Our whimsical circle of life Dreamcatcher- Hope, imagination, courage for those who dare to make dreams into reality. In dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own. Make 2021 a good positive and enduring dream. Happy New Year. Best wishes from Nisha Designs, Nisha Desai
View Christmas displays from the comfort of your own home this year, with the browser extension Tab with A view: Christmas Edition which makes it …
Virtual tour Christmas displays from around the world with the Christmas edition of Tab With A View browser extension
Many of the ancient traditions surrounding Yuletide are concerned with coping with the darkness and the evils it was thought to harbor and helping …
Yule/Winter Solstice Customs and Practices
The Winter Solstice or Yule is also the shortest day of the year, and hence – the longest night. This year it takes place on December 21st. various other names for the Winter Solstice include Midwinter, Yuletide (the Teutonic version), Alban Arthan (Caledonii Tradition, or the Druids), Feill Fionnain (Pecti-Wita Tradition, which falls on December 22nd). Yuletide lasts from December 20th through December 31st. It begins on “Mother Night” and ends twelve days later, on “Yule Night”, hence the “Twelve Days of Christmas” tradition.
Some other names for this Sabbat that are used less commonly are Sun Return, Pagan New Year, Saturnalia (Roman), Great Day of the Cauldron, and Festival of Sol.
Yule is a time of the Goddess of the Cold Darkness and the birth of the Divine Child, the reborn Sun God. It is a time of renewal and rebirth during Winter and the turning of the Earth force tides. A time when the waxing Sun overcomes the waning Sun. In some traditions, this is symbolized by the struggle between the Oak King and the Holly King.
The Winter Solstice had been associated with the birth of a “Divine King” long before the rise of Christianity. Yule is about renewal, re-birth, returning hope, and life. It has never truly changed its meaning, as many of the Pagan Gods and Heroes were born at this time: Apollo, Dionysus, Horus, Mithra, and so on. Jesus, Son of God/Sun God is not alone in this time of renewal. In this instance, the Christian church decided to celebrate the birth of their savior at the time the pagans celebrated a festival that focused upon the rebirth of the “Sun God.” Thus they have made it the birthday of their “Son of God”. Yule and Christmas are not so very different in reality. Both celebrate the arrival of the sun/son or, as Christ has been called, the light of the world.
Emperor Aurelian established December 25 as the birthday of the “Invincible Sun” in the third century as part of the Roman Winter Solstice celebrations. Shortly thereafter, in 273, the Christian church selected this day to represent the birthday of Jesus, and by 336, this Roman solar feast day was Christianized. January 6, celebrated as Epiphany in Christendom and linked with the visit of the Magi, was originally an Egyptian date for the Winter Solstice
There are many theories as to how Christmas and the winter solstice/yule come to be celebrated so near each other. One thing is definitely true and that is it is a season of light.
Art jargon is highly nuanced. It can be hard to decipher the meaning of so many words, especially if you’re a native English speaker and the words come from a language other than your mother tongue. Add to that the fact that a lot of people see the world of art appreciation as inaccessible, elitist or snobby, and it’s easy to see how learning art words, terms and expressions can be a formidable task.
But art is truly one of the world’s universal languages, so it shouldn’t be hard to talk about! With a little primer on important art words and movements, you can be ready to talk about sculptures and sketches, paintings and pictures, and everything in between! Here are 10 of some of the world’s most popular art words from other languages and what they mean.
chiaroscuro — this Italian word literally means “light-dark” (from chiaro, “light,” and oscuro, “dark”), and it refers to the balance and contrast between light and shadow in a work of art to convey a sense of movement and volume. It was a favorite stylistic device of Baroque artists of the late 16th and early 17th centuries like Caravaggio, who often recreated religious narratives with dramatic energy and heightened emotional tension.
Renaissance — this French word translates to “rebirth” (naissance just means “birth”) and refers to the post-medieval period in Europe, concentrated in the Italian Peninsula, that placed an emphasis on humanism and the resurgence of classical Greek philosophy and ideals. Some of its most famous leaders included Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
Bauhaus — founded in Weimar, Germany and operating from 1919 to 1933, Bauhaus was perhaps one of the most influential modernist art schools of the 20th century, shaping the development of artistic style in Europe and the United States in the interwar period and onwards. Fusing art and the industrial design of manufacturing, the artists of the Bauhaus school sought to bring a sort of social and artistic relevance into an otherwise soulless aspect of functional creation.
Dada — founded in Switzerland in the throes of World War I and continuing in its immediate aftermath, the Dada movement (or “Dadaism”) highlighted the chaos, horrors and disillusionment of war by focusing on scattered, unconventional and nonsensical elements that conveyed the artists’ disgust with the existing sociopolitical order and how it gave rise to such catastrophic human conflict. The name’s etymology is unclear. Some claim it’s just nonsense syllables chosen at random, others say it comes from the French word for a child’s hobbyhorse (dada) and still others think it comes from two of the Romanian artists’ way of saying “yes, yes” (da, da) in their language.
De Stijl — also known as “Neoplasticism,” de Stijl (literally “The Style”) was a Dutch art movement of the early 20th century led by artists Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg. As a reaction to the highly decorative Art Deco movement and the horrors of World War I, de Stijl focused on basic geometric forms and solid, often primary colors meant to represent a more spiritualized, utopian view of art and the world, as well as to combine form and function effortlessly.
graffiti — this word has been adopted into English to refer to often informal (but sometimes very intentional), stylized street art typically spray-painted onto walls or other public surfaces. It comes from the plural of the Italian word graffito, which refers to a scribbling or scratch in a surface (and which is the diminutive form of the word graffio, “a scratch”). Since the 1970s, graffiti has become an integral part of urban and hip-hop culture, but it’s existed as a concept since at least the time of the ancient Romans.
Gutai — one of the most influential art movements of post-World War II Japan, this association of artists placed a heavy emphasis on individualism in response to the pre-war totalitarian regime. The Japanese word “gutai” translates to “concreteness,” and it focused on the physical connection between the human spirit and a whole range of materials. In response to the isolationism that had defined their nation’s position in the world, Gutai artists mastered cross-cultural networking, spreading their ideas across the globe.
memento mori — this term goes all the way back to get its name from the Latin of antiquity. This term, one of the most famous art words from Latin, translates to “remember you must die,” and it refers to motifs (in artwork, but also in life in general) that remind viewers of their own mortality and the ephemeral nature of life itself — items like skulls and hourglasses, for example.
Tropicália — this Brazilian art form emerged in the 1960s as a way to give contemporary art a Brazilian flair distinct from the heavily European cultural domination of the era. A movement that sought to shake up the status quo, it became a sort of rallying movement for the country’s progressives and rebels, and it touched all aspects of the artistic world, from visual arts to music to literature.
bodegón — the Spanish word for “still life,” this type of visual artwork — usually in painting form — gets its name from the Spanish word bodega, meaning “storeroom” or “tavern.” This genre of works — many of which were revolutionary in their time (around the early and mid-17th century) for their intense naturalism, displays compositions of inanimate objects — frequently depicts food and drink, jewelry, dishes, art supplies, flowers or other everyday items. The austerity of the bodegones is meant to convey a powerful moral message about the fleeting, sometimes tragic, nature of life.Practice the art of language learning.
Source: https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/art-words-in-other-languages
Few things go together as the Christmas season and arts and crafts projects. Call it a perfect storm if you will. (Literally.) Cold, blustery weather shuts us indoors for weeks and Christmas inspires creativity and fun.
It’s the perfect time for family fun in the form of Christmas arts and crafts projects. What’s more, these projects allow you and yours to add some personal touches to your holiday: These projects make unique holiday decor items or even personalized holiday gifts for friends and family.
We’ve split this blog up into two sections. The first section offers you some suggestions for the different types of art materials you can use for your projects. The second section covers some of the art projects you can make with the recommended supplies list.
While it’s certainly possible to make some higher-end Christmas arts and crafts projects, you don’t have to use expensive materials. You may have many supplies around the house already.
If not, your local dollar store has tons of cheapie art supplies that you can buy for your Christmas arts and crafts projects. Depending on where you live, your local dollar store may have miniature art canvases, acrylic paints, wooden ornaments, floral craft supplies and more.
Another option you have is to check out your local second-hand market. There you can find cool frames, ceramic bowls and mugs and more.
Finally, it is also worth your time to check out some art stores in your local area, because they may be having a sale on supplies. We have some suggestions for types of art supplies, too.
With no further ado, here are some lists of items you can use to create your DIY Christmas arts and crafts projects.
Surfaces to Paint On
Fun Art Supplies You Might Have Around the House
Palette Options
Here are five Christmas arts and crafts ideas to get you started.
Many people love abstract art, because it’s easy to incorporate into their home decor. The thing about making Christmas-themed abstract art is that you can use many of the supplies above, supplies you probably already have, to create your holiday-themed art.
And if you choose colors, like red and green or blue and silver, you’ll create works of art that go with the season. However, if these colors also match your decor, then you won’t have to take them down once the holidays are over.
Here’s one more tip: If you create your “canvas” from materials, like cardboard, consider cutting it down to framable sizes. For example, if you found a large box that you’ve cut down to make a surface to paint on, then cut it in standard sizes, like 8” X 10”, 9” X 11” or 18” X 24.”
These sizes represent standard frame sizes, so it’ll be easy to find frames for your works of art once you’re done. If your Christmas arts and crafts project turns out to be stunning – and we know it will be – you’ll have art that you can easily frame in standard-sized frames.
If you’d like some tips for creating some abstract art with your kids, check out our abstract painting course. It’s a great gift for the artists in your life.
Many families like to collect a new ornament for their tree every year. While it’s fun to collect ornaments that are part of collections by famous artists or companies, it’s also really fun to make your own ornaments.
If you choose to do the latter, there are several options available to you for making these holiday-themed trinkets. Below, you’ll find a list of suggested ways to make Christmas ornaments for your holiday tree.
This Christmas arts and crafts project is super simple to make and is an excellent gift to give on its own or to accompany a gift basket filled with artsy items, like art supplies.
To make it, you need:
To Make This Christmas Cocoa Gift:
Who knew that your brown paper lunch bags could become the foundation for a cool artsy project? This is a pretty simple project in principle. Essentially, you’re going to decorate some brown bags with holiday-themed decorations.
Once the bags are done, you can use them to “wrap” Christmas gifts in. They’re a great way to add a personal touch to the gifts you give to friends and family.
Your T-Shirt paint decorates more than your favorite shirts and jackets. It’s the perfect thing to use to make some Christmas-themed table napkins.
These are fun projects to do free-hand if you want your holiday art project to be a bit more loose and free. Use Christmas-themed stencils if you’d like a more unified look.
Fun art supplies to use on this project include:
Touch of Magick- Introducing Pre Colombian custom Pottery with Nisha Designs. Supporting ancient indigenous art. Bringing back the awareness of a sacred tradition, knowledge passed from generations to generations into your homes, hotels, cruises, hospitals. More details coming in next week. Stay tunned!
T hanks for time to be together, turkey, talk, and tangy weather.
H for harvest stored away, home, and hearth, and holiday.
A for autumn’s frosty art, and abundance in the heart.
N for neighbors, and November, nice things, new things to remember.
K for kitchen, kettles’ croon, kith and kin expected soon.
S for sizzles, sights, and sounds, and something special that about.
That spells THANKS for joy in living and a jolly good Thanksgiving.
– Aileen Fisher, All in a Word
Touch of Magick: Cave Painting: “These cave paintings are of prehistoric origin, to some dating around 40,000 years ago (around 38,000 BCE), and have been found in both Asia and Europe. Paleolithic cave painting in Dordogne, France was believed to depict early shamanic practices. There I believe we find the beginning of when humanity was first able to tap into the source and find that by connecting to an object that represented what they wanted they could have some control over the outcome of their interaction with it. This then is one branch of the history of magick- Ravenhawks Magazine/Ravenhawks Academy
Wishing you and family Happy Diwali. May the light always guide your choices, thoughts and actions to serve the greater good and fill you with positive goodness.
nishadesigns.com 