Christie’s in Amsterdam

Christie’s in Amsterdam

There are so many good lots up for auction this summer at Christie’s in Amsterdam.  There is a lot by Petrus Paulus Schiedges called Sailing on open water that is oil on panel.  This is supposed to sell for more than two thousand euros.

There is another lot up for auction at Christie’s that is of a busy canal near a Dutch town.  It was painted by Joseph Bles.  Joseph Bles was Dutch and he signed his painting “J Bles”.  This painting should go for about fifteen hundred euros.

Albertus Verhoesen was Dutch and he painted a lovely painting called Cattle in a Sunny Meadow.  The painting was created in 1845.  It is up for auction in Amsterdam at Christie’s this summer.  This painting will sell for more than twelve hundred euros.

Louis Smets was a 19th century Belgian.  His painting of a horse-drawn-sled on a frozen waterway is up for auction this summer at Christie’s in Amsterdam.  It is possible that this painting could fetch six thousand euros.

There is a nice painting by German Johann Erdmann Gottlieb called The Runaway Carriage that is dated 1844.  It is one of the lots up for sale at Christie’s in Amsterdam.  This is a rather large painting at 59.5 x 89 cm.  The auction house thinks that it could sell for as much as five thousand euros.

The most expensive painting up for auction at Christie’s in Amsterdam this summer is called Setting Out.  Setting Out was painted in the nineteenth century by Abraham Hulk.  The painting is oil on canvas and it is estimated to sell for up to twenty thousand euros.

All of the top five paintings at the summer auction at Christie’s in Amsterdam were painted by Dutch painters.  I think that I like the Jan Cossaar painting depicting playing in the snow after school better than I like the painting entitled Bollenveld by Anton Dircks.  They look like they will sell for similar prices.

The oil painting of a lake in a panoramic Alpine landscape by Swiss artist Jacob Joseph Zelger is very large and very beautiful.  I liked the style that he used for his creation.  Christie’s estimates that this painting will sell for five to seven thousand euros.

There were less than twenty lots that Christie’s estimates will auction for less than a thousand euros.  I found one of the most inexpensive paintings listed in the catalogue to be that of a clown with two yellow balls.  It really did not speak to me at all and I’m not surprised that it will sell for one of the smallest amounts.

I actually liked the Dutch artist Simon Maris’ oil painting of pumpkins, grapes and elderberries.  The painting is signed and may go for as little as seven hundred euros.  Simon Maris lived from 1873-1935.

Another piece of art up for auction at the Christie’s in Amsterdam is a lithograph printed in colors from 1978.  The artist is Bram van Velde and he signed his piece in pencil.  Bidding for this piece may go as high as sixteen hundred euros.  This artist was very poor as a child.  He first entered into an apprenticeship as a painter in 1907 in The Hague.

Another painting that is going to be auctioned off at Christie’s in Amsterdam this summer is a flower still life with chrysanthemums.  This oil painting was painted by Willem Elisa Roelofs.  He was from The Hague and his painting should go for about seventeen hundred euros.

Quirky after school programs

Quirky after school programs

With the growing interest in after school programs shown by the Government
as well as parents, new and hitherto unheard of programs are being
explored. In an attempt to make a child aware of his responsibilities as
an individual and as a citizen, these after school programs make use of a
child's natural curiosity and his irrepressible energy.

Investigative Skills:
In some schools in Kernersville, children are developing their
investigative skills. Children meet with adults who introduce them to the
details of fake non-violent crimes. They take notes, visit the scene and
gather information. Students learn to listen to alibis, collect
fingerprints and gather any other pieces of evidence. According to the
principal, these activities challenge her students' problem solving
skills. Children learn to think critically and to form informed judgments.

Fisheries and sciences:
In North Carolina, children who are interested get a chance to win a
scholarship through their after school activity. Here, students are given
a chance to face hands-on fisheries science experiments in a freshwater or
marine setting. Professionals, educators and experts from the world of
Fisheries act as mentors. Students accepted into the program get a $3,000
scholarship.

The above examples go to show that after school activities are becoming
serious. They are slowly morphing into important parts of a child's
education and moving away from the fun-and-frolic-only programs of the
past.

Benefits of a good after school program

Benefits of a good after school program

Children grow up in a society that demands expertise in everything. You
really cannot sit back and decide that learning from textbooks is enough
for the overall development of your child. It's the age of specialization
and your child cannot afford to miss out on this window of opportunity.
So, scour your locality for the most advantageous programs and enroll them
for the ones you think are the best.

After school programs are basically designed to develop a talent or a
skill that is ignored by regular schools. These programs could be
educational or recreational in nature. Whatever type they are, they
basically aim to keep the child active and interested.

The most important advantage of a good after school program is that it
widens your child's area of interests. He or she is introduced to new
things, sometimes interesting, sometimes challenging. Mastering a new art
form or a new skill increases the child's self-esteem. It also allows you
to introduce your child to new career options. A child attending a music
class may decide that she likes it so much that she wants to make a career
out of it in the long run.

Socialization is another great advantage of after school programs.
Children get to meet others who share their interests and make new
friendships. An acting class or a soccer class can be lots of fun. Many of
these programs coach children for performances or matches. Performing on
stage or playing a match can be a great experience for a young child.

After school programs keep your teenager busy. He or she thus has some
amount of protection from destructive habits like drugs and alcohol.
Surveys indicate that children who are kept busy through diverse absorbing
activities are less prone to abuse, depression and burnout. Significant
increase in achievement and attendance and a reduction in drop out rates
are other advantages of a good after school programs.

Most after school programs have children interacting with one or more
adult. This allows them to benefit from positive relationships with
adults. Children often find it difficult to confide in parents and
teachers, but may open up with other adults.

Many children are put into recreational after school programs so that they
reduce weight and remain healthy. A newly emerging trend shows that about
15% children below the age of 16 are obese. Parents who cannot put their
children on a strict diet resort to sports and games to burn fat. With
cases of child diabetes on the increase, this has become a prime focus of
many after school programs.

A good after school program has many benefits. It keeps the child
entertained as well as busy, and thus prevents children from becoming
addicted to TVs and PCs. By giving them ways to burn up their excess energy
and explore their creativity, after school programs help to shape the
overall personality of the child.