These smsll etchings are made by directly scratching onto the medium. Here I used a perspex base onto which I scratched the image. As the burr wears down quickly a very limited amount of images can be printed from each plate.
The medium lends itself to interesting inking possibilities that makes each etch different and unique.
These little gems are for sale for R 350 each.
Contact me on Emileart3@gmail.com if you are interisted.
As an artist coming from a protestant background the concept of religious icons intrigued me. As I usually visited Europe I was acquainted with Catholic Icons. I am planning a visit to Greece and I realized that there is a big difference between Orthodox and Catholic icons. So I looked into it.
So, let us start of by saying what is an icon. The dictionary identifies it as: a representation (as in a mural, a mosaic, or a painting on wood) of sacred events or especially of a sacred individual (such as Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint) used as an object of veneration or a tool for instruction.
In orthodox icons the representation is not naturalistic. The figures appear flat and devoid of emotion. Normal perspective does not play a role. There are no shadows, as the sainted individuals will have an ‘internal’ light. Every individual will be identified by attributes special to him or her, like St. George with a spear. Even gestures would indicate a specific person. A person steeped in the tradition will be able to identify the saint immediately.
The colors used all have symbolic meaning. Gold represents the radiance of heaven. Red represents divine life, while blue represents Human life. Red and blue together has special meaning as well. Jesus would have a red undergarment with a blue overgarment, to show that it is God that took on human form. Mary or other saints will have a blue undergarment with a red overgarment, to show a human touched by God.
Catholic icons are more naturalistic. They use naturalistic color and the artist has full artistic freedom to interpret the icon as he likes. The icon is used as an educational tool and for aesthetic use. It is not revered, but visible gospel to help you focus your attention on God. Here we think of the great Renaissance painters, like Botticelli and Raphael.
In short we can say: Catholic icon is fine art, helping you to find God
Orthodox icon Is not revered or worshiped. It is a window into heaven, to show you God’s holiness. The prayers go to God. The icons is sacramental, a reminder of Gods presence.
Recently I ran into a cigar or two. Like so often in my life I realized that there are worlds around me I do not have any idea about.
A cigar became a mark of sophistication, authority, and good taste. By a process of carefully selected leaves, the process of drying and rolling; the cigar became an artisan item, equivalent to a work of art. In time it became a sign of greatness of important men to be accompanied by only the very best cigars. The following people have established themselves as true icons and champions of the cigar.
With a background like this, where do we start to learn more? Where do I start looking for cigars?
If it is a male orientated hobby, let us start with size. Average would be a 7 x 38. That means 7 inches long. The ring size is measured as X times 1/64th of an inch. Thus the 38 would be 38 times 1/64. What does the size matter? The longer and wider the cigar, the cooler the smoke and that means your flavor will be fuller. The larger the cigar the more complex the taste.
Pajero is the standard type of cigar. It is a cylindrical shape, with a head (the front that will be lit), body and a foot. This side is neatly closed with the wrapper and will need to be cut before lighting. Other forms are grouped under Figurado’s. These are Pyramids, Bellicose, Torpedo’s and many more. Each will have its own champions that will tell you why that cigar form is better.
Of course the most important part is the tobacco. The most obvious to start with will be the wrappers, or the leaf used to cover the cigar. There are subtle differences in the appearance of wrapper leaves. They vary from cream to yellow through subtle green to darker brown and to almost black. They are named from Double Claro through Colorado to Maduro and any amount of combinations of these. The color depends on the amount of sunlight the leaves get up to the ripening and amount of fermentation allowed .Lighter leaves have a dryer taste, while darker ones would be sweeter.
Wrapper leaves are grown with care. The wrapper leaves will inform the content, 60-90% of taste and flavor is derived from the wrapper. Aesthetics play a role as well. There must be no blemishes. A single leaf must cover the whole cigar. Oils in the leaf will give it a slight sheen, and as we said the color is very important in creating expectation from your unlit cigar.
Cigar tobacco comes from the Caroga cultivar. Plants are usually harvested from bottom to top. The bottom leaves are those that ripen earlier and the bottom leaves being more flavor rich. A plant can be harvested up to eight times in a season.
When the tobacco is ripe it is harvested. Then follows a curing process. leaves are bound in bunches and dried. Light will be eliminated for hydrolysis and oxygenation to take place, and for the amount of chlorophyll to be removed. Then leaves are dried in air (wind) that ideally should take about 40-60 days. This process can also be accelerated by heat from a fire or in mass production in a kiln. The main indicator is to check the main vein on the leaf.
The leaves are then put through a first and second fermentation. Leaves are batched in bales, with stable heat and humidity and a decrease in air flow. Humidity and temperature is regulated.
After finishing the making process cigars are aged. This is a slow fermentation process. the larger the cigar, the better the aging process. On average aging is allowed for six to 12 months, but better handmade cigars are aged up to six years. After buying your cigar it can still age at home, provided that you have good storage with constant temperature and humidity.
As already stated, a cigar consists of a head, body and a foot.
It is built up in 3 layers. The filler is the inside leaves. They are from top leaves, darker in color, more oily and they burn slower. The filler is covered by the binder. Binder is more course leaves that will hold the filler together. They tend to be lighter in color and flavor. The Wrapper is the outside leaf. Here the aesthetic look is very important. There should be no blemishes and should feel soothing to both hand and lips. The foot is covered with the same color leaf in one to three wrappings and should form three layers.
By now I know a little about a cigar. Later I will comment on the ritual of smoking one.
Certain things we do give value to our lives. Most of the things that makes life special takes time, as well as planning for it to realize. You must be able to sit back, relax and live the moment. Usually it also becomes even better if it is a moment shared with someone special. This is what I call Slow Living.
Life is a race. You owe it to yourself to sometimes sit back and reflect. At these times I think of the Simon and Garfuncel song
“Slow down, you move to fast, you have got to make the moment last….”
One of the aids we have toward slow living is a good glass of brandy, enjoyed in good company.
On Saturday I visited the Van Ryn Distillery and Cellar with my sons. We spent a beautiful morning in the Cellar, doing a cellar tour and brandy tasting.
A visit to the Van Ryn Cellar is an unique experience. Brandy was produced in the Cape since 1672. Thus, brandy is produced for three and a half centuries in South Africa. Today it is an unique product with its own flavors and aromas, that can hold its place next to some of the best French cognacs, as this cellar can attest too by the major international awards won over several years.
The founder, Jan van Ryn, came to the Cape in 1845. He started the cellar shortly after arriving and started to experiment with different styles of brandy making. His belief in perfecting the product by aging it in wooden barrels, is still being used today.
The cellar has an old-world charm. The guide was knowledgeable and could answer questions asked. I was impressed with the beautiful old John Doore and Savalle copper pot stills that is still in use.
Neville, the cooper showed us how the barrels are constructed by demonstrating it to us step by step. He uses his own self built instruments. It is a rare thing to still see a very skilled craftsman at work.
The next stop was the brandy aging cellars. Here, brandy is stored and aged in barrels. The barrels allows a small parentage of evaporation of brandy . On entering these aging cellars one is overwhelmed by the heavenly smell of the evaporated brandy. It is called the Angel’s share. The process is part of the maturation. During maturation the harshness that one can pick up in younger brandies softens and matures into a more complex and rounded taste. Brandy is deemed immature if it is matured for less than 2 years. Here brandy will be matured for up to 20 years and more
The crown on the day was the chocolate and brandy tasting. We tasted the 12, 15 and 20 year old brandies. To my surprise I was bowelled over by the rich but mellow taste of the 15 year old Van Ryn brandy. The rich dark color is complemented by aromas of cigar box, fruitiness and citrus. A smooth rounded taste of dark chocolate and spiciness and a lingering orange peel on the after taste complete a satisfying taste experience. The oak is well balanced.
It was a rewarding experience. Treat yourself and a friend or two to a memorable day.
Travel is educational. Often while traveling one tends to see something that sticks somewhere in the back of your mind, to later return and make you want to know more.
One of these happenings in my life, was Cycladic art. Beautiful small, stylized sculptures that reminds of modern sculpture in the style of Brancusi and Modigliani sculpture. My first meeting with these sculptures were in the Louvre Museum.
Cycladic civilization flourished in the Aegean Sea from 3300-1100 BCE. This makes it Neolithic civilization or early bronze age civilization. They existed along the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations but left us a unique art legacy. The civilization was focused on the Greek Cycladic islands. Although the art can be found as far as Crete and the Greek mainland, its main usage was on the islands. Sculptures found elsewhere might have been used in trade in the region.
The function of the statues are unknown. The most acceptable answer would be that it had a religious function, but we do not know for sure. Most sculptures were found in graves. The fact that evidence is found that some of the figurines were repaired and had wear and tear suggests that they would be valued by the deceased during life as well and accompanied the person to the grave. Even though almost all the figurines are female, they were found in graves of both men and women.
The figurines are highly stylized and very simplified in design. Almost all of them are female forms made in marble. They are tall and geometrical so that it resembles modern art. They are depicted nude, with arms folded over their stomachs (With the left arm above the right). The pubis is indicated by a small triangle. Small breasts are indicated too. The faces are flattened with only a sharply defined nose that is indicated. The aesthetics of the blank stylized faces appeals to our modern tastes, but older sculptures shows signs of being painted.
The other type of sculpture is an even more stylized version of the female figure, known as violin figures. Beautiful body are indicated by hips and shoulders only. Elegant long necks and small heads give the impression of violins or even guitars. There are no legs, arms folded over the body, with a little triangle for the pubic area. Small breasts are sometimes suggested.
Other art that survived from this era would be bowls, also made from marble, and pottery vases and bottles with bold decorations.
As there were no writing at the time all our knowledge needs to be deducted from arkeological findings. Therefore our information available would always be incomplete. Maybe the mystery of these beautiful figurines makes them even more appealing.
I love to travel.
I love the feeling of being anonymous that traveling gives me. This is enhanced by the knowledge that for the duration of my trip I am not responsible for anybody but myself and my travel partner, that is usually my wife, the most amazing partner anyone can have . Even flying is fun. The minute I pass through the airport gates I become almost invisible. Nobody knows me and I am not responsible for anyone. I become the observer. What a heavenly feeling. I am there to learn and experience.
I always say that I travel three times. Months before a trip I will start reading. I want to know everything about the place I am going too. the place I visit becomes familiar even if I have never been there before.
The next kind of traveling is being there. I need to see , taste, hear and experience everything. The third time I travel is on arriving home afterwards. Then I relive my visits in photo’s, memories and through my sketches and travel diaries. Now I start reading again. Often I re-read what ever I read before going, as being there gives one a totally different perception of the place. Very often I run into things and concepts I did not know before I left. This I need to explore on returning.
So what do I read up on before leaving? I usually start off with the history of the place. How did this nation come to be what and where they are and why. What are they now and what make them who they are. Lastly I want to know where they are going Their future is usually a political answer to which I unfortunately seldom give lots of time and dedication.
I also make sure I know where they are. The first page in my travel diary is then dedicated to a hand drawn map of the country with its neighbors. I need to see where they are in the bigger picture, to see the countries that surround them, sea’s and ports and the geography of the land. It tells me so much about the people living there and how the came to be.
First I need to orientate myself. I start with major sites or places. A river is a good start. Every city has its points of interest, that any local can direct you towards. Where do I live in relation to my travel beacons. This way it is easier not to get lost or to get disorientated. (Not that I have any problems with getting lost, I discovered the most amazing places in my life exactly because I got lost. But then you need to have enough time to enjoy being lost. This can not happen if you are only in a city for a few days.)
Do not be shy to talk to people. Often we try to understand a few rudimentary things about the language. I will not claim that I can speak or even understand the local language, but at least to be able to greet, to ask for the menu or the bill. If at least you tried, people will warm up to you and try to help you.
I love the concept of “slow living”. Especially when traveling. I need to experience with all my senses. I need to observe and see how these people live, what they eat and do. I want to smell the aromas in their markets and restaurants, taste the food, hear the language and the sounds in the square.
I am an urban sketcher on holiday. I will sit in front of a church or building and try to render it on paper. This slows down time. It makes you really see what is in front of you. Often if I go back to a drawing I can remember smells and sights and even the cool afternoon air or the morning sun on my back. More often than not somebody will come and stand behind you to see what you are doing and start to have a conversation with you as well.
If you can choose between visiting ten cities or one, always choose only one. I know when traveling I always think that I might never see this or that city, but if I van see one place properly, it is often so mush more rewarding than to travel 10 cities and just seeing them through a bus window. Every time you move to a new place you loose at least half a day to move and settle down in new accommodation.
Try not to move in packs. Groups of people are always complicated. There are more preferences you need to consider, more people you must wait for, transport becomes cumbersome and logistics becomes a pain.
Maybe even more important is to know what you see. I need knowledge about a place I visit. Otherwise it just becomes an ABC tour: Another bloody Cathedral, another bloody Castle, another bloody church. Knowledge makes each place memorable and special. The more knowledge, the more each place will stand out.
If traveling remember to be open to new experiences. Try to experience everything new. Eat the local food (never the MacDonalds). Never compare. Each place will be special in its own right. Don’t buy. Traveling is not about having, but about experiencing. Most souvenirs were made in China in any case, and will only have meaning for you.
Make your journey an adventure, and enjoy every minute!
It is silly season again. Everybody is rushing, buying and running around. Hopefully soon we will start settling down and start thinking about the new year looming ahead. The dreaded time of new year’s resolutions!
Some years back I started to move away from new year’s resolutions. Gradually the idea of more intentional living started to take root. We see this trend in some self help programs as well lately. Set yourself few life goals.
In my own life I focus on three aspects. I think of healthy living, living more spiritually and living a more creative life. It is much broader than new years resolutions, but in the end easier to accomplish. With a resolution you might decide not to eat bread again, and this thought only lasts until you smell a lovely freshly baked bread. Once you had your lovely slice of bread the resolution is broken and you hardly ever think of it again.
With intentional living you decide to live a healthier life. The decision is not obsessive, it is not self abusive and it is not depriving you of the joys of life. It leads you to live more balanced. With my personality I never feels strong enough about anything to become fanatical about it. ( Over enthusiastic is a completely different matter.) This way of thinking will help you to decide, when you do need to make a decision, to maybe just choose the healthier option. and if you don’t, you did not break a resolution, and the next choice might be better.
My next option is to live a spiritually fulfilling life. Spirituality is a foreign idea these days. I do not intend this to be a specific religious idea either. With this I simply mean to live in the moment from time to time. Be aware of NOW. Experience the magic around you. See the clouds. Be part of the sunset. Enjoy and accept the heat of summer, accept it and experience it, rather than to complain about it.
Most important part in my life, is to live a creative life. Creativity is an essential part of being human. We create all day. You create the meal you will eat, friendships and relationships. Years ago I read the only self help book that really changed my life. It was The Artists Way by Julia Cameron. Even though I adapted it to suit my own needs, it is still part of my life.
The main part of this is a form of active meditation. She calls it Morning Pages. It means that you should write on paper with a pen 3 to 5 pages of thoughts that crosses your mind first thing in the morning. This helps you to plan your day, to identify things that bothers you, to set goals for the day and to put your day into perspective. The days that I do it is the days that is just so much more productive. It works for me.
To create we need to take something from out of ourselves. This will leave you with less original ideas. One need to put something back. This is called “filling the pond”. So treat yourself to something nice at least once a week. Go to a museum, walk in the park or go swimming somewhere in nature. You owe it to yourself!
The last part is regular walking. The action should be relaxed. The rhythm and repetitive motion will help you to relax and get creative thoughts flowing.
To really become creative you need to make time. Stop thinking that you need big blocks of time. Half an hour a day is plenty of time. That is just 2% of your day, but a 2% that might give you 80% of the joy of your day. Make time. Sacrifice television or social media. They are both time wasters, and I never hear anybody saying they do not have half an hour to do Facebook or Instagram, and it usually absorbs much more time than that.
Come on. You can do it! Live a more creative life.
I used to like traveling with a good camera, but there are definitive drawbacks to that. A SLR camera with lenses takes up an amazing amount of space. On moving around in foreign places with an expensive camera , really makes you stand out like a real tourist. Crime is everywhere these days. You need not advertise that you might be an easy victim.
The main rule in photography is still: the best camera to use is the one with you. These days everybody has a cellphone at hand. The capability of these small wonders to take photo’s with are simply amazing. Technology improved a lot since the first camera phones appeared on the market. It allows us to always have a camera at hand and they are so easy to use. Unfortunately, sometimes way too easy… I often cringe at the quality of photos people post on their social media. Photos are taken without considering what message you want to convey.
It is important to follow some basic rules and start off with a decent photo. in days gone by photography was an expensive hobby. A photographer, worth his salt, would plan a photograph before taking it. These days people will take a lot of random photos and try to edit it better afterwards (but usually they don’t even do that, they just dump them on social media.) So often I see a photo on Facebook and think: That would have been a great photo, if only…
There are a few basic rules to consider when you are taking any kind of photograph, or even making art . I will concentrate on travel photos as that is my passion. These rules are easy to follow and will make a big difference.
The angle you take the picture from makes a huge difference. The conventual way is to take a picture from eye level while we are standing, but just see the difference by using a different angle: birds eye view or from ground level
With perspective comes the creation of depth in the photograph. try to include a foreground, middle ground and background in your picture. Your foreground and background can be out of focus, if you want to enhance the object in the middle ground. If you take a landscape photo include something like flowers in your foreground.
There will be more impact to take a picture of a single flower against a uniform background, rather than having it amongst a mass of flowers. The same effect if you isolate a tower against the sky rather than having it against a background of a landscape Do not overcomplicate your picture with detail. Two thirds of your picture can be negative space and the photograph can still be working. It might make your message stronger.
Use the grid on your phone that will divide your screen in thirds automatically. Use the horizontal as well as the vertical thirds of your screen. The intersections between the lines can be focal points as well.
Strong lines strategically placed can lead the eye or even lines leading the eye through the picture.
Symmetrical framing of an object by a window frame or door can add some drama to an ordinary picture.
To use a portrait versus a landscape layout of a picture can totally change the atmosphere of a picture. Decide what will look best before taking your picture
The time of day makes a huge difference. The quality of light at dawn is so different from sunset. Remember the golden hour. Make use of the intense colors of the hour after sunrise and before sunset
Reflections from water or windows will add drama and depth to a photo.
Using of a timer, lights like artificial lights and flashes will make a dramatic difference. For now, I am trying to take a good picture without external manipulation. I even try not to use all the photoshop apps that is available. I want to use natural light and images that is there before me as I travel. Maybe I will still grow to love technical manipulation. For now I will concentrate on the other aspects to improve my photography
On Saturday I attended a leather work training course. It was presented by the Cape Leather Training Company. The presenters were Lourens and Marinda Brandt, a husband and wife team, that really works well together. They present the classes from their studio at home, a warm and welcoming space. We were just two pupils that ensures individual attention.
The products that we crafted were well designed and when we were finished, it looked like a professionally made product. I can hardly wait to make my first bag on my own to see if I can keep up the professional standards that the team insists on.
We worked in a neat and well lit area. We had all the instruments needed to work with at our disposal. What I liked most of all is that we used basic hand tools only. You do not need to buy a lot of expensive equipment to be able to replicate the same quality of work at home. This is handwork at its best.
At this stage in my life I do not need new things. To be able to get an authentic experience is worth so much more. I shared the day with my son-in-law. We had an absolutely great time together. We gained a new skill, we bonded, and walked away with a feeling that we can still change the world.
My message is to go forth and change the world. Make your life a better place. Create chances for yourself to enrich your own life. This is one of those chances.
capeleathertraining.co.za
After my blog on the book binding course I was asked about what a visual journal is, and how to use it.
I am an artist, with a fulltime job. I try to do something creative on a daily basis, even if it just a quick drawing in my journal. To create something regularly keep my mind active and in creative mode.
Previously I used to draw and make notes on any loose piece of paper I could lay my hands on. But I am sure you know what happens to such papers. By Day 3 they are all crumpled up and ends up in a dustbin.
With the visual journal I make my notes, make drawings, put down my creative ideas and make short entries on interesting places I visited. I even like sticking in interesting wine labels and note who enjoyed the wine or meal with me. It makes for vivid beautiful memories.
When I am not at work and moving around on weekends, my journal is an extension of me, going with me wherever I go. You never know what might inspire you.
On holidays it becomes a travel journal. It makes every trip a bit of slow living. On vacations I tend to draw a lot, on location. For that you have to sit down, see what is in front of you and really experience it. Later, when I go back to my drawing I can relive my experience. I can not only recall the place, but also the quality of light, the atmosphere of the place, the smells and the sounds. This is much better than photo’s, as often people can hardly recall what cathedral or place they photographed.
As a visual journal often acts to refresh old memories, notes and small sketches can act as stimuli for a new art project, especially in times when the creative muse ignores me. Then a small sketch or idea can be an inspiration for art. These sketches would be those that previously landed in the dustbin.
For these journals I make my own books. I buy good quality drawing paper that I bind into book form. This gives me excellent quality paper to write and draw on, that is well bound and will not fall apart half way through the book. I then cover the book in leather and strong upholstery material. This makes your book more sturdy and nice to touch and to hold onto.
Using a visual journal enriches my life. If you want to live a full and creative life, I can recommend it.
