Collecting Art - Do you have the bottle?

The headline reads "Undiscovered master piece sells for millions at Auction". The family was overjoyed to discover that a picture that had hung on their grandfather's wall for years attracted a six figure price at auction. Grandson and heir said "The whole family knew he collected odds and ends but we never envisaged it would amount to anything."

Ok the above is fiction, but it's what's at the back of the majority of collector's minds, especially those who collect art. Buy it cheap and sell it for squillions. Just don't rely on it as your retirement fund. In many respects it is a lottery, your betting your collection decision against that fickle beast, public opinion. The beauty of the art collecting lottery is you can hang the ticket on your wall. A win, win situation, your wall decorations are working for you and all your friends can admire your taste.

Now that can be scary, because 90 out of 100 people know damn all about art. If it isn't chocolate box pretty it isn't art, right. Wrong, have a look at the masters of art in your local museum or better still here on the internet and see how many pretty pictures you can find. Look at Picasso, Gauguin, Pollock, Matisse, Cezanne or Van Gogh to mention a few.

It's Ok, I'll wait.

Not much prettiness there. What is there is life, both the depiction of it and in the picture itself. There is an energy that radiates from art and if you allow it that energy will take you places you have never been before. But be prepared, it will confront you, it will challenge you, it is opinionated and isn't afraid to speak its mind, it is prepared to stand up and be counted, it is art.

As such it is in the vanguard of human experience, it is raw, it is fresh and new. It isn't the tried and true of recipes of yesterday rehashed, it is pushing the boundaries. In the 21st Century it is computer generated art in all of its many and varied forms. Be it fractal art, manipulated photography or cartoon cells, the collectable artists of today are using a keyboard and a mouse. If Michelangelo were to paint the Sistine Chapel today you can bet London to a brick he wouldn't be using intonaco. Now as then he would be using that latest technology available to him.


For the collector this just adds another level of complexity. Because computer art is so easily reproduced, what does one actually collect? As in the past, collect signatures, preferably from a limited edition. Obviously, the shorter the edition the better. If an open edition with a signature is all you can afford, go for it, it is better than a poster with or with out a digital signature. If your print isn't signed by the fair hand of the artist, as a collectable, it is worthless and that includes digital signatures. It is a $29.99 commodity and barely worth the paper it's printed on. Although the frame may attract a bid or two.

If you consequently come across your print on the cover of Vogue or in a TV commercial for whatever, chances are you're on a winner. That is the paperback of your signed first edition. Assuming of course your print has staying power, for so much of the mass media is based on ephemera. It is the quick hit that attracts attention and while this can be true of art there is a deeper relationship just waiting for your attention in works that can stand the test of time.

For anyone seriously considering collecting art, the pieces to acquire are those you can live with. If you like it from the start that is a bonus though not essential because if you have chosen wisely you will, over time and many conversations, come to love your new found friend. Works of art do become trusted friends and when it comes time to dispose of them it is a gut wrenching experience. This I know for I have been there and done that. When I had to dispose of my collection a few months ago my main concern was that they were going to good home rather than the financial return they could afford me. Consequently the ROI was less than if I had been less sentimental.

Though if ROI is your motivation and you can be hard nosed at the end of the day you will have many hours of enjoyment from your friends upon your walls along the way.

The Dancing Bears of Inuit Art

Inuit art has been introduced to the non-Arctic world for several decades now and has enjoyed a nice climb in stature as a fine art form. Throughout the years, Inuit stone carvers have changed their artwork a bit as a result of market feedback and demand. Generally speaking, they managed to make artistic changes in response to the market without losing the northern Arctic spirit of their Inuit art form. Inuit art stone carvings have become larger and more polished compared to those early primitive looking carvings that made their debut in the commercial art market years ago.

One of the later innovations in stone carvings from the Inuit art world was the dancing bear. The Inuit carvers from Cape Dorset in Nunavut sometimes added humor and play into their artwork. They gave animals such as polar bears some human like characteristics. Instead of carving polar bears only in walking positions or other poses often seen in the natural wild, the carvers began to make the bears in upright positions standing on one hind leg. This pose represented the polar bear in a happy state of dancing and celebration. Some carvers claim that dancing bears represent a form of shamanism and transformation between a human and a bear. But the market generally sees these carvings as happy bears.

The dancing bear carving elevated the skill requirement of the Inuit carver because the entire stone carving had to be balanced on one leg of the bear without toppling over. This balancing act in carving was not a project for the beginning carver. Because of the skill level required to carve a dancing bear, the price of such an Inuit carving would generally be a bit higher compared to a comparable walking bear. The Inuit art market has accepted this fact and collectors are willing to pay more for nice dancing bear carvings as evidenced by their popularity.

Other Nunavut communities such as Iqaluit also have carvers who produce excellent dancing bear carvings now. Some carvers have demonstrated such wild imaginations by adding drums made of caribou antler to bear carvings resulting in drum dancing bears. Talk about giving a wild animal a human characteristic! Others have turned other Arctic animals such as walruses and seals as well as objects such as the Inuit inukshuk into balancing dancing versions. A few carvers have produced dancing bears which have the ability to balance on either the right or left hind leg. In an effort to elevate the skill levels and artistry even further, polar bears have been carved in handstanding positions balancing on both or even one front paw. Sometimes these are known as diving bears.

Interestingly enough, the Inuit carvers in some regions such as Nunavik (northern Quebec Arctic) and the western Arctic have not added dancing bears to their subjects portfolios. They have chosen to focus and excel on other aspects of Inuit art such as hunting scenes involving human subjects or miniature Inuit camps using ivory. The dancing bear carvings are generally produced in the central Nunavut region but it will be interesting to see if other Arctic regions will produce their own versions of balancing carvings as a result of market demand.

Benefits of Cheap Mini Blinds

If you are planning to buy a cheap mini-blinds to give a contemporary look to streamline your home, then you've made the right choice. Increased popularity of mini blinds over the years as it is so versatile, and can stand as a treatment and a single window if you are trying to look neat and clean, and can also be used with other window coverings such as curtains. Has resulted in increasing demand for these curtains to more choices for consumers today. Now you can find the curtains are available in all kinds of shapes and colors, sizes and finishes that allow you to customize and beautify your home any way you want. Apart from being a great complement to any room decor and theme, and curtains are also able to give you additional privacy, and can organize the light of the sun that you want in any room.

Small cheap curtains come in a range of prices so you can choose which one fits your budget best. Not all mini blinds are the same, and provide all the advantages of different blind. Three main types of wood blinds, aluminum and vinyl. If you are willing to spend some extra cash and want the natural beauty and warmth of wood, then you better go with a mini wood blinds because they can look very elegant anywhere in the house. Priced relatively aluminum window blinds and curtains of this type are not only reasonable, but is very durable and it provides a choice of color and wide-ranging. When you purchase aluminum blinds, keep in mind that the largest segment of aluminum is, and reduce the risk of damage or bend it. You can also opt to have both wood and aluminum blinds custom depending on your personal taste and the size of your windows.

Vinyl blinds are the least expensive type of blind, and this is what makes them the ideal choice for those who are on a tight budget. What makes this particularly useful for the blind is that it will prove to be a blessing attractive to the rooms where high humidity such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundry areas. In addition, vinyl blinds is very simple to clean and highly resistant to sun bleaching and a very strong and durable. If you want to achieve wood blinds give the same look small but they do not have the budget for it, faux wood blinds mini displays an option more affordable. It gives privacy and is very functional, such as wood blinds but the standard they are made of materials other than wood, such as polymer, which makes this kind of blind, simple and durable solution to clean and resistant to moisture, and less prone to crack, warp or peel.

One good advice that you should keep in mind while choosing an ideal cheap mini-blind for your home is to make your choice based on quality, not price. Does not jeopardize the quality and aesthetic appeal. And search the Internet quickly tell you that there are a lot of curtains excellent quality and reasonable prices and reasonable. Shopping online is very simple and convenient, just to make sure that you have the correct measurements of your window, and you know the look you want to achieve for your room.

Arch Window Shutters

When shopping around for shutters arch, and there are some important considerations to keep in mind.

Traditional shutters, sometimes referred to as the colonial style, you have one inch to a quarter-inch movable louvers and wide. And normally used in these methods the colonial and traditional American homes. You may need to order a cafe shutters and cover the bottom of the window to create a weird, home-style and mood.

On the other hand, shutters farm with three-inch aperture movable and wide and has a more modern design. It is flexible enough to be used in any window in almost every house. It allows you to see more and allowing more of the conclusion of the paintings more than once. Can be made cafe-type units or units of a double layer.

You can also choose whether to paint or stain your shutters. In general, paint colors and include a variety of white and other light colors. Stains can be enhanced by the wood grain through the use of a number of dyes and tones from the tone of natural light to finish the tone to black. Please note that the synthetic and composite wood shutters should not be painted.

Remember that the quality of the end is almost as important as color. Window shutters, which ended with the poor quality will deteriorate easily. And finish of the paint must be comprehensive, thick and soft, and should include all surfaces. The end of the stigma needs to have a strong finish coat and protective clothing.

Given the different options in materials, shutters come under a wide range of prices. A lot of suppliers for the price per square foot, a strategy that is not useful to consumers. Since the sizes usually are rounded up and consumers ultimately pay more for what actually happened.

Estimate prices based on the size of the window exactly, and a number of shutter panels, finish, and style is better because prices will not deceive customers. You can also save some money by issuing commands directly shutters, measure and install them yourself.

Keep these guidelines in mind to ensure that you get the best deal when looking for window shutters to install in your home

The Elegance of Blinds and Drapes

Blinds and curtains provide a beautiful and elegant interior is a certain kind of unique accessories. They also provide room to provide privacy and light control function to add elements. When you need more light, you can increase or pushed into the room, curtains or blinds down, so that more of the optical flow. On the other hand, when you need less light or more privacy, you can use them to cover the window opening.

Shutters can be opened by raising them from the following. Also designed to where they can decrease from above. Blinds vertical blinds can also be placed in the position of more traditional design, rather than the vertical level. This design is more vertical part of the blind is not easy to wear, sturdy. Advanced version of these devices is the mobile blinds where you can use the switch operation, rather than manual hand. And motor dysfunction of the problem, people will find this option very useful. These devices can also be added to a courtyard door. While the shutter is more ideal for the modern environment, more suitable for larger room curtains, needs a more elegant look and feel right.

On the curtains and curtains make the room look rich and stylish things. Fabrics and fabrics lend a taste for the elegant atmosphere of the room's overall design. Solemn room, beauty and style need to take up, curtains and curtains can be used effectively. Different painting styles used in the fabric. Such as curtains, the middle separation of ownership, known as split lottery-style draw. If there is no split, curtains can be drawn to the left or right, left or right as appropriate to draw draw.

The fabric can also have different heights according to their needs. When the curtains are half-inch off the ground, it was known as the floor style. When the curtain properly the ground, this is the so-called style pants. When the cloth was swept over the floor, it is called puddle style.