Alphonse Marie Mucha Art Nouveau Master

Alphonse Marie Mucha was a Czech painter who lived from 1860 until his death in 1939. He was known mainly for his painting, but had a number of other talents including lithography, fine jewelry making, sculpting and instruction. He was furthermore a gifted poster artist of popular lithographs. He had a life long interest with religion and mysticism and a fervent patriotic desire for his own country.In 1871, Alphonse Mucha actually attempted to follow a career as a singer when he joined the choir at St Peter’s Cathedral in Brno, the Czech Republic, where he went to grammar school. His singing goals however were sad to say cut short in 1875 when his voice started to break in the midst of his teenage years. At this point Mucha took up drawing lessons since he was not able to pursue his singing any further.Around two years later, Mucha applied for admission to the Academy of Visual Arts in Prague but was not successful in his attempt to be accepted. He wasn’t deterred by this and he continued his drawing lessons. He had his first break in 1879 when he secured a job in Vienna as an assistant in a firm that made stage sets. It was an education for him, especially in the art of interior decorating and design. Mucha’s illustration and painting skills were developing and improving, so much so, that a local nobleman, Count Karl Khuen-Belassi, was so impressed by Mucha, that he commissioned him to redecorate the Emmahof Castle in Moravia. The Count also decided to sponsor his formalized art education around the time of 1884.His style of painting grew and began having a major impact on many of his compatriots at the time, including other painters, artists and designers. He did not welcome the popularity which found him throughout his working life and considered the real and the true form of art should ascend the material trappings of life.The primary style of painting which Alphonse Marie Mucha developed and became connected with was Art Nouveau, the French term for ‘new art’ which was an artistic style and form of depicting art from around the 1880′s up to 1910. The distinctive style of Art Noveau placed focus on natural curved and linear designs and floral designs and was used mainly in other art design and forms such as architecture, sculpture and jewelry design. Of all his varied work, Alphonse Mucha was most commonly known for his sweeping and luxurious poster designs in the form of broadsheets. These are typically ranked among among the best work of the Art Noveau period. Many of the depictions featured eye-catching women but these were never graphic or sexual which typified the other painting art forms of the period. Some of his best product was created for the popular actress Sarah Bernhardt around the 1890′s. Mucha was involved in doing quite a varied amount of work for Bernhardt which involved set design, costume design and jewelry. Mucha became successful in the USA as well as Europe and often journeyed to the States.Alphonse Marie Mucha died in 1939, the year of the start of the Second World War. Following the war, his style of art and his paintings and broadsheet depictions were unfavorably out of fashion. During the 1960′s however, there was clearly a revival and renewed curiosity about his work and the Art Nouveau style. Ever since then, many books and shows have been written and dedicated to the work of Alphonse Mucha and there was a major showing of his paintings, broadsheet posters, drawings, jewelry and even furniture design at the Grand Palais in Paris in 1980. He has lived on in popular culture and is now one of the more influential figures in the Art Nouveau genre.

Xbox 360 Hardware Failure – How to Prevent and Fix Xbox 360 Hardware Failure

So you think (or know) you’re Xbox 360 is giving you some warning signs of imminent destruction? Maybe you’ve had a game glitch out or the screen freeze up recently, or maybe you’ve even seen the dreaded 3 red lights. In this Article I’m going to discuss the most common warning signs of Xbox 360 hardware failure and how you can avoid and even fix them.The Most common stages of Xbox 360 hardware failure are:
o Freeze Ups
o Disrupted Sound Quality
o Black Screen – The Console only responds to manually resetting itAnd finally…
o 3 Red Lights (the Red Ring of Death)Prevent It
Now if your Xbox 360 is still working, but is giving you the common warning signs of upcoming hardware failure there are a few preventative measures you can take to stop them.1. Make sure the Xbox 360 is in a well ventilated area. Most 360 hardware issues can be traced back to poor ventilation. This means pull the box out of that crowded cubby hole and make sure it can get plenty of air.2. Make sure your power supply isn’t damaged. Often times a bad power supply can contribute to the above warning signs and can even (in some cases) give you the Red Ring of Death.3. Invest in a cooling system for your console. It’s worth the money, trust me. If you can’t afford it, aim some small fans on the console to help ventilate it.If all else fails… How to Fix it
If you’re still getting freeze ups, or gurgled sound after you try the things above, then you probably have some components inside the Xbox that have become damaged due to excess heat. Now, before you go shell out over a hundred dollars to have Microsoft fix your box, consider repairing it yourself for under 30.As complex as it may seem, home Xbox 360 repair has become a very popular alternative. It’s very easy. If you have an hour, a screwdriver, and the ability to follow an instructional video, then this will save you over $100 and you can have your Xbox 360 up and running today! (As opposed to waiting on Microsoft for 4-6 weeks).So if you think you might be facing Xbox 360 hardware failure, then try my quick tips. If all else fails, invest in an Xbox 360 Repair Guide.

Small Business Health Insurance: Big Benefits for Small Companies

Although Canadians are covered for a substantial portion of their health care expenses by their provincial plans, certain areas of care lack coverage or have limited coverage. Group insurance acquired through an employer is a common method of obtaining coverage to fill those gaps. Small business health insurance is designed to provide group coverage for small companies, offering the same types of employee benefits as those presented to large companies.Who Qualifies for a Small Business Group Policy?Companies with two or more employees can usually qualify for a small business health insurance plan. However, each insurance company makes its own rules; some providers may necessitate 5 or more employees to qualify for group insurance, while others offer options for companies as small as two.There are also policies available for companies that consist solely of the business owner. Such plans allow individuals just starting out in business to obtain coverage for themselves and their dependents until the need to hire staff presents itself, at which time they can apply for a typical small business health insurance policy.It is irrelevant how long you have been in business or what sort of company you run; these factors have no impact on qualification, but they can however influence the rates. For example, a company engaged in potentially dangerous work might find that their rates are higher than a company who is not, due to the fact that the risks are higher.Can Full-Time and Part-Time Employees Receive Benefits?Who qualifies for benefits on the group plan is up to the business owner to decide. An employer can choose to offer the benefits solely to full-time employees, or include part-time employees and even contractors hired on a regular basis as well.Some employers offer certain benefits to part-time employees and a large range of benefits to full-time employees, while others adjust benefits based on an employee’s seniority in the company. An employer’s decisions regarding group insurance can be changed over time, allowing for adjustments to the staff and growth of the company. At some point in time, many change the policy to include coverage for part-time employees, or add different coverage options to accommodate individual needs.As health needs differ from one person to another, some companies allow their employees to select the type of coverage they want. For instance, a person wearing glasses might find vision care an important option, while a parent whose child will need braces might find dental care coverage a necessity.What Benefits Does Small Business Health Insurance Offer?A small business insurance policy for supplemental health coverage provides benefits to the business owner as well as for the employees. Under a group policy, you can have coverage for what would otherwise be out-of-pocket expenses in areas like dental care, vision care, prescription coverage and other areas including disability insurance, life insurance, alternative health care insurance and much more.Offering a benefits package is strong incentive for employees to stay with the company, lowering staff turnover and minimizing the costly and time consuming hiring process. It also attracts potential applicants as the company is viewed as one that values and rewards its employees.Small business owners get a tax deduction for premiums paid toward a group health insurance plan. From an employer’s financial standpoint, that aspect is appealing.What Insurance Companies Offer Small Business Health Coverage?There are many insurance providers that offer small business health policies to Canadian companies. You can buy a group plan from the same big name insurers that offer benefits to large companies, enabling you to take advantage of the wide range of resources and competitive prices. You can compare rates and coverage, request quotes and then choose the company that is right for you. You should not have to settle for anything less than the best coverage for the best price for your small business.To have a small business health insurance policy in place from the onset of your company makes for easy adjustments as the company grows. New employees can be included and coverage options can be added. Your insurance provider can work the details out with you in order to adapt and change your policy to meet your new needs.