...
Create an Account

Shopping cart

Close

No products in the cart.

Close
January 18, 2022
View: 428

[ad_1]

How many times have you heard that.. “It’s all about the team”?

Or, how about, “You can have a so-so product, and with the right team it can be the best there is”.

Have you really stopped to make sure you understand what that fully means? In order to answer that, there are several more questions that must be considered first.

1. “Team Building” and “Team Dynamics”, are yours really the right mix?

2. Is anyone in your company looking at hiring and team building “whole-istically”?

3. Does everyone flow like clockwork or a well oiled machine together?

4. Is the “leader” of your team(s) really a leader, manager or dictator?

5. Does your recruiter or hiring manager, hire people or build “team dynamics”?

6. Does your recruiter, HR person or hiring manager “really” know about every job they are hiring for as well as the dynamic of manager and team the person will be working with?

There are many more, though will stop there for the moment not to overwhelm you with questions.

Bottom line. Products and services, simply do not sell themselves, nor do they manufacture themselves, as much as some like to believe. People do.

Without the “right” people, team dynamics and leaders it is simply a daily struggle to make things happen.

Recruiting and hiring is a fine art. It is defiantly not for the faint of heart without backbone. Hiring is also not for the inexperienced manager to do and true “leadership” is not browbeating dictatorship.

If any of the above are doing your hiring, recruiting or leading, guaranteed your “HR issues” will be horrendous and day to day “make it happen” dynamic simply does not naturally flow.

Have you ever been on a team that absolutely and simply just clicked? Everything happened like magic, easily flowed, and the dynamic of the people involved was simply brilliant. Things almost seemed to move forward and be accomplished at what felt like mach speed.

Then one person left the team to take a promotion, or was pulled to another department to put out a fire, or left the company for another job. Someone else was then “imposed” on the team and it never worked the same again.

This “Team Dynamic” can happen by accident or it can happen on purpose. For companies and senior management sake, on purpose is much better.

Unfortunately, for far too many companies, it happens by accident or by individuals independently internally seeking out others they know work together well as a team, typically, sometime way down the road. Many times, they make a move to another department when an opening comes up because they know the “team dynamic” is much better there.

So what do you do to make this happen “on purpose”?

In my book there is 1 very simple starting point answer:

1. Make sure your Senior Management Strategic Planning team knows what the “real” end goal is. Are we looking for people to maintain status quo with minimal growth or are we looking for people to help drive the company forward quickly with rapid growth? These are two very different types of people you would hire to handle these situations.

If your company is in start up and/or continual rapid growth you also need to stop and take a breath on occasion no matter how brilliant your quick, rapid growth teams are.

Just like race horses, they need a gentle walk around the track for a bit, rest for a bit, then go back at it again. The best leaders know how to keep business rapidly growing as well as giving their leaders and teams short breaks and rest. And please do not confuse this with holidays or days off work.

The leader who knows and understands this clearly and closely works with both Senior Management Strategic Planning team and very closely works with Recruiting, HR and hiring managers, are the leaders with the top performing, very best, dynamic companies, top down and bottom up.

Having had the pleasure and very grateful to say I’ve worked very closely with a few “True Leaders” and hired a few “True Leaders” as well as having put together and lead highly successful and very dynamic teams over the years. Have also been in situations of “wrong people” for the team imposed on me to deal with and sort out. Much prefer the first.

“Dynamic, Whole-istic Team Building” is one of the most beautiful things you can build for your company (at every level), so the right people can properly get on with their jobs of manufacturing and selling your amazing (or so-so) product(s) and/or services.

Off to another “Dynamic” adventure to help a manufacturing start up company build and develop the right team.

Perhaps next time we should talk about how to accomplish this in 1% unemployment situations?

Until next time…Smart & Happy Team building to you!

****************************************

[ad_2]

Source by Lorrie A. MacGilvray

January 18, 2022
View: 411

[ad_1]

Stained Glass is one of many dying arts. However it is making a come back. Designs can be traditional, modern, abstract or realistic. Learn how to create your own designs for stained glass. The Do’s and Don’ts, and what needs to be considered when drawing up a pattern. Leaded or copper foil panels can be fitted directly into a wooden frame or enclosed within a double glazing unit, in effect triple glazing a window. Free Hanging pieces can also be made, such as Sun-catchers, mirrors, wall decorations, clocks, candle holders, and many more.

Before you start a pattern it is a good idea to be aware of some of the restrictions that are specific to working with glass in either the leaded or copper foil methods. When your pattern is complete, and ready to be made feel free to contact me via my website details of which can be found at the end of the article

  1. Try to avoid a cross roads (X) or lines that go straight across from one side to another in your pattern especially for copper foil as this would be a weak point in the finished piece. (this is not so important for lead work, and many traditional patterns do include these shapes, but it is still better to be avoided if possible).
  2. Try to avoid internal right angels (or sharper as in the letter V). as the glass would most likely crack spreading from the point of the right angle. Therefore there needs to be line running from any points (similar to the letter Y).
  3. Try not to do a pattern with too much detail. This is especially important for leaded work as if the pieces of glass are too small, they will not be seen because of the lead. Think will the right glass add the detail for me.
  4. The more detail there is, the larger the piece will need to be. This will not necessarily make the piece harder to make, unless it is very large, then handling the large sheets of glass can just make it plain awkward.
  5. Some of the pattern will be lost due to it being covered by the lead or copper foil (a larger amount will be lost when using lead than when using copper foil). the amount lost will depend on the thickness’ used. For a piece A4 size, 8 or 10 mm lead is sufficient but thicker lead my be required for larger pieces, or for round the edge. Rather than detracting from the pattern, it can be a feature in a well planned pattern.

Things that you will need for pattern making include: Paper (lining paper is useful as if it gets wet when the piece is being made it will not disintegrate), tracing paper/acetate, pencil, marker pen, ruler, eraser, ruler and or tape measure depending on size. A true stained glass designer is able to create a pieces using a variety of methods. These include:

  • Creating a pattern to match existing panels or windows.
  • Creating a pattern from photo’s.
  • Adapting existing patterns.
  • Working from an idea.

Before starting the pattern for a fitted piece the size needs to be determined, the best way to do this is to use 2 methods.

  1. Measure the opening to tight fit (the are a behind the beading that the glass will fit into) across several points, height and width.
  2. Place paper over the area and draw round the area of tight fit.

Using both of these methods ensures that the pattern will be the right size and shape (the opening may not be truly rectangular or square) Next it is a good idea to draw a line 5mm in from 2 sides (this allows for ease of fitting and a little bit of room for error when the piece is being made). straighten up the remaining 2 sides.The pattern can the be drawn within the interior lines.

Creating a pattern to match existing panels or windows

Is the place where the new stained glass piece going to go the same size as any existing ones? If so the easiest way to created a pattern would be with tracing paper, or to do a rubbing (as when you were a child doing leaf rubbings) If not:

  • Take photo’s of the existing panels so that you know what you are working to.
  • Draw a grid to scale over both the photo and on the paper the pattern will be drawn on, (this could be simply 2 lines to divide into quarters, or a grid with more lines depending on the detail) this will help keep the pattern to scale and details of the pattern in place.
  • Keep in mind the new piece may not be the same shape and pattern details may need to be stretched or squashed
  • Start to draw the details of the pattern in, using the gridded photo for reference.

Creating a pattern from photos

Artistic licence may need to be used for colours, shapes and backgrounds.

  • Print out the photo as near to the size wanted as possible. If the photo can not be printed to the exact size. Draw a grid to scale over both the photo and on the paper the pattern will be drawn on, (this could be simply 2 lines to divide into quarters, or a grid with more lines depending on the detail) this will help keep the pattern to scale and details of the pattern in place.
  • look at the photo with a critical eye. What detail can be missed out (whether textured or patterned glass can add it, i.e. as for fur in an animal).
  • Trace over the lines that will be kept with a marker pen.
  • if the highlighted sections conform with the restrictions of working with glass, if not then add any extra lines that are needed, or alter shapes slightly.
  • When happy with the pattern trace over the altered image and the pattern is finished.

Adapting existing patterns

Pattern books can be very useful but there may be certain aspects of a pattern that you don’t like, or may just want to alter. This may be especially true for free hanging pieces as the shape can be altered by missing out sections from the edges, or interest added by missing bits out from the middle (try not to weaken the piece make sure that each bit has at least 2 points of contact). Alternatively extra pieces can be added for greater detail or interest.

  • Photo copy or trace the pattern
  • Place tracing paper over the pattern and draw over the aspects that are wanted, and changing any details that are required.

Working from an idea (this needs the greatest amount of drawing skill)

It may be a very detailed and specific idea (I like the view from my garden which includes a view of Criffel, with the trees and the fields) or vague (i.e. I like hills and sunsets). In the first instance it would be advisable to take a photo to work from. Whereas in the second instance a little more questioning may be required (do you live close to a specific hill that might have inspired you, if so then it could be advisable to include the shape of the hill, if not just a general hill shape may be fine to use.

  • If the piece is a fitted piece follow the guideline lines mentioned earlier. For free hanging decide on the size.
  • Roughly sketch out the design, until you are happy with the way it looks
  • View the design with a critical eye to see if the design fits in with the restrictions. Asking a 2nd person to view the design (telling them what is needed) can be a good idea, as aspects can often be missed.
  • Alter anything that needs to be altered.

[ad_2]

Source by Sarah L Jackson

January 18, 2022
View: 388

[ad_1]

Some of the most creative and unique christmas tree decorating ideas are actually the ones that are the cheapest. Don’t think for a minute that decorating a tree, whether it be an artificial tree, a wall mounted tree or a real tree has to be boring! The key is to use your imagination to come up with ideas that will reflect your interests and personal style. When it comes to christmas tree decorating ideas, necessity really is the mother of some great inventions!

Here is some inexpensive and creative christmas tree decorating ideas for revelers on a budget.

Christmas Card Images – This is one of the simplest of christmas tree decorating ideas. Cut the images that you like from last year’s Christmas cards and color the back with gold or silver magic marker. Then hang it from the tree with a shiny ribbon. This look is especially nice on a wall mounted christmas tree that is placed next to your main entryway.

Colored Glass or Plastic Balls – Embellishing common colored glass balls with glitter paints or aerosol flocking (fake snow) is one of the most tried and true of christmas decorating ideas. You can also glue on glitter or craft store jewels and attach braids or ribbons on a cheap glass ball and turn it into the dime store equivalent of a Faberge egg. Stickers, sequins and ribbons can also be used to make inexpensive decorations look more unique. A bit of glue and some glitter is also a great way to refresh the look of old or scratched xmas ornaments.

Cookies – Decorating your tree with cookies is as old as the tradition itself. Simply make gingerbread or shortbread cookies and decorate them with icing. Make sure to leave a little hole in the confection so you can hang it from fishline or a ribbon from the tree. Gingerbread men or shortbread snowmen look great, especially on a natural green tree.

Glitter Decorations – Just about any tiny object, sphere or disk can be dipped or painted with glue and then rolled in glitter. This is one way to transform “junk” into xmas decorations that can be hung from the tree. Glitter is very inexpensive and it can be used to transform everything from old antique keys to cereal box prizes to golf balls into xmas décor.

Origami – Origami is the fine art of paper folding. You can find instructions for making everything from snowflakes to storks out of Origami on the Internet. There are many sites that specialize in offering origami christmas tree decorating ideas. One idea is to make larger and smaller versions of the same design to create a balanced and minimalist look.

Party Streamers: simply strewing the ends of its branches with party streamers can create a very fashionable and minimalist looking tree. A strand of Chinese lanterns from the dollar store also very nicely compliments this look. This type of look is also very attractive on an upside down xmas tree or a wall mounted christmas tree as a bit of a breeze makes the tree come alive with movement.

Pipe Cleaners – This is one of those christmas tree decorating ideas that is great to do with the kids! Chenille pipe cleaners have to be one of the most versatile craft items ever invented. Simply twist them into the shape of snowflakes, stars, angels or anything that you can imagine. Best of all pipe cleaner xmas decorations can be wired directly onto the tree. This makes them ideal for trees that can’t, for reasons of safety, have too many dangling decorations such as the wall mounted christmas tree or the upside down christmas tree.

Popcorn Christmas Tree – There is nothing cheaper than popcorn and it is a great source of inspiration when it comes to christmas tree decorating ideas. Any type of christmas tree including the real, artificial or wall mounted christmas tree looks great decorated in garlands of popcorn. Popcorn can also be shaped into balls and hung like gigantic snowballs from the branches of a tree. Don’t forget too that you can easily dye or paint popcorn using food coloring.

Ribbons and Lace – One of the simplest christmas tree decorating ideas is to simply tie bows made out of scraps of ribbon and bits of lace and tie them to the boughs of a tree. This is also the safest way of decorating a tree if you have a wall-mounted or upside-down christmas tree. Decorating a christmas tree in ribbons that are securely tied to a tree is also safest for a toddler.

Snowflakes – This is one of those christmas tree decorating ideas that are great to do with the kids. Remember the folded paper snowflakes you made as a child? You can decorate them with any color of glitter. For the best results hang the smaller paper snowflakes at the top of the tree and the larger ones at the bottom.

Toys – If you are on a budget then you can find lots of christmas decoration ideas in the toy section at your local toy store. As long as it is miniature, it will probably look great on a tree. You can wire heavier items to the branches and hang lightweight items with colorful bows. Trains, little dolls and fish look especially nice on an xmas tree. This idea is also good for a small wall mounted tree in a child’s room.

Wired Translucent Bows – This is one of the more minimalist christmas tree decorating ideas but the effect is absolutely beautiful. Buy wired translucent ribbon on in two colors – silver and gold are hot right now – and simply tie them to your tree. The wire keeps the bows big and stiff so they look really attractive. This look is also perfect for a tree that you don’t want people to bump into such as a wall mounted christmas tree or upside down christmas tree.

[ad_2]

Source by Enid Edginton

January 17, 2022
View: 378

[ad_1]

It’s almost spring and it’s time for another Northwest Adventure. We’ve been working hard for several months and wanted a few days to sleep, read, talk together and enjoy a quiet life without phones, deadlines, emails, demands and sometimes-balky computers.

We set off for the Silver Cloud Inn in Mikilteo, about 70 minutes north of Tacoma. The day was sunny and warm looking but with a chill wind, great weather for traveling.

We’d never actually been to Mukilteo, but we had traveled all around it. I’d been to nearby Edmonds for calligraphy events such as the early May Letters of Joy, a Friday night lecture and all-day Saturday series of classes. I’d even stayed at the Lynnwood Silver Cloud for LOJ. The Lynnwood motel is one of the older ones in the chain; it’s a perfectly fine motel in a strip mall but it can’t compare with the waterfront ambiance of the Mukilteo inn.

When you leave I-5, you wind through miles of the Mukilteo Speedway. It looks like a South Tacoma Way, with car lots, junk car lots, strip malls and fast-food joints for miles. But as you come down the hill to approach the actual ferry terminal, your socks are knocked off your feet by the overwhelming beauty of the shoreline of the bay, islands, and even Mount Baker in the distance. It’s open-mouthed stunning.

From the left is a state park, historical lighthouse and buildings, one building of condominiums, the Whidby Island ferry terminal, Ivar’s Restaurant and Fish Bar and then the Silver Could Inn.

Unfortunately, the Coast Guard lighthouse wasn’t open for visitors the two days we were there, but we stood outside the picket fence and looked into the yard.

The Silver Cloud is brightly clad in white shingle siding, with parking under the building. When you go into the lobby, you look at a gorgeous wrap-around view.

The lobby extends across the side of the building, with mullioned windows opening to the view, making the room seem more like a home than a public building. The room is arranged with comfortable wing chairs set in conversational areas, tables and chairs, nicely framed prints, suitcases that looked as if a guest from the 1940s and ’50s had just set them down, fireplace, bookshelves with a good cross section of books to suit the tastes of the guests and lamps for comfortable reading. It ends in a beautiful antique looking Kitchen Queen hutch with cups and teabags. It trails into a small kitchen where they keep the pump coffeepots and juices.

We checked into our room, which had the same gorgeous views, oriented towards the ferry terminal. The ferry comes in every half-hour until 1 a.m. and then goes to once an hour until 6 a.m. and then resumes its half-hourly schedule. We had many opportunities to see the ferry. Out on the sound, sometimes the one that’s coming in seems to respectfully dance around the one that had just gone out. As if by magic, it seems that every time you look out the window, you see a ferry.

The room had a comfortable blue décor, with an armchair and ottoman, a microwave, refrigerator, ironing board and iron, gas fireplace and a spa tub in a window enclosure overlooking the ferry dock. Best of all for us, however, is the fact that the room has nice reading lamps on BOTH sides of the bed as well as a lamp for the easy chair and ottoman. We didn’t have to wrestle for the side of the bed with the lamp.

We decided to go for a walk and looked at the restaurants across the street from the Silver Cloud and ferry terminal. First was the Buzz Inn, which looked pretty average. There was a lot of activity at Ivar’s Fish Bar. People coming off the ferry or waiting for the ferry lined up at Ivar’s. We never tried the Fish Bar. Don hates lines.

We crossed a small intersection of busy ferry traffic to the Diamond Knot Brewery and the Manhattan Restaurant. I looked at the posters and newspaper clippings in the window of the Manhattan. It seemed we were a day late to enjoy belly dancing at the Manhattan. We popped our heads into the Manhattan and Don told the owner that we’d be back. Then we went to the brewery.

The sign on the brewery door says, “Come On In/ If door is unlocked, /We’re open. /Must be 21 or older,” – poetry for the beer drinkers of the world. In other words, if you can get in, you can get in. I found this very funny and I hadn’t even had a drink, yet.

We went into the brewery to have a beer. It’s a long corridor of a bar, with stools lined up along the bar, a conversational area with a couch and chairs, some tables in the back just before the keg storage area. The sign had a peanut shell motiff and there was truth in advertising. Peanut shells littered the floor.

We sat back near the kegs and had a house ale. The kegs kind of remind us of our home rental days. We used to have several rentals around the University of Puget Sound. Sometimes we would end up with empty kegs after students left.

We drank the ale and read the local newspaper, The Mukilteo Beacon. The ale was good but a cigar smoker drove us out after only one glass.

For dinner we went to Ivar’s restaurant, just next door to the Silver Cloud. The wind was very brisk; this means that it was blowing like crazy. Don and I held onto our hats. Ivar’s even posted a sign on the door warning customers to watch out because the wind was slamming the door shut. But it was warm and comfortable in the restaurant as we were shown to a table on the water view side.

I ordered the Idaho trout. The waitress said, “I’m sorry, but we’re out of it.” “Ok, then, I’ll have the Prawn Primavera.” “I’m sorry, but we’re out of that, too. We’re out of a lot of things. The cook’s telling us that someone may have to go to the store!” Don ordered the pan-fried oysters. I love pan-fried oysters, if they are cooked crispy on the outside yet melting on the inside. They had that, so I ordered it too. These were wonderful. Before our dinners had even come, I heard the waitress telling the woman behind us, “I’m sorry but we’re out of the pan-fried oysters.” It’s a good thing it didn’t take us 15 minutes to order.

While we were eating we watched people on the dock. Even with the wind, people stood and watched the waves and ferry. Two men on the pier repeatedly cast a crab pot into the water, waited a few minutes and pulled it out. They seemed successful. After a while we saw one man leave and as he came back along the walkway, his baseball cap blew off onto the sand. He must have walked up past the Silver Cloud and then climbed down to the beach, for we saw him retrieve his hat about ten minutes later.

After dinner, we went for a walk along the pier and talked to the man who had lost his hat. Don asked him, “How in the world do you keep your hat on anyway, in this wind?” The man wasn’t very talkative, but said, “I just cram it on.”

It was windy and chilly. Sometimes the wind would gust. Sand and shell particles beat against the windows of our room like hail. Back in our cozy room I took a long luxurious bath.

The room we had protruded out from the rest of the structure. The main view side contained a gas fireplace and the spa tub. The tub looked directly down on the water to the North and the ferry landing, Ivar’s, and the rest of the motel rooms on the West.

Don lowered the privacy shades and, clutching the Inn’s nice, thick terry robe to my bosom, I modestly crawled into the tub. With the lights out Don raised the shades so I could see out. The spa-tub water whirled and churned. I relaxed and peered out over the tub. A heron stalked along the windswept shore. I sank back into the warm waters of the spa.

The next morning, I went down to the lobby. An antique cupboard stands by the breakfast area. It holds China plates, cups and tea bags.

I enjoyed, and make that ENJOYED the Continental breakfast the Silver Cloud puts on. I had granola, yogurt, tea, and a cinnamon twist pastry. They also had fresh fruit, several kinds of coffee, several cereals, many pastries as well as a toaster with bread, bagels, waffles, French toast and English muffins. It was quite extensive and I was pleased. I really enjoyed sitting in a wing back chair at a marble table, looking out at the phenomenal view as I ate.

The best thing about the Silver Cloud’s continental breakfast wasn’t even the food. It was the detail. They didn’t have plastic utensils and the dinnerware was placed in flower pots lined with cloth napkins. Very elegant.

Don got up early. Don always gets up early. He went to the lobby just expecting to have coffee. He wanted to visit the Manhattan Restaurant. He likes BREAKFAST. With the great selection at the Silver Cloud, he ate, drank coffee, and sat while he read several newspapers (USA Today, the Seattle Times, and the Everett Herald are all provided by the Silver Cloud), and watched people. He saw couples, mostly middle-aged or over, and business people. “I’ll go to the Manhattan tomorrow”, he decided.

We went for an exploratory drive around the area. If you head up Mukilteo Boulevard, you come to a viewpoint with lovely views of the sound and all the way up to the Port of Everett.

In Everett, we drove around to the gallery of the Arts Council of Snohomish County. I’d been there once before, after a calligraphy retreat to see an exhibit of Jocelyn Curry Asher’s paintings, so beautiful, so carefully drawn and colored and her calligraphy was exquisite.

Susan Russell also has pieces on exhibit there. She teaches art in the Snohomish high school and has a wild woman way with color that matches her raving red locks. I looked at her notebook of previous work and bought two cards of hers.

Anyway, there we were, looking in the main gallery at the pieces of Tim and Lynda Lord. They were sculptures and paintings of the same subject. They were so funny and surprising, these heads of women with fantastic decorations. I even bought a sheet of stamps based on their paintings and sculptures.

In the gift shop, they had lots of greeting cards (two in brush lettering with illustrations by Susan Russell), jewelry, ceramics, and these most ingenious bird feeders. They were cups and saucers, some looking like fine china, most of sturdy stoneware. The cups and saucers were glued together and bolted onto an aluminum rod that sticks into the ground. They’d also make interesting water sources for birds.

There were also interesting garden “flowers”, made from tin cut into petal shapes, bolted together on an aluminum rod, with bottle caps as the center. One of my favorites had a Guinness bottle cap center. These were tastefully done, not like the beer can-crocheted hats favored by fashion terrorist party animals as personal adornment in the ’70s. As they move in the wind, the garden “flowers” would be a good bird deterrent for your homegrown berries.

Don looked at the sculpture and noted that there was a video production in progress. Since he is a video producer, he asked about the project and found out that a Seattle production firm was video taping a training video called Keeping the Good Ones. Just a couple of weeks later I found myself writing up an announcement for the very same training program for a client who sells training programs.

On the way out of town, we stopped at the St. Vincent de Paul store but didn’t see anything worth buying. So sad, oftentimes some of the most interesting things come from a thrift store. At Christmastime, at a Value Village, I bought my daughter-in-law a beautiful Eddie Bauer bowl with a painted sage green plaid outside and Arts and Crafts-looking oak leaves on the inside, for a very good price; and she loved it.

Rolling back into Mukilteo at lunchtime we stopped at the Manhattan Restaurant. The menu offers a funny amalgam of cuisines, featuring Egyptian, Greek, Italian, American and Mexican, as well as an ice cream parlor. When I see a sign like that, I wonder, do they do anything well? Well, yes they do.

We had an appetizer of stuffed grape and cabbage leaves. The grape leaves are better. With cabbage we’re tilting way into Polish cuisine. With grape leaves, we’re staying in the Mediterranean.

I had meatballs and spaghetti and I liked it. The noodles were al dente and the meatballs were very good. Don said they tasted like my meatloaf – perhaps the same ingredients with the inclusion of something else. I asked what the different taste was and Mrs. Bartos told me – a little dill.

An immigrant Egyptian couple Mr. and Mrs. Pete Bartos, who are always there with their little girl (and two boys in school), own the Manhattan.

The restaurant is normally closed on Mondays. They were actually only open for a party; we came in and so they served us, too . . . and then a young couple after us.

That night we went to Ivar’s again, but the wind wasn’t blowing so hard so we could stroll instead of hurry. I had a wonderful salad. Don had appetizers and we shared a dessert. After dinner we walked hand in hand onto the fishing pier and then around the Silver Cloud on the pedestrian pier. It was a lovely evening and the views were so inviting.

That evening we watched “Remember the Titans” on pay-per-view. It was a good, thought-provoking movie about overcoming prejudice and becoming a unified team. Also, it starred Denzel Washington, another good reason to watch it. I told you we were looking for the quiet life.

I drew some mock-ups for valentines in colored pencils in my sketch book while Don slept after the movie. I never did get all the valentines made for all the family members, but I did an interesting variation for Don. (He had asked me what I wanted for a Valentine’s Day present, and I told him, “A love letter.” That put the impetus on me to produce one for him, too!)

Don remarked about how it was a small world. Just weeks before our outing, we had taken our son Del to the Leon Russell concert at the Emerald Queen. One of the songs Leon played was his own arrangement of a Bobby Dylan (another of Don’s favorite singers from the old days) song, “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall.” Don hadn’t heard that rendition of the song before. We heard it again in the background of “Remember the Titans.”

The next morning I got up and enjoyed the continental breakfast, again, in the beautiful lobby. I ate alone. Don had already gone out. He went to the Manhattan and enjoyed the company of owner Pete Botros. They talked for about a half an hour. Pete’s from Egypt and spent most of his time in the United States in New York and that’s why the place is called the Manhattan.

“So, you like New York?” Don asked. “No,” he replied, “I like it here.” About thirteen years ago he went back to Egypt and met his wife there. They got married and live upstairs. He was a contractor, but became a restaurant owner about a year ago. The restaurant is still taking shape. “You should have been here Saturday evening,” Pete said. It sounds like the Manhattan is the place to go on Saturdays. Belly dancing seems to attract the crowds, but I think that maybe it’s more than just the bellies and the dancing. I think the people come because of the Botros family. Nice people. Good food.

After lunch, we headed home, reluctantly.

We had decided not to go to Whidby Island this trip. That ferry is so busy, it must be some happening place. I have a line on some B&Bs there. Maybe next time . . .

[ad_2]

Source by Don Doman

January 17, 2022
View: 379

[ad_1]

So here I am, 9.00am Monday morning at Studiographic Park Row Bristol. I climb the stairs to the first floor reception area and I am greeted by my new boss Paul Smith. Paul has a good reputation as a portrait and wedding photographer and the display pictures on the wall are impressive. I am excited, what will be my first assignment? an outdoor shoot or maybe a studio shoot. I have not seen the studio yet and I can’t wait.

Paul shows me into another room, quite large and well lit, with windows at one end overlooking Park Street. There are work benches, a large print dryer, I had never seen one that big before, and a print washer. “This is where you will be working John, I will show you the darkrooms”. Well I suppose a ‘Trainee Photographer’ has got to start somewhere, But I am sure my first assignment will be soon. There were two darkrooms, one for printing, with two enlargers and a large rectangular sink for the processing dishes, and one for film processing that had three ‘deep tanks’, for developer, wash and fixer. They held about five gallons each and you could process up to twelve films at a time loaded onto spirals on racks. It suddenly became clear that this was ‘Commercial Photography’ a lot different to my one film at a time in my little Paterson tank.

I was shown a large cupboard where the Kodak Bromide Paper was kept, my eyes nearly popped out! I had always bought my paper in a pack of 25 sheets and I made do with one surface type and one contrast grade, normal grade 2. Here every box was 100 sheets in Glossy and Silk surface, double weight and single weight, three different sizes and contrast grades 1 to 4, soft, normal, hard and very hard. I had never seen so much photographic paper in one place.

Paul knew I had experience of printing, albeit as an amateur, so it was in at the deep end. “Start on these orders John and see how you get on”. I picked the top order from the tray, it was for wedding re-prints, the negatives were attached (120 6x6cm), black and white of course as color photography for weddings at this time was prohibitively expensive for most people. I glanced down the list, all neatly written out with the negative numbers, the quantity of prints from each negative and the sizes. I looked at the first negative on the list, there were usually 24 for each wedding, 2 rolls of 120 film. ’12 8×6, 1 10×8 and 7 half plate’. Twenty prints, and this was just the first negative! The most I had ever printed from one negative was two. “Oh John, just use small pieces for test strips, I don,t want to see any paper wastage” Paul said as he left the room.

So this is how it started, and continued for almost a year. I hardly ever came out of the dark. Friends were asking if I was OK because I looked so pale, “Are you anemic John?” I needed sunglasses even on a dull day!

I was so slow at first, I was used to processing one print at a time, which was no good in a ‘Commercial’ business. Paul taught me how to interleave prints and process them back to back. First expose all the prints and put them in a box. Then the first two prints back to back into the developer, then another two, then another two. Six prints at a time were developing and when the first two came out, another two went in, it was like working on a production line.

The only high point of the week was cleaning the sink. It had to be cleaned weekly because of chemical stains. Vim, Ajax, Brillo Pad? “No John, there is a bottle of Hydrochloric Acid on the shelf, the green bottle with the skull and crossbones, just spread that around” Wow! that used to work, Health & Safety, not on your life!

If there was one thing this job was teaching me, it was how to print and this would prove to be a definite bonus for my future career in photography, even if it would not make me rich, my current wage was ten shillings (50 pence) a week.

My initial excitement about my first assignment appeared just to be a pipe dream until one day Paul said “In a couple of weeks time you can come along with me to a wedding John, bring your own camera and you can take some candid shots”.

This indeed was an honor, it would be the nearest I had come to a camera in many months. I only caught an occasional glimpse of a camera if the studio door was open when I was passing.
The studio was out of bounds to me, I was not allowed to enter this hallowed ground!

At last! a chance to show off my camera skills, but wait…..I can’t turn up on a professional job with my Lubitel. Paul used a Rollieflex 2.8f, a camera I drooled over, when he would let me get close enough to have a look, yes look, not touch! At the time the ‘Rollei’ was the camera of choice for all professionals, only to fall out of favour when Hasselblads were launched, not that the results were better, but it was a single lens reflex with interchangeable lenses, more versatile.

I certainly could not afford anything in the Rollei range even it’s cheaper brother the Rolleicord , but at the time there was a much cheaper alternative, not a Rollei, but a camera that could produce comparable results for a lot less money.

I managed to scrape enough money together to buy a Yashica-Mat, a Japanese copy of the Rollei, and a jolly good camera, a camera that served me well for quite a few years.

I can’t remember much about my first assignment, probably because the results were unmemorable. At least I can remember that Paul never used any of them in the bride & grooms album!

I had only been working at Studiographic for just over a year, but it seemed like ten! The pressure of the work was affecting my health and it wasn’t helped when things went badly wrong.

I can recall one incident. I had finished processing a batch of wedding films and found one film had become detached from it’s processing spiral and had dropped to the bottom of the tank. The film when retrieved was quite badly damaged, Paul was livid and said I would have to retouch all the resulting prints from this film. The damage was such, that when prints were made there were black marks and scratches, which on a brides white dress were very obvious!

The only tools available for retouching prints then were a very fine brush and retouching dye for white marks and a very sharp scalpel for black marks. The technique for black marks was to gently scrape away at the surface of the print until the marks disappeared. A very time consuming and laborious task, which took me over a fortnight. Probably about ten minutes in Photoshop now – how times change!

It was certainly a time for me to change, I had only been a ‘Trainee Photographer’ for just over a year and although I did not want to abandon my photographic career, I was more than a little bit disillusioned. I wanted to do something connected with photography, but preferably in daylight!

Then it hit me. What about retail, a camera shop, a salesman maybe, or with my experience, even assistant manager… slow down… slow down! The wages were bound to be better, I would see the sun during the day, I might even get my color back – now there’s a thought!

[ad_2]

Source by John E King

January 17, 2022
View: 471

[ad_1]

Los Angeles, home of the “stuck in traffic driver”, is the city I am living in and I am not complaining. This article is not going to talk about the traffic and how much it sucks, but about what we see while we are driving in town, on freeways, taking buses and trains, and even catching flights.

As a graphic designer I’m paying attention to at all the advertisements I see while riding the bus – yes I ride the bus everyday and no I’m not embarrassed – to work or anywhere else, and I notice a variety of colorful typography and different art formats such as photography, fine art, sculpturing, digital art, murals and more. Looking at all the different medias and methods really makes you think about the ideas behind an advertisement and the way a company chooses to present it. It often makes me wonder, what is the best way of advertising your business? Where do you put your banners and murals, and how much will things cost? With those questions fresh on my mind, I decided to research and share it with you (3 readers).

When we look outside while in transit, mostly by car, the first kind of advertisement we notice is usually a bulletin billboard that is 14′ high and 48′ wide. You see them on most (busy) streets across the country. These bulletins billboards use plenty of photography and typography but the more original ones are created by freelance creative graphic designers that work with big copywriting teams behind them. The ideas and possibilities are almost endless, and I mean “almost” because they are limited by the bulletins’ borders (Not so much though, these days). Although, a bulletin billboard, lets say on Sunset boulevard where all the action is, can provide amazing exposure for your business (product, service, movie… ) will probably cost you an arm and two legs. If you have a company with a decent budget for advertising and you are sure that this kind of exposure will pay back, don’t think twice. Hire a graphic designer and/or an advertisement company and just do it. I would love to hear/read firsthand about your success or failure (hopefully not) and share it. There are more bulletins billboard “lookalikes” that can really give your imagination and capabilities wings. Of course it will cost accordingly. Just to drop some billboard types: poster billboard, Wallscape billboard, and digital billboard.

After getting off the bus on my way home I have noticed a different kind of advertising which fascinated me more than those massive billboards. I saw people, human beings, hand painting an advertisement from a piece of paper on a wall. They were talented and did an amazing job using only brushes and paint. That wall has been frequently utilized by advertisers ever since, meaning it is a great spot for an ad placement. The cost of those murals (that’s what they’re called) are high because you need to pay for the placement (renting it), pay for talented artists that can get the job done perfectly (takes more time than computer graphics in some cases) AND pay a graphic designer to design the wanted advertisement (most of the times.) I am a very good artist/painter myself (I am confident to say) but I don’t have the confidence to go and paint such things on those big walls on the street. At least not yet.

Many of the streets in Los Angeles, and around the world, are filled with flyers, trashed business cards, and posters. It makes you wonder if these forms of advertising are really effective for your product/service/organization, because it seems as if we print them just so they can end up in someone’s trash, on the middle of the road, or on ugly walls (ugly is a taste kind of opinion). Let me tell you something, the famous saying “there is no bad advertisement” is absolutely correct. The more exposure you’re getting for your company/service/product/organization the better. If a business card passed down many hands, a flyer got thrown on the ground and somehow ended up at a different location which made someone else pick it up, or a full/half/quarter poster is hanging on an old or new wall and people are passing by it, it did what it was meant to do – expose your business to society. But I think I got a LITTLE off this article’s title.

As the CEO and founder of graphic design company I tend to receive a lot of emails asking how much I will charge them to run an advertisement. This question is great, but you must know who to ask it to. Most of the graphic companies don’t run ads, they design them and hand them to the client, for a simple reason: they are not an advertising agency, they are simply a graphic design company, so you may ask us “how much would it cost me to design a banner?”, or “do you offer printing services?” And so on and so forth. So next time when you see buses, cars, buildings, billboards, flyers and such, think about your next ad campaign and how you can excel beyond your competitors. Learn from what the environment is providing for free: Knowledge!

[ad_2]

Source by Moshe Levis

January 17, 2022
View: 440

[ad_1]

Tapestries have been around for centuries; they’ve been used as shrouds, blankets, bed curtains, robes and upholstery. Their biggest value, however, may have always come from simply hanging on the wall. Tapestries have been energy savers since the first king hung the first pictorial story of his conquests on the stone that made up his dining hall.

How Tapestries Save Energy.

Tapestries are natural insulators. They help add a dense layer to the wall, forming a stronger barrier against cold and drafts seeping through. They absorb heat and release it back into the room instead of letting it seep through the walls and windows, decreasing the need for excess heat and helping to balance a room’s temperature.

In the summer, tapestries help keep homes more comfortable, preventing cool air from escaping the same way as they keep the heat in during cold weather. This makes them a sensible choice for wall coverings, as they serve a purpose by acting as insulation. The larger the tapestry, the more coverage is obtained and this is also a great way to cover windows in a room used for sleeping during the daytime.

There are many advantages to tapestries over traditional methods for preventing heat or cooling loss (foil over the windows or extra space heaters). Using tapestries in this fashion harks back to the days of castles when tapestries were used not only to make rooms warmer but were pressed into service as bed hangings so the nobles’ body heat would be contained. Tapestries doubled as coverlets in some households, and many small weavings are still used as lap robes or throws today.

Tapestries can be Functional and Beautiful.

The other side to tapestries is their decorating potential. Any home can benefit aesthetically by the addition of some fine wall art, and you can choose from any style, era or genre you wish. Look for a coat of arms if you are intimate with the genealogy of your family, or opt for a traditional oriental tapestry with depictions of dragons or gardens. Tapestries from India feature elephants and other exotic animals as well as intricate floral designs.

The Medieval years and ensuing Renaissance kicked off an entirely new field of tapestry art, as tactiles drew abreast of painting and sculpting. With this rise to the proper level by woven works of art came the new fad toward reproduction. Making sure that the quality stayed consistent and that each tapestry was still unique became the job of master weavers who tutored young apprentices and journeymen in the trade.

The beautiful tapestries available today are affordable due to the invention of the Jacquard loom, which hastened weaving time and greatly reduced the costs associated with producing tapestries. Since they were now affordable, tapestries rapidly became much more readily available to the average home owner.

The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have brought even newer delights to tapestry lovers everywhere. Many tapestries have been discovered in the last century, and been successfully restored. Copies of these are guaranteed conversation starters! Some of the most famous tapestries, Lady and a Unicorn, or the Tree of Life, have become so popular that finding a reproduction is not hard. Others, such as obscure religious scenes, may be harder to find.

Why Choose Tapestries to Cover Your Walls?

Tapestries have been used as decoration almost as long as they have been used for drafty halls. They offered the perfect medium through which to translate events throughout the land. Wars and battles, meteor showers and historic novelties were all worked in bright colors and annotated with additional characters; ribald humor and a down to earth across the board manner was designed to deal with the average man.

This offered monarchs and priests the influence to regulate what news their serfs received, and how it was taken. As time went by and the art evolved, many things began to be depicted on tapestries. Simple everyday tasks like harvesting, feeding geese or riding after the hounds were common and popular. Others included Raphaelite Angels or New Testament scenes.

Still other types of tapestry, used primarily to please the eye, can be bought and used on the wall, the couch etc. The value of having a wall covering that can fit the space required is high, and any nook or cranny can benefit by a small tapestry that fits your overall decor.

Plan on adding tapestries to your list of Home and Garden projects – when your redecorate and refurnish, you should look into woven wall art and see if it will work in your own home. You an cut down a little on energy costs and present an edgy, classic style of decorating to your friends and family. Insulation and decoration – the tapestries can help make a room pop, and serve a dual purpose that represents green living at its finest.

[ad_2]

Source by Angela Dawson-Field

January 17, 2022
View: 412

[ad_1]

As a four-decade Certified Travel Agent, international airline employee, researcher, writer, teacher, and photographer, travel, whether for pleasure or business purposes, has always been a significant and an integral part of my life. Some 400 trips to every portion of the globe, by means of road, rail, sea, and air, entailed destinations both mundane and exotic. This article focuses on those in Northeast Asia.

Hong Kong:

A trip to Hong Kong offered an opportunity to experience the destination while it was still under British rule.

Rising like modern monoliths of concrete, steel and sun-glinted glass skyscrapers occupied every inch of the city on both its Hong Kong Island and Kowloon sides, which were separated by Victoria Harbor. Bridged on the surface by frequent, Star Ferry crossings and below by traffic-and subway-boring tunnels, these bustling, commerce-concerned metropolises tried to blend modern and ancient, and western and eastern culture, yet retain a hold on its past. A walk up to an extensive breakfast buffet, for instance, meant the typically expected fare, but also featured Chinese offerings, such as dim sum.

My sightseeing strategy entailed an ever-expanded encompassment area.

Attractions included the Suzie Wong district of Wanchai; Deep Water Bay; and Repulse Bay with its beaches; the Stanley Market, once part of a fishing and farming village and now a residential area whose sprawling complex of shops and stands displayed bargain-priced commodities, such as designer clothes, porcelain wares, bamboo, and rattan. Aberdeen, fisherman-inhabited and water-littered with junks and sampans, certainly emphasized the city’s origins, and a tram ascent up Victoria Peak, which rose from 80-foot Garden Road to 1,305-foot Peak Tower, offering new perspectives.

The Sung Dynasty Village, a recreated, period-dress representation of Bian Jing, China’s capital during the Sung Dynasty (960 to 1279 AD), offered a return to the country’s ancient, cultural past. Entered through its time portal main gate, it afforded a multi-sense immersion by means of architecture, customs, food, and shops that sold everything from incense and fans to silks, handicrafts, and wood carvings in a layout of streets, a stream-spanning wooden bridge, and triumphal arches. Live performances solidified the experience.

Considered “the land between,” New Territories, 15 miles north of Kowloon’s bustling waterfront, office skyscrapers, and gleaming hotels, was an area of rolling, green hills, neatly terraced fields, rural markets, and fishing villages. It shared Hong Kong’s then-border with Communist China.

Visits here were to Chuk Lan Sim Yuen, Tai Mo Shan, the tallest mountain, and Luen Wo Market.

Lunch, in the Yucca de Lac Restaurant overlooking the Tao Harbour, included corn soup with bean curds, green kale in oyster sauce, beef and pickles in a yam nest, fried chicken with lemon sauce, spare ribs with champagne and tangerine sauce, diced pork with cashew nuts, fried rice with ham, and ice cream.

Two day-trips brought beyond-Hong Kong perspectives.

The first, to Macau–the “Eastern Monte Carlo” –required a 40-mile, jetfoil-bridged journey to the Portuguese community, which was founded more than 400 years ago by Portuguese traders and missionaries to serve as an entrepôt with Imperial China and Japan. Now a blend of Chinese and Portuguese cultures, it was awash with pastel-colored palaces, baroque churches, temples, cannon-sporting fortresses, and winding narrow streets.

Its attractions, an interchange between Eastern and Western cultures, included St. Paul’s ruins, the Ken Iam Temple, the Border Gate with China, and Penha Hill.

After lunch in the Hotel Lisboa, there was time for a pass through the casino.

The second excursion offered a taste of Communist Chinese life. A hovercraft trip to the Shenzhan Special Economic Zone-specifically to Shekou on the Pearl River statuary and west of Shenzhen City–provided personal inspection of the Terracotta Warrior and Horse exhibition, dating to the Tang Dynasty and now considered the 8th Wonder of the World, along with a visit to the local kindergarten, followed by a performance of its incredibly disciplined students.

A subsequent drive through Nan Tau to Dongguan, one of the oldest counties in Dongguan Province, was rewarded with a superb, multi-course Chinese lunch, and was followed by the continued journey to Guangzhou, formerly known as “Canton,” but still the center of political, exonymic, and cultural life in Southern China. Its own attractions encompassed the Guangzhou Zoo, the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, an octagonal building designed in palatial style to honor the politician, physician, and political philosopher who served as the provisional first present of the Republic of China.

The experience was capped by dinner in the dining car of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) during the return journey. But a sign of the earlier times was expressed by the tour guide, who, opening crossing the no longer existent border, blurted, “Relax, everyone. We’re in Hong Kong. We can breathe again!”

People’s Republic of China:

Beijing, gateway to the Peoples’ Republic of China, was in a state of flux. Still wrestling with the problems of modernization and struggling to balance rapid growth with environmental protection to preserve its cultural, architectural, and historical heritage, it strove to respond to the demands of advancement and westernize itself without losing the Chinese foundation upon which it was built.

Its rich sights offered mental, emotional, and psychological exposure to its past.

First and foremost was the Forbidden City, the largest ancient archaeological structure in China. Once the Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties where 24 monarchs from both ruled the Celestial Empire, and laid out according to the ancient principles of geomancy, it was the heart of Beijing and the proverbial center of the universe for the emperors. Its wooden structures were living examples of ancient Chinese architecture and retained much of the mystique of the rulers who once dwelled there. As a bastion of the Mandarin authority, it exuded size, significance, and magnificence, its pavilions and spacious courtyards both awe-inspiring and, at times, unfathomable.

Constructed as a result of a decree issued by Zhu Di in 1406 by an estimated one million laborers and completed 14 years later, it became the capital to today’s Beijing after it was transferred from Nanjing. But it was almost entirely rebuilt under the Manchu Qing Dynasty, which began its own reign in 1644.

Now surrounded by a ten-meter wall and a moat, it encompassed 72 hectares and contained more than 800 individual structures. “Wumen,” or its “Maiden Gate,” served as the entrance to its inner sanctum, beyond which a large courtyard opened up to a canal spanned by multiple marble bridges.

The outer palace consisted of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

Through the Gate of Heavenly Purity was the inner palace, comprised of exquisite buildings and a labyrinth of courtyards. It was the living location of the emperor and his entourage.

Located south of the Forbidden City and north of the old Front Gate was the famed Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest such expanse and the location from which Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the Peoples’ Republic of China in 1949.

In its center was the 40-meter-high Monument to the People’s Heroes and on its western side was the site of China’s national Congress, the Great Hall of the People. To its south was Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum.

The highly recognizable Temple of Heaven, located in a pristine park setting, consisted of the round temple itself, adorned with a blue-tiled roof and a gold knob. Constructed without the use of a single nail during the Ming Dynasty in circa 1420, it was rebuilt more than 400 years later in 1889 after a lightning strike destroyed the original one. It was visited every winter solstice by the emperor, who prayed for a bountiful succeeding-season harvest, and he offered sacrifices of animals, grains, and silk to the gods in exchange for it during the sun’s first ray-reach of the eastern horizon

The Summer Palace, constructed by the Manchu Qing emperors as an escape from the summer heat, was set in a classical Imperial garden of embracing hills and lakes. Despite its associated serenity, however, it suffered numerous attacks and partial destructions, such as those by British and French troops who marched on Beijing in 1860 during the Second Opium War.

“Hutongs,” a word that was Mongolian in origin and dated from the days when Kublai Khan used Beijing as the capital of the Chinese portion of his empire, were not considered specific sights or location. Instead, they comprised a patchwork of walled, single-story courtyard dwellings that were removed from the noise and chaos of the modern city. Local life slowly unfolded here: the elderly napped; children played; and women hung out their laundry to dry. Quiet and insular, they provided insight into the Beijing psyche.

The Great Wall, the most ancient and longest manmade structure and the only one visible from the moon with the naked eye, was one of the very symbols of China and a testament to is architectural achievement. Its sheer span and construction, especially during primitive-technology times, was staggering and mindboggling.

Built to protect the northern frontiers from nomadic steppe raiders, it represents many things to many people.

“To some, the Wall stands for the blood and sweat sacrificed by the toiling masses who built it in the service of emperors, while to others this de facto demarcation between the Steppe and the Sown represents an age-old struggle of civilization against savagery,” according to Beijing: The Insider’s Guide to the Best of the Capital (Chinanow.com, 2000, p. 24).

Qin Shi Huang, the ruler of one of the many rival Warring States, linked the various sections of it upon completion of his conquest in 221 B.C., creating the first Chinese empire and the definitive Great Wall in the process.

Although the original assembly was mostly a rammed earthen wall, none of whose remains exist today, the current crenelated, guard signal tower, and parapet-provisioned masonry rendition, erected during the Ming Dynasty, closely follows its contours, threading its way up and through velvet green mountains with stone steps like stationary railroad tracks, plied only by people.

“Most of the wall is about 25 feet high and 19 feet wide at the top, (sufficient for either a five-abreast mounted solider passage or a ten-abreast marching one),” according to Beijing: The Insider’s Guide to the Best of the Capital (ibid, p. 25). “It includes about 25,000 towers, spaced two arrow-shots apart so that the guards could defend its entire length, and extends-though not continuously-from the Yellow Sea to the Gobi Desert.”

I attempted climbs in two sections. The first, in the tourist-overrun Badaling section, offered a glimpse into Chinese values. My mother, not quite up to the trek, elected to remain behind, but several locals, strongly revering the elderly, quickly volunteered, “Go and climb the Great Wall,” they told me. “We’ll look after your mother.” And they did, with care, concern, and extreme respect. She felt very protected and safe.

The second climb, which can only be considered the effortless one, was to the top of the Simatai section in a gondola for a beautiful view.

Another area attraction was the Ming Tombs, the burial place for 13 of the 16 Ming Dynasty emperors and threshold to which was the marble archway erected in 1540. Three such burial sites were open to the public: Changling, the earliest and largest, which dates form 1413; Dingling, which was built in the 16th century for the Emperor Wan Li and was excavated in 1958; and Zhaoling.

My final sightseeing venture entailed an unleash at the expansive China Aviation Museum. Almost like a kid in a candy shop as an aviation author and photographer, I roamed the outdoor displays of rare, Russian aircraft once hidden from the West and still wearing the livery of their communist Chinese carrier, CAAC, with camera and notebook in hand, inspecting their cockpits and walking through their passenger cabins.

Japan:

Although Japan could only be experienced during a single-day interlude, I felt its pulse in downtown Tokyo, particularly at its crowd-thronged railroad station, where the masses moved from platform to the shinkansen, or bullet trains. My hotel room was tiny. Prices were high. Signs in Japanese left little interpretability. And I was somehow infused with the subconscious desire to follow local etiquette and bow to those with whom I interacted.

Korea:

Korea offered another oriental, almost dual-world experience between its bustling Seoul metropolis and the palatial serenity of its past.

My own hotel, only a ten-minute drive to the city’s heart in Bukhansan National Park, itself seemed a world apart with its verdant, velvet hills and waterfalls. The included breakfast buffet was sprawling and, in part, western, but its always-available kiimchi said “Korea.” The daily coverage of its attractions entailed a combination of shuttle bus, tour bus, subway, and foot.

Taking center stage was the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the principle royal one during the five-decade Joseon Dynasty. Constructed in 1395, it was consumed by fire during the Imjin War (1592-1598). However, all of the palace buildings were later restored under the leadership of Heungseondaewongun during the reign of King Gojong (1852-1919). As the most representative edifices of the period, its Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and the pond around Hyangwonjeong Pavillion have remained relatively intact. The raised dias and stone markers of Geunjeongjeon showcase the representative art style of their time.

Jogyesa, the main temple of the Jogye order in Seoul, was the center of Korean Buddhism. Built in the late 14th-century during the Goryeo period, it was later reduced to rubble by fire, but was subsequently reconstructed under the name of Gackhwangsa Temple in 1910 by monks, such as Han Yong-un and Lee Hee-gwang. Renamed “Tegosa” in 1936, it became the main Korean Buddhist temple. After a purification drive eliminated Japanese influence and revived traditional Buddhism, the present one was established.

Tranquility restored the soul at Changdeokgung and in its Secret Garden, the primary royal residence for 200 years, beginning in early-1600s, and now considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its intertwining paths, linking wooden slopes, lotus ponds, and pavilions.

Namdaemun, located in Jung-gu between Seoul Station and Seoul Plaza and presently known as the Sungnyemun, was one of the Eight Gates in the Fortress Wall of Seoul, which surrounded the city during the Joseon Dynasty.

The modern, geometric configuration of the National Museum of Korea traces its origins to 1945, when Korea regained its independence after defeat of the Japanese, and it planted its roots in the Joseon Government General Museum, adopting its current name. Now displaying more than 12,000 art and science artifacts in its six permanent exhibition halls, it has played a significant role in restoring the nation’s damaged cultural pride and correcting the false historical images of Korea.

City perspectives were gleaned from its Seoul Tower, located on top of Mt. Namsan and the country’s second-highest point, and during a glide on the Han River, which offered sea level views of its skyline. A Korean barbeque lunch between them seemed appropriate.

As a time-portal to the country’s traditional culture during the late-Joseon period, the Korean Folk Village resurrected it through its 200 or so buildings, including its farm houses from the southern province, its Chinese drugstores, its Buddhist temples, its noble man mansion, and its markets. Craft demonstrations included cotton weaving, wicker working, and pottery making. Performances brought the era to life through the farmers’ dance, the Korean seesaw, tightrope dancing, and a wedding parade. The Confucian academy, a seodang (a village school), and a representative street cemented the experience.

Article Sources:

“Beijing: The Insider’s Guide to the Best of the Capital.” Chinanow.com, 2000.

[ad_2]

Source by Robert Waldvogel

January 17, 2022
View: 386

[ad_1]

The Kerameikos is one of the most ancient districts of Athens. The name comes from keramos meaning roof-tile; an obvious allusion to the many tilemakers’ and potters’ quarters established there from the earliest times.

It will be remembered that after the victory over the Persians at Plataea in 479 BC, Themistocles ordered the building of massive defense walls round Athens and the Peiraeus. At the conclusion of the Peloponnesian War (404 BC), the walls were demolished by the victorious Spartans, but were restored by Conon in 393 BC and reconstructed some sixty years later. The Roman general Sulla finally razed them in 86 BC. A section of the walls passed through the Kerameikos and divided the district into two sectors: the Inner, which included the Agora, the principal administrative and judicial buildings, and the potters’ and smiths’ quarters, and the Outer Kerameikos in which lay the necropolis.

The Hellenic peoples regarded the interment of the dead as one of the most sacred duties. In war, the obligation to bury the enemy dead, whether Hellene or barbarian, was equally binding. Since it was believed that the presence of corpses brought pollution to the living, bodies were either cremated or inhumed far from the city walls, usually at the side of main roads or outside the gates of the city; the evolution of the Kerameikos extra mums of the sixth century BC can be traced to the observance of that hygienic precaution. Archaeological evidence found during excavations in the area shows that the Outer Kerameikos was already in use as a burial ground as long ago as the twelfth century BC.

Turning right inside the entrance on Odhos Ermou, we follow a well-trodden path descending diagonally to the north-east and leading into the vestiges of the Sacred Way (IEPA 040E), with a moat and a corner of the Themistoclean circuit wall in front of us. Left of the Sacred Way lies the Eridanus brook. Turning right, we come to the scanty remains of the Sacred Gate.

The SACRED GATE was built into the Themistoclean wall, and consisted of a passage 35 m. long by 12 m. broad enclosed between two lateral walls. A solid wall constructed along its length divided the passage into two exits, one (south), from the Inner Kerameikos to the Sacred Way, was protected by a high wall that joined the defensive towers flanking the structure; the other, (north), served as an outlet to the Eridanus, then a swiftly flowing stream crossing the Kerameikos along a vaulted artificial water-course. An arch, sole visible relic of the archaic hydraulic installation, still spans the brook.

Leaving the Sacred Gate, we pass through a narrow opening in the forewall that stands on the other side of the brook, continuing the line of the Themistoclean circuit wall. Immediately before us is a low stretch of ruined wall, all that remains of the polygonal wall of Conon. Keeping our course we come to the first boundary stone, bearing a perpendicular inscription oros Kerameikou. We can now trace to our right the remains of the Dipylon, that is, the Double Gate.

The DIPYLON was also part of the city circuit wall. It was built during the second half of the fourth century BC as a larger and stronger successor to the Dipylon of Themistocles; this latter gate was erected in the previous century on the site of an even earlier dipylon which was known as the Thriasian Gate. The Dipylon was the largest and most frequented of the eight city gates of Athens, and the starting point of three roads: one southwards to the Peiraeus, another westwards to Eleusis, while the third, barely a mile in length, led northwards to the Academy of Plato on the River Kiphissos. An unusual feature of the Dipylon was the double entrance, consisting of an outer and an inner gate (hence the name), with connecting walls enclosing an oblong court measuring 41 m. in length by 22 m. in breadth. Each of the gates, which were fitted with stout doors that were closed during an emergency, had two openings divided by a central pier to allow for the simultaneous passage of two carriages.

Because of its great importance, the Dipylon was exceptionally well fortified. Protected by massive walls terminating in huge square corner towers reinforced by salients, two flanking the outer, two the inner gate, and with supplementary defenses in the ingenious utilization of the space between the gates, it was virtually impregnable. Should enemy troops be successful in overcoming the resistance of the defenders at the outer gate and penetrate the interior of the building, they would find themselves trapped within the restricted confines of the courtyard. There, surrounded on all sides, they would be at the mercy of a second body of defenders strongly entrenched behind thick ramparts.

Standing at the Dipylon and facing northwest, we can see traces of the road that led to Plato’s Academy stretching before us. On our right is a large rectangular stepped base for the support of a monument that stood in front of the central pier of the outer gate. Further right, directly opposite the central pier of the inner gate, are the remains of a circular altar bearing a dedicatory inscription to Zeus Herkeios (protector of walled enclosures), to Hermes (god of roads and gateways), and to Acamas (tribal hero of the Kerameikos).

On the left lie the remains of the Pompeion (from the Greek pompi, that is, a solemn procession), built of poros in about 400 BC. Though designed primarily as a gymnasium, it later served other purposes; for example, as center for the distribution of food in time of need. The Pompeion was the favorite meeting-place of philosophers, and on its walls were portraits of some of their number; a statue of Socrates, the work of Lysippus, also stood there. Its principal functionn however, was that of storehouse for the heavy vehicles and other properties employed on the occasion of the religious processions of the Panathenaea and the Great Eleusinia, and also as the place of assembly for those participating in them.

The POMPEION measured 55 m. in length by 30 m. in breadth, and consisted of a court surrounded by columns, thirteen along the sides and six at the ends. The propylon, which stood opposite the inner gate of the Dipylon, consisted of two columns between side walls, with an entrance for pedestrians on either side of the central passage. The ruts left by the passage of vehicles, the holes drilled for the fittings of the gates, and the furrows scored by opening and closing them are still visible in the paving. The Pompeion was destroyed during Sulla’s siege of Athens in 86 BC.

Facing the ruins of the Pompeion are the remains of the Pompeion of Hadrian, a structure erected during the second century AD, and razed by the barbarian Heruli, a Teutonic tribe originating in Jutland, in AD 267. The Pompeion of the Roman period was smaller than its predecessor and was built on a different plan.

In front of the Dipylon is the starting point of the stately AVENUE OF THE ACADEMY that in antiquity led to the Academy of Plato but today lies buried outside the present area of excavation. From the time of Solon (640-558 BC), a state burial along this Avenue was the highest award that could be granted to those who had rendered signal service, military or political, to the city. The Avenue of the Academy was lined on both sides with imposing funerary monuments erected by the State, either memorials in honor of outstanding individuals, or polyandreia for the burial of groups of warriors who had died in battle, or again cenotaphia, that is, empty tombs raised as memorials to those who had also lost their lives in the service of the city but whose bodies were either buried elsewhere or could not be found for interment.

Proceeding down the Avenue we pass between the remains of walls and monuments and at the end of the paved section we turn left down a slight slope. This path leads to the Tomb of the Lacedaemonians (just below the church of Aghia Triada), and the second boundary stone. The tomb is divided into three compartments and contained the skeleton of thirteen Spartans who were killed during the heavy fighting at the Peiraeus in 403 BC, when Thrasybulus overthrew the Thirty Tyrants. Among the marble blocks of the monument, on which were inscribed the names of the fallen, is one recording the deaths of the two polemarchs, Chaeron and Thibrachus, mentioned by Xenophon who, with the Olympic victor Lactates, were buried in the Kerameikos. This block of marble can be seen inside the Museum.
Amid the many ruins and ill-defined paths that cover the present area of excavation the easiest course is to retrace our steps from the Tomb of the Lacedaemonians as far as the Sacred Gate. Just before we reach the foundations of a small sanctuary, so far unidentified, that lies about 45 meters from the Sacred Gate, the ancient road branches off to the right. We proceed along this road, which runs parallel to the course of the Eridanus and leads us to the family grave terraces below the church of Aghia Triada.

The wealthy were usually buried in family plots, separately walled and adorned with stelai and sculpture. The extant funerary monuments, the majority of which date from the fourth century BC, are of various types: plain pillar, or palmette anthemion stelai; columns, sometimes surmounted by a device, or the representation of an animal; lekythoi and loutrophoroi, large vases marking the graves of those who died unmarried; trapezai, that is, tombs in the form of chests, with table-like tops; naiskoi, temple-like shrines, or chapels, in which sculptured reliefs or paintings were set in deep frames with pediments; sarcophagoi, marble tombslabs; and cippi, small undecorated columns customarily placed over the graves of slaves.

The following itinerary takes us to the tombs on the Sacred Way, the Street of Tombs, and the cross-street rising off it to the south. The more interesting funerary monuments are numbered in the order in which it is proposed to visit them.

The graves on the SACRED WAY are to be seen along the section of the road that lies below the church of Aghia Triada. After the ruins of a large unidentified tomb we come to the once painted stele of Antidossis; the lekythos of Aristomache, with a small relief. Passing through a narrow opening between these monuments, we come to a grave terrace, on which stands, the loutrophoros of Olympichos and farther away , the grave tumulus of Eucoline. The fine relief depicts a family group of two women, a man and a gentle little girl. The latter is shown holding a pet bird in her hand, while a tiny dog, standing on its hindlegs, begs for her attention. The graceful attitudes of the female figures and the playfulness of the dog are rendered in masterly fashion.

We now descend from this monument and turn right, following a path below the grave terrace. This brings us to the STREET OF TOMBS, where the majority of funerary monuments are to be seen. On the north (right) side: stele of Phanocles of Leucone; stele of Philocrates of Kydhathinaion; the trapeza of Hipparete (c. 350 BC), granddaughter of the ill-starred Alcibiades; stele of Menes, with a relief representing him on horseback; pillar stele of Samakion. Family plot of Koroibos of Melite; in the center of a group of three funerary monuments stands: Koroibos’ own stele; on the left, that of his wife Hegeso, represented seated, examining a necklace she has taken from the trinket-box her maid is holding out for her inspection. This is a cast (the original is in the National Archaeological Museum) of the famous stele that has inspired many painters and poets. On the right of the stele of Koroibos is, the loutrophoros, in relief, of Kleidemos, his grandson. Family plot of Eubios of Potamos: the stele, with palmette anthemion and relief of Eubios’ sister Euphrosyne. The deceased, seated near her brother, gives her hand to her nephew Bion; a small Doric column, once crowned by a loutrophoros, marks the tomb of Bion. On the right of this last memorial is an unidentified naiskos. We now turn at the retaining wall to the funerary monuments on the opposite (south) side.

Grave plot of Nicostrate and Kephisodoros. Family plot of the Archon Lysimachides of Acharnai. The tomb, in polygonal masonry, comprises: an ex-voto representing two couples seated at a funeral meal in the lower world, and below, Charon in his boat on the Styx; a huge Molossian hound, one of two acroteria that guarded the corners of the tomb; the second (18), the badly mutilated statue of a lion, is hidden by the ex-voto already mentioned. Family plot of the treasurer Dionysius of Kollytos (c. 345-317 BC), the tombstone, in the form of a small trapeza, marks the grave of one Melis of Melite; a large empty naiskos for a painting, probably of the deceased, stands against a tall pillar supporting, a majestic bull in Pentelic marble, the most arresting piece of sculpture in the necropolis. This animal was doubtless chosen to adorn the treasurer’s tomb, not only because Dionysus is sometimes portrayed in the form of a bull, but also because the name of the deceased (Dionysius) is almost synonymous with that of the god (Dionysus). Family plot of the brothers Agathon and Sosicrates of Heraclea on the Pontus. Here stand, the once painted naiskos of Agathon; a high relief representing a touching scene of parting, executed with the dignity and restraint inherent in Greek art.

Korallion, wife of Agathon, grasps her husband’s hand in farewell. At the center stands a second male figure while in the background, behind the seated figure of Korallion, a second woman’s profile can be seen. On the left is a broken lekythos, with a relief depicting another scene of parting. We now come to the family plot of Lysanias of Thorikos; here are the remains of the impressive precinct of Lysanias’ twenty-year old son Dexileos, one of the five knights killed in battle in 394 BC, during the Corinthian War. Although Dexileos, together with his fellow-cavalrymen, was given a state funeral and buried in the public sector of the cemetery, Lysanias erected this cenotaph as his own private tribute to his son. The monument, which stood upon a massive base of conglomerate, consists of a splendid marble relief in Pentelic marble, crowned by a pediment, representing Dexileos riding down a fallen enemy warrior (this is a cast; the original can be seen in the Museum). As was the custom in antiquity the group was painted, while the victor’s lance and the bridle of his steed (both now lost) were of bronze. This relief, reminiscent of St. George killing the Dragon, is one of the many examples that show the influence of Classical art on Byzantine iconography. On the base of the relief is the inscription: “Dexileos, son of Lysanias of Thorikos, was born in the archonship of Teisandros (414 BC), and died in that of Eubolides (394 BC) in Corinth, one of five Knights”.

On the front of the precinct stand two pillar stelai: the taller, crowned with a palmette anthemion, honors the memory of Dexileos’ brother Lysias; the other, with a pediment and rosettes, that of their sister Melitta. Three other tombs, all trapezai, have been found within the precinct. Only one, however, can be positively identified; this, is inscribed with the names of Lysanias, another of Dexileos’ brothers, his wife Kallistrate, and their son Kalliphanes.

After the precinct of Dexileos, the line of family plots is broken by a narrow path that climbs up to the grave terrace, and, tomb of Hieronymus, a famous actor who lived about 270 BC. Behind this tomb is the tomb of Macareus, another actor famed in antiquity.

In the angle formed by the junction of the Sacred Way and the Street of Tombs is the rectangular Sanctuary of the Tritopatreis (Ancestral Gods). That this sanctuary, sacred to the worship of ancestors and the cult of the family, is of great antiquity, is attested by an archaic inscription cut into a stone built into the wall of the court.

Just beyond the Tritopatreion, but on the opposite side of the Street of Tombs, two stelai are in situ: the first, a broad pillar stele with a pediment, is that of Thersandros and Simylus, envoys from the island of Kerkyra (Corfu), who died in Athens in 375 BC. The other, built on a lower level, is that of Pythagoras, proxenos (consul) of Athens at Selymbria in Thrace.

Leaving these stelai, we turn left into the Southern Way. Here, on the right, is the grave terrace of the sisters Pamphile and Demetria (c. 350 BC), with, the tombstone of Dorcas of Sicyon; a large naiskos framing, one of the most beautiful funerary reliefs of the fourth century, in which Pamphile is represented seated, with Demetria. To the right of this fine piece of sculpture is, the base of the stele of Demetria (now in the National Archaeological Museum), and behind it stands, the loutrophoros of Hegetor, with a small relief depicting a scene of farewell; then, the inscribed stele of Glykera, and the trapeza of another Demetria. Next to the plot of Pamphile and Demetria is that of Philoxenos of Messine, which includes, in a line, three trapezai, upon which stand remains of the bases of the lekythoi of Parthenios and Dion, and the stele of Philoxenos, their father; the statue (now headless) of Philoxenos’ wife, and the cippi of some of their slaves.

From the grave terrace of Pamphile and Demetria, a path leads direct to the temenos of Hecate, gray goddess of night and the nether world, which lies in the open space between the grove below the Museum and the back of the Street of Tombs. Here, the remains of a hearth altar, in which a relief showing a scene of sacrifice, above a dedication to Artemis-Hecate, is set into the north side. A stone omphalos, or navel, stands between the eschara and a niche, built in brick. This latter held the triangular statue of the triple Hecate, (now in the National Archaeological Museum), for this sinister deity, patroness of ghosts and witchcraft, who also haunted crossroads and graveyards, was usually represented by three identical figures of the goddess, standing back to back, each with its special attributes: torches, keys, swords, lances, dogs, and snakes.

To the south, in the grove below the Museum, lies the post-Classical cemetery, in which the only grave-markers worthy of note are the triangular pillar of Sosibios of Sounion standing on a low mound and, an unusually tall pillar stele, inscribed with a list of names.

This list of memorials enumerated is merely a small selection from the vast number found during excavation; many others have been removed to the safety of the Kerameikos and National Archaeological Museums. With the exception of the tombs of the actors Hieronumus and Macareus and of course, the stelai and other funerary marbles described are anterior to 310 BC, when the sumptuary laws of Demetrius Phalereus prohibited large expenditure on private tombs. Henceforth, it was decreed, only trapezai (simple commemorative tablets), and kioniskoi, that is, truncated columns with a moulding to keep a wreath or fillet in place, were to be permitted. The result is to be seen in the dreary collection of stone cylinders, varying greatly in size, arranged near the entrance to the Museum.

During the more than three thousand years of its existence the Kerameikos has many times been devastated and countless tombs plundered and destroyed. With the advent of Christianity much of the statuary was smashed by religious fanatics. Later the cemetery gradually fell into disuse and served as a dumping ground for rubbish, so that in 1862, when the Greek Archaeological Society undertook the first excavations, the once-glorious Kerameikos lay buried beneath the accumulated refuse of the centuries. In 1913, after a period of fruitful collaboration between Greek and German Archaeologists, it was decided to entrust future excavation of the area to the German Archaeological Institute of Athens which continues its mission ever since.

[ad_2]

Source by Makis Barbounakis

January 17, 2022
View: 473

[ad_1]

The cuts to the art industry is one of the most short-sighted acts of vandalism in recent years. With prospects for graduates glooming, what support can art students look to?

Google search results can be terrifying. See also: uncertain career paths, wonky prospects, and a vague idea of what life after art school even is. After chalking-up years of arduously studying art, history, and a whole lot of Foucault, art students slip into a workforce that doesn’t always appreciate the curation of heterotopias, but would rather appreciate extra foam on their cappuccino. Occupying Starbucks, art student’s attitudes become as bitter as the coffee they’re hired to make.

The landscape that art graduates encounter isn’t one Theresa May would find strong or stable. It’s on shaky grounds, and not many institutions are facing the matter of art graduates. In 2016, only 69.1% of fine art graduates landed a job. Such jobs were mainly retail, catering, and a rather ominous ‘other’ category. This is as worrying as it is important. These statistics make a powerful and compelling case for the precarious situatedness of graduates. Is studying Herodotus something we should pay people to do? Currently, it’s a no. The cultural work graduates can offer is restricted, dismissed, and erased by non-art circles. The (mis)treatment of art graduates is a sign that something is wrong with how particular societies locate the arts.

Upcoming artists are crucial to keeping things fresh. Whilst we pay these practises a certain amount of lip-service and Instagram postage, clicks and shares won’t pay the rent. Art institutions are crucial in providing platforms and forums for the curation of new and promising artistic modes. But some of these can be arcane, leaving art studies struggling to exoterically explain their art. University faculties take refuge in niches. Whilst this enables students to navigate specificities, the outside world neglects this.

Art award schemes can provide graduates an opportunity beyond the white walls of university to express themselves. The variety and vitality of schemes, such as the BP Portrait Award, Frieze Artist Award, and the Sunny Art Prize, provide ways for upcoming artists to be recognised globally. When Art was listed top of Forbes’ 10 worst college majors across the pond, the need for healthy art exchanges is needed more than ever before.

Over 2,557 artists from across 80 countries applied for the BP Portrait Award in 2016. 53 artists were selected by the judging panel and saw their still life come to life in the National Portrait Gallery. So, when just 2% of artists who enter find their work selected and be in the running for £30,000, the program provides a critical platform for portraiture; an arguably dying medium. By divorcing strict figuration, the portraits range from tactile finger painting-esque pieces, to photorealist methods. Commissioned works come to form an exhibition that represents the diversity, creativity, and vision of contemporary portraiture. The competition carries the prestige capable of changing an emerging artist’s life.

Jettisoning the portrait, we encounter spatial arrangements that test the idea of the site in the Frieze Artist Award. The competition allows emerging artists to realise a major commission at Frieze London. The site-specific works are ambitious, often interrogating concepts of digital media, video, and sculpture and the methods in which these can find relief. Previous winners range from Yuri Pattison’s navigation of the self-as-data across networked data systems, Rachel Rose’s layering of communication and sensory perception, and Mélaine Metranga’s unhurried negotiation of emotional-economic exchanges in a series of videos and an on-site café-installation. Produced under the guidance of the Frieze Projects team, the Award sets a budget of up to £20,000.

The Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition is one of the world’s largest open-submission showcase. The panoramic scope of the exhibition illustrates art’s pluriformity. Running since 1769, the Summer Exhibition is open to all artists and hangs within its palatial walls everything that is happening in the art scene. Both fresh and established artists can submit, and with £50,000 worth of prizes floating about, it’s a peak into the whimsical realm of contemporary art.

Held by the Sunny Art Centre, the Sunny Art Prize creates a transnational space for art from across the world to come together. The institution aims to showcase the plurality of fine art today, from 2-dimensional paintings to 3-dimensional sculptures. By crafting a worldy grammar through art, the competitions sees art from London, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Macau represented and articulated to a larger audience. Cash prizes are on offer (with up-to £3,000 for first prize) alongside a public solo exhibition at the Sunny Art Centre, and a one month residency along with a show at their partner galleries.

Visibility is key to art. It is a language not of stillness, but robust dialogue. It refuses to be silent. Art has been inflected with superficial associations, meaning that culture has become obfuscated. Art’s insights have been lost, so the sooner we find relief in art, the sooner we’ll view art graduates as more than future-baristas.

[ad_2]

Source by Josh Milton

Back to Top
WhatsApp chat
Seraphinite AcceleratorOptimized by Seraphinite Accelerator
Turns on site high speed to be attractive for people and search engines.