Sometimes when I am making copies, I find lessons and projects from other teacher's on the copy machine. One such essay that I recently found for a US History class was called "Progressive Reforms," and asked students to write a several page essay detailing all the progressive reforms of US Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson. Students were encouraged to write what the reform was and how it helped society. Suggested reforms for students to learn about and glorify were Roosevelt's trustbusting or founding of the Department of Commerce and Labor or Pure Food and Drug Act, Taft's conservation efforts or the Mann Elkins Act, or Wilson's 'reforms' of the banks and 'reforms' of tariffs.

This lesson is a good example of the kind of prevalent liberal bias that exists in education today. Although these are all proper subjects to learn about and important to US history and there is nothing wrong with learning about these subjects in isolation, this essay does demonstrate liberal bias because of the context that these subjects are studied and the absence of other things being studied.

The context that Progressivism is taught in schools is that society needed to be reformed because things were really bad in America under the conservative administrations of Republican McKinley and Democrat Cleveland, who favored businesses and limited government and traditional values to the determinant of our nation. Progressives on the other hand were the good guys in the story of American history, using the power of government to override the objections of states, localities, and minorities so that they could jam through regulations of business and society to give increased power to groups that they favored. Admittedly some good was done by these changes- national parks are nice- but at the very least some of the reforms that are taught to students as unqualified and unconditional successes are not.

Arguments could made that the glorification of the Progressive era is distorting the reality of the situation- students learn that Roosevelt broke up Standard Oil because it was an evil monopoly run by a bad millionaire, but that is not the real story at all. Students read and memorize The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and are told that this is an example of why we need a federal Food and Drug administration, but they never learn any criticisms of this book or the arguments that it advances or the legacy that it led to. Students learn about 'reforming banks', but what is meant by 'reform' is actually a big government-big business partnership called the Federal Reserve System of Banks, which many (especially the Ron Paul types) think is very bad. And these are just a couple examples.

The point is that students are being asked in this essay to talk about all that was good about the Progressive movement after reading a textbook about how good the Progressive movement was, and later on these students will become voters who might perhaps believe what they read and wrote about. Again, that's not to say that students should not learn about the good aspects of the Progressive movement, but it is to say that it demonstrates liberal bias in education that is deep and thorough when students learn about events and issues from one slant or agenda only and do not spend equal time learning about other issues from other slants or agendas (for example, students spend considerable time on the Progressive Era, but little time on the successful economic time period of the 1920's or the foreign policy successes of Taft or the return to normal economic growth that was achieved under Eisenhower).

The effect of this kind of education in every school in our entire country speaks to the size of the bias and slant that education needs to overcome if it is to no longer be liberally biased.

rack and pinion gears

"...The Gratis Foundation exists to promote industrialization by developing and disseminating technology to industry,particularly small and medium-scale enterprises...it evolved out of the Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Service...To accomplish this mandate, GRATIS established Intermediate Technology Transfer Units (ITTUs) now designated Regional Technology Transfer Centres (RTTCs) in nine regions of Ghana to transfer appropriate technologies to small-scale industrialists through training, manufacturing and the supply of machine tools, plants and equipment..."-website

According to the AP, President Barack Obama's new chief of staff William Daley respond to the proposal from congressional Republicans to cut $55 billion from the federal budget by going on CBS' 'Face the Nation' and asking the "Where's the beef?" He then elaborated that he is very curious to see exactly where those cuts will come from, implying that Republicans are playing the same sort of game that Obama plays often where he makes vague statements with no details to back them up. Both President of the United States Barack Obama (Democrat) and him apparently can't find the details for these cuts and so think that this is some sort of trick.

This is really sad, because I opened up internet explorer, went to google, searched 'details of gop plan', and the very first site that was listed was "A Roadmap for America's Future: The Budget Committee Republicans," which links to the GOP's detailed plans to cut $55 billion from the federal budget. That I was able to find the details to the plan so easily and yet the President of the United States and his chief of staff were not able to speaks to one of two things- one, they're all incompetent idiots who lack basic computer and research skills because they are all stuck in the pre-internet past, or two, they are disingenuous liars who are knowingly trying to scam and fool the American people because they know they are not decent or honest or truthful people so they can't find any refuge there.

Daley is thus either an incompetent idiot or a disingenuous liar- either way, the fact that he was chosen to be the main advisor to our President speaks to the kind of people that our President has chosen to surround himself with.

In case Obama or Daley ever do figure out how to use the internet and read by blog, I'll help them out by putting the apparently hard to find information on where 'the beef' is below:

• LEGISLATIVE BRANCH...............................$1,283,000,000. (23%)
• Notes: The Government Printing Office is abolished.
• JUDICIAL BRANCH......................................$2,434,000,000. (32%)
• AGRICULTURE............................................$42,542,000,000. (30%)
• The Agriculture Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Resources Conservation Service, and Foreign Agricultural Service are abolished. The Forest Service gets a $1.2 billion haircut.
• COMMERCE...................................................$5,322,000,000. (54%)
• National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is cut by $857,000,000.
• DEFENSE.......................................................$47,500,000,000. (6.5%)
• EDUCATION..................................................$78,000,000,000 (83%)
• Only the Pell grant program survives.
• ENERGY............................................................$44,200,000,000 (100%)
• The Defense Department takes over all of Energy's remaining functions (nuclear waste, for example) and about $18 billion of its budget.
• HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES..............$26,510,000,000. (26%)
• Notes: FDA is cut by $230,000,000; Indian Health Service is cut by $650 million; CDC is cut by $1.17 billion; NIH by $5.8 billion.
• HOMELAND SECURITY.................................$23,765,000,000. (43%)
• Notes: Coast Guard is shifted to Defense. TSA's funds are cut by $900 million.
• HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT....$53,100,000,000. (100%)
• Notes: Completely eliminated. Veterans' housing programs are transferred to the VA
• INTERIOR........................................................$10,934,000,000. (78%)
• Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs are abolished.
• JUSTICE.............................................................$9,057,000,000. (28%)
• Note: Office of Justice Programs is abolished.
• LABOR....................................................$2,803,000,000. (2%)
• OSHA, MSHA, and the The Employment and Training Administration are spared all cuts (no cuts to unemployment benefits)
• STATE...................................................................$20,321,000,000. (71%)
• Note: Massive foreign aid cuts. All international commissions and organizations are defunded.
• TRANSPORTATION............................................$42,810,000,000. (49%)
• Notes: Amtrak is completely de-funded.
• VETERANS’ AFFAIRS..........................................No cuts
• CORPS OF ENGINEERS......................................$1,854,000,000. (27%)
• EPA..............................................................$3,238,000,000. (29%)
• GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.....$1,936,000,000. (85%)
• INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS...$24,300,000,000 (100%)
• NASA.........................................................................$4,500,000,000 (25%)
• NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION...............$4,723,000,000. (62%)
• OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT.......$9,070,000,000.
• SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.........No cuts
• FCC...........................................................$2,150,000,000. (22%)
• ABOLISH...............................................................$2,050,000,000. (100%)
• (1) Affordable Housing Program.
• (2) Commission on Fine Arts.
• (3) Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• (4) Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
• (5) National Endowment for the Arts.
• (6) National Endowment for the Humanities.
• (7) State Justice Institute.
• MISC
• Collect delinquent taxes from Federal Employees........$3,000,000,000.
• Freeze Federal Government employee pay...................$2,000,000,000.
• Reduce Federal Government travel..............................$7,500,000,000.
• Repeal Davis-Bacon..................................................... $6,000,000,000.
• Prohibit union project labor agreements......................$2,000,000,000.
• TARP repeal.................................................................$4,481,000,000.
• Sell Federal Buildings..................................................$19,000,000,000.
• Reduce Federal vehicle budget..........................................$600,000,000.

UPDATE: Comment from theblogprof's story on this subject, which I echo:

Note the one cut close to the end: "Collect delinquent taxes from Federal Employees." $3 BILLION??? Good grief. How are they still federal employees at all?

In the Economist:

Every year the electoral calendar in Sub-Saharan Africa becomes more crowded, and every year most posts, from the presidency to seats in the National Assembly and town mayorships, are competed for rather than seized or bestowed. The number of elections held annually in recent years has increased; since 2000 between 15 and 20 elections have been held each year. African democracy appears to have flourished and the holding of elections has become commonplace, but not all ballots pass the test of being "free and fair" and many have been charades held by regimes clinging on to power. Similarly, coups d'état have become more infrequent, although conflict, failed governments and human-rights abuses remain widespread. For every two steps forward over the past 20 years there has been at least one step back, but the overall trend appears to be in the right direction.

Yesterday I got a chance to sit down and talk for a bit with Michigan Governor Rick Synder and he told me a pretty funny story. I'm going to try my best to rely it to you...

So Synder moves into his new office in Lansing and goes to sit down at his desk, and he strikes up a conversation with the IT guys who are in his office installing his computer. He notices that his computer screen is a square computer screen, so he asks one of the IT guys about it- "How come I have a square computer screen?" From his time as CEO of Gateway Computers, Synder knew that square computer screens are more expensive and usually smaller than most modern rectangle shaped wide-screen computer screens.

"Because that's what They said that We should put in," the tech guys answered and kept on installing his new computer.

Synder said that he looked puzzled and then asked "Who are 'They'?"

"They are the ones that order that things get done," the guy guys said and kept installing the expensive and small square computer screen.

Synder looked more puzzled and then asked "Who are 'They'?"

"They order things, and we do them, and they say the specifications are that everyone gets a square computer screen," the tech guys said and continued working, "They are in charge of how things are done."

Synder said that he looked even more puzzled and once again asked "Who are They? Aren't I the Governor of the State of Michigan? Aren't I the one in charge of how things get done?"

Apparently this amused the tech guys, and they sort of chuckled and continued working. Synder never did figure out who 'They' are,and now it is a running gag in his office to figure out exactly who 'they' are, but he did say that he now knows a little bit more about just exactly what is wrong with Michigan's government- and what is likely wrong with national government- and it is the fact that bureaucracy is running our state. It is unelected paper-pushers with narrow job descriptions who service no customers and receive no job performance feedback and have great job security who are really running things, with vague chains of command and no accountability. 'They' are the problem- they do things that don't need to be done at great cost because 'they' have always done it that way and are always going to do it that way. 'They' run every department of our government, 'they' make up the majority of those who work in government, and 'they' play a big role in determining who are elected officials are. 'They' are the problem.

Synder learned a valuable lesson from this experience- if he is going to get anything done in Michigan, if he is going to put in place real change, he is going to need to figure out who 'they' are, and get them to be responsive to taxpayers and elected officials and not be a power unto themselves. I wish him good luck with that.

Doug Saunders contends that the post colonial era is ending. Citing recent trade deals between  BRIC countries he concludes that:

...What these deals have in common is that they involve “developing” countries striking deals, and entering political arrangements, that have nothing to do with either supplying the Western world with cheap goods and raw materials, asking wealthy neighbours for investment and support, or resisting economic and political overtures from the West. Until very, very recently, those sorts of transactions dominated the world.I believe we are witnessing the end of the post-colonial era in politics and economics. In China, Brazil and a dozen other countries, the type of thinking known as “post-colonial” – defined as a stark choice between angry resistance or humiliating subservience – has simply ceased to matter in political and business relations.

More here

• Livescribe Smartpen: Applications in Education

  I'm really loving my livescribe pen and finding many uses for it in the classroom (particularly oral quizzes and recording things we talk about in class!) Here is their blog about how to use this amazing tool in education.

  tags: education

• Top 25 Web 2.0 Sites for Education

  Nice list from David Kapuler

  tags: education web2.0

• Edutopia 2011 Survey

  Edutopia's 2011 survey. Join in!

  tags: education

• Tech Learning TL Advisor Blog and Ed Tech Ticker Blogs from TL Blog Staff – TechLearning.com

  Bob Sprankle has a nice article on how you can use wikipedia with younger students.

  tags: education learning wikipedia collaboration wiki_book

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe writing in Africa Resource:

Africa has been the quintessential target of French military interventionism during this period because immanent in the worldview of the French political establishment, irrespective of ideological/political colouration, none of the former French-conquered and occupied African states is really independent or sovereign by any breadth or shade of either of these definitions. Instead, according to this conception, these are francophonie backwoods, which, at best, have some measure of local administrative autonomy (hence, “francophone Africa”!), with ultimate sovereign power lodged at the metropolitan centre in Paris

More here

• Human Body Detectives : adventures

  Target age 6-10 - Human Body Detectives who enter different systems of the body to solve health mysteries.

  tags: education

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

By Candi Peterson, WTU General Vice President

For the first time ever, the Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) sponsored an Education Transition Summit on Tuesday, January 25 at the Kellogg Conference Center. Of late, teacher turnout has been low at union sponsored events due to what amounts in my opinion to a disenfranchised membership. I arrived at the event shortly before it started and could hardly believe my eyes when swarms of teachers and school personnel starting walking through the glass doors. Certainly, the over 450 plus crowd was more than I could have ever hoped for.

There were many smiles, hugs, pats on the back and congratulations about our recent WTU victory. The lines were endless and the Kellogg Conference staff were so accommodating by doubling the number of seats for so many unexpected guests. When no more seats could be provided due to fire code violations, teachers were willing to stand for hours despite the discomfort. Our members filled not only the on campus garage but also an overflow parking lot and off-street parking.

The Education Transition Summit primarily focused on the IMPACT evaluation tool and working conditions. As I strolled through the room, I took the time to listen to teachers' dialogue about what has transpired in these last three years under the Rhee/Henderson regime. One thing that everyone agreed on is that teachers have been robbed of the 'joy of teaching' and replaced with a one-size regimen that does not fit all. One teacher spoke of how she can no longer use centers to teach skills to her young Pre-K students. Teachers talked about no matter how well they had mastered IMPACT - they dealt with an inordinate amount of stress about the possibility of being caught doing something wrong instead of applauded for what they do right. Many talked about being considered great teachers until IMPACT where everyone is the sum total of their IMPACT score. Get a low number and you're no longer a great teacher. Teachers and school personnel were clear what was needed- a new evaluation tool. When the time came for our members to vote for IMPACT to stay or go - the majority voted for it to be thrown out.

The dialogue seemed to spark hope for many of our members who have bought into the nation-wide teacher bashing campaign that they are worthless and responsible for all of the ills of public education. Tuesday night was a new beginning for the WTU and our members. It marked the first time we were collectively at the table. Given the opportunity to help the new Mayor shape his educational agenda for DCPS, DC teachers and school personnel rose to the challenge. After all who better than us to provide first-hand knowledge about what goes on in the classroom, our schools and public education. One attendee emailed me: "That was a great meeting the other night.What you experienced in that room was a much larger version of what I saw in the small group of teachers - a real appreciation to finally be heard." Another member said: "let's do it again."

As the WTU General Vice-President, I would be interested in hearing your comments about the transition summit. What were the highlights of the evening? Is there anything that you would have changed? Do you have recommendations for the future? ... I'm listening.

Over the last few posts I've been critical of Obama, not because of who he is, but because of the incompetence of his administration. Here is just one more small example of this incompetence, from the Journal of the American Enterprise Institute:

How to evaluate the results of last week’s China-U.S. summit in Washington? Improbably, the key for the entire event may lie in what is usually the least memorable portion of these carefully choreographed occasions: the cultural program at the concluding state banquet.

During the dinner’s musical interlude and following a duet with American jazz musician Herbie Hancock, Chinese pianist Lang Lang treated the assembled dignitaries to a solo of what he described as “a Chinese song: ‘My Motherland.’” (You can watch this on YouTube.)

The Chinese delegation was clearly delighted: Chinese President and Communist Party chief Hu Jintao, stone-faced for many of his other photo ops in Washington, beamed with pleasure upon hearing the melody and embraced Lang Lang at the song’s conclusion (see it on YouTube too). President Obama, for his part, amiably praised Lang Lang for his performance and described the event as "an extraordinary evening."

But what, exactly, is this “gorgeous” and “beautiful” (Hu’s words) tune that so entranced China’s visiting leadership?

“My Motherland” is not a “Chinese song” in any ordinary meaning of the term. Instead, it is a Mao-era propaganda classic: the theme from "Triangle Hill" (Shangganling), a film in which heroic Chinese forces fight, kill, and eventually beat Americans in pitched battle during the Korean War.

“My Motherland” epitomizes the “Resist America, Aid [North] Korea” campaign that Beijing embraced during and after the Korean War. It celebrates Sino-American enmity.

“My Motherland” is still famous in China; indeed, it is well-known to practically every Chinese adult to this very day. Unfortunately, this political anthem and its significance were evidently unknown to the many members of the administration’s China team—the secretary and deputy secretary of State, the assistant secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, and the National Security Council’s top two Asia experts—who were on hand at the state dinner and heard this serenade. Clueless about the nature of the insult, they did not know to warn the president that he would embarrass himself and his country by not only sitting through the song, but by congratulating Lang Lang for it afterward.

Although Americans are often tone-deaf to cadences of symbolism in international relations, the Chinese are not. And for Chinese audiences, the symbolism of performing “My Motherland” to a host of uncomprehending barbarians in the White House itself hardly required explanation. This was a triumph of sorts for a newly assertive, and more nakedly anti-American, strain in Chinese foreign policy. The episode has reportedly already gone viral over the Chinese Internet, where the buzz on this crude and deliberate snub is overwhelmingly and enthusiastically positive. Hu can thus return home confident his visit to America will widely be regarded as a success domestically— for reasons his American counterparts do not yet seem to comprehend...

...If American policy makers are to avoid unpleasant surprises in their dealings with China in the years ahead, they must pay far more attention to official Chinese pronouncements, commentary, and doctrine. All too often, American security specialists—and even China watchers—are inclined to disregard official Chinese speechifying as so much boring palaver. The problem is that in a controlled society, official words matter. Sometimes, even songs do.

Although I don't blame Obama for not knowing that the song he was so approving of was an anti-US song, I do blame Obama for surrounding himself with people who didn't know it and weren't able to let him know that he was being insulted. America is being played as a fool too much by this administration, and it might be because we have a fool in the White House.

The artist may set up a still life without due thought to the lighting. Shadows being non-solid may be overlooked, and may appear to fall off one side of the canvas when painted. This may compel the artist to fade them out as though diffused by strip lighting. The artist may further forget that pale objects may appear dark if lit from behind, portraying instead the object’s local colour. Such treatment may result in a painting that lacks atmosphere. How can the artist make best use of the light in painting?

Poor use of Light in Painting

Light is a vital factor in a composition, for light and shadow appear as solid to the eye as the objects themselves. Forgetting that shadows contain shifting hues and tones may result in black shapes that resemble holes in the painting. Subtle effects such as varying outlines and reflected light may also be overlooked, robbing the painting of all mood. But the following might help raise awareness of using light for painting.

The Best Use of Light for Painting

Examine the two paintings. It will not be immediately apparent that they comprise of identical compositions. The difference is simply the direction of the light. Light, especially sunlight, has a fundamental effect upon how objects appear, which is why it is such an important factor to consider in painting.

Both paintings were completed alfresco on two identical consecutive afternoons. The painting above was completed facing north; the painting below was completed looking west. Notice how different the colours are for both. The pudding basin is white, yet in both paintings, different colour palettes were used. The apple is bright red in one picture, yet it is almost black in the other. The actual colour of the objects is known as the “local colour” and will not always agree with the eye actually sees.

When it comes to painting, it is best to ignore the local colour but to record the perceived colour: If the apple is red but appears to be violet, paint violet rather than red.

How to Paint Light

The same object may often require a different palette when lit in different ways. Objects lit from behind will often feature tonal contrasts and subdued hues; a setting lit from the front will feature more definite hues and less shadows. In the case of the paintings, one required, ultramarine, burnt umber and liberal amounts of white; the other, burnt sienna, viridian, permanent rose and moderate amounts of white.

Shift the objects around under a light source and see how the shadows change in colour, tone and intensity. The hues of the objects will appear to shift too. Look for definite hues in white objects and bright colours in black objects. Natural light, particularly sunlight will emphasise these effects.

Painting Light from Life

Shifting shadows create challenges for the artist wishing to capture their essence, but being transient, time is a factor. I often record the shape of the shadows quickly and then block them in. Making snap judgments in colour mixing is often required. Once the shadows have shifted, don’t be tempted to alter them accordingly, for this could mess up the painting. Ignore them and continue with the other subject matter.

Painting light is more about capturing many moments in time, as opposed to photographing one moment.

• Books on oil painting
• Oil painting materials
• Guide to painting alfresco
• How to paint weather

Over at NigeriansTalk Benson Eluma on the reasons behind the religious crisis within northern Nigeria:

With its current culture of violent power relations, I don’t think that things would be different in the north (of Nigeria) if everybody was a Muslim or a Christian or an Animist, Pantheist or Atheist. People who want a fight will create one, no matter what they share in religion and ethnicity and language. If things continue this way in the north, very soon the certainties of identification, to paraphrase Farah, will be eroded and deleted. In these crises in northern Nigeria the variables of religion and ethnicity are interpenetrating and cancelling out one another. Soon, all that will be left as social residuum is the commitment to do battle on one side against all others.

More here

Poor lighting may make the brightest still life objects appear dull. The artist may find colour mixing more difficult, which will have a knock-on effect on the painting. Artificial lighting serves only to make the still life setting appear lurid, creating fuzzy shadows with no contrasts. But outdoors, even on a cloudy day, the contrast can be breathtaking. How does the artist prepare for still life painting en plein air?

Painting a Still Life Alfresco

Tips for Alfresco Art

The artist does not have to go traipsing off into the landscape to paint alfresco; one’s own back yard is ideal. The light that floods the garden is often far brighter than the light that filters indoors, even on a cloudy day. Objects appear more vibrant and contrasts between colour and tone more intense. As a bonus, new possibilities for still life subject matter seem to open out: tomato plants, wheelbarrows, deckchairs, trellises, gardening tools, swings, hanging baskets, urns, water-features, bird tables, garden ornaments, fish ponds, bird boxes – and natural light.

However, the simplest everyday objects can be used and when carefully arranged in the garden, exude a beauty rarely seen indoors.

Still Life in the Garden

Setting up a still life outdoors need not be difficult. A patio table and chair can be used as the painting station. I often use as tripod stool as used by campers or fishers, as it allows unlimited elbow room. Adjust the seating so the thighs are parallel to the floor. This will also make the paints easier to reach if placed on the ground.

An informal setting with minimal clutter is best. An easel need only be used if working large. Otherwise, affix the painting to a backing board via bulldog clips and prop against a patio table or similar. Place all art materials on an old sheet so that it can be gathered up quickly if the weather changes. Weigh down with stones if it turns breezy.

Practical Advice for Painting En Plein Air

Beware of hotspots in the garden and also of bright sunlight bouncing off the painting surface. If possible sit in the shade or under a parasol. Wear a hat and sunblock. A cool drink always comes in handy. There is nothing wrong with wearing sunglasses, for they cut out the glare and make the still life stand out. But take them off from time to time to check the colour mixes.

Optimum Use of Light for Painting

Plan ahead for such a fickle thing as sunlight. Conceive and sketch the composition on a dull day. This will negate pressures to get the paint down before the light fades.

Finding an interesting still life composition in the garden will involve viewing, walking around, taking notes and sketching. Swapping and changing the objects might sometimes be necessary. Take the time to get the drawing right. Make a note of where the drawing took place and how the objects were arranged. Taking due thought over this will ensure a successful painting on the day.

If the weather forecast is good, prepare the art materials in readiness. Consider where and when the shadows creep in on certain times of the day. It would be pointless to begin a sunlit painting in late afternoon if the sun sets behind the house.

Allow more time to complete the painting than one thinks. I find early morning or teatime in spring or late summer allows the artist ample time to record the shifting shadows. Diffused sunlight as seen beneath a parasol will take away the element of transience if the artist wishes. But if the painting does not turn out at first another can be tried without too much preparation, but painting alfresco in the garden is arguably one of the most unique ways of producing still life art that may prove addictive.

More about producing still life art in the garden can be found in my book Oil Paintings from your Garden, as signed copy of which can be purchased from Ebay (see visual link on the top right of this blog) or from Amazon.

Articles on Still Life

• How to paint flowers wet into wet
• Still life painting tutorial
• Books on oil painting
• Oil painting materials

Embarking upon a painting featuring lots of elements regarding textures, patterns and colour shifts may overwhelm the artist wishing to try something challenging. Striations on seashells, embroidery on curtains or layers within red cabbage may cause visual overload where the artist does not know where to begin. What is the simplest technique for painting detail without compromising the quality of the finished artwork?

Problems with Painting Detail

Applying Detail in Oils Rachel Shirley

The idea of embarking upon a painting with lots of detail is often appealing. The reward of completing an exacting work of art that catches the eye and entices the viewer to take a closer look may cause the artist to go in with both feet with such a project. However, once faced with the reality of emulating a multitude of patterns and textures, the artist may experience the wind go out of the creative sails. The following may cause an unsatisfactory painting with detail.

Trying to complete the painting in one go and with increased haste towards the end due to fatigue. This will be reflected in wobbly lines, patchy colour mixes and uneven paint layers.

Spending too much energy on preparing the project, collating visual resources, completing an accurate and detailed drawing, and setting up the workstation. When the time actually comes to paint, the artist may become lacklustre and run out of steam. An uncompleted painting is the likely result.

Using inferior art materials for exacting processes, such as cheap brushes and pigments with poor tinting strength will create difficulties for the artist and an unsatisfactory painting of detail.

How to Paint Detail

The artist must think realistically about how the project is to be completed. The following tips may help.

Accept that a large detailed painting will never be completed in one day. Plan what to do first and how much per session. Be realistic about how much time the painting will take. This will keep the painting manageable.

Create small goals. If the painting features several objects, complete one object per day. Alternatively, if two or three objects contain similar hues, such as maroon striations in a red cabbage and textures on a beetroot skin, complete those objects containing that particular hue together.

Begin the painting session with the most challenging detail when feeling most up to it. The easier parts can be completed at the end of the session.

Take regular breaks from the painting. Time easily slips away whilst engrossed in painting each layer of an onion. Don’t push too hard. Beware of discomfort when sitting too long. Move about periodically.

Try not to think about the whole painting whilst painting a small aspect of it. Relegate all other objects as invisible. Imagine the painting is in fact several paintings in one. This will make the artist feel that the painting is moving forward.

Essential Art Materials for Detailled Painting

The artist must never guesswork detail, or the painting may fail to convince. For this reason, excellent visual resources and good lighting are vital. This means photographs of a high resolution or subject matter that is up to standard. Good lighting conditions may comprise a north-facing skylight, or adjacent window. Painting in dull lighting may give the artist a false impression of the painting’s quality until viewed under bright conditions.

Excellent quality fine sable brushes are vital. Kolinsky sables provide fine points, softness and springiness. When it comes to sharp detail, rounds sizes 0, 1, 3 and 6 will suit most purposes. A selection of filberts or fans will create smooth blends.

Art Techniques for Painting Detail

Oil painting in glazes enables the artist to work over the painting in layers to achieve an ever higher and sharper-detailed finish. This entails the application of the paint in thin translucent layers, most often thinned with linseed oil. Each artist will have personal preference, but the following describes how I typically complete a detailed painting:

Apply an imprimatura of an earth colour, usually thinned burnt sienna or burnt umber acrylic paint. This will kill the overpowering white layer of the canvas.

Sketch the composition on top with a fine chalk pencil. Detail is not essential as the drawing will be concealed by the overlying paint.

Select an object in the painting; in this example, an onion. Apply the base colour thinly, which might be cream or beige Express shifts in tone and brush away unwanted marks. Apply the detail with slightly thicker paint. The onion layers can be suggested by applying thinned paint via a rigger or thin sable. Even out unwanted brush marks, accepting the object will not be perfect at this stage.

Allow to dry. In the meantime, the artist may embark upon another object if feeling up to it. Return to the onion another day once touch-dry, applying a second glaze. This glaze can be used to modify or improve upon the lower layer. Sharpen up detail and smooth out unwanted brush marks. The artist may notice the object appears sharper, more intense and closer to the desired effect. A third layer can be applied if desired, although only select areas may need attention.

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Taken by Vicki Davis.

Vulcanized rubber, Post-it notes, and penicillin were all created by mistake. What if the inventors had thrown out that petri dish or crumpled up that piece of paper and thrown it away?

When you make a mistake learn from it.

I love the story from Andrew Carnegie in Dale Carnegie's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Andrew had a head of one of his divisions who had just made a mistake that cost the company a lot of money. Andrew went to the man's office and the man was packing. Andrew said something like this:

"Why are you packing?"

Disheartened executive: I made a mistake that cost this company a lot of money, I should be fired.

Andrew: "I just spent $100K training you, why should I fire you!!"

Andrew Carnegie understood that mistakes are the training ground for greatness. What do you think of the loyalty and performance of that man for the rest of the time he worked for Andrew!

It is a mistake not to tolerate mistakes, Just don't tolerate NOT LEARNING from mistakes.
The running joke in my house is when one of us makes a mistake (the last one who dropped a gallon of milk on the floor by picking it up by the cap), Kip says:

"Now, what have we learned?"

This is one mistake we have nowadays - we don't tolerate mistakes in anyone else but feel like we should have all the excuses in the world. Often in hiring/ firing we're guilty of two things - we let those derelicts who should be fired hang on and sap the lifeblood and productivity out of our organization and we fire the trailblazer for the one mistake not realizing that person is a 'go getter' and one who really gets things done.

Your Arena

By Stuck in Customs, Flickr

Theodore Roosevelt said this:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

You are a teacher. You are in the arena. Right here right now.

You are daring greatly many days and I mean that. Some of you right now have gang violence as a threat hanging over your head. Or you have those awful fights and worry for your own safety if it happens in your room. Tension is everywhere...

in your arena.

The Greatest Nobility of our Time is Teachers who behave Nobly
You are spending yourself in a worthy cause because you are an educator. The greatest nobility of our time. Nobility is not determined by the gold castle nor the piles of money in the antechamber, but in the fact that underneath your garments you wear the mantle of kings and queens and yet, you choose the path of an unappreciated profession.

You are noble and admirable but you must act like it!

Don't Give It Away
When you whine... when you curse... when you mope around like the world is coming to an end... you give away a piece of your nobility. You are noble... act like it.

Rise up and be a generation of teachers remembered not for their fancy tools and definitely not for their fancy cars but for their heart.

The teachers who say,

"I"m going to teach you if it is the last thing I do... and it might just be."

Teachers who overcome excuses and make things happen for their students through the sweat of their brow! Teachers who give the kids all the credit and on this side of heaven no one will ever know what you've truly done.

Be noble. 

Photo of "History Teacher" by One Lucky Guy on Flickr

There are thousands and hundreds of thousands of you out there, my friends. I could care less what the news media says or the political brew-ha-ha of today. You can and will work in this environment. One day, people will look back and admire the teachers of this age for enduring our transition from industrial age to information age -- IF and only IF you behave admirably amidst it.

Be admirable. Be noble.

And if I sound preachy it is because I am preachy doggone it. I may be down here in south Georgia but I'm sick and tired of everyone telling us what we can't do.

We CAN do Something
We CAN change and improve our classrooms one period at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. We can't do everything but we can do something.

Remember your noble calling, teacher. Behave admirably in the arena!

Learn from mistakes and move ahead until society learns from the dire mistakes it is making that are negatively impacting education. Be tough. Be good but above all be NOBLE.

 

Keith Hart writing in Memory Bank:

When I graduated to the field of development studies, the picture of West Africa’s cities was just as distorted as one you might get from boorowing a Manchester school perspective. Here the emphasis of the economists was on the new states’ ability to pursue a neo-Keynesian development program. How could ‘we’ (the politicians, bureaucrats and their academic advisers) provide the jobs and other needs of the hordes flocking into the cities at the time? It was assumed that such provision had to come through the bureaucracy and conform to state-made laws. My paper on ‘informal income opportunities and urban employment’ pointed to the wide range of economic activities that were invisible to bureacracy. But even I saw them through a statist lens (“seeing like a state”), hence the term ‘informal’, not regulated by the bureaucracy. At that time I assumed that the bulk of economic progress must come though public and private sector enterprise of a corporate type.
The informal economy was never adequately described or defined, but these days it is commonplace to read assertions that African economies are 70-90% ‘informal’. Certainly the deregulation undertaken over the last three decades of neoliberal economic policies have led to a radical informalization of the world economy, not least in Africa. But to label these activities ‘informal’ is to avoid identifying what they are positively for or how they are organized, by which social principles.
I would say that the last half-century has seen a massive transfer of population to the cities, where most people have been left to generate their own forms of commerce. The informal economy in this sense has been a holding operation allowing many people to survive in the city and some to flourish. Whatever is coming up next will draw to some extent on this sprawling self-organized economic activity. Our task is to find out more about the promising sectors spawned by such a development.

More here

The following are my impressions from Democrat Barack Obama's 2011 State of the Union (SOTU) address. As a social studies teacher, perhaps I will have some comment or analysis that you might think is interesting...

• Before the President even speaks, I was flipping around the various channels listening to their comments, and what I heard over and over is that this speech will continue Obama's attempt to portray himself as a moderate, or that this would speech would help make it look like he was moving more to the center, or that this speech would help him to court independents... he's been in office for 2 years and is still in campaign mode trying to fake people out and disguise who he really is. I can't believe that voters might fall for it- he is who he has always been, a committed leftist liberal Democrat who believes in government control over our lives, less individual freedom and liberty to you, and abortion on demand to correct for the mistakes of humanity.
• His first several minutes were pretty good- hopeful, uplifting, and commenting on how great America was and how we were a tough, innovative country. Then he started lecturing me about how he knows better than me about how to innovate and about how I'm so weak so I need a bunch of help- that was less good.
• About 15 minutes in, and most of this has been some pretty general language about why education is important and why it is important to be smart. I guess this was all to set up that RTTT was a good law (which I disagree with, see earlier post). That's a pretty weak lead-off.
• Around 20 minutes in, I guess in the spirit of 'bipartianship', he re-proposes amnesty to illegal immigrants and pushing for the DREAM Act, which just was shot down by both parties in Congress.
• About 25 minutes in, Obama time-travels back to his childhood in Indonesia, when a nation's prosperity was based on the amount of railroads and roads that the nation had. He suggested that this will be done by having the government coerce private investment and then form a Big Government-Big Business-Big Labor partnership to force us to travel on railroads. I'm not a big fan of fascist proposals from the 1930's myself.
• About 30 minutes in, he begins to lecture Republicans on cutting deficits that he says started "a little over a decade ago" (the election of Bush in 2000?) and lectures the GOP on reforming massive entitlement programs that he has vastly expanded and enlarged and added to over the past 2 years. Is this some sort of Cloven-Piven strategy- wreck everything beyond repair and then talk a good game about unwrecking things? Will voters buy this sort of garbage?
• About 40 minutes in, Obama brags about a series of successful foreign policy initiatives that were begun under Republican President George Bush and that Obama bitterly opposed and fought against. He then talks about his foreign policy ideas that haven't quite worked out yet (but that is not to say that they won't eventually).
• About 45 minutes in, Obama gave a good statement of support for Tunisia. Perhaps he read my blog post criticizing him of being too weak on this issue? Although I wouldn't read too much into this statement- he said something last week of a similar nature and then turned around and called another Middle East dictator and said he really didn't mean it, so we'll see.
• He had a lot of good lines and well-written stuff in there- I really liked the criticism he had for central governments and the defense for our democratic process- that was nice and really jumped out as new and different. I think someone other than him wrote the beginning and end of his speech, but the middle was all his usual liberal hope-and-change nonsense.
• I really liked the fact that there was not a lot of applause and few delays. He delivered a good summary of what he saw as the 'state of our union', which is still strong, with a few problems he needs addressed. Overall, I generally liked it.
• Listening to the commentary, a couple things I heard- 1) Obama still picked enemies- oil companies, Wall Street, the rich, etc; 2) Obama really didn't feel like focusing on foreign policy, showing that he is still mainly a 'Legislator-in-Chief'; 3) Obama spoke about a lot of new 'investments', but there is no money for that; 4) Obama seemed to be going 'small-ball'- talking about 'big things' but really proposing only small little tweaks and nothing big, and this likely indicates that he is just going to play defensive from now until the election, simply sitting in the weeds and criticizing any solutions to the problems that he created, rejecting proposals to deal with any of the long-term issues in favor of winning short term political points. Just imagine if this guy gets a second-term and how unrestrained he will be.
• Republican response thoughts: Ryan delivered one of the best 'reponses' that I have seen. He approached it from the perspective of a calm parent who was non-partisan, and dissected and destroyed Obama's policy responses over the past two years the the challenges that he confronted, from discussing Obama's failed stimulus plan, failed Obamacare, and failed regulations. He was a sound and reasonable voice in response to the empty hope-and-change of Obama. He quoted the wisdom of the Founding Fathers and translated it to the times of today- so sweet! He delivered a fantastic speech that spoke to what makes our nation great- our freedom and liberty and capitalism and businesses and property protection and limited government and free enterprise- that compares favorably to Obama's speech which was about all the things that government can do (poorly). Congressman Paul Ryan for President!
• Comments from the media about Ryan's response were that he didn't deliver any specifics (neither did Obama), that he didn't show leadership (neither did Obama), and that he wasn't serious enough (neither was Obama).

UPDATE: Comments from Sean Hannity's panel- "I feel like I was taking crazy pills while watching that," "he wants to cut spending and proposed more spending on investments and freezing spending on other items- that isn't 'cutting spending'," "let's look at the facts," and "he's doing his best" (this is a key phrase- his best isn't good enough to be President).

UPDATE II: Saw former Speaker-of-the-House Congresswomen Democrat Nancy Pelosi give her thoughts, and she just said that Obama has created more jobs in our nation in his two years than George W. Bush did his entire eight years as President. She just said that. Really. I think she believes it too. If this is true, give me Bush's unjob creation and unemployment of 4% instead of Obama's job creation and unemployment of 10%- at least under Bush jobs weren't created but we all had them, rather than Obama who creates jobs that no one has (it makes no sense Pelosi- I just ingested crazy pills listening to her).

Pelosi followed this with some Kennedy quote about how it isn't about GOP and Democrat and how it is about rising above differences, but those darn GOPers need to be crushed first and only Democratic policies should be passed (crazy pills).

With the aim of supplying contrast between the old and new, the artist may include corroded objects in a still life. Rusty tools, watering cans or engine parts are sure to challenge the artist wishing to explore different textures. But despite attaining the desired colour mix, the objects portrayed do not suggest oxidisation. What art technique can the artist use to portray rusty metal convincingly?

Aged Effects in Oil Paint

Aged Objects in Still Life Rachel Shirley

Aged textures on metal may sometimes defeat the artist who is unsure of how to capture the texture of rust or peeling paint. Sensitive colour mixing is not always enough to suggest rust, and in some cases will merely make the object appear brown or orange. This situation is not helped if the paint is applied evenly and with uniform brush marks. The secret to painting rusty objects effectively lies partially in colour-mixing; the rest is down to how the paint is applied.

Rusty Objects for Still Life

Partially-oxidised metal objects will offer interesting contrasts between blemished and unblemished areas, which can be exploited in paint. Peeling paint can also add charm and visual textures to any still life. With several elements to consider, there is a choice of techniques the artist may use to suggest each.

Art Technique for Painting Rusty Metal

Good visual resources are vital for subtle effects such as rust. In this respect, little can compare to painting from life, which was what I did for the rustic watering can. The following technique can be tried.

Make sensitive observations of the rusty object regarding hue and tone. I find various amounts of burnt sienna, cadmium red, burnt umber, permanent rose and white occur most prevalently in rusted objects, although blues and violets will be seen in shaded areas. Corrugated iron may exhibit burnt umber, ultramarine and pthalo blue in various portions.

Apply a thin under-glaze of burnt umber acrylic prior to the painting. This will help when judging tonal values of the rust, as well as support the overlying rusty colours. Once dry, begin with the palest areas of the rust first. Apply the paint briskly and unevenly via a filbert ox-hair. Allow a little of the under-glaze to show through in places to add expression and suggest rough textures. A technique known as sgraffito can be incorporated, which involves etching into the paint layer with sharp implements to emulate a scratchy surface.

How to Age Metal with Oil Paint

Work progressively darker, adding a little ultramarine and/or burnt umber. Allow brush marks to remain in the paint. If peeling paint is featured on the object, apply the colour concerned thinly, working the paint roughly.

If the painting of rusty metal does not work out, allow the painting to dry and then work on top. Uneven layers of the underlying impasto will enable the artist to “scumble” paint onto selected areas of the subject matter to achieve a broken glaze. Applying the oil paint thinly (without adding linseed oil) will bring an effect like pastel pencil to the painting, ideal for suggesting rusty textures within a still life setting.

Textures in Oil Paint

The raised edges of cracked paint on a metallic object can be suggested if a little burnt umber is applied to shaded areas of the painting via a fine sable. Better control of the paint is possible if the pigment is applied neat rather than thinned with linseed, bringing an effect like crayon. Do not apply the paint in linear fashion, but with uneven marks. Remember that shadows cast by raised edges will often adjunct bright highlights of the raised edges themselves.

Finally, remember to make artistic comparisons between the rusty areas of the object and the unblemished metal, to ensure the tone and hue of each relate accurately.

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Today's State of the Union address will be another trip down bizzaro lane, led by President Hope-and-Change, and I know from past experience that I'll spend most of the SOTU yelling at the TV, and so might most of you. If you don't want to do that and you want to make it fun and understand it, I suggest you adopt the following tactic, which I call "Live in Bizarro World."

To apply this tactic, take all of Obama's longer 'two-part' sentences and divide them in half, and then pick the half that is true and discard the half that is not true. For example, when he talks about making America safer by sitting down and talking unconditionally to hostile regimes, disregard the 'making America safer' part and just pay attention to the 'sitting down' part. Or if he says that we'll have better energy security by not drilling for oil, just skip past the set-up and go straight to the 'not drilling part'.

You have to remember, in Obama's world, up is down and down is up, and because in Bizarro World everything is backwards, it is important for you to understand his meaning by ignoring the half of his speech that is unreality and instead picking up the the reality. He does not mean that we will lower our deficit by cutting spending and making more investments in our future- he means that we'll spend more money. If Obama says that we need to improve the spirit of bipartisanship by having Republicans cross over and support him on various schemes, he is simply demanding that Republicans roll over and go with him. His words do not mean what they mean- they are simply pleasing sounds strung together in a row in ways that other people might believe in, but they do contain in them parts of the reality of Obama's world and a glimpse of the bizarro world that he is from originally (his birth certificate may say Earth, but I still want to see the long form version to verify it doesn't say Bizarro World).

So, in summary, take half of everything that he says as truth, and the other half as wrong- usually it is the set-up or conclusion that is wrong and the action part that is the reality, but this isn't a hard and fast rule. Once you know that half of everything he says is wrong, since knowing is half the battle, you'll be a quarter of the way towards being completely sane while watching this SOTU.

UPDATE: Tactic Two, for those who emailed me about it, is a secret tactic called "Pulling a Rabbit Out of a Hat". I can't go in depth with this tactic, but basically the idea behind it is to not think to hard about how a rabbit can come out of an empty hat. I mean, the hat is empty and I'll show you that it's empty, but yet, if I put my hand in it, I can pull out a cute little rabbit. It's magic. Just go with it.

This tactic should keep you sane when Obama talks about cutting the debt and deficit by increasing spending. Oh, I know his logic- that by raising spending, more jobs will be created, causing more taxes to be paid, causing the deficit to shrink- but I reject that logic on the basis of all known data. But since using known data and logic will just make me pissed off during this thing, I think it's better for us all to simply look at the little birdy in the margins of this screen- right now, take a look at the left edge of this screen- do you see the little birdy... now 'poof', the deficit has gone down! Applaud.

Paul at Powerlineblog had this to say about the whole 'spending equals jobs' myth:

It is blindingly obvious that spending does not equal stimulus, and increasing federal spending will not create jobs. There are two possibilities here. One is that Obama is one of the last people in America who have not figured this out. The other is that Obama knows his proposals are dumb, from an economic standpoint, but doesn't care. The one thing that more government spending will accomplish is to slide more money to Barack Obama's cronies and to various constituencies of the Democratic Party. Maybe that is all Obama ever wanted.