Art
Reading, TV and Music Choices for Festive Season 2011/2012
Riveting reading, considered DVD watching and beautiful music listening are all great can-do activities for the festive holiday season, as are long walks each day. This is the time of year we all need to recharge not only our body batteries, but also refresh our mind, spirit and soul.
Apollo, from the Earth to the Moon – Imagination & Knowledge
Ardent socialist and playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) lived a life of literary criticism dealing sternly with prevailing social issues, but with a lightness of touch that made stark realities palatable. He said ‘Imagination is at the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will’. The 60′s was the age of those who dared to dream a dream and then went out and made it happen.
Notebooks by Betty Churcher – My Favourite Book 2011
Having been an avid, voracious reader of all types of texts since I was a very small child today, in reality, it takes a lot to get me excited about a book. I have read many of the classics, lots of classic novels, masses of thriller fiction works and non-fiction works, including autobiographies, biographies, books [...]
French Country Style – Provence and joi de vivre
Unpretentious, warm and welcoming, the interiors of Provence today reflect the heritage of Provencal life and the Provenceur’s enjoyment of the simple pleasures of life; the sharing of good food, the local wine and the art of good conversation.
French Country Style – Provence is c’est magnifique!
Provence until the end of the 15th century was a group of states entirely separate from France. It had its own language, government and a sense of style, with deeply rooted ideas and philosophies first founded in strong traditions. They kept goats and ate fish, grew herbs in abundance, as well as olives which were introduced by the Greeks. With the fabled vitis vinifera grape vine for stock they made wine and became great consumers of wild boar as well as truffles. The oak forests of Provence would have been prime truffle territory then as now. The little slivers of this celestial fungus harbors many of the amusing stories of the region. They were often obtained by nefarious means or through a local truffle fair not listed in any tourist guide.
The Celts – Gathering to Celebrate Life & Culture Heroically
The Celts were, and are, exceedingly fond of gatherings, which I think is such a lovely word for bringing people together to celebrate a culture, whose origins go back into the mists of time.
J S Bach – Unleashing Music Reviving the Spirit and Soul
I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well* Johann Sebastian Bach and his sons During the eighteenth century in Europe marvelous music swept all before it as contemporary composers strove to produce works that exuded ‘noble simplicity and quiet greatness’, qualities that ‘enlightened’ men and women were seeking to [...]
Apollo, Lully, Secret Garden and Shelley – Making my Day
There are a few things I really respond to, inspiration wise. They are images of the ancient Greek God Apollo and his twin sister Artemis, early and new age classical music (Lully and Secret Garden) as well as poetry by one of the great English romantic lyric poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
What is an Antique?
An antique is something made in a previous era. However, according to antique dealers, their associations and the tax man, it is not really that simple at all.
The Christmas Message – Caring, Courage, Compassion and Love
The future relies on each and every one of us embracing the Christmas message – caring, courage, compassion and love. It requires that we gain an empathy with each other, by learning how to have a regard for each other’s ideas and opinions and how to respect other people and their beliefs, religious or otherwise.
Queen Anne to George II – Pregnancy, Plasters or Providence
Mountebanks abounded in Queen Anne’s England. One remedy was as fatal as another. Quacks were innumerable and neither was hampered by any type of ethical, or moral code.
Raphael – Weaving Tapestry Magic for the Sistine Chapel
The Raphael Cartoons were made up of a mosaic of hundreds of sheets of paper glued together and then fixed to the wall. Raphael and his assistants would have painted them before they were transported to Brussels to Pietr Van Aelst’s studio, where they would have been cut up into strips for use by the tapestry weavers.
Lethbridge Gallery at Brisbane – Australian Contemporary Art
The Lethbridge Gallery at Paddington in Brisbane has proved very popular as a home for artist Brett Lethbridge’s newest paintings, and to also provide a space in which other artists and art lovers can share the creative world by holding exhibitions and teaching others through offering artists workshops.
Vivaldi’s Griselda – Pinchgut Opera, a Decade of Excellence
Pinchgut Opera in only ten short years of innovative and outstanding productions, have become a classic opera company in the fullest sense of the word, of the first or highest quality, class, or rank. This piece will be sure to be joyous. It is an outstanding work and represents the culmination of Vivaldi’s opera writing career. You will just have to be there!
Trio of Boutique Style Museums – At Sydney, Paris and London
My favourite trio of boutique style small museums offer a unique experience to the visitor. All are in amazing locations with collections that cover epochs of history from antiquity to the nineteenth century in Europe. The advantage of this type of Museum is you can get up close and personal with very classy collections. And, the bonus is they all offer a special view and perspective on, and of the art and history of man.
The Rococo Style – Sophisticated and Yet Enchantingly Pretty
The Rococo style was delicately elegant with a distinct preference for asymmetry. It was presided over by France’s King Louis XV’s mistress, Madame du Pompadour, a sophisticated lady of impeccable style.
Asides
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