Meaningfull photos on Flickr

2010 - always look ... by rita

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I wish you all a new year full of the things that are very important and meaningfull to you - good feelings, good moments, and - some nice surprises ...

enjoy your life :-)

I have "collected" all my "crazy" things in a slide show - you can view it here:

... and all that is poetry

New Year New "R"ules, bye bye 2OO7 !! by حنا خلقنا لك جنود

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واذا هي غيبتي عادي ترى هي غيبتك أجمل

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استغفرالله العظيم من كل ذنب عظيم

يالله يغفر لنا خطايانا في الاعوام اللي راحت

ويسر امورنا السنين الجايه

اللهم اسآلك العفو والعافيه في ديني ودنياي

اللهم اغفرلي ولوالدي ولجيمع المسلمين

اللهم اجعل الدنيا اخر همنا

ياناس حاسبوا على دينكم

ترا الدنيا دنيا

وتقبل الله جميع اعمالكم الخيره اللي سويتوها العام

وانشالله السنه اكثر...

وكل سنه وانتو طيبين

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***Don't comment if:

1. u don't care.

2. u feel u have to comment me, because u know me.

3. ur heart is black and hard like stone.

i enjoy seeing lovely meaningfull comment that will encourage my ability to shot better !!

* these "R"ules will be active for the year 2OO8

Meaningfull conversations by Lofty Lemur

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He has much to say

rosso per milano, e per napoli e per tutta l'italia che forse si sta risvegliando dal coma! - OH, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!! by rita

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Qualcosa di rosso perchè ... questa sera: ICH BIN EIN MILANER!!! ;-D!

Il Favoloso Mondo di Pisapie

Regional elections in some important cities here - Tomorrow we will know if ... the political wind is really changing! and the main result we are waiting for is about Milano, the most representative and meaningfull city for Berlusconi.

yes-please-yes-please-yes-please-yes-please-yes-please-yes-please-yes-please-yes-please ...

Resistere, nonostante tutto by Samuele Deiana fidelio86

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Resisting, in spite of everything

Inauguration Day! by Ruby 2417

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Look what I saw on the east shore of Lake Berryessa, on inauguration day! Not close enough for a great picture, but still I hope shows a favorable augury.

Lake Berryessa, Ca. Jan. 20, 2021.

Side by side we do our share, faithfully assuring that Slumber will come soon by qp1977

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Canon SX50

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbFHwulwCvI

So, you're feeling unimportant,

'Cuz you've got nothing to say.

And your life is just a ramble

No one understand you anyway

Well, I got a piece of news son,

That might make you change your mind

Your life is historically meaningfull

And spans a significant time

Slumber will come soon

And you are helping to put it to sleep

Side by side we do our share

Faithfully assuring that

Slumber will come soon.

Well, now do you feel a little better

Lift up your head and walk away

Knowing we're all in this togeter

For such a short time anyway

There is just no time to parade around

Sulking, i would rather laugh than cry

The rich, the poor, the strong, the weak

We share this place together

And we pitch into help it die

I'm not too good at giving morals

And I don't fear the consequence

If life makes you scred and bitter

At least it's not for very long

Slumber will come soon.

femininity by maria

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explore 7/10/09 FP up to #6

0/365 by Its Lare

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Now originally i was going to do a 365 project for many reasons, so i could concentrate on doing some arty, meaningfull, heavily post processed images aswell as documenting where i go all the time, because it would force me to think of new ideas every day, because a girl i hold in high reguard and love her selfies said i should :D but for the first 2 weeks i didnt spend a night in my own bed, drove to every corner of the country and back (twice, in some cases) then landed myself a full time job!

To say i have no time to post everyday would be an understatement!

But heres a sneaky one ;)

Warspite makes a meaningfull departure from Par......50014 Warspite 05-45 Barnstable-Penzance Par 05-08-1987 by Richard Norris

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When Colors Fall.. by Arqum

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www.facebook.com/infectedpixel

35028 Badgeworth 2 by Robin Boyle

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Too warm for any meaningfull exhaust and getting a heafty shove from the diesel on the rear MN 35028 Clan Line races away from the Cheltenham stop, passing Badgeworth with the returning 'Cotswold Venturer' for The Railway Touring Company. Worcester to London Victoria. Saturday 24th August 2024.

° by °Bracket

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She awoke every morning with the desire to do right, to be a good and meaningfull person, to be, as simple as it sounded and impossible as it actually was, happy. and during the course of each day her heart would decent from her chest and into her stomach. by early afternoon she was overcome by the feeling that nothing was right, or nothing was right for her, and by the desire to be alone. by evening she was fulfilled; alone in the magnitude of her grief, alone in her aimless guilt, alone even in her lonliness. I am not sad, she would repeat to herself over and over, I am not sad. as if she might some day convince herself, or fool herself. or convince others - the only thing worse than being sad is for others to know that you're sad. because her life had unlimited potential for happiness, insofar as it was an empty white room. she would fall asleep with her heart at the foot of her bed, like some domesticated animal that was not part of her at all. and each morning she would wake with it again in the cupboard of her rib cage, having become a little heavier, a little weaker, but still pumping. and by midafternoon she was again overcome with the desire to be somewhere else, someone else. someone else somewhere else. I am not sad.

✚

meaningfull road by ElisE . . .

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Barcelona harbour by Ngoc's Creation

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Wonderful autumn day in Barcelona at the harbour with my beloved one. Barcelona is awesome :)❤️ <3 /

This is not only a beautiful pict w/ awesome capture but it's also meaningfull : )

Mi amigo de la luz by Scrappy rainbow

19 163

muchas gracias a mi gran amigo el permiso para publicar esta foto que significa mucho para mí

las bendiciones y la luz para siempre.

nuestros corazones como mezcla de nuestra música se

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ttggNyebXA

como me encantaba escuchar a jugar este gracias

me regaló todos los cds jaja

this transports me to a beautiful place

"motherearth "

As you all know i usually do not post photos of people on flickr but with kind permission i can share this photo with you .

This is just a flying visit haha , i will be on and off flickr over the next few weeks but will try my best to keep up with the comments . if i miss any photo i am very sorry . wishing you all a great weekend

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOaoUx0Mc0Q

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS PHOTO HAS A MASSIVE IMPORTANCE TO ME . DO NOT TAKE THIS PHOTO WITHOUT MY WRITTEN PERMISSION ALL RIGHTS ON THIS PHOTO ARE RESERVED BY ME . RESPECT MY FRIEND MY PHOTOSTREAM AND RESPECT ME AND DO NOT TAKE MY PHOTO. YOU MAY NOT DOWNLOAD IT CHANGE IT OR DO ANYTHING ELSE TO IT IN ANY WAY AT ALL ,

.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmwTYcDuyks

ps i am not forgetting all the challanges you have all set for me to do in the macros , i hope to be able to try to do them very soon . but do them i will eventually no matter how bad they turn out haha . best wishes to you all. and many thanks

irene

a lovely link added by jonathon thank you

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-V60s2QCg

View Awards Count

Jesus on the wall of the senior Home by freestone wilson

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Here in my Georgia Belle Senior Apartments for Independant Living, I saw this hung painting of Jesus.

There are 12 floors and in front of the elevator, on each floor, is a table where the "floor manager", or someone, decorates the table and often a resident donates something for the wall above this table. This 6th floor table has this picture of Jesus above it.

There is no name, no signer, on this painting. I cannot even tell if this image is a reproduction from a print and someone framed it! Thus I have no idea at all who painted it. Thus this painting could have come from a super-mart, or it could have actually been painted by a resident of this Home, years ago!

EDIT:

I found out the painter, thanks to Someone who commented.

Stephen B Whatley gave to me the info.

www.flickr.com/photos/stephenbwhatley/

Also amazing how there is very little written about him.

"Vinciata aka Joseph Wallace King (1911-1996), who was a legislator from Winston-Salem North Carolina."

painted years ago.

[from further research, this painting appears to be painted by a resident, long long ago, as this facuility has been here since about 1974. Thus original! There is no signed name or date on it, either.]

This is why I like this painting, and why I took this photo *of*

a painting, as I sense that this is an original work of art! probably no one knows, by now, who painted this, and if a senior, the painter may now be deceased.

One of my favorite paintings of Jesus.

He looks serious and strong and mysterious. And also as if He is asking

a question of you, the viewer, maybe like..."who am I and what does my existance mean to you"?!

As if His very Presence infers another reality that is "behind" him!

=======

--a reply to a comment.

while cameras are not supposed to be "biased", often the photographer is!

Not that I am a "Jesus freak", after all, if those people did not take the pictures of the torture of the Iraq prisoners, no one would know.

I take interesting photos of Interesting things that have a meaning that is more than what appears, thus this image i find so meaningfull to th residents here.

Here is a photo of a picture a senior hung on the wall of a senior residence, he or she found this picture to be very important. For many in this building, the Sunday evening service IS all! And, yes, the preacher throws forth lots of the "ole time fire and brimstone" and that choices in life are to be seen in utter black and white morality-only! What this minister would say about homo people would probably curl your hair.

But this is *the* reality for people who lived through the great depression and WW II, they see Jesus through their own "eyes", their own biases. Many today hate the on-welfare people as they do not *work*, not work the 100 hours a week and go through the sufferings that they did in the great depression, a whole generation who Followed orders and Obeyed authority even if it was wrong! you BROKE before you changed, change was seen as a sign of weakness!

these 1940 people saved civilization for you: made the dance floor that you now dance upon!

Compare the images of Jesus in the different countries under a different religious background: comes all too too apparent to me that the Jesus on the wall is the reflection of the collective biases of the church-goers!

Just like it is not money that is the root of all evil, it is what ones does with it, what people do

*with* Jesus is what you see the results of.

So you all see the retired military man with his ten american flags, sitting on the porch, you see the little old lady with a Bible in her hand, judging everyone who walks by according to "black and white" absolutes, and both of them wish for the day that 'a man is a man and a woman is a woman and that evil was very esy to determine, and to find some authority to give their choice-making ability too, so that they would not have to choose every little thing anymore!

there are TWO levels of "generation gap, here, the standard one of age, and the one where you have the great depression/WW II people versus the new agers of 1960+! This building has 161 residents, 90% are of this Old School, and yes, these people would probably judge 80% of the content of flickr to be very very SINFUL!

I had a retired gardener talk non-stop to me for four hours, years ago, and it was worth ever moment of it; i learned so much about this older angry generation. This man was now 70, he grew up in 1930 south state of Georgia, usa, and no one in his family or in the school *ever* wore shoes once, and life was work, *was* work, dawn to dusk 6 1/2 days a week. Then he worked in the defense industries. he place everything before him, his family, town, country, friends, came first, before him, in life and he came last. basicly he put his dreams up in the attic, his dancing shoes in the boxes, never ever to be opened, and then he *worked* all of his life.

Now he is 70 and all of the kids are on some kind of welfare like food stamps, student loans, wefare, etc, and that they did not have to work like he did.

He sees them dancing the dreams that he could not and

HE IS PAYING THEM TO DANCE THOSE DREAMS WITH HIS MONEY!!

[enough anger in him to plug his finger into an electric outlet and he would power the city for hours!!]

See, all of his taxes and his social security payments on the job help these people get their benefits, thus in a real sense he is paying them to do what he himself could never ever do, as he lived the Good moral life of 1938!

Now the Coach has changed the rules in the middle of the Play, middle of the 50-yard line, and he is angry and confused, there is little that he can find to enjoy, of today's Toys, of today's free choices! Like that little old lady at the cafeteria that i saw the other day, she was so so beside herself with irratation as see was without sail, rudder, anchor, compass, or wheel: her husband had died and he made all of the choices for her and now he is gone. in the old days "he" was supposed to make all of her choices, and now there is no Eisenhower, as president, to stand besides her....oh *can* she choose one of those 40 kinds of salads and 35 types of deserts?!

thus I "report" with my camera what I see. If you see him as a dark destroyer

of free-thinking, you might be right, But most retirees would *love* to have most of the young "flickrs" here, to "get a life, settle down, become moral and straight and have a family and kids and

repent of sin"!! some of these people would love to "sic" Jesus upon the people of today's generation, to have them repent according to how they see "repentance".

Thus that picture of Jesus is in a kind of sense, a "Talisman" to ward off the modern age with!! You have to face this picture if you get off of the elevator, he is there to ward off EVIL!

and much of "evil" is the open ended

multiculturalness of the modern liberal left's way of life, and the great lack of precieved Morals in today's people!

betchya you have a grandmother or mother, grandfather or father, who is just like I described, the vet of WW II and the great Depression!

Thus my picture, i see now, as i write this description, is a "marker" for what many of the older generation belive in.

[I will probably get lots of flames for this one, but this Image, here, I find so important to what that generation stood for.]

freestone

Marble portrait by Kahlan Bingy

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I just always wanted to put a marble texture on a portrait. No deep meaningfull words here. was just fun to make ;)

View On Black

texture Pareeerica: www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/sets/72157603745560932/

Oh, those feelings... by EmbrisionArts

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View On Black

This is a photo/image manipulation using Photoshop elements/CS3, Corel paint shop pro X2 and Photofiltre.

I used a few stockimages to create this.

Credits go to the photographers/artists who made the pictures i used.

Links to stockimages:

Background: Purchase Dreamstime.

Girl: grotesque-stock.deviantart.com/art/emerald3-71917445

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Enjoy the little things... by EmbrisionArts

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* Better view large! * View On Black

This is a photo/image manipulation using Photoshop elements/CS3, Corel paint shop pro X2 and Photofiltre.

I used a few stockimages and brushes to create this.

Credits go to the photographers/artists who made the pictures/ brushes I used.

Background (Not stock) : Gift from Warren Stroud. Check out his sites: www.peaces.com and: photopeaces.com/ .

*Did a lot of painting/ adjusting on the background.The original photo is far from original now. :)

Girl: faestock.deviantart.com/art/Bells-Falls5-89939037

Bird: www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=1199360

Fog: elizavetbrushes.deviantart.com/art/FogBrushes-33760383

Heart: redheadstock.deviantart.com/art/Hearts-Photoshop-Brushes-... --> www.obsidiandawn.com

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Stare at the sun by Rui Silveira

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Mar 7, 2010 #441On Explore

Rui Silveira Blog

Thrice - Stare At The Sun

I sit here clutching useless lists,

keys for doors that don't exist

I crack my teeth on pearls

I tear into the history

Show me what it means to me in this world

Yeah, in this world

'Cause I am due for a miracle

I'm waiting for a sign

I'll stare straight into the sun

And I won't close my eyes

Till I understand or go blind

I see the parts but not the whole

I study saints and scholars both

No perfect plan unfurls

Do I trust my heart or just my mind

Why is truth so hard to find in this world

Yeah in this world

'Cause I am due for a miracle

I'm waiting for a sign

I'll stare straight into the sun

And I won't close my eyes

Till I understand or go blind (till I understand or go blind)

I know that there's a point I've missed

A shrine or stone I haven't kissed

A scar that never graced my wrist

A mirror that hasn't met my fist

But I can't help feeling like I'm

Due for a miracle

I'm waiting for a sign (waiting for a sign)

I'll stare straight into the sun

And I won't close my eyes (and I won't close my eyes)

Due for a miracle

I'm waiting for a sign

I'll stare straight into the sun

And I won't close my eyes

Went on the archieves and found this. I have one much alike it, but this one has some meaningfull diferences. So i processed it and post. Hope you like it.

DARKNESS CAN BE BEAUTIFULL AND MEANINGFULL by Geoffroy Firehawk

24 2

Our dark side!

Love you babe

♥♥

Alone, i'm free... by EmbrisionArts

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*Better view large! * View On Black

This is a photo/image manipulation using Photoshop elements/CS3, Corel paint shop pro X2 and Photofiltre.

I used a lot of stockimages and brushes to create this.

Credits go to the photographers/artists who made the pictures/brushes i used.

Links to brushes:

Chains: henda-stock.deviantart.com/art/Chains-Brushes-34090024

Hair: maskimxul.deviantart.com/art/Hair-Brushes-Strands-15151668

vaia.deviantart.com/art/Photoshop-HAIR-Brushes-set-2-1455...

Links to stockimages:

Background: annerirestock.deviantart.com/art/57-61003359

Fog: www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=1125820

Girl: eirian-stock.deviantart.com/art/February-Winter-Morning-1...

Butterfly: shoofly-stock.deviantart.com/art/Butterfly-Stock-12-92270986

Partial chains: Sxc.hu

Rose: Sxc.hu

Bird: Sxc.hu

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all things considered by Diney Pau

39 14

(Someone might say that something is good all things considered to mean it was generally good although the situation was not perfect:)

~

ai/gimp

family of secrets.

married during wartime, housed postwar, meat n 2 veg diet, no children, no rows but no deep meaningfull conversations either. Keep our selves to our selves. May be she thought, if we realy did think about it. we may be lonley?

Farewell isn't forever... by EmbrisionArts

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Personal work.

Inspired by the music from 'The flying Dutchman' (Music from an attraction at the Efteling --> an amusementspark in Holland).

Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwENUeEPYFw

Poet by me:

I know my dear...

you're gone now, farewell has come.

This dream is all I have.

Dear, please come back to me;

Farewell isn't forever,

Or is it?,

My Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

Please view large! View On Black

Big thanks to the photographers/artists who made the resources that I used.

Credits:

Background is created out of several layers and painting.

Background 1 + 2: www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewImage=86743
Background 3: market.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewImage=88065 (several times used).
Girl: Dreamstime (Purchased)
Frame: sylwia77.deviantart.com/
Stars: own.

Hair partly repainted + retouching.

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Copyright © 2010 ~ Gerbren/Brenda M. /Brenvisions

Trapped in a dream by EmbrisionArts

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Commission for CK Studios

My profile at Deviantart: gerbren.deviantart.com/

Please view large! View On Black

This is a photo/image manipulation using Photoshop elements/CS3, Corel paint shop pro X2 and Photofiltre.

I used a modelshot and stock to create this.

Credits go to the photographers/artists who made the pictures I used.

Photographer of original model~ CK Studios: www.modelmayhem.com/CKStudios

Model~ Kristina Marie Mc Mayhem #1032418

Make-up artist~ Marisol MaK3uP N HaIR: www.modelmayhem.com/mizzmakeup209

Resources: All resources are bought at Renderosity:

Backgrounds: Several parts from: www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=72473&a.... and: www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=70483&a...

The skin of the model is for a great part repainted.

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35028 Cotswold Venturer by Robin Boyle

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Too warm for any meaningfull exhaust and getting a heafty shove from the diesel on the rear MN 35028 Clan Line races away from the Cheltenham stop, passing Badgeworth with the returning 'Cotswold Venturer' for The Railway Touring Company. Worcester to London Victoria. Saturday 24th August 2024.

Bubble travel by Scrappy rainbow

16 40

Clouds I by Missy Pussyone

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"Mi ausencia es sólo una consecuencia."

Nature speaks to me... by EmbrisionArts

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Personal work

My profile at Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

Credits:

A lot of attention went to creating the background/scenery, the lighting/shadows and painted hair.

Background 1: Purchased at Dreamstime (forest in the back).

Background 2: clip.dn.ua/verhushki-derevev/65012_33/

Background 3: clip.dn.ua/verhushki-derevev/65012_20/

Background 4: browse.deviantart.com/resources/?q=forest#/d2cghki

Background 5 : angeliaart.deviantart.com/

Background 6: browse.deviantart.com/resources/?q=forest#/d16vhv6

Model: lockstock.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=180#/dbh2nr (nb: nudity shown)

Clothing: www.folkvangar.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info... + painted.

Lots of elements painted (incl. hair and skin).

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I can only imagine by EmbrisionArts

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Personal work.

My profile at Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

View On Black

Can't wash it all away

Can't hope it all away

Can't wish it all away

Can't dream it all away

Can't scream it all away

I can only imagine being somewhere else.

Poem by Brenvisions, Inspired by Evenescence.

Credits:

Background: Purchased at renderosity (modified); www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=83278&a....

Window: mysticmorning.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=60#/d33iczg

City: browse.deviantart.com/resources/?q=city#/d8o3t4

Girl: Purchased at Dreamstime

Some elements painted.

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Nataraja by nagendran sandraprakasam

36 13

This is a very popular dance form in South India. It is oldest of all classical dance forms in India. Dance of mind & soul. It is extremely traditional and known for its grace, purity, tenderness, staturesque & sculpturesque poses. It uplifts the dancer and the beholder to a higher level of spiritual consciousness. The dancer is considered as a worshiper, worshiper of the Divine. An embodiment of beauty, charm and gracefulness.

The general interpretation for the name is

BHAva(expression) + RAga (music) + TAla(rhythm) + NATYAM(dance) = Bharatanatyam

Origin of Bharatanatyam

The Gods & Godesses pleaded Lord Brahma to create another veda which would be simple for the common man to understand. It is believed that considering this request Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda, Fifth veda, Natyaveda, an essence of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken pathya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda, geet (music and chant) from Samaveda and rasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth veda, Natyaveda.

After creating this natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularise this veda on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.Bharatanatyam might have got its name from sage Bharata also.The dancers still follow this work to perform.

There is also another story which says that Godess Parvathi tought this dance form to Usha, daughter of Banasura, a demon. Usha taught the same to the Gopikas of the city of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's birth place. Thus the divine dance form Bharatanatyam was introduced to the mankind.

In Indian mythology,Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. This divine art form is performed by Lord Shiva & his wife Goddess Parvathi. The Dance performd by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts his violent nature as the distructor of the universe. The tandava performed with joy is called Ananda Tandava and performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava. There are 7 types of Tandava. Namely Ananda Tandava, Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samara Tandava, Kaali tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava. There are few people who believa that there are 16 types of Tandava. Tandava has vigourous, brisk movements.The dance performed by Goddess Parvathi is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic also. Some scholars call Lasya as the feminine version of Tandava. Lasya has 2 kinds. Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya.

The art form has definitely gone through lot of changes over the years. In olden days it was performed mostly by female artists. They were called Devadasis, who would perform in the temples. These devadasis were accomplished artists who would sing, dance, play many instruments. They were well worsed in sanskrit & other languages which helped them to interpret compositions which they would perform. But this tradition came to an end as the devadasis lost their position in the society.

Then dance entered the royal courts. Here the artists called Rajanartakis, performed in the courts of kings who gave them shelter.Even these were accomplished artists like devadasis.

The next well-documented period of dance history is far more recent. In the first half of the 19th century the dance tradition was revitalized and defined anew through the contributions of four talented brothers (known today as the Tanjore Quartet)Chinniah, Sivanandam, Ponniah and Vadivelu. By coordinating their diverse talents, the four managed to organize all the basic dance movements of pure dance into a progressive series of lessons [adavu chapters]. Each adavu (basic unit of motion) was taught in systematic order and then combined with others to produce choreographed sequences based upon the rhythmic contour of a musical composition (Krishnamoorthy Pillai). In addition the brothers composed new music specifically for the dance, and introduced a different sequence of items which integrated the various aspects of dance and music into a carefully coordinated, aesthetically sound progression. This infusion of creative energy marks the early 19th century as one of the most innovative periods in the history of Indian dance.

The contribution of Udayshankar, Rukminidevi Arundale and Balasaraswathi, in the 20th century, cannot be forgotten at this juncture.

Even though Bharatanatyam has gone through lot of changes, it still has its roots deep into the religious and rich mythological heritage of India. In the modern day scenario it is performed by both male & female artists. Many learn as a hobby and few make it as a profession. Whether taken as a hobby or a profession it certainly needs lot of practice,concentration and dedication.

About Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is evenly divided between three elements Nritta, Nritya and Natya .

Nritta : Rhythmic Element.Interprits the language of rhythm with the help of body movements.

Nritya : Combination of Rhythm with Expression.Conveys poetic meaning with the help of expressions, rhythmic gaites and postures. eg. Varna, Shabda, Pada etc.

Natya : Dramatic Element.Performing for a theme like Ramayana, Mahabharata etc.

Nritta

Nritta can be broadly divided into Chari, Karana, Angahara and Mandala. Movement of a leg is called Chari. Movement of both the legs is Karana. 3 Karanas make a Khanda. 3 to 4 Khandas make a Mandala. 4 to 9 Karanas make a Angahara. 4 to 5 Angaharas also make a Mandala. 108 Karanas and 32 Angaharas are defined in Natyashatra. The 13 Nritta Hastas (explained later) are used to perform nritta. The rythmic body movements along with hand gestures are called Aduvus. Number of aduvus constitute a Jati. Jati will generally end with a Muktaya or Teermana.

There are varieties of Aduvus like

Tattaduvu

Mettaduvu

Nataduvu

Kattaduvu

Kudittamettaduvu

Maiaduvu

Mandiaduvu

Jati

Nadai

Ardi

There are 12 aduvus in each of the above explained. Hence 120 aduvus exist in total. Only about 70 - 80 are in practice. The aduvus are more or less Karanas. Hence can be concluded that there are 108 aduvus. The 108 Karanas or Aduvus are carved in the Chidambaram Temple in Tanjore, Tamilnadu, India. To perform an aduvu aramandi, bending of the knees is very very important.

The entire body is divided as Anga, Pratyanga and Upaanga.

Anga

Anganyatra shirohastau vaksha paarshwakateetatau

Paadaviti shaduktaani greevamapyapare jaguhu

Head, Hands, Chest, Waist, Bottom, Legs are the Six Angas. Some people include Neck also.

Pratyanga

Pratyangaani twathaskandhau baahoo prushtam tathodaram

ooroo janghe shadityahurapare manibandhakau

jaanooneekoorparamiti trayamapyadhikam jaguhu

Shoulders, Arms, Stomuch, thighs, Knee are the Six Pratyangas. Some people include Wrist, elbow and Ankle also.

Upaanga

Drushtibhrooputatarashcha kapolau naasikaahanuhu

Adharodashanaa jihwaa chubukam vadanam tatha

Upaangani dwadashitaanyanyaanyangaani santi cha

Paarshnee gulbautathangulyaa karayoho padayostale

Sight, Eyebrow, Eye lids, Eye balls, Cheeks, Nose, Gums, Lower Lip, Teeth, Tongue, Chin and Face are the 12 Upaangas. Few people include Heels, Fingers, Feet, Palm also into upaangas.

Pratynaga and Upaangas should move along with the Angas.

Anga Lakshana, the way of moving body parts, are described below.

Shirobhedha - Head Movement

Greevabhedha - Neck Movement

Drushtibhedha - Eye Movement

Paadabhedha

Mandala - Standing Posture

Utplavana - Leaps

Bhramari - Circling Movement

Chari - Leg Movement

Gatibhedha - Charecteristic walks and

Hastas or Mudras - Hand Movements

Asamyuta Hasta

Samyuta Hasta

Deva Hasta

Dashavatara Hasta

Navagraha Hasta

Jaati Hasta

Bandhu Hasta

Nritta Hasta

When all Angas(main body parts) coordinate (along with pratyanga and upaanga) the artist is said to have Angashudhi. Anga meaning body parts and shudhi, meaning perfect. Any dancer should try to achive this perfection. The Natyashastra, which talks about all aspects of Bharatanatyam, quotes shlokas to perform all the above movements. All the above said movements are dealt in detail in the respective links.

Aspects of Abhinaya

The expressions which are shown to express poetic meanings is Abinaya. Here the emphasis is more on facial expressions than rhythmic movements. The Abinaya is divided as

Angikabhinaya

Vachikabhinaya

Aharyabhinaya

Satvikabhinaya

Angikabhinaya : Expressing the meanings of lyrics using the body parts like Head, Hands, Legs etc. is Angikabhinaya. The Bhedas which i have explained above come under Angikabhinaya.

Vachikabhinaya : Expressing the Story using narrations in the dance drama is Vachikabhinaya.

Aharyabhinaya : Imitating the Costumes, Jewellary, Make-up etc. in a dance comes under Aharyabhinaya.

Satvikabhinaya :Showing the Bhava(moods) come under Satvikabhinaya.

Lord Shiva is praised as the embodiment of the above 4 types of abinaya in this following shloka.

Angikam bhuvanam yasya

Vachicam sarva vangmayam

Aharyam chandra taradi

tam vande satvikam shivam.

Meaning for the above shloka is

We bow to Him the benevolent One

Whose limbs are the world,

Whose song and poetry are the essence of all language,

Whose costume is the moon and the stars..."

In Lord Shiva's well-known pose of NATARAJA,

his right hand holds the drum of creation - symbolising a new awakening

his left hand holds fire - representing destruction of the old order

his other right hand is raised in blessing

the other left hand points to his left foot, which has crushed demon Muyalaka - representing ignorance.

There are nine main or primary emotions, Sthayibhavas. It is also termed as Rasa(Mood).

Shringara - Love

Hasya - Mirth

Veera - Heroism

Roudra - Anger

Bhayanaka - Terror

Bheebatsa - Disgust

Adbhuta - Wonder

Karuna - Compassion

Shanta - Tranquility

Vatsalya(Parental fondling) rasa is also sometimes included as one of the stayibhava.

Vibhava (cause of emotion), Anubhava (effect of emotion) and Sanchari bhava (subordinate emotions) constitute the state of rasa.

Now i would like to talk about Nayika(the Heroine) and Nayaka (the Hero) bhavas.

The Nayika Bhava

The shastras have classified the basic mental status of woman, the Nayika, into Eight divisions, called Ashtanayika bhavas. These divisions portray the heroine in different situations, express different feelings, sentiments & reactions.

The Ashtanayika bhava are

Abhisarika

Kalahantarika

Khandita

Proshitapathika

Swadheenapathika

Vasakasajjika

Virahotkantita

Vipralabda

Abhisarika - She is the one who boldly goes out to meet her lover.

Kalahantarika - She is the one who is repenting her hastiness in quarrelling with her lover, which has resulted in their seperation.

Khandita - She is the one who is angry with her lover for causing dissapointment.

Proshitapathika - She is the one who is suffering in the absence of her beloved, who is away on a long journey.

Swadheenapathika - She is the one who is proud of her husband's or beloved's love and loyalty.

Vasakasajjika - She is the one who is preparing for the arrival of her beloved, by decorating herself and her surroundings. to provide a pleasent welcome to her lover.

Virahotkantita - She is the one who is seperated from her lover & is yearning for reunion.

Vipralabda - She is the one who is dissapointed that her lover has not turned up at the tryst as he promised.

Other classifications of the Nayika bhava are

Mugdha - Inexperienced in love.

Madhya - Partly Experienced in love.

Pragalbha - Matured in the art of love.

This Pragalbha Nayika is further classified as

Dheera

Adheera

Dheeraadheera

Sweeya - Married & faithful to her husband.

Parakeeya - Married but in love with another man.

Samanya - A free woman, who truly belongs to any man for a price.

Jyeshta - The preferred one.

Kanishta - The other woman.

Further classifications are

Uttama - Self-controlled & tolerant.

Madhyama - Literally the middle one, who gives as she gets.

Adhama - Literally the low one, who has no self restraint.

The Companion to the Nayika plays an important role in any padam, javali or Ashtapadi. This Companion is the one to whom the Nayika will convey her feelings, she is the one who will take the message,if any, from the nayika to the nayaka, she is the one who will sort out the differences between the nayika & the nayaka. This companion is usuallly a girl who is close to the Nayika.

The classification of the Companion is as follows.

Daasi - Servant

Sakhi - Friend

Kaaroo - Woman from a lower caste

Chatriya - Step Sister

Prativamshini - Neighbour

Lindini - Saint

Shilpani - Artist

Swaa - Nayika herself as a messenger

The Nayaka Bhava

Just like the heroines, the moods and emotions of the hero are also classified into different divisions. The main division is

Dheerodaatta eg. Lord Rama

Dheeroddhata eg. Demon Ravana

Dheeralalita eg. Vatsaraaja

Dheerashanta eg. Buddha

The other classification is

Pati - Married & faithful to his wife.

Upapati - Married but in love with another woman.

Vaisika - One who pays & enjoys women.

Further Nayaka classifications

Anukoola - Faithful to the Woman. eg. Lord Rama

Dakshina - Loves all his wives or women. eg. Arjuna

Drishta - When rejected, pleads to be accepted by his woman. eg. Vaali

Shatha - The deceitful one. eg. Lord Krishna

Most of the ashtanayika bhavas are experienced by the Nayaka also though the depiction of ashtanayika is more than the nayaka.

Nayaka's Companion plays an important role too. This companian is categorised as

Peetamardhana

Vita

Cheta

Vidooshaka

Arangetram

Arangetram is a tamil word.Aranga meaning raised floor and Etram meaning climbing in Tamil,one of the south indian languages. It is also called Rangapravesha in Kannada, another south indian language, Ranga meaning Stage and Pravesha meaning Enter. Ideally this should be the first public performance of an artist. After learning bharatanatyam under the guidance of an accomplished guru, this is the occation for the proud guru to present his/her deciple to the public. This is the testing time for both the guru & the shishya(deciple) as the guru's knowledge & the deciple's talent both are judged by the public. Hence, the guru will decide when the deciple is ready for public appearence. Atleast 10 - 12 years of training is necessary to give a comendable performance.

This arangetram was known as Gejjepooje in old mysore district, meaning worshiping the jingles in kannada, a south indian language.For a dancer, jingles are considered devine. In olden days, deciples were not allowed to wear jingles till their first public performance. In their first performance, they were made to worship the jingles, wear them & then perform.

Accompaniments play a major role in the making of a memorable dance performance.Basic accompaniments are a Singer, Mridangam player, Violin player and ofcource the Natuvanga. Veena,Flute and other instruments are optional. These people sit in the corner of a stage or in a place in front of the stage which will be in a lower level than that of the stage.

The artist will wear lot of jewellery, make-up and a specially stitched dress. Jingles are a must.

Usually duration of an arangetram will be 2 1/2 - 3 hours. To perform for such long hours one must have good stamina and concentration. This time is divided into two halves.

In the first half the artists generally perform

Pushpanjali or Alaripu

Jatiswara

Shabda

Varna

In the second half

Padam

Ashtapadi or Devaranama

Tillana

Mangala

Pushpanjali

This is an item where the artist salutes to god, guru and the audience. This item is a warmup item where the artist prepares the body for the next few hours of vigorous performance.

Alaripu

This is a tamil word.Alar meaning to bloom. It comprises of set of movements without any meaning or expression. The movements are performed for syllables set for a beat(Tala). The complexity of the movements gradually increase. The steps are so formed that it looks like a bud blooming into a flower. This is also a warmup piece to prepare the body for the next few hours of performance. Eventhough there is no meaning, this can also be considered as an item where the artist salutes god,guru and the audience.

Jatiswaram

This is also an item where the movements will not convey any meaning or theme. Here the steps are more complex than the previous items. The composition can have amazing postures and teermanas or muktayas(ending of a jati). This is a musical composition set to a raga unlike alaripu which has only syllables.

Shabda

This is a dance item with both nritta & abinaya. Usually the theme of the lyrics will be devotional like praising lord krishna, depicting lord krishna's childhood , praising a king etc.The movements here are leisurely.

Varna

This is the item where the dancers are tested for their capacity to perform abinaya & nritta. This can be treated as a benchmark to judge the artist's talent.The item will contain many complex steps and will have lot of room for expressions also. To perform this item one should have lot of stamina & concentration. The lyrics can be devotional, praising a king etc. Varna can also have shrigara rasa as its theme.

Padam

In this dance item the dancer's abhinaya is put into test. It narrates expression of divine love or pangs of seperation in love. The tempo is slow and the performance is based on a specific mood of love.Padams will have Nayaka(Hero, Supreme lover, Divine Lord)& Nayika(Heroine, the yearning soul). Heroine will talk to her friend(sakhi) and narrate her feelings towards her hero. The lyrics can be about how the hero has betrayed, how he has delayed the arrival, how she is angry with her beloved hero etc. The Nayika and Nayaka Bhavas are explained in detail Here.

Ashtapadi

These are poet Jayadeva's Sanskrit compositions called Geetagovinda, an extremely romantic composition. It describes the love of Krishna and Radha in twelve cantos containing 24 songs. The songs are sung by Krishna or Radha or by Radha's maid. Each Canto is named differently considering Krishna's status of mind.

Saamodadamodara - Joyful Krishna

Aakleshakeshava - Careless Krishna

Mugdhamadhusoodhana - Bewildered Krishna

Snigdhamadhusoodhana - Tender Krishna

Saakankshapundareekaksha - Longing Krishna

Kuntavaikunta - Indolent Krishna

Naagaranaaraayana - Cunning Krishna

Vilakshalakshmeepatihi - Abashed Krishna

Mandamukunda - Languishing Krishna

Chaturachaturbhuja - Intellegent Krishna

Saanandadamodara - Blissful Krishna

Supreetapeetambara - Ecstatic Krishna

Expressions are given foremost importance while performing these poems. Needs lot of grace. The artist should be mature enough to understand the lyrics and the situation to show the rasas.

Devaranama

This item is a devotional piece where the lyrics are in praise of god, describing the god etc. This is a pure abhinaya item with almost no emphasis on nritta. Usually the lyrics are in Kannada. These songs are the compositions of great mystics like Purandharadaasa, Kanakadaasa, Vijayadaasa, Vyasaraaja to name a few. The compositions are popularly known as Daasa Sahitya. It is a devotional literatures written in simple language understood by common man. It has made remarkable contribution to the spiritual and cultural upliftment of people by preaching phylosophy of Love, Devotion and Peaceful Co-Existance.

If you are looking for some compositions, here they are.

Tillana

This is usually the last item in any bharatanatyam performance. Tillana is full of complicated movements & postures. This will also have complicated Muktayas or Sholkattu, ending of any step or aduvu. This is mainly a nritta piece which might have a charana, a meaningfull lyrics for which abinaya is shown.

Mangala

Meaning ending the performance. Here the artist will again salute god, guru & the audience for making the performance a success.

Original source can be found here.

Reborn in a new world by EmbrisionArts

18 27

An emotional gift for my parents; printed as an alu fine art.

The creation is called: 'Reborn in a new world'.

Our lovely Golden retriever died some time ago; he meant the world to my parents (and my brother and me as well). Barry is now reborn in a new world, a wonderful new place...
Nothing techniqual spectacular, but I hope you like it as well (my parents were over the moon with this gift).

Created with extra passion. ♥

Credits/used resources (some elements painted):

Dog: Purchased at Dreamstime

Background: www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/east-of-the-sun-/58428

Background: purchased at Dreamstime

Birds: sd-stock.deviantart.com/gallery/8224?offset=780#/d1dyd6t

My Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

Hunger for warmth by EmbrisionArts

14 44

Personal work.

And as she sits there alone,

frozen in time, in love and life.

The hunger for warmth is there,

but is it within reach?

Can she reach for it,

Or will her heart be forever cold?

My profile at Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

Please view large: View On Black

Credits:

Model: browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=magikstock#... (Purchased stock)

Background: Folkvangar store- www.folkvangar.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info... (modified)

Butterfly + mask: Folkvangar store- www.folkvangar.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info...

Fire: Renderosity store- market.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=66610

Icicle: browse.deviantart.com/resources/?qh=&section=&q=i...

Light: leonawindrider.deviantart.com/art/The-Lazy-Star-Brush-435...

Hair repainted.

Some other little elements painted and retouching.

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Willing to pay the price by EmbrisionArts

16 31

Intended to be a symbolic, strong emotive work.

The world is my everything
Freedom is my fuel
I still believe in what could be
I'm willing to pay the price.

Brenvisions 2011

Note: The grenade is pure symbolic; symbolic for the people in the world who rather die than loose their freedom. I'd like to emphasize that I'm in no way promoting violence.

My profile at Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

View On Black

Credits:

Background: Purchased at Dreamstime (extremely modified and some painted parts).
Model: persephonestock.deviantart.com/gallery/2341278?offset=480...
Soldiers: Purchased at Dreamstime
Plane: morguefile.com/archive/display/620033
Grenade: morguefile.com/archive/display/2863
Textures/mist: Own resources

Some elements painted.

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Copyright © 2009-2011 ~ Gerbren/Brenda M. /Brenvisions

FORGOTTEN MEMORIES. by vasudha chowdhary

6 3

No matter how long we live, we always have our memories along.we do not remember days but we remeber memories.memories never fades but rather they remain as hard as gems.

365 : 159 "The Random" by Danko8321

7 2

I like it when I do small but meaningfull stuff like this. I've always liked Macro work, although I prefer to think of this one as a close up. It was fun to do and it turned out pretty well. Also, not to brag or anything, but to celebrate, since it happens so infrequently: first shot. I took about 20 more after this one, but, nope, this was the one.

I'm really glad I liked it like that :) Beeing sick this past two weeks has really taken a toll on my body and energy reservoir. I'm currently running quite low but hope to get better soon. I think I am getting better as of right now. Let's hope that's the case :)

Before and after the story unfolds by EmbrisionArts

19 12

Personal work.

Original: www.flickr.com/photos/brendaatje/7966222356/in/photostream

Photomontage and digital painting.

My Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

Credits/used resources:

Background: Purchased at Dreamstime (casino stairs)
Background 2: Purchased at Dreamtime (tree)
Background 3: browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=frozenstock...
Flowers + mushroom: www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/fs-summer-daze/87814
Boy: Purchased at Dreamtime
Bird: pixievamp-stock.deviantart.com/art/Green-Humming-Bird-PNG...
Cateyes: zellzgoddess.deviantart.com/art/Cat-Eyes-15887584
Deer: morguefile.com/archive/display/55645
Chipmunk: morguefile.com/archive/display/764320
Butterfly: Own
Magic: redheadstock.deviantart.com/gallery/31519#/dsyny4

Painted elements.

Created with Photoshop Elements, CS 5 extended, PSP X4 and tablet.

Copyright © 2010-2020 ~ Embrisionarts
All rights reserved: All the materials/work contained in my gallery may not be reproduced, copied, tubed, edited, published, transmitted or uploaded in any way.

Facing mortality... by EmbrisionArts

14 21

Facing Mortality...

Is only a matter of time

Photomontage and digital painting.

My Webshop: www.embrisionarts.com

My Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

Used resources:

Background: www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=90815
Elements background: Dreamstime

Girl: browse.deviantart.com/resources/?q=white%20lady#/d2t0yzz

Old woman: Dreamstime
Water: www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/m-and-k-rain-brushes/89384 + www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=41897
Ripple water: Dreamstime
Frame: sylwia77.deviantart.com/gallery/24522862#/d2r7ptp
Watch: browse.deviantart.com/resources/?q=watch#/d2id4b
Fog: own resources
Flower hair: morguefile.com/archive/display/122182
Sign of eternity: Dreamstime

Rest is painted.

Copyright © 2009-2012 ~ Gerbren/Brenda M. /Brenvisions/Embrision Arts
All rights reserved: All the materials/work contained in my gallery may not be reproduced, copied, tubed, edited, published, transmitted or uploaded in any way.
Legal action will be taken if necessary.

Salvator Rosa - Selfportrait with skull [1647] by Peter

13

Salvator Rosa -

Self-portrait, contemplating and inscribing a skull [1647]

Metmuseum

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A meaningfull translation of the three greek words might be:

“Behold whither, eventually.”

An interpretation is:

The skull is the object of the sitter’s contemplation, and inscription: “Behold, whither (I, we, you, mankind, etc., is going) sometime"

Libera by EmbrisionArts

15 36

Commission for CK Studios

Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4o8zArvaXo

My profile at Deviantart: gerbren.deviantart.com/

Please view large! View On Black

This is a photomanipulation using CS3 extended and elements.

I used several photo's from CK Studios and bought stock to create this.

Credits go to the artists/photographers who made the stock I used.

11 resources used, some of them more than once. Hair of all the models is totally repainted. Also retouching and modifying of the painted clothes.

Backgrounds: Bought at Renderosity.

Models, cup, flower: CK Studios; www.modelmayhem.com/CKStudios

Clothing: Bought at Folkvangar store.

Leafs: www.morguefile.com

Most of the used resources can be viewed here: i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv78/Gerbren31/Liberaresource...

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Gaziantep by 48xinix

8

Zeugma Mozaik Müzesi / Zeugma Mosaic Museum

Mainad Köşkü'nden bir mozaiğin parçası: Mainad (Çingene kızı). Yemek odasının taban mozaiği ciddi şekilde hasar görmüş ve geriye kalan tek şey bir kadın kafasının bu kısmı. Figürün kabarık saçları alnının üzerinde ortadan ikiye ayrılmış ve arkadan bir eşarp ile bağlanmıştır. Kocaman gözlerinde hüzünlü ve anlamlı bir ifade var. Kulaklarında iri eşmerkezli halkalardan oluşan küpeler görülmektedir. Başının yanında asma filizi bulunduğundan bu tanrının takipçisi sayılan Dionysos şenliklerine katılan bir Mainad olmalıdır. Müze ziyaretçileri tarafından sevilir ve adeta Zeugma'nın sembolü haline gelir: “Zeugma'nın Mona Lisa'sı” olarak adlandırılır. (MS. 2. yüzyıl sonu)

Part of a mosaic from the Mainad Villa: Mainad (Gypsy girl). The floor mosaic of the dining room is severely damaged and this part of a women’s head is all what remains. The figure’s puffy hair is parted in the middle above her forehead and is tied with a scarf at the back. There is a sad and meaningfull expression in het large eyes. Earrings of big concentric rings are seen on her ears. She must be a Mainad participating in the dionysos festivities, who was considered as the follower of this god, since she has vine sprouts on the side of her head. She is loved by the visitors of the museum and virtually became the symbol of Zeugma: called “the Mona Lisa of Zeugma”. (end 2nd century CE)

The Confluence of the Darling and Murray Rivers at Wentworth, NSW by Black Diamond Images

8

Just downstream is a large weir over the Murray River (Lock & Weir No. 10) so don't be mislead into thinking there's necessarily always plenty of water in the Darling River as there have been many years in the past when the Darling has dried up all but completely.

The Darling River, along with the Paroo, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Rivers eventually flows into the Murray River which has more reliable water flows due to snowmelt water from the NSW and Victorian Alps.

The Darling River has been in poor health for many years, suffering from overuse of its waters by upstream cotton irrigators, pollution from pesticide runoff and prolonged drought asociated with climate change and land clearing.

Mass fish kills due to toxic water in early 2019 have been blamed on decisions taken by the Murray Darling Basin Authority at the behest of the NSW Government. According to scientific experts this incident cannot be attributed to drought.

I've just returned from a fast paced 9 day 3,418 km drive out into the west and south west of NSW taking in the Darling River towns of Nyngan, Cobar, Bourke, Louth, Tilpa Wilcannia and Wentworth. We also visited White Cliffs, Broken Hill, Silverton and the Murray River Victorian town of Mildura.

We headed back via Hay, Ardlethan, Grenfell, Blayney, Bathurst, Lithgow and over Bells Line Road taking a shortcut at Bilpin through the Wollemi National Park to the Upper Colo Valley to Colo Heights then home up the Putty Road to Singleton, Glendon Brook, East Gresford, Dungog, Stroud, Booral, Bulahdelah, Nabiac.

Our intention was to see for ourselves something of the plight of the mighty Darling River and indeed everywhere we went the topic of conversation surrounded the aquisition of water licenses, the role of ineffectual government policy and the impacts of agribusiness and cotton growing in the decline in health of the river.

We saw many new cotton farms springing up and massive new dams in places once reserved for other less water intensive crops. With obvious problems arising from drought, water diversion and thus low flows to the river there seems little political will for the provision of meaningfull environmental water.

Without the water from the Darling and other tributary rivers these western service towns do potentially face a bleak future. It seems big agribusiness farm owners, some foreign owned, are going to milk these western rivers for as long as possible. The local people will have to find a way to survive without a fair share of the water and the environment, the wildlife, wetlands and native forests, are they even a consideration?

The other thing that struck us since our previous trip west was the massive increase in the devastation of native forests. Land clearing right across the west to accommodate more and more cotton, walnuts, wheat, grapes, other crops as well as livestock grazing is by all appearances out of control. We saw vast paddocks stretching as far as the horizon without a single tree in the landscape and often without a crop, a sheep or a cow to be seen. Paddocks right across the west are cleared right to the banks of creeks and rivers with not a tree left standing in the riparian zone.

Do we know what impact the clearing of native forest has on rainfall and to what extent has it contributed to recent droughts and indeed has it exacerbated the impacts of climate change?

We were particularly on the lookout for any evidence of large scale tree planting but we saw little of any real consequence except for some plantings associated with the cotton farms around Leeton where plantation eucalypts appear to be being planted for carbon credit purposes.

Powerful lobby groups and vested interests with the ear of governments are lobbying for more and more land clearing, farming development and deregulation of the available water. The task of formulating effective government policy to meet the competing needs of agriculture, mining, rural service towns and the native environment seems totally beyond Australia's current Federal and State Governments.

Australia is a scenically diverse, rich and beautiful country but sadly its not what it once was, and regretably probably can never be again.

See our entire trip here POLARSTEPS - 'Back of Bourk and Back'

~`!Wet & dry by Fatma Bin Saifan

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Dry & wet !`~

Seek your fortune by EmbrisionArts

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Photomontage and digital painting.

My Deviantart: embrisionarts.deviantart.com/

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmbrisionArts

Credits and resources:

Background 1: Purchased at dreamstime