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Gouache Painting: Artist Essentials & Art Tips
Gouache painting has a unique charm and offers versatility for artists and art appreciators. This unctuous type of paint delivers vibrant...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 17, 20244 min read
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Bright Common Nails: Composition to Corrosion
Bright common nails in hardware are used in construction, woodworking, and various DIY projects from building to pigment making. Bright...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 17, 20243 min read
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Secret Life of Rust: Power of Bacteria
Rust hides within itself a secret life, orchestrated by industrious communities of microscopic bacteria with immense power in the process...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 16, 20244 min read
21 views


Gum Arabic (Acacia Gum) Art, Food & Medicine
Gum arabic, also known as acacia gum, is a natural substance derived from sap of Acacia trees, especially Acacia senegal . This sticky,...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 15, 20244 min read
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Gum Arabic, Guar, Xanthan: Guide for Artists & Artisans
Thickening gums such as gum arabic, guar and xanthan gums are indispensable for creation of inks and pigment by individual or industrial...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 15, 20245 min read
39 views


Sacred Geometry: Insight to the Mysteries
Sacred Geometry celebrates the beauty of mathematics and creation. Its constructs are universal patterns and structures and a balance of...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 14, 20245 min read
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Soot & Lampblack: Beauty, Art and Medicine
Soot is as old as fire. A dark, powder formed by incomplete burning of organic matter, it's used for centuries due to its easy...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 14, 20246 min read
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Tungsten: Elusive Metal of Light, Art & Industry
Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a rare and versatile metal. In nature, tungsten is found in ore form, combined with other elements....

Sylvia Rose
Oct 12, 20245 min read
41 views


Seven Deadly Diseases of the Renaissance
Some graphics may be disturbing. Disease in the European Renaissance takes a grave toll. Ancient killers include smallpox, malaria,...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 10, 20248 min read
46 views


The Four Medici Popes: Controversial Connections
Four Medici Popes shape history during their reigns: Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI. Centered in Florence,...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 9, 20244 min read
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Roman Inquisition: Power, Prayer & Politics
The Italian or Roman Inquisition is established 1542 by Pope Paul III, largely as a response to the Protestant Reformation. Reformers...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 9, 20245 min read
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Catholic Inquisitions: Chronology & Overview
The Catholic Inquisition is an institution in Christianity from the 12th to 19th century. Its purpose is to identify and eliminate heresy...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 9, 20246 min read
10 views


Rise & Fall of the Habsburg Dynasty Europe
The Habsburg Dynasty in history is one of Europe’s most powerful and influential royal families. From origins in the Swiss canton of...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 8, 20244 min read
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Thirty Years' War Europe: Five Major Battles
The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) is one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. Up to 8 million people lose their lives...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 7, 20243 min read
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Thirty Years' War: Conflict, Antagonists, and Impact on Society
The Thirty Years' War (1618 - 48) is a major factor in the collapse of the European Renaissance and devastates a continent for three...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 7, 20244 min read
15 views


Art of Egg Tempera: Paint Like the Old Masters
Egg tempera painting is beloved for its luminous quality and durability. This method uses egg yolk as a binding agent for pigments, and...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 7, 20247 min read
26 views


Process of Projection in Renaissance Alchemy
Projection, according to experts of the Renaissance, is the final act of alchemical work once the Philosophers' Stone has been made. The...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 6, 20243 min read
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Kerotakis: Ancient Alchemical Equipment
The kerotakis (Greek: κυροτακίς) is an ancient alchemical apparatus of multiple purposes, primarily heating substances and collecting...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 6, 20242 min read
17 views


Mother of Vinegar & Microbial Life in a Bottle
Mother of vinegar ( Mycoderma aceti ), is a fascinating compound of life, with a range of health benefits and versatile uses. The Mother...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 5, 20244 min read
40 views


Book of Comarius: Making Gold with Cleopatra
The Book of Comarius is a mysterious tome dedicated to Cleopatra the Divine, or Cleopatra the Alchemist of Alexandria. In it, Comarius, a...

Sylvia Rose
Oct 3, 20245 min read
6 views
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