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VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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erik winkler
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Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
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VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by erik winkler »

Life is brief, but art is everlasting.
My wish is to make something that is worthwhile keeping after I am gone.
Nice for the next generation to keep.
I think the Latin phrase Vita Brevis Est Longa Ars sums it all up for me.

Who speaks English anyway? :wink:

This test piece was done as the next step to fullfill my promise made to Larry White in making a big big glass piece like the Rawson & Evans one with a blended shade.
Doing this large size I had to deal with some new problems.
Some techniques used:
Blended shading.
Blended gold lettering (23,45 & 18 krt).
Colored abolone inlay.
And a few other things.

Erik
Attachments
Vita Brevis est Longa Ars forum.jpg
Vita Brevis est Longa Ars forum.jpg (87.31 KiB) Viewed 8842 times
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
Larry White
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Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:18 am

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by Larry White »

Nice Erik...very nice!

I like a man that's got his mind right on what needs to be done.

Need to see a close-up of one of those letters.

-Aho!
erik winkler
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Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by erik winkler »

Some close ups.

Image
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
John Studden
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2004 11:40 am

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by John Studden »

LATINE LOQUI COACTUS SUM,

I thought the phrase was,
Ars Longa, Vita Brevis, Art Endures, Life is Short.

This translates to,

Vita Brevis, Life is Short
Est, There Is
Longa Ars, Edures Art

roughly speeking.

or maybe it's LICENTIA POETICA, I could be wrong...........

SONA SI LATINE LOQUERIS...............
John Studden
Valencia Signs, California
Larry White
Posts: 1213
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:18 am

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by Larry White »

Anyhow, gettin' back to the beginning of the story, Dickinson's granddaddy come over from Scotland, you see. He was actually part of the McDickinson clan. Uh, the, uh, clan tartan was kind of gold and purple, if I remember correctly. Dickinson never wore a lick of it himself. Dropped the " Mc" part of the name when he decided to come out West.. on account of he figured it'd get him more vinyl work and all. Well, he sure was a lovely gentleman, his granddaddy, he sure was.

Kind of figured him for a German, huh? I mean, am I right? Am I close? Austrian?

What would you know about Greek, I mean Latin anyway?

.
Last edited by Larry White on Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
erik winkler
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Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by erik winkler »

BRITANNICA LOQUI COACTUS SUM

John, as I am told Latin can and is translated in many different styles or forms.
Before I made the design I read, asked and debated with a few people who studied Latin at school.
They came up with the used text as being the right text for what I wanted to say in combination of the used phrase in literature.
So yes a little bit of licentia poetica is used.

Ars Longa, Vita Brevis, Art Endures= Art is forever, Life is short, .... Is double in one sentence.

Who am I to, Homo sapiens non urinat at vantum :wink:

Larry Lochness, I am a mixture of all royal ancient cultures: Germanica, Romanica et Spartanica.
I know Dutch, French, German, Spanisch, a little English and very little Latin

Ericus Wienklairus
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
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John Studden
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2004 11:40 am

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by John Studden »

ERIC, ABSIT INVIDIA, after all AD IDEM...........CURA UT VALEAS...

Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere
John Studden
Valencia Signs, California
erik winkler
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Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:48 pm
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Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by erik winkler »

Plures gratiae john illi pius lacuna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRY0zVbq ... re=related
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
John Studden
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2004 11:40 am

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by John Studden »

TU QUOQUE,......SI FINIS BONUS EST, TOTUM BONUM ERIT!.................
John Studden
Valencia Signs, California
Larry White
Posts: 1213
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:18 am

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by Larry White »

Shut up!...I said SHUT UP!

I bet under all that Latin in your brain...you thought there was a pony...didn't chya?


Erikius-

Personally speaking, mind you, I think you might be able to achieve more contrast in your letters with a different finish. The glue chip and gilded letter centers so close to the glue chip and mirrored backgound, almost gives the feel that I'm seeing the backgound in the letter center through a tinted glaze. I have found that painted letters stand out nicely against a silvered glue chipped background, often with a blended color. Or gold brightlined letters with a paint center, provided they are outlined. Your lettering might have been more pronounced if they were in a painted panel. A few things to contemplate.

Image

Hey did you work with Chester Arthur in the Customs office up there?



.
Jerry Berg
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 3:17 pm
Location: pacific northwest

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by Jerry Berg »

Merda Taurorum Animus Conturbit........ Sorry Larry, had to get my 2cents in.
erik winkler
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Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by erik winkler »

Thank you John for those kind words, Larry I will work on your new tips.
Already had the feeling myself that I had done enough volume chipping and silvering in my testpieces.
Jerry eeuhm.....
I do not know if I have to thank you for the Merda citation :wink:
Off to making a new testpiece.

Here it is hanging on my wall.
Verzilver glas.jpg
Verzilver glas.jpg (103.16 KiB) Viewed 8462 times
Erik
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
Jerry Berg
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 3:17 pm
Location: pacific northwest

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by Jerry Berg »

I was trying to appear like I knew latin Erik. Nice job on the blends!
Larry White
Posts: 1213
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:18 am

Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by Larry White »

You're a good role model Erik!

Design it!
Execute it!
Learn things as ya go!
Frame it!
Hang it!
Enjoy it!
On to the next one!

Good to have that up on the wall, not layin' around where it can get busted!

Pretty soon you'll be like me and you'l have thousands of thousands of these gems!

Keep up the good work!

NTO baby! (nurse the obsession)

-Aho!



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David Slade
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Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by David Slade »

It doesn't mean much coming from a novice but, Looks Great to Me!

Also, I am sure you have ALREADY made signs that will be treasured in the future. Look at the A.W. Hengeveld sign you recently posted as an example. At the time it was made it was probably not something that would stand out as art. However, as technology left gilding behind we look back at all examples with wonder. In the future, paper-thin display boards with a million LEDs per inch will have replaced all other types of signs. Then your everyday vinyl and screen work will be the inspiration for some group of fellas that found an old dust covered vinyl cutter in a garage sale!

Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance???
erik winkler
Posts: 1097
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:48 pm
Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
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Re: VITA BREVIS EST LONGA ARS...

Post by erik winkler »

David Slade wrote:Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance???
The first Renaissance went back to the ancient arts.
They learnt from the Greeks and Romans and tried not just to copy it, but use it and improve it with their newly aquired knowledge and insights.

I am realising that in some way this last century I (we) have lived in some kind of dark age and I (we) try to copy and improve the art of the 19th century and the ancients.
I am still in the learning fase....

Eriko da Amsterdam (what do I mean with this?)
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
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