== Aon Celtic Art == Learn to Draw Celtic Knots

1. I've heard that different Celtic knots stand for different things, is this true? Where can I find a list of the meanings?

2. What does your logo stand for? Does the word AON or that little knot mean anything?

3. Do you take private commissions?

4. I've missed some of the Tutorials, what can I do?

5. Can I use your Gallery artwork from your web page on mine?

6. How do I download the clip-art?

7. I used some of your artwork/clip art on a project but I received an email telling me this is copyright infringement. I thought all Celtic art was old and in public domain, how can that be copyright infringement?

8. What made you decide to start doing Celtic art?

9. What kind of paints do you use?

10. What font is that on your page?

11. Are you Irish?

12. Can you design a logo for me?

13. I have a piece of Celtic jewelry, can you tell me if it has any special meanings?

14. Is there a wholesale list available of your products?

15. If my site is for profit, can I still use your clip art?

1. I've heard that different Celtic knots stand for different things, is this true? Where can I find a list of the meanings?

There is also a discussion about Knotwork Symbolism that I have written on this topic. Be sure to check it out if you have questions about this area of Celtic history.

2. What does your logo stand for? Does the word AON or that little knot mean anything?

The triangular image on the opening page of my website is the Aon Celtic Art logo. Copyright in 1998, this design was first created to be used as a garment tag for a line of clothing I was developing for a conpany at that time. While the clothing line didn't go anywhere, I loved the design so much that I registered it as my logo. The word AON is Irish and means "the one, the only", and the little knot inside there is a variation of a very old knot used by many cultures, including the Japanese as a crest, and of course the Celts. Many people today call this knot a Trinity Knot, but that name is only a modern title given to that design (there is a discussion about Knotwork Symbolism if you'd like to read more about that topic). There was a TV show produced called "Charmed" which also used this design under the name of "Power of Three", but again this title is fictionally based and not historical in any way. While many folks have been worried on my behalf (thanks guys!) that the Charmed production people derived the "Power of Three" design from my artwork, and although the Aon Celtic website existed with that logo on my frontpage at the time they were in first production of the show, they could have found a variation on that design in a historical source, not just on my site. So the logo in this variation/combination as you see it on my frontpage is copyright protected, however you may see variations of the center knot elsewhere and not worry unless it looks like a direct cutout from my logo. But I do appreciate folks keeping an eye out for suspicious uses of my artwork anywhere, and I always ALWAYS appreciate a head ups if you see something questionable. :-)

3. Do you take private commissions?

I do! My time can fill and empty depending on the season and what I'm working on personally as well, so it's always best to just write and describe your project as best you can, and I'll get back to you.

4. I've missed some of the Tutorials, what can I do?

Old Tutorials will be re-posted according to the timetable listed on the Tutorials main page. Make sure to check and see when the Tutorial you are interested in comes up next, because once it has been rotated off you will have to wait until it is posted again to see it. The chart lists when a particular Tutorial is due to go up on my page, and then it remains for two months altogether before being rotated off again.

The best way to go through the tutorials is to use my book! It's a compilation of all the tutorials with additional tips, tricks, exercises and examples, and is available in both a print format and an instant PDF download. It's been super popular, even for those who have working through the online tutorials because it gives a nive physical copy to refer to. If you're an instructor and wish to purchase the books for your workshops, please contact me about special pricing (minimum order 6 books).

5. Can I use your Gallery artwork from your web page on mine?

Yes, you can, however no more than 3 images from the Gallery may be reposted on websites that are not the Aon Celtic Art site. The only thing I ask is that usage of my artworks be for nonprofit purposes only (use on your personal web site, nonprofit usage by a registered nonprofit organization). If you use it on a web page, a link back to my site and a credit line stating myself as the artist must be included on the same page that displays the image. Such as : "Painting Name" © [insert copyright date], Cari Buziak. http://www.aon-celtic.com". If you're not sure whether your usage is okay, just drop me a line. :-) I also have a clip art section on my site, that you can browse through for more images.

Please also note that the web page graphics that I use on my site are not available for use. These are copywritten and are for use on the Aon Celtic web site only...this includes (but is not limited to) the scroll navigation bar, e-mail button, decorative divider bars and the decorated headers on each page. There should be enough images from the clip art library for you to find something else that will work for you, though, so please feel free to take a look for something for your site in there. :-)

6. How do I download the clip-art?

To download items from the Web using most PC's, go to the page with the image that you want to download and place your cursor over the image you want. Right-click the mouse button and a menu bar will come up, where you can select the header that says "Save this image" (the actual words many vary depending on your current browser), and it will be downloaded into your computer where it can be opened by any painting program that will support GIF format images. On a Mac just click the image with your mouse and drag it to your desktop. If these tips don't work then check your computer or browser Help for more information on how to download images from the internet for your particular set up.

Fortunately for us all Celtic art is alive and well! And copyright protected by the artist who created it. ;-) It's one of the biggest myths out there that modern Celtic artist have to battle. The other is that you "only have to change something by such-and-such percent and then you can call it your own". Wrong again! What you're just made is called a "derivative work", which is also copyright infringement. Under copyright law NO changes may be made to a copyrighted work without the original creator's permission. So unless you've drawn something yourself, without looking or seeing something else to base it on, it's always best to seek permission before you use anything you find on the internet. A lot of people think most of the internet is public domain, but as any copyright lawyer can tell you... actually the opposite is true. It's just that too many people are lazy about giving credit properly, so stuff floats away never to be credited again, lost in cyberspace, until I find someone making embroidered pillows using designs taken from my clip art. Or the best one to date was the jackass who I caught making ceramic tiles using my paintings and selling them on ebay... after ever so carefully airbrushing out my copyright watermark that I had put across the middle of the painting. LOL Cheeky! But it paid for my new couch...

8. What made you decide to start doing Celtic art?

I had seen Celtic art around and always liked it, and when I got the chance to take a calligraphy course on uncials (the old lettering used in manuscripts) and Celtic knotwork, I jumped at the chance! I have been studying the old methods and techniques the old scribes used ever since. My library is full of books on medieval pigments, gilding and manuscripts!

9. What kind of paints do you use?

I pretty much use whatever I need to get the results I'm looking for. As you can see in my Gallery, I've used things like acrylic, watercolor, gouache, ink, egg tempera, and gilding on a variety of surfaces like handmade papers, real vellums and parchments, suede and wood. Some of my work is even purely digital and made solely on my computer!

10. What font is that on your page?

The font I use on my website is one that I made myself. Please note that the decorative headers on my site are not part of the freeware clip art section of my site, and so are not available for use on other peoples web pages. You may want to check out The Scriptorium, which has some custom and decorative fonts in a celtic style though, they have lots of nifty things for you to purchase and download. :-)

11. Are you Irish?

Yes, from my father's side of the family. Although I think I would still be doing my Celtic art today even if I wasn't... it's just too NEAT! :-)

12. Can you design a logo for me?

Yes I can! I accept custom commissions so long as I have availability to do so. Just email me with some information about the project, what you're thinking of and when you need it by and I can get back to you. Typically a Celtic logo costs about $350 US, but it depends on the complexity of the design. You can always look at licensing any of the clipart images for your logo too - for color and black and white copies it's $75 US (I can recolor it for free to your company colors), or just $50 US for black and white only. Both ways come at high resolution 600dpi and vector EPS format, and I can add text with your name or your company name for only an additional $25 US. Payment is by Paypal so it's quick!

13. I have a piece of Celtic jewelry, can you tell me if it has any special meanings?

There is a discussion about Knotwork Symbolism that I have written on this topic. Be sure to check it out if you have questions about this area of Celtic history. While there are no actual authentic meanings for the knotwork patterns, I can at least tell you whether or not your piece of jewelry (or a tattoo design, for that matter) has any historical origins perhaps. Feel free to attach an image you have questions about and e-mail it to me, so long as it is under 200k in size and is a GIF or JPEG format. I don't make any promises that I can recognize it, but if I've seen it before I will let you know and perhaps even date the design or pattern for you. :-)

14. Is there a wholesale list available of your products?

At this time the products on my site are not available for wholesale distribution.

15. If my site is for profit, can I still use your clip art?

If your site is used to sell things or sell services, you can still license the use of my clip art designs for use on your web site. Drop me a line and describe what images you want to use, and what sort of web page you're creating, and I can send you a licensing price list for using the artwork.