Marble And Granite – What Produces The Shine?

By David Andrew Smith

Many people make the assumption that marble, granite and other finely polished natural stones shine because a "polish" has been added to them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Natural stones are made of crystals. The crystals are made up of different minerals. Each mineral forms a different crystal shape. These different crystals interlock together to make up the stone. When stone is first quarried it has a very rough
texture to its surface as it breaks along the crystal joints. By using a series of graduated grinders the stone is ground down. The grinders are normally made from industrial diamonds and to start the process a very rough one is used. It is the
same principle as sanding down wood. You start with glass paper that is very coarse and gradually use finer and finer glass paper until you have a fine, smooth finish to the wood. With stone the glass paper is replaced with diamond studded pads and
these get finer and finer.

What the grinding is doing is cutting the rough edges off the stone by scratching it and as the diamonds become smaller and smaller the scratches become finer and ultimately microscopic. What you end up with is a very smooth surface to the stone. The crystals have by a slow process of finer and finer grinding been worn down until on the surface they are all perfectly flat and smooth with each other. A perfectly flat surface will reflect the light uniformly and will look like glass.

Consider a mirror that reflects light uniformly giving you a clear sharp image. Make the glass curved or rippled and you get a less clear, less sharp image reflected back. The same applies to stone. If the crystals are flat then you get a perfect image reflected back and the stone looks incredibly shiny. Roughen the surface slightly and the reflected light ceases to give you a perfect reflection and the stone begins to dull. Any interference with the stones surface can cause this dulling to appear. It could be a series of minute scratches made by dirt or it could be caused by acid materials etching into the stone destroying its shine in that region.

To get the shine back the stone must be ground down again. Consequently the shine on a stone is not the product of adding some chemical to the stone but is a property of the stone itself.. The harder the stone the more difficult it is to grind but the greater degree of shine that can be achieved, which is why polished granite has the greatest degree of shine, followed by marble then limestone.

About the Author: David Andrew Smith runs http://www.wesparkle.co.uk/ a contract cleaning company which specialises in cleaning and polishing natural stone as well as
providing cleaning services throughout the UK

Source: http://www.isnare.com

What Is A Reverse Painting?

By Mayanne Mackay

Welcome to the world of Reverse Painting on Glass.
Reverse painting on glass has been considered a popular 'art of the people' for many centuries. The use of glass as a support for this intricate painting technique has not hindered its continuing popularity.

A reverse painting is created by painting a subject onto one side of a sheet of glass (or plexiglass) after which it is viewed from the other side of the glass, or through the glass.

Contrary to painting on a canvas or similar support this technique requires an artist to paint in reverse, or 'back to front.'

When an artwork is created on a support such as canvas or wood panel, it is painted from the same angle and direction that it will ultimately be viewed from on completion. However, in the case of a reverse painting the painting side and the viewing side of the artwork are opposed to one another.

Similarly, an artwork that is created on a canvas usually begins with a rough outline and gradually builds towards its completion and finishing touches. In a reverse painting this procedure begins where it would normally end and finishing touches such as finer details and the artist's signature are usually applied first and the background applications of colour are added later, hence the use of the term 'reverse painting'.

The effect that glass can give to a reverse painting can make it a very beautiful object. Some artists use thick glass in order to give more depth to their work.

For those who see a reverse painting on glass for the very first time it can take a little while to realise that the subject has been painted on the surface of the glass itself.

Extract from website "A guide to reverse painting on glass" at http://www.reversepaintings.com
See reverse painting artworks at http://www.mayannemackay.com

Copyright Mayanne Mackay 2005

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Because these articles are Mayanne's website content, I'll post the nexr article on the Wabi Sabi Homes blog.

Reverse Glass Painting

One of my favorite family heirlooms, a painting by my husband's grandmother, is a little lake and sunset scene painted on glass with tin foil behind it.

The painting was done in the fifties and still looks like it did 50 years ago.

I'll take a picture and post it when my son comes home from college with my camera.

Anyway, I found a series of articles by an amazing artist that I'm going to post. Check out Mayanne Mackay's website and her fabulous art.

Enjoy!

Jeanette

Interior Design for Lower Heating Costs

It's still hot during the days here is sunny California, but it got downright cold last night. CNN reported this evening that the cost to heat our homes can be 30-50% more this winter.

Think about using warm colors for decorating now. With the rising natural gas costs, consider using effective heat. This means that you home's design influences the way you feel warmth. Warm colors and textures can make you rooms seem warmer, which means that you can keep the thermostat lower.

Joy to the Home Journal

Makeover Your Home and Help the Hurricane Homeless

Now would be a great time to give away your home furnishings and building supplies that you need to upgrade. Check to see if you have Habitat for Humanity near you.

This would help you makeover your home and help those who lost their home. While you're at Habitat for Humanity's thrift store (ReStore), you'll find home building supplies for your home makeover. Look for a ReStore near you.

You could also give Habitat for Humanity money. They like that!

Go to http://www.habitat.org

Joy to the Home blog

Subscribe to "Joy to the Home blog" and receive new posts in your email. Just enter your email address in box on the top right. Don't worry about getting to many emails, I don't post as often as I should. Also, I don't collect these email addresses.

Joy to Your Home with Gardenias

Perfume Your Garden and Home with Gardenias
By Jeanette Joy Fisher

One of my favorite plants is the large white-flowered Mystery Gardenia (gardenia jasminoides) that grows to about 5' tall and wide. The perfume-like scent adds an exotic feeling to gardens. Plus, the large white flowers show up well in moonlight when many people more likely get a chance to take pleasure in their garden.

If you want to enjoy gardenias, plant them where they get sun. Most people plant gardenias in the shade because these plants love the same soil as shade-loving camellias and azaleas. However, gardenias can take full sun and prefer at least half a day of sunlight. Gardenias will not bloom well in the shade.

Don't over water your gardenias. Keep the soil surface moist, but not soggy. Don't let them dry out too much during flowering or they will drop their buds. To keep your plants from drying out, mulch well.

Gardenias also like rich organic soil, azalea/camellia fertilizer, and iron. If your gardenias get yellow leaves, they most likely need more iron. During the growing season, feed your gardenias every three weeks.

Don't get harsh when pruning gardenias. They need some leaves left on the stock so they can get nutrition. Prune after blooming but before fall so the plant gets a chance to grow and form new flowers for the next spring bloom.

Gardenias bloom from late spring well into summer. Besides the glorious creamy-white blooms, they give your garden a gorgeous deep green backdrop all year long.

Plant gardenias near your entry door to welcome guests and yourself with the invigorating perfume-like scent. Just one or two flowers floating in a bowl of water fills your home with natural fragrance. With over 200 species of gardenias, you're sure to find just the perfect variety at your local nursery for your garden.

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Jeanette Fisher, author of Joy to the Home Journal newsletter and other books, teaches interior Design Psychology. Free "What Is Design Psychology" Report (a 3--page eBook in PDF) with subscription to Joy to the Home Journal.