Art Kaleidoscope

Between art and craft

Dutch painter Jan Davidszoon de Heem

Dutch painter Jan Davidszoon de Heem. Portrait of William III of England, aged 10, in a flower garland decorated with symbols of the House of Orange. Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon

Portrait of William III of England, aged 10, in a flower garland decorated with symbols of the House of Orange. Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon. Dutch painter Jan Davidszoon de Heem

Dutch painter Jan Davidszoon de Heem
Representative of Dutch and Flemish Baroque painting, Jan Davidszoon de Heem (b. 1606, Utrecht, d. 1684, Antwerpen) studied first under his father David de Heem the Elder (1570–1631). Also, under Balthasar van der Ast. Considered one of the greatest painters of his time, he was well paid and a portrait of Prince William III surrounded by a cartouche of flowers and fruit was sold for 2000 guilders. Noteworthy, it was one of the highest prices ever paid for a painting during the Dutch Golden Age.
His sons worked together with him in his workshop on the commissions for new paintings. He retouched their work and put his signature on the paintings.
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Sandpainting by Andrew Clemens and John Adams

Sandpainting by Andrew Clemens and John Adams

Glass bottles filled with unique Sandpainting by Andrew Clemens (January 29, 1857 – May 14, 1894)

Sandpainting by Andrew Clemens and John Adams
Sold for $5–7 in the 19th century, their paintings now reach 40-50 thousand dollars at auctions. Iowa sand artists Andrew Clemens and John Adams, became famous for their unique sandpainting. To create such painting the artists inserted the presorted grains of sand into small glass drug bottles using a homemade tools formed out of hickory sticks and florists wire. John Adams was a railroad man, who lived just upriver from and became familiar with Clemens. Unlike Clemens, he attempted complex landscapes.
Andrew Clemens was born in Dubuque, Iowa, on January 29, 1857. At a young age Andrew suffered encephalitis which caused his lifelong deafness. He attended the Iowa State School for the Deaf and Dumb. Clemens would collect naturally colored grains of sand at Pictured Rocks, where sandstone was naturally colored by iron and mineral staining. Clemens separated the sand grains into piles, by color, and used them to form the basis for his art.
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Mongolian artist Zayasaikhan Sambuu

Mongolian artist Zayasaikhan Sambuu

Japanese motif. Painting by Mongolian artist Zayasaikhan Sambuu (Zaya)

Mongolian artist Zayasaikhan Sambuu
Born in a small town of Baatsagaan (Southern Mongolia) in 1975, Sambuu is a talented young artist. In the teenage years Zaya, inspired by portraits of Buddhist gods, as well as freedom of religion, deepened into Buddhism. Aged 15, he decided to become a monk. However, after studying Tibetan religious texts for two years, he realized that art attracts him more than religion. As a result, aged 17, Zaya entered the Soyol Fine Art College in Ulan Bator. After graduating from college, he went on to study at the Mongolian State University of Culture and Arts, from which he graduated in 2002.
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Gold leaf oil painting by Brad Kunkle

Gold leaf oil painting by Brad Kunkle

Blonde girl. Gold leaf oil painting by Brad Kunkle, American artist

Gold leaf oil painting by Brad Kunkle
Born in Lehighton, Pennsylvania in 1978, talented American artist Kunkle has a BFA in painting from Kutztown University. As an artist living and working in New York City, Brad Kunkle creates extraordinary paintings using oils in combination with gold and silver leaf. The result is simply stunning, described as a dreamy photo-realistic. These paintings are embellished with genuine gold and silver leaf, which reflects light in a room differently than paint. Therefore, they can appear contrastive and unique when the point of view or source of light has changed. You can currently see some of Kunkle’s newest works on his website.
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Incredible art of papercutting

Papel picado work by Mexican self-taught artist Margarita Fick. Incredible art of papercutting

Papel Picado work by Mexican self-taught artist Margarita Fick. Incredible art of papercutting

Incredible art of papercutting
Undoubtedly, the first who cut paper were the Chinese, just because they invented paper. The art of paper cutting later spread to other parts and regions of the world influenced by their own cultural styles.
Meanwhile, all the beautiful paper cut works of art featured in this post belong to different contemporary authors. In particular, talented and skillful artists Aoyama Hina (Japan), Bovey Lee (China), Elisabeth Bottesi – Fisch (Switzerland), Hunter Stabler (USA), Karen Bit Vejle (Norway), Tomoko Shioyasu (Japan), Ueli Hofer (Switzerland) and many others. I hope they can conquer your hearts the same as they conquered mine.
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Ten Thousand Buddha Garden

Ten Thousand Buddha Garden. Sculptures on display in Zhengzhou, China

Displayed in Zhengzhou, China – Ten Thousand Buddha Garden

Ten Thousand Buddha Garden
These uncountable Buddha sculptures stretch for as far as the eye can see. In fact, there are 8,000 of them in all and each and every one has been painstakingly carved from dead jujube trees. Varying in height from 1m to 1.5m, they have been put on display in Zhengzhou, China, before being moved to the Ten Thousand Buddha Garden. Budd you believe it! In fact, Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. Besides, Buddhism teaches that all life is interconnected, so compassion is natural and important.
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Painting and photoart by Anne Solfud

Painting and photoart by Anne Solfud

A koala in a boat. Fine Art Photographic Print by French photographer and artist. Painting and photoart by Anne Solfud

Painting and photo-art by Anne Solfud
French photographer and artist Anne Solfud is constantly trying through her images to catch the ephemeral beauty, to push the limit between photography and painting. In fact, photography for her is another way to see. Living in a very peaceful and beautiful place in France, all her photographs are just a testimony of her daily life, of the cycle of the seasons, and the passing of time. According to Anne, her the favorite materials for her artwork – camera, paper, wood, stone, air, watercolor, rust, and pencils. “Maybe I can share these moments with you. All images are my own original Fine Art Photographic Prints”.
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