matouenpeluche

Famous palettes X 3

Painting palettes of famous artists X 3.

Edgar Degas

Paul Gaugin

Georges Seurat

You can see more famous palettes here at Retronaut. Happy weekend all!

Love part 4 - Most Romantic Artwork

So, today is Valentine's Day and the last instalment of my love posts (read post 1, post 2, post 3). Apparently, this painting of Romeo and Juliet on their wedding night has been voted the most romantic artwork in Britain. It was painted by Frank Bernard Dicksee in 1884. I couldn't categorically agree that it is the most romantic artwork in Britain as I haven't done any thorough research into the matter myself, but I would say yes, it's on the romantic side. What are your thoughts? Second runner up in the romantic artwork stakes was Rodin's The kiss.

Image from here.

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!

Collection

Something else I found in my ignored cupboard (see original post here): my collection of book marks. The avid collector strikes again!

These are a real find! I used to get these at Glebe Books when there was just the one store up by the church. I wonder if they still have them? I never used them as book marks. I used them to decorate various bare bedroom walls I was living in at the time. I have many more too, but these are the nicest.

Georges Lepape

George Lepape (1887 - 1971) is best known for his exquisite illustrations for revolutionary fashion designer Paul Poiret. However, he also created divine illustrations for fashion houses such as Worth, Lanvin, Paquin, Doucet and Beer . In addition to his fashion commissions, he  drew the very first Vogue cover and his illustrations for Harper's Bazaar, Gazette du Bon Ton and Vanity Fair are still loved and admired today. 

This first image of his from a Vogue cover in the 20s is perhaps my all time favourite!

Happy Friday!

Images from here and here.

Happy Friday links!

This beautiful creature is by Czech artist Alphnose Mucha (1860 - 1939). I think if you were to look up the definition of "Art Nouveau" in the dictionary, you'd just find a painting by Mucha there. No other explanation needed. I think he is the grand master of Art Nouveau. My mind boggles as to how he managed to tame all those floaty elements in his paintings and make them look natural and "correct".

...and it's Friday, so here are my Friday links for your viewing pleasure!

a) Ten underused punctuation marks that will woo you!

b) Tasty designer dresses.

c) A relaxing three minute video of a man whose hobby is carving flower designs in watermelons.

d) See Taronga Zoo's brand new Sumatran Tiger cubs.

e) A truly beautiful mirror art installation in the Vendôme square, Paris.

 

Here's to a super relaxing and enjoyable weekend!

Image from here.

Paddington Shadows

   For my shadow shot this week I've submitted this classic mid 19th Century Paddington terrace or row house. I always feel that Paddington is sort of like a Victorian Disney land as all the pretty houses are at least 150 years old and come in all shapes and sizes. Most of them have the iron lace work that you can see on the verandah here. This iron was brought over from England in the 19th Century as ballast on sailing ships. Paddington has had a chequered past. For example, it was more or less a slum after World War Two. In the 60s, however, artists and bohemians started to move in and in the 80s and 90s it was gentrified completely. It is now one of the most expensive suburbs in Sydney if not Australia.

Shadow Shot Sunday is a Hey Harriet initiative! You too can join in! All you have to do is read the instructions here.

Happy Sunday folks!

 

Shadow Shot Sunday Griffins

I thought it was time to do a Shadow Shot Sunday post. This magnificent creature is something I've been meaning to blog about for absolutely ages but have been saving for a rainy day. Well, it is very rainy today so I thought why not?

It is a large and lovely griffin that is part of a pair that sit either side of Sir Henry Parkes Drive very close to the Paddington entrance of the Centennial Parklands. Originally these Villeroy and Boch beasties were installed in the 1890s but over the years they deteriorated and were eventually removed in 1971 and stored for safe keeping in the parks storehouse. Then later in the early 2000s a fund was started to raise money to restore them and they were returned to the gardens in 2005.

Apparently, they are not technically griffins at all but something called a ‘gryphonic’. A proper griffin apparently has the face, beak, talons and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. As you can see, these beauties have mainly lionesque features.

In the Centennial Parkland's website they explain:

"The eagle parts of the griffin represented the saints with their thoughts, aspirations and souls lifted towards God. Its lion half stood for their courage in the arena and in the continuing struggle against sin, evil, and the Devil. Because of the griffin’s strength and powers of sight, it was believed to guard hidden treasures."

I think they are gorgeous and I always admire them when I walk through the gardens on my Sunday constitutional walk.

By the way, Shadow Shot Sunday is a fabulous meme that is hosted by the lovely Tracey of Hey Harriet! If you'd like to join in, all you have to do is go here and read the instructions!

The World of Tolstoy

The Cathedral of the Nativity in Suzdal, Russia.

Hello! It's Thursday! I hope everyone's week is progressing in an orderly manner!

I've been perusing my mountain of National Geographics again and I came across this rather wonderful photo essay on Tolstoy (1828 - 1910) and the particular corner of Russia that he inhabited.

According to the article, Count Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy (yes, he was an aristocrat) is among the most widely translated authors. His two most well known books are of course War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Reading this article makes me want to drop everything and immerse myself in them!

Here he is at 20 and at 82, two years before his death.

Apparently he was a pretty wild young lad. "I am living like a beast", he wrote in his diary which he started at school and kept until the end of his life.  He failed to complete a law degree and spent his time partying with the Gypsies that still ran a theatre in Moscow at that time.

Tolstoy had a wild and adventurous life. He joined the army after dropping out of university, had his first story "Childhood" accepted for publication at the age of 24 and then went off to fight in the Crimean War. He lost his 32 room family mansion in a game of cards whilst in the army and so, when he married at 34, he brought his bride home to a separate two-story wing of the former mansion. He then started a school for the illiterate children of peasants. Meanwhile, his short stories were a hit in St Petersburg but he turned his back on that fame and set about writing War and Peace. Seven years later, the great masterpiece was completed in 1869.

Aside from his writing, he is influential in his religious beliefs and is said to have been an inspiration to men such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi. He was also passionate about nature. The article says that the outdoors were a church to Tolstoy.

Immediately below is a path lined with linden trees that he used to walk along ever day and below that is an avenue of birch trees at his ancestral estate. "I noticed this beauty..and fell in love with it," he wrote of this beloved avenue.

If you would like to read more about Tolstoy and his works click here. All images are from the June 1986 edition of National Geographic.

A man with a moustache and other tales

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable weekend. Today, it's been raining cats and dogs here in Sydney like you wouldn't believe! On my way to work, there was a fully formed thunderstorm doing its thing as I waited for the bus. Intermittently, it continued to rain heavily all day and then in the afternoon another thunderstorm!

However, that was today. On the weekend, fortunately, it was lovely! I went on some epic walks and took lots of photos a few of which I will present to you here starting with the image on the right. In the doorway of an old turn of the last century terrace which has been converted into a swish shop: A man with a moustache...and eyebrows too. Do you think this is cheeky Art Nouveau stained glass making or do you think it's a coincidence? Hmmmm...

Three very desirable (for me anyway) residences along the road that runs up beside Centennial Park. According to a very reliable source (*ahem* my boyfriend) it was in this grand street that George Lucas chose to stay whilst in Sydney filming the prequels to Star Wars (at Fox studios).

Centennial Park starring: The Moon. My boyfriend took this lovely shot.

Are you talking to me? I have had rainbow lorikeets on this blog before - they are so frisky and wonderful it is hard to resist photographing them.

 

...and the camellia season here in Sydney is in full swing! They are absolutely everywhere! However, they are spectacularly hard to photograph. Why is that? These three shots are the best I can show you at this stage. I will endeavour to get some more decent shots of them this season.

I hope everyone has a terrific week ahead!

The Owl and the Pussycat

  The Owl and the Pussycat

The Owl and the Pussycat is my drawing from the weekend and rather than me saying anything at this point I thought it more appropriate to give you the original poem by Edward Lear who is one of my heros!

 

I

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea

    In a beautiful pea green boat,

     They took some honey, and plenty of money,

    Wrapped up in a five pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

    And sang to a small guitar,

'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,

      What a beautiful Pussy you are,

  You are,

  You are!

What a beautiful Pussy you are!'

 

II

Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!

    How charmingly sweet you sing!

     O let us be married! too long we have tarried:

    But what shall we do for a ring?'

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

    To the land where the Bong-tree grows

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood

    With a ring at the end of his nose,

His nose,

His nose,

With a ring at the end of his nose.

 

III

'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling

    Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.'

So they took it away, and were married next day

    By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

    Which they ate with a runcible spoon;

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,

    They danced by the light of the moon,

     The moon,

     The moon,

They danced by the light of the moon.