A Brief Interlude (#10)

I apologize in advance. Trying to figure things out. While it is nothing serious, it can be frustrating, leaving me unproductive. I should really find a way to transform these particular struggles into creative endeavors. In the past, I would just run from them, retreat into countless daydreams. Instead, here I am sharing it. Because, maybe writing it out is a good first step... 

(Yet again I find myself drawn to an Edward Hopper painting. This one is Compartment C Car. I must confess, I wish hats would come back in style for both men and women. I would love to wear something besides a baseball cap. Also, click here to see a dozen other beautiful and fun paintings of people reading. There were quite a few I enjoyed seeing.)

My Weekly Checkup (#20)

A Collection of Some Things I Found, Some Thoughts I Had This Week

Wading through the dog days of summer, before September brings on a whole new set of problems and opportunities to solve them. Or avoid them...

In the meantime, here are two inspiring videos, and two informative ones. Anyone should be able to find some value in watching the first two, even the one directed at artists. The last two are more specific in scope, but nonetheless illuminating for a general audience. I also love following their YouTube channels: their work is entertaining, but also insightful.  

Enjoy!

(One of my favorite scenes from the movie Fiddler on the Roof. Looking through photos from the movie, I began thinking about which of the men in these young women's lives I most like. I am definitely not as handsome and forward as Fyedka, and I am no longer as idealistic as Perchik. So, I guess that leaves... Motel?)

(Click here to see a video clip of the scene pictured below.)

Vegetable Gardening and Me (#17)

My gardening season is winding down. I have a few decisions to make in the upcoming weeks that affect this year and next. In addition, more harvests and lost causes.

As I mentioned in my first post on gardening, I am not an expert gardener, and I have made plenty of mistakes, but my adventures may help others have more fun and success. 

Also, I now have a page dedicated to gardening, that will contain all past and future posts, as well as resources I have found useful.

A Brief Interlude (#9)

I feel a bit frustrated. Old habits die hard, even after better habits have taken root. But, it is in the struggle that we learn the most. Well, that is what I keep telling myself. With that said, I present this Monday's blog post.

(The image and artist below is not the painting I wanted to reference this week--I don't think people are ready to see that one, even though I think it's beautiful. However, this self portrait is incredible in its own right, so I decided to share it. Gustave Courbet painted is the painter. He has two others I found visually intriguing, one of which was banned from public exhibition until 1988--you'll have to scroll down his Wikipedia article in order to find it. The other painting is far less controversial, and more famous.)

      

My Weekly Checkup (#19)

 A Collection of Some Things I Found, Some Thoughts I Had This Week

You may have noticed, I skipped last week's checkup. I mentioned it in this past Monday's post. This week I intend to share three videos about dance. And an interesting but sad take on the history of ballet.

(For the record, I am wary of any article published on the internet, especially one about history that was posted by the History Channel. However, for the moment, I am going to assume that the overall theme is true: 19th century ballerinas were sexually exploited to some extent. At some point, however, I will have to do more research.)

(Although the painting below is not a Degas, I came across this article about him from Vanity Fair which I have found insightful. Also, I covered some of my fascination with Degas' paintings and a sculpture of ballet dancer in a previous Weekly Checkup. This article has helped me to understand these particular pieces better.)

 

Vegetable Gardening and Me (#16)

So many vegetables. So little time to process them. I cannot imagine how much more I would have if I had planned things better. I will find out, though, once I learn my lesson (maybe three years from now?).

As I mentioned in my first post on gardening, I am not an expert gardener, and I have made plenty of mistakes, but my adventures may help others have more fun and success. 

Also, I now have a page dedicated to gardening, that will contain all past and future posts, as well as resources I have found useful.

A Brief Interlude (#8)

Tomorrow is a new day.

One day at a time.

It is what it is.

~ My closing mantra for my evening journal entries

Here are three works by a female painter, Artemisia Gentileschi. The first is her interpretation of a famous story, Judith's Beheading of Holofernes. I like her version a lot: it is powerful, passionate, and piercingly beautiful. The other two paintings below it are self portraits. Although I prefer the first one to the second, I find them both stunning. 

None of these paintings have anything to do with what I wrote today. They were included on a whim. At least, that was my initial thought. Perhaps on further review, I might find a connection...

Vegetable Gardening and Me (#15)

 As I mentioned in my first post on gardening, I want to make this a weekly post. I am not an expert gardener, and I have made plenty of mistakes, but my adventures may help others have more fun and success. 

Also, I now have a page dedicated to gardening, that will contain all past and future posts, as well as resources I have found useful.

Slow this past week, but a busy schedule coming up. Yet, if I would just take a little time to plan, it would not feel so overwhelming.

A Brief Interlude (#7)

"Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards being sort of good at something."

~ Jake the Dog, Adventure Time 

I developed my own “serenity prayer” for my writing:

Grant me the humility to accept constructive criticism;
the self-confidence to ignore any insults;
and the ability to express myself clearly through it all.

My Weekly Checkup (#18)

A Collection of Some Things I Found, Some Thoughts I Had This Week

This week I share two links to sites I have found very useful, especially in the wake of this pandemic. The first one I discovered several years ago while researching alternative medicine. The second one was shared a week ago in a comment on a Facebook post. So, yes, social media has its uses.

(The nurse in this painting caught my eye. So, I delved deeper into its history, and her place in the painting. Here is the Wikipedia article about it. There is an entire section dedicated to the nurse's background. Interesting stuff, including controversy surrounding its initial unveiling--but you'll have to read all the way through to the end to find out. And now you know why I chose this painting!)

Vegetable Gardening and Me (#14)

As I mentioned in my first post on gardening, I want to make this a weekly post. I am not an expert gardener, and I have made plenty of mistakes, but my adventures may help others have more fun and success. 

Also, I now have a page dedicated to gardening, that will contain all past and future posts, as well as resources I have found useful.

Another week, more stuff to harvest, another loss or two to mourn, and some wisdom to be gained...

A Brief Interlude (#6)

There is something satisfying about working with one's hands, to shape raw materials into a form both functional and aesthetic. There is also something worthwhile in watching one's design transform from a mental concept into a physical object. I enjoy working with my hands, and I have plenty of ideas. For me, woodworking was once an inspiring tool that helped me be creative. Life events obscured that fact. However, a return to my parents' house reminded me of the joy of building with wood.

It may be time for me to pick it up again.