Thursday, February 28, 2013

Good bye

Here's a sight we don't see everyday. The Pope's helicopter flying him off to retirement.

Of course Italians see inspiring backdrops around them everyday. Do they ever get tired of it? Do they ever just take it for granted and not notice?

As the helicopter flew over the Vatican & the Coliseum I couldn't help saying to the TV screen, "I've been there!" 


And what an honor it was to visit the birthplace of the Renaissance. To see the remains of all that history: human history & church history punctuated by all that wonderful art!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Anonymous Arts Museum

I'm always on the look out for some information on the art world. Recently I stumbled on The Anonymous Arts Museum a new museum to me. Here's what I know.

Established in 1985
Creator: Ivan Karp
Location: Charlotteville, NY

In 1958 Ivan began to notice that as buildings were demolished many of the fabulous carvings that had decorated the buildings were being lost. With the help of his wife and some friends Ivan began collecting them, and doing his best to save them from destruction. His collection of stone satyrs, gremlins, lion & maidens continued to grow, and it was always a challenge to find a place to store the hundreds, thousands, of art objects they had saved. Finally in 1985 a building to house them became available; a place to house these wonderful treasures and show them off to the public.
I think that this sounds like an interesting place worth visiting. What do you think? 

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Writers who make art (cont. 2)

Kate Greenaway: illustrated her many children's books with the charming drawings that we have come to recognise.

Goethe: included artist in his list of talents, and said, "The eye was above all others, the organ with which I apprehended the world. I had lived among painters from childhood and had grown accustomed like them to look at the objects about me from the point of view of the artist."

Antoine de Saint-Exupery: wrote and illustrated his most famous work : The Little Prince".

Friday, February 8, 2013

Happy Birthday James Dean

James Dean: Feb. 8, 1931. Pencil drawing, unknown artist.
  






Saturday, February 2, 2013

Writers who make art (cont.)

Here are more writers who actively perused the visual arts as well.

O. Henry illustrated his stories with cartoons.

Thomas Hardy as a teen exploited his drawing skills to apprentice himself to an architect, and  worked for architects into his 20's making drawings and watercolors.

Henry Miller established a routine that allowed him to get to "the treat of painting" in the hour or two before dinner. A collection of his watercolors can be found in Paint as You Like and Die Happy.