ardently

The Saatchi Gallery online portfolio is a special resource provided to schools at the primary and high levels that are interested in boosting the confidence and promoting the talents of their artistically inclined students. The art teacher or the school’s artistic representative is given the opportunity to create detailed profiles for their schools and thereby to promote the artistic endeavours of the school as evidence of the school’s diverse educational curriculum. Along with the school’s profile, the portfolio allows institution representatives to call attention to the work of its talented students by uploading samples of these works along with biographical profiles of the students responsible for the pieces. The institutions are also encouraged to upload notices and descriptions of upcoming and past artistic events that demonstrate the school’s commitment to the arts. The Saatchi Portfolio is therefore a strong marketing tool that promotes the educational institution on a grand artistic scale.

However, the Saatchi Gallery goes further to promote and encourage the talent of these young and promising artists. It puts on regular competitions that generate prizes of great value to the future career of these individuals. Winners and runners up are given cash for use in purchasing art supplies, including computers, to enhance their potential as artists. The winning schools are also given monetary compensation to be used to equip their art departments, making them more conducive to the learning and practice of art. The Saatchi portfolio resource is performed as a community service gesture whose purpose is to return benefits to the institutions that gave many successful artists support in the past. The Portfolio also exists to secure the future of art by encouraging the youth in artistic endeavours.

I’m often asked by both adults and kids about where they can learn more about the Art of Magic.  In this article, I’ll recommend top 10 magic books a newcomer to the Art of Magic should consider.  The good news is the majority of these books are available from Amazon or Barnes and Noble bookstores.

1.          Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic by Mark Wilson

Mark Wilson’s book is the modern equivalent of a condensed version of the Tarbell Course in Magic series.  Wilson’s book introduces readers to a wide variety of magic ranging from card tricks, coin tricks, rope magic, mental magic, impromptu magic and even stage illusions!  It teaches the fundamentals of magic technique and is well illustrated.

2.          A Book of Magic for Young Magicians : The Secrets of Alkazar by Allan Zola Kronzek

This is one of the best books on handling key cards and has excellent presentations for classic magic effects.  It is written as a kids book but it has a lot of great tips and handling for common magic effects.  In one lesson Alkazar demonstrates an entertaining magic trick and a boring magic trick.  Both use the same method yet the book explains the importance of presentation.

3.          Now You See It, Now You Don’t Lessons in Sleight of Hand by Bill Tarr

Bill Tarr’s book provides a well illustrated introduction to sleight of hand.  If you want to learn how to make cards, coins, and silks disappear and reappear, this book provides an excellent introduction.  He also wrote a second book called The Second Now You See It, Now You Don't.

4.  New Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo

Coin magic is a lot of fun to perform since coins are readily available, fit in your pocket, and can be borrowed to perform mysterious and entertaining feats of prestidigitation.  Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic provides an excellent resource on all the key vanishes, retentions, concealments and sleight of hand required to perform coin magic.  The book also has several chapters dedicated to various classic effects in Magic such as Coins Across, The Miser’s Dream, and Coin Boxes.  Bobo’s Coin Magic a must in any magician’s library!

5. The Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue

The Royal Road to Card Magic is an inexpensive book that is jam packed with card magic.  Beginners and experienced magicans can benefit by reading the Royal Road and reviewing the different concepts and ideas on sleight of hand card magic.  One of my magic mentors recommends that every magician – experienced and new – should review the Royal Road to Card Magic as it acquaints the reader with the fundamentals of card magic.

These books aren’t the only magic books I’d recommend but for the magic newbie, these are great books to start learning about the art of magic.  There are thousands of books, DVDs, and articles available on the Art of Magic.  In future articles, I’ll explore a few more useful resources to learn about Magic.

Humorous or demeaning, caricatures have always captured the attention of people from all walks of life. Caricatures, in their very essence, have a human appeal, which tend to exaggerate or distort a personality. These interesting portraits can be utilized either for fun or for political reasons. The term ‘caricature’ has its roots in the Italian language (‘caricare’), meaning “to charge” or “load”. The English doctor, Sir Thomas Browne, also provides an early definition of this word in his book, Christian Morals (first pub.1716).
Expose not thy self by four-footed manners unto monstrous draughts, and Caricatura representations.
with the footnote —
When Men's faces are drawn with resemblance to some other Animals, the Italians call it, to be drawn in Caricatura

Hence, “caricature” can ideally be called a “loaded portrait”. A number of renowned artists believe that a caricature should be a depiction of real-life people only. On the other hand, Walt Disney extended the bounds of this art by creating caricatures of animals that worked as human-like characters.

The art of caricature drawing has evolved over the ages. From the hands of Leonardo da Vinci, this art has now reached new heights in the hands of modern artists. As an instance of Impressionism, Leonardo da Vinci brushed excellence on canvas by using deformities of people as his models. Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), one of the earliest known practitioners of the art, was hugely popular for his skill in portraying human essence in barely three to four brush strokes.

Caricature, thus, saw its childhood days in the lap of French and Italian aristocratic families. In the 18th century, this art gradually spread to Britain, thanks to the contribution of Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) and James Gillray(1757-1815). Caricatures of Rowlandson chiefly drew inspiration from public figures. Gillray, in contrast, laid more stress in satirizing political life through visual representations.

The contributions of George Cruishank, Honore Daumiere, and Thomas Nast in the 19th century took caricature art to an altogether different level. They were chiefly renowned for depicting social and political caricatures. The 20th century saw further rise in the number of social and political caricatures. Besides, caricature portrayals are also being used in the corporate and advertising fields. Mort Drucker, Robert Risko, David Levine, Sam Viviano, and Sebastian Kruger are some of the notable names today.

The art of caricature has thus traveled a long way to be recognized a completely unique art form. Humorous yet meaningful, caricatures will remain as long as the human society exists.

Geordie was sitting in the club nursing a pint of Fed Special and staring moodily out of the window at the rain when his mate Dave arrived.

‘Bloody rain,’ said Dave as he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the back of the chair.

‘Aye, talk about summer; it’s hardly stopped since May,’ replied Geordie.

‘That’s the British weather for you.’

‘Aye, but it would be nice to sit in the sun occasionally.’

‘It’s nice in Cornwall.’

‘So?’

‘So, we can visit Mal.’

'What, your cousin Mal? The one that likes a gamble.’

‘He’s into casinos now, worth a couple of hundred million, got this big gaff on the coast.’

‘And we just turn up there?’

‘No, I’ve got an open invitation, all I have to do is send him an email.’

‘Well, what are we waiting for?’

Two days later they drive up the mile long driveway to Mal’s place of residence, Shangri-la – I know, I know, what can I say? – and park between a Ferrari and Bentley.

The butler shows them to their rooms and informs them that Mr Thompson expects them for drinks by the pool in an hour. A quick shower, a change of clothes and they make their way down to the pool – it’s an Olympic size salt water pool, carved out of the rocks at one end of the private beach, next to a large lagoon. The decking that surrounds the pool is heaving with people and as they look around they spot Mal at the other side of the crowd. He waves and pushes his way over, ‘Hello Dave, long time, no see.’

‘Hi, Mal, great looking party,’ said Dave and turned to introduce Geordie.

But Geordie is staring towards the lagoon, ‘Is that what I think it is?’ he asks.

‘Yeah, it’s a Great White.’

‘Is it your?’

‘No it just appeared a couple of days ago, there’s underwater entrance into the lagoon from the sea.’

‘Will it be able to survive in there?’

‘No, but it will eventually find its way back out again. In the meanwhile I’ve got a bet on with that consortium of Chinese over there, that I can find somebody brave enough to swim one length of the pool, after I’ve let the shark in.’

‘You’re joking!’

‘No, I’m deadly serious.’

With that Mal gave the signal to open the gate from the lagoon and in due course the Great White swam through. Mal picked up a bullhorn and crowd quietened. ‘Ok here is the deal,’ said Mal, ‘anyone who jumps into the pool, swims one length and get out the other end in one piece, can have their hearts desire. They only have to tell me what they want and it is theirs.’

No one made a move, the silence deepened, suddenly there was a splash and Geordie was in the water and swimming like the clappers up the pool. The shark turned in behind him; his arms and legs were going ninety to the dozen. The beast began to close in, Geordie looked behind and his arms and legs became a blur as he sped up, he reached the end of the pool shot up the steps and collapsed on the decking.

Dave and Mal raced to his side, Geordie lay there gasping for breath.

‘You did it,’ cried Dave.

‘Tell me what you want,’ cried Mal

‘I want…’ gasped Geordie.

‘Yes?’

‘I want to get…’

‘Yes! Yes!’

‘I want to get a hold of the prat that pushed me in the pool.’

Copyright Ó Fred Watson August 2007.

You probably don't know people with no difficulties and hardships, and thats most likely because there aren't many, as our ways of life make us sad and depressed at times. There are many great ways to handle boredom, but every single person has it's own finest way, which would not work as well for other people.

Now days, the globe has changed, and embraced more modern ways of having fun, we have almost replaced the great old book with the more up to date e-books, and instead of just telling jokes and imagine them happen, we have all the funny clips.Years ago, no one could have said, what will surely await us when it comes to new ways of having fun, now days it is pretty obvious that high speed internet has taken the main role in the area of fun, as it represents the easiest way of getting some quality fun.

Obviously it could be easier if, every now and then, we could just pretend we don't have a single problem and just lighten up and enjoy, living the best way we could, but reality doesn't work like that. There are a lot, of us, who, when we feel gloomy, weary or just like doing nothing, love to spend some time on those websites, with various humorous stuff, such as jokes or videos.I love Short funny Jokes.

Enjoying those sites is most likely one of the cheapest and the most easiest ways of having fun, without a fear you'll get addicted to it, nor that you're throw your money as they're without charge. The whole point is that we should have more fun and that we let many things that happen bother us, especially when we could not do a thing about them.
In place of worrying too much, we should spend some more time, with our family and friends, as those are probably the only rememberings we will still cherish and hold them dear.In other words, we should enjoy our lives to the max.

Calendar is a page that shows the dates, days and months of a year. It usually contain numbers, text and illustrations. One can find various kind of illustration on calendars like charts, diagrams, drawings, locally drawn pictures and photographs. For years popular notion of calendar is one that hangs on a wall with all the numbers and adorned with beautiful natural scenery, or photos of God, saints or famous personalities. But with changing times we have seen sea change in the area of calendars. Online calendars are in vogue. One can easily view and select a calendar from pool of sites showcasing astonishing and enticing calendars.

History of Calendars-

The history of calendar dates back to the Chinese. In ancient times from Romans, Greeks to Mayan and Aztec all had advanced calendar systems. It was used to predict eclipses, moon phases, sunrises, sunsets and weather changes. These calendars were remarkably accurate.
Modern day calendar is the Gregorian Calendar, which is also termed as the “Christian Calendar,” traditionally used to designate the calendar originated in pre-Christian Rome. It was proposed by a Naples physician XIII and is based on the tropical year. This calendar was foremost used by in United States of America and most European countries. It has total 365 or 366 days (leap year) in the year. It is divided into 12 months consisting of 30 or 31 days, along with the parallel system of weeks in sets of 7 days.

Shift from Julian to Gregorian Calendar-

Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C, but this calendar showed the error of 1 day in every 128 years and hence the tropical years shifted one day backwards. Other reason was the method of calculating the date for Easter was inaccurate. The calendar was used until in 1500s, when countries switched to Gregorian Calendar.

Utility of Calendar-

Calendar informs us of important days like festivals, birthday's of God and Saints, advent of seasons, as well as cycle of moon.
Calendar helps us keep the track of our lives on day-to-day basis.
It keeps our fast pace world organized and helps us work systematically.
It informs us of important days and festivals like Christmas, New Year, Valentine, Thanksgiving, Easter and lots more.
It helps us reschedule and set important work assignments, and business meetings we must attend.
Calendars is systematic way to get information of social gathering, family functions, travel trips and celebrations.
One can write important information or mark dates on calendar and just a glance through it can inform us our daily or weekly schedule.

Free Online Calendar 2008-

Online calendars are electronic calendars that can be easily found on computers and cell phones.
Gone are the days when people used to buy calendars from the market. Now various sites online displays array of distinct and fabulous looking calendars. Just surf the net and flip through the pages to select a calendar of your choice.

Online calendars are in vogue. Firstly they are free calendar and users don't have to pay a single penny from their pocket. All your need is Internet connectivity and one can save time, money and energy to go to the market and get a calendar.
Secondly, one can find calendars in various patterns and eye-catching texts. These calendars are highly creative and merges attractive fonts and images. Users have plenty of options to choose from Online calendars from various sites.

Printable Calendar 2008-

Various sites have posted: 2008 calendar online. One can easily download the calendar or take its print for further reference. Users can afford great collection of calendars and enjoy a different view every month.