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The technology of the internet is changing and growing every single day. Text books and in-classroom learning are becoming less popular as online learning becomes more widely accepted.

Image learning from the comfort of your own home? Yes you may miss the social interaction of learning with others, but hey, everyone is online these days anyway. Everyone communicates through social networks, text messaging, video posts, and blogs, right? Since we spend so much time online, we might as well learn a few things along the way.

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Art is an important part of life. Through art one can communicate thoughts, ideas, fears, anxieties, beliefs and much more. … com) Although art is a useful tool of expression, many children do not utilize it. A lot of children believe that “they arent good at art” or “cant do it.” These views prevent them from experiencing art as a therapeutic escape or outlet from the frustrations and troubles of life.

Many people use art as a way to express themselves with mediums such as song, poetry, painting, photography etc. … In Laylahs “Greenhead” series she uses simple comic book art to “take on the social injustice of politics, human nature and war.” (Art Voice) Using her work as a standpoint many valuable lessons about art and expression could be taught. “We all know that art is not truth. Art is a reality that makes us realize the truth. … , 489) A child in this stage is able to deal with abstract thoughts, which are important when viewing and discussing art. Sixth graders are also at a changing point in their lives and are often faced with anxieties that could be expressed through art.

Today I came across an amazing website, http://realcolorwheel.com, which describes many art related subjects in detail. The example to the left is a color wheel that I pulled from the site. This is just one example of many detailed pages you can find. Below the color wheel, on the site, you can find an extensive list of color names with links to their temperature ranges. Besides the extensive color charts you can find all kinds of great resources by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page. The Perspective Diagrams really caught my attention. The explanations and pictures are clear and descriptive. I also found a link to “Making Mediums” where you can read about the structure of different painting mediums and their qualities. I could continue writing a ton of reviews on this site but I would like you to see it for your self. Click on the title at the top of this review to go straight to the page. Great information, enjoy!

-Three Simple Steps to develop creativity and endless imagination-

There is an inborn talent that every individual on this planet has, it is the ability to create. You may not realize that you are a creative person by nature, but you are. Have you ever had a dream while sleeping or suddenly remember a moment from the past? This is your mind being creative. The simple act of deciding what to wear in the morning, making dinner, or making decisions in your work place are all creative activities. These simple actions put your mind into motion and help create what you call life. So, with all that said, you can now agree that YOU, yes you, are a creative person.
-Technology and Creative Thinking-

With technology these days everything we do is becoming automated. From simple calculators, to cell phones and automated check-stands, our brains are doing less and less work as time goes on. Unless you work in a technology driven industry like computer programming, building websites, or electronics your brain is becoming a couch potato as we speak. These days you can buy anything online with a click of mouse and never step one foot out the door. Technology prevents many people from doing physical exercise, which is a key factor in strengthening your creative mind. Cars and people movers make it easy to get a coffee at the local Starbucks without having to walk even if it is right across the street. What does all this technology mean? It simply means we as humans no longer have to use our intelligence because we have machines to do the thinking for us. Think about how good you would be at math if you never used a calculator your entire life. How many phone numbers could you remember if you didn’t rely on your cell phone. Our brains are being used less and less. If you don’t believe me, next time when you see a friends ask them what your home phone number and cell phone number is. I guarantee you that only one out of every ten 10 to 20 people, if that, can recite your home and cell phone numbers from memory. What would we all do if the wireless networks went down and our cell phones stopped working? Is it possible that our technological society could ever go back to using only home phones and pay phones to communicate, I seriously doubt it. To strengthen your creative mind you must stop relying on technology. I am not saying not to use it but use your brain first. I-pods and other audio devices are not a problem, it is the cell phones, palm pilots, and pocket PCs that we store data in that take away our mental strength to remember.

• Goal #1: Memorize phone numbers before you put them in your cell phone.

-Brain Food For Art -

Okay, ready for the good stuff? Lets ignore all the technical jargon, put down your cell, stop hacking away at the Internet and get ready for some brain food. The brain is an amazing organ, if you treat it right it can do amazing things. If your breakfast, lunch and dinner consists of Starbucks you can almost guarantee you are killing your brain with all the caffeine and sugar. Fast food is the number one killer of brain activity, so if you find yourself in love with McDonalds, Carl’s Junior, or Burger King you might as well stop reading. You will never be able to develop creativity with a “fat” brain. Just like any other muscle in the body your brain can gain weight, excess fat from eating junk food.
So for starters just get rid of the bad diet and find something loaded with protein and other vitamin to feed your brain. Okay now that your diet is corrected and your brain can actually function you can put it to work.

• Goal #2: Consult with a health physician or get professional advice on a good diet plan. Protein is good for the brain.
  

-Keeping a Journal-

First, get yourself a journal, or some kind of book that you can write in. I am not talking about your school books and notes, you want something that you can devote just to your creativity. The journal is so you can keep track of everything you do, dream, and think of. One of the biggest problems with our brain is that we train it to ignore good ideas. How often do your encourage your brain to think up brilliant ideas? Not very often right? You are probably wondering what I am talking about. Over your entire life how many times have you written or kept track of dreams or ideas? Like most people I am sure you haven’t, I know I didn’t for the longest time. Take your journal everywhere you go, even to bed. It might feel a bit strange at first, but soon you will get use to it and enjoy having your journal with you. It is important to have your journal at your bedside so when you awake first thing in the morning you can write down any details from the dreams you had. If you awake suddenly in the night from a dream, you will have your journal next to you. This action will encourage your brain to dream more. If you don’t dream the first couple nights or the first couple weeks, don’t sweat it, the process takes time. Take the journal to work and write down any ideas that pop into your mind. If you feel strange about taking your journal to work, at least have some scratch paper nearby. I don’t care if you have to write on the back of a receipt or a napkin, get your idea written down. I like sketch books because I can write in them and also draw any pictures that come to mind. I don’t let my day dreaming get in the way of my work and neither should you, so don’t get fired over this. If you are too busy and can’t get to a piece of paper when you have your ideas just repeat it three to six times mentally. Repetition can help you remember until you have the chance to write your ideas down. Try to get your idea documented within the first 15-20 minutes of thinking of it. Try not to go a whole day without writing ideas down, otherwise you will forget.
Remember, repetition is key so you must not forget to write your ideas down. At the end of each week review you idea list and see if you can create anything out of it. I have taken written ideas and dreams and turned them into paintings. While you read over your past ideas you may end up thinking of more, so add them to your new list.

• Goal #3: Get a journal or sketch book to draw and write in. Write every idea and dream with as much detail as you can.

So just follow the three above mentioned steps and you will be on your way to generating ideas and creating beautiful pieces of art. Enjoy!

What is art? Find out what art is and the true definition. See on Wikipedia.com

ART NOTES: WHAT IS ART - Wikipedia free encyclopedia

Have any of the below ever happened to your canvas.

1. You bought a canvas and went you went to paint it was loose on the stretcher bars.
2. You finished a painting that is now drying and the canvas is rippling.
3. You dropped the painting against something and how it has a dent on the painted side.

These are all fairly common problems. There is an easy fix to all of these. Canvas that is pre-made and pre-packaged usually has a glue like substance married into the fibers. Cotton and linen canvas usually shrinks when wet so here is what you do:

1. Remove frame the painting if already framed.
2. Turn the painting to the back-side and locate the dent.
3. Spray the dent with a generous amount of warm water using a spray bottle.
4. Take a clean cloth and gentle massage the water into the fibers.
5. Blow-dry until dent is gone.
6. If needed do this several times with larger dents.

(Note: Thick canvas materials like linen may need more than one application.)
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Everyday I see my students throw away tons of paint. Whether it is acrylic paint or oil paint there are ways to save your left-over paint at the end of a session. Here’s what you do:

1. Use a glass or porcelain plate to use as a palette.
2. When finished painting wrap the plate in tinfoil or plastic.
3. Place wrapped plate in the Freezer.

When you are ready to paint again just remove the plate and paint from the freezer and let it thaw for about 25 min. Your paint is like new! Enjoy!