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Ohara Koson is one of the popular printmakers for kacho-e in the 20th century. Kacho-e is the Japanese term for prints of birds and flowers. A well-known painter and woodblock print designer, he was able to create around 500 prints. 

A brief biography of the artist

Ohara Koson was born in 1877 in Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture in the North of Japan. He was originally called Ohara Matao and studied Japanese painting under Suzuki Koson. In 1904, he made Russo-Japanese war prints. However, during these times the popularity of the art of ukiyo-e is slowly dwindling. In contrast with the prints with scenes of the Sino-Japanese War, these were sold out within the day. 10 years, later, fans of the art became less and were eventually replaced by photography.

The art of Ohara Koson

Many viewers and fans of Ohara Koson would oftentimes compare the prints of birds and animals with those of watercolor art. The kacho-e of Ohara Koson was performed with expertise and a high degree of craftsmanship. This is observed through the details seen in the bird’s plumage. 

Over the years, the artist used different signatures and seals such that the exact dating of his prints is difficult to determine. Many experts believe that the prints were made after 1923, the year after the great earthquake in Japan. 

Shin Hanga artists

In addition to being a popular artist, Ohara Koson was also known for being a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. One of his American colleagues, Ernest Fenellosa, convinced him to make woodblock prints in traditional style. As such, his first flower and bird prints in the tanzaku format were published by Matsuki Heikichi. 

In 1926, Ohara Koson continued the design of kacho-e prints and most of these were published by Watanabe Shozaburo. Watanabe was the one who initiated the Shin Hanga movement. Almost all of the prints of Ohara Koson were exported to the USA. This was the time that Japan had lost its sense of traditional values. 

Bring the art into your home

Giving your home a touch of nature is one of the best ways to make it look vibrant and refreshing. Framed posters of sceneries are one of the most common ways of achieving the goal. We all know that having a view of nature in our homes offers lots of benefits in terms of the ambiance and health. 

Sometimes, having a personalized wall art of nature could boost the overall appearance of the interior. Philippine sceneries are usually displayed to give the interior an ample amount of shades of green. On the other hand, some owners would like to be unique with other nature-inspired art. The art of Ohara Koson is old in terms of the age of the art. However, they evoke a modern touch that is perfect with any interior design style. In fact, your home does not need to have that Asian look so that you can display the art of Koson. 

The hues and shades seen in the images are rather subtle and will not overwhelm the style that your home has. Moreover, they can be displayed in any room, from the bedroom to the kitchen. If you are looking for a cool way to spruce up your room, then the art of Ohara Koson will give the look that will make your decorating project a success. 

Valentine’s Day is one of the most awaited days by almost all individuals. This is celebrated in the name of Saint Valentine, the mysterious saint who is known to have defied the Roman emperor in service of the people. Saint Valentine performed secret marriages for young lovers. It was the belief of emperor Claudius II that single men made better soldiers than those who are already married. As such, Saint Valentine performed the sacrament of matrimony for young soldiers. Over the years, with his story and along with other tales, couples across the world started celebrating Valentine’s Day as the day of love. Read on to know more about how different countries celebrate the special day.

A week-long celebration in Argentina

Valentine’s Day in the country is not celebrated in February but in July. They call it, “the week of sweetness”. This is the time when lovers exchange kisses and receive sweet treats. It used to be a commercial activity, but later on, became a tradition. 

Romantic getaway in France

Did you know that the first-ever Valentine’s Day card originated in France? This was when Charles, the Duke of Orleans, sent love letters to his wife from the prison in 1415. There is also a French village called, Valentine, which is known to be the center of romance on the 12th and 14th of February. Homes are decorated with love cards, roses, and proposals for marriage flakes. 

A gala event in the Philippines

Valentine’s Day in the Philippines is a perfect day for young couples to get married in a mass wedding ceremony that is sponsored by the government. This is done as a form of public service. The day is considered to be special by many young couples. 

National chocolate day in Ghana

February 14 in Ghana is known as the “National Chocolate Day”. Ghana is known to be one of the largest cocoa-producing countries in the world. This is celebrated to increase tourism in the country. As such, couples or even those without dates on the said day can attend various events like performances, music events, and restaurants. 

The day of winemakers in Bulgaria

On February 14, the country celebrates the San Trifon Zartan or the “day of winemakers”. Couples celebrate their love with a glass of local wine. 

Wales – the day of the San Dwynwen

In Wales, Valentine’s Day is celebrated on January 25. This is called the “day of the San Dwynwen”. Lovers exchange gifts in the form of handcrafted wooden spoons. Interestingly, this has been the practice since the 16th century.

Feast of Saint Dionysius in Spain

In Valencia, Spain, the day of love is celebrated on October 9. This is known as the feast of Saint Dionysius. Macadora or marzipan figurines are made by men as a gift to their female partners. Parades are also done as part of the celebration. 

A celebration of love in Denmark

In Denmark, the 14th of February is celebrated by giving chocolates and roses. In addition to these, they also give handmade cards with pressed white flowers, called snowdrops. 

Exchange of unusual gifts in Japan

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 and women buy gifts for their male partners. Men can’t return gifts until the 14th of March and this is called the “white day”.

Lovers Day in Brazil

Lovers day or Dia dos Namorados in Brazil is celebrated by exchanging chocolates, cards, and by watching music festivals, and dance performances. Family dinners are also common on that day. 

Valentine’s Day, also known as Saint Valentine’s Day, or the feast of St. Valentine, is an annual holiday celebrated on the 14th of February. The day originated from a Western Christian liturgical feast day honoring one or more early saints named Valentinus. The day has been recognized in many regions around the world, though it is not considered a public holiday. 

These days, Valentine’s Day is celebrated by many individuals worldwide together with their loved ones. Sales of flowers, chocolates, and stuffed toys are high during this period as these items have been some of the favorites for many couples. In addition to these, many homes and establishments put up Valentine’s Day home decorations to further feel and experience the atmosphere of Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day home decor ideas you will love

Love is in the air. Here are some interesting ideas on how to create wonderful home decor for Valentine’s Day: Rest assured that these ideas are all heartwarming and are very appropriate for the special day. Also, remember that decorating your home for Valentine’s Day need not be that expensive. You can create DIY home decor for Valentine’s Day. With a little imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness, you will be able to achieve the home decor that you have been dreaming of. Here are some of the home decor that you can have in your home for Valentine’s Day.

• Paper heart trees – an adorable home decor made with craft paper, glue, and a foam cone tree. Decorate it with items around the house such as stickers, rhinestones, or ribbons. This decor can be placed on the table or as a wonderful table centerpiece.
• Paper Straw Heart Garland – create this garland to hang on your mantel or in a kid’s room.
• Doily Mason Jar decorations – attractive with battery-operated candles on your mantel.
• Cards fireplace garland – this can be made by linking red cards together with Valentine’s ribbon.
• Conversation hearts – lovable decorations of your lawn and come up with fun sayings.
• Heart Doilies – this is a beautiful way to decorate for a sweet dinner party or you may use them as garland for your mantel.
• Valentine tree – make your own with sticks and paper hearts, and add some family pictures or bows.
• Valentine’s Day table runner – let your kids add a cute table runner especially if you are having a dinner party or a game night and pizza at home.
• 52 reasons why – create this cute 52 reasons why you love your sweetie with a book or cards. This will let them know why you love them so.
• Candle hurricanes – are filled with colorful conversation hearts that are cute and can give off a great ambiance.

Of course, there are other Valentine’s Day home decorations that you can purchase from various stores. They are likewise amazing decorative items that will make wonderful transformations in your very own home. Show your loved ones how much you love them with these great and easy Valentine’s Day home decorations.

By tradition, Valentine’s Day is celebrated every February 14. This day is special to many people around the world. Candies, flowers, chocolates, and gifts are given to our loved ones. But did you know that Valentine’s Day is all about one person? Saint Valentine, as we know him, maybe shrouded with mysteries as there are many stories associated with him. All we know is that the month of February is called the heart’s month, a month of romance and that it is inclined with both Christian and ancient Roman traditions. 

Who was Saint Valentine?

Valentine was a religious person in Rome. He was believed to be a priest of a bishop and lived during the 3rd century after the death of Christ. Historians said that he was jailed by the Roman emperor, Claudius II for an unwillingness to obey the emperor’s orders to stop performing Christian marriages. Moreover, he was also accused of helping persecuted Christians. Valentine also befriended the daughter of Claudius, sent her letters, and miraculously cured her of her ailments. His letters often ended with his signature, “from your valentine”. 

His passion and faith urged him to befriend the emperor and tried to convert him to Christianity. Unfortunately, this led to his death by being beaten with clubs and beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate in Rome. He was then buried at a Christian cemetery on the Via Flaminia.

In 496 AD, Saint Valentine was given a feast day by Pope Gelasius. Since then, the feast day is observed every 14th of February. It was in the middle ages that Saint Valentine has become an icon for love and romance. However, in 1969, his name in the calendar has been removed as there are not many records about his missionary works. 

Saint Valentine remembered

The story about his signature in his final letter to the daughter of the emperor saying, “from your Valentine” led to the tradition of sending and receiving cards, letters, and poems from anonymous admirers. The celebration of Valentine’s Day started in the middle ages in England and France. Today, people in many countries spend an average amount of cash to spend the special day. 

The High Court of Love

During medieval times, the High Court of Love was established in Paris during the day of Saint Valentine. Women chose their judges depending on their ability to recite poems. The judges focused on the issues around marriage contracts as well as the acts of violence against women. 

Modern-Day Saint Valentine

Celebrating Valentine’s Day today is similar to how it was celebrated in the past. Couples are expected to do something extraordinary during the day. An example is a romantic dinner. The history of Saint Valentine and the rose is still popular these days and a single rose is associated with love and romance. 

Catholics offer prayers and thanks for loving families and friends. Couples also ask for the blessing of the saint for a happy and fruitful life together. These days, Valentine’s Day is second to Christmas when it comes to a large number of cards exchanged

Impressionism was a movement that started in the late 1800s. It was mainly focused on painters of Paris and rebelled against classical subject matter and embraced modernity. The artworks usually feature how light could define a moment in time, with color providing definition instead of the usual black lines. As such, painters of the movement practiced painting outside. This style has long been embraced as one of the most popular and influential art styles in Western history. 

The origin of Impressionism

The movement was formed in the 1860s when a group of painters including Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir pursued painting outside together. These artists discovered that they shared an interest in painting landscape and contemporary life rather than historical or mythological scenes. They often used countryside scenes as their subject in their artworks. 

One of the key personalities of Impressionism was Edouard Manet. He is known for his early influence on and close friendships with the members of the movement. The movement adopted many of the techniques of Manet especially his embrace of modernity as subject matter and the spontaneity of his brushstrokes, together with the use of color and lighting. 

The movement was formally announced in 1874 in a show that was hosted by the Paris photography studio of Felix Nadar. The name Impressionist was based on one of the paintings of Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise. 

Claude Monet

Claude Monet was the leader of the Impressionist movement. His works were known for their brief brush strokes and fragmented color application. These made their way into the works of others. Monet was very much interested in the passage of time in his portrayal of light. These are seen in his series of paintings capturing Rouen Cathedral at different times of the day and year. His knowledge and skills in Impressionism were further enhanced with his series of paintings of the waterlily pond. 

Pierre-August Renoir

Renoir was regarded as one of the leaders of the Impressionist movement. He likewise shared the interests of Claude Monet but mostly preferred to capture artificial light in places like dance halls and directed his studies of the effects of light on figures, especially the female form. Renoir also preferred “everyday life” as his subject matter. 

Final Thoughts

Impressionism is one of the most important movements in the history of modern painting. Artists of the movement tried to put on canvas the impression of how a landscape, thing, or person appeared to them at a certain moment in time. This meant that artists used lighter and looser brushwork than traditional painters. These styles pushed the emergence of modern art as well as the philosophy of the avant-garde.

Take a walk down memory lane and see how beautiful the styles that are popular even in films are. You probably have used them in your home for years until other trends have come along. These days, the styles of the 80s are making a comeback and are being used in many homes, offices, restaurants, and other establishments. Read on to know more about the styles that many people have loved over the years. 

Chintz

Chintz is a printed cotton fabric with a glazed finish and multicolored patterns. It was originally used for upholstery, curtains, and clothing. These days, chintz refers to the floral patterns seen in fabric and other decorative materials, such as wallpaper. It is common to see designs and patterns such as nature, flowers, and leaves. 

Pastels

Pastel colors belong to a pale family of colors that are described to have high value and low saturation. The colors of this family are considered to be soothing. The most commonly used pastels are pink, mauve, baby blue, mint green, peach, periwinkle, and lavender. 

Country Style

Country interior style is any design that appears casual and cozy. The overall appearance eludes the feeling of simple country life. It includes color palettes that are bright along with pastel colors. In addition to these, the colors should also be able to blend perfectly with other design elements like vintage wares and second-hand accessories.

Verdigris

Verdigris is a green or bluish patina that forms on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces that is exposed to air for long periods of time. It consists mainly of copper sulfate. 

Open Kitchens

The open kitchen is a remarkable design for homes that are small. The absence of barriers or doors allows spaces to flow into each other. This design makes the home look more spacious than it is. The good thing about open kitchen design is that it also keeps the family in touch by integrating meal preparation with nearby activities like watching television in the family room. 

Memphis-Inspired Design

The Memphis Design is one of the most popular styles ever created. It is known for the use of bright neon, primary and pastel colors, geometric shapes, and bold, repetitive patterns, such as black and white stripes. 

Preppy

Preppy interior design showcases genteel mix patterns. Plaid is the traditional pattern of preppy style, but not the only one. Think about stripes, houndstooth, herringbone, and gingham checks mix to create a curated look that is anything but stuffy. 

Shabby Chic

Shabby Chic is defined as having a soft, relaxed, romantic style that appears cozy and inviting. The design style usually is related to females, On the other hand, masculine shabby chic appears to be rusty, along with deeper or richer colors. Other decorative items that may be used to achieve the design style are rustic furniture, unfinished wood, denim, burlap, sailcloth, and homespun. 

Japanese Zen

Soothing and spiritual, Japanese-inspired design was a popular trend in the 80s. Zen refers to meditation and has become a popular principle for interior designers. The design style focuses on creating balance, harmony, and feelings of relaxation through a minimalist approach. 

The Christmas season is a busy time of the year. It is also colorful with the different decorations displayed in almost all buildings, homes, and streets. The season is all about celebration where you get the chance to reunite with friends and family. Part of the tradition in many countries is to decorate with lights and various adornments. Yet the question still remains. Why do we decorate for Christmas? Read on to learn more about the different Christmas decorations and why we display them during the holidays.

The popular colors: Red and Green

These days, you can see that Christmas decors come in various colors. Sometimes the colors used depend on the business, brand, or homeowner. The traditional colors though are red and green. Interestingly, these colors have a religious context. Green is associated with the continuity of life even during the winter season. The color also represents the eternal life of Jesus, while the color red is associated with the blood of Christ. 

Christmas lights

Christmas is never complete without Christmas lights. Just imagine the streets and buildings during the season without lights. Dull and boring. The use and display of Christmas lights can be traced back as far as the Yule. This is when the Norsemen celebrated the midwinter tradition. Yule is the Norse god, Odin’s beer while watching the Yule log burn. The lighting of the Yule log is believed to summon the return of the sun while simultaneously driving away evil spirits. 

Through the years, candles were used to provide light and warmth during winter. Candles were also used to welcome travelers. A practice that is also used to symbolize the welcoming of Mary and Joseph. 

Poinsettia, Mistletoe, Evergreen, and Holly

It is a known fact that there are a few plants that grow and propagate during the winter season. Examples are mistletoe, evergreen, and holly. As a result, they are used as decorations for the holidays. Evergreen represents life, just like the color green. From the Victorian era up to this day, the mistletoe is used to steal a kiss during the season. The tradition is that the plant can be hung anywhere and anybody who stands under it is allowed to kiss. 

Another interesting Christmas decoration is poinsettias. These are in fact poisonous plants that are lovely to look at because of their colorful hues. In Mexico and Central America, where the plant is indigenous, the people call the plant “Flor De Noche Buena” or “Christmas Eve Flower.” Poinsettia also has an interesting story in the 16th century. It is believed that a young girl forgot to buy a Christmas gift. She then gathered a bouquet of weeds that sprouted red flowers and grew alongside the road and offered them to the infant Jesus. The popularity of the story grew and was adopted by the Franciscan friars and eventually the whole world. 

Christmas Trees

Christmas trees are probably the most iconic decor of all time. Many experts believe that the tree is a symbol of the “Christianization” of pagan traditions. The modern-day Christmas tree can be traced back to the 16th to 18th century in Germany. The practice of cutting down trees and displaying them indoors has been brought to England by Queen Charlotte/ The popularity even grew and was adopted by the Americans.

Over the years, you have taken photos of many events and occasions with your family and friends. After having them printed, they are kept in albums to be viewed later on. However, this should not be the case as the photos can be displayed on your walls to create appealing wall art. As such, your photos need not be kept in storage. Making personalized wall art can instantly represent who and what you are. With these, you can say that your home is truly yours. 

Creating personalized wall art

There is something special about creating and finishing personalized wall art. You will get the chance to display all the items and keepsakes that you love. However, the challenging part is finding ways to blend them with the existing interior design style. You also need to consider several elements, such as the general room atmosphere, other art pieces, and color schemes. Add a little creativity and imagination so that your decorating project will be a success. 

One of the interesting ways to personalize wall art is through the display of photos of your adventures with family and friends. These photos will not only display your escapades but will likewise serve as a memory lane. There are many ways to display your photos and they can even be used to create personalized posters. These days, posters may be customized for you to be able to design them according to your needs and taste. That’s one of the wonders of digital technology. 

DIY wall art ideas for your home

Many homeowners may be wondering how they can improve their home interior without spending that much. That answer is pretty simple. You can reuse, recycle, or upcycle materials that you have used in your previous projects. If you are willing to spend a minimal amount, you can also check different shops and look for valuable items that would fit your budget. Here are some creative inspirations that you can use to make your home look amazing:

1. Family photos – a gallery of photos in your home that features memorable moments with your family and friends can instantly create a nostalgic atmosphere. 
2. Children’s books – take pages from your favorite children’s books and frame them along with customized mats to dress up the frame. 
3. Polaroid pictures – the display of these photos is one of the easiest ways to create wall art. Tape of tack personal photos or postcards of about the same size to a blank wall and wrap around a corner to make an artistic touch.
4. Song lyrics – words and quotes are definitely amazing inspirations in creating personalized wall art. 
5. Plants and flowers – arrange a collection of framed flowers to create a gallery appearance. All you need to do is to press botanical flowers before framing them. You may also opt to add their scientific names at the bottom for a more impressive look.
6. Window frame – display salvaged window frames to create a great architectural display. Add a personal touch with photos and make the wall art more personalized.