How to Start Your Own Art Collection For Your Home
1. DE-CLUTTER YOUR HOME – Before you begin you need to start with a ‘blank canvas’; I’m sure if you had booked an art consultant or interior designer to make their recommendations you’d tidy up, so make this your starting point. It is also a fundamental feng shui principle that de-cluttering your environment will de-clutter your mind. If you don’t have the time or the job is too big call in an expert.2. THINK LIKE A GUEST – Now walk through your home imagining you’re a visitor or guest so you can understand the logistics of entering your home for the first time and what impression or atmosphere you wish to create. Important areas from a guest’s point of view are: the entrance (this is their first impression) the path from the entrance to the main living/entertaining area and an outdoor area if you have one. Look for what you think they would notice: as you enter your home, is it obvious where the kitchen/living areas are from the entrance; are private rooms or areas such as bedrooms ‘on show’ as guests walk through the house to the living area. Can any outdoor areas be seen from the main living area?3. DETERMINE ZONES – This time, when you walk through your home again, think from your own perspective and classify it the following zones; entrance (front garden, path, front door, entry) traffic zones (hallways, gardens) formal entertaining (dining room) informal entertaining (family room, games room) function-specific zones (home theatre, kitchen) private zones (bathroom, toilet, bedrooms) business zone (home office, studio). This will assist you to think about where to place art plus what purpose or mood you wish to create in each zone.4. MAP WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE ARTWORK – List each zone and room and table the atmosphere you wish to achieve and the number of artwork to suit the space.5. DO SOME RESEARCH – Through your own research you will feel more confidence to make an informed decision when you discuss your needs or view art with an art consultant, interior designer, gallery manager or artist. Plus as you regularly go back to research you will gain an increased knowledge about art and therefore a deeper understanding which will only enhance your appreciation of your collection. To begin:’Google it’ search online about art buying advice and tips
Browse online art galleries
Look for articles in your local newspaper about local artists, exhibitions and galleries
Visit local Art Galleries
Talk to local gallery managers and artists as you meet them6. LIST YOUR PREFERENCES (STYLE, SIZE, MEDIUM) – Return to your planning chart again after your research to put in your preferences of style, size and medium. Style refers to if the artwork is classified within a broad category such as Abstract, Traditional (landscape) or (figures), Surrealism, Pop Art, Impressionism, Digital Art, Still Life, Realism and many more.Size mainly described as dimensions in centimetres. Also be aware if the dimensions include framing or not. For an average home artwork around 60 x 80 cm would be considered a medium size and 80 x 130 considered a large size. Obviously this is completely subjective and the best thing to do is get the measuring tape out.Medium is what the artist used to create the artwork. For example, oil means oil paint, acrylic means acrylic paint, watercolours, ink, pencil, charcoal and many more. Mixed Media is simply when an artist mixes mediums together. For example, some artists bind Acrylic paint and a texture medium (sand) together.7. SET YOUR BUDGET – A fundamentally important step, however also be sure you’re expectations are realistic, your earlier research should assist you in this area. This is important because if you ‘blow your budget’ then you are not going to view the artwork with a positive frame of mind but rather a resentful one. Also, ask if flexible payment options are available. Most galleries and art consultants offer payment plans over a 3 to 6 month period or an art rental service so you can ‘try before you buy’.8. RAISE YOUR OWN AWARENESS OF INVESTMENT POTENTIAL OF ART AND ARTISTS – When beginning a home art collection it is good to remember you need to live with the artwork therefore it needs to be appealing to you. However you can also begin to consider the future investment potential of the artwork you’re purchasing. At the most fundamental level, check the artist is active i.e. is regularly producing new work for exhibitions and awards, have won any awards, received any reviews of note or are apart of art investors collections. This is important if your art collection is later to be considered as part of your investment portfolio and if you decide to on sell any of your collection in the future.9. LESS IS MORE – Often when you’re in the middle of this process and you’ve found a style or artist you simply love you can become quite excited and simply want more, more, more. While this is great, you also want don’t want to ‘overdo’ it. Simplicity in most things is always a good rule including art. Therefore if you are deciding on three pieces for the one room and you simply can’t decide on the final third piece. Then, purchase the two you’re sure about and either hire the third or just take some time to think.10. PURCHASE YOUR ARTWORK – Now you have completed your planning and research which has built up your confidence to go purchase the art that is right for you and your home. Remember you don’t have to do it all at once. It can be a gradual process of building up your art collection – a journey you can enjoy. Or if you don’t have the time, simply rent a collection and purchase the ones you love and continue to rent until you have all the pieces you want.You will know when it is right because as you ‘live’ with a piece of artwork you become familiar with it and will also learn when is the best time of day to view it and the mood you feel when you view it. If you feel the atmosphere you intended to create has been achieved and your collection is a conversation point with your visitors and guests then you know it is right for you and your home. Please note, all of us react very differently to artwork often because of the emotion we are already carrying around in our heads, therefore a reason why art is such a great conversation starter.ZONE ROOM ATMOSPHERE NO. OF ARTWORK STYLE SIZE MEDIUM
Entrance Front garden Welcoming 1 Sculpture 50 x 100 Metal
© 2009 Interactive Arts
WANT TO USE THIS REPORT IN YOUR E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? Yes you can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Online entrepreneur Fleur Allen publishes the popular quarterly e-newsletter Art Notes. If you’re ready to find out more about art and collecting art for your home or office then join the Interactive Arts Creative Community with like-minded people growing their art collections.
Determining the Health Needs of Men: Promoting Men As Health Heroes
Increased health and wellbeing into the senior yearsGenerally amongst populations of different countries, men have a lower life expectancy than women. With a lot of discussion in many political arenas of increasing the age of retirement, it is becoming increasingly necessary for men to take charge of improving their health. Quality of life, and increased functionality and mobility should be normal as men age, not a slow decline of health. Men can do much to be a health hero, and increase their potential for increased physical strength, functionality and mobility and healthy mental faculties well into their senior years.Health Heroes have Health ChecksPrimary or preventive health for men helps them become aware of what they need to do in order to reduce the risk of developing a chronic disease as they get older. A visit to the local general practitioner for an annual or bi-annual health screening check will help ensure that the man will be aware of all his vital statistics. These include blood pressure, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, heart health, liver health, lung health, digestive system health, cancer free status and levels of nutrients in the blood. The GP can also discuss mental health, and how his reproductive organs and sexual wellbeing are going.Men and Mental HealthA lot of men are unsure of how to approach mental health with their doctor or health practitioner. They are more likely to describe symptoms of depression such as lethargy and tiredness, and lack of motivation, rather than using diagnostic terms such as “depression.” There is much being done to alleviate the stigma attached to mental illness, and the promotion of mental health and the importance it has attached to the rest of the health of the body is being emphasized among various international health promotion campaigns. Men in rural areas, and remote areas are particularly vulnerable to symptoms such as depression and anxiety, and they have concern as to how they can provide for their families if they are working in rural environments. Many countries have specialist telephone counseling services for men, and it is extremely important for men to access these telephone counseling services should they have any concerns about themselves, their families or their jobs. If men have been feeling unusually tired and unmotivated, it is important to talk to the doctor about it, and the doctor will keep everything completely confidential. Treatment for symptoms of lethargy may include medicine prescriptions, however there are other options such as counseling, and lifestyle modification including playing more social sport, and eating more fruit and vegetables. Tiredness and lethargy can be an indicator of a low level of iron stores or some other health issue, so it is important to undergo health screening to help restore health and wellbeing.General Health and WellbeingA general healthy lifestyle which includes a healthy diet, six to nine hours sleep per night, abstinence from daily tobacco use, no more than two alcoholic drinks per day and several days per week without alcohol, and regular exercise of at least 150 minutes over 5 sessions per week will significantly reduce the risk factors for men developing health problems. Primary and preventive care makes men responsible for choosing healthy behaviors, and encouraging these healthy activities among their friends. Healthy male friendships include sports teams and social clubs from work. There are usually men’s shed type activities attached in some communities to church organizations. They cater specifically to men’s interests. It is important to have interests and hobbies outside the home, to promote health and mental wellbeing. A man does not have to be a gym junkie to be healthy, but a generally healthy lifestyle will help him perform well in all areas including in enjoying his sex life.Men and Sexual HealthWhen a man is healthy and his cardiovascular system is working properly, he will have no difficulty in getting and maintaining an erection. He should also have no trouble urinating in a strong stream. If a man has any issues or concerns about his sex life, including maintaining an erection, or difficulty urinating, he can discuss these problems confidentially with his doctor in order to help regain his confidence in the bedroom. Sex in a healthy committed relationship has been shown to be ideal for optimum mental wellbeing, and a man should also practice safe sex with his sex partners. Any discussion of these issues can be discussed confidentially with a doctor.
How to Measure Progress While on a Diet
When on a diet and weight loss regime, it is often hard to see progress. This can lead to you feeling demotivated and wanting to give up. Seeing your progress as time goes by will make all those hours of healthy food and half killing yourself on the treadmill worth it. Here I will explain the different ways you can monitor your progress over time.The first method of tracking progress is to take pictures of yourself topless in the mirror. Doing so once every 2 weeks in the same pose, in the same position, will enable you to see yourself progress as time goes by. This will be a great motivator and will make those hours of hard work feel worth it. For best results I recommend taking a picture of:-Front torso in relaxed state
-Front torso with abs tensed
-Relaxed shot from the sideTaking these pictures every fortnight will enable you to compare as time goes by and you will see that progress, the idea of taking photos will also be a great motivator for you to work hard for the next time you take a photo.Another very simple way to measure your fat loss progress is to take regular measurements of your body. This requires no fancy equipment, simply a measuring tape. Even when you think you are making no progress, you may actually have lost some weight and measurements are a great way to prove this.Places to measure include:Chest- Measure around the chest in line with your nipples, be careful not to pull the tape too tight as this will effect the results.Waist- Measure at approximately half an inch above your belly button around your waist.Thighs- Measure around the largest part of your thighCalves and forearms- Measure around the biggest part of your forearms and your calves.A simple way to track the progress is to take measurements every couple of weeks and I would recommend placing the measurements into a simple spreadsheet, or simply making a table so that you can easily see your progress as the weeks and months go by.Another way to track your progress is to weigh yourself regularly. I recommend weighing yourself once a week, and I recommend doing it first thing in the morning wearing the same clothes every time so that there are no weight fluctuations due to heaviness of clothing or added food and water weight that you gain as the day goes on.Remember you are aiming for around 1lb to 2lbs weight loss each week and so if you see this reflected in your weigh ins then you know you are on track!The last way to track weight loss progress is through the monitoring of your body fat percentage. You can buy scales that do this, but they are very inaccurate and so I wouldn’t recommend using them. A great way to monitor body fat percentage is through buying a pair of calipers.