Hello from Austria – A Hike through the Raabklamm and a Visit to Graz – a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Inspired from my cave adventure yesterday, I met my friends Andrea and Herbert early this morning to go on a hike through the Raabklamm (Raab River Gorge), which is surrounded by limestone mountains that hold more than 700 caves, including the famous Katerloch and the Grassh
Tour “The Breakers” of Newport, RI – Jewel of a Mansion From the Gilded Age
Newport, Rhode Island’s Bellevue Avenue is studded with opulent jewels-mansions of the Gilded Age. Signs point to their secluded whereabouts along the main fare and side streets to the sparkle of: The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, Green Animals Topiary Garden, Hunter House, Isaac Bell House, Kingscote, Marble House, and Rosecliff. A native Rhode Islander who has made her grand entrance in all of them, The Breakers remains my favorite. The largest summer “cottage” in the city along the Atlantic at the turn of the twentieth century is the most-visited attraction in Rhode Island, with approximately 300,000 visitors annually. The mansion is open 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. for self-guided audio tours year round except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Beginning May 29, the Children’s Cottage opens daily along with the Stable & Carriage House for weekends and holidays. Adult admission is $19, children 6-17 just $5, tots under 6 admitted free.
An edifice of such magnitude needs an introduction for one to better appreciate the grandeur from which it sprung-the Gilded Age. This term referenced the process of “gilding,” intent on ridiculing ostentation adopted by filthy rich industrialists and financiers such as Cornelius Vanderbilt– lumped with other wealthy entrepreneurs accused of cheating commoners to make their money. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) established the family fortune in steamships and the New York Central Railroad, pivotal to the industrial growth of the nation during the late 19th century. Grandson, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, became Chairman and President of the New York Central Railroad system in 1885, and purchased a wooden house called The Breakers in Newport during that same year. In 1893, he commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt to design a villa to replace the earlier wood-framed house destroyed by fire the previous year. Hunt directed an international team of craftsmen and artisans to create a 70 room Italian Renaissance style palazzo inspired by the 16th century palaces of Genoa and Turin.
The Vanderbilts had seven children. Their youngest daughter, Gladys, who married Count Laszlo Szechenyi of Hungary, inherited the house after her mother’s death in 1934. In 1948, she leased the high-maintenance property to the non-profit Preservation Society of Newport County for $1 a year. The Society bought the Breakers outright in 1972 for $365,000. The agreement with the Society allows family descendants to continue to live on the third floor, not open to the public, and hidden from the tourists who explore the rooms below.
A preliminary breakdown of The Breakers: The mansion on Ochre Point Avenue which cost more than $7 million to build during its construction from 1893-1895 has approximately 65,000 feet of living space. The edge of the 13-acre estate affords one a breathtaking view of the Atlantic whose waves break against the sea cliffs. One enters the property through sculpted wrought iron gates, part of a 12-foot high limestone and iron fence which borders the property on all but the ocean side. Since Cornelius Vanderbilt II stipulated his home be as fireproof as possible, the structure of the building consists of steel trusses and no wooden parts. The furnace is situated away from the house. The interior is accented with marble imported from Italy and Africa, plus rare woods and mosaics from countries around the world. The library mantel was purchased from a chateau in France. The Gold Room was originally constructed in France, disassembled, shipped in airtight cases, and re-assembled in place in Newport. The baths have faucets for hot and cold fresh and salt water.
The Breakers is the grandest of Newport’s summer “cottages”– jewel of the Gilded Age. Open for tourists year round, this 70 room Italian Renaissance style palazzo enables one to step into the opulence of high society at the turn of the twentieth century. Slip on the headphones and tour this magnificent mansion from a bygone era at your own leisurely pace.
Creating Realistic Flesh Tones In Your Oil Painting
Creating realistic flesh tones in your oil paintings can often run the gamut from a little difficult to downright maddening. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to rendering human flesh. However, there are a few tricks you can learn to make the job a little easier.
For starters, keep in mind that human skin is composed of reds, yellows, and blues, also known as the primary colors. When you mix these three colors in the right proportions, you get a nice shade of brown. Add some titanium white to bring out the contours and highlights and you are on your way to creating realistic looking flesh tones. I say on your way, because you are not quite there yet. There is still the issue of which reds, yellows and blues you should use.
Blues: A nice, warm blue like ultramarine blue helps to dull the brilliance of the red and yellow, keeping your skin color from looking unnatural.
Reds: Cadmium red light will give your flesh a ruddy complexion, while alizarin crimson is perfect for darker skin tones.
Yellows: Throughout the history of western art, not too many palettes have lacked yellow ochre for use in skin tones. To make it darker, try adding raw umber or burnt umber.
Beginning with lighter skin tones, take a little of the cadmium red light and mix it with yellow ochre. Then compare the bright orange mixture with the skin tone of your subject, adding more red or yellow as needed. Next, add the titanium white until you arrive at a color comparable to that of the inside of the arm or the lower portion of the cheek. What you will end up with will more than likely be too bright, so add a touch of ultramarine blue, just enough to make your mixture look more natural.
If the skin tone you are painting is darker, try the above mixture, but add ultramarine blue instead of white. You could also try experimenting with burnt umber or raw umber. Whichever color you choose, start adding it until you have a color near the value of the skin tone you are painting. At this point, the titanium white is added, giving you a more natural skin tone.
One caveat to the above: do not rely solely on white to lighten the color. Rather than a natural skin tone, you could end up with one looking pale and unhealthy. If that is not the look you are going for, try adding in some of the cadmium red light/yellow ochre mix and breathe a little life back into it.