Art Of The Day!
This is one of Francisco Goya’s lighter works. He had quite the dark side that often showed up on the canvas. This painting is different. Dona Isabel Cobos De Procel. Now there’s a name for you. She is delightful. Beautiful radiant skin. Soft shining eyes. A slight subtle smile. And just look how she’s sitting. Firmly ensconced. Like she is thoroughly enjoying being the artist’s model. And who wouldn’t if you were going to turn out looking that good. The lace is magnificent. The tiny piece of mocha colored satin at her wrist almost rustles into life. Not the most delicate of hands but refined nonetheless. What does she think as she sits there? Is she feeling proud? Formal? Wanted and desired? What thoughts stir her heart, lift her soul, fill her with wonderment? She’s not a thin woman. She fills out her dress just as she fills out the canvas. I can imagine that walking into a room all eyes would instantly lust after her presence. There is a sweet innocence to her eyes. Goya captured her most magnificently wouldn’t you agree?
Photo Of The Day!
I love this photo. The bike says: Rebel. Doing my own thing. Rogue wanderer. Go wherever the hell I please. Look at all those bits and pieces. If someone took the time, this bike could be polished, painted, and steam-punked galore. I could see myself on that bike. Going out into the wilds. Do you see the three frogs looking on? Even they have amazement in their eyes. That bike is a rare treasure. I bet it sounds magnificent. Rumbles like thunder closing in. Vibrates with a life of its own. Hauls up hills. Flashes down inclines. Slices at steep angles around bends. Right now it’s in raw glory, just imagine if it were “cleaned” up.
Image courtesy of: publicdomainpictures.net
Art Daily!
Happiness hanging on a wash line. Little joyous thoughts sandwiched between despair. Hope eternal along the blue vein of renewal. Not all seven billion are standing in neat little rows. Some of us mark our individuality. We stand out. Sometimes boldly. Offering the world our own unique color and perspective. Shaped differently yet each connected to the same past, present, and future. The uncommon still unites with the common. We are after all one species hanging out, hooked into humanity, whether we like it or not.
Image Courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Photo Of The Day!
Contemplating confinement. Captured and closed in when the wilderness calls. Thinking about escape. Reminiscing on days of freedom. Remembering being the predator instead of docile prey. Hand fed now instead of stalking, striking, spearing with sharp and precise teeth. Hungry for a taste of adventure. A place to stretch the legs, run and roam. Raw scents on the air replaced by inner city pollution. I used to be the master but now am only the lowly servant, forced to perform. What price I pay for survival.
Image courtesy of: adigitaldreamer.com
Art Daily!
Trapped. Forlorn. Long forgotten. A distant memory. Aching. Regretting. Lonely. Quiet. Looking out of window? Through a mirror? Trunk of tree? What thoughts swirl through her head? How does she feel? Why is she there in the first place? Can she get out? Escape? Why has nobody come to rescue her? Are there intermittent screams, wails, and moans? Or is she mute? I feel her despair. Her anguish. Her sorrow.
Painting by Fernand Khnopff
Photo Of The Day!
One lock for every soul incarcerated? One lock for each thought imprisoned? One lock for lost dreams? One lock for each mistake? One lock for every family hurt? One lock for every crime committed? One lock for stolen futures? One lock for shackled hope? One lock for possible redemption? One lock for justice served? One lock for innocence misplaced? One lock…one lock…one lock!
Image courtesy of: freephotogaleries.com
Art Daily!
Just look at that. The buffalo takes center stage but the storm rumbles in gallantly nonetheless. The quiet before the thrash of thunder. The softening light before violent blades of lightning strike. The air churning with expectant electricity. Lush vegetation bracing itself for energized ions zapping moisture, singing leaf, flaying trees, stabbing fiery fingers from heaven deep into the potent soil. The buffalo sips water as it waits for the rains to come.
before-the-storm-by-bierstadt
Photo Of The Day!
Nature showing off. Stripes of horizontal elegance as the tree strives ever vertical. Pared down. Naked. Unadorned. Raw beauty. Fresh perspective. An honest trunk.
Image courtesy of: adigitaldreamer.com
Art Daily!
Strength. Conviction. Passion. Purpose. Pride. She knows her craft and she’s not afraid to use it. She has a glammoring. A sense of rising. Dominant. A much larger presence than her surroundings. Filling empty space completely. Electrifying the air. She won’t back down. Refuses to let go. She will stare you down. Cause you to cower. Lower your eyes. She is mistress and she knows it. Look at her focus. Undisturbed. Piercing. Seeing into the mists and depths. You can’t fool her and she knows it. I imagine a cacophony behind her. Women wailing, chanting, moaning, conjuring, but she’s oblivious to it all. She’s fine tuned her mind. A complete study in focused concentration. She holds no doubts whatsoever that her mission will be accomplished. And you mere mortal will see her powers put to work.
hygeia-by-klimt
Photo Of The Day!
Oh wow. Stunning. Just look at those droplets of water. Can you see how they range in size. Large circlets of water at the top of the flower, slowly mirco-sizing as they reach the stem. Why does this happen? Obviously the heavier drops would not be able to hold a position along the sides of the petals, but still natures laws know exactly what to do. Downsize. Remarkable. And just look at that beautiful bud. So full of hidden potential. One renegade petal is starting to uncurl. There is so much anticipation of what beauty lay in the center of this pristine flower. And the scent, just imagine its heady fragrance as soon as it bursts forth. Priceless.
Image courtesy of: pdphoto.org
Art Daily!
I’m a little lost at these two. How is it possible to stand in the midst of such watery turmoil? Where is the path that led them there? Why are their clothes not sodden and weighted down? How can they stand so gaily without any suggestion of struggle against waves and undercurrents? Are they real? Two spirits that were lost at sea? The painting almost suggests that the water is parting to let them through, but through from where and to what? Did they spring up on a surge of water from nowhere? It is an enigma. But take a look at the waves in the foreground. See all those little pieces of debris? Seaweed and possibly bits of mermaids purses. You can almost smell the salty brine. Feel the the ebb and flow. Hear the crash and roar of crests and undulations. And just to the left at mid-line, do you see the rocks? A wonderful portrayal of transparency with a subtle opaqueness. The winds and swells of water churn sea foam into existence. There will be a huge pull of water when that wave in the foreground retreats.
What Freedom By Ilya Repin
Photo Of The Day!
Can you see the beauty in this photo? Look at those magnificent green, tan, and salmon swirls on the ceiling, it looks like an old world map. And see that wooden floor, I bet it makes a wonderful deep sounding thud as you walk across it, all gritty under the sole. And that rocking chair with the broken arm, I bet it has a glorious squeak if you sat in it. That painting on the far wall is askew, why? And that door to the right, I can imagine it stubbornly refusing to close. Rusted dry hinges, warped and not fitting within the frame snugly any more. Who sat at that desk? What did they see when they looked out of the window, and how long ago was that? That tremendous curling board above it, I wonder what sound it will make when it finally free’s itself from the wall behind it. Musty smells. Little dust devils skitting across the floor. Maybe a stray cat or two poking their noses in, rooting for a mouse here and there. And just look at that magnificent wood stove on the right with those short pot bellied legs. I wonder who felt the warmth of that when it was glowing in all of its glory. Why was this house abandoned? What stories could it tell? Is anyone still alive to tell the tale? This room looks parched. Starved for attention. Aching for restoration. I wonder how much longer it will stand.
Image courtesy of: pdphoto.org
Art Daily!
He straddles a sturdy rock. Focused on the periphery. Something has caught the attention. Turned the eye. What could be more intriguing than the limp skin he holds in his hand? How did this happen? Where are the bones? How was a whole skin removed in one piece? Why was it done? Who was it done to? The solid rock, the strong body, in complete contrast to the thin membrane at his feet. Why did Michelangelo paint this? What was he thinking? How did he imagine the whole skin of a human being fillet from its bone? What did the people of the time think of this work? I want to know more don’t you?
Photo Of The Day!
One day we will all hang our skin on the washing line of life as we walk away from this dimension.
Image courtesy of: unprofound.com
Art Daily!
Franz Von Stuck did an outstanding job with this piece called, “Warrior!” Just look at him. What strength. See how he moves swiftly and with purpose, full of determination, there is no stopping him. He has focus and will see his mission accomplished. He wields his blade with ease. Cutting through anything that comes into contact with it like a knife through butter. Observe the people around him. Look at their self-protective stances. They fear him. What caused this warriors fury? What sent him on this bloody rampage? What will it take for him to halt? The colors in this painting set the tone perfectly. Dark and brooding, full of shadow and a blur of despair. Though the colors are somber and muted they are crisp in their meaning. Vengeance is moving. Cutting a wicked path. Watch out.
Photo Of The Day!
Look at this. What a picture. Full of movement and meaning. She’s on the threshold of something. A new beginning? An ending? She’s setting her boundary. There is power in this shot. Push. Keep out. Don’t take one step closer. This is my territory. My boundary. Do not under any circumstances cross this line. She is determined to make her point clear. Note the peeling paint on the door jamb and the horizontal slash in her jeans. Symbolically stating no entry here, I run a line through your entrance. This exit is closed. Her hands out in front. Palms wide. Showing you her personal space. Extending her zone. Marking the fine line of personal intrusion. She won’t have none of it, and her hair flying wildly to one side suggests a sharp snap of the neck in defiance. She won’t even look you in the eye, she’s done. You might as well step back, turn around, and quietly walk away. She is in her element. Look at that one raised knee. One step closer and I can hear a solid heel hit the floor in fury. She’s a woman coming into her own. Setting her own stage. Controlling her own life. Making a statement. Her eyes are closed. She doesn’t want to see it anymore. You do not exist in her sphere of living. She has permanently closed the door. I love the strength in this photo. It’s proud. Unforgiving. Unyielding. A warrioress, full of purposeful passion.
Image courtesy of: stockvault.net
Art Daily!
I love this piece. Van Gogh was certainly in his element when he painted this. Just look at that light. It infuses a sense of warmth and stillness. A winding down of the day. Soft touches and gentle whispers. A steadying of the night. Quiet tasks. Contemplating the earlier hours, its chores and all that was accomplished. At last a reprieve from daily labor. A slowing of the heart and breath. A few precious moments to catch ones thoughts and nurture ones feelings before finally retiring for the night. Look at the colors Van Gogh used for the light. Almost like seeing a beautiful oil slick. Close to iridescent. Awash with a fine glow. He was a master in turning simple lines into great beauty.
Photo Of The Day!
You can’t get light much better than that. Simply stunning. If this were a painting it would definitely be a Vermeer. The light is perfect, capturing the essence of the fruit beautifully. And just look how the fruit looks to be in full bloom. Fresh. Succulent. Delicious, just from the play of light upon its surface. This is an amazing piece of photography. The horizontal shadow whispering on the skin of each piece of fruit suggests a blind at the window with possible morning light breathing in through the glass. There are droplets of water tenderly caressing the fullness of those nectarines. Gently washed and ready to eat. You can almost taste their sweetness. This photo is a painters delight. What artist wouldn’t want to paint with such a gorgeous display of light?
Image courtesy of: pdphoto.org
Kahlil Gibran
Your children are not your children.
They are sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For thir souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the make upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness.
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He also loves the bow that is stable.”
Rumi
“My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that, and I intend to end up there.”
― Rumi
Pablo Neruda
“so I wait for you like a lonely house
till you will see me again and live in me.
Till then my windows ache.”
Art Daily!
This piece is called, “Fighting Forms” By Franz Marc. I can see why he gave it this title. Look at the profusion of color, struggling, clashing, vying for the right to be prominent. I’m enjoying how the two central pieces curl in contrast to the periphery shapes. This piece has all the suggestions of dominance. It is powerful in its presence. Stirring to the senses. Magnetizing in its imagery. Note that from the upper left corner down to the lower right corner how the colors shift from brights to somber. There is a dramatic pull to this piece of art. It doesn’t offer serenity but instead infuses the observer with an explosion of vibrancy. This is a splendid piece of abstract art.
Photo Of The Day!
Look at this. Isn’t she beautiful. Look at her strength. The way she carries herself. In all of her brittleness she still holds the attention, captivates the heart. Note the two small upper leaves, poised, as though she is ready to dance. Pirouette. Possibly tango. And look at the abundance of other fine greenery that surrounds her stem. The leaves give the sense of an exquisite flamenco dress. Swirls of passion. This rose is a graceful lady. Elegant even in her decline. She holds her color and position well. She has aged but still retains her sense of dignity. There is a mature lure about her. She has passed her prime but still has a certain sense of sensuality. She is perfectly seductive in her senior milestone of life.
Image courtesy of: pdphoto.org
Shiver Blue Fine Art 