Leonardo da Vinci: Leonardo's Animals Part 1 of 2
Copyright 2006 Melanie Light
Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1492 at a Tuscan farmhouse in Anchiano, Italy, near the town of Vinci where he spent most of his childhood. He was the son of Ser Piero and a girl called Caterina who worked for him. After Leonardo was born, the father and mother did not remain together. Only recently have details of Leonardo's birth mother come to light. In 2002, Alessandro Vezzosi, Director of the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Vinci, Italy, told the press they had found substantial proof Leonardo's mother was a slave girl and not a peasant girl, as previously believed.(1) Vezzosi went on to report that Leonardo's father was a craftsman who owned a Middle-Eastern female slave named Caterina. And, according to their discovery, a few months after Caterina gave birth to Leonardo, she was married off to one of the workers.
Leonardo lived in Anchiana and in Vinci until he was eight years old. Afterwards, he moved to Florence with his father. When Leonardo was 14, he became an apprentice under the famed sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. In that period, Verrocchio was the leading Florentine artist. By the time Leonardo was between 21 and 23 years old, he had become a very skilled painter. Verrocchio permitted Leonardo to help with an important painting, The Baptism of Christ (Uffizi Gallery, Florence). Leonardo painted the background and the kneeling angel. It is said that when Verrocchio saw that Leonardo could paint better than anyone he had ever seen, including himself, he gave up painting for good. Verrocchio decided he would concentrate on sculpture.
Leonardo da Vinci was said to have a great love for animals, and his journals further illustrates this. He was a vegetarian, at least in the latter part of his life (we don't have definite proof that he was a strict vegetarian in his early life). He wrote, "The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men." He also remarked, "The smallest feline is a masterpiece."
In the 1480s, Leonardo painted Lady With The Ermine. The Lady in the painting is Cecilia Gallerani, the 17-year-old mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. She carries an ermine for three reasons. First, for the Duke of Milan, having been appointed to the Order of the Ermine by Ferdinand I of Naples, the ermine was the symbol of heraldry on his coat of arms. Second, the ermine was considered to be a symbol of virtue and purity. And finally, it was a play on Cecilia Gallerani's name since the Greek name for ermine is "galee".
In Leonardo's notebooks, he wrote that the ermine eats every other day. Most likely the ermine, an animal related to the sable and weasel, stayed in the studio while the painting was being completed. In the Renaissance period, soft-hair paint brushes were made of ermine tail tips. Brushes were also made from squirrel fur and fastened into goose or hen feathers – another reason the ermine might have been at home in the studio.
Leonardo da Vinci included cats in many of his sketches. On one sheet of animal sketches in his notebook, the artist portrayed more than twenty cats, and one dragon. He drew cats in different poses, alone, with other cats, and being cuddled and held. His sketches are lively and reveal the solemn affection he had for felines.
Throughout the mid to late 1470s, Leonardo worked on a series of different studies relating to the theme of the Madonna and the Christ Child, holding a cat. It was originally thought that no paintings existed beyond his initial studies for these paintings. Recently; however, Madonna with the Cat, which is in the collection of industrialist Carlo Noya in Savona, Italy, was discovered to be a painting by none other than Leonardo.(2) The painting is based on a legend about a cat being born at the same moment as the baby Jesus.
Other sketches for paintings that feature animals and are based on a legend or myth is that of Leda and the Swan. Although no actual paintings exist, there are countless drawings. The story is that Leda was seduced by the God Zeus in the form of a swan and bore two eggs, which resulted in the creation of Helen of Troy with Clytemnestra, and Castor with Pollux.
Although there are countless studies and sketches made by Leonardo, only 13 or 14 actual paintings exist today. One of these is Madonna and Child with St. Anne, painted from 1508 to 1510. The figures depicted all relate to one another, and the baby Jesus is shown tightly holding a little lamb. Da Vinci painted the lamb with sensitivity and detail. The lamb is symbolic of Jesus Christ's sacrificial death for mankind. Leonardo's animal subjects are based on reality and are filled with vitality.
Sources: 1. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,810926,00.html 2. http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/cat.html
Submitted 9/03/2006
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Melanie Light is an artist and art educator. She is the site owner of Pet Lovers Art at http://www.artzpet.com and Classic Pet Art at http://www.cafepress.com/petz . You will find more pet artwork, gifts, and information on these web sites.
How to Make A Cute Music Box for Your Little Boy or GIrl
Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins
If you are creative and want to make something special for your little boy or girl, a cute music box would sure bring a smile to their face as well as create a memory to last a lifetime! If you are so inclined, here are the directions for a fun "Whistle While You Work" music box taken from Sharon Ganske's book, "Making Marvelous Music Boxes."
Materials Needed
For the Base, Including Music Box Accessories:
Wooden trunk
9" wide X 5 1/2" deep x 5" high
18 note key-wind musical movement
Turntable, 1"
Key extende, 1/2"
4 wooden bells, 1"
Sandpaper
Wood Sealer
Decorative Accessories for Music Box:
Assortment of Lego buiding blocks
Yellow Lego building board, 5" x 5 1/2"
Border stencil, 1 1/2"-wide design
Acrylic Paint Colors:
To match Lego building blocks
Blue
Green
Red
Yellow
Adhesives and Spray Sealer:
Industrial strength glue
Stencil, Adhesive, or tape
Gloss spray sealer
Tools and Brushes:
Drill with 1/4" drill bit
Old paintbrush
Paintbrush
Paper towels
Stenciling
Sponge brush
Step by Step Assembly Instructions
Step One:
Using sandpaper, sand the wooden trunk of the music box as well as the lid. Next, use an old paintbrush to apply wood sealer to the trunk and lid following the manufacturer's directions. Allow to dry throughly.
Step Two:
Using a paintbrush, paint the sides of the trunk with yellow acrylic paint. Next, paint the lid and bottom of base with blue and bells with red.
Step Three:
Using stencil, adhesive, or tape, center the border stencil between top and bottom of one side of the trunk. Using a stenciling sponge brush, sponge the stencil with green, red, and blue acrylic paint. Dip a small edge of the sponge brush in green acrylic paint, stenciling one side at a time. Blot on paper towels. Then, lighlty sponge one area at a time that is to be green, being careful not to get paint on unwanted areas. Allow to dry throughly.
You will next carefully sponge over the green areas again with enough coats to cover them completely-do not apply the paint too heavily or it will run under the stencil. Do not remove the stencil. Repeat the process with red and then blue. When dry, remove the stencil, and sponge the three remaining sides in the same way. Allow to dry throughly. Spray trunk, lid, and bells with gloss sealer.
Step Four:
Drill a 1/4" hole in the center front of trunk.
Step Five:
Using industrial strength glue, glue a few Lego blocks together for a winding knob. Glue turntable to back center for Lego winding knob.
Step Six:
Glue musical movement inside trunk, making sure the winding-key shaft is centered in hole. Remove the lid. Glue 5" x 5 1/2" yellow Lego building board to top of the lid, making sure it is centered. Turn the trunk upside down, and glue one bell to bottom of the box at corners for legs. Allow to dry.
Step Seven:
Wind the turntable onto key extender. Wind the key-extender onto the winding key-shaft. The turntable is the winding key. Using the remaining Lego building blocks, create anything you desire. Then, you can take the creation apart and build something new as well!
Making a music box for your child can be a lot of fun. All it takes is a willingness to try. Begin today and create a memory to last a lifetime!
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Established in May of 2005, http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in music box products such as inlaid ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms décor, whimsical carousel music boxes, and musical jewelry boxes. The company provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages. Owner Monique Hawkins is also the author of the blog "What You Never Knew About Music" http://whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com , and owner of the eBay store "Monique's Music Box" at: http://stores.ebay.com/Moniques-Music-Box/ Monique can be contacted at (540) 858-2885.
Better Golf Swing, learn how to do it!
As a seasoned veteran golfer should already know, the key to a good game of low scoring golf is the swing. As a beginner, the first thing you need to learn is that a better golf swing will eventually make you a better golfer.
As a beginner, the mechanics of the golf swing should be the first thing you should learn but it should be the last thing you're thinking about while on the golf course. What is meant by that is that a golfer needs to know that the golf swing or golf swing thoughts should be used primarily for the purpose of learning a new motion until it is developed into unconscious thought (you swing from memory not thought).
This conscious thought of a better golf swing should only take place while on the range or when swinging around the house for practice, not while playing a game. When you're on the range to play a game, the only thing you should be thinking about is where you want the ball to land.
Techniques
Pick a spot out on the course preferably the green of the fairway where you want to try and get the ball to land and concentrate on hitting the ball to that spot; don't concentrate on how you're going to swing the club. Using this thought on the ball also forces you to think ahead or think of something else other than your swing.
This sounds a lot easier than what it actually is and anyone who has tried not to think about their swing while swinging will testify to the difficulties your going to have while trying to train your mind as well as your swing.
In fact very few golfers are able to keep their minds off their swing, they are continually thinking while swinging how to get a better golf swing. In other words they are trying to hard, relax and concentrate on the ball and where your target is for the ball.
This new way of target golfing may take some time to get used to, so go out and practice this new way of golfing for a month or so preferably on the practice tee before you pass judgment on this technique give it some time and you will see that you will soon have a better golf swing where it counts, on the course.
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