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Art work has always held a special place in the world, and it can also be a type of therapy for individuals. It doesn’t matter if you feel you have special skills in the area of art or not. The goal of art therapy is to be able to express your thoughts and your feelings in the art. This can be very useful for those that find it hard to grasp the words to verbally say what is going on inside of them.

Art therapy can be used with people from all backgrounds and of all ages. This is why it is such an effective tool. It can also be used for couples or for families instead of just with individuals. For example having each family member draw a picture of how they see the family as a whole can give some insight as to the feelings of each member.

Most therapists tell their patients to explore their own feelings and ideas in the art. The goal is to free the mind and to create what is there without questioning it. A person needs to not worry about their artistic ability. The experience can be very freeing and most people feel that a burden has been lifted as they transfer their feelings onto the paper.

Rather than just interpreting what has been drawn, the therapist or counselor will allow the creator to explain it. This is another very important part of the therapeutic process. This is important as each person can look at a piece of art and perceive it differently. Allowing the creator to share the true meaning of it will ensure that the wrong impression of the art isn’t taken.

This type of therapy allows for freedom of expression. Many people find it easier to share their thoughts and feelings with the paper first. Then they aren’t so isolated from them and they can continue to share them. It is a way to warm up the conversation and to allow the therapist to help the individual on various levels.

Most individuals who are enrolled in education programs to become a counselor or a therapist will be exposed to the concepts of art therapy. Some many choose to incorporate it as part of the options they have for treatment. Others will choose to specialize in this type of therapy.

There are many professionals out there that offer the option of art therapy. You may want to find out more about it so you can determine if it is right for you or someone in your family. There are a variety of techniques involved that help a person get to the root of their feels. It will take time to see results from art therapy but that is true of any type of it that is used in society.

Studies have shown that art therapy can be an effective tool to help individuals with seeing their fears, evaluating their choices, getting through a trauma, enhancing their self confidence, and even improving their relationships with friends and family members. You will find that art therapy has become more accepted as a form of treatment by many specialists.

By: Cindy Browne

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Can Christian art be inspirational art? A wise man once asked me if my home was to be investigated could I be convicted of being a Christian? Obviously, I hope the answer is a resounding yes. However, what did he really mean by this question? He indicated that having our homes filled with things that help others know our faith can help us share our faith with others.

When you walk into a home you can sometimes tell within seconds if they are Christians. Christians often have art of the Savior on their walls or the family bible on their coffee table. You might even notice the wall art with scriptural sayings such as, “The family that prays together stays together” or “The Lord is my shepherd”, etc. These things would definitely let other know that we are people of faith.

During Christmas time it is generally obvious, however, even non-religious people will have a Christmas tree and even nativities. Christians may try to emphasize Christ more in their decor by emphasizing the creche or having and angel atop the tree.

A great way to show our faith is the types of paintings or sayings that we have on our walls. These types of things help people know that we are people of faith. It shows that we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, and God’s word is for everyone. Inspirational Christian art is just one way to help others come unto and follow Christ.

The answer is yes, we can inspire others to learn of God’s word by displaying Christian art in our home, and we can teach others about what Christians value and hold dear.

By: Trent Bowen

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Ever dream of watching TV online? Well thanks to great innovations in the world of online technology, it is now possible to watch satellite TV on PC. This innovation lets you have access to all of your favorite channels as well as keeping you updated on what’s happening in the world today, at a moments notice. Keep in tune with all the latest developments in the world, whether they are to do with news, health or sport.

If world news used to reach you when it was already considered history, satellite TV on a PC will allow you to watch TV online and instantaneously watch the news whenever you need it. See all the news unfold as its happening and it doesn’t matter what country you live in, you can now compare world events as they are broadcast by different countries.

If you are on the go and just out of reach of your cinema-like TV at home, you don’t have to worry now because you can still have access to all the channels you want and stay updated with all the news that may be happening around the world. Watch TV on your laptop even while you are chatting with friends, busy with work, or just sitting at a restaurant. The places you can enjoy your new found TV are limitless and as long as there is an internet connection available, you are good to go. Rest assured in the knowledge that you will never again have to listen or watch old news.

If you hear a piece of news while you were out and about but are unable to get to a TV to see what’s happening, just fire up your laptop, load the satellite TV software for the PC and find out what was going on first hand. If you are sitting at home and someone else is watching TV and you are itching to watch your favorite program, your PC is right there for you.

This type of software lets you watch TV online to the tune of thousands channels. No monthly subscriptions to think of and no expensive cable television equipment to purchase – just great fun watching thousands of channels.

By: Adi Suandharu

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Think back to when you were a child for a moment – how did you feel when the postal worker delivered a letter addressed just to you? Most kids feel excitement, enjoyment and enthusiasm when they get a letter. It doesn’t matter what the letter contained – the important thing was that it was addressed to them.

Now fast forward to today – how do you feel when you sort through your mail? Days when you get nothing but bills – I am betting you don’t feel so great. But what happens when you get a cheque, an unexpected prize or a lovely long newsy letter? Do you stop and read the letter and get a feeling of warmth and happiness?

Now – think about emails. In today’s society, email has replaced a lot of how we communicate. We email each other with our news and happenings. But how do you feel when you open your email? Do you get the same excitement and enthusiasm?

What does all of this have to do with business and life?

For managers, a hand written note of thanks to a great employee on a job well done means a whole lot more than an emailed note.

In life, think about writing your news down, rather than emailing it. A written letter builds strong relations and feelings – think of the old-fashioned love letters. Email letters don’t really have the same appeal.

Most businesses today rely on email as their main form of communicating with their customers. It doesn’t matter how great and how newsy your email is – it just doesn’t give your customers the same warm feeling as a letter, personally addressed to them, in their mailbox.

A few years ago, all the marketing stats leant towards email as the most potent form of marketing. Now they are tending to head the other way. Email marketing is still strong, but we are seeing a resurgence of direct mail as a way of communicating (and selling).

The challenge is many of us have lost the skill of writing a great letter. A letter that is full of news, interest and excitement that moves towards a logical conclusion. We have been trained to write for email – short, sharp bites of information that fit onto the screen that can be scanned in one view.

The good news is that if you are interested in building your business and getting ahead of the trend there are a few ways you can do this.

Postcards are a great way to grab attention. Make them colourful, make them interesting and personally address them. Ideally put a proper stamp on them rather than a franked or postage paid approach. Each time you add in a touch that makes it feel like it was personally addressed to the customer, you add in a percentage point for the card to be read.

Postcards don’t take many words to write, so even if you are not a copywriter you will still have an effect. Keep it short, interesting and make sure you include a call to action -something along the lines of call now, visit my website or email me for more information.

The other good part is that postcards don’t have to be expensive to buy or have made up. On-line printing companies have great templates already loaded (or you can load your own). All you have to do is put in your text and from $42 for 100 you can send out postcards to your clients.

But what if what you want to say won’t fit on a postcard? Direct mail is still one of the most powerful advertising mediums today. Just join the Readers Digest direct mail list and you will see what I mean. Great copy, lots of interactive parts – all designed to get you to sign up for a subscription or buy a book.

Direct mail has its own rules (you can do entire courses on how to write direct mail pieces). Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your direct mail (all based on the lost art of letter writing).

* Keep it personal – include the persons name throughout the copy. If you don’t know the persons first name either try and find out or go for a title that identifies them. For example – Dear Fellow Guitar Enthusiast. Your best letters were addressed to you remember!

* Use lots of “you”s in the copy – Direct mail is not the time to go all formal with your writing – keep it chatty and direct, just like the letters you used to get from your friends.

* Lose the jargon – you may know what your jargon means, but err on the side of caution and cut the jargon out of your copy.

* Tell a story – stories are some of the most powerful psychological triggers known. Think back to fairy stories when you were a child. What stories can you include about your service or product?

* Prove it – you need to include proof about your goods and services, so include testimonials, awards or other information to prove your claims. If you just say you are great – this is not as powerful as Mrs Mary Jones of Blackwood St, Mitchelton saying you are great.

* Don’t waffle (enough said on this point).

* Call to action – make sure there is a point to your letter and get to it. Make sure it is crystal clear what you want the person to do as a result of your letter. Don’t assume that people will know what to do after reading your letter – spell it out.

If you are not confident in your letter writing ability, then have a copywriter look over your letter and refine it for you before it goes out.

The bottom line is to put pen to paper and write letters, in whatever way you can. You will be surprised at the results you will achieve.

By: Ingrid Cliff

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There are a number of religious artists that have crafted immaculate pieces, but Rembrandt is one of the greatest. Throughout his career, he often turned to the bible for inspiration to complete his work. He produced a number of different pieces of religious art ranging from paintings to drawings to etchings, and each depicted a scene from the Old Testament.

In his work, he attempted to bring to life the characters and figures in both the Old and New Testament. But in particular he seemed to focus on the faces and events that were related to the life of Jesus Christ. He looked to his work and the bible to surpass the rough times of his life.

It was in the late 1650’s that Rembrandt began to craft religious art. The death of two of his children and other personal problems led to him beginning to craft religious figures and events. He hoped that this would lift his spirits and his family’s as well. Some of his most famous work includes depictions of Christ and the Virgin, the Apostles, the Evangelists, Monks, and Saints. His most famous piece, though, was his self-portrait as the Apostle Paul in 1657.

Rembrandt was known for painting the faces of all religious figures to reflect the burden of spiritual and emotional conflicts. The faces of the Apostles and Saints that he painted are shown peering out from the darkness of poorly-lit rooms. Through his technique of painting, he was able to bring to life the emotions and feelings of all of the religious characters in the paintings.

It was clear through his paintings that his ability to create such profound depth of expression in each character came from an understanding. He had clearly studied in-depth every person in the bible and connected with how they were feeling. Rembrandt was able to bring to life the characters, and show their psychological well-being as well.

There is a plethora of religious artists that have created brilliant work. But Rembrandt took his creations to the next level by bringing them to life and putting meaning in every little detail that was done. He, unlike anyone else before, was able to see into the human’s soul and put it on a canvas for people to amuse over. And because of this, his religious art has been considered to be his best work and amongst the best religious art to ever have been created.

By: Danny Wright

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What actually is art? Give me ten people and I’ll give you ten different definitions of the word. What it means to you is as unique to you as your fingerprints. But who’s to say what qualifies as art, or fine art? What distinguishes the art of Jean Michel Basquiat from Rembrandt van Rijn? Besides the time differences, each artist’s art have been met with different types of criticism. Was one art, and the other just crummy art? Who’s to say?

What we can say though is there is an unmistakable mainstream art circuit with art dealers and galleries, critics and fine artists with or without their MFA’s. Sometimes this crowd can be quite pretentious and judges art in its own way, usually following the natural cycles of fads and trends. What’s hip today may be tomorrow’s old news. That’s just how it is.

But true art and artistry can be found everywhere. Wherever there is creativity there is art. You don’t need to hang around in posh upper class galleries and drink expensive wine to be a real artist.

Jean Dubuffet and Art Brut

“Art Brut” in French literally means “rough” or “raw” art. This was translated to “Outsider Art” in English. It was started by the painter and sculptor Jean Dubuffet to describe art that is outside of the official art culture. He knew the value of art which normally doesn’t hang on gallery walls but nonetheless should be recognized and not necessarily written off as lesser art.

Dubuffet mainly focused on the art of the mentally ill in insane asylums. One particularly noteworthy example was Adolf Wolfli. As a mental patient diagnosed with psychosis, he was an extremely prolific artist creating epic novels of 45 volumes with over 25,000 pages and 1600 illustrations. With minimal resources he would slowly create work after work with only one pencil and two sheets of paper a week at his disposal. This meant drawing on tiny bits of paper, using small stubs of pencils, and anything he could find or beg off of people to get his work done.

Wolfli’s work was often characterized as “schizophrenic art” with obsessive symmetry, ornamental patterns, reduced depth. Every piece of the paper is covered, leaving no white or empty space. Another similar work is by the psychiatric patient Friederich Schroder, who drew the “Swan Doll’s Dance of Death.” With a perfect mirror symmetry down the middle, the drawing shows a monster with a grotesque smile wearing a crown and holding his arms curving downward with birds’ heads for hands, combining animal with man.

Naive and Primitive Artists

Dubuffet was working with the mentally ill artists, while “Outsider Art” outside of France was known to be a much more general term. It included not just the psychotic art, but also naive, self-taught, and primitive art as well. On the American scene in the early to mid twentieth century we had Grandma Moses, the renowned folk artist painting such countryside favorites as “This Old Checkered House in Winter” which was the subject of many paintings, one of which was appraised on “Antiques Roadshow” in 2004 for $60,000. Several of her paintings have appeared on Hallmark holiday cards.

Earlier we have Horace Pippin, born in my local area in West Chester in 1888, who painted “Giving Thanks” and “Domino Players.” Even earlier in France, there was Henri Rousseau, with his dream-like representations of jungles and jungle animals.

All of these artists could have been considered Naive painters because they were self-taught and their paintings possessed a child-like quality to them. This doesn’t mean all Naive painters had no formal education, but as it relates to Outsider Art it generally does. In modern times there is no stigma attached to this genre of art.

Children’s Art

I talked about how children learn art in my article Learning Art. The way we learn as we grow up and experiment with art starts out with an expression close to ancient societies’ art. For example, in ancient Egyptian wall paintings you will find people in a row side by side with no overlap. Children would express the same type of thing when they draw people in a crowd next to each other in a row instead of showing any signs of overlap. The way they see it, if someone’s arm looks as if it disappears into the back of another person, this makes no visual sense. You wouldn’t really see a person’s arm actually going inside someone else, so why would one draw it that way.

The same is true for people in buildings. When a child draws a person inside a building, they wouldn’t show a face looking out from a window, because this would mean there is simply a floating head in a window sill. If anything their art was more true to reality, than to aesthetics and perspective.

One funny recent story which raises the question of the authority of art dealers is a woman selling her son’s scribble paintings as priceless works of modern art. She didn’t tell the dealers her son was 6 or 7 years old and the paintings were more or less doodles. Nonetheless the dealers saw the “genius” of them and bought them top dollar.

If anything is to be learned from children and from child-like naive paintings is that art can be appreciated for art’s sake. It doesn’t have to be perfect and it certainly does not need the approval of avant garde art experts. Art can be found in the small crafts of Christmas Kitsche statues, the scribbles of prisoners and psychiatric patients and even the finger paintings of gorillas. Art should be appreciated for what it is, and what’s its attempting to be.

Whether it’s good art, bad art, crummy art, children’s art, “Outsider Art” is still art.

By: Daniel Kretschmer

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“Contemporary art” is another one of those terms that covers a wide variety of art. The best definition of “contemporary” is the work of any living artist, though the term has also been used to mean art that you would go beyond. This sense of contemporary is more like the term “modern,” in that it means the opposite of “traditional.”. Here another rare talent Jayadev Biswal is showing his exceptional art skill with those very special canvases.

Jayadev’s lush, exotic and luminous textures sprawl somewhere between the sonic freefall of bloody Valentine, folktronica, famous dutch landscapes and a hymnal, Spiritualized-ish quality, but always with an eye on beyond and subtlety. Despite his preference for tweed and brogues, The Young Jayadev is just another exponent of brittle Indian new-wave upcoming contemporary artist with attitude. There are a million ways to combine concept, style and technique, but the Young Jayadev seems to interested in discovering any uniqness from them, to play with them and if you visit his workplace ,you just cann’t deny all these arguments, he is surely one of upcoming mainline young painter in Indian contemporary art market now, just looking like using all his Borodian skill to amaze art lovers and art critics.This most recent work ‘COMPASSION’ indicates his new development of supra-national power structures and the radical social changes.

While global cities are forming into a new economic world order, capital, people, ideas, pictures, and goods move around the world with ever-increasing speed, setting up a network of communication, production, and consumption that spans all continents,Young Jayadev Biswal is looking to add some more features towards its rapidical progress.He is coming with some new contemporary concepts with amazing handelling and flowless coloring techniques on canvases.

By: Ashok Nayak

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While serving as a Mormon missionary in Florida, I had a companion that had a LDS gospel art kit. When he needed some additional money, he sold me a whole bunch of his useful but non-essential stuff such as his LDS gospel art kit.

This art kit is a set of pictures specifically designed to illustrate a story, gospel principle, or to give a visual of a complex idea of the gospel. Many of the images are images for children, but can be used for adults. It begins with Adam and Eve and ends with pictures of modern prophets, including pictures from the Old and New Testament, Book of Mormon, church history, and contemporary gospel topics. The kit was a little bit more expensive previously but was well worth the cost as there were over a hundred visual aids.

As the church encourages members to use church approved materials but not to break the bank, the LDS church has created a smaller and more affordable gospel art book. This book includes fewer images but contains the absolutely essential images for telling the stories of the gospel. It also focuses less on obscure stories and more of the main stream stories and doctrines of the Mormon church. This book is paper back with a thin spiral binding and is significantly cheaper than the entire gospel art kit.

As with most church materials, you can find both the original gospel art kit and the new gospel art book on the church’s website or your local distribution center.

You can use this LDS art in Sunday school, primary, sharing time, family home evening or other gospel and church teaching moments. It may not even be necessary to purchase these kits from the church as most ward and stake meeting houses are well equipped with gospel art and other pictures. Most ward meeting houses have a checkout program where you are able to checkout materials for a short period of time.

LDS art can play an important role in teaching our children, but both adults and children learn the gospel better when reinforced by images. The gospel art kit and book provide beautiful illustrations that will benefit and be enjoyed by family members for generations.

By: Trent Bowen

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In ancient times the Lord’s people built temples. Moses was commanded of the Lord to prepare a portable tabernacle. Solomon built a great temple and even Christ worshiped in the temple at Jerusalem. We have to guess as to what most ancient temples looked like based on journal descriptions and other fragments of history. People in ancient times would have to go to the temple to view it and be reminded of its significance.

Members of the Mormon church or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints build temples just like the ancient people of the Bible built temples. One neat thing about modern temples is that they are well documented with pictures. Before a temple is dedicated often the church photographs the rooms inside the temple. Anyone can purchase these pictures once published, but once a Mormon temple is dedicated it can only be entered into by members of the church who have met certain qualifications. What happens in the temple is not secret but sacred.

When the Salt Lake Temple was rededicated people proposed that the temple should be photographed, and most every room in the Salt Lake Temple was photographed and documented. When it was originally completed, photography was in its infancy so only a few pictures of the exterior can be found from its original construction.

Members of the Mormon faith hang pictures or place small figurines in their homes to remind them of the temple. If a husband and wife were married in the temple they will often have that temple represented in their home to remind them of their marriage and the sacred covenants they made.

Temple art is very easy to find as the Church has countless pieces of art that can be purchased on the church’s website or at any local distribution center. Many other private businesses also sell photographs and paintings depicting temples.

Now with over 100 temples in the world, more members of the church than ever before live close to a temple. But whether you live close enough to see one out your window, or have to travel for days to get to one, having temple art in your home helps remind you of the eternal nature of families and the love God has for His children.

By: Trent Bowen

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