About Bridget Riley

English painter Bridget Louise Riley was born on April 24th in 1931 at Norwood located in the south of London, England.

Her father John Fisher Riley was a printer and as he relocated his business in 1938, the family moved to Lincolnshire. Their time there was cut short due to the WWII breaking out and her father being drafted into the army.

Bridget, her sister, mother, and aunt moved to Cornwall in 1939, trying to stay out of harm's way. Bridget spent a lot of time playing on the cliffs and beaches near Padstow and the natural scenery made an everlasting impression on her. Drawing and painting became her passion at an early age.

She attended Cheltenham Ladies College during 1946 - 1949, after which she studied at the Goldsmiths College, London, until 1952 and moved on to the Royal College of Art where she studied life drawing, mostly working in black and white until 1955.

Her study created frustration and confusion and in combination with personal problems (her father had been seriously injured in a car accident and after completing her study in 1955, she went back to Lincolnshire to look after him) led to a complete physical and mental breakdown for the aspiring artist.

It would take her a while to overcome this breakdown, but once she did, she found the path to success!

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Delicious Doomsday Art

It is December 21, of the year 2012. For some it is nothing more then just another Friday, but for others it is Doomsday. The Mayan calendar is not going any further than today's date and an apocalypse is said to occur, anticipated, suspected, and even expected by many.

Personally, I don't really believe in 12/21/2012 being the end of the world. I am not psychic though and anything could happen. In case it would, we might as well take off from work, focus on our hobbies and crafts, and sweeten the day as best as we can.

I can not imagine a more pleasurable way of spending this day with the family in the comforts of our home. Since the kitchen is the best place to be, baking some of these delightful Christmas treats is an excellent way to bide the time. Eating them is even more fun!

Recipes and instructions are easily and quickly found online and the grocery stores carry all the needed ingredients and then some.

You certainly won't be spinning your wheels. In case the world is coming to an end then at least the end will be sweet. If it doesn't then at least you will have some delicious treats to serve this upcoming Christmas.

Either way, that sounds like a sweet deal to me!

ART - Automated Reliable Technology

Arts and crafts are most of the times created by and through manual labor. There may be some hobbies which can make use of an automated process, like 3-D art or collages for instance. The required images can easily be found on the Internet and printed out in a jiffy. That saves a lot of time, money, and effort.

Several software applications are available for many other outbursts of creativity. That software takes a lot of work out of your hands and ensures nothing is overlooked. It increases productivity and your art projects will come out looking professional with a high-quality end result.

Making things easier, quicker, cheaper, and more reliable, is very welcome when it comes to spare-time activities. It is a must though when it pertains to running a business. It will most certainly benefit any entrepreneur when the workflow and productivity increase and employees can fully concentrate on more important issues.

Repetitive, complex, and boring tasks are a thing of the past where ORSYP is concerned. Their IT workload automation software is state of the art technology and puts the fun and profit back in your business. Why not check these guys out and take advantage of their artistic solution?

Art comes in many forms, you know!

Shark Art Ideas

There is absolutely no lack of ideas circulating on the Internet where shark art projects are concerned. Depending on how intricate, detailed, or simple you like your project to be, there is an app for that.

If metal shears are among your craft tools, don't throw away your empty soda cans. Those are always great material for any craft or hobby. Be careful creating sharks out of them though; the teeth are just as sharp as the creature held up as the example.

Construction paper, paper mache, and (craft) foam, are safer and can easily be used by children as well. Since these materials are more pliable, they are great for details and can be used to create wall art, hats, or larger sculptures.

Make sure to have plenty of glue, different colors of paper or foam, and a pair of scissors at hand.

The whittlers among you may try their hand at carving sharks. I have come across some amazing wood carvings and you can make it as elaborate as you like.

A simple piece of plywood, old shelf, or remnants of previous wooden projects can already result in unique shark art. When using wood, a saw, nails, hammer, and paint would prove its worth.

You really don't have to dive deep into your imagination to come up with some great ideas. Just keep your mind and eyes open and they will find you!

Sharks Throughout History

You may wonder why I dive into the history of the art subject I am bringing to your attention. It is intriguing finding out where the art stems from and/or how and when it came into existence. Inquiring minds want to know and I don't consider myself an exception to the rule. :-)

The great white shark may be the largest shark at present, but is nothing compared to its 52–60 feet, 100 tons weighing, ancient relative the Megalodon. This creature lived about 28 to 1.5 million years ago and the name is derived from the Greek language and means "big tooth".

That is quite understandable, considering that the teeth of this extinct species were approximately 7 inches long. With a biting power of between 10.8 and 18.2 tons, you can imagine it had no problems crushing anything that came between its jaws.


The water temperature was higher at that time, allowing Megalodon to reside in and travel to and over all the world's oceans. This gigantic, prehistoric predator had a broad menu which consisted of a variety of marine mammals, or any other living creature that came up for grabs.

Eventually, the biggest, prehistoric marine predator in the history of the planet went extinct. The real reason for this is not clear, but suspicions are that cooler water temperatures, dropping sea levels, and a decrease of its food supply, played a major role.

Prehistoric sharks, and the great whites of the present day, have inspired the movie and art industry for a long time. At least we won't encounter those enormous predators any longer, since they are extinct.

Or.... are they???

Shark Art

For millions of years these fearsome creatures have roamed and ruled the oceans and still do. Some people are totally awed and others are completely horrified by them.

We are talking sharks here. I don't know what it is about these animals. Whether you are terrified or amazed by them, for some reason you just can't seem to turn away and have to watch them. As far as I am concerned that is fine, as long as it is on the screen and I am cradled in the safety of our home.

I am not surprised there is so much art involving and evolving around sharks. Paintings, posters, photos, and sidewalk art are most common. They are just the tip of the iceberg though. If you are fascinated with these predators, you may come across a few ideas to create some awesome projects with all kinds of materials.

Wood, soda cans, construction paper, foam, fabric, flower pots, and more, are used to portrait and create art with sharks as the subject.

This cake for instance is a great example of creativity and will appeal to almost everyone. It should give some sense of satisfaction being able to mix things up and to reverse the situation for a change.

You can sink your teeth in the shark, instead of the other way around!

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Tech Savvy?

Thanks for the guest post by Jo Levy

I am not the most technologically savvy person in the world but I’m learning. My kids are really helping me out and my son in particular is sitting with me about once a month to get me more familiar with online bill pay and using the web to do some of my daily tasks. I have to say, it really does make things easier! I recently went online to look into cheaper utility companies in my area – I was chatting with my son about good comparison sites and he was telling me to Click Here and There and No Mom, Don’t Do That. He’s a real bossy one, that boy! But at the end of the day I had a better water and heat rate and that’s all that matters. The internet is saving me so much money on postage each month because I used to pay all my bills by mail – now I’m more tech savvy and I never have to worry about anything getting lost by the post office. My mother would be rolling over in her grave if she saw how much technology had changed things! I think this year I’m going to order almost all my holiday gifts online which will be a first for me – my son’s not going to know what hit him when he sees all the boxes coming right to his door! I’ve already got my eye on some hand-painted mugs from a dealer out in Denver and that’s fun since in the past I would have been stuck just shopping at all the stores here in town. The web has really opened up my life in so many ways and I can’t wait to see how else it makes my life easier. I think I’m going to ask for a Kindle for my gift this year but you know, stranger things have happened before and my kids are going to be so proud of me!

PVC Art Materials

PVC can be purchased as pipes with different diameters and in all kinds of lengths. It doesn't stop there; there is also a wide variety of shapes available which can be easily glued together, applying specifically for PVC manufactured glue.

The main materials you will need are PVC of course, PVC glue, and a small saw for when you have to modify the length to fit into your project. All this is quickly found in a hardware store or online if you so desire.

From there on out, it is all left up to your ideas, imagination, and creativity. Should you lack inspiration, there are lots of craft ideas, projects, patterns, instructions, books, and examples for both grown-ups and children readily available online.

PVC can easily be painted. Simply sand it down and use Krylon paint in thin layers. Allow for each layer to dry before applying another coat and repeat this until the desired color or effect is achieved.

Another option is gluing fabric, photos, decorative paper, or other craft items like beads, yarn, silk flowers, etc. onto your project.

Cut a PVC pipein half length-wise, turn the halves to where the rounded sides are up and use those for a stand for sculptures or photo frames.

There are many more uses for arts and crafts and I sure would love to hear what you came up with!

A Dying Art?

Our oldest grandson is learning how to read and I am so proud of and glad for him. I used to read practically anything I could lay my hands on and I will most certainly urge and encourage him to read as much as possible.

Not only is reading fun, but it stimulates the brain to ponder upon, remember, and consider the read subject matter. With so many great authors out there, it is essential that children understand the text and Motivation Reading should be part of the teaching strategies.

Mentoring Minds offers this supporting and research-based supplemental product including active instructions pertaining to reading, writing, and class discussions for example. It is geared towards helping students for grade levels two through five to comprehend and think about the contents they read, form an opinion and response and put it in writing.

It doesn't only help the students, but it is also a great way when it comes to teacher education, since it makes it easier for the teacher to identify what level of understanding the child has reached.

Motivation Reading is only one of the products available to assist both teachers and home-schooling parents. For students it all starts with being able to read though, because reading and understanding text is essential in life.

That seems to slowly be turning into a dying art these days and we sure can't let that happen!

The History Of PVC

I suspect most of us loved chemistry. The results of what would happen when mixing one compound with another was always a surprise.

That is nothing new though. As a matter of fact, throughout history alchemists have mixed and matched, trying to come up with new materials. And with success I may add.

PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) is one of those materials that were discovered by accident. It is not only the oldest synthetic material that has been invented, but also has the longest history where industrial production is concerned.

The first, accidental discovery of PVC took place in 1838 by the French physicist and chemist Henri Victor Regnault. The second one occurred in 1872 in Germany by Eugen Baumann. Both found a white solid, which was left behind inside flasks being left out in the sun, after discovering vinyl chloride gas.

The material was brittle and hard to work with and no applications for it were found, until 1913, when German inventor Friedrich Heinrich August Klatte came up with a method using polymerization of vinyl chloride with sunlight and he patented PVC.

It was not yet the PVC we know today. That development took place in 1926 in the U.S. by Waldo Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company. A method was discovered plasticizing PVC by combining it with various additives.

Production picked up during the 1950's and more uses for it became apparent. Refining the method increased durability, and also its chemical, light, heat, and corrosion resistance. This made it extremely suitable for all kinds of applications in the construction industry.

Nowadays, due to its many applications, durability, and cost-effectiveness, PVC is the third largest-selling plastic material in the world and can be found almost everywhere. From health care to IT to apparel and more, PVC has been replacing rubber in many industries.

And now, other applications have been added: arts, hobbies, and crafts!

PVC Art

In case you are not pressed for time yet and like to craft some original, but not too expensive Holiday ornaments and decorations, then this wreath made out of PVC is a unique idea for a quick and simple project.

It doesn't even have to go in storage after the festivities, but can be used to hold and/or display other items such as collectibles, rolled up magazines, craft items, products for personal hygiene, etc.

The possibilities are endless and the beauty of it is that you can shape it anyway you like or need and make it as small or large as you want. You even have the option to paint it in any desired color, or decorate it to fit in with your interior.

PVC is a great material that can be used for a wide variety of projects such as furniture, jewelry, wall art, vases, sculptures, musical instruments, and much more.

The candle holder in the photo is just one of the examples of creativity, but there is plenty more which can be found all over the Internet. Just do a search on PVC crafts and you will be presented with so many ideas, you won't know where to start!

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Clean, Pure, Healthy Art

We were watching the local news last week and heard about an entire neighborhood being without clean water due to a mistake. Someone had accidentally connected the sewer pipe to the water pipe and hence contaminated the water, making it useless and even dangerous for consumption and any other application.

Several schools kept their doors closed, not wanting to take the risk of the children ending up sick due to the fact that there was no clean water. Bottled water was handed out to the residents, so they at least had something to drink, cook, and wash with until the problem was solved.

This occurrence also reminded me of all those hurricane victims and those who just don't have the luxury of simply turning a faucet and water flowing freely into their homes. At those times you wished you had a berkey water system to filtrate and purify it, because having to rely on lakes, streams, or stagnant water holes is not a healthy option.

There are several purification systems for every day use, catering to any need and requirement that may arise. United Environmental Solutions offers a reliable, portable, easy to assemble, powerful system. They ensure healthy drinking water through an elegant design which can be used over and over again.

Providing clean, healthy water is not a given these days; it is an art!