MC Escher (1898-1972) was a Dutch artist, who made mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. Many traditional art critics find his work ‘too intellectual’. I love his work because it’s endlessly interesting, and I sometimes think that critics have a somewhat narrow view of what can define art. He makes use of mathematical constructs, geometrical…
When you hear that song that reminds you of something you don’t quite remember but you feel a melancholy longing for the intangible When you listen to music that fills you with joy so great you feel as if you might burst with happiness Reading a poem that tears deep into your soul stabbing to…
Watch the skill of your hands bring into being the pattern of imagination take delight in moulding with love and fire and the spark inside something new and beautiful to use in this world God-given gift to make your offering wrought in art and beauty imitating in sincere flattery the works of your creator.
Everything is yellow Fields of wheat ripening under a golden, glowing dawn Sun tipped leaves hang grimly to bare branches before finally making their descent to carpet the earth in yellow Seasons come and go but everything is yellow daffodil gold heralding spring dandelion flowers sprinkle yellow across the grass sunflowers open up brilliant gold…
Even if you’re not a person of faith, there is nothing like attending a church and looking at stained glass windows. While they do vary in artistry, at their best they can be truly breathtaking. I was curious to look into the history of this art form. It’s believed that the technique of staining glass…
‘Memento mori’ is Latin for ‘Remember death’ (or ‘remember that you will die’), and refers to a medieval Christian practice of contemplating one’s own mortality. Cheerful, indeed. The idea was that you were supposed to remember that earthly riches and pleasures were fleeting and time on earth was short, so the pious person should devote…
Theodore Geisel used the pen name Dr Seuss to write his books, mainly children’s books. However Geisel was known also for his illustrations, cartoon work and animation. He was not a doctor, his pen name being purely fictitious, and his books have become famous over the last century, even being adapted (with mixed success) to…
In the course of my (mostly inept) attempts at basic Origami lately, I became curious about the origins and history of the art. So after a journey around the internet, I’ve discovered a few interesting things. Origami is itself a Japanese term, which means ‘folding paper’ (from ‘oru’, meaning fold, and ‘kami’ meaning paper). However…
Land of dreams, dream realm, dream world, dreamscape, etc. These are all imaginative ways of referring to the images we see when asleep. From ancient times, dreams have been a source of mystery and magic. They have been considered as prophetic. Their occurrence has been ascribed to gods or spirits. Cultures world-wide have myths and…
In 1987 a small book was released by Abbey Press, called ‘Be-Good-to-yourself Therapy’. Written by Cherry Hartman and illustrated by R.W. Alley, this booklet included whimsical drawings of an elf with a candle in his hat going about his day, with thoughts and suggestions about being good to yourself. Over thirty years and multiple books…
