ROTW and ArThursday Poll & Caravaggio

I have been doing the Recipe of the Week and ArThursday for about 6 weeks. I wanted to see if everyone is still interested in them existing.

So if you feel one way or the other leave a comment with your opinion. Write which one you like (it can be both), you can even write why if you would like. Just let me know. - Thanks Anne

Caravaggio

This week I decided to go with someone old school. In fact so old school he is considered one of the "Old Masters". I learned about Caravaggio in High School when we studied the Baroque period in Mr. Justice's class. I was always really interested by Caravaggio and his intriguing use of shadows. So here is some classic painting for the traditionalists.

Judith Beheading Holofernes 1598–1599. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome.

The Calling of Saint Matthew 1599–1600. Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome.

Martyrdom of Saint Matthew 1599–1600.  San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome.

The Crucifixion of Saint Peter 1601. Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.

The Taking of Christ, 1602. National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.

Conversion of Saint Paul, 1601. Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.

David with the Head of Goliath, 1609–1610. Galleria Borghese, Rome.

Slinkachu

Fantastic Voyage

Slinkachu is a street installation artist and photographer based in London. His work is fun and I get enjoyment out of it. But as he describes there is also a more serious side to it:

My 'Little People Project' started in 2006. It involves the remodelling and painting of miniature model train set characters, which I then place and leave on the street. It is both a street art installation project and a photography project. The street-based side of my work plays with the notion of surprise and I aim to encourage city-dwellers to be more aware of their surroundings. The scenes I set up, more evident through the photography, and the titles I give these scenes aim to reflect the loneliness and melancholy of living in a big city, almost being lost and overwhelmed. But underneath this, there is always some humour. I want people to be able to empathise with the tiny people in my works.

Susan

I definitely see more humor in them.

Jesus Saves

I Can't Actually Graffiti

Chicken Tikka Disasta

Company Car

Majestic

Relic

Boys Own Adventures

Close Shave

Last Resort

If you enjoyed these I recommend you visit his website or search him on Google images. He has many more great ones online.

Listener

I have a rather eclectic taste in music. Some times I am in the mood for honest to goodness country, I am talking Dixie Chicks, other times I want to listen to Boy Sets Fire. I will state that this artist is probably not for everyone.

When I first heard about Listener, I was told it was this guy speaking/singing while banging on a washing machine. I was confused. A few weeks ago half of Listener was playing an "acoustic" house show with some friends, it was promised that there wouldn't be any washing machine. A guy, Dan Smith, got up to do his set. He had a stage presence and personality that I immediately loved. There was something corky and honest about it. He only did his spoken word, no music and no singing. I enjoyed him immensely. As I sat squished in my pastors living room with maybe 25-30 other people, face to face with someone bearing their heart and mind, I couldn't help think that we are all artists. Maybe everyone doesn't like the art we create, maybe we hate it ourselves, but there is magic happening. There are nameless photographers sharing photos with friends, painters sketching trees in the park, and lyricists screaming words in a crowded room on a Sunday night.

Here are the lyrics as I find them impressive, but sometimes hard to know.

You Were A House On Fire


Building Better Bridges


Wooden Heart


Seatbelt Hands


Most Roads Lead To Home


Listener is Dan Smith and Christin Nelson. They are certainly artist in my opinion and if you want more check out their website.

Chuck Close

For process and scale

I started to get into pointillism in High School and found this amazing artist Chuck Close, who is what I would call a modern pointillist, though most call him a photorealist. I personally was amazed and stunned by his work. Close achieves his work through a grid. He takes a photo, almost entirely large portraits, then puts a grid on that photo. He also draws a grid on his canvas and copies it cell by cell. In 1988 he suffered a spinal artery collapse which left him paralyzed from the neck down. He spent months in physical therapy, but still relies on a wheelchair. He has continued to paint by strapping a brush to his wrist and through the help of an assistant to create the grid.

I hope you enjoy him as much as I do.

Phil, Fingerprint 1978

Pastel and watercolor on washed paper mounted on paper 1978 

John, 100 color silkscreen 1997

Lucas, Oil and graphite on canvas 1986-87

Emma, woodcut 2002

Bill Clinton, Oil on canvas 2006

Natasha Wescoat

Natasha Wescoat is a Michigan-based artist that I fell in love with a few years ago. I don't remember exactly how I stumbled upon her website, but I instantly enjoyed her landscaped trees and floating birds. Since then her art has moved onto other characters, but I think I still enjoy her early stuff the most. Her art is clearly whimsical with its ability, at least for me, to move you to a lighter and more carefree mood. I like how this contrasts her usual use of dark colors. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do.

You can visit her blog. Or just browse through more of the artwork on her website.

Celtic Knots

I thought in honor of St. Patrick's Day I would feature some art from Ireland to help show that it can be known for more than just drinking. I have enjoyed the intricacies of Celtic knots for quite a while. I also like the many ways they can be interpreted or used as various symbols. One of the many reasons I knew that my husband was the person I should marry was because of the engagement ring he found for me. It was a simple ring with 3 small diamonds and a beautiful Celtic knot pattern. I posted a few of my favorites below.

ArThursday - Artist Showcase, Launch!

To feed my love for art in all forms, I have decided to add a weekly art day to my blog. Much like the "Recipe of the Week" these are going to be posts from friends, famous artists, random things I found, or sometimes me. They are also going to take all forms, photos, songs, crafts or, like today, poems.

If you would like to be featured, send me a message or leave a comment. Or if you just have awesome art that you've found or that you were reminded of, please share!

Today's ArThursday comes in the form of a poem. This was written by my friend Seth. If you are interested in more, check out his new blog ex cathedra.

My mind is not my own
it goes where it wishes
Overturning rocks the size of buildings
Uncovering chasm of ancient depth

And then my heart sees itself
a reflection of the shimmering of an
intangible instant; and latches itself
whole heartedly attached

Nobility in the pursuit of a
Sacred Quest do the two
seek through the firmament of the Earth
for the very thing that gives them leave to seek

I shift through the pieces of my heart,
mind, and vessels they have returned with
And seven times over can I reassemble them
to bear a resemblance to the world that holds me

First bleak and structured
Then bright and fluid
Now both, until I touch it and
it collapses into something incomprehensible

And so is my Sisyphus
To build and lose and gain
While trying to make my mind Understand
and my heart Know
What's really going on here.