Arts + Stuff

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Templating Your Art: Stencil Graffiti

Posted by admin on 27 Jun 2009 | Tagged as: Arts + Stuff

Stencilling has actually been around for 25 years, even though many people think Banksy devised it. You can use cardboard, paper or other types of surfaces (such as plastics) to create templated imagery and text. You merely cut out the shapes from your paper/cardboard/other surface, put said surface onto a wall (example), then spray or roll-on paint.

The underlying rule of stencilling is making outlines via cutting shapes, and spraying paint within these cutout shapes - producing distinct images on the surface underneath. Sometimes multiple layers of stencils are applied on the same picture to add colours or give the image some depth.

So why do some people opt to be a stencil artist? For some, it is a great platform to shout out a political message. Many artists appreciate the publicity that their artwork can obtain. Some merely wish their art to be seen. Since the stencil stays unchanged during its use, it is far easier for a stencil artist to speedily duplicate what could be an intricated artwork at a very quick pace, when equated to other established tagging methods, so without doubt, there is also a strong self-promoting reason to prefer stencilling.

Banksy has applied stencilling as a way to make a political statement, often quite succinctly, leaving the witness to get the message themselves. This is often why people love his work so much, as they force the viewer to contemplate on the significance behind the artwork. Banksy artwork is being reprinted on posters, t-shirts and graffiti art on canvas, such is the popularity of the street artist.

Getting Hitched - the Hitch

Posted by admin on 18 Jun 2009 | Tagged as: Arts + Stuff, Recreation Stuff, Tips

To tie the knot or not to get married tie the knot? That is the question. It never was the doubt. It used to be ‘When to marry?’ not ‘why to marry’. For a long time women were required and put pressure on themselves to catch a mate young, have the ceremony and set up home with tiddlers and a pet, and dedicatethe rest of their days to organising a good household. Perhaps because women have been liberated from what were once their established functions, that wedlock is no longer of importance and certainly not the only path to take. In Actually numerous people- both men and female absolutely detest the idea of marriage, and can’t envisage gazing into a partner’s eyes and promising without question to spend the remaider of their days with them until the end. In many ways it’s very sad, because weddings can be such special events- especially when they feature a pretty wedding dress and sky lanterns. But, ill-starred marriages can be crushing, financially and emotionally catastrophic, and the most isolating things of all. Though being in a ill-fated relationship is also hugely isolating, somehow with the marriage label, it’s even worse. The outside world have certain expectations of a twosome when they are officially married and have evidently spent so much dosh on their wedding day. They are required to be happy or to at least try their damndest to be so. As a result of this perceived external insistence, many couples feel they have to put on a face and obscure their true feelings. The reason why there were once more marriages or why marriages survived a few generations ago is because couples had no choice but to keep pushing on with their relationship. This is advantageous in some respects, but in others, it is very corrosive. Yes there were more such matrimonies, but there were also many more desperately wretched ones.