“The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is a Law of Attraction Coach? I’d like to introduce you to a well-respected and popular coach who is based in Phoenix but travels nationwide speaking and teaching law of attraction concepts: He is author of “Be Do Have, It’s Time to Create the Life You Want”. He has been certified directly by world-renowned coach Bob Proctor (“The Secret”) and over 20 years of study and work in the field of personal development.

We asked our coach to tell us what is special about Law of attraction-based coaching:

The success of life is in finding the joy, and if you want to know how successful you are then look at your feelings. Success is truly measured by your degree of joy. The happier you are, the more on track you are. My role as a coach is to help people connect with their own ability to reach for better feelings, and thus, become successful at getting what they want.

I’m a Law of Attraction coach for individuals, executive teams and businesses. I don’t use magic formulas, a ten-step process, or any kind of pre-conceived approach with my clients. My job is to facilitate your own transformation by listening and drawing out from you what you already know but don’t realize you know. I learned this process from a true master of drawing forth great potential: Bob Proctor, a featured teacher on the phenomenally popular DVD “The Secret”.

The tools I use are questions that help you find self-empowerment and lead you to a place of understanding the power of your own thoughts to create your reality, rather than your circumstances creating your thoughts.

The power of coaching lies in the creative process. When combined with learning about Law of attraction, the process is significantly sped up. Why is that? You focus forward instead of dwelling on the past results. Through the coaching experience, you will develop personal accountability and have the integrity to identify within yourself excuses and justifications as incongruent with your goals. You will learn not to listen to the peanut gallery out there —everyone is going to give a different opinion of where you should be, and provide judgments about what you have done and where you are going. You will learn feel what is right and what feels good for yourself. That is an incredibly empowering life-skill.

I want to highlight some of the successes of people with whom I have been privileged to work. The same truth holds for each client’s success: the ability to engage in a dialog about themselves and not shy away from the belief in their own feelings of joy in contemplating their goals. For a client who is a Real Estate agent, becoming a fashion model was a dream that she thought no longer possible until we worked together. After identifying that passion, focusing on positive outcomes and taking the steps to achieve them she indeed started her modeling career. After ten weeks working together, she was well on her way – with a portfolio of photos, a contract with a modeling agency and most importantly, the feeling of being on the right track and confidence in her desire.

Another client is developing her interior design business around law of attraction concepts – and realizing her desire to create a life’s work based on bringing joy to her customers. Through consciously creating home interiors reflective of her clients’ personal affirmations, goals, desires and self-image, she helps them to strengthen their good feelings about their home and the joyful experiences that take place there. She helps people create an environment for affirms their positive feelings at every turn. She is creating a book on the subject and you will surely hear more about that in the future.

I have clients who have been able to leave jobs they don’t like, create successful businesses , and foster happier marriages where they thought the damage was too great to repair. I even have a client who was suffering from severe depression until she was able to create a fundamental shift in her belief about experiencing joy and happiness in life. It was my intention in this column to go into detail about the various success stories, but ultimately I feel it is more important to beat the drum of what all of these cases have in common: the ability to embrace your wants, give them attention and move towards better and better feelings about your own life. Those things when combined, create a momentum towards achievement better than the best laid-plans and strategies. When you receive unwavering encouragement all the way to the finish line- your commitment, enthusiasm, and belief in your abilities increases exponentially.

Clients often want to know what the specific “rules” there are for benefiting from law of attraction – there aren’t any except: relax and reach for a better feeling state. Law of attraction is about ease. The “work” of “getting” law of attraction to work for you is to get truthful with yourself and get clear on what you want, and why you want it. It’s really all about how you genuinely feel and what your true state of being is under all the beliefs, assumptions, stories, histories and meanings you may put on yourself. Law of attraction responds to your actual state of being, not what you say or act out. That is why people who are true to their dreams, goals and desires are successful.

Often, we say things we don’t really mean and expect the universe to respond, but the universe always responds to your true meaning…and your true meaning is always emanating from you vibrationally. You get what you think about, you get how you feel…whether you want it or not. As a coach, I can help you identify what your thought process is about various aspects of your life, and what your habitual patterns are creating. I help you look at your current results and see that they are not your potential. Over time, you begin to see that you do actually know deeply that whatever you are giving your attention to activates your point of attraction. That awareness is the key shift into creating the life you want – understanding that what you give your attention to will grow, no matter what it is.

I will also help you identify what your beliefs are about your own success, because what you believe is an important basis for attraction. You may be focused on beliefs which are limiting or negative.

Likewise, with your desires, you may have gotten a little out of whack about knowing more of what you don’t want than what you do want. My job as a coach is to help you find what you do want, and to feel good about it, because the fundamental basis of law of attraction is that you are supposed to feel good. You may be so focused on what is missing in your life and on your lack that you set up within yourself a pattern of failure and unconsciously not letting yourself move toward what you do want. You should be giving undivided attention to what you do want.

You can learn not to argue for your limitations. You can learn to make peace with who you are and find out how much you really know. This is a process that is totally available to anyone who wants it. If you want to learn about law of attraction, come to a discussion hour, join a mastermind study group, or work with me one-on one and start taking the steps toward cultivating your joy, happiness, goals and dreams.

You can become an unstoppable force for personal achievement. Coaching in one form or another has been practiced among a small minority of enlightened individuals for centuries. Only recently has this enormously powerful engine for personal transformation begun to receive mainstream attention on a global scale. I believe this miraculous turn of events is the result of a spiritual shift that is taking place in the world: Individuals in great numbers are realizing that they have deep reservoirs of talent and ability – and that they possess the inherent power to bring them forth and use them to shape their destinies. One of life’s beautiful truths is that you can accomplish everything you’ve ever dreamed of accomplishing. Allow us to show you how.

Here’s a pretty neat thing you can do for getting people to notice you. Once people start responding to you, then it becomes easier to hypnotize and influence them. So here’s what I want you to do: get used to doing things which are totally irrelevant at first.

So, when you’re sitting in the office, don’t turn around to someone and say, “Hey, why not get me a cup of coffee?” unless you’re already used to asking for those sorts of things.

Start with requests which seem really trivial and unimportant. Things like the following…
Could you pass me that piece of paper over there?

Oh, pass me the salt?

Why don’t you stand over here while we talk about this?

That’s a lovely watch, can I see it?” as you pick up the wrist to have a look at it.

These are all very unimportant activities that people will happily comply with.

But even though they’re unimportant activities, you’re already beginning the ‘law of successive approximation’ and they’re beginning to respond to you. And you can begin to use the ‘law of compounding effect’ to make sure that, each and every time that you ask for something, it’s more likely that they’ll respond to the next one as well.

So start with little things, and build them up. If you’re already used to asking for little things, then start asking for ever more important things.

Ask people to sit down when they don’t normally want to sit down. Ask them to bring you a cup of coffee, to bring a paper, to recount a story – whatever it happens to be – but make it subtle enough that it fits the conversational context that you happen to be in.

Just remember to do it with a friendly smile on your face and a casual manner, so it’s no big deal for you or for them, or for anyone else.

This is a great way to begin the hypnosis process. When you first meet someone, you need to start small before really influencing them, and this is a good way to do it. Once you finish this step you can start asking for bigger and more important things until you can make someone do anything you want.

Want to get more insider secrets to hypnotize anyone you want?

Just visit Hypnosis Gallery [http://www.HypnosisGallery.com] and sign up for the Underground Hypnosis course.

Over the years, people have come to me and asked how I got into the special events industry or how I started my special events location and production company and became an “expert” so quickly. I thought that one day I would put the story in writing for those who are curious and I decided that day has come. It seems rather timely, as I recently made the decision to completely release my corporate business in order to devote myself exclusively to teaching my Feel Free to Prosper program to help others align themselves with Universal laws to overcome adversity and accomplish as I have.

The sole client I maintained this past couple of years has been Campbell Soup, which spent over $450 million dollars to create promotions targeted at children. That client came to me literally “out of the blue” just after I began teaching my program. I had a key role in these promotions, securing spectacular locations – the Hollywood mansions, English castle and private Caribbean island that lucky children would win for a week’s stay with their friends and family as the Grand Prize. This August was the fulfillment month for promotions # 4, 5 and 6 that were booked earlier in the year. I became aware this past August that it was time to “cut the cord” after two decades of owning a business that serviced the world’s largest corporations.

So how did this career of two decades begin? What was my background and experience? How did I get started? Did I have any material or financial advantage? Were prosperity principles involved?

The answers…

o How did this career begin? Out of the blue

o What was my experience? None

o How did I get started? Pure synchronicity and intuitive guidance

o Did I have any material or financial advantage? Absolutely not

o Were prosperity principles involved? Absolutely yes

The story…

Be prepared for a detailed account of synchronicity and Universal guidance borne out of my application of prosperity principles – this will be a free flowing tale as I remember the details. I may not be inspired again to tell it, so I will offer it in full. But I will submit it in sections, so that it is not overwhelming and so that you may absorb the full impact of the synchronicity and prosperity lessons learned along the way. You will discover how the beginning of this story flows into the subsequent connected experiences and weaves itself into the creation of my company and the business that lasted over 20 years, despite some very intense times. This installment contains Part I and a link to take you to the rest of the evolving story…

It begins in the early 80s and at a point in my life when I was in limbo and in debt. I had made my first attempt at a free lance business that gave me some experience but didn’t go very far. I was at a crossroads and in debt and didn’t know what direction to take. I was in various stages of the study of metaphysics and learning about the mind and mental and spiritual laws. I knew I had to do something about my situation and do it quickly. I was always intrigued with the metaphysical and psychic world, parapsychology and the whole idea of being “guided” by our intuition. So I made the decision that my immediate “job” would be to seriously apply what I had been learning from the prosperity teachers and literature. And I did just that. I took what I was learning and put my heart into applying it.

PART I: BRANCUSI WHO?

It was a very, very hot summer day in Los Angeles – a heat wave. The last thing I would have thought to do was to go shopping for clothes or run around town in the heat. Hey, I loved fashion but there were certainly no funds for new wardrobe items. I had to find a way out of thousands of dollars of debt I had somehow managed to incur while “free lancing” in business.

Suddenly I had a spontaneous urge to go to the very exclusive department store, Bonwit Teller, on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. I didn’t know why. Well, I reasoned, at least it would be well air-conditioned. I drove to the store and went to the designer department.

There I immediately ran into a saleswoman whom I had not seen since she worked at Neiman Marcus and had sold me a few items maybe a year or two before. Imagine my surprise when she said she had been thinking of me just that morning and said to herself, I’ll bet Marilyn would know what to do with this situation. She knew about a woman who lived in Palm Springs who was trying to sell a sculpture by the sculptor Brancusi and the owner was offering a finder’s fee to someone who could find a buyer for her.

Brancusi? Never heard of him. I actually knew nothing about the art business and certainly wouldn’t know how to find a buyer for any kind of art or sculpture. But I was intrigued. Why, out of 14 million people in this city, was I intuitively drawn to this opportunity and why was this saleswoman thinking of me for the task that morning even though she hadn’t seen me in well over a year and didn’t know much about my business ability? Why did I feel prompted to go to the store? My intuition told me that this was a response from my prosperity work and that I should follow through even though I had no idea what to do at the time.

I obtained photos of the sculpture from the owner and did some research by calling galleries and such. I discovered that the owner had already been shopping it around for a couple of years. Furthermore, Constantin Brancusi is a famous sculptor whose modern abstract works sell for tens of millions, but this was an extremely early piece of his – a plaster head of a boy, not his abstract style at all, not even a bronze, and it apparently had no value in the art world. The sculpture had been a wedding present to this woman many decades earlier in Romania. When the Nazis came in and confiscated valuables, she managed to smuggle the piece out through Italy and brought it to America with her years later. Now as an older woman, she had no more attachment to the work and preferred the income instead. Wherever I called or visited, gallery owners and art professionals said to forget it, no one would want it. The piece is too early, it’s not Brancusi’s distinct style, it’s only plaster, not even a completed sculpture. (I will say though, from the photos I had, it was a sensitive and lovely version of this young boy’s head).

But all I could feel inside was that this was MY prosperity demonstration and it was given to me for a reason. I would not give up…

Around that time I was attending a Wednesday night healing class conducted by Janet Levy, a metaphysical teacher who called her class Expect a Miracle. In fact, she would give us all small affirmation cards. On one side was printed “Expect a Miracle” and on the blank side we were to write our own affirmation or what we wanted to “demonstrate”, another metaphysical term for manifest.

After several months of getting nowhere with calls regarding a source to buy this Brancusi, I made a decision. I sat down quietly and very simply said to Infinite Intelligence, the Universe…”Find me a buyer for the Brancusi.” That was it. Simple. Clear. Effortless. There would be no more outer action on my part. I had done whatever I could do myself with no result.

I intuitively must have known it was time to let go and let the Universe take over. As you will see, this was one of my greatest lessons in spiritual law, as I learned from this experience that we do not have to exhaust ourselves trying to force things to happen and THEN decide to go to our Source. We can go to our Source at the very beginning and save lots of time and hassle. As the saying goes, we can go direct and cut out the middle man. 🙂

I continued to sit quietly and suddenly I heard an inaudible whisper coming from somewhere in my consciousness. My inner voice whispered “Guggenheim Museum”. That’s all. Guggenheim Museum. I had lived in Manhattan a couple of times so I knew the Guggenheim Museum was there, but I had never been there because I wasn’t a modern art fan. (I had often visited the Metropolitan Museum). But the voice said Guggenheim Museum. It was clear.

I picked up the phone and called the Guggenheim in New York and spoke with the curator. She knew the sculpture because she said the owner had stored it with them years before when she first came to America and while she was settling in Palm Springs in the West. But she said they would have no interest in it. She could, however, give me the name of an art dealer who might be able to direct me somewhere. I made the call to the art dealer, Harold Diamond.

The art dealer did not refer me to anyone. Instead, he told me that if I was willing to bring the plaster head to New York, HE would buy it himself! He offered $50,000.

Now, imagine this scenario…

I had been living in Los Angeles for about 8 years. I had come to LA after spending a year in New York City. I was no longer accustomed to the cold climate (except for an occasional trip to the snow here at Lake Arrowhead). I gathered warm clothing while the owner of the Brancusi, having accepted the dealer’s offer, paid for my plane ticket and prepared me for my trip to make the sale. This was the first time I actually saw the real plaster head, as it had been stored in a vault in Palm Springs. It was now in a canvas bag with small wheels on the bottom and it was exclusively my responsibility to get it safely to its destination.

It was January 5th. There was a mass exodus in both airports – LAX and JFK – with people returning after their holiday travels. And here I was rolling this plaster head in a canvas bag among throngs of travelers, taking utmost care not to let anyone or anything come in contact with that bag (remember, the sculpture was only plaster). If anything had happened to this piece of art on the way to its intended new home, I would have had to leave the country and go into hiding 🙂

On the plane, when all carry ons had to be placed under the seat for takeoff, I refused to let go of the Brancusi. I held it like a live baby. I argued with the attendant until she realized how important this was to me. I was not about to have a plaster head selling for $50,000 go rolling down an airplane aisle! I held it close to my heart for much of the trip…

The story continues here…

© Copyright 2006-2007 Marilyn Jenett

All rights reserved

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, as long as the following text is included and the article appears in its entirety and unchanged.

Located in the geographical centre of Victoria, Bendigo is just a 90 minute drive from the state’s capital, Melbourne. Easily accessible by car and campervan by four major highways, journeying along the Calder Highway from Melbourne, is the safest and most secure way to travel.

Bendigo is most famously known as one of Australia’s major gold mining towns. In fact, between 1850 and 1900, more gold was found here then in any other part of the world. All up, Bendigo has produced $9 billion worth of this precious metal, making it the 7th richest gold field in the world.

Located on the northern fringe of the Great Dividing Range, Bendigo enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate, making it an ideal holiday destination all year round. The entire area is rich in local history, with a strong emphasis on art and culture and high value placed in the local food and wine.

The neat, wide streets of Bendigo are lined with inspiring Victorian buildings, which emphasise the rich heritage of this historic town. The most noticeable of these buildings include the Bendigo Town Hall, the School of Mines, the Bendigo Art Gallery and the Law Courts. These buildings can be admired as you stroll down the quiet streets of this quaint town.

Bendigo celebrates a vivacious arts and cultural scene. Home to several inspiring art galleries, the Bendigo Art Gallery is by far the greatest highlight the town has to offer in regards to art. As one of the largest and oldest regional art gallery’s in Australia, the Bendigo Art Gallery boasts a wide array of exhibitions that encompass the essence of Australian art. Displays of traditional Australian art and artefacts and art from the Bendigo goldfields are contrasted with 19th Century European art. This contrast offers an unforgettable cultural experience that demonstrates the very uniqueness of Bendigo. The Bendigo Pottery also offers an enlightening experience for tourists with the interpretive museum depicting even further, the true extent of Bendigo’s history.

While visiting Bendigo you can explore all the facets of the local life through guided and self-guided tours. Taking a Mine Experience Tour allows you to walk in the footsteps of the miners as you dare to mission underground and discover the home of the gold. There are also opportunities to pan for gold, which offers a unique and unforgettable experience for the entire family.

To get a true taste of the vastness of the City of Greater Bendigo and surrounding areas, explore the countryside from the sky in a hot air balloon. There are several local destinations from which you can take off and all you have to do is enjoy the stunning beauty that surrounds you, while gaining a bird’s eye view of all that Bendigo has to offer.

Returning to the ground, explore some of the natural wonders that you admired from the air. Take the short drive into the hills of Bendigo and you will come to the Great Dividing Trail. Trek along the Bendigo Goldfield’s Walk, which begins in the hills and takes you through to the Bendigo Railway Station. This walk is a hidden treasure, with deep gorges, fern lined rivers and local artefacts following you, you can enjoy the cultural heritage of this walk at your own pace and style. For a further exploration of the natural beauty of Bendigo, venture into the Greater Bendigo National Park, home to some of the highest quality Box-ironbark forest in the region. The native flora and fauna of this park are truly spectacular and give you a taste of Australia’s wonder and splendour.

For the ultimate dining experience you can’t go past the Bendigo Ninesevensix. This refurbished 1952 Melbourne SW6 Tram has been transformed into a classy dining tram. Take a tour of the sights in Bendigo, taking in the historic architecture while enjoying the fresh, local cuisine and fine wine.

While staying in Bendigo, choose from a wide variety of accommodation options. The local caravan and tourist parks are perfect for those campervanning around the area and also offer comfortable cabin-style accommodation. No matter what your needs or budget, you are sure to find something here that suits you!

So whether it’s from the depths of the underground mines or the clouds in the sky, Bendigo is guaranteed to offer something for the entire family!

Studying and disclosing of the most ancient icons has begun in Russia after revolution. In 1918 the special “Commission on disclosing monuments of old Russian painting” has been organized in the All-Russian restoration commission. Already in the first years the most significant Russian icons were taken on the account and cleared away from the latest painting. The first of the icons to be opened was “the Vladimir Mother of God”, then icons from cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Novgorod and other ancient cities and monasteries. The first disclosings of the most ancient icons have been presented at the Second restoration exhibition in 1920. In 1926 two exhibitions opened, where cleared icons of XII-XIII centuries were exhibited: a constant “Exhibition of monuments of old Russian painting” in the Historical museum in Moscow and an anniversary exhibition in Yaroslavl. The following year the Third restoration exhibition was arranged in Moscow, which summed restoration works of monuments of old Russian art for the first ten years after revolution. In the thirtieth years, in connection with new receipts in Tretiakov’s gallery and Russian museum, new disclosings were made. Restoration works continued only after war. In the State Central art-restoration workshop V.O.Kirikov made one of the most significant discoveries in history of restoration of old Russian painting – disclosing of an icon “Apostles Peter and Paul” of the Sofia cathedral in Novgorod. Among restoration works of the last years it is necessary to notice a small icon “the Birth-Giver of God Tenderness” of XII – the beginning of XIII century from the Dormition cathedral (Uspensky Sobor) of the Moscow Kremlin, cleared in 1961-1965 by G.S.Bathel. Opening of works of premongolian painting, possibly, expect us in the future as well.

The term “premongolian” in relation to history of Russian art has the chronological borders. The Tatar-Mongolian invasion has not rendered direct influence on development of art of Ancient Russia. Evolution of painting of XIII century was determined by the same laws on which the style of art of XI-XII centuries based, and the works created in the middle of XIII century, cannot be stylistically torn off from the art of premongolian period. Now we know less than thirty icons of this time. Unfortunately, some the most significant, for example an icon “Apostles Peter and Paul” of XI century from Novgorod, cannot be presented at any exhibition because of bad safety.

Painting of Ancient Russia of premongolian period is one of the most remarkable and at the same time complex pages in history of the world art.

All the opened icons of this period are well-known, published, special works are devoted to many of them, but still there is no common opinion concerning dating, estimation of style and their reference to this or that art center. It would not be an exaggeration to say, that each monument of this time merits monographic research. One of the most complicated questions in studying of art of XI-XIII centuries is a problem of the byzantian tradition and occurrence of national features in Russian painting.

XI-XII centuries is the classical period of the byzantian painting. The most perfect form has been found in art for expression of the spiritual contents of the byzantian culture. This classical style has received, certainly, the highest development in Constantinople, which in XI-XII centuries determined life of many art centers connected with it. Despite of new openings and publications, there are few monuments of icon painting, connected with Constantinople. Therefore the icons of this time had special value and belonged to other centers, that for some time depended from Byzantium and had cultural connections with it. The exclusive place among them belongs to the most ancient Russian icons.

Ancient Russia has quickly conceived perfection and beauty of the byzantian painting which has integrally joined Russian culture together with the religion which has come from Byzantium. The byzantian art had great spiritual and art traditions, possessed unusual, conquering force of influence. On the other hand, Ancient Russia at that moment appeared capable to conceive this high overseas culture so, that it has become national property. The icons brought from Greece were widely honored, and the works created in Russia imitated the Greek samples. The byzantian art culture became a part of Russian life.

We meet first mentions of icons in Russia in X-XI centuries. The Annals tell, that prince Vladimir, after being baptized in Korsun, has brought icons and has given them to ornament Desjatinnaja church constructed in Kiev by the prince himself. Unfortunately, these monuments haven’t been kept up to now. Constant mentions in written sources testify to connection of an art life of Ancient Russia with Korsun, because the works of premongolian art are often referred to Korsun. The epithet “Korsun’s” nowadays has no exact contents in history of Russian art, though, probably, the question concerning connection of the old Russian art centers with Korsun could be put in relation to some preserved icons.

Monuments of Russian art of XII century speak about influence of samples of Balkan and Eastern Christian arts. We know about constant communications of Kiev with Bulgaria. Since the second half of XI century strong mutual relations of Kiev (especially of Kievo-Pechersky Monastery) with Athos and Solun had been established. The first well-known Russian icon-painter Alimpy was from Kievo-Pechersky Monastery. Unfortunately, among the works, that reached our time there are no works which could be connected with full reliability with Alimpy or even with Kiev.

Alongside with icons, the mosaic of Dmitry Solunsky (1111) from church of the Archangel Michael of Mishalovskij Zlatoverhij monastery (Goldroof monastery) in Kiev is presented at an exhibition. Mihailovskije mosaics, as well as many products of monumental painting of XII century, should be considered simultaneously as works of the byzantian and Russian art, as in their creation, local masters participated alongside with masters of mosaic from Constantinople.

At the same time it is difficult to speak about national Russian style of icon painting in relation to XII century. In many cases we can’t distinguish, whether this or that icon is made by foreign master or his Russian pupil. As it often happens in history of art, the overseas masters worked in Russia and created masterpieces which belong to the history of Russian culture.

One of the most perfect monuments of Byzantian icon paiting of Komnine epoch is the well-known «Vladimir Mother of God » that at the same time can be considered the most ancient monument of Russian easel painting. The destiny of this icon is connected with history of Russia. It was brought to Vishgorod from Tsargrad and than in 1155 has been carried by Andrey Bogolyubsky to Vladimir. There it has been decorated with expensive attire and placed in the church, specially constructed for it. Prince constantly took it with him in campaigns as patronizing icon. In 1395 the icon has been brought to Moscow when the city was threatened with danger, and this very day, according to the annals, awesome “0merlan has turned with the army from Moscow. Subsequently written sources mark participation of ‘Vladimir Mother of God’ in the important events of Russian history. Creation of the second glorified vladimirskaya icon is connected with a name of prince Andrey Bogolyubsky – « the Bogolyubsky Virgin ». Unfortunately, it has strongly suffered from time. But even so badly preserved it is considered to be one of the finest icons that have ever been created in Russia. According to other iconography it is the nearest analogy of “Vladimir Mother of God”. We do not know, who has written this icon – the Greek or his pupil from Vladimir. Bogolyubov’s annals of the monastery, made in XVIII century, tell only, that in 1158 Andrey Bogolyubsky called the most skilled painters and ordered to paint an image of Sacred Lady, as She had appeared to him.

The choice of these two icons by Andrey Bogolyubsky characterizes tastes of the vladimirskiy princely court. Vladimir in XII century as it is possible to judge according to the kept monuments of icon painting and monumental painting, has most naturally conceived the raised ideal of metropolitan art from Byzantium. Often icons characteristic of this classical style, are referred to painting of the Vladimiro-Suzdal’skoi Rusi.

The second art center with which many of the preserved ancient icons are connected is the Great Novgorod. The princes from Novgorod are known for the greekophilic orientation. The Greek masters came to Novgorod. Icons from Byzantium and from other centers connected with it, in particular, from Kiev could be brought to Novgorod. Therefore the question on authorship and an origin of the Novgorod icons is very complicated.

Among the Novgorod monuments one of the most ancient icons, usually dated by XI century – “Peter and Paul” from the Novgorod Sofia has kept up to now. In annals and inventories of the Sofia cathedral this icon is named “Korsun’s”. Unfortunately, only the clothes of apostles were kept from the XI century. Faces, hands and feet have been copied in XV century. But despite of fragmentary safety, the icon amazes with classical beauty of images. Correctness of proportions and figure and precious painting put the icon on the same level with the best monuments of the Byzantian art. In comparison with the Greek icons its big sizes (236X147) are unusual. In the Saint George Cathedral in Yuriev Monastery in Novgorod there are two big icons close in sizes to an icon “Peter and Paul: George” (State Tretiakov’s Gallery) and “Ustug Annunciation” (State Tretiakov’s Gallery). Similarly to an icon “Peter and Paul”, “the Annunciation” in XVI century was considered to be of korsun’s painting. The use of the term “korsun’s” in relation to these icons specifies that in consciousness of Russian people they were associated with art of the Greek masters.

“Ustug Annunciation” is often considered to belong to the same group as two others icons -“Angel with the Golden hair” (the State Russian Museum) and “Savior Not Made By Hand”. with the image “Adorations of a cross” on the back (State Tretiakov’s Gallery).

“Angel with the Golden Hair” by character of an image and manner of painting is one of the most “Greek” among Russian art of XII century. The back of an icon “Savior Not-made-by-hand” – “Adoration of a cross” is usually referred stylistically to monuments of the Novgorod fresco art of XII century. Iconography and style of the painting reminds the byzantian and Siro-Palestinian samples. The Novgorod art of this time conceived various tendencies coming from the East, the Western Europe and Byzantium. Thus already in XII-XIII centuries in Novgorod art sometimes appeared local features. The example of the original Novgorod art is usually considered to be the well-known icon ” the Mother of God “Of the Sign” (Bogomater Znamenie) with Peter and Natalia’s image on the back which, according to the annals, during the Battle of the Novogorodians with the Suzdalians in 1169 has been taken out by inhabitants of Novgorod and displayed from the wall of the city. The relation of many icons of XII-XIII centuries to this or that art center is often disputable, because there is no exact data about a place and time of their creation. So, unfortunately, with rare exception, almost nothing is known about an origin of the icons of the Dormition cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Fortunately, many ancient icons have been taken to museums from those churches where, most likely, they were kept in an antiquity. Among them there are, for example: “The Assumption of the Birth-Giver of God” from Desjatinnij monastery (State Tretiakov”s Gallery) and “Nicola” from Dukhov Monastery (the State Russian Museum), “Tthe Birth-Giver of God Tenderness” and “Peter and Paul” from Belozersk, “Dmitry Solunsky” from Dmitrov, “Savior” from the Dormition cathedral in Yaroslavl (The Yaroslavl art museum). These monuments allow to reveal local peculiarities of painting of certain separate art centers. However data on an initial location of icons is not always a defining factor in referring them this or that cycle of monuments, because the works were often transported, and their creators, easily moved from one place to another. Exploring this mater seems complicated because of stability of art tradition in medieval art which complicates dating of monuments of premongolian period. In Russian painting the works of XII century and first half of XIII century are almost impossible to differentiate. The features of byzantian komnin’s style are still alive in these monuments. The choice of samples, for imitation, preservation of separate features of komnin’s art and strengthening the other, reflected the national taste of artists and customers. That’s how originality of Russian painting was born.

The end of XII – the beginning of XIII century is a time when the features of all-Russian and sometimes local originality has clearly revealed.

At this time development of Russian art culture has been suspended by the Tatar-Mongolian invasion. Comparison of the most ancient icons can help in many respects to solve disputable questions, arising in connection with studying of monuments of painting of XII-XIII centuries, and to reveal new aspects in research of these works.

Recently, one of our customers, Amy Smith, Marketing Director at Thompson McMullan, shared her thoughts with us on her firm’s decision to use engraved letterhead…

“Law firms have certainly changed over the past couple decades and while many have gone to printing their own letterhead, the four firms I have worked with have remained true to the high-end engraved letterhead. My attorneys appreciate the quality and elegance the letterhead portrays…When your stationery sets the tone, it is easy for clients to feel assured that their attorneys are top notch.”

Do you want to learn more about engraving and the impact it can have on your image? Read on…

Introduction to Engraving
Engraving brings unparalleled elegance and dimension to everything it touches. Universally regarded as the finest way to set ink on paper, engraving lends a look of prestige to any design. Engraving combines tactile interest with rich opaque colors, and can reproduce fine lines and solids with stunning clarity and consistency. While engraving may add some time and cost, the results will distinguish your printed materials and your brand with classic quality.

Benefits of Engraving
Although engraving has been used for hundreds of years, the process used today blends traditional craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology to produce optimal quality. The inherent benefits of engraving include:
• Stay true design – Ability to reproduce fine lines and solids with stunning clarity and consistency ensures that printed images are true to the designer’s intentions.
• Stay true color – Keeps a uniform PMS color throughout any project.
• Flexibility – Allows for the placement of light color inks over dark backgrounds to create tactile textures and images. Burnished metallic inks can also be used to add dimension to any design.
• Compatibility with desktop printers – Engraving inks are environmentally friendly water-based compounds that do not “break down,” melt or smear when subjected to the very high temperatures of modern desktop printers.
• Environmentally friendliness – Engraving inks are ideally suited for recycling.
Built-in security – Creates a superior barrier against unauthorized alterations because no scanner or color copier can duplicate the tactile features of raised ink.

These benefits are why engraving remains the universal choice for currency and negotiable instruments, as well as an excellent vehicle for global businesses to employ in combating counterfeit products, packaging, and marketing.

Engraving in the Marketplace – Research Findings
Over the past decade, many studies have been conducted to determine who is most likely to use engraving and why. The three studies that are considered most important are: The Yankelovich Study, Market Street Research, and The Altman Weil Study. All three are summarized below.

The Yankelovich Study
The Yankelovich study surveyed business executives about their attitudes and perceptions of corporate identity materials based on the assumption that one of the most critical issues facing any organization is the ability to successfully create a distinctive and successful image in the minds of current customers, potential customers, trade audiences, investors and suppliers.

The main findings:
• Nearly 4 out of 5 business executives chose engraving as the best option for their companies.
• According to business executives, engraved brand image tools would:
o Make them proudest to present them to a client or potential customer
o Impress them most if received from someone else
o Communicate clearly that a company is prestigious
• Engraving received the highest ratings of all production techniques in providing the attributes most important to business executives.

Market Street Research
The Market Street Research study surveyed organizations about their attitudes about engraving and the reasons why they choose to use it.

Findings included:
• 70% believe image is critical and that engraving provides a professional, sophisticated and high quality “look” that will impress clients and increase their business, all for a minimal increase in cost.
• 85% believe that engraved stationery provides companies with an established and professional image. Many stated that engraving makes them appear as though they have been in business longer.
• 92% said engraving produces a more distinctive look.
• 72% understand that engraving allows them to produce more colorful and complex logos.

Altman Weil Study
This survey was conducted among in-house Corporate Counsel, who are directly responsible for hiring independent law firms nationwide and examines responses of potential law firm clients to different types of identity materials.

More than half of the respondents said that engraving best conveyed the most important attributes of a law firm’s corporate identity, and provides a positive first impression that is easy to read and conveys a professional, quality image that communicates that the law firm is successful. Most respondents said that engraved stationery instilled greater confidence in a law firm than materials produced by other methods.

According to the law firm clients, providing a positive first impression, being easy to read at a glance, communicating a quality image and conveying a high degree of professionalism are the most important attributes of law firm stationery. Engraving outscored every other production method tested in each of these categories.

Because you are reading this article, I know two things about you.

1. At some point in your life, your mind and your heart declared: ‘I am an artist.’

From that moment it was true. You are an artist, even though the declaration may have been made in silence, in the privacy of your own thoughts.

2. Very soon, the question arose: How can I get my work shown?

In the current climate of relentless inclusiveness, an over-used slogan pushes the nice line: ‘Everything is Art and everyone is an artist.’

The hard truth is: there are two kinds of people who create artistic works.

They are the artist and the hobbyist. To be a hobbyist is a valid choice – if made by choice, rather than by lack of courage to face public judgement. But the artist has a gut-deep need to show his or her work. She or he has to share it with an audience.

I know these things about you because I’ve been there. Over a span of nearly forty years, I’ve been both artist and gallery owner-director. Back when I was starting out, most of what happened to further my career was just a matter of trying this and that, failing at some points, stumbling upon the things that worked. I would have given a lot for a handbook to show me the way. So, I can tell you I understand much of what you are facing now and I’m glad to have an opportunity to make some suggestions that will ease your path.

Making art is not a business. But making a living from your art depends upon the business of showing it to sell it.

The options for getting your work shown fall into four main categories.

1.) Public galleries – funded and run by governments

2.) Private galleries – funded and run by an individual owner

3.) Art shows – funded and organised by art societies or charities

4. The Internet

Each of these options has its benefits and its disadvantages. Only one thing is certain: you have to try at least one of them.

As you read, you’ll soon notice my personal biases for and against each option discussed. I make no apology for this, when it comes to Art, I cannot lie for the sake of politeness.

Art is serious – a recent theory even proposes that ‘Art made us human.’ Your art is the most serious thing in your life, so I will write here in the same way I talked to emerging artists at my galleries.

Let’s look at the options, one by one.

The public gallery.

The fundamental thing for the artist to remember about public galleries is: they are departments of government. Thus, they are expressions of political will. At their best, they offer exhibits of art from diverse cultures or periods or Movements, presented by informed curators in a logical sequence. Their purpose is to entertain and offer alternatives for the public to consider. At worst, they become well-intentioned gestures towards giving the public what is deemed to be ‘good’ for it.

Many, perhaps most, public galleries are founded upon donations of works given by collectors or artists. In time, governments amended the laws that endowed such generosity with a tax benefit for the giver. Now, public galleries must increasingly resort to other means of acquiring artworks deemed ‘worthy’ or ‘important’ for their collections. Whether through auction sales or by direct negotiation with collectors, this requires serious money.

Though the shortfalls are eased by philanthropists, corporate or private, their generosity may be bracketed by conditions that reflect the commercial, financial or political interests of the donor. Although the public – through taxes – provides the funds for acquisitions, it gets no say in what is bought. This is why a large sector of the public considers public galleries to be only for the elite of the art Establishment.

For the artist, the question is: do you wish to be part of it?

If you choose this path, your first step will be to join up as a member of the gallery community. From there, you will be required to follow the protocols of the government department under which the gallery operates and the preferences of the curator who has tenure at the time. Both of these are subject to change and are not negotiable by an ’emerging artist’ such as you, the newbie. Your work is not likely to be shown except as part of a group exhibition.

This is all I can tell you about public galleries, and it comes only from listening to artists who chose this option. It is not a path I ever chose. But at roughly mid-career, it ‘chose’ me, when the local government of my city commissioned from me a painting for the opening of the Cairns Regional Art Gallery, where my Portrait of Lady Norman is on permanent display.

In the next article, I’ll be telling you about the second of the four options for getting your paintings hung: the Private gallery in the high street.

Lawyers can fight for pretty much the rights, the justice (ideally) of nearly any subject from pharmaceuticals, corporate, criminal, divorce, and my favorite even art. It’s always a question of appropriation, what belongs to whom. In the case of art this is going to go way over anyone’s head because nobody has a clear definition of art (this changes all the time) and then there’s the issue of who owns the art.

Is it the creator? Does the artist really own the art since they really don’t have anything appropriated to the work of art once it has left the studio. In terms of appropriation there is such a thing as artist resale rights (or droit de suite in French the origin of the term) where the artist is allowed to claim royalties, a percentage of a final sale price when a public transaction has been made. However artist resale rights only exist in certain countries (not the USA mostly) so whether the art belongs to the original creator might depend on your nationality? Seems a bit manipulative.

Then there’s the artist gallery relationship. The artist produces the work, but the gallery representing the artist has some ownership rights over the work- they generally get a generous 50% cut of the final sale price for all the work they do to get the art noticed. But then if belonging changes through transactions if the art is bought then does the buyer then own the art? Is it an object with interchangeable rights dependent on that monetary exchange? Some people might even argue that art should belong to the people, this proletariat view seems to be easiest to fight for, but private viewing minimizes that belonging to the person with the biggest pocket book.

Let’s say art does belong to everyone, to the world, art is a child of the world and therefore is owned and belongs to everyone.

They also say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes it’s argued art only exists to serve its when there is a viewer at hand (meaning art for arts sake belongs to itself.) This cliché statement poses so many problems for instance not all art is beautiful, aesthetics doesn’t imply beauty. If art is so subjective that belonging changes according to the viewer then appropriation of art is practically impossible- so why even fight about and create laws for it?

Then why is it whenever there is a conversation between artworks, if too much is ‘borrowed’ from one work a lawsuit of copyright issues arises?

Examples are Shephard Fairey and the Associated Press concerning the Obama Hope posters. The Associated Press is suing Fairey for copyright infringement among other things because he mass produced a picture originally owned by the AP without permission (with his artistic interpretation of course not the exact photograph) The truth is had his posters not made such a statement and if some small scale artist had done the same without as much exposure, conversation, money…it probably would’ve gone unnoticed and been treated as a compliment. Jealousy is a dangerous and vicious creature.

Then there is someone like Richard Prince where the work is mostly a collage of photographs from ads with recognizable brands and figures for these brands. He has been sued by many of the original ‘producers’ of these creative advertisements. He generally uses these photographs out of their original intent and context to create his own collages without of course demanding for the right to use them. But did these originals belong to anyone in the beginning?

It is true a lot of initial work goes into the creation of these photographs especially if a photographer has worked 10 years earning the trust of Rastafarians in the mountains to produce a body of work with a specific intent. But does it end there? Isn’t art about a conversation between already existing work of art, it would be limiting to have the appropriation end any potential discourse. Maybe influence and inspiration should be given credit and maybe explained a bit rather than claiming a whole work as completely original in every way possible.

Then there is what commission can do for appropriation. If a piece is commissioned, does the artwork then belong to the decisions of the pocket book owner? Richard Serra found this out the hard way when he filed a $30 Million lawsuit against the General Services Administration (GSA) for a sculpture he had created called “Tilted Arc” at the 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan and it was very site-specific meaning the creation of the piece was adapted and largely depended on its physical location. It wouldn’t make sense had it been transferred unlike a painting from one gallery to another. The GSA who had commissioned the work were adamant on changing the location, and unfortunately they got their way.

Art Law is growing segment for representing the rights of art in many ways. But the question is still more complicated that before because if you give art a primary holder, it’s meaning (which is already intertwined and convoluted) can be affected by simply giving it an owner.

I’m Kieran Shep an art consultant based in Darien, CT. I share my knowledge on art markets, art auctions, and art consulting with my readers.

“Breaking rocks in, the hot sun….”

“I fought the law…..and the law won”.

The tune kept going round and round in my head. Ok, it was a cool song covered by Joe Strummer and the Clash, and ok, it took me back to those great days in 70’s London, but the reason for remembering this song right now, is that I’m on my way to jail!!

Now before everyone joins in with a chorus of “serves you right you criminal malcontent”, I will add that the jail is actually a dungeon – the famous London Dungeon – and I’m going there as a visitor!

This whole thing started when I was looking for a two day break in London at a nice hotel. I chanced upon superbreak and quickly spotted that they had an offer on for London breaks. Now, never one to miss out on a ‘freebie’ I surfed right on to the detail.

If I booked with superbreak I could select a free bonus – either a theatre ticket to a top show, a lunch or dinner at a great eatery or an admission to a selection of sights.

My eye was drawn, of course, to the latter and I remember frantically booking my break and bonus in case they ran out. In a trice though, I had a confirmation from Superbreak that my package was booked – I was in.

The London Dungeon is a massive complex underneath the streets of Southwark/London Bridge and gives a taste of medieval horror. It’s not a museum, as such, but an exhibition of the dark happenings of the past – a sort of haunted house for adults. Here you will find many torture and execution devices and recreations of vicious murders and royal executions. As you wander through the various galleries, the sense of oppression is markedly increased by the dank and dingy surroundings and the sound and lighting effects woven around each display.

By far, the best thing about the London Dungeon is that fact that you are not just a passive spectator. There are many participatory elements and here are some of the ones that I am most looking forward to:

The Boat Ride To Hell – A water boat ride in total darkness with shocking surprises en route.

Extremis – You are lead by a hooded hangman to that final drop…you feel the floor give way as you plummet downwards…

The Labyrinth Of The Lost – You must venture into a large mirrored maze, it is dark, the escape routes you see are mere mirages, only the bravest will survive!

As the days go by, I am more and more excited and eager to test myself against the coming darkness and lurking horrors; my thanks to superbreak for this excellent package, and should I not return, remember… I bravely fought the Dungeon… but the Dungeon won!

If a you fancy a London getaway like this one why not visit Superbreak.com [http://www.superbreak.com/promo/summerinthecity/summerinthecity.htm] and book yourself a well earned break!

Whatever your favourite ways of creating are, there are powerful principles that everyone who’s creative (and by that I mean everyone on the face of the planet) can be aware of to help them be as creative as they can possible be.

Here then are the 5 Fundamental Laws Of Creativity:

1. Ideas are the root of all creating. Everything we create begins with a spark of an idea. Creativity defined in its simplest terms is bringing stuff into being that wasn’t there before. That starts in the mind with a phrase, an image, a theory, or a melody.

Without any ideas, there’s nothing to build upon, no raw material to sculpt into beautiful shapes that will bring meaning to you and those who discover them. By having in place techniques for keeping a steady flow of ideas, you’ll always have plenty of starting points to create from.

2. Creativity is not just about making art. Most of the time when we say: “I’m just not creative”, what we’re REALLY saying is: “I haven’t written 3 novels this year” or “I haven’t painted 17 pictures and held an exhibition in a national gallery”. We have lofty expectations of what being creative means that deflate us before we even begin.

Creativity is not just making art. It’s a way of being, thinking, seeing and doing. You’re creative in how you tackle problems at work, how you decorate your home, how you develop your relationships, how you nurture your garden, how you organise social events, and a thousand other ways. Recognise every tiny creative act that makes up your thriving creative life.

3. Your beliefs define the limits of your creativity. You will only ever be as creative as you believe you can be. Your beliefs are a glass ceiling on your creative achievements, so if you don’t really believe you’re very creative, then your behaviour will mirror that, and yes, you won’t be very creative.

Take stock of all the beliefs you hold about creativity, and write them out on a sheet of paper. Think of beliefs about creativity in general, as well as about yourself and your abilities. Once you’ve written all you can think of, take a look through. Are these a collection of positive beliefs that will support you in creating to your full potential?

4. The more creative you are, the more creative you are. This law is simple – creativity breeds creativity. Being creative is all about flow, and as soon as you hit your stride in creating, it becomes so effortless you forget you’re even doing it. But, like rolling a giant snowball, it seems incredibly difficult to get that momentum started, especially if you haven’t created regularly for a while.

The key here is to create little and often. Setting aside just 15 minutes each and every day, and beginning with bite sized projects that aren’t going to completely overwhelm you, is a great way to start. As your creativity begins to flow, you can then gently increase the amount of time you spend each day, and the size and complexity of the projects.

5. Encouragement boosts your creativity to new levels. You can only be so creative on your own. If it feels like your forever creating in a huge vacuum and you don’t know if anyone knows you’re creating, let alone cares, then your creativity will grind to a standstill.

The answer is to get support from other creative people who relate to the kind of triumphs of struggles you experience in your own creative live, and can be there to encourage you as you go. These days it’s easier than ever to find groups and communities online and offline that can boost your creativity many times over.

Follow these 5 fundamental laws of creativity and you’ll set yourself up for a lifetime of flowing and abundant creating!

Pick one of the above that you feel you can enhance in your own life, and take the first step in boosting that specific area right away.