Free Republic

Czech artist Ladislav Vlna has swapped his brush for a blowtorch as he ‘paints’ with fire to create artworks that change according to lighting. Vlna’s self-titled metallurgic painting technique results in surprisingly delicate and detailed pieces, mostly portraits or figures, with oxyacetylene torches. The 40-year-old artist begins by painting a draft upon a steel surface and then carves, sharpens and polishes the basic image into it before putting a flame to the engraving which alters its color, depending on the temperature. This process gives the piece its unique appearance.

I have been here for 6 months, I try to find a job as an architect, but it is difficult! And now I start to paint now, hope it will be a new beginning!

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland State Archives collection is among the largest in the country with nearly 400 years of history, including Colonial-era paintings, keepsakes of the state’s governors, and thousands of land, court and genealogy records. With all that history, the Archives has run out of space. The agency first filled its Annapolis headquarters to capacity in 2000, then leased and filled a warehouse. It leased a second warehouse and a third before brokering a deal to store some of its property at the Baltimore City Archives. All of the facilities are now full, and state archivists have been pushing...

French police are investigating the destruction of more than 60 paintings by major artists worth more than $2.5 billion. Police say the mother of the man responsible for stealing the famous artworks destroyed them to cover up her son's crimes. Police say 31-year-old Stephane Breitwieser stole the paintings and other art works from more than 170 European museums, include the Louvre. But when he was arrested his mother Mireille was so enraged she allegedly dumped around 100 precious objects, including 17th and 18th century sculptures, into a canal. She is then accused of slashing 60 paintings by masters and feeding...