Buying Paintings: Precisionism

Also known as Cubist Realism, and related to the Art Deco movement, Precisionism was developed in the United States after World War I.  The term for this movement was coined in the 1920s, and influenced by the Cubist and Futurist movements; the main themes for these paintings were mainly regarding industrialization and modernization of the American landscape.  These elements were depicted with the use of precise and sharply defined geometrical shapes, a reverence for the industrial age, but with social commentary not a directly fundamental part.  
The degrees of abstraction ran the spectrum as some works had photo realistic qualities, and though the movement had no presence outside of the United States, the artists that made up this particular grouping were a closely knit collective remaining active through to the 1930s.  Georgia O’Keefe remained as one of the leading proponents of this style, and stayed so for many years afterwards until the 1960s, her husband was a highly regarded mentor for the group.  In a post post-Expressionist phase of life in the art world, Precisionism has affected and influenced the movements of magic realism which utilizes aspects such as juxtaposing of forward movement with a sense of distance, and pop art in which themes from mass culture were used to define art much there forward.
Just after the 1950s began, the movement of pop art was clear in places such as Britain and the United States, and employed elements of advertising and comic books to create a foundation that might have been taken as a reaction to the then popular movement of abstract expressionism.  Though the term wasn’t coined until 1958, it was later linked with Dadaism from the beginning of the century, and at one point was called Neo-Dada because of the strong influence from artist Marcel Duchamp.  Later affecting artists like Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns, bringing the definition to come to mean one of low-cost mass-produced and gimmicky artwork, and stressing everyday values with common sources like product packaging and celebrity photographs.
By exploring that fraction of everyday imagery, the artists found themselves working with contemporary consumer culture, and this became apparent in parts of Britain, Spain, and Japan around the same point in time.  In Britain in particular, where pop art seemed to stem from at that point in 1947, and many works began blurring the boundaries between art and advertising.  Whereas in Spain, the movement became interrelated with the “new figurative”, the work arose from the roots of informalism which began to be a critical aspect in this part of the world.
In Japan, pop art has been seen and utilized throughout much of the country’s native artwork through such means as Anime and the “superflat” styles of art, and became the means through which the artists could further critique their own culture through a more satirical lens.  When choosing a stimulating piece by these artists, it may be a more invigorating exercise to find some of those other artists to whom these later artists owe much of their inspiration towards their own work, and Precisionism is just as appropriate a place to start for you as anywhere else in the artistic spectrum.
Today, Precisionism can be seen as fundamental influence in commercial and popular art, but cannot be too overlooked as being one of a few different movements to affect our present day stance on art’s utility and functions.  With the postmodern present coming to light, maybe we shall once again be drawn back to the past that we have come to take for granted too often, and reveal a new age to define a new century of experience.

Goil Coin Collecting – Old Is Gold Indeed!

Coin collecting is an activity that goes back to the time when coins were issued for the first time in trade. Only during the middle ages did people turn it into a hobby due to the historical significance and art work it provided.
Today, coin collecting is a hobby that lots of people enjoy. A collection of gold coins is perhaps the most expensive and precious collections that a person can have. The costliest gold coin that was ever bought cost around 8 million dollars. It was called the American 1933 Gold Eagle. It is evident why the hobby of collecting gold coins is referred to as the king’s hobby.
One of the earliest money forms were gold coins. Silver coins followed these. From 1838 to 1933, gold coins had been circulating in the States. The initial design was the bust of the Liberty Head. After this, the design changed to Saint Gaudens motifs and the Indian Head, which was used until the year 1933. This was followed by the Great Depression, which resulted in the recall of the gold coins, which is why it is difficult to find them today.
As these are not in circulation anymore, the price of these commodities are very high. Today, gold is used for various other items like jewellery and bars. People retain these as an investment.
The first gold coin that South Africa minted was called the Krugerrand in the year 1967. The coin stands mostly as a symbol and has no real face value. It is made up of an ounce of gold and it is usually purchased for the purpose of investment.
After this, many other countries started minting bullion coins. In 1970, Canada produced the Gold Maple Leaf and in 1981, Australia the Nugget. These coins boast of a 24 carat purity and so are far more popular than their South African counterpart.
Today, there is an increasing number of people who are investing in gold as there is a speculation that this demand will cause an increase in the market value. There are still others who prefer to use gold as an insurance in case their financial situation worsens. At one point of time, with the increase in paper money, the value of gold increased and this kept a balance between the value of money and gold. This standard came to an end in the year 1971, after which the government could produce more paper money without the subsequent increase in price of the gold.
As there is no place where gold coins are used for purchase of merchandise, coin collectors prefer to collect them to remember the time when it was once used.

Silver Certificates: How Much is a 1923 Silver Certificate Worth?

The 1923 Silver Certificate is one of the most popular and common paper notes.  All United States Currency that was minted before 1928 is larger than that of a modern paper bill -approximately one-half inch wider and over one inch longer.
For you trivia buffs – the term ‘billfold’ came about because these large-size notes had to be folded several times to fit in a wallet! Because of its large size, the 1923 note was affectionately given the nicknames of ‘Horseblanket’ or ‘Saddelblanket.’  In fact, it was the last large-size certificate to be minted.
Once upon a time, silver certificates were one of the most desired and trustworthy of bank notes minted in the United States.  These notes were actually backed by real silver and could
be redeemed at the U.S. Treasury for silver dollar at any give time. In those days, a dollar had alot of buying power!
The front of the 1923 silver certificate features the familiar bust of George Washington. It also displays the blue Treasury seal that was engraved on all silver certificates printed during this time and an decorative ‘cogwheel’ reverse.  Given the fragile nature and short life of paper money, only a very few of these extraordinary certificates exist today.
The value of these notes wholly depend upon the condition of the bill itself. Notes that saw average circulation would probably grade somewhere between EF (Extremely Fine) and VF (Very Fine). These certificates would have sharp corners, no tears, bright, unfaded colors and several folds. A lower quality note of F (Fine) to Fair would be worth less, of course.
If you are lucky to come into possession of a certificate in CU (Crisp Uncirculated or Uncirculated) condition with no folds, bends, creases, tears, etc., your value would be a great deal more than some of the listed prices that are found. Determining the condition or grade of paper currency is not a precise science.  It’s very selective and each dealer has a different methodology as there’s no ‘official’ grading system.
Okay, so now that we understand a bit about grading, how much is this 1923 silver certificate worth, if anything?  Well, according to the latest Red Book Price Guide, an uncirculated Blue Seal variety, signed by H.V. Spellman & Frank White or Walter O. Woods & White would be valued at $125.00.  Even a low grade such as VG is currently valued at $35.00!

Top Three Best Free Dog Games Available Online

Are you a pet lover? Do you like fun, carefree, easy-to-learn games that challenge your reflexes, even as they keep your mind sharp? If you are like millions of other Americans, who make their living at a computer day-in, day-out, you probably experience down time on occasion. Heck, sometimes maybe your mind just can’t work anymore until you’ve had a fun, worthwhile break. It’s natural. Don’t feel like you are doing wrong by satisfying this urge. Studies have shown that employees, who surf the net and play the occasional game at work are actually more productive than those who do nothing more than try to look like they are working all day, or those who try to keep themselves busy with “busy-work.”

You don’t want any part of that. It’s the quickest way to become a zombie. To break the monotony, you should give free dog games a try. Here are three of the best:

3. Puppy Fetch: In Puppy Fetch, the objective is to fetch the stick your master has thrown. It hides somewhere within the multiple challenging environments – ten in all – that you will play. Once you have located the stick, you must traverse back across the game board and return it safely to your master for a much-deserved “good dog.” It is a game that will always be fun no matter how many times you play it. Even if completing the levels no longer presents a challenge, you can challenge your best times with each run through.

2. Police Dog: You are a police dog on the trail of a pesky animal control truck that is racing some of your fellow dogs to the pound. It is your mission to chase down the truck and free as many dogs as you possibly can before its arrival. There are multiple levels for multiple fun with easy-to-learn controls, but difficult-to-master challenges that will keep you coming back again and again – or until the boss catches you!

1. Dog Frisbee: Dog Frisbee may not be for everyone, though it is certainly a lot of fun. If you don’t like to see puppies mangled and killed in horrific, although admittedly hilarious and cartoon-ish ways, then you probably won’t like it. But as far as game-play is concerned, it is one of the easiest and most fun to learn. You use your mouse instead of arrows. As Frisbees sail by, it is your job to click on the pup, hold long enough to build the right amount of power for the height of the Frisbee and let go in time to snatch the disc out of the sky. But be careful! You also have to dodge bombs, razor Frisbees, and other horrific hazards that could spell curtains for your canine.

No matter which one of these free dog games that you choose, they all share the same guarantee: you will have fun whenever and wherever you play them. And once you do play them, you will find it hard to ever pry yourself away.

Grand National Horse Racing – the Odds of Winning

Grand National is the most popular horse racing event in the UK. Every year, thousands of people crowd around the television set to watch the live telecast of the event. Among these people, many would already have placed bets on the horses. The key question now is, “Which horse will emerge the winner?”
If, like many others, you have placed bets on the horses, you would surely be interested to know what your winning odds will be like. Many won’t even bother to think about the odds. But knowing the odds will create a more interesting betting experience. And who knows, you may even start winning some bets!
So how do you go about increasing the odds of winning? The first place to look, is to go to a sports book website (related to Grand National of course), and look out for tips. But note that not all tips are reliable. Do a quick check to see if previous data is accurate. Has the experts from this particular website tipped any winners before? If so, how frequently?
When reading up on betting tips, it’s wise to keep a healthy level of skepticism. Always check things out for yourself, and don’t rely on others to do your homework for you. At the other end of the spectrum, you also don’t want to over analyze things. Just keep things simple. That means looking up information on the horses, jockeys and trainers who are competing in the Grand National event. A list would most certainly help.
Based on the list, you may then do more research on the entrants. For example, you can easily find out who the past winners are. You can also see who the National legends are, and which horses the pundits are rooting for. Of course, the more popular the horse, the weaker the odds. Popular horses usually have odds at around 12 to 1. Unpopular horses can have odds that go as high as 100 to 1.
When picking horses, always bear in mind that the Grand National is an event that is unlike other traditional horse races. Therefore, you can’t use conventional betting methods to try to pick winners. Skills, speed and power do matter. But in a Grand National race, luck is an important element as well. So never write off any horse. The horses, although less likely to win (at least according to what the masses think), have better odds. That means when you win, you win more.
Ultimately, it’s up to you find a balance between rational betting and betting based on luck. You have to have a bit of both to get better winning odds. If you really can’t decide on the horse to bet, just bet leisurely based purely on luck. There are websites with software that will help you pick a potential winner. It may just be your lucky day!