredictable ways. And with using state of the art tools they are able to insure that your frame is perfectly straight without a question.

Another auto body repair service is the ability to have dents and dings pulled out and fixed. Not many things can hurt the good looks of your automobile like a dent in the door. Auto body repair shops can fix those dents and dings for you and have your car or truck looking like new. And now they are more accurate than ever with thanks to the new laser measuring system assists to make sure that the repair is done perfectly every time.

One more service for an auto repair shop is repairing the paint job the car or truck has. A simple scratch can take away a lot from the look of your automobile. Nowadays they are able to use a computerized paint matching system that guarantees that the new paint on your car or truck matches your old paint perfectly every time. And a heated pressurized down draft paint booth ensures that you are left with a factory like finish every time no matter what.

A car accident leaves you with many unanswered questions. Some of those questions shouldn't be how you are going to get your car or truck fixed. With auto body repair and paint services these days you can insure that your car or truck will be back in good shape as soon as possible. And with such a large variety of services you only have to take your automobile to one service business