Roses was painted shortly before the release of Vincent van Gogh from the asylum at Saint-Remy. This is one of the two paintings of roses in full bloom. It is believed that the blossoming plant represents celebrations of birth and renewal.
After seeing all the awesome photos from our participants, artdesign has finally chosen the winners of the 2021 Photo Competition. With the theme “Beautify Your Walls with Natures of the Philippines”, a total of 385 original photos were submitted by our patrons from all over the country. From these, the top 20 entries were based on the number of online votes they have gathered. Among the 20 finalists, the top 3 were decided by the members of the jury of artdesign. Thank you for joining & see you again next time for this year’s competition!!!
Finally, after months of waiting, the winners of the 2021 Photo Competition are out! Who would have known that this contest will be successful? It started with a simple idea, a smooth plan, and open communication. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Philippines, Artdesign decided to have the theme, “Beautify Your Walls with Natures of the Philippines”. Why not? Contrary to what many think about the country, the Philippines is rich in natural resources and tourist destinations.
It is at many surprises that a total of 385 original photos have been submitted from all parts of the country. All entries feature the wonders of nature that are seen in the different parts of the Philippines. From different landscapes and seascapes to the majestic sunset view, you will surely be amazed at how these photos were taken at the right moment.
We know that the photo entries submitted were given much thought and effort. From the 385 participants, the top 20 photos were chosen based on the total online votes that they garnered. The top three photos of nature were carefully and meticulously chosen by the jury from Artdesign who have keen eyes and taste when it comes to art. The final selection process was not easy. All entries are remarkable and truly fit the goal of Artdesign in giving WOW to the walls of every Filipino home.
We are proud to present the top three entries that have made a difference in creating wall art. Seeing the images will surely leave a smile on your face. The prizes for the winners are as follows:
The winners are:
Other entries who have made it to the final 20 are:
Artdesign is in deep gratitude to all participants. Not only that you have shown your talent and skills in photography, but you also have shown the world that the Philippines is a great place to visit. Until next time. Congratulations everyone and many thanks!
Roses was painted shortly before the release of Vincent van Gogh from the asylum at Saint-Remy. This is one of the two paintings of roses in full bloom. It is believed that the blossoming plant represents celebrations of birth and renewal.
Christmas trees are probably the most popular decor that is seen around the world. The history goes back to the use of evergreens in ancient Egypt and Rome. The tradition continued with the Germans and the candlelit trees were brought to the United States in the 1800s. Read on to know more about the Christmas tree and its origins.
Even before the spread of Christianity, people have regarded plants and trees that remained green all year to be special. People during ancient times hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows, just like how we hang them these days.
During winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, ancient people believed that the sun god had become sick and weak. The solstice is celebrated because this means that the sun god will become well again. The evergreens reminded them of all the other green plants and that summer would return with more blooms.
The god, Ra, was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. When Ra began to recover from his illness during the winter solstice, the Egyptians filled their homes with a green palm that represents the triumph of life over death.
The Romans celebrated the solstice with a feast that they called Saturnalia. This was to honor Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture. The solstice is a reminder that the farms would again be green and productive. As such, their homes were decorated with boughs of evergreen.
Records have shown that Christmas trees should be credited to the Germans. During the 16th century, Christians added trees to their homes and decorated them. Many families also created pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles. People also believed that the 16th-century Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, was the first to add lighted candles to a tree. He shared this idea with his family when he erected a tree in the main room and decorated it with lighted candles.
Christmas trees in America are never known until the 19th-century when the German settlers of Pennsylvania displayed trees. As early as the mid-1700s, German settlers already have community trees that closely resemble the Christmas trees that we know today. However, the Americans did not accept Christmas trees immediately in their culture as they see them as pagan symbols.
It was in the 1890s that Christmas ornaments arrived from Germany to the United States. This was also the period of the rise of the popularity of Christmas trees. In contrast with the Europeans, American Christmas trees usually are tall and reach from floor to ceiling. By the 20th century, Americans decorated the trees with homemade ornaments along with apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. The availability of electricity made it possible to use Christmas lights that will make the trees glow.
Since then, Christmas trees have been mass-produced and made available to the public worldwide. For countries where evergreens are expensive, artificial trees were made available commercially along with Christmas decors and lights. These days, almost everybody has their own Christmas tree in their homes. Others created their own version of the tree with the use of twigs and branches
One of the ways to have fun memories with your family is by being involved in planning fun activities. This is your opportunity to experience to experience special moments that will bond the ties among the family members. As experts would say, “Spending time with the family takes planning, but it’s a good investment.” With a little effort, you can turn bonding into a lifetime of funny and lasting memories. What makes it more wonderful is that you can display these moments on your wall with personalized posters. A timeless wall design that will surely be adored by your family and friends.
Encourage every family member to get their hands dirty by creating a patch in the garden where you can plant vegetables or flowers. Plant seeds into the soil and watch them grow and bloom. It is also recommended to plant herbs and spices that you can use in your dishes in the future. The good thing about this is that you are not just planting for the kitchen. You are also making the backyard look attractive. Don’t forget to take photos of your family members doing the project and the plants that are growing. Think of it as a simple project that will benefit you and the environment.
Set a budget and suggest a place where you can have a vacation with your family. Ask them what they want to do and where they want to go. In the Philippines, there are cool places to go and have a staycation. There are tourist spots that are at par with the rest of the world. Examples are Palawan, Siargao, and Carmen. You can also plan to go to museums, parks, and others.
You have a choice if you want to have a family portrait. Either do this on your own or by a professional in a studio. You can schedule a portrait session at a local studio or a photographer who can capture those candid moments. The photos need not be kept in an album as well. Have them in frames and display them in the living room or your bedroom. You can also have them printed on a poster and personalize your rooms. Arrange them in a great layout and create wall art that will make memories.
Another cool and interacting activity you can do with your family is preparing your meals. Studies have shown that kids who dine frequently with their parents have improved academic performance, increased self-esteem, and a reduced risk of obesity. Regular dinnertime together is also associated with open communication between parents and kids.
Another great activity that you can do with your family is hiking and camping. Not only that you will be able to spend quality time with your kids, but you will also enjoy the beauty of nature and the benefits they give. The natural scenery can help you calm down as well as your kids. This is also a good opportunity for you to document your activity through photos. You can then display the images on the walls to remind you of the fun times you have spent with your family.
Summer is one of the most awaited seasons around the world. This is the time when kids can go out to enjoy the heat of the sun. This is also the right time to prepare the balcony so that you and your family can use it for some outdoor fun.
Before decorating the balcony, you need to thoroughly clean it. This includes the floor, railing, walls, door, and others. Use eco-friendly detergent in cleaning them. Use baking soda when cleaning the floor. For the windows, wash them with a mixture of water and vinegar then wipe with a crumpled paper. Though there are glass cleaning solutions that can be bought from the grocery, baking soda and water can help you save a few bucks. Cleaning the balcony will also allow you to check its condition. You may also discover some parts that need to be repaired or replaced.
Lighting is needed in all rooms of your house. It may be functional but lighting can also add drama and effects to the entire room. You can add general and accent lighting as well as ambient lighting to achieve the desired effects. Examples of general and accent lightings are articulated clip lamps and ceiling lights. On the other hand, floor lamps, pendant lamps, lanterns, and string lights are examples of ambient lighting.
Adding plants and flowers is one of the best ways to make the balcony look like summertime. With blooms and greens, you can also make it look like a mini garden. These can be in large pots, hanging planters, or railing planters. Be creative and add a vegetable patch that you can use in the future in some of your dishes.
There are different themes or appearances that can make the balcony look cozy. The addition of a close seating arrangement and the right outdoor lighting can do the trick. Designers and many homeowners also recommend the addition of thematic plants and decor as they can liven up the balcony.
It is a tradition to have a BBQ while enjoying the outdoors with your family and friends. Summer is never complete without having a BBQ party. These days, there are table-top and tiny frill options that can make the balcony look more fun and exciting. Not to mention the BBQ that you will be serving. Just remember to have a fire extinguisher or a pail of water if things turn out roughly.
A small table and set of chairs can give you the opportunity to have an outdoor breakfast any day of the week. You can also make the balcony into a small nook for a bottle of beer with your buddies. Add other decors such as string lights to personalize the balcony and make it look perfect for the dry season.
Among the colors in the color wheel, green is probably the most important of all. It is the color of nature and has been associated with “bloom”, “growth”, and “grass”. The leaves of plants have a green color because of the chlorophyll pigment present. This pigment is vital for the survival of plants for them to produce food and oxygen. In life, green is related to balance, calmness, and harmony. However, not all green can be helpful. There are also green substances that can be harmful to health and the environment.
Surprisingly, how the color is manufactured may be contradicting the common concept of the color green. Manufacturing the color is not environmentally friendly because of the chemicals used. It has been shown in several studies that you cannot dye certain materials like plastics without contaminating them. It is therefore a necessity to use stabilizers to manufacture the color green. Examples are chlorine, titanium, cobalt, and zinc oxides. Unfortunately, these chemicals are known to cause birth defects and cancer.
In the past, artists were struggling to create the right shade of green for their artwork. Even if they thought that they already have the exact shade of green, it will eventually fade or get discolored through time. Early green-colored paints are even corrosive and can damage the canvas. During the early period, the color green is created with the addition of arsenic, a known poisonous substance. Many experts also believe that the said chemical was responsible for the death of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1821.
However, as time goes by, the color is commonly used by environmentalists as it is associated with the natural color of nature. Whatever and however the color is manufactured, green has many benefits, both in health and the environment.
It was in 1970 that the color was used and resurfaced to be associated with certain environmental groups. The Canadian environmentalist group, Greenpeace, used a ship in Alaska to conduct a campaign against nuclear testing.
Since then, anything that is colored green is associated with the environment. Products with green-colored packaging suggest that they are environmentally friendly. Until this day, color is being used by many manufacturing companies in branding and marketing strategies.
Green is a cool and calming color that is associated with many things. The color is often used in environmental-related things. Interestingly, it has a toxic history as manufacturing the color is not that easy. Certain harmful chemicals were used and these chemicals are known to be detrimental to health and the environment. These chemicals were used to stabilize the color and make it useful in creating the desired shades of green. As such, painters were able to use the color with ease but with side effects. For years, this has been the case but throughout the years, people used the color and associated it with the environment. A cool color that when used in the interior can create a comfortable and relaxing vibe.
Indoor plants and flowers add aesthetics to any living space. In addition to this, they can also create a calming and relaxing atmosphere. Studies have shown that these living organisms provide benefits to the health of humans. For example, the display of floral posters in the workplace can help with the productivity of the workers.
Flowers are known to have healing powers and this has been supported by many studies. The colors and fragrances they possess greatly help in making people feel better and healthier. Flowers help in emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. The display of flower posters also help in creating the ambiance that would benefit homeowners.
Here are some flowers that you may want to incorporate in your home and the benefits that you can get from them:
Over the years, posters have been used to add beauty to any room. In Artdesign, there are a wide range of interesting and appealing poster designs that will complete the appearance of your home. Gone are the days of walls that look plain and simple. The use of posters can help in creating wall art that will make the necessary transformations.
Flower posters bring the warmth of summer and freshness of spring to any living space. The different flowers featured in the posters can make the room look fun and exciting. The colors themselves can blend well to any type of interior decoration. Just like discussed above, the different flower posters can evoke various effects.
Posters of roses and orchids offer a classic and refined appeal. These prints can also give bright splashes of colors. Sunflower posters are also perfect if you want to give your home a country look that is observed in log houses.
Boost your mood and your health with these flower posters. They are not only displayed to create a romantic ambiance. Flower posters also have the WOW factor to beautify the walls of any room.
The Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel) is the symbol of Paris. It was built to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and to demonstrate the industrial prowess of France. Though at first, the structure was considered to be the ugliest building in the face of Paris. Today, the tower is a popular historical landmark that made tourism in the country bloom
Though the tower was named after Gustave Eiffel, it was Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier who came up with the original drawings of the structure. The three personalities, including the French architect, Stephen Sauvestre, submitted their plans to a contest and won. It was in July 1887 that the construction of the tower began.
With the plans and design made public, not every French were thrilled with the idea. During that time, modern architecture was slightly blooming. The construction of the Eiffel Tower established the use of wrought iron as a building material due to the Industrial Revolution. In 1887, wrought iron was only used as an internal or support material
The tower is composed of 18,000 pieces with four gigantic arched legs that are set of masonry piers that curve inward until joining in a single, tapered tower. The construction of the tower needed 7,300 tons of wrought iron and 2.5 million thermally assembled rivets. Every inch of the structure was painted to protect it from the elements.
The construction of the Eiffel Tower cost $1.5 million and is 324 meters tall, including the antenna at the top. It weighs 10,000 tons with 5 billion lights. The tower nicknamed as La Dame de Fer or The Iron Lady. It has 108 stories with 1,710 steps and two elevators.
The original plan was to have the structure temporarily and removed after 20 years. However, people do not want to see the tower demolished. Parisians felt proud of this feat as it became a historic landmark of the city.
In addition to being a landmark in France, the Eiffel Tower also has a meteorology laboratory. The laboratory was used by scientists for their various studies. The French military also used the tower as a means to communicate with ships in the Atlantic Ocean as well as to intercept enemy messages during the First World War.
These days, the structure has 120 antennas that broadcasts radio and television signals throughout the city. It also became the main attraction of the country as more than 7 million people visit it every year. Moreover, the three platforms are home to two renowned restaurants, banquet hall, champagne bar, and various souvenir shops.
The Eiffel Tower is an enduring symbol of Paris. As such, the city has been the home for modern architecture in addition to being a center of modern art and painting. A large portion of the city’s revenue also comes from tourism. In which the Eiffel Tower is one of the highlights of every tour that the city offers.
