In a corner of the world far, far away...

I've been away from the computer a lot lately due to internet access problems. I should be back soon... Is it still snowing where you live? It still comes and goes here. This winter is now the second snowiest on record for our area. But my crocus are blooming. Wishing many flowers to you. :-)

Mirror images

A couple posts back, I asked if anyone knew the two images with incorrect mirrored reflections. The first one, the one my students drew a detail of as part of their test, is Ingres' Madame Moitessier. The students drew her hand on a grid; not a hard project, but it does tell me if they understand the concept. The second image is Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergerè. If you know of others, feel free to post them in hte comment section.

Art day

Working on deadline has its advantages. The biggest one that comes to my mind is that the project has to be finished by a specific date. Yes, you're likely thinking, "Well, duh!" Unfortunately I'm one of those people who can easily put a project down and leave it for waaay too long. So as I scratched my head and wondered what projects I could take with me to a teacher crafting get together yesterday, I was very pleased to find a couple small projects that I had put down and--well, you're with me now.

Some good conversation, an awesome cheeseball and five hours later--ta-da! Two finished projects that were both started last summer. (The ATC above was finished quite some time ago and was the inspiration for the lettering on the baby block below.)


















Today, in between catching up on grading, I was able to add the finishing touches to a larger flower piece that I am debating putting in my Etsy store. Can I deal with it if it doesn't sell? asks the pessimist. Well, nothing is selling now, so what's the big deal? asks the pragmatist. I'll let you know if I put it there. The base is matboard collaged with calender pages and flower images, then gessoed and painted. The large flowers are painted with acrylics, then highlighted with stamps and water-soluble wax crayons (a favorite supply of mine). The butterfly is cut from a Somerset Studio page (never used one before!). The verse is Genesis 1:11 "And God said, "Let the earth bring forth".





The earth is bringing forth around here, too. I've seen some green grass and the return of robins. One day I listened to the calls of red-winged blackbirds, but they don't stay around our house because we don't have the watery terrain they like. I'll be watching for the first crocus, but it won't be at our house--we still have snow!

In the spirit of taking our first art test

Oh the joys of teaching! I've been grading tests today, and one of the assigned tasks was to draw a detail from a famous painting on a grid. While looking at the little piece of the painting (24 times!) I pondered one of its elements, which brought to mind a fun little art history trivia question.

The painting we used has a reflection in it and it is one of two famous paintings that have mirrored reflections that are incorrect. Both were done purposely by the individual artists, but neither reflection is realistically possible. Anyone know which two paintings I'm talking about? (BTW, there may be more than two; I only know of these two--but I'm not an expert!)

Here's a hint: they are both 19th century works. Have fun!

And before you go ponder what paintings have mirrors, take a look at this lovely Botticelli, The Madonna of the Magnificat. I spend quite a bit of time looking for paintings that exemplify the concepts I'm teaching and/or testing on, so my nose was buried in art books for a while this week. I found a wonderful reproduction of this painting in a book about Mary in art. So many times the reproductions are small, or, frequently in the case of the internet, dark, but this image was full page in an oversize book. It made me long to stand in front of the real thing and see the surface: is it glassy, or can you see his brushstrokes? Does the translucent paint have that lovely glow that so many oil paintings do? Are the details fine? Maybe some day I can see for myself. In the meantime I must content myself with dreams and lots of books!



In case you're not familiar with the Magnificat, a beautiful passage from Luke 1:46-55, here it is:

And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."

Thanks to From Old Books for the scholar image at the top; Web Gallery for the Botticelli; and Biblegateway for the verse.

My bit for internet accuracy, or, go visit Peter Callesen right away!

I got that wonderful e-mail of the paper cutouts made from one sheet of paper again tonight. You may have seen it--it's the one with the bit about how these were for a contest for some New York Gallery. Well the cutouts, made by artist Peter Callesen, are real, but the story with it is not accurate. I don't know if he made those pieces for a contest, so I can't comment as to the truth there, but the story leads one to believe that they are all the work of different artists. Not true! Peter Callesen, I've never met you, but your artwork is amazing and this post is for you! Check out his site and see the amazing creations he makes, then pass this info on to anyone who sends you that e-mail, please, please, pretty please with sugar on top. As an artistic type I would think it might feel good to know that everyone is looking at your art. But it would NOT feel good to know that no one knows whose art it is, or worse, thinking it's the art of a bunch of other people. Here's my moment for internet accuracy! --L

Wings

I love the detail in the wings in these very different pieces. The first is a drawing by Albrecht Durer. The second is a painting, St Michael and the Satan, whose authorship has some debate; some say it is Giulio Romano, some say Raphael.

Dad is great! Made him a chocolate cake...

Well, we've had a birthday at our house and my sweet daughter, who took 4-H cooking last summer, decided to celebrate by making a chocolate cake.

So, have you ever wondered what happens when you add 1-1/2 cups of baking soda instead of 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking soda? Well, I'll never know either because when she couldn't quite eke out the last 1/2 cup and asked for help I discovered her error and was able to remove most of the extra soda. Although I obviously didn't get enough of it out...


















The end result?























Of course, the proof is in the tasting, right?


















Just think what we would have had if she'd used the whole 1-1/2 cups!

Two more lovely and interesting links

Imagine Carol Merrill hands flowing back and forth over the words as you read this post. For today, we are offering two more interesting and beautiful links for your viewing, reading and learning pleasure...

The first is full of amazing photos from places that I would love to visit.

The second is from a favorite blog and talks about the forgotten middle ground between the Impressionists and the Academics.

Enjoy!

A nice bit of poetry

For anyone who enjoys Christian poetry, although one need not be Christian to enjoy the poem--but perhaps the commentary around it, try this sonnet by Richard Wilbur.

Valentines

If it keeps on snowing the barn is going to break, OR, what not to do on your snow day...

After a couple days of slightly warmer temperatures, it's...snowing again! This was our day last Saturday. By the end of this week we're supposed to get temps in the low 40s(F), which should allow us to all put away our shovels and instead get out our canoes!

A few new Etsy items

I completed a handful of bottlecap necklaces last week and have listed a few in my Etsy shop tonight. I'm trying to get to some more new things in order to earn some money to take my daughter to visit an exhibit of Roman art this spring. She studied Greek and Roman history last year, and of course I teach art, so I want to see the companion exhibit of Ghiberti's door panels. So, in a shameless appeal for your patronage, if you see something you like, don't hesitate to buy it--lol! Blessings to you and yours and may you not have the tons of snow that we have! --L

And the Winners Are...

Winners? Was I having a contest? No, just the results of what pieces of art are favored by my 9-11th grade students.

The favorite painting, with most of the "votes", was Paul Delaroche's The Execution of Lady Jane Grey. (You can click on the images for larger versions--it's worth it!)

This one was a fvorite because of the drama and realism of the scene. The students responded to the emotions of the people in the image and how the artist created a highly dramatic moment through the use of light.

The second favorite was Albrecht Durer's Knight, Death and the Devil.

They liked this one because the knight is not afraid of death and represents how we do not need to be afraid when we live in Christ. They also liked the symbolism of the different elements (the armor as the armor of God, the faithful dog trotting at the knight's heels, etc.).

Another favorite was Vincent van Gogh's The Potato Eaters.

The student who chose this piece liked how the artist created the atmostphere through use of color and value, as well as the rough brushwork, which added to the roughness of the scene.

The final favorite was another van Gogh, Starry Night.

This student also like van Gogh's brushstrokes and how they created movement and rhythm.

I enjoyed reading their responses and discovering which pieces they liked and why. It is always interesting to me to find out what people like about a painting because many times they see things that I didn't notice. What's your favorite painting/piece of art? I'd love for you to share by leaving a quick note in the comment section. And don't forget to tell why, too. Have a blessed day!

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you...

In case you were wondering who she really is, check out the latest.


















I shocked my art students last year when I confessed that I don't particularly care for this painting. When I started analyzing it I realized that portraiture isn't my favorite type of painting; I prefer storytelling and allegory pieces and landscapes. Here's a favorite by Raphael, called Allegory, The Knight's Dream.

















This painting, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, by Paul Delaroche, was a favorite in art class this year. The "Mona Lisa incident" led to a great discussion about how we can separate opinion from objectively looking at art. In other words the Mona Lisa is a great painting because of Leonardo's incredible techniques of sfumato and chiaroscuro, and not because everyone likes it. Truthfully, to try to label a piece of art as a great piece or a masterpiece simply as a reflection of our taste is kind of dangerous. What if I'm a critic with a newspaper column and I don't like yellow? Does that suddenly mean that Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie should be dismissed? Or van Gogh's Night at the Cafe (either version)? In labelling great art we need to rise above the level of opinion and talk in terms of composition, meaning, style, color, etc. Or, if we do want to dwell in the realm of opinion, to recognize it and talk in that vein.

And in that vein, we also talked about developing their own likes and dislikes in art, and how those tastes may differ from their teacher--none of which affects whether or not the Mona Lisa is a great painting. So, if you like something that the critics don't, it doesn't mean you're in the wrong. It's okay to like 19th-Century French Academic art and the Impressionists at the same time. I think it's a good idea, though, to give it a little thought and discover what it is you like about each--it makes art more interesting. On our last test I asked the students to tell me their favorite painting that we've looked at this year and to explain why, which was fun. (Side note: be aware that clicking on the art links may lead to images that contain some painted nudity--art is that way. I try to always keep this a family-friendly blog, but it's hard to monitor every image that will come up when clicking on a clearinghouse sort-of database for these artists, so I'm giving you a heads-up.)

And here's another tidbit. Technically it's not correct to call Leonardo da Vinci by just "da Vinci". That part refers to where he is from. I don't call my friend in Canada "of Hamilton." Instead I call her Dianne, and we should refer to Leonardo as (are you ready for this) Leonardo. (Especially posted for William Kloss.) Of course, then there's Caravaggio, who did go by a name that refers to where he is from because his real name was Michelangelo Merisi and he presumably didn't want to be confused with the other fellow, Michelangelo Buonarroti--you know, the Sistine Chapel fellow. Isn't art fun. :-)

What Ho! Start the Year with a Laugh

A friend posted this wonderful link to Jeeves and Wooster read aloud. The kids and I are great fans, so we want to share this link with you, too. Click here for some great humour.

The Safety Officer Speaks, or, Never Play With Fire

Getting down to brass tacks today, I finally finished vacuuming the after-Christmas rearranging and changing, etc. In the last couple days I have safely stowed the ornaments, the putting away of which revealed the pitiful state of the bookshelf and surrounding piles. And so that had to be dealt with. How could I have so many books that I still haven't read? I pulled them all out, stuck them in a basket by the bed and cleaned the area. Once the books were back into a satisfactory state, I finished the vacuuming, which included curtains, lamp shades and the fan blades above the table. (After finishing lunch, thank you so much mom!) By then I had the vacuum so close to the kitchen that I finally remembered a task that keeps catching my eye, just not at the right moment--the dusty state of my kitchen curtain. Having completed that task my eye fell on the refrigerator.

Ah yes, the refrigerator. Did you know that you have to clean the underside of your refrigerator periodically? Especially if you have A) pets, B) a very dusty house, C) a lint-source very near, or D) children. Hmm, we fit all of these qualifications, so we try to clean this under-fridge space at least once a year, but preferably twice. But we didn't always know about this important cleaning chore, which brings up the subtitle of this post.







Once upon a time, in a house far, far away (okay, really only about 10 miles away) there lived a mostly young couple with a brand-new baby. Oh, and cats--three cats. The happy, unknowing couple had lived in this little yellow house for about 6 years, all of them with the cats, when one day mommy and baby went to visit grandma in another town. Poppa was planning to go away for the weekend on an important fishing trip with clients from work, but as things so often go, something else came up and he didn't make it on the trip. Instead, he went home to the little yellow house. When he came in the door, after petting the cats, he immediately noticed a bad smell. A terrible, something-is-catching-on-fire smell, and a scary electricity-gone-bad sort-of-sound. All of it coming from the kitchen. And those lights--they never came out from under the refrigerator before! Quickly Poppa raced over, unplugged the fridge and grabbed whatever was handy to put out the potential fire. Blessedly, cutting the electrical current was all that was needed and no fire ensued. Poppa spent some time moving the fridge and suveying the damage (yup, we needed a new fridge), then opening windows to air out the house. At which point mommy and baby arrived home. They were surprised to see Poppa, but boy were they happy to have a home!

Of all the things my mom taught me to clean, she never mentioned this one. Years worth of cat hair had collected underneath and caused all the problem. To some of you, this may seem like a no-brainer, but I once had a college roommate who couldn't change a light bulb--we all have our failings. Truthfully, I just never thought about it. Fast forward to today, when I thought to clean this so-convenient-to-get-to-space. Here's a pic of some of the fun.
Mind you, this is after I'd already vacuumed quite a bunch, so what you see here is just a little bit of the lint. The whole space underneath was full of this stuff and we just cleaned it about seven months ago or so. Go ahead--if you haven't cleaned yours, go take a look. Should I tell you here that if you haven't cleaned your fridge bottom lately and you're thinking you should, please, please, please! UNPLUG IT first! The power won't be off long enough to cause any problems, but crispy friends are never a good thing. And be prepared--you may have to come up with some creative options for cleaning--see my stick with a paper towel for swiping the really-hard-to-get-to-spots? I'm not, btw, going to recommend you undo any screws or bolts without consulting someone who knows more about these things because you never know what may come loose if you do, but please do the best you can.

And while I was thinking back to our almost fire so long ago, I realized that it was exactly one year ago today that the ground wire from the street to our house burnt out and shot 220 through our home, killing some appliances and starting a near-fire in our basement. Remember that a power strip is just a way to add more outlets for your convenience. A small surge protector keeps the electricity flow even to whatever items are plugged into it, but it does not protect against any kind of catastrophic event. If you have a major surge, those little things can blow-up/melt-down and start a fire. Keep the areas around them clean. BTW, they don't protect your computer, either. If you want to make sure your computer is safe through that kind of event, you want it plugged into something more substantial. When I left my graphics job (ten years ago this spring!) I bought a major battery back-up unit that has saved my computer twice: once when lightning struck our home and came in through the phone line, and last winter through the 220 episode. This little back-up unit died over Christmas (I probably should have replaced it sooner) and I almost went with a heavy-duty-looking surge strip, until I asked for help. The guy said to not be fooled; even the big-looking surge protectors aren't enough in a catastrophic event. Well, since we've lived through two, so I'm not taking any chances.

Oh, and don't play with matches either! The safety officer has spoken.

PS--I don't know why the pics came out with the strange white spaces. I've tried adjusting and re-exporting, but it's not helping. It's late and I haven't read any of those books, so we're just living with it. But, if you have any tips on how to fix it, please share--they really look dorky...

The Twenty-Third Psalm

The God of love my shepherd is,
And he that doth me feed;
While he is mine, and I am his,
What can I want or need?

He leads me to the tender grass,
Where I both feed and rest;
Then to the streams that gently pass;
In both I have the best.

Or if I stray, he doth convert
And bring my mind in frame;
And all this not for my desert,
But for his holy name.

Yea, in death's shady black abode
Well may I walk, not fear:
For thou art with me; and thy rod
To guide, thy staff to bear.

Nay, thou dost make me sit and dine,
Even in my enemies' sight:
My head with oil, my cup with wine
runs over day and night.

Surely thy sweet and wondrous love
Shall measure all my days;
And as it never shall remove,
So neither shall my praise.

--George Herbert

Christmas Tidings From our Home

Like it is for so many other families at this time of year, our world has been a whirlwind of activity lately as we prepare for Christmas.

A couple weeks back our oldest fell down while playing at school and got broke.

Ouch! Our youngest just lost his first tooth, but I'll leave that one to your imagination.

For some reason the urge to make cookie plates has taken hold on me. This only happens once every three or four years, so I go with it.


In another five years I'll get the urge to send out Christmas cards, but by then we won't have anyone left to send to, I'm sure. Sadly, my family members have slowly dropped me from their lists and at this point we get more cards from businesses than from relatives. I hope they know that my lack of Yuletide greetings doesn't mean I love them any less (any friends and relatives reading this?).

The little lamb (of God) cookies from the plates.


For those of you who are also not highly experienced in the culinary arts, don't turn the oven temperature up when the meringues are inside it. You get not good results. This bag is ours. I've already eaten the worst ones.


For my snowmen I didn't have enough marshmallows, so I cut them in half and the hats ended up looking more like cardinal hats in all those paintings of the saints in the art I teach. So here are the St. Jerome snowmen that went to fourth grade (where we studied St. Jerome and his translation of the Latin Vulgate early in history this year).


Kindergarten had a party that involved decorating cookies.


Fourth grade ate snowmen ;-). Ha, ha! Actually, I subbed for the teacher and made the kids take all wrapped goodies home, including the snowmen. There were plenty of unwrapped treats, trust me!

Kindergarten also had a play, so I've made some costumes. (All this and teaching too!)


We've had prayer time for a dear family who are still separated after much red tape. I've thought a lot about homecoming, reunion and faithfulness to our tasks lately and how these relate to the coming of The King of Kings. Please pray for our friends when you remember them.

We've had lots of snow. And just as much melting. Will it ever stay? I love the snow, although I don't care for driving in it. I am, however, growing accustomed to my husband's vehicle (not front-wheel drive, like what I've always driven), and the kids loved the donut I did the other day in a parking lot. It was not intentional (honest!), but it was the very first thing my son told my husband about when we returned from Christmas shopping...


I always enjoy the music of the season. Favorite songs this year include "I Wonder as I Wander," "Gabriel's Message," "The Wexford Carol," "He Is Born, The Divine Christ Child," and "Snow" by Loreena McKennit. My son loves "Feliz Navidad", my daughter likes "We Three Kings" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and my hubby likes it all. What are your favorite songs of the season? I'd love to hear from you.

Art I have been working on (necklaces for nieces):






Art I have not been working on:
This is a charcoal rendering of an earlier angel. I keep toying with the idea of adding some pastel colors to the charcoal--we'll see how brave I am over break.

The ubiquitous (in our house) snowflakes that help keep my hands busy.

I am keeping this one. Several years ago I started a book that I keep my favorite ones in, so I need to find it and add.

The house is a mess and I am feeling blessed to go to every other relative's home for celebrations this year. To have to have everything clean by tomorrow would send me over the edge right now. The one thing that keeps us all together in this time, however, is also the most important. No matter how busy we are in our family, we all remember that without Christ we have nothing in the end. If you have never encountered Jesus, I urge you to find out about Him. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Alpha and Omega, Who is coming back at the right time. Don't put off getting to know Him because only the Father knows when our time is up--it could be tomorrow, it could be years. Each year we celebrate the Advent season by adding figures to a nativity calender I made when the oldest child was little. We try to read some of the Christmas story along with the daily updates, and it always leads us back to Jesus and His birth, which is what we celebrate. We give gifts to honor the gift Jesus Christ gives to each person who will accept it: reconciliation with God the Father and everlasting life. The banner on our nativity displays John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Don't miss the gift.


Well, I do have to go tidy some things and finish a horse I am painting for someone for tomorrow. No matter what you are doing, I hope you will take a moment to meditate on why you celebrate this season and pray for loved ones. And with that, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! --L

What Christmas Means to Me

Winter sunset

In His hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to Him.
-Psalm 95:3



A snap of our area from the woods behind my husband's family home.