Amazing Animal Sculptures by Native Alaskan Roy Peratrovich

 Alaska native Roy Petrovich is a Tlingit Indian and member of the Raven Clan. He works in bronze sculpture, making spectacular pieces often telling tales of his heritage and/or childhood through them. Proud Alaska natives, his mother and father were the ones who spearheaded the first anti- discrimination law in the U.S. before civil rights or anyone else in Alaska. Roy's mother and father even had a park named after them, decorated with a monument made by Roy to honor his parents.

Flight of the Raven

 This was the model for the monument (first photograph), which tells the legend of the raven, very special to Tlinglet belief. In many ways, the natives were the first "environmentalists" through their belief that every living and inanimate thing had a reason to be. According to Tlinglet legend, the raven is seen as the creator who brought light to the world by stealing it from an ancient chief who kept it hidden in a box. But the raven used his famous trickery, finally seizing the light in his beak. As he escaped through the smoke hole at the top of the chief's tent, the rising smoke turned his feathers black. The sculpture is of bronze that was later patinae'd, and the sun is an orb of polished quartz.

 The Sea Three

 Dolphins are known for their leaping and bowriding and the joy they seem to share when at play is contagious, and a pleasant connection to the inhabitants of our sea world. Says Roy: "Bowriding is a remarkable marine phenomenon that I have observed many times. The dolphins burst in on the beam of a fast moving vessel and position their flukes so that the upwelling water from the bow pushes the animals forward with very little effort on their part. The dolphins then plane along ahead of the bow wave, comfortably supported by the rush of water under their pectoral fins." Roy's son used to lean over and stroke the backs of the dolphins as they rode the bow waves. The base of the sculpture is shaped as a windlass, further connecting the dolphins and boats.

Whale Riders

 Whale Riders" was inspired by a story his grandfather told Roy, one of traveling 200 km in heavy seas with his father on a war canoe to meet and settle differences with another tribe. Roy imagined what dream a child might have sleeping in the bow of the canoe, and since Orcas are respected but not feared in Tinglit culture, the piece interprets the dream as the family getting a free ride on the mighty Orca tail while the children sleep in the bow. The patina work is visually stunning, the process is done by applying different chemicals to the bronze, which then give a thin layer of colored metal. There are artists who specialize in patina at the direction of the sculpture.

 The Council of Elders

 The artist tells the story of this piece in his own words: "This sculpture is a lighthearted representation of the two great Tlingit clans: Eagle and Raven. My friends and relatives in the Eagle clan have long been urging me to make an Eagle sculpture. As a Raven, I found this an irresistible opportunity to include a little Tlingit humor. I have made Eagle to appear his most regal and self-important, as he listens wisely and patiently to brother Raven's perhaps unsolicited advice. Eagle's wings and back display traditional totemic designs to reflect his lofty position in our Tlingit culture, while Raven is shown as his typical crafty self."

Learning Curve

 Roy loved to watch the otters at play both as a child and an adult. They really enjoy sliding down snow hills rather as we do but they don't use a toboggan for it! This piece shows mom at the bottom giggling and enjoying her run while dad is in the middle and the child otter is a little nervous at the top, about to take his turn.

Raven Dance

 The blanket on the raven is a traditional Chilkat blanket ceremonial robe and he is dancing in it. The blanket had originally been made for the bust of the artist's mother but didn't work there so was given to the raven for his dance.

On Top of the World

The mighty and awe inspiring Orca, this piece is named On Top of the World to show it is found in waters at both the north and south poles. Art is personal to the artist, a personal expression of emotion, world views and beliefs. Roy Peratrovich has done a wonderful job of translating his Native history and legends into spectacular bronze sculptures.

10 Great New Year's Quotes

As 2011 draws to a close, here are 10 Great New Year's Quotes to ring in 2011:

 1. "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."
Benjamin Franklin

2. "The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective."
G.K. Chesterton

3. "The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!"
Edward Payson Powell

4. "Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
the year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true."
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

5. "For Last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."
T.S. Eliot "Little Gidding"

6. "New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual."
Mark Twain

7. "Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."
Oprah Winfrey

8. "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

9. "The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to."
P.J. O'Rourke

10. "Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

Hal Borland

5 Geekiest PC Case Mods - Funny

While most of us plod along with our regular Dells and HP machines, the modders are a different breed altogether. Sometimes come up with obscene specifications for their machines. And at other times, they go ahead and create wacky and weird custom cases. Here are some PC case mods created by people who tread the line between obsession and craziness!

5. TIE Fighter by David Barr

TIE Fighter took the first place on the Science Fiction Case Mod Contest. It is made by David Barry which maybe will blew you away.This one presents two things at the same time, the PC and the desk. Pretty cool and of course enough geek to be on this list.

4. Bender by Jan Erik Vangen

One of the most interesting cases which I ever saw. The interesting thing is that this Bender Case Mode is made by scratch and it took 4-5 months to Jan and his friends. Maybe someone will prefer better case with more details but this one for sure is made with love and a lots of creativity.

3. Kana by Katsuya Matsumura

Many of us can’t imagine these days without anime cartoons, strips or some else. This one is Miss Kanna Higashi PC case mod and it is made by Katsuya Matsumura. It is perfect for all anime lovers. If you want to make something like this one, you will need  frame with vinyl chloride pipes and then doing the rest like this builder did.

2. Hulk PC by Chris Blarsky

One of the most famous strip heroes now is also one of the most famous PC case mods. This is Hulk PC case mod created by Chris Blarsky. It is done with a lots of creativity, as you can see wires looks like important part of the shape. I’m asking is it strong inside as Hulk is or it has some medium configuration.

1. R2-D2 by Ken Kirby
Finally, the number one. What would you say about people who likes science fiction movies. Many of you are going to say: Geeks. Well, if you sometimes see the person who is actually Stars Wars fan, and it is also a fan of the famous r2d2 robot from it than I think that you are close.

Incredible Rock Balancing Art

Bill Dan is a sculptor and performance artist specializing in rock balancing. He creates seemingly impossible, temporary balanced sculptures from un-worked rock and stone in public spaces near his home in San Francisco.

London's Highgate Cemetery Through the Eyes of Audrey Niffenegger

 Bestselling writer Audrey Niffenegger has joined the ranks of the famous and infamous faces at London’s Highgate Cemetery. The author of "The Time Traveller’s Wife" isn’t interred here, but was put to service as a guide as part of research for her latest novel "Her Fearful Symmetry". The book is a ghost story based around the Victorian cemetery.

 Speaking at a discussion on the history of the cemetery and its famous inhabitants, Audrey explained how the initial ground work for the novel began at her home in Chicago several years ago, before continuing at the cemetery itself where she gained so much knowledge on the subject that she was able to volunteer for the conservation group the Friends of Highgate Cemetery as a guide on public tours.

She even admitted that spending so much time working in the cemetery became second nature to her. Dressed casually and at ease expounding on the cemetery’s beginnings, Audrey talked at length on her reasons for setting "Her Fearful Symmetry" there rather than at a cemetery closer to home.

She said: “The cemetery was going to be one of the great Chicago cemeteries like Graceland. I thought Graceland’s really great, but what’s the best cemetery?”

The author decided on Highgate with its eerie Victorian sculptures and elaborate gravestones.

 In Victorian times, death was big business. Early death was common and infant mortality rates were high, so death became an innate part of the culture. In life, and in death, status was an important thing for the rich, and their graves and burial spots had to reflect that, so funerals were lavish and Highgate Cemetery became the place to be buried.

 As well as having highly detailed graves and statues, Audrey said that some
residents of the cemetery also requested that their addresses in life be listed on their gravestones as a mark of their importance at being able to own property in prestigious parts of London.

Many famous people are buried at Highgate from the likes of Karl Marx, the father of Communism, to 19th-century-writer George Eliot and poet Christina Rossetti.

“I bet she had a morbid imagination,” Audrey jokes. “I would have loved to meet her.

 Other notable burials include physicist Michael Faraday; muse and wife of artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Elizabeth Siddel, and author Mrs Henry Wood.

More recent additions to the cemetery include the author of "The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" Douglas Adams, Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko and comedian Max Wall.

It's not only the rich and famous that have a final resting place here though as Audrey stresses: “You can see it in the way the cemetery is laid out. There are posh sections and then you reach parts of it that no one ever sees with mass graves and unmarked graves for criminals.”

Audrey explained that at the time of her research, she hadn’t had any books published and had no writing credentials at all. Perhaps spending time amongst the graves of so many wealthy, successful and famous of the cemetery’s patrons has rubbed off on her. Now she’s a best-selling author, had her debut novel turned into a Hollywood film and has since published three graphic novels.

12 Advertisements with Michael Jackson’s Brand

Collection of creative advertisments using Michael Jackson’s brand (name & image). From famous dancing style to pop star’s face skin, advertisers are using everything to promote their product.

Edouard Leon cuts - The Parisian Poet of Painting

Her painting seems to portray not just a place, but the spirit of place. An art of intense sensitivity, which, although simple, impressionistic brushwork makes his rank among the finest portrayals of the eternal city of lights.

"We'll always have Paris. " 

The memorable phrase of the classic Casablanca (USA, 1942) refers to me, besides the film, also frames for Edouard Leon Cortes. What would Paris blunt? What would Paris without cuts? What would art uncut and Paris? Among countless names that always made the city a bastion of all aspects of art, is that of Edouard Leon Cortes. Post-Impressionist, was called "the poet Parisian painting"- alluding to his prowess such urban landscapes of Paris.
The Passion of the Court by the city was exceptional, taking his talent to meet not only the monuments, people and movements, but also the very soul of Paris. The paintings of Edouard are among the most famous and significant references in the French capital of all time.

The painter was born in the suburbs of Paris in April 1882. Still young, he learned painting from his father, who was also a painter. He went to Paris to study and has exhibited his 16 years with the first screen, the Society of French Artists, entitled "Le Labour" which was very well received by critics and public. This is highlighted as one of the most promising artists of the time. The painter stood out, in fact, and over time many works exhibited in major cultural events and exhibitions in the city. He received several awards and was recognized for his extraordinary talent with the brush.

Omnibus Paris on the Place de la Madeleine 

He, however, focused not on expressions or bohemian, as did Toulouse-Lautrec, the same artistic school. The Art of Edouard was more serene, even violently significant. For him, it was important to capture the streets, the colors, the Parisian spirit. It was the Paris of every day of your eyes.

He wore infinite variations to identify the tones and colors of the changing seasons and weather. His work has never had a sophisticated style. His technique was simple, but unmistakable. His stroke seems to come at random, with carefree setting. Édouard because I feel like that made her work so as spontaneous as a violinist who closes his eyes and touches the chords that come to your mind and heart.

Flower Market at the Madeleine

The paintings of Edouard are capable of leaving us in a state of suspension. Transport us to Paris itself through its uneasy colors, as if they were dancing for us. Watching your pictures is to look at a scene through a window with raindrops dripping through it. His work appears to be alive before our eyes.

Edouard moved back to Lagny, community where he was born and lived the rest of his life. But never stopped going to Paris for inspiration whenever I could. He died in 1969.

Court gave us his Paris, and poetic live in a colorful palette and passionate. If one day I can say "Paris forever", it is because of Edouard Leon Cortes.