A goldfinch brightening the day.
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As some of you know, I’m rather old-fashioned and so in this age of digital everything, I’m determined to engender in my youngest friends and family at least a modicum of respect for that ancient art of letter writing, even if the only “letter” written is a smiley face on the back of a postcard. Years ago I started an informal postcard club with a small group of children and though they now know far more than I probably ever will about virtual worlds and zombies and apps and emojis, according to their parents and guardians, they are quite pleased to receive mail. I’ve been slack in my duties of late but I decided one way to bring some peace into these chaotic times is for me to sit down and put pen to paper myself and send out some notes to my little friends … and always with the encouragement that they write back. Which some have done. 😉 This particular postcard I designed as a bit tongue in cheek using artwork from an 1886 stained glass window. You can find this card and others in my online shop.
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I’ve been reading that grackles can be very domineering birds so maybe that’s why when I walk by the river and I see grackles everywhere I don’t see many other smaller species of birds around. I know that I’ve seen them for years but for some reason the iridescence of their feathers is especially catching my eye this year.
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I first met Lois Fiore as a fellow participant in an art show curated by the Riverside Arts Group. It was a pleasure meeting her and learning of this artist whose work has been shown in the Boston area for over 30 years. Not only was she engaging in talking about her artistic process, she expressed genuine interest in learning about me as a person. When I shared with her that, in addition to photography, I also write and on occasion combine words with images, she invited me to share my work. I shared a post about the unexpected impact of meandering through the Boston Public Library and randomly opening up a book.
It was a compilation of slave narratives from the 1930s. Excerpts had been placed in various categories one of which included childhood memories of food. After reading “mussel ’em, a work in progress,” Lois invited me to submit a proposal to be part of a new exhibit, an exhibit inspired by the recent Presidential election and the subsequent struggle by so many to perceive how they could possibly move forward through the ensuing chaos. The proposal was accepted for my first interactive installation. I am truly looking forward to showing my work with the other artists in the exhibit PEACE: Cutting Through TURMOIL, on view June 8 – July 1 at the Brick Bottom Artist Building.
If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll be able to drop by the opening reception or visit the gallery at another time. Meanwhile, I continue to work on the installation. More updates in the near future!
Posted in Inspiration, Photography Exhibits | Tagged art, beauty, exhibit, Inspiration, peace, Photography, resilience, slavery | Leave a Comment »
Multiple exposures of the blooming bush outside my house.
And then playing with the images: https://artofwhere.com/artists/wordsandimagesbycynthia
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The original Madonna of the Harpies (1517) currently resides in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. It was painted by Andrea del Sarto (1486 – 1530) during the High Renaissance. This likely 19th century reproduction, artist unknown, resides in the hallway of a local church. Like similar paintings I’ve found in churches as I photograph their stained glass windows, the history of their paintings, tucked oftentimes in out of the way places, has faded over time. The how and the why of their existence is hard to discern without deeper research. And then in the end, as I have been reminded, one must keep in mind that during the late 19th century as wealthy Americans made grand tours of Italy there was a great demand for reproductions of Renaissance art (assuming one couldn’t buy the art outright).
Andrea del Sarto self-portrait
Andrea del Sarto was a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Raphael. This painting is considered to be one of his finest works. Much has been written about this painting. I especially enjoyed reading David Franklin’s description of the artist’s creative process on page 136 of his book Painting in Renaissance Florence, 1500-1550. I don’t know that I shall ever make it to Florence but it was a treat to learn of this powerful work of art by walking down a hallway.
Madonna of the Harpies by Andrea del Sarto (1517)
Sources & Additional Reading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_of_the_Harpies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_del_Sarto
http://www.uffizi.com/painting-madonna-delle-arpie-uffizi-gallery.aspx
Posted in Inspiration | Tagged Andrea del Sarto, art, art reproduction, beauty, Inspiration, Madonna of the Harpies, painting, Renaissance | 2 Comments »
Words + Images 