Category Archives: Arts

The Louvre, From Supply Depot To Art Museum

The Louvre is generally regarded as the premiere art museum in France. With a collection of about 35,000 items contained in 652,300 square feet, it’s not hard to understand why. Why would you go anywhere else when every piece of art and antiquity you could ever want to see are contained in one place? But the Louvre is obviously not the only art museum in France. Several decidedly smaller art museums in France house collections comprehensive enough to rival the Louvre.

These lesser known but equally compelling museums include the Muse de l’Orangerie, the Muse d’Art Moderne de la Vile de Paris, even a geographically confused Palais de Tokyo – the list goes on. One particularly successful museum is the Muse d’Orsay. The Muse’s collection’s scope is admirable and covers several centuries of European visual and decorative art.

The history of this particular museum is long and illustrious. The Muse d’Orsay used to be a railway station, Gare d’Orsay. This railway station was built specifically for the glorious 1900 Exposition Universelle. This exposition was a World’s Fair held in Paris, and featured the rededication of the Eiffel Tower, which had been created for the previous World’s Fair. The Gare (“gare” means railway station in French) was elaborately constructed in the fashionable Art Nouveau style.

The design was the pride of the three architects who created it; Lucien Magne, Victor Laloux, and mile Bnard were top designers at the time. The vaulted ceilings of the Gare were made of tiny interlocking panes of glass, and intricate stone carvings paneled the walls. The sizable Gare, carefully crafted out of innumerable tan stones, overlooked the glistening Seine River.

For the time of the World’s Fair and up until WWII, the Gare . The Nazis appropriated the now-dingy railway station for transporting munitions, soldiers, and even looted possessions from European citizens. After the fall of the Third Reich, the Gare fell into further disrepair. The unstable economy of France prevented the Gare from getting the restoration it needed until the early 1970s. By that time, the station wasn’t large enough to adequately support a large amount of train commuter traffic. For a few years it was used as a hotel until in 1977. Because of faltering profits and public pressure, it was decided to convert the Gare into a museum. The conversion was complete in 1986 and was dedicated by then-president Franois Mitterrand.

Today, the Muse is home to an impressive collection of mainly French art. It is now well known for its broad selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, of which it has the largest collection in the world, and is no longer a railway station. These include renowned artists such as Paul Czanne, Gustave Caillebotte, Mary Cassatt, Gustave Courbet, Paul Gaugin, and Vincent van Gogh, The list is endless.

There are even eighty-six Monet paintings in the Muse’s catalog. It also holds decent architecture and photography exhibits. While there are several larger Muses in France, the Muse D’Orsay should definitely be a priority for anyone going on vacation in France.

Martial Arts Equipment For All Styles

In the “old days,” it was not unusual for jugs of water, bags of rice, and buckets filled with sand to be incorporated into a number of different workout programs. Nowadays, we’re fortunate enough to have access to an excellent selection of martial arts equipment. Because of the effective usage of such equipment, it becomes possible to achieve the most from a structured class or private training.

Of course, this could raise questions regarding the type of martial arts equipment is necessary for the “average” workout. Again, there’s enormous variety available. Below is a brief overview of the martial arts equipment you’ll commonly encounter. Nearly all of it is a must for virtually every martial arts practitioner regardless of style.

Certainly, the common punch bag is a clear must in a dojo or training hall. Punching bags not just give you a definitive target to direct your blows towards. Such bags enhance the possibility to develop solid endurance and cardiovascular conditioning. You can find great variety among the many different punching bags available and they include:

Standard Boxing Size: These would be traditional boxing bags that mimic the shape and size of the torso. They’re primarily for the purpose of punching but mid-line and high line kicks are generally effectively trained on these bags as well.

Banana Bags: Most are thinner punching bags which are the size of the human body. The lower region of the punch bag permits the effective training of leg kicks, knees, and also other strikes.

Light Bags: Light punching bags are low weight (about 1/3 the weight and size of a punching bag) and are designed mainly to give resistance to jabbing style punches as well as hook and uppercut line blows. Some even make use of a lightweight punch bag to train headbutts!

Punching bags may be hanging bags that are affixed to various “hooks” in the ceiling or they may be freestanding. Freestanding bags are, essentially durable base mounts. Such bags are significantly more expensive than a number of the traditional hanging bags but they are much easier to move and store.

While hitting the heavy bag is really a must for effective training, you really do need to hit it in as safe a manner as possible. This will likely require the proper protective gloves essential for hitting an impact target. Including all manner of impact targets – heavy bags, focus mitts, shields, and Muay Thai pads. The knuckles inside the hand are quite small and fragile bones. For this reason reliable gloves – whether they are traditional 12oz, 14oz, or 16oz boxing gloves, boxing bag gloves, or mixed martial arts lightweight finger free gloves – must be worn when hitting a heavy punch bag. For those that enjoy sparring with “point karate” gloves, be mindful of the fact that such gloves aren’t manufactured for hitting impact targets. They will not provide you with the adequate protection you require for such training. Stick with using them for light contact sparring instead.

As most martial artists realize, the hands are not the only area that require protection which explains why a substantial amount of martial arts equipment will provide protection to the feet. Shin pads and point fighting footwear are two of the most common. Some may assume that such equipment is only used in sparring. In actuality, wearing when hitting impact targets is advisable too since this can protect the lower extremities and nerve endings from damage. Really, the perennial running theme here is that most martial arts equipment is intended to enhance safety. Obviously, you can also get some items that serve other purposes as well and they’re well worth a look at too.

Stretching devices can be employed to help you extend the range of motion in the leg ligaments. This will definitely prove helpful for people who would like to enhance their kicking flexibility. Similarly, the “old school” Eagle Catcher is a perfect spring action handheld device designed to build up a great level of gripping stretch. The classic makiwara pad has long since been used to toughen the hands in traditional karate training. Similarly, the kung fu wall bag is a fantastic asset for developing strikes common in the Chinese martial arts. Such older and more traditional training aids definitely have their place in a modern world which is becoming more and more noted for its sportive approach to training. But, whether you are practicing for competition or traditional self-defense, you will need equipment that helps facilitate your goals.

Regardless of the type of martial arts equipment you purchase, you want to make sure it is from a reputable name brand manufacturer. Some will make the error of buying more affordable equipment from a “no frills” manufacturer. Rarely is such equipment worth much of anything. Not only will cheap equipment not deliver on expectations, it can put the user at an injury risk. Certainly, that would not be helpful in any way whatsoever. Keep with reliable name brands for your martial arts equipment needs. Such an approach will assuredly prove significantly more helpful in the end.

Ufc The Future Of Mixed Martial Arts

Ultimate Fighting has taken the world by storm, and I believe that it is the future of mixed martial arts. With UFC fighting you get to watch many different styles of fighting combat against each other from boxing to grapplers you get to see who is the best fighter in the world.

I love to watch ultimate fighting because it gives me a chance to analyze which types of fighting styles are the best. As a teenager I was heavy into kickboxing, and latter started Thai Boxing training as well. But, if I could pick one style of fighting that I think is the most beneficial in Mixed Martial Arts combat it would be jujitsu. Jujitsu fighters learn to pin down their opponents, and place them in holds such as an arm bar and make them submit the fight. I think with the set up of the UFC network this is the most influential style of fighting, and leads more people to victories than any other.

If I were in ultimate fighting today I would spend 90 percent of my training learning Thai boxing and Brazilian Jujitsu. I personally think with this combination of fighting styles it would make you an unstoppable force in the cage. The true greats in mixed martial arts learn to master several styles of fighting instead of depending upon just one.

One of the things I believe draws people to UFC fights is the pure violence involved in a fight. When you watch a ultimate fighting match you are getting to see grown men fight with gloves that are barley thick enough to cover their knuckles, and they can throw knees, elbows, shin kicks, leg kicks, and place people in submission holds. This is pure adrenaline at its peek.

It is interesting to me to watch Mixed Martial Arts turn into a multi billion dollar industry with the UFC network. Some UFC fights make more than forty million dollars for one night on pay per view. This is an astronomical figure, and there has been nothing like it since the Mike Tyson days.

I do not believe that we have seen the peak of UFC fighting but rather we are just starting to see the beginning of this great sport take off. With Tap Out and other camps coming out of the wood works it is causing rivalry and the public is eating it up. It has truly set itself as the Super Bowl of fighting. With more and more sponsors jumping on the UFC bandwagon I believe the best is yet to come.

One final note is that this sport has only been around for a few years, just think about when the younger teenagers and children start training and start to see fighter come up with skills beyond our belief. I personal love to watch the adrenaline pack fighting that come from a ultimate fighting battle, and I believe there are millions of others that feel the same way that will keep this great sport alive.

Jason Mecier Mixed Media Art

Jason Mecier is a mixed media artist that has spent over 10 years making three dimensional mosaics of pop icons. Every portrait is created from discarded items that come directly from the celebrities themselves. Working and living in San Francisco, Jason Mecier wishes ultimately to trade his art with Jane Seymour, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Marilyn Manson whose watercolors are available for sale on his website.

Among the mixed media art that he creates, Jason Mecier offers his rendition of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Created on a panel, the wide array of Elviras refuse has been put together to create not only a very close likeness, but a piece of art that any Elvira fan would enjoy. The background is created from the line of Halloween makeup that has the Elvira likeness and name attached. Made up of false nails, spiders, comics, bracelets, tubes and even a remote control, Elvira stands striking the pose so many fans know her for.

Willie Nelson is another of Jason Meciers mixed media art portraits. Made of objects such as paperclips, buttons, a feather, leaves, a die and even a plug, this portrait resembles the star whose trademark black shirt is made of roofing tiles. With wood as a backdrop, this piece could be hung on the walls of any fan or collector of Jason or Willies pieces.

Jason creates a likeness of Donald Trump in the next piece, whose background is made up of the likeness of one hundred dollar bills. A bow tie made from hair clipper guards, jacket including a remote control and a shoe, even discarded bow ties from Mr. Trump make up this fantastic image. An old cordless home phone, a hairspray can, Colgate can and an H. Urmann cigar tube are all included in this masterpiece. Cell phones, plug wires, shells and circuit boards along with the artistic touch of Jason Mecier, is all it takes to create the Trump in your home.

Phyllis Diller, the comedienne of days gone by is recreated in this stunning likeness by Jason Mecier. O a 70s inspired flowered panel, Phyllis Diller is in life a creation of mixed media art. This piece is made from many items including a Tabasco sauce bottle, doll torso, lipstick applicator, toothbrush, beads and baubles as well as perfume bottles and a matchbox from the St. Francis and scotch tape dispensers. Mecier outdone himself on this piece, as it is hard to pin down the woman in life, and depicting her in art is rarely done correctly. This piece is not only a tribute to the woman, but to Jasons hard work and determination in perfection.

When it comes to depicting the life of the rich and famous in mixed media art, it seems as though this artist has all the bases covered. From reclaimed materials and personal items to arrangement for creation of his pieces, Jason Mecier has created his own personal niche in the art world in the form of sunglasses and gum wrappers.

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