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Guardian Angel tattoos have been slowly but surely gaining popularity over the past few decades for a good reason - if you get a guardian angel tattoo, it’s like having your guardian angel with you all the time!

The origins of the guardian angels come from Christianity, which holds that each person has a guardian angel whose purpose is to protect that person from danger and crisis. Getting your own Guardian Angel Tattoo is not reserved to to Christians only, and many people, with different religious beliefs choose choose to have a guardian angel tattoo.

Traditionally guardian angels have been viewed as a type of angel whose main purpose is to protect the person they are assigned to by God. Many people believe that the spirits of friends and family who have passed away become guardian angels who protect them.

Most people picture angels with wings, but in fact, the Bible doesn’t mention angels that have wings. Cherub tattoos are a popular form of guardian angel tattoos and for many, the cherub is the ultimate guardian angel figure. In the Old Testament they are described as the throne bearers of God and in Islam and Christianity they are described as celestial attendants of God who praise him constantly.

Many celebrities have Guardian Angel Tattoos, here are a few: Beyonce, Fred Durst, David Beckham, Drew Barrymore, Justin Timberlake, Melanie C.

Style and taste may change but when having your own guardian angel tattoo you will always have a special meaning to you, and will reflect your essence and beauty forever.

When you want to learn about perspectives you will find hundreds of art books to show you how…

Essentially, they will talk about horizon lines, vanishing points and view points. They are an important guide for an artist to master drawing and painting realistic looking art.

Better still, an artist gains the knowledge of recreating 3-dimensional physical form in 2 dimensions. With full knowledge of perspective drawing a good artist can create a painting that will look lifelike…

* Your picture seems to have depth and substance even if it has been produced as a flat image

* Your pencil drawing gives the mood and atmosphere of reality

* Your portrait painting subject looks like they could jump out from the canvas and shake your hand

However, for an art beginner, perspective drawing can be a mystery.

Even top professional artists are guilty of relying upon perspective rules too much. The best of illustrators can find that the paintings they produce look artificial…

* Objects seem to be distorted

* Extreme flatness is the overall effect

The key to understanding perspectives as an artist is that the viewpoint is your own. You have a unique view of life.

Here are some reasons why you see the world differently from the person standing beside you…

* Physical differences… You could be shorter or taller

* Each person has different eyesight… You could be long-sighted while the person standing beside you could be short-sighted

* Everyone sees colors differently… You could have perfect color vision… Other people’s color vision could be impaired

Your emotional response to your art subject affects your painting and drawing. If you have passion for your subject matter the resulting artwork will be better.

Whatever art critics say about your artwork you know your drawings and paintings show your view of reality. Knowing that your view of the world is unique justifies your artistic vision…

Your Art is your own perspective on life… “Enjoy your painting and drawing”

The guitar is one of the most flexible instruments in the world. You can play the blues, jazz, rock, and almost any other kind of music. It’s no wonder therefore that almost all people want to learn how to strum the strings.

There are some who are truly gifted. After a while of self-studying, they can already play a variety of songs together with their guitar. Others, meanwhile, aren’t as lucky. You can actually see them struggling for hours or even months. If you belong to the latter group, you have one more effective option: choose a guitar lesson.

Here are the different techniques in choosing the right guitar lesson for you:

1. Stick with the level you’re in. If you haven’t played guitar before, then you have to choose the beginner level. If you want to advance with your techniques, you also have to select the advanced level. Choosing one inappropriately will definitely spell disaster for you-unless you’re a born guitar genius.

2. Choose self-taught audio and video guitar lessons. If you want to obtain greater flexibility of your time and in a shoe-string budget, then you can simply opt for guitar lessons in video and audio format. Keep in mind that this is not a formal training, which means you really don’t have anybody telling you if you’re doing things or not. You just have to depend on your gut feel and perhaps the reaction of your audience once you start playing the guitar. The good thing about this is you can bring your lessons everywhere you go, and they are absolutely free.

3. Look for an online guitar lesson program. There are already numerous websites that are offering guitar playing modules to their students. They also have experts with them, who can guide you during difficult periods in your lessons. They may cost few dollars, but if you’re truly serious about learning, then you wouldn’t definitely mind spending some of your money for it.

4. Download a software. Besides modules, you can also download a number of software that will help you how to play the guitar. They have both audio and video presentations, audio samples, and tabs that you can utilize while you’re practicing playing. You can make use of this even when you don’t have an Internet connection.

5. Attend a class. If you’re still in school, you can ask around if there are special classes for guitar playing. It will save you time, money, and effort as you can participate every time your classes end. It’s going to be fun too as you have several people who can offer their opinion about your guitar playing skills.

Join me as I examine the joys of blues guitar and the major influence it has had on modern day music. Learn how to make your guitar sing out what you’re feeling. Learn how to play with blues rhythm and try out some new chords and strumming patterns.

Blues - Soul Food

Blues guitar is one of the most intriguing and interesting genres that is out there. It has a rich history, interesting people and a way of expressing emotion unlike any other style of music. Essentially, blues tells a story of one’s life experiences and has various themes ranging from travel to current events.

Blues isn’t as decorated as other genres of music. It is raw and uncensored and as far as the guitar is concerned, one of the finest venues to let your creativity soar. You will not be criticised for your technique here, instead, you will be complimented for your ingenuity. Within the realm of blues guitar, there are many different sub-specialties. There is delta blues and many more

Many guitarists fail to realize is that legendary players such as Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn were all blues players. Many of their songs were inspired by blues and created a whole new generation of pumped up guitarists. Unfortunately, many people fail to make that connection and blues is often underestimated by aspiring guitarists. The reality is that blues is only what you make it.

While I respect and understand those who decide not to play blues, I have little tolerance for ignorance. You have heard it said over and over again that blues has always been the cornerstone for many of your favourite styles that you love today. Blues lead guitar playing uses a multifaceted approach that is established upon smooth bends, hammer on’s, pull off’s and many other standard techniques. The way they are ultimately played and delivered is what sets blues apart. First off, blues rarely, if ever, follows a single one set rule.

However, there are numerous patterns that have made blues famous. You can branch off of these patterns into your own unique style. Ultimately, you can make anything sound bluesy with some simple scales. There are various kinds of blues scales. Many are derived from the pentatonic scale. However, a true blues scale has what is known as a blue note. A blues note means a drop in pitch located on the 3rd, 5th, or 7th tone of the scale. If this flatted note isn’t included in the key signature, an accidental will be used to tell you to play that note as a flat.

That scratches the tip of blues scales and there are many other variations. I encourage you to go to your local store to buy a scale book to hone your skills and see the other blues scales available. I will also encourage you to purchase professional blues guitar backing tracks to take your blues playing to the next level.

The hillbilly music of the south is a genre of music that is beginning to grow at an immense rate throughout the United States. Originating in Bristol Tennessee, country music is a type of music that integrates the blues, jazz and originally some “hillbilly folk” with a bit of swing, and just recently some pop has been added to the sound. The lyrics represent the “faithfully charted vicissitudes of the working-class life; as Charlie Rich put it, “life’s little ups and downs”. The music is nearly 73 years old, and is just now starting to touch people.

In 1927, a man by the name of Ralph Peer signed Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, who would later set the sound for country music. Jimmie Rodgers was born in Mississippi and his favorite type of music to sing was “nigger blues”, which is what he brought to the country industry.

African American musicians wound up having a huge impact on the country music sound. Mainly because on one side there was the “colored section” and the “white trash” section. Because of how close the two communities were, the songs that each would sing would influence the other (Scherman, 1994). A lot of the African American sound can be heard through jazz and blues. Many of the early country artists were “hillbillies”, singing their folk music. However, country music is NOT folk music.

When Gene Autry went to Hollywood in 1934 and became “the movies first singing cowboy” the image of the cowboy stuck with the “hillbilly sound” (Scherman, 1994). Gene Autry’s biggest rival was Roy Rogers. Roy Rogers starred in over 100 movies and headed his own television show (Walker, 1997). Roy Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988.

It was only a few years later when he was on top of the charts once again (Walker 1997). In 1934, Rogers formed the Sons of the Pioneers, an early country western band (Walker 1997).

With the help of Bob Wills, western swing was born. “The style was a blend of big band, blues, dixieland, and jazz among others” (Walker, 1997). Originating in Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930’s (Walker, 1997). Bob Wills famous “falsetto cry” of “Ah-hahh” was adopted by the WWII American pilots, whenever the pilots would celebrate a hit. During this time, Southern California became America’s western swing capital (Scherman, 1994).