Make Your Interiors Alive With the Elegant Wall Aquariums

Today, wall aquariums are gaining a lot of popularity in the market. You can easily notice various types of wall aquariums in the market. These interior decors are well enhanced with majestic and outstanding looks. You can simply provide a luxurious and unique looks to your home interiors with the help of wall aquariums. They are merely the artworks that are well enhanced with various advanced technologies.

Wall aquariums can be mounted on the walls very easily because they do not possess enough thickness. These interior decors are available in various designs and shapes. You can easily notice table top aquariums, small aquariums, large aquariums and medium aquariums. These aquariums are well enhanced with various water creatures. Their elegance and magnificence is the major reason for their popularity.

Wall Sconces From Kichler Lighting Give Off Beautiful Ambient Light at Very Reasonable Prices

If you plan to accentuate your entire home but do not know on where to begin, then why not try installing wall sconces for your home? Wall sconces are lighting fixtures that you install in your walls which can provide soft lighting in your home to set your mood. What is great about this particular lighting fixture is that there are a lot of designs that you can choose from and that these designs vary depending on your needs.

There are a lot of lighting fixture brands when it comes to sconces. However, there is a particular brand that is considered as one of the best when it comes to sconces which is Kichler. In fact, there is nothing like Kichler Wall Sconces to provide romantic ambiance to your entire room.

Just what are Kichler sconces all about? They are Kichler lights that you install in your walls. They provide illumination which is projected either upward or downward thus technically, they really do not provide enough lighting to the entire room.

Make Your Bathroom Sparkle With These Frugal Redesign Ideas

So, you don't like your bathroom and you certainly don't want to pay for an expensive remodeling project - so what can you do?

It is amazing what a few professional redesign tricks and tips can do to give that bathroom an entirely new look and feel for less than the price of a designer's first home consultation. So, let's get started giving your bathroom a new look for $100 or less.

Step 1 - Take a look at the room with a fresh eye. What are it's strongest features. Is there a built in cabinet that you love and want to accent? Is there a window over the tub that has always brought a fresh ray of sunshine in the room? What about the bathroom is your favorite feature?

Now for the opposite question - what characteristic is in the bathroom that you would really like to change. An old toilet? Pink ceramic tile?

Determine what can be changed and what is set in stone for now. Armed with that information, it's time for the next step.

Step 2 - Paint the room. The most inexpensive and totally transforming tool is paint. A quality gallon of semi - gloss paint will run you about $25. And, if you want to save even more than that, look at the clearance paint. These are custom colors that have been left by unsatisfied customers. The perfect color may be waiting for you at about $5 a gallon.

The good news is you don't have to be stuck with that pink wall tile, you can actually paint over those as well. Talk to your local Home Improvement representative for product advice, or look on the internet for "do it yourself" advice.

Step 3 - Accessorize. Here is what really makes the bathroom sparkle. The introduction of new bath linens in fresh colors to accent the wall paint will go a long way in freshening things up.

Shower curtains can be one of the priciest items on the list, so by purchasing a plastic liner and then visiting a fabric store to make your own "custom" curtain is ever so easy and will save you a lot of money.

Check those remnant and clearance racks at the major department stores to find towels at rock bottom prices.

Complete the redesign project by introducing over looked or items already in your home that can compliment your new theme or color scheme. A decorative lamp, a taken for granted picture hanging on another wall or those sea shells from the last trip to the ocean could bring some new interest into the room. A bench, baskets, vase, even string Christmas lights can be used in original ways to make that bathroom sparkle.

Whatever you choose to do - have fun and challenge yourself to try something totally fresh and frugally fabulous!

Visit Frugal Home Design for tons of professional design tips and secrets to make every room in your home frugally fabulous.

Visit http://www.frugalhomedesign.com. Confused about your design style? Take advantage of the Profile Miracle service that identifies your personal style and then provides a comprehensive package of information to get you started on your first design project.

5 Things You Must Do Before Buying Your Garage Organizers

Have you been living with a messy garage and finally decided to get some garage organizers to help get your life in order? Perhaps with autumn in the air, you realize that it is time to do something if you hope to use your garage for winter.

Or, perhaps you are tired of hearing your spouse complain about the disorganization that she considers your domain. Well, regardless of the reason, if you are considering purchasing some garage organizers to set you garage in order, here are five things to do before making your purchase.

1. Get rid of what you don't need.
   
   Let's face it, the garage easily becomes the dumping ground for stuff that you do not want to deal with 'right now'. Take the time to go through that stuff and get rid of it. Some can just go to the dump. Other stuff may still be useful to somebody and can go to the local thrift store.
   
   Perhaps some has more value (i.e. - outgrown kids clothes) and can go to a consignment shop. Perhaps you have a lot of stuff with value and can have a garage sale, the proceeds can go towards the purchase of your new garage organizers.
   
   
2. Categorize.
   
   Take everything that is remaining that you need to organize and categorize it. Put all the sports equipment together, the tools, craft supplies, keep sake items, holiday decorations etc. in their respective piles.
   
   
3. Subcategorize.
   
   Within each category subdivide it according to need. By this, I mean how often you need to access the item. Is it seasonal? Among your tools, is it something you use a lot, or maybe just every year or two for a special project?
   
   The items you use more often, you want to have easier access to, if you only need to access it once or twice a year, then you don't mind if it takes a bit of effort to get to it.
   
   
4. Decide what type of organizers work best for different categories and subcategories.
   
   For example, tools that you use often would best go in easy to reach cabinets or on a peg wall above a work bench. Stains, paints and other chemicals would best be kept higher up, or even in a lockable tall cabinet.
   
   A peg board system would be perfect for sports equipment, lots of options for hanging baskets for balls, and various types of specialty hooks. The hook system is also great for gardening tools, ladders, hoses etc.
   
   Seasonal holiday items can go in bins on high shelves or hung from the ceiling. There are so many great garage organizers available, make sure you know what is out there to help in this decision process.
   
   
5. Measure out your space for the perfect fit.
   
   Measuring your floor space will allow you to pick one or more garage organizers that will work best for you. Decide how far out into the garage they can come without interfering with your car or easy access flow.
   
   Besides horizontal space, how much vertical space is available that can be used? Is there any ceiling space? This is a great untapped resource for hanging bikes and other large items, as wells as hanging shelves and other systems.

As you get your garage ready for winter, remember these 'Must Do' tips in organizing your space and in choosing garage organizers that will work best for you. Though it is a big project that make take one or two weekends, these tips will make the process much quicker and more efficient. And, you'll be glad you did it!

MJ writes for ClickShops Inc., where you can find a great selection of garage organizers for your home at thegaragedealer.com.

Large Wall Hangings to Make a Great Impression

Want to transform yourself and your guests when it comes to wall art? Then you have a few choices, and this includes large paintings and large tapestries. So what are the top 3 themes for wall tapestries when it comes to decorating your home? What can be used as large wall art to fill a space and to have an impressive impact? Let's go through them here.

1. Use a landscape or verdure scene

Why a landscape? A landscape has the ability to make you feel as you've stepped into another world, and are inhabiting a different environment. How? It's when you step into a room where there is a beautiful art background to the entire scene.

When this occurs, you feel as if you're now in another place and time. A natural landscape is not only soothing, it is also beautiful and as such remains a popular theme for tapestries including large tapestries and wall hangings. A variation on this is cityscape and nautical scenes as these are a combination of nature and buildings to create a scene that you can just go into.

2. Use a portiere design

Loosely referred to as portieres, a portiere tapestry is any wall tapestry which contains designs arranged in a beautiful manner for decorating a space. They were traditionally used in castles to cover walls and doorways, but in modern homes refers to tapestries to decorate wall spaces.

Some tapestries are elaborate in design and contains images of heraldry, nature, animals and other design motifs arranged in such a way as to best decorate the scene. In other words, they are composed of various elements either in a simple way or in a totally rich and elaborate way, to create a specific effect.

3. Use a design that you simply like

This is another approach which is more modern and this is to say to choose any large tapestry that you like the look of.

Any theme can be had here including religious, French including the art works of Francois Boucher, William Morris, unicorn, medieval, old world maps, nautical scenes, Asian and Oriental, floral and fruit, art tapestries inspired from paintings and art ranging from the Renaissance to Impressionism and beyond.

Large art on the wall has a profound effect on the room, so choose something that you like.

So if you want to decorate a room or home, consider the impact that a large piece of art or tapestry can have on your home and see what effect you can achieve. For their romantic, scenic and decorative qualities, you can turn a room into something special.

Because of their ability to transform a room and to give a room real atmosphere, tapestries have been used as wall decor for centuries and continue to do so.

Tom Matherson writes for Worldwide Tapestries which offers a wide range of European wall tapestries and wall decor to transform any home. See this site for the latest in landscape art tapestries that you can use to enhance any room or home and to create a grand impression.

How to Create Romantic French Bedrooms

Have you ever wanted to create a romantic French bedroom theme? Well you now can with some simple steps. See a romantic bedroom in the French style can be achieved in various ways and can have different flavors or feel to it depending on your personal preference and taste. But there are some elements you should consider. Use these tips to help you achieve the look you're looking for.

1. Use elegant curtains in French style

If you have French styled windows and doors, that's great. But even if you don't, then you can still achieve the French look without having to replace these architectural features. How? It's in the use of French curtains, or specifically, curtains that reflect those used in French homes and palaces.

These include curtains with elegant curlicues and designs, ranging from beige and browns to more colorful versions in crimsons, greens or blues. The alternative is to use chiffon like drapes.

2. Use a piece of French antique furniture

Antiques are either old pieces or new pieces made to look in the old style. If you can find even 1 piece of furniture such as a side table with elegant legs and some detailed designs on the table drawer, then this piece adds visual interest to the scene and instantly makes you feel as if you've stepped into a French room or home.

3. Use a French style tapestry

A French tapestry or tapestry that is romantic or French in style is one of the most effective ways of transforming a room to look French. A wall tapestry because of its presence and ability to provide art in the room makes a very romantic and opulent impression and can take a room from simple to elegant and romantic very effectively. Works by Francois Boucher especially or any landscape or verdure scene can bring a sense or courtship romance and nature into a home.

4. Use an antique styled picture frame

Your favorite picture can be framed by an elegant or French styled frame to give it a romantic feel . This can be a small frame to place onto a table. This helps to anchor the feel of the room as the eye is drawn towards items of art such as paintings, tapestries and photos. So simply select an appropriate frame and see if it goes with the surrounding decor.

5. Use a bedspread that suits your mood and personality

Even though we are going for a French style, you can influence it in the more traditional or more modern direction simply by the use of your bedspread. If you want your room to feel like a French castle then you can choose a design with elegant detailing.

But if you prefer more modern chic, then choose something that you like yet will complement the rest of the decor that you have chosen. Add a throw or shawl for added effect.

So as you can see, there are several ways to make that romantic French bedroom scene come true. You can play with the exact items you're choosing to create a traditional or more modern feel. So go for it and live in romance and fun and create the room that you want.

Looking for romantic French tapestries? Tom Matherson is a writer for Worldwide Tapestries which offers a range of French style tapestries by Francois Boucher and wall decor to transform any home. See this site for the latest in wall tapestry art and wall hangings that you can use to enhance any room in your home.

Simple Yet Effective Ways to Decorate Your Home

Want to know how to create an atmosphere and a warm feeling in your home? Ever felt that your home lacked something that will capture the emotions of your guests? Then it may be time to add romance to your home. These tips will transform your home from a room into a place where you and your guests both love being in.

Step 1: Remove all clutter and mess

This simple step is often overlooked but it's very important. If there are any mess such as piles of papers or anything else lying around that does not entice your visitors to stay, it's time to put them away. Best to start with a clean slate than to try to add decor to a room that needs space clearing.

Step 2: Add a piece of wall art

Art and beautiful objects draw the eye and fires the imagination and makes a house a home. You can use wall hangings, paintings or photos to add a sense of beauty to a room. It not only makes your guests relax and stay, it will also transform your experience of the home as well.

Step 3: Add live foliage

Indoor plants including potted lavender, rosemary or jasmine because of the fact that they're natural, adds a touch that will relax and beautify the entire room. Choose a plant that you like the look of, and a nice pot to place it in. It will invigorate and enliven the room.

Step 4: Add color in rooms

If you have a room that you spend a lot of tie in such as your lounge room, bedroom or study, and ensure that they contain colors that you like. Too much beige, white or black without variation can look dull, so add an object, shawl, curtain or even just cushions can add color where it is needed.

Step 5: Add a photo

A photo that you have taken yourself of family or nature can add much needed color and interest to your room. It creates a feeling of family and warmth and smiling faces here can add positive emotion to a room that appeared a little cool before.

Step 6: Add light

When you've added your touches and there's a need for light, such as a room with not just one small window or if the season is cold and dark, then a lamp can help add warmth to the area. Overhead lights are fine, but lamps with lampshades create a softer light.

Step 7: Add an item from your hobby

This adds a lot of interest to your room. If you enjoy bird watching, then add a photo or illustration of a bird. If you enjoy painting, then add one of your own. Whatever it is, it makes your space even more personal and at the same time, interesting to others, as this will spark conversation.

So there you go. Use these steps and you will soon see that any room or home can be transformed into a place where you love being in.

Looking for gorgeous wall tapestries? Then see this wide range of art tapestry wall hangings to enhance any home. Tom Matherson writes for Worldwide Tapestries which feature a wide selection of wall tapestries including art floral tapestries and works in all other categories to transform any home.

Bio Tapestries Adorn New Orleans Homes

Tapestries are timeless pieces of wall art that have graced countless of stately homes throughout the centuries, including many New Orleans residents. Today, they are more attractive than ever and can enhance any design style whether it’s transitional or traditional.

Tapestries can be purchased through antique shops, flea markets or at upscale furnishing stores. Their cost can range from affordable to priceless based upon its age and beauty.

Today, I've feature Belien Mills, Weavers of Fine Art™. They are the only producers of European quality tapestries based in the U.S. They control the entire process from design through production and distribution.

The Belien factory custom-weave each individual piece with a combination of mercerized cotton and rayon yarns. Their typical larger tapestry will have over 22 miles of yarn in the heirloom quality piece.

Most pieces are available in multiple sizes to accommodate the broadest array of decorating options. The tapestry designs from Belien Mills originate from oil paintings, often by noted artists and recognizable by many.

The images are digitized and the artwork transferred to a computer-aided-design system, which determines weaves or colors for each piece. Purchasing a tapestry is an affordable alternative to wall art that will bring timeless beauty to any New Orleans décor.

Article is taken from Examiner.com

Temple's $1m Tapestry Helps Save Costs

by DARYLL NANAYAKARA

A TAPESTRY - sewn with threads made of gold - was on display at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza as part of a thanksgiving and prayer ceremony by the Singapore Seu Teck Sean Tong Yiang Sin Sia temple.

The session for the Taoist temple at Bedok North, which ran from last Friday to yesterday, saw close to 240 devotees chanting prayers for three days and drew a crowd of more than 10,000.

The tapestry, which is about 5 by 10 metres, adorns altars at the temple's religious ceremonies and costs more than $1 million.

But could the money have gone to better use in the current economic climate?

Not necessarily.

Mr Joe Lim, the temple's spokesman, told my paper that the temple already donates more than $200,000 a year to various charities and the new tapestry is more durable.

This means the temple need not spend more to replace or maintain it in future.

The money for the tapestry came from the temple's sponsors, devotees and donations collected at the temple's seven branches in Singapore and Malaysia.

Mr Lim added: "In the past we used regular fabric, but it was damaged very easily due to wear and tear over the years.

"With this gold-threaded embroidery, we believe we can use it for the next 50 years without having to replace or repair it."

The temple had commissioned the tapestry in the early 1990's to "preserve the reputation and image" of the temple.

It would be inappropriate "if the temple holds religious ceremonies using cloths that are torn and dirty", Mr Lim said.

In 1992, temple devotees came up with $600,000 from their own pockets and arranged for a group of villagers in Shantou, China, to sew the gold-threaded tapestry by hand.

The finished product was completed in 2000 and bears motifs of mythical creatures and other symbols of worship.

Mr Lim added that donors were aware of the temple's decision to invest in the embroidery.

Devotee Jeffrey Eng, 49, said: "The temple announced its plans to members. Such a project is good because the art of putting together such a tapestry is rare."

This is because very few craftsmen now know how to sew it. "This is a dying trade. If we tried to get this done again, chances are it would be almost impossible because it would be hard to find people who are still doing this by hand."

Taken From AsiaOne.com

Tapestry Of Picasso's Guernica Marks Whitechapel Gallery Reopening

The Whitechapel Gallery in London's East End has marked a £13.5 million expansion by welcoming a version of Picasso's anti-war work Guernica, 70 years after the original was shown there.

Turner Prize-nominated artist Goshka Macuga helped convince Margaretta Rockefeller to lend the Whitechapel the 20ft long tapestry for a year, which has been on long-term loan in the United Nations building in New York since 1985.

It was commissioned by tycoon Nelson Rockefeller, Margaretta's late husband, in 1955.

Seventy years ago Picasso's monumental painting, which depicts the 1937 Nazi bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, was shown at the Whitechapel for two weeks, attracting 15,000 people.

Polish-born Macuga, 42, said she was inspired to revive the spirit of that event.

Knowing that the Museo de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid would not agree to let the painting travel, the Whitechapel approached the Rockefeller family.

Macuga said the tapestry had been given extra significance as an anti-war symbol since Colin Powell delivered his flawed evidence on the apparent existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in the run-up to the invasion in early 2003.

Then the Guernica tapestry, which normally hangs outside the UN Security Council chamber, was covered by a blue cloth - apparently to make television pictures of Powell clearer.

The excuse fooled no one.

Macuga said: "If you are starting a war you are not going to do it in front of an anti-war symbol."

To accompany the tapestry, Macuga created a hollow round-table for people to hire for discussions, filled with war and anti-war propaganda. She commissioned a bronze cubist-style bust of Powell, which she said represented "a figure who is falling apart morally". In 2004 Powell admitted the evidence he submitted to the UN on WMDs could have been wrong.

The commission, sponsored by Bloomberg, marks the gallery's reopening after its £13.5 million Heritage Lottery Fund-sponsored refit, which has almost doubled its exhibition space.

Iwona Blazwick, the Whitechapel's director, said: "The expansion enables us to be open all year round so there will always be something for free to see."

It reopens to the public on April 5.

Taken From Telegraph.co.uk

A Stitch In Time As Work Continues Ahead Of Ros Tapestry Exhibition

THE DEDICATION of the Ros Tapestry voluntary embroiderers is currently being put to the test as they eagerly focus on finishing the tapestry panel 'ExVoto Tintern Abbey' on time for the opening of Ros Expo on April 3.

Ros Expo, a permanent exhibition of the Ros Tapestry, is a dedicated exhibition centre at Priory Court on the quay in New Ross, opposite the Dunbrody Famine Ship.

The 14 tapestries will have taken a decade to reach completion, a remarkable achievement realised by an extraordinary group of people from all over the county and beyond.

Over 100 voluntary embroiderers – some of whom have been dedicated to this mammoth task since 1999 – and their expert tutor, Alexis Bernstorff have never been anything other than committed and positive to the task in hand.

Ros Expo will be open all year round to visitors after its opening on April 3.

Taken From NewRossStandard.ie

St John’s: 2 More Tapestries Ready

Restoration of the second set of tapestries from the St John’s Co-Cathedral collection is now complete and the Belgian Embassy in Malta is investigating how to bring them back to Malta – although it is still not clear where they will be displayed.

The Cathedral Foundation recently dropped unpopular plans to create an underground museum beneath St John’s Square which would enable all 29 tapestries to be displayed at the same time. However, no other plans have been put forward yet.

The Cathedral Chapter, which is represented on the Foundation board, was unanimously against the project and has recommended that an extra floor be built on top of the annex.

The tapestries are being restored by the King Baudouin Foundation at the Royal Manufacturers De Wit, a company of weavers and restorers founded in 1889. Today, it is the leading tapestry restorer in the world for museums and one of the leading laboratories for private customers.

The first 2, depicting Grandmaster Perellos and the Triumph of the Catholic Church, were sent to Belgium in November 2006 but the delicate restoration process took less than the 2 years expected and they were returned to Malta in December 2007.

The embassy in Malta got involved to sort out a tricky logistical problem: Getting them to Belgium, no easy task given their size and weight.

Current ambassador Jean-Francois Delahaut explained that his predecessor, Thomas Baekeland, managed to get help from the Ministry of Defence to use a military plane, which stopped off in Malta on its way back from an overseas assignment.

They were then taken from the military airport to Brussels and then back the same way to Malta.

Mr Delahaut confirmed that the next 2, Triumph of Faith and The Institution of the Feast of Corpus Christi, were sent to Belgium in December 2007 and are now ready.

“The whole collection of 29 needs to be restored. The long-term intention is to go on with the restoration of the whole set so there is quite a few years’ work. Each of the tapestries has its own particular problems. Time has not treated all of them equally,” he told www.di-ve.com.

The budget for the first 2 alone ran into 6 figures. The set, considered to be priceless and unique, was ordered from the Brussels atelier of Judecos de Vos for the sum of 40,000 scudi and was based on cartoons of the same subjects by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), except for the panel representing the Last Supper that was woven on the cartoon of Nicholas Poussin and a panel with the portrait of Grand Master Perellos, probably based on a drawing by Mattia Preti.

Mr Delahaut expressed confidence that the right solution would be found for the tapestries’ display.

“The tapestries survived the centuries in good condition, which shows that they were cared for, for over 400 years, by very competent people,” he said.

Taken From Di-Ve.com

The Mystery of History: Arrow Ross Debuts His Photo Journal Of Peruvian Weavers

By: Lauren Hodges

PERUVIAN CELEBRATION:Arrow Ross showcases an ode to the ancient people, places and things of Peru, as inspired by textile artist Maximo Laura.

So many trends have come and gone in the art world. Some went on to the Modern Museum of Art, while others were doomed to be stapled to wood paneling (ahem, velvet paintings). The true test of quality art seems to be staying power. Is it a mere chapter in the book of creative history, or does it still influence modern-day artists?

When local photographer Arrow Ross visited Peru last April, he was introduced to one of the oldest and most influential art forms in the world. “It is amazing how old the techniques of weaving are,” he says. “The people in Peru, they just keep the tradition going.”

Ross’ discovery began at No Boundaries, a local painters’ retreat arranged by Dick Roberts, Gayle Tustin and Pam Toll, with whom Ross shares space at Acme Art Studios. It was there that he met Maximo Laura, a Peruvian artist who had come to the Carolina coast to paint.

“He was a good painter, but he kept talking about his tapestries,” Ross says. “I was just amazed at how detailed they were. Later, someone bought one of his tapestries, and when I heard how much he sold it for, I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s all it was? I would have bought it for 10 times that price!’ So, I had to learn more.”

Ross, originally from Denmark, has quite a few stamps on his passport. His next trip would be to Lima, Peru, to visit his new friend and learn about the craft that went into Laura’s tapestries. “When we got there, he and his wife welcomed us into their home.

It was a large blue house that had started out as one room many years ago. They kept adding rooms and then floors. Now it is five floors.” The first two floors of the house consist of Laura’s weaving rooms, staffed with 20 trained crafters.

Most of Laura’s employees are family members. “He supports them all,” Ross says. “He is a very generous man.” “He was a good painter, but he kept talking about his tapestries,” Ross says. “I was just amazed at how detailed they were...

Each of the staff has been personally trained by Laura himself, who has work hanging in the Smithsonian and several other museums around the world. Each work is handmade in his home by the people he trusts. As Ross scans his photo album from the trip, he stops at a shot of what he calls “the butterfly room.”

“These are the butterflies,” he says, pointing to a pile of yarn bunches. “They are pre-made threads created by twisting yarn into the color scheme needed for the design of the tapestry. It’s a mathematical process.”

The precise colors are determined after a sketch of the design is produced by Laura and his helpers. “He sketches it all out on paper, and then they draw it into the loom,” Ross notes, pointing to another series of photos.

Once he had his photo album organized, Ross decided to add something extra to a few of them. “While I was in Peru, I took a lot of photos of the landscape,” he says. “This one here is of Machu Picchu. I was in awe of these ancient cities and the art that came out of them. People like Maximo are carrying on those ancient traditions.”

He used his skill with Photoshop to superimpose Incan icons into the landscapes and a few into the images of Laura’s tapestries. “I just wanted to put some things together,” he says. In one of his most poignant pieces, Laura’s face is translucent over one of his most intricate tapestries.

In another an Incan sculpture floats unattached against a background of Peruvian ruins and hillside. “I wanted to give the pictures some depth and put the people into the creations.”

Ultimately, Ross wanted to pay tribute to the deep past and people, recreating the strong connections he felt while visiting Peru. “There was such a mystery there,” he says. “I loved that mystery. I was so drawn to the history of these people and what their lives was like back then.

We see here, in their pictures, so many clues to their past.” He is mostly fascinated with the Incans’ ability to preserve their culture, even after their civilizations died out and the Spaniards invaded South America.

“They were all forced to convert to Roman Catholicism, but the people found secret ways to pass on their beliefs,” he points out. “Because they were so artistic, the Spaniards had many of these people painting, weaving and sculpting for them.

Even though the icons they represented were Christian, they snuck in images of the moon and stars, which is what they worshipped.” He points to an ancient image of the Virgin Mary. “

You can see here that they painted her like a mountain, even though it just looks like her dress is shaped like that. This was to symbolize Machu Picchu, the great city that the Spaniards never found.”

To this day people like Maximo Laura are responsible for carrying on those traditions for which his ancestors fought so hard.

Taken From EncorePub.com

Arena Stage's 'Delicate Balance': Perfectly Weighted With Subtlety & Smarts

By Peter Marks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 16, 2009; Page C01

What a pleasure, lapping up all that angst. You wouldn't call "A Delicate Balance" a consoling experience. And yet you do feel swaddled in comfort during Arena Stage's revival of Edward Albee's brilliant dramedy of the inarticulate fears marinating in the martini glasses of the elite.

That's because the expert hands deliver an evening of combustibly entertaining drama, of a variety that reminds you how enriching a play can be with a subtle and sophisticated grip on the human psyche. This is grown-up theater -- the bristling sort that gives a playgoer hope, even when the theme is a strange brand of hopelessness.

Not to bring the room down, but you do also find yourself wondering, as you absorb the pleasures of six actors going at one another in the becomingly civilized quarters of Todd Rosenthal's living-room set, why more evenings can't be like this one, especially at Arena.

No major company in Washington represents a more vital link to the American tradition of great playwriting, and none has more authority to reaffirm it.

So let the endorsement of this production also be an entreaty: Give us more work of this caliber, please, even if these plays are harder to sell than they were in yesteryear. (And even if it means fewer visits by tours of famous-songwriter jukebox revues.)

As presided over by director Pam MacKinnon, who staged the juicily satirical "The Unmentionables" at Woolly Mammoth 18 months ago, the revival of Albee's Pulitzer-winning piece feels as solidly built as the immaculate manse in which the turbulent story unfolds.

It's been populated with a splendidly well-suited cast, particularly in the person of Kathleen Chalfant, who plays Agnes, the lady of the house, as a reluctant, caged scorpion with a finely disguised stinger.

Her match is met by Ellen McLaughlin in the bravura role of Agnes's younger sister Claire, a truth-telling lush whose specialties seem to be making messes and drowning in her anger at Agnes's unbreachable wall of composure.

What's constructed here is a portrait, flavored with Albee's lacerating wit, of people losing their grip, divesting themselves of the lie that life makes more sense as we grow more maritally settled and materially secure.

The collapse of the facade is terrifying for no group more than those who have the money for minks and wine cellars and country clubs, those who have committed the most belief to the illusion that all's well that ends well.

At the moment, the entire world is feeling a sense of dislocation. It's surprising how presciently this 1966 play nestles into contemporary consciousness -- even as the mysteries in Albee's tale keep a line open to the absurd.

We find ourselves in the tony home in a wealthy suburb that Agnes and her husband, Tobias (a bracingly convincing Terry Beaver), share with volatile Claire. Perched in Arena's Crystal City space, Rosenthal's light-filled set all but smells of old money, down to the demitasse cups and tapestry hanging in the hallway, and costume designer Ilona Somogyi dresses the women, from blowsy Claire to sleek, buttoned-up Agnes, to perfection.

Agnes opens the play, commenting about someday losing her mind, and from there on we get the escalating idea of everything around her coming apart.

The childishly exhibitionist Claire seems to be slowly drinking herself into oblivion. Agnes and Tobias's unpleasant, eternally unsettled daughter Julia (Carla Harting) turns up, a refugee from her fourth failed marriage.

Then, most curiously, into the driveway pulls the car of Agnes and Tobias's best friends, Edna and Harry (Helen Hedman and James Slaughter), who have arrived uninvited and soon make it clear they have no plans to leave.

The choreography of understated responses to Edna and Harry's outrageous condition -- they experienced some type of existential crisis in their own house, and now are too frightened to go back -- is handled in crackerjack fashion by MacKinnon and her cast.

The dread they've brought into the house is swept to the side in the spirit of hospitality. Or perhaps it's only vaguely acknowledged because Edna and Harry have violated a taboo, bringing the terror everyone secretly harbors into the open.

Hedman and Slaughter niftily maintain the traumatized couple's sociable air, as if their imposing on Agnes were as expected as showing up for cocktails at 5. You laugh at first because everybody's been there, with the guests who wouldn't leave.

As you watch further, however, they become less funny, more harrowing. Despair always leaves you with that certain feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Albee threads through the play's three acts the battle between Claire and Agnes, a conflict the actresses treat as a delightful blood sport. Behind her hooded eyes, McLaughlin vibrantly portrays Claire as a wounded thing, rebelling against her sister's sense of propriety and yet holding back some ammunition, for fear of doing more harm to Agnes than she intends. Chalfant's droll ripostes to the wilder Claire are so dry you think the paint might spontaneously start to peel.

Harting envelops Julia in an aptly sour perfume of failure; as with Claire, Edna and Harry, Julia's taking shelter with Agnes and Tobias is a way of shutting out the world and in her particular case, a world of disappointment. But as the play reveals, awful truths pursue you, and walls have a way of closing in, no matter how beautifully they're decorated.

A Delicate Balance, by Edward Albee. Directed by Pam MacKinnon. Lighting, Allen Lee Hughes; sound, Timothy Thompson; wigs, Chuck Lapointe. About 2 hours 55 minutes. Through March 15 at Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington. Visit www.arenastage.org or call 202-488-3300.

Taken From WashingtonPost.com

The Perfect Way to Hang Tapestries in Your Home

A tapestry is a marvelous work of art that can easily become the stand out item in your home. You do have to consider a few things when deciding which tapestry to purchase and how to affix it to your wall.

Too big of a tapestry in a small face will overwhelm a room; a tiny stretched tapestry on a huge wall can look lost. By taking a little time to figure out exactly what effect you want, you can save yourself a deal of trouble.

Evaluate Your Space

Your first step should be to look at the room you want to house your tapestry in and evaluate what type of tapestry would suit it best and where it should go. If you have a room with many doorways and not much open wall space, a vertical tapestry may work best.

A long hallway could benefit from a series of small tapestries, and a kitchenette could feature a long horizontal piece displayed high on the wall.

A huge room with a blank wall such as a bedroom or a den could accommodate a larger tapestry; this could either serve as a background for a bestead or couch or face it depending on the layout. An accent wall is also a great place for a larger tapestry - you can choose a contrasting paint color for a background to make your chosen artwork pop.

Measure twice, buy once. Allow for space around the tapestry for a balanced look. Nothing is worse than excitedly bringing a new acquisition home and finding out it is a foot too wide. If you are in doubt as to what would look best, pin up a contrasting sheet and figure out what the right shape and size would be for your space.

Hanging It Up

There are several different ways of hanging your tapestry once you have found the perfect one. The most traditional way to hang large tapestries is with a rod - most modern tapestries are woven with a pocket designed to hold the top edge flat and to distribute the weight evenly.

The larger and heavier the tapestry the stronger the rod needs to be, so a hefty drapery rod with sturdy mounting brackets is preferred fro many tapestry applications.

Simply slide the tapestry onto the rod, center it, and measure as close as possible to the exit point on either end for the brackets. Use a level to get a straight line on the wall so your tapestry will hang plumb.

Affix the brackets according to your measurement, then hang the rod. Your brackets should hold the rod right where it exits the tapestry pocket on both sides. Screw on finials and your tapestry will be mounted properly. Tapestries hung this way appear to float against the wall.

Another approach recommended by some manufacturers advises sewing a strip of wide Velcro along the leading edge of the tapestry, then stapling the mated strip to a sturdy board. The board should be painted to reduce chemical interaction with the tapestry, and no glue should be used for the same reason.

The board can be mounted to the wall and the tapestry attached via Velcro. This works best for medium sized tapestries that are not excessively heavy, and prevents sagging and rumpling.

Small tapestries can be framed or stretched or even placed in a shadow type box for a magical effect. Many people keep older tapestries under glass, as sunlight can cause fading and damage. Tapestries should also be checked regularly for signs of insect damage.

Tapestry Styles

The type of tapestry you decide on will reflect your own personal taste and individuality. Often tapestries are bought to fit into an existing house, but occasionally you have the opportunity to build a room around one focal point. This is when you can get creative, and let your inner spirit take over.

A rich Renaissance tapestry sets the mood for a luxurious room full of rich brocades and tasseled pillows. A bold Native American design makes a southwestern ranch house crackle with style. Oriental themes go well with modernistic apartments, and Celtic designs can spruce up a library or study.

With all of the choices available today, from local home interior shops to online decorator havens, you can rest assured there is the perfect tapestry out there especially for you. Just consider all of your options before purchasing your very own! With luck, the one you select will become a family heirloom and you will be able to pass it down to future generations.

Angela Dawson-Field writes extensively on home decor and tapestry & textile art. She divides her time between family and The Tapestry House

Home Decor - A Guide to Wall Tapestries

Today's larger homes and open floor plans are perfect for wall tapestries. Once the hallmark of mansions and castles, wall tapestries offer today's homeowner a terrific design solution that adds beauty, warmth and charm to the home.

Selecting the perfect wall tapestry for your home is an easy and enjoyable process, if you follow these simple guidelines.

Location

Unlike a painting, a wall tapestry demands attention. So you want to select a location before you start shopping for a size, subject or style. You want to select a wall that doesn't get a lot of direct light or constant sunlight. Direct sun can cause the threads to weaken and fade the color of wall hangings over time.

Size

Once you have a location in mind, you can decide on the rough dimensions for the wall tapestry. A tall and thin wall space will look better with a vertical work while a large wall space may look better with a horizontal piece.

Scale is very important in wall or home decor. A general rule of thumb is that a tapestry can occupy up to 80% of the wall (you can't do that with a painting!). You don't want to get a wall tapestry that is too small or too large for the wall you have in mind.

Subject Matter

The subject of the wall art tapestry is a matter of personal taste. There are an endless selection of styles - scenic, still life, heroic deeds, mythology, Medieval, portraits, castles, landmarks and a myriad of more contemporary designs and themes.

When selecting the subject matter, be sure you factor in the palette of colors used. You don't want to select a design where the colors clash with your existing furnishings and wall colorings.

Time to Buy

Now that you found the wall tapestry that fits your taste and your color scheme, it's time to buy. Most tapestries come in several sizes so you can select the one that most closely fits your wall dimensions. When selecting a vendor, you want to find a reputable one who can answer your questions, help you narrow your selections and provide you with the ideal size for your wall.

Installation

Most wall art tapestries come with a tunnel that you can thread a hanging rod through. This allows you to easily hang your tapestry, much like you would a curtain. Once you have your tapestry in place, you want to give it the proper lighting.

A repositionable ceiling fixture or track lighting works well for lighting any wall tapestry, large or small. If that's not possible, a floor lamp or even a table lamp may give the wall tapestry enough dramatic lighting, especially if the room has some indirect natural light filtering in.

No matter which wall tapestry you choose for decorating your home interior, you can be sure that it will quickly become a focal point for your decor that few other works of art can match. The rich textures, vibrant colors and dramatic scale of these tapestries are as inspiring as they are beautiful.

Looking for wall decor to decorate your home? You can use wall tapestries to enhance any room or home. Tom Matherson writes for Worldwide Tapestries which features a range of quality wall tapestries including large wall hangings as unique wall art to transform any home.

Home Decor - A Guide to Wall Tapestries

Today's larger homes and open floor plans are perfect for wall tapestries. Once the hallmark of mansions and castles, wall tapestries offer today's homeowner a terrific design solution that adds beauty, warmth and charm to the home.

Selecting the perfect wall tapestry for your home is an easy and enjoyable process, if you follow these simple guidelines.

Location

Unlike a painting, a wall tapestry demands attention. So you want to select a location before you start shopping for a size, subject or style. You want to select a wall that doesn't get a lot of direct light or constant sunlight. Direct sun can cause the threads to weaken and fade the color of wall hangings over time.

Size

Once you have a location in mind, you can decide on the rough dimensions for the wall tapestry. A tall and thin wall space will look better with a vertical work while a large wall space may look better with a horizontal piece.

Scale is very important in wall or home decor. A general rule of thumb is that a tapestry can occupy up to 80% of the wall (you can't do that with a painting!). You don't want to get a wall tapestry that is too small or too large for the wall you have in mind.

Subject Matter

The subject of the wall art tapestry is a matter of personal taste. There are an endless selection of styles - scenic, still life, heroic deeds, mythology, Medieval, portraits, castles, landmarks and a myriad of more contemporary designs and themes.

When selecting the subject matter, be sure you factor in the palette of colors used. You don't want to select a design where the colors clash with your existing furnishings and wall colorings.

Time to Buy

Now that you found the wall tapestry that fits your taste and your color scheme, it's time to buy. Most tapestries come in several sizes so you can select the one that most closely fits your wall dimensions. When selecting a vendor, you want to find a reputable one who can answer your questions, help you narrow your selections and provide you with the ideal size for your wall.

Installation

Most wall art tapestries come with a tunnel that you can thread a hanging rod through. This allows you to easily hang your tapestry, much like you would a curtain. Once you have your tapestry in place, you want to give it the proper lighting.

A repositionable ceiling fixture or track lighting works well for lighting any wall tapestry, large or small. If that's not possible, a floor lamp or even a table lamp may give the wall tapestry enough dramatic lighting, especially if the room has some indirect natural light filtering in.

No matter which wall tapestry you choose for decorating your home interior, you can be sure that it will quickly become a focal point for your decor that few other works of art can match. The rich textures, vibrant colors and dramatic scale of these tapestries are as inspiring as they are beautiful.

Looking for wall decor to decorate your home? You can use wall tapestries to enhance any room or home. Tom Matherson writes for Worldwide Tapestries which features a range of quality wall tapestries including large wall hangings as unique wall art to transform any home.

Benefits of Decorating With Large Tapestries

Many homeowners looking to decorate their walls have been neglecting tapestries. Most just look at paintings, photographs, and other artifacts. That is a shame because tapestries are one of the most unique and elegant wall decoration items that one can possibly find.

For starters, tapestries come in many sizes. Depending on the size of your walls, there will be something that is suitable. But what are the differences between a piece of tapestry and a traditional wall painting? And what are the benefits? Why should a homeowner choose a tapestry over a painting? Let's explore some benefits.

Wall tapestries are woven from different types of textiles such as cotton, wool or linen. Sometimes, artists may even use gold, silver or silk. When higher quality materials are used, the tapestries appear more luxurious and elegant. This effect cannot be achieved by paintings.

Historically, tapestries were only used by affluent families to decorate their homes. Since affluent families live in huge houses like manors and castles, the tapestries were also unusually large as well.

Large tapestries are ideal center pieces for wall decoration. If there is any gold, silver or silk used in the tapestry, the image will reflect light and the glitter will attract attention. It is not uncommon to see guests walking into a large hall and upon seeing the large tapestry, a soft gasp escaped the lips as the guests look on with awe and wonder. Such is the powerful effect of a large wall tapestry.

Another main difference is that since tapestries are woven, they can include intricate patterns that can only be achieved with embroidery methods. A large tapestry allows the artist to add as many details as possible to the artwork.

To accomplish this, a lot of skills and patience is required. However, the end result is always more than satisfying. A lot of time can be spent admiring the fine details that are included in a piece of large tapestry. This gives another reason for the homeowner to consider having a large tapestry as a center display.

Finally, a large painting is cumbersome to move around because of its weight and size. Usually, once a large painting is fixed to the wall, it is very troublesome to take down. In contrast, the large tapestry is portable as it is much lighter and can be rolled up.

This is useful for two reasons. One, the tapestry can be taken down easily any time to be stored away. Two, if the homeowner so desires the tapestry to be changed or rotated with other tapestries, this can be achieved easily as well.

Given the many benefits of large tapestries, it is a shame if any homeowner fails to consider them as center wall decoration pieces. Many of them even come at more affordable prices than large wall paintings!

For more information on Large Wall Tapestries please visit our website: European Tapestry Decor

Large Wall Tapestries For a Grand Impression

Unlike paintings, wall tapestries can be voluminous works of art, taking up much as 80% of a wall. They were designed with this in mind, serving as wall coverings for the otherwise stark walls of castles. They not only added color and visual impact to a room, but helped deaden the sound of the room. As you can imagine, without wall art tapestries, a cavernous castle can be a pretty loud place to live.

Even though modern homes are much quieter, the beauty of large wall tapestries is hard to duplicate. Outside of painting a large wall mural, the wall tapestry stands alone in the art world as a grand statement of style and beauty.

Wall tapestries create an impact regardless of size. But the grandure of large wall tapestries will create a lot of visual impact in your larger living spaces, such as a great room, a room with vaulted ceilings or a room that is open to the floor above it.

Because of their popularity, there are plenty of large tapestries and wall hangings to choose from. Following are a few tips to help you when shopping for a large size tapestry for your home.

Establishing a Mood

The size of large art tapestries means they will set the mood of the room rather than complement it. As a result, you want to select a tapestry that speaks the message you want heard. If you want a romantic setting in the room, perhaps for a bedroom, you should select a tapestry that exudes romance, such as one with a soft floral design or possibly a lover's scene.

Use as a Backdrop

If you have a theme to a room in your home, a tapestry may be the way to set the theme and be a backdrop for the other decor items that you are going to use to accent it. For example, if you want a world traveler theme, which is very popular these days, you may wish to choose a tapestry of beautiful old-world maps. This large tapestry of maps will be the backdrop for the items you have collected along your path of world travels.

Use as Art for Beauty

Sometimes you don't really need a good reason to have a wall tapestry in place in your home, you can do it just because. When you choose a piece of art that you are in love with and have to have it, do you stop to think about if it will fit with the rest of your decor?

Not likely. Art is special. Art can be it's own entity and will create it's own place in your home. Many wall tapestries are literally works of art. These have been hand crafted thread by thread to create a design or picture that speaks to you in the same way a painting or sculpture might.

No matter your style, decor preferences or home space, there is always room for an art wall tapestry to brighten up the environment, set the mood you want in play, or just to be a thing of beauty that can be admired by all who see it.

Tom Matherson writes for Worldwide Tapestries which offers a wide online collection of Belgian, Italian and unique wall decor art tapestries to enhance any home. See the latest range of wall decor including a fine selection of large European tapestries to transform any room or home setting.

How to Hang Your Wall Tapestry When You Have Choices

One of my favorite ways to decorate a room is to grace one or more walls with a tapestry. These woven beauties are the perfect addition to a room with almost any decorating theme or style. The choices of size and shape and theme are endless.

So if a tapestry is something you have been thinking about for one or more rooms of your home or office, it's a good idea to know what your options are in respect to the way you will be hanging this art on your wall.

Depending on how you purchase your tapestry (brick and mortar store or online), there might be some basic preparation involved. Most of the time when you purchase your wall hanging for delivery to your home or office, there will be at least one fold in the tapestry that was necessary for packing your purchase for delivery.

When you open your delivered wall hanging there might be a fold line or 2 in your tapestry. Don't fear. Here is a safe way to remove any unwanted fold lines in your tapestry.

To remove any fold lines in your tapestry, use a steam iron and iron the back side of the wall hanging until the fold lines are gone. Otherwise, if you don't have a steam iron, take a regular electric iron and with a damp clean cloth (cloth that the color won't bleed) and place the clean damp cloth over the front of the tapestry where the fold line is and iron at a moderate heat (NOT HOT) until the fold line is gone. These are the safest ways to remove fold lines without damaging your artwork.

All tapestry wall hangings have a basic construction in order to be able to hang them properly on a wall. Just so you understand their construction, they are all lined on the back side and have either a rod pocket or several loops at the top in which you can insert a decorative hanging rod. Some tapestries also have a bottom pocket to insert heavy metal rods in order for the wall hanging to hang straight from top to bottom.

Most tapestries are hung with a decorative rod. These rods, that are usually sold separately, come in a large variety of shapes, styles and colors. Tassels are also available in a large assortment and may be hung from the rod ends along the left and right sides of the wall hanging for a more dramatic effect.

A word of caution if you are buying a tapestry for the first time. You might want to go with a wall tapestry that has a hanging pocket instead of hanging loops. The reason for this is if the construction of the loop hanging tapestry is not done correctly, after time you might see slight curves inward between the loops of your tapestry.

A more economical way to hang your hanging pocket tapestry is to insert a wooden board approximately 1/4 inch thick by 2.5 inches tall. Cut the length of the board so that the ends will not be seen protruding from the hanging pocket at the top of the tapestry.

Once you have the length of the board cut to the proper length, drill screw hole evenly along the length of the board. The amount of screw holes will be determined by the size and weight of the tapestry.

Larger wall hangings will, of course, will need more support and more screws than smaller wall hangings. Once you have evenly spaced screw hole in the board, take the board, hold it up to the wall at the location the board will be when the tapestry is hung.

With a pencil, mark a dot on the wall through each hole to mark where the screws will be driven into the wall to hang the tapestry.

Next, drill a small hole into the wall for each of the pencil dots you have made. It is a good idea to use screw anchors for stronger support, so after you drill the screw holes insert screw anchors into each hole.

Once you have all your holes drilled and all your anchors inserted into the holes, insert the board into the hanging pocket of your tapestry and hold the tapestry up to the wall and with the proper size screw for your anchors insert each screw. This method of hanging a tapestry will mount your wall hanging flush to the wall.

If your situation calls for mounting your tapestry on a curved wall then use Velcro®. You can find Velcro tape. This form of Velcro has an adhesive backing and can be applied directly to the back side of your tapestry.

You can apply Velcro tape directly on your wall, but to avoid the tearing of your wall, should you want to remove the Velcro on a future date, screw a few thin strips of wood on your wall to form a frame. Then Velcro the wooden strips instead of the wall. If the time comes to remove the tapestry, all you have are a few screw holes to patch up.

You now have several ways in which to mount your tapestry to the wall. All you have to do now is find a tapestry to match the theme of the room you wish to hang it in. Whether you choose one large wall tapestry or a series of several small tapestries with a similar theme, hung together, you will have a most enjoyable eye-pleasing atmosphere for many years to come.

Author Bio: After growing up as the apprentice of his father who was a master of all trades, Joe Tobiasz, Owner/Webmaster: http://www.wall-decor-concepts.com explored the idea of a career in interior decorating and design over 25 years ago.

Since then he has never looked back. He has both volunteered and consulted for many friends and associates over the years offering his natural talent for decorating and remodeling in both interior and exterior applications.

When it come to his website, his unusual way of presenting information in the form of short stories has him the talk of both webmasters and the online community.