Beauty and The Beads

Sheer For Day Or Night? Emily Blunt Does It Right

I’ll Have What She’s Having: Work wonders in a sheer amp; maxi combination

Actress Emily Blunt looked radiant in a decadent art-deco inspired beaded Gucci dress at a recent LACMA event in Los Angeles while donning an ingenious combination of a sheer panel paired with a dramatic maxi length.  And while heavy beading, a fitted shape and a sheer panel below the knee reads as too many ideas for one dress on paper, her Gucci number works thanks to a simple, non-revealing tank cut top half and tonal black bead work.

But Blunt looking va-va-voom in a dress on the red carpet is not the only thing we’d like to point out here since it also brings light to making a maxi length work for you by finding pieces that have clever sheer paneled sections for a play on proportions.

So, how do you wear a maxi dress that won’t make you appear shorter? Easy- find a piece that utilizes the visual effects of sheer fabrications.

Richard Nicoll’s Layered Maxi Skirt from FarFetch.com could get the job done and works as terrific example of a closet staple with universal appeal.

Like Blunt, look for maxi skirts and dresses that are simple in silhouette and decoration while avoiding prints since the eye will most likely keep its attention on the juxtaposition of a sheer hem. As you can see, it makes Blunt appear taller while keeping her red carpet ready in a generous full length. And the idea of a sheer paneled piece isn’t only for evening

Take Richard Nicoll’s layered maxi skirt above, while it does radiate an ultra-deluxe elegance, its sheer panel is destined to make one look taller while keeping covered(somewhat). Think of the skirt as a considerate alternative to leggings and Blunt’s dress as a youthful take on gala dressing.

From a day skirt that keeps you looking fresh while standing out from the crowd to a statement making evening dress, a sheer paneled hem is certain to work wonders on almost any body type while adding a fresh perspective on floor-sweeping lengths day into night. Keep accessories to a minimum, like Emily’s Sutra ring,  and let the sheerness be the focal point. -Naveed Hussain

Emily Blunt with John Krasinski, above, at LACMA’s Art + Film Gala honoring Clint Eastwood amp; John Baldessari at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Discover a trove of edited sheer options chosen by us:

Media shock and awe descended upon Happy Valley this week, but nothing was more shocking than the outcries and outrage leveled against Mike McQueary, the Penn State football teams wide receiver coach and recruiting coordinator — and the whistleblower against Jerry Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator now accused of sexual abuse perpetrated upon eight young boys.

McQueary was a graduate assistant in 2002 when he said he saw Sandusky committing unspeakable acts with a young boy in a Penn State shower. Sandusky had retired and was not part of the football program; even so McQueary went to head coach Joe Paterno and reported what he had seen.

Paterno passed the accusation upstairs and his passivity led to his firing as Penn State football coach this week at the age of 84, after 46 years and the winningest record in college pigskin. The president of the school was also deep-sixed this week, and both athletic director Tim Curley and university vice president Gary Schultz were summarily arraigned in District Court in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for perjury and failure to report under Pennsylvanias child protective services law.

All of that is as it should be and the law is probably not done with Joe Pa and the others, despite what the students might say on campus. There is nothing but blame to go around in a case with many young victims that makes everyone cringe.

The one thing that makes no sense whatsoever is the public hanging of Mike McQueary, the assistant with hair so red on the sideline it looks like hes on fire. McQueary has been pilloried and vilified as if he (and not Sandusky) had committed the heinous acts. He has been told he couldnt coach Saturday on Senior Day against Nebraska because school authorities fear for his safety. Talk radio and the blogosphere have been spilling over with the spleen of those who would have McQuearys head.

McQueary has been excoriated for not doing more — for not making more of a stink or stopping Sandusky — though as of this moment nobody really knows if thats true. He has become a scapegoat, as whistleblowers often do.

But the reality of his situation is completely different. Theres a reason McQueary will likely be protected under state whistleblower statutes. In case you didnt get the memo, whistleblowers are brave people who take a risk by telling the truth. Thats the right description for Mike McQueary.

A local boy and star quarterback at Penn State in 1996 and 1997, he began as a graduate assistant, an entry-level job that defines the lowest man on the coaching totem pole. For a graduate assistant to go to head coach Joe Paterno — the most revered man in college football — with such an accusation against the coachs former defensive coordinator took real guts.

By blowing the whistle, McQueary was risking his entire career, a reality that we have seen play out over the last week. Thats what happens to whistle-blowers. They are typically pilloried and vilified for their courage.

We dont have a first-hand account yet of what happened in the shower. In the meantime, the sports cognoscenti should be praising the courage of a local kid at the start of his coaching career willing to risk it all by doing the right thing.

We have more than enough villains without adding Mike McQueary to the list. Americans are always complaining about the dearth of American heroes. Maybe thats because they dont know one when they see him.

When was the last time you heard about an amazing new collage, or a great new painter? Probably not recently enough to feel like fine art is still a staple in our society. And yet there are amazing new artists out there.

Art e-commerce website RiseArt sees a disconnect between artists and the digital world. It aims to reconnect the two today, with new social features and an undisclosed round of funding.

When RiseArt co-founder Scott Phillips saw his wife, an amateur painter, and her fellow artists having trouble connecting to galleries, customers and critics in an increasingly digital world, he set out to create a website that met those needs. Artist needs in addition to the needs of customers who were also wondering where fine arts went.

The art wold is so fragmented and intimating, said Phillips in an interview with VentureBeat, We fundamentally believe the art world doesnt have to be a you have to rich or an insider to have access. So we set this up.

The recently-launched RiseArt, like a number of art-oriented websites, allows artists to upload and sell artwork from dedicated profiles. But while this website helped artists get online, it wasnt unique websites such as ImageKind allows you to upload artwork for sale and wasnt interactive. Thats where the new social elements come into play. Now visitors to the RiseArt website can follow artists they like and receive notifications based on their activity. The website boasts an activity stream, which allows you to see when an artist uploads a new work, sets up an event, updates their status and more. Youll also receive notifications from artists youve purchased from in the past.

Its not that easy to sell your art on RiseArt, however. In order to approved for sale, artists go through round of voting from the community, which is then passed on to a panel of experts for judgement. These experts include gallery owners and others in-the-know such as well known curator Kenny Schachter.

They review the portfolios on the site, let us know which ones they really like, and based on their view, we feature the artists, said Phillips.

According to Phillips, only about 10 percent of artists make it to sale-approval after the voting.

There is mutual benefit for an artist being judged and a volunteer expert, however. Artists often want their works showcased in a gallery, it brings on attention and potential buyers. Gallery owners want to find budding artists they find talented, who may make a good exhibition. In this way, the two parties are able to meet a little less serendipitously. Experts are also welcomed to create profiles on RiseArt and promote gallery events and other news.

RiseArt doesnt make money through facilitating these relationships, instead it only makes money when the artists do. The company has revenue-sharing agreements and takes a cut of every work sold. RiseArt also commissions some artists to create exclusive works to be sold on the website only.

The company is using its undisclosed seed round to fund new ways of generating revenue, such as an art rental program, which is yet to be launched. The program will allow you to install a piece of artwork for a certain period of time to make sure it fits with your house and personality. Art gets expensive and without the in-person aspect a gallery provides, this service brings the purchase back down to a human level.

Investors in the seed round include StubHub founder Jeff Fluhr and Great Oaks Venture Capital. RiseArt was founded in 2010, is headquartered in London and serves over 30 countries worldwide.

The Art for Life Fine Art Auction will include Andrew Salgados It Is The Fear That Keeps Us Awake.Photograph by: submitted photo, for the Courier

La Lanta Fine Art presents Complete, the first solo exhibition by newly discovered artist Songrit Dokbua who creates art that reflects his soul.

On the first Friday of each month, Juneau galleries, museums and shops open their doors for show and exhibit openings, artist meet-and-greets and more. Following is information about events available as of press time. All events and openings listed are on Friday, Nov, 4 unless otherwise noted.

To have your event listed here next month, send details to editor@capweek.com no later than one week prior.

Alaska Litho

Inspire photo contest

228 Seward St.

Reception: 4:30-7 pm

Stop by Alaska Lithos downtown office to see the Inspire photo contest exhibit and vote for your favorite 12 entries. The winners of the popular vote will be featured in the 2012 Alaska Litho desk calendar and win a cash prize.

Author Alexander Dolitsky will also be present signing 7 of his books, the topics of which range from fairy tales and legends to anthropology, history, archaeology and ethnography.

Juneau Arts Culture Center

Back from War and Wooden Enticements, paintings and turned woods by Mostapha Beya and Dean Graber in the JAHC Gallery, plus beaded images by Laura Rorem in the Lobby Shop

Reception: 4:30-7 pm

Mostapha Beyas paintings reflect his recent travels and experiences while working with the US Army as a combat translator in Europe, Africa and Asia. His experiences of war changed him, and he found that through painting he is able to express his emotions about war, life, religion, and cultures.

Showing alongside Beyas paintings will be Dean Grabers turned woods. Graber finds inspiration in the ability of wood to be shaped, cut, sanded, carved and colored. More often than not, he mounts a chunk of wood on the lathe, starts to turn and lets the wood tell him what it will be as he follows the figure, color or natural flaws in the piece. Dean says, the touch, shape, fit and finish entice all the senses.

Laura Rorem will be present in the Lobby Shop during First Friday displaying her unique collection of beaded images.

Rorem began beading after her award winning artist teenager, Angela, made her learn to bead, the Athabaskan way. She first used size 11 glass seed beads and simple patterns drawn on felt. Soon, she began to experiment with detailing using various shades and colors of beads. She then switched to extremely small sized glass beads, which enabled her to create details not typically found in bead work.

She discovered the challenges and creativity of beading without a pattern, and soon began drawing with the beads.

Rorem writes that beading is a tension reliever for her, and for others when she accidentally spills them. People, when on their hands and knees, harmonize around the common goal of finding teeny tiny beads of various colors blended into the maze of multi-colored carpet.

Rorem has given the majority of her bead work away to friends, family, or donated pieces to raise money for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, mental illness and autism. Her bead art is scattered across the 50 states, Canada and Norway.

Annie Kaills

Barbara Lavallee and Alice Tersteeg

244 Front St.

Reception: 4:30-7 pm

Novembers First Friday event will feature Barbara Lavallee and Alice Tersteeg.

Lavallee is one of Alaskas most famous artists, known for her stylized depictions of Alaska Native children and Alaska scenes. She is also an award-winning illustrator whose childrens books, including Mama Do You Love Me? have sold millions of copies. Lavallee will be displaying her original paintings as well as signing books and prints.

Alice Tersteeg is a well-known Juneau artist and a fixture in the Juneau arts scene. She has painted in many mediums and is the former chair of the University of Alaska Southeast art department. She will be displaying a collection of her latest original artwork.

Franklin Street Gallery, Baranof Hotel

Studio Explorations by Barbara Craver

127 N. Franklin St.

Reception: 4:30-6:30 pm

The Franklin Street Gallery will feature artist Barbara Craver during the month of November.

Barbara Craver is a Juneau painter most known for her pastel landscapes. Studio Explorations features her newest landscape paintings in acrylic. She recently began renting a studio and working on landscapes in acrylic paint. The process from the initial work outdoors to the studio is explored in the work.

Alaska State Museum

A Klondike Tale by Averyl Veliz; new work by Constance Baltuck; Versatile Birch: Objects from the ASM Collection and Boreal Birch: Art and Science in the Northern Forest

395 Whittier St.

Reception: 4:30-7 pm

Four brand-new shows are opening this day: a solo exhibition by graphic artist Averyl Veliz entitled A Klondike Tale; a solo exhibition by landscape painter Constance Baltuck; Versatile Birch: Objects from the ASM Collection, featuring baskets, dolls, canoe models, and other traditional artifacts from the Museums collection; and Boreal Birch: Art and Science in the Northern Forest, featuring birch-based work by noted Alaskan artists Margo Klass, Kesler Woodward, and the late Barry McWayne, in conjunction with University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist Kimberly Maher. All shows run through January 14, 2012, except Versatile Birch, which runs through February 18, 2012.

The solo art shows – both part of Alaska State Museums 2011 Solo Artist Series – portray two very different representations of the Last Frontier. A Klondike Tale marks Averyl Veliz first major show while the birch exhibits juxtapose historical artifacts against contemporary pieces – all made from the bark, wood, and roots of Alaskan birch trees. Veliz, Baltuck, Kesler Woodward and Barry McWaynes wife, Dorli, will attend the event.

Baltuck and Veliz will lead workshops as part of the youth activity series Exploring Arts and Culture at the Alaska State Museum, sponsored by the Friends of the Alaska State Museum and funded in part by the citizens of the City and Borough of Juneau through sales tax revenue. The workshops are: Baltuck, Power Steering the Color Wheel, on November 12 and Veliz, Designing Heroes and Villains! on December 3. Call 465-2901 to pre-register or for more information.

Hours at the museum are 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Discounted winter admission is $3. Visitors 18 and under are admitted free of charge. An annual pass that allows unlimited visits to the Alaska State Museum and the Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka is available for $15. Assistance is available for visitors with special needs. Please contact Visitor Services at 465-2901 before the visit.

Juneau-Douglas City Museum

Recent Acquisitions 11, Gift Shop Attic Sale

Fourth and Main streets

Reception: 4:30-7:30 pm

Recent Acquisitions 11 is a small cross-section of objects, photographs and ephemera that have been donated to the Museum, or purchased for the permanent collection in the last three years. The exhibit features paintings, photographs, and carvings by well-known Alaska artists both past and present including: Jim Willie Marks, Frances Davis, Dale DeArmond, Sharon Lobaugh, Rie Munoz, Jack Hermle, Winter Pond and Trevor Davis. The exhibit runs through April 2012.

The Juneau-Douglas City Museum Gift Shop is cleaning out its gift shop inventory for November First Friday.

Framed vintage prints, ads and photographs will be on sale as well as issues of Alaska Magazine and Alaska Sportsman from the 1960s and 1970s. Antique toys, games and ephemera including pick up sticks and vintage political buttons will also be featured during the event. All items have been donated to the Museum Gift Shop for resale purposes.

Refreshments for this event will be provided by the Friends of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum.

The Museum is open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm Admission is free during the month of November thanks to Don and Alma Harris.

Aunt Claudias Dolls

114 S. Franklin Street Suites 102, 103 105 (above Hearthside Books)

Reception: 2-7 pm

Aunt Claudias Dolls, a museum, will be displaying the large collection of Claudia Kelseys dolls and miniatures. In addition to this permanent collection, in the revolving display area features figures from an extensive holding of Alaskan Native dolls and friends from Siberia, Canada, Lapland and Iceland.

Mary Ellen Franks doll making studio is located with the museum and is open for view also. The Kelsey collection owner, Bea Shepard will host the event.

Wilderness Peaks Gallery

159 S. Franklin St.

Featured artist: Daniel Buckscott

Come see over 75 photographs of the Alaska and Canadian wilderness by Daniel Buckscott in Wilderness Peaks Gallerys new location.

Ravensong Gallery

127 N. Franklin Street

Open hours: Until 8 pm

Ravensong, one of Juneaus newest galleries, will be open on First Friday to show its selection of Alaska Native art.

The Alaskan Brewing Depot

219 S. Franklin St.

Beer tasting: 4:30-7 pm

An Alaskan Smoked Porter vertical tasting will be held during First Friday, including the newly released 2011 vintage and a special Smoked Porter treat.

Guests must be 21 years of age to sample.

Anthony Francos spring 2012 runway show opened LA Fashion Weekends three-day run at Sunset Gower Studios on Friday night.

The collection of mens and womens pieces was inspired by a vacation the designer recentlytook to Zihuata, Mexico.The influence was reflected in a color palette heavy on the vibrant oranges, pinks and yellows of a tropical sunset. Beading, crystals and other embellishments — especially on dresses — called to mind the kind of glyphs and shapes found on the Mayan calendarand on Central American pyramids.

The motif was further underscored by fern designs printed on silk shorts, bandeau tops and dressesand hand-beaded onto womensswimsuits. (Intricate beading is one of Francos signatures.)

Thoughthere was nothing wrong with the menswear Franco sent down the runway — perfectly wearable, trim plaid and striped suits, sweaters and neckties in tobacco brown, sky blue and sunset orange — it seemed to lack the relaxed vibe of the womens pieces. It was as if the menswear inspiration had been accidentally left home alone while the designer decamped south of the border.

RELATED:

Gen Art makes a return to the runway

Moss Adams Fashion Innovator award goes to Nally amp; Milly

Anthony Franco mines Scarface and Helmut Newton for fall 2011

– Adam Tschorn

Photos: Looks from the Anthony Franco spring and summer 2012 runway collectionshown Oct. 21, the opening night of Los Angeles Fashion Weekend at Sunset Gower Studios. Credit: Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times

CHENNAI: You could enjoy a glass of fine wine with gourmet food at the Yarra Valley wineries or take a romantic stroll hand-in-hand with your new life partner down the chic streets, which exude a touch of European charm. And if you are vacationing with your family, you could hit a few at the unique sand golfing courses or take a trip to the Pannyâ??s Chocolate Factory and have a go at the lusciously sinful chocolate fountain. With such and many more tourist attractions to offer, Australia is becoming one of Indiaâ??s favourite retreats.
And it is interesting to note that as of June 2011, the international overnight visitation from India to the state of Victoria, especially, went up by 24.5 per cent, to a total of 62,500 people representing 41.6 percent of all Indian visitors (1,36,000) to Australia. Sixty per cent of this number accounts for those who travel Down Under for leisure.
Victoria, the second smallest state in Australia, is known as the city of four seasons. A typical day there can start off with a shower, leading to a bit of sunshine as you enjoy a leisurely lunch at an outside cafÃ, ending with a calming breeze, rocking you to sleep at night.
Ideally, one could spend a minimum of three nights at Victoria, which will give tourists ample time to explore the city and indulge in some tourist activities such as taking a drive along the Great Ocean Front, shopping and watching tasteful theatre or ski down a mountain top (if you choose to go between August and October)
â??We have an MoU with Singapore Airlines and various other joint-partnerships with others like Quantas. The two-way airfare will cost around `45,000 and we try to provide Indian tourists with travel packages,â? says Celia Ho, Regional Manager â?? South and South East Asia, Tourism Victoria.
So, you can dream of petting a penguin or hopping around with a kangaroo when you plan your next vacation. Who knows, maybe you can even be on the sets of Masterchef Australia and try out some of that accent youâ??ve grown to love!

(Watch CNN-IBN live on your iPad. IBN7 and IBN Lokmat too. Download the IBNLive for iPad app. Its free. Click here to download now)

Ceramics printed with ethnic African scenery, natural textiles featuring vibrant Zulu prints and animal trophies crafted with wire mesh from Cape Town are a huge draw at the annual India International Trade Fair(IITF) here.

So excited is the South African delegation that traders within two days of the fair have already started predicting a repeat of their 2008 sales when almost every stall sold its merchandise completely in the first week itself. The fair closes Nov 27. Meet Bishop Tarambawamwe, a Cape Town-based businessman dealing in handicrafts including wire and bead work, which is beautifully embroidered in wall hangings of all types like animal trophies. This is my second experience here. Last time, I completely sold out in the first three days only. Looking at the excitement among people who are visiting our stall, I expect the same this year around as well, Tarambawamwe told IANS.

The artist-cum-businessman said that participating in the fair at the sprawling Pragati Maidan exposition grounds not only provides a great platform to sell but also to forge business relationship that accounts for huge numbers of after-orders. The sales are always good here. But I am more interested in meeting business people. I still have two business contacts here whom I met in 2008. They still place orders with me for their markets here and in the Middle East, Tarambawamwe said.

Cape Town-based businessman Patrick Sathorar, shares his fellow city-mates views, and says it is to develop a regular market for his merchandise that he comes here. We have have bought just limited products. The real business starts after contacts are made. Others in the South African trade contingent like African Art Centre from Kwazulu Natal and Zifunge Trading from Eastern Cape were banking on the similar cultural and customer preferences that South African art shares with India to boost sales.

There are vast similarities between our cultures. South Africa like India is also rich in culture. I think young Indian customers would prefer the ethnic design and prints, said Ydiswe Sodwee Sodwele. The South African contingent is the biggest from the continent and includes goods like textile, beaded jewellery, hand-made ceramics, wood sculptures, leather goods, painting and an assortment of traditional wall hangings from all the regions of the country.

The excitement in the African delegation can also be measured by the fact that it is led by Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Elizabeth Thabethe who is also slated to hold talks with her Indian counterpart Jyotiraditya Scindia. We have brought 19 South African businessmen also from the field of art and craft. This is to promote trade relations with India. Similar activities are also set to take place with Brazil, said a delegation official.

There has been a lot of excitement in South Africa about this fair. India is a very big market, an economic power. We also share good relations though IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) forum.

Alien Skins Snap Art is a natural media plug-in for Adobe Photoshop (), Photoshop Elements (), and Photoshop Lightroom (). Geared toward professional photographers and graphic designers, creating fine art from a photo has never been easier. Using a powerful set of well-organized and customizable presets, you can produce amazing art with nary a manual brushstroke.

In Snap Art 3, you’ll find a streamlined interface, crayon presets, improved placement of brush strokes for more realistic results, and a Flickr uploader. Perhaps the most exciting feature in this version is the addition of a detail mask, which enables you to hide effects from important areas such as faces.

New interface

Launch Snap Art 3 by opening a photo in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, and then choosing Filter -gt; Alien Skin -gt; Snap Art 3 (the Alien Skin category is new in this version). In Lightroom, select your image(s) and then open the plug-in by control-clicking and choosing Edit in Alien Skin Snap Art 3 (Photoshop and Elements do not support batch processing).

Once the plug-in opens, you’ll notice a streamlined interface with hundreds of presets on the left–use your arrow keys to peruse them–and a large preview area in the center. Tools beneath the viewing area let you pan and zoom, as well as add a layer mask (more on that in a minute). On the right side you’ll find settings that let you fine-tune effect presets with controls for paint coverage (so more or less of the canvas shows through), paint thickness, stroke color variation, color saturation, canvas texture, lighting, and more.

These settings are categorized into clickable “tabs” and include Background, Layers, Color, and Canvas. Each tab contains a preset pop-up menu as well as multiple sliders for even more customization (hover over each slider for a descriptive tool tip). Sure there are a slew of sliders, but the video tutorials on Alien Skins website are incredibly helpful.