Jeff Halper asked:


A Memorial-area art collector residing in a chic modern home wanted his house to be more visible from the street. His yard was full of trees, and he asked us to consider removing them and developing a more modern landscape design that would fully complement the exterior of his home. He was a personal friend of ours as well, and he understood that our policy is to preserve as many trees as possible whenever we undertake a project. However, we decided to make an exception in his case for two reasons. For one thing, he was a very close friend to many people in our company. Secondly, large trees simply would not work with a landscape reflective of the modern architecture that his house featured.

The house had been built as story structure that was formed around a blend of unique curves and angles very reminiscent of the geometric patterns common in modern sculpture and art. The windows had been built deliberately large, so that visitors driving up to the house could have a lighted glimpse into the interior, where many sculptures and works of modern art were showcased. The entire residence, in fact, was meant to showcase the eclectic diversity of his artistic tastes, and provide a glimpse at the elegant contents within the home.

He asked us to create more modern look to the landscape that would complement the residence with patterns in vegetation, ornamentation, and a new lighted water fountain that would act like a mirror-image of the home. He also wanted us to sculpt the features we created in such a way as to center the eye of the viewer and draw it up and over the landscape to focus on the house itself.

The challenge was to develop a truly sophisticated modern landscaping design that would compliment, but in no way overpower the façade of the home. In order to do this, we had to focus very carefully on the geometric appearance of the planting areas first. Since the vegetation would be surrounding a very large, circular stone drive, we took advantage of the contours and created a sense of flowing perspective. We were then very careful to plant vegetation that could be maintained at a very low growth height. This was to prevent vegetation from behaving like the previous trees which had blocked the view of the house. Small hedges, ferns, and flowers were planted in winding rows that followed the course of the circular stone driveway that surrounded the fountain.

We then centered this new modern landscape plan with a very sophisticated contemporary fountain. We chose a circular shape for the fountain both to center the eye and to work as a compliment to the curved elements in the home’s exterior design. We selected black granite as the building material, partly because granite speaks to the monumental, and partly because it is a very common material for modern architecture and outdoor contemporary sculpture. We placed the fountain in the very center of the driveway as well, which had the effect of making the entire landscape appear to converge toward the middle of the home’s façade. To add a sense of eclectic refinement to the fountain, we then polished the granite so that anyone driving or walking up to the fountain would see a reflection of the home in the base. To maintain consistency of the circular shape, we radius cut all of the coping around the fountain was all radius cut from polished limestone. The lighter color of the limestone created an archetypal contrast of light and darkness, further contributing to the modern theme of the landscape design, and providing a surface for illumination so the fountain would remain an established keynote on the landscape during the night.

All equipment for the fountain was hidden behind the home so that it would operate silently. For lighting, we used fiber optic cables that wrapped around the circumference of the fountain’s interior. This created the appearance of light rising in a perfect circle out of the black granite base, and illuminated the water with a sparkling effect that naturally focused the landscape and all of its surrounding features onto the modern architecture of the home.

The home itself now looks almost like a modern art gallery, with the landscaping forms that surround it giving it just enough of a natural touch to create a sense of organic fluidity, and with the lit fountain as the focal point that unites curvature and angles in a sense of geometric unity, grounding, and centeredness.



Lydia

Mr.Andrew Caxton asked:


Painting landscape has been a popular art form in many cultures for centuries. While most of us cannot afford original masterpieces, modern reproductions and print allow us to bring them into our homes.

Painters of Landscape

While few of us can afford paintings by the greatest landscape artists like Monet and Constable, reproductions give us an affordable access to their works to enhance our decorating schemes.

Amateur painters often chose landscape as a subject matter as they may not have access to decent studio space and therefore can more easily paint in situ. This was not always the case and the first Impressionist to take their easels outside were viewed as rather unconventional, as artists before them would have painted inside from memory or sketches.

Painting landscape is an art tradition common to many cultures, and it goes hand-in-hand with the popularity of the genre. This was especially the case in Japan, North America, the Netherlands, France and Great Britain until the latter part of the twentieth century as other forms of artistic representation, such as Surrealism and Cubism, for example, grabbed the artists and critics’ attention. Nowadays with the advent of video and installations landscape artists are becoming a rare, rather obsolete breed.

With all this being said, let’s note, however, that most people still rather like landscape paintings. They usually convey a sense of emotional connection to the subject matter, which does not necessarily occur when one looks at a portrait or still life. This is particularly the case when the painting in question reminds of times past.

A number of very famous landscape artists became well known for concentrating on specific areas. In some cases it could almost be tantamount to obsession if you consider that Paul Cézanne, for instance, painted around eighty versions of the Sainte-Victoire mountain located near his home in Provence, France. He wanted to represent it as it looked to him throughout the year, with different weather.

In the seventeen century Holland saw the first European painters representing seascapes, Vermeer and Rembrandt. Since this time there has been a noted recurrence of sky and water themes for some landscape painters, like for instance the well-known English artist JMW Turner. Turner was fist noted for his representations of the sea and skies in violent storm conditions. This said his later works point to the future development of abstract painting by blurring the previously clear line between the water and the sky. French artist Claude Monet’s developed his technique for painting landscapes involving water by doing so in close proximity to his subject matter, which would sometimes involve painting from a small boat. American painters Homer and Wyeth, both renowned landscape painters, were also noted for the admirable way they managed to represent the effect of light on water surfaces.



Heather

67Artsquad asked:


I am a plein air landscape artist (based in California) looking to export my paintings to Tokyo, Japan. I’m searching for a way to find galleries there or an art representative. I do not speak Japanese.

Jill

CzEr asked:


I know how to draw and paint and all that stuff.I’m 14 and I’ve been into art for 2 years, I made it to an advanced class in my 8th garde year. My problem is that I don’t know how to draw people or draw landscape sceneries very good. How do I get better??

Arthur

Jeff Halper asked:


The fascination with tropical landscaping makes sense in Houston because of its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, cultural influences of the tropics, subtropics of Spain and Latin America which provide plenty of local inspiration for creating the tropical landscape design. Houston’s architectural styles now popular including New Orleans plantation, Spanish, and Mediterranean all lend themselves well to tropical landscaping. The tropics diverse palate of lush plantings and bright colors inspire the most beautiful and prehistoric spaces echoing vacation or leisure. Often, because of budgetary concerns or lack of horticultural knowledge tropical landscaping is poorly executed because it is treated as just another landscape i.e. substitute oaks for palms and you’re finished. When done well the tropical landscape is lush, beautiful, private, refreshing and becomes a paradise for retreat.

Landscape Design for the Tropical

The tropical landscape can adapt to any style of home. As in all good design the form and function of outdoor spaces needs to be sympathetic to the homes architecture and definitely include spaces for entertainment. Is the tropical garden formal or informal? Informal modern landscape design works well with the tropical because of all the exotic and funky plant forms available. Tropical landscaping done well comes about through the knowledgeable layering of tropical plant materials and the fun use of varying hardscape materials such as wood, concrete, water and stone.

Tropical Plants

Many landscape designs in Houston intended to hint at the tropical usually contain some palm trees, variegated gingers and some lolly pop shrubs and white rock. A sparse and haphazard approach to tropical falls somewhere between desert sparse, uninspired and just plain poorly done. In designing tropical plantings think lush green multi-layer forms from the tinniest ground cover up to the tallest palm tree:

? Palms-Mediterranean fan palms, pygmy date palms, medjoles, canary palms, and bamboos.

? Shrub Layer-gingers, philodendrons, bottle brushes, camellia specimen, cannas, caste iron plant.

? Accent Plants-Australian tree Fern, century plant, flax, alocasias, saw palmetto.

? Ground Cover Layer-alocasias, clematis vine, star jasmine, xanado, ardisia, liriope, monkey grass.

Tropical Hardscapes

Tropical patios and walks can also be infused with layering, color and alternate materials to play upon various planting layers. By creating multiple deck layers or steps that slow the viewer down enabling for more viewing of the lush planting layers and creating greater interest. Built elements that add creativity, color and fun to outdoor compositions include:

? Outdoor kitchens-in stucco with back walls of Spanish tile

? Palapas-kitchens that are separate from the house w. or without a thatch roof

? Wood Decks-stacked with rounded or curved edges.

? Waterfalls-a water element creates the sound of privacy drowning out urban noises.

? Tile Mosaics-with bright colors of the tropics-aqua blues, reds, and yellows turning a pool into a tropical piece of art.

? Garden art to include lamps, torches, ceramic pieces, funky benches and furniture.

Tropical Landscaping Fun and Retreat

Ultimately one is only limited by their creativity, design knowledge and tropical horticulture experience in creating dramatic tropical landscapes. Multiple layering of lush green plant materials, walks, variety in materials, and garden art to include; colored concretes, stone, metal, and tile bringing about the fun of retreat in the tropics. Approach the tropical landscape as a multicolorful journey-don’t just have a mojito, throw in pinnacola’s and dacaries and you too can create a tropical paradise.



Lauren

Tabbitatt asked:


I am doing a website for an artist who paints landscapes and such in a modern artsy way with lots of colors in his paintings. They are somewhat realistic but with more colors, anyway he wants a black background on his website but i am stuck on what kind of color scheme to implement. any ideas?

Allan

Osnat Tzadok asked:


How thought provoking a piece of art can be depends how open you are to the message an artist is trying to tell you. The most artistic work from the 19th century to around the 1970’s was called “modern art”. This approach had artists displaying their emotions and abstractions on canvas as they were able to veer away from the traditional concepts of painting that had been used since the Renaissance era. During the second half of the twentieth century, modern art turned its name more towards contemporary art. Contemporary art encompasses all art being done now. It tends to include any art made from around the 1970s to the present, or after the end of the modern art period.

      When talking about art, modern is not used as a synonym for contemporary. The art that was first defined as modern was the art of the first half of the 20th century. Futurism, Cubism, Constructivism are all parts of modern art. Contemporary art is exactly what the name says, the art of today or the very recent past. Characterized by no real common ground, contemporary art offers a wide range of styles.

      Since World War Two, art movements have included Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Post-modernism, Minimalism and Feminist art. The number of art movements has grown so much that virtually every year avant-garde movements with new names have surfaced in the art world. One movement that dominated contemporary art for several decades was one of the movements I just mentioned, Abstract Expressionism. Artists in this movement felt that the expression of their feelings was the main reason for making art, and the art they made generally had no reference to anything in the external world.

      Although many people love modern and contemporary art, there are some that do not think of it as an art. These viewers think of art as being something like portraits or landscapes….something recognizable. When modern and contemporary artists create something that makes them think, something that is not easily recognizable, then these viewers reject the idea of this even being art.

      After reading through a survey concerning Contemporary art, I noted one quote regarding the matter. She states, “I just don’t think it takes any great talent to spatter paint on a canvas (Jackson Pollack) or paint cubes (Various Artists). How does one discern any meaning to such things? It is like the ink blots during a psychological exam? How do tell good splattering from bad splattering? It’s much easier to look at a painting that gives you some sort of idea of the message it’s trying to convey.” So similar to abstract art, it is more about understanding the concept and knowing about the artist and their artwork to truly grasp the meaning of what they are trying to portray.

      So for today’s world, we will try to enjoy what contemporary art brings us. We will learn to interpret what contemporary artists try to portray with their work. Art is a form of expression, a mode of communication that is supposed to convey some sort of message from artist to viewer. How that is done is up to the artist, and how the message is received is up to each individual viewer.

http://www.OsnatFineArt.com



Stacey

Alex Olson asked:


When a person thinks about landscaping, it may be difficult to think of landscaping a desert. It is first important to understand what landscaping is and then you can appreciate what it is like to do desert landscaping and how to do it correctly.

Landscaping is a science as well as an art and requires a person with good observation and design skills. A talented and qualified landscaper is able to understand nature and be able to construct and blend those elements to create a masterpiece.

With that being said, what is landscaping? It is the modification of any visible feature of an area of land. This can include all living elements such the flora and fauna. Most people would call this gardening.

Gardening is an art of growing plants with the goal being to create something beautiful within the landscape. Landforms, terrain shape and elevation as well as bodies of water are also part of landscaping. Man made objects as well can be used in landscaping and taking into consideration the elements and lighting conditions is also a part of landscaping.

With this knowledge that you have now acquired, we can talk about desert landscaping. Think of all the elements and landforms that you have to work with in the desert. There are cacti, tumbleweeds, dirt and you have the wind and the heat to contend with as well. Believe it or not you can create a very tranquil landscape scheme in the desert. The vital key here is to be efficient.

In the desert, it is important to keep in mind that every drop of water that can be provided to your landscape needs to be used to its fullest potential before it evaporates. You must be mindful of the soil.

Desert soil is going to be the toughest challenge that you will face with your landscaping. The soil is tough and very alkaline with toxic levels of salinity. This makes gardening next to impossible coupled with the heat of the sun and you are facing an uphill battle.

Using mulch and soil additives and shading will help improve your soil. These additives will make drainage as well as retaining water a positive force in your soil. Good soil is important so the landscape that you are planting can anchor itself into the ground. Good anchor will help prevent the landscape from being blown away in the wind.

The wind in the desert can be almost as damaging as the sun. To help protect against the wind, while the plants are beginning to anchor themselves make sure that you use good ground cover, fences and even gravel.

Knowing that we are talking about the desert, we really shouldn’t even have to mention the heat factor. This is another reason that using each drop of water to its fullest potential is important in sustaining your landscape. The key component to using water properly is good soil. These together will help you build a beautifully landscape area in the desert.



Walter

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air asked:


I’m 16, and I need a little extra money, so I was thinking of selling my art.
How would i go about with this? Is ebay good for selling art? Or should i go to a gallery? My family are having a ‘cart-boot’ sale soon, and i was thinking that I might sell it there. Is this a good idea?

Also, what kind of art sells well? Abstract? Landscapes? Animals? Portraits?
I think I’m capable of doing all of these types of art

Thanks for your help!

Kyle

Jude Charlotte asked:


Landscape Tapestries are a type of tapestries that depict nature and specially landscapes. Landscape Tapestries are traditional art forms that illustrate the artistic expressions of renowned artists on fabric. The designs are generally weaved on a weaving loom. The weft faced weaving is used to create a pattern or image by using natural cotton or linen thread. At times wool, silk, silver or gold threads are also used to create some special effects. The tapestry artists create the ‘blueprints’ of the landscapes on a cardboard while the tapestry craftsmen weave the scene on the loom.

Beautifying our spaces is an inborn need that we humans are fulfilling since the Stone Age. Initially we started with our caves, which we adorned with our pictographs. This creative trait was further refined and developed into paintings followed by the creative tapestries. The beautiful tapestries graced the walls of palaces and church. These wonderful décor accessories were used to decorate palaces & castles. They added warmth to the cool stone castles and were also a symbol of opulence and prestige. In palaces, tapestries were used to depict Bible stories and showcased the life history of the saints.

Today, tapestries are generally used for decorative purposes only. Tapestries are an interior decorator’s delight as these art works provide inspiration to the designers who can design a whole space around them. Landscape Tapestries are among the favorite themes for the designers as they can be used in any setting, in a home or office. Save on tapestries showcases a large variety of landscape tapestries. The eclectic mix of the tapestries includes subjects such as landscapes, Lake Como, waterfalls etc. The lake Como and terraces of Villa d’Este Estate are one of the most popular landscape tapestries.

Save on tapestries offers a wide selection of tapestries that include Art Tapestries, European Tapestries, Belgian Tapestries, Floral tapestries, renaissance tapestries etc. You can also find other tapestry products such as tapestry cushions, tapestry handbags, tapestry bolsters, and tapestry throws etc. Save on Tapestries is one of the largest distributors of European tapestries. Visit the site www.saveontapestries.com and find a stunning piece of the Best Tapestries for your home.



Julio