Glass is one of those everyday materials that we use everywhere and it is taken for granted a lot of the time. We use it in our cars, buildings, light bulbs and wine glasses, but few people know exactly how glass transforms from raw materials into the functional molded end products. Here are the stages of glass production. (more…)
It is one of those annoying problems that lots of people face. A favoured piece of glassware has been dropped or just mishandled and has picked up some ugly marks and scratches. Most people just chuck the offending item away, or hide it in a dark corner, even though it can be repaired with not much effort at all. (more…)
There are a range of materials that can be utilised as a support, but the pet portrait artist needs to deliberate the merits of the material used, so that it will provide the best longevity for their painting. Much will depend on the type of paint being used, oil and acrylic tend to be a more flexible medium so can be applied with reasonable confidence on fabrics that have been properly prepared. More brittle mediums such as tempera, gouache or pastel, require a more rigid support such as prepared boards. (more…)
In the old times people spent a lot more time looking at the sky and searching for the answer to their various problems and preoccupations among the stars. Almost any culture abounds in myths, legends and stories about stars. At the time, people could name a star according to the symbolism or meaning they attached to it. (more…)
There is something very peculiar about watching a shooting star, as the effect it has on people greatly varies from individual to individual and from culture to culture. The understanding of the shooting star in different parts of the world is both varied and suggestive. Thus, westerners commonly make a wish when they see a falling star, while in other parts of the globe, any shooting star tells people that someone has passed away. (more…)
The modern re-inventing of an old tattoo, the red nautical star has a history of at least one hundred years. Sailors found their way on the sea guiding themselves by the Southern Cross and the Northern Star; as long as one of these two sparkled on the sky, the ship was on the right course. Sailors would therefore tattoo nautical stars on their arms for sheer superstition reasons, and to have higher chances to get home unharmed. (more…)
A star tattoo is one of the most common patterns you can get painted on your skin and though the concept is neither new nor original there are all sorts of designs used to make it special. the star as a symbol is present in various cultures but with multiple parallel implications: if we are talking about a nautical star tattoo then the meaning is that of staying on the right track and not getting lost.
Original features can be imagined for any tattoo, thus one can increase or add up, by the color and size alternations, additional items and the body part where the tattoo is made. (more…)