David Valensky’s book “Omega Days” drew me in as if passing the event horizon of a black hole. That’s the point when the gravity of “Omega Days” pulled so strongly, so compelling, even the idea of placing the book down temporarily was no longer an option. I was “hopelessly doomed” to forego any other plans I had for the day necessitating me to spend hours engulfed within this masterpiece.

When I first picked up this book I was perplexed. I noticed the hand-drawn title with the original colored pencil drawing cover art of a meteor or asteroid streaming to earth while winged angels take flight, imagery clearly foreshadowing apocalyptic doom. Then opening the book I was further surprised by the galley text being entirely laid out with 2 columns per page and terse 4 line copy text each sequentially numbered. So my eye randomly picked out one verse and I read it to myself. “Lambic pentameter” I thought, “with a clever and mature rhyme pattern.” I flipped some pages and was further intrigued by the complete layout of the entire book, each page displaying the same 2 columns of 4 line numbered poems. “So much for character development,” I whimsically thought to myself. How wrong I was.

There are characters – humanity and God. There is scenery – the earth, space and the surroundings within one’s mind. A plot, certainly – time itself with existence, survival and the future. Most of all, the matrix of words, the skill of conforming to such a tight structure of poetry, the succession of thought is clearly awesome literary art. It is as of “Omega Days” is written with the skill of a crossword puzzle, whereas under the surface reveals even deeper structure. Such an immense amount of work has obviously gone into the writing of this book. David Valensky demonstrates a talent for such a style like Mozart stylizes Baroque music.

I thought to include an excerpt in this review however picking my favorite is an impossible task. Each time I revisited the book I again gravitated into reading David Valensky’s work for hours due to his compelling literary attraction, finding even further brilliance as encore readings reveal new thoughts.

This book provokes discussion, and sharing with those close to you is unavoidable. Intellectually he demonstrates acumen of talent and spiritual wisdom. David Valensky has a sound foundation in faith and shows the tenuous superficial world in which mankind resides is as frail as a flash of light, whereas faith in God will remain mankind’s only beacon of hope. According to Bible prophecies, we are already living in the “last days.”

I certainly recommend this book to anyone that finds themselves wondering and worrying about the way things are in the world today. In fairness for the reader it should contain a warning label, “Caution: Opening “Omega Days” may result in your inability to put it down until completed, thus altering your plans for the rest of your day.” It certainly will change the way you think for the rest of your life.

Article by Criss Evan

It is said that Music is the soul of any successful media projects. We can hardly find any movie got its success without its beautiful original soundtracks. Therefore the producer or director of any visual media projects will definitely want to have quality music in his projects. So for the sake of good composition, they have to appoint some music supervisors for the success of their projects.


Music supervisors usually handle the process of choosing, negotiating, and incorporating pieces of composition into visual media like for any television show or some movie. Moreover he acts as a liaison between the creative and business ends of this process. Under many circumstances, there are many music directors work under him while managing a variety of musical projects. Previously these people used to work as the mechanical noise reducer of any musical projects. But in modern times, they are totally responsible for anything that is related to art.


There is no standard benchmark of qualifications for these music supervisors. We can find many who have their bachelors in fine arts while there are some who merely managed to clear the secondary examination. But all these people are very popular in managing their jobs properly.


These people usually deal with anything related to music in your projects. Be it the quality of compositions or the licensing of music. Music for licensing is the vital part for the success of any kind of art. It is essential for any musical content to get it licensed from various music licensing companies to get the proper recognition of their work. Usually this process is intended to ensure the safety of the authentic music created by some genuine composer.


If some composer does not produce their music for licensing to any music licensing companies, his creation may get copied and someone else may get the recognition for the music that is not his creation. Thus someone’s original creation may get recognized to others’ name. Therefore it is very much essential that you produce your music to any music licensing companies to register your name against your original creation.


Furthermore after you are done with your music for licensing, anyone who seeks original composition can find your creation in the database of the music licensing companies. This way, your authentic music will also get a platform from where it is accessible to the world of music. It will also help you to avert any legal harassment due to the authenticity of your composition as the music licensing companies will shield your creation from these unwanted situations.

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The ability to now buy art online and to buy original art prints this way has made the whole process of enjoying and sampling art much simpler. This now means that its possible to own almost any work of art you wish without having to move from your chair and that means many more people can start to take part in the buying and selling of art and of enjoying fine works that they may otherwise have not had access to. There are many aspects to consider when you buy art online or otherwise however, and here we will look at a few of them why to buy art online, and which examples to choose when you do.

Why buy art online?

First of all its important to know why you should be investing to start with. The first great thing about art is of course the way it looks, and if you buy original art this will mean that you have something for your home that is completely unique and that has actually been hand painted (or sketched or carved) by someone. This gives it so much more impact in your room when compared to posters and other things that so many of us often settle for. At the same time it makes a great conversation piece as you can describe the origin and talk about what the painting means or what the artist has done well/badly. If you buy original art you can be sure almost everyone will have an opinion and everyone will project their own philosophies and personalities onto each piece making them a great way to find out more about your guests too. Theres also a great range to choose from this way and you can guarantee that youll be able to find something to your tastes if you keep looking around.

What art to buy?

This however also means that theres an awful lot of art to choose from, and that means that you need to think long and hard about what you want for your home and different pieces will affect a room in different ways. A realistic study for example will be very neutral and most people will like it but it does mean youll have an object or a person to look at 24/7. Alternatively if you look for a piece that is of a landscape then it can make your room feel actually more spacious and more pleasant to be in as a result and again its something that anyone can appreciate.

However, go with something more abstract, or even modern, and then it becomes something highly personal and subjective and these are the pieces that will likely say something about you, and about which you can have discussions and ponder their meaning. In many ways modern art can be more engaging by getting the viewer to do some work and apply some imagination, but this lack of accessibility can be alienating for some.

Art as an investment

Finally, its important to recognise that when you buy art you are making an important investment that you can feel secure in and that you should be able to sell to get your money back (and more) should the need ever arise.

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Article by Wendy Hermann

Working with an art consultant can help you negotiate the tricky waters of the art collections world. If you’re nervous or unsure of your ability to choose fine art pieces and barter for fair prices, an art consultant can help to make the entire art buying process a breeze.

What does an art consultant do? An art consultant can help you through the entire art selection process – from choosing a theme to negotiating the price,.having the artwork framed, and choosing where the art piece should be located. She’ll let you be her guide and provide you with an art collection that is as expensive or inexpensive as your budget allows.

There are basically two types of art consultants. The first type of art consultant is one who focus on homeowners or individual art buyers. The second type works with corporate clients.

What can an art consultant help you with? First of all, she can help you to find paintings. A good art consultant will also be knowledgeable about current prices and can negotiate fair prices for you. She can be invaluable in documenting the value of your art pieces and giving you replacement value advice for your insurance needs. She can help determine the authenticity of the art and help you avoid getting stuck with imitations or frauds.

She can also review your existing art pieces and either look for new pieces to complement them or advise you on the best ways to liquidate them if together you decide that they no longer fit with your art acquisition strategy.

Not only will the art consultant assist you in finding the perfect artwork for your home. She will also, at your request, provide custom framing and professional installation.

An art consultant can also teach you about the subtleties of art buying and selling and eventually give you the confidence to appraise artwork on your own.

And finally, if and when you are ready to sell your art – a knowledgeable art consultant will advise you on its current worth and help you to get its fair market value in the marketplace.

So what should you look for in an art consultant?

The primary attribute you should look for is experience. But not just any experience. Experience in the type of art that you want to acquire. For example, if you have a keen interest in Inuit or Native American art, you’ll want to find an art consultant who is knowledgeable in that field. In this case, an expert in French Renaissance art will not serve you well.

In addition to having experience with the type of art that attracts you, she should also have experience in that period of art. Knowledge of current Native American art does not automatically translate to having knowledge of 17th century Native American art.

If you love art, and don’t know much about it, using an art consultant can be a nice shortcut to acquiring lovely art pieces without having to attend art school and acquire a degree in art.

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Article by Michelle Long

About Art Deco Ring

Woman, do you own an art deco ring? If it does so, what kind of art deco ring you prefer? Actually art deco ring is a ring that characterized by geometrical and artistic design. Normally, art deco rings attached with stones like diamonds and gemstones. Art deco ring reflects the style and trends of jewelry industry. They are the symbol of elegance and charming.

General Features Of Art Deco Ring

Art deco rings are made of materials like platinum, white gold and solid gold. However there are also art deco rings made of rose gold and silver. Art deco ring is unique when they have been topped with beautiful diamonds and gemstones. Generally these gemstones are inclusive of ruby, diamond, emerald and turquoise.

Art Deco Ring And Woman

Everyone, inclusive man and woman, love to own art deco ring. I?m sure every woman will feel exciting when they received art deco diamond ring as their anniversary or birthday gift. Furthermore woman likes to use art deco ring as body accessories. They are the best accessories for pairing up with sexy gown and luxury clutches.

Buying Guide Of Art Deco Ring

There are many criteria you should look for when you purchase of an art deco ring. Normally man will buy art deco engagement rings for their wife during wedding or anniversary. Thus woman will buy an art deco diamond ring for themselves when they feel they wanted to reward themselves. However no matter what reason make you to buy them, below are few tips that might help you to select the best art deco ring.

Individual Preferences And Taste On Art Deco Ring

Different people have different preferences and taste on art deco ring. As such, man, you should study your wife?s mind and taste on jewelry before you decide to buy one for her. Whereas for woman, you should know which kind of art deco ring is your favorite. It is advisable to select the ring that suits your personal character and fashion style.

Budget On Art Deco Ring

Before you buy art deco ring, make sure you set a budget on it. Most of the art deco rings like art deco engagement rings and art deco diamond ring are quite expensive. However not all art deco rings are expensive. You still can get art deco rings with budget under $ 1000.

Stones And Color Combination Of Art Deco Ring

You must select the right stone to fix on your art deco rings. Generally people will go for diamond. However diamond might not be the only option, you still can go for others like ruby and emerald. As long as these stones make your ring looks more attractive and beautiful.

Learn more about Art Deco ring. Stop by Michelle’s site where you can find out all about Art Deco Rings and what it can do for you.

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Have you ever seen people playing music from any unused steel container? Does it seem weird? I hope it does not because the man is playing a steel drum. Steel drums or steel pans are the musical instrument made from metal oil barrels. The metal sheet is 0.8 to 1.5 mm thick. The area from where it is struck to produce sound is in the shape of a bowl.

Traditionally these drums were actually made from oil barrels. The difference in the modern drums is just that they can be tuned to a certain pitch. Different oval-shaped points on the bowl produce different pitches of sound. Larger ovals produce lower tones. Via this a melodious tune can be struck. Now a day’s various sizes are available. They are chosen according to the need.

When you think of Caribbean the image of tall dark men striking the drums on a beach must be clicking in your mind. Why not after all the origin of steel drums took place from there and continues to be their traditional instrument. Steel drums were first made in Trinidad, West Indies from a 55-gallon oil barrel. It is said that Winston Spree Simon developed the first steel drum from a biscuit tin. Later on the African slaves used oil drums while performing at Carnival.

After the abolishment of slavery the tradition continued. The 1930s brought metal pans replacing the bamboo ones. In the 1940s the first recorded use of the steel pans was done. The Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra was an official band which performed at the Festival of Britain popularizing these. The 19th century brought the great revolution for the steel pans. This was the decade when a steel band performed in the common wealth games which gave the steel drummers an international exposure. At present, these pans of steel have been accepted as an exceptional piece of art. The art has now been modified to adapt to various genres. Hip-hop, pop music all includes them now days.

The steel drums are made by sinking, heating and then making the ovals. Though now modern techniques are used for their manufacture. They have a high tempo and can be heard far across the distance. The large range of notes and tones make them an amusing instrument.

The era is gone when steel drummers were born only in West Indies. Japan, Sweden and various other countries now produce them. This symbol of revolt against the insensible social norms now mesmerizes the audience with its music. This Caribbean beauty is a true piece of art which forces everyone to tap their feats on its beats. Currently the annual World Steel band Music Festival is in its 56th year which is an achievement in itself.

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by Wonderlane

Two of the most important and most noble purposes of philosophy are to promote intellectual independence and to awaken the thirst for wisdom. Put simply, philosophy aims to get individuals to think, hopefully to ponder deeply about more fundamental issues than those which occupy most of our everyday lives. A brief examination of the issue of freedom versus determinism helps to define the scope of philosophy and related controversies.

Theories concerned with the issue of freedom versus determinism seek to discover the cause of human behavior. Are human actions predictable in a scientific manner? In other words, are there laws of nature, though complex and largely unknown, which would tell us exactly what a person will do in a given situation and which completely rule out any other possibility? This view, known as determinism, has been bolstered since the sixteenth century by the scientific principle of universal causation: every event has a cause and predictions of results can be made with total accuracy.

Hard determinism further holds that moral responsibility is incompatible with universal causation. Soft determinism argues that some behavior is free of compulsion so that people can be held morally responsible. Libertarians maintain that human beings do possess freedom of action. Otherwise, libertarians claim, human deliberation is an illusion. This, they assert, would be absurd. Furthermore, libertarians believe that exact laws of human behavior will always be elusive. Human behavior will therefore remain unpredictable and uncontrollable. In addition to this, a society perfected through application of science to produce specific human behaviors would be morally unacceptable.

This process of questioning the very foundations of life takes a certain amount of courage and psychological fortitude. Independence of thought is critical for a free society, and philosophy aims to spur us on to deep thought about the things that matter in life.

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Plop Art – The Concept
Plop Art is a negative term, used to describe Public Art from different genres, like Abstraction, Modernism, or Contemporary Artworks, mostly sculptures, created in the front of office buildings, corporate plazas, parks, and other public venues. The masses did not appreciate Plop Artworks, as they were considered unattractive or unsuitable for their installation places or the related surroundings.

Plop Art – The History
Alexander Calder’s (American – 1898-1976) sculpture ‘La Grande Vitesse’ set up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1966, is considered as the turning point in the art history. It got a great response and created a huge impact on the city’s urban renewal process. Among the mixed reactions, full of criticism and appreciation, the artwork led to the invention of a whole new industry of ‘Plop Art.’ The term ‘Plop Art’ referred to any large object or sculptures placed, mostly inaptly, in the front of public places. Through its intrinsically random tilt, ‘Plop Art’ shows the ability, creativity, and imagination of the related artists to use a space in a way to dominantly affect (positively or negatively) the local people.

According to Artnet.com, American artist James Wines (born 1932) coined the term Plop Art, in 1969. The term was considered both, progressive and conservative in its relevance. Progressive artists criticized the Public Art because of its inabilities to take an environment-oriented approach for generating a relationship between Public Art and Architecture. Conservatives liked it because anyone could create anything, even appalling, meaningless, and abstract, requiring no talent and skill. The word “plop” itself is a negative one, meaning flop or something undesirable dangling. In addition, the negative parlance of Plop Art was associated with its creation mostly at public expense.

Conclusion
Of late, the supporters of public art funding have revived this term. The book Plop: Recent Projects of the Public Art Fund celebrates the success of the Public Art Fund. Public Art Fund is a non-profit organization based in New York. Doris Freedman (1928-81), the then Director of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs, and the President of the Municipal Art Society, founded it. The organization encourages the works of visual arts throughout the New York City. It helps commission, install, and exhibit such pieces. Public Art Fund has also helped finance many publicly placed works of art in the recent years. Many of these pieces are now liked, although they were considered as “plopping” at the time of their installation. Many Contemporary Art movements, like the land art, environmental sculpture, and site-specific art, are considered a counter to the Plop Art.

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Environmental art can be used to define any art that deals with ecological issues as well as anything in the natural context. Environmental art is also a movement that began in the late 60s, and was then associated with sculpture such as land art or site specific art. Now, this category of art holds many types of media and is not limited to the earth soils as a medium alone. Also known as sustainable or green art, environmental art is now used to recognize and bring awareness to challenges for contemporary art.

One artist named Robert Smithson create a piece called Spiral Jetty in 1969 that raised awareness regarding recycling at the time because he did damage to the area. While constructing this piece, he used a bulldozer to scrape the land for his art, thereby damaging the lake nearby. Another artist by the name of Richard Long, has used all natural materials found at a site to create art and not have any detrimental effect on the environment as a dedicated environmental artist.

Eco art is synonymous with environmental art, as eco art involves bringing awareness to the environment by using natural mediums as well as creating pieces of art in natural environments. One of the largest and most well known pieces of eco art was created by a man named Joseph Beuys in 1982 called 7000 Oaks. This artist and many assistants planted 7000 oak trees in Kassel. This was done to bring awareness to the condition of the declining environment in the area and the lack of nature’s beauty. Other famous eco artists include Rosalie Gascoigne, Patrice Stellest and John Wolseley. One artist named Erwin Timmers uses nothing but some of the least recycled and reclaimed materials including glass from windows to create his pieces.

The most recent additions to environmental and eco art is the renewable energy movement. Considering the huge problems with renewable energy and our environment as a whole, many artists are turning to this as a means of bringing attention to the public. Mostly constructed of public sculptures and architecture, this form of environmental art allows for function to still be allowed, but the ecologically informed artists require that their work produce power from a renewable source. This would include wind, hydroelectric, tidal and solar powers.

These sculptures are energy generators and art, which functions as a means of informing the public. These sculptures were first idealized by artists such as Patrick Marole, Lauri Chetwood, Sarah Hall and Julian Scaff. Scaff works with wind turbines that are used in the public as artwork as well. His Carbon Sink sculptures are still used as public art, and use solar power to capture carbon and store it as a means of helping with the environment.

Eco art and environmental art is more prevalent than ever, with the most recent of problems of the polar ice caps melting being made known internationally. With more artists embracing the environment as a means of expression and inspiration, the public will be more informed than ever.

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Recycled art can be described as art that is created with reclaimed materials incorporated into the piece. Found art is classified as any art that is modified or made from undisguised objects that are generally speaking, not normally considered art due to their proper functioning.

Recycled art and found art are becoming more and more popular with artists, to create awareness with the general public about reusing and recycling their unwanted or no longer needed items. Artists will commonly use objects such as broken saw blades, old sinks and other objects to create art. Found art was originally described by Marcel Duchamp in 1915, when he used the word readymade to describe his own art creation called the Bicycle Wheel that was made in 1913. A fountain that Duchamp created was made from an old urinal that he then signed R. Mutt. This is only one example of an artist using old objects to create found art or recycled art.

When an artist combines many types of objects into found art or recycled art, it is then called an assemblage. One example of this is Duchamp’s piece called Why Not Sneeze Rose Selavy? This piece was created from a thermometer, cuttlebone, birdcage and marbles that looked like sugar cubes. In 1936 during the Surrealist Exhibition of Objects, many sub-classifications of found art and recycled art had been created. Picasso was said to have used found art objects in his piece the Baboon and Young, where he used a set of handle bars and a bike seat to create a bull’s head.

Throughout the 90s, the YBA used found objects to gain reactions from the public. The most reactions were gained by artists such as Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst. Hirst presented pieces of found art such as a piece called A Thousand Years, where a rotten cow head with flies and the like was presented. Lucas presented an enlarged mattress with two melons as well as a bucket with a cucumber representing the human genitalia. Emin presented a tent with names covering the outside, with an unmade bed with stained sheets inside that was surrounded by slippers, stained undergarments and bottles.

Recycled art is also known as eco friendly art, as it incorporates items that would otherwise sit in a landfill. Artists such as Leo Sewell create unique pieces of art made from everyday items that most people would simply throw away and not think twice about. One piece in particular called Teddy Bear, incorporates small pieces of recycled art materials such as buttons, tiny pieces of toys and all were chosen for their durability and shapes. Nails, screws and bolts were used to place all the tiny pieces together to create a real to life teddy bear.

Recycled art and found art styles have been around for almost one hundred years. However, they are becoming more popular with Gen-X consumers, as more people are going ‘green’ and trying to be more eco friendly in their lifestyles while eliminating their carbon footprint.

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