|
Art and Crafts related articles by Elsa Neal
Ice
Sculpture
Ice is a strange medium to work with because it is both brittle, allowing for chiselling and chipping, and malleable (through melting and polishing), which gives the edges a smooth finish. Not to mention the transience of the project, lasting from a few hours to a few days.
Stage design for amateur theatre productions
One of the best ways to stretch your creative and lateral thinking skills is by designing and crafting stage props and costumes on a limited budget. Volunteer behind the scenes for a school play, or look up your local amateur dramatic society and ask if you can get involved.
Metalpoint
drawing
Silver, and other metal wire, was used to draw with in Renaissance times, before the discovery of graphite and the development of the pencil. Leonardo Da Vinci produced some beautiful silverpoint artwork because his meticulous nature and attention to detail suited the restrictions of the medium.
Drawing
materials
There are so many different materials (new and old) for drawing with, that it is worth reviewing some of these. You may find something here you hadn’t thought of trying.
Creative
drawing techniques
There are a number of drawing techniques you can practice to improve your skills, but the creative part of practicing is engaging your imagination and making it fun for yourself.
Choosing
a subject for an artwork
When you look at a painting of a bowl of oranges, do you wonder why the artist chose that subject, or does the image captivate you with the colours, textures, and composition of the fruits?
Make
a Mother's Day memory book
A memory book is an easy and lovely gift to make for mother’s day, and all you need is a pretty journal and some photographs, Mum’s favourite recipes, old letters, quotes and poetry, and any other "memories" you want to include.
The art of food preparation, styling, and photography
The creative preparation of meals that look and taste beautiful is truly one of the most transient art forms. The memory of the events surrounding a meal can last a long time.
Create
a Da Vinci style treasure hunt
Work symbolism into your artwork or riddles in poetry and leave your heirs a puzzle to work out in order to discover their heirloom!
Sand
mandala - painting with sand
Create
your own sand painting. The intricate work is ideal as a focusing tool,
which you can use to express any idea you want to work on.
Art
that's made to be destroyed
Imagine creating a beautiful work of art and then destroying it. How many times have you become frustrated and wondered what it would feel like to go nuts and overpaint an entire canvas?
Tax
and the creative arts
Tax time is coming up in Australia, but this advice applies to anyone dealing with bureaucracy.
Encouraging
young artists
Parents
can help to prevent their children feeling discouraged with art
Harry
Potter accessories to make
Make Harry Potter accessories as gifts or costumes for parties. Sew
robes and tunics, knit scarves, embroider Hogwarts house badges, and make hats, wands, broomsticks, and even a “mad eye”.
Make
a Zathura-inspired board game
Zathura is the sequel to Jumanji and features another wild and wacky game. So why not get inspired and re-invent your own game?
Creativity and grief – dealing with the loss of a creative partner
Losing a loved one usually throws your creativity for a loop anyway – when that person has been a partner in your creative work, the loss can be a double blow. How do you help yourself recover without sacrificing your creativity?
Preventing
creative burnout
Find
creative middle ground between burning out and fading away, and allow
yourself to rest and recharge.
Recovering
from creative burnout
In an ideal world, we would be able to deal with burnout triggers before they get out of hand. Most of us, though, will suffer burnout at some stage, no matter how much yoga and meditation we do. Occasionally life deals us every opportunity we've ever wanted in the same month.
Moving
out of burnout defence
Burnout defence is a constant panic mode that sets in after an intense period that has caused you to burn out, and the recovery that inevitably follows.
Dealing
with the downside of professional creativity
How do you hold onto the fire when business and commerciality takes over the creative field you love?
Is
happiness preventing you from creating?
If your life is miserable, creativity can be a form of escapism. But if escapism becomes the sole motivator for your creativity, sudden happiness can leave you feeling blocked.
Masters
of monsters - Inspiration from dreams and fears
Most people say they read fiction for pleasure – but that doesn’t explain the immense popularity of the horror, thriller, and suspense genres. What inspires those authors who delve for stories in the world of their nightmares?
Inspiration
from mythology
Mythology has helped to inspire some of today’s most popular stories including The Chronicles of
Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Trek, and Star Gate SG-1.
Celebrating
friendship
Not everyone has – or even wants – a romantic partner to share Valentine’s day with. With the good vibe around this time of the year,
it's ideal for arranging a celebration of the friendships that mean so much to you.
Unblock
by exercising your observation skills
It's
not always possible to write down or sketch the details of something that catches your eye, and that is where good observation and memory skills can serve you well. Use this simple exercise-within-an-exercise to develop an eye for detail and make your artwork even richer.
Mother's day
gift idea to paint or embroider
Whether or not your artistic talents extend to creating professional-looking portraits, I’m sure you’ll find some handy tips in our Cheats Guide to painting, or even embroidering, a portrait of you and your mum.
Revamp
your evening wear
Redesign last year's evening dresses to give yourself a whole new party wardrobe that suits your budget.
Halloween
witches' hats
Make
witches' hats for holding candy or for wearing
Understanding
the basic components of a song
Do you want to try your hand at writing a song, or putting your poetry to music? Here are some explanations of basic song structure to help you.
Six Ideas for Festive Season Fun Projects
Make your
own gift wrap
More
articles...
|
