Saturday, June 27, 2015

Cowper

The famous English pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Frank Cadogan Cowper [1877-1958] is a very versatile painter--his large collection of works appeals to many moods and tastes [see more of his work here on pinterest].

His most famous and best works are perhaps "The patient Griselda", "La belle dame sans merci", "The legend of Sir Perceval", "Lancelot slays the Caitiff Knight Sir Tarquin", "The four queens find Lancelot sleeping", the Madonna painting "Our Lady of the fruits of the earth", "Molly, Duchess of Nona", "The blue bird", and "Vanity".

His piece "Mariana in the South" below [interesting Christies info; the painting is based on the two Mariana poems by Tennyson] is one of my favorites. She is lamenting being abandoned by her lover. The red Renaissance style wood couch, the red cloth of it, her dark green/turquoise robe, her groundhound type dog, her odd clog shoes on the tiles floor, how she looks into the distance, the green spring of something like olive leaves by the reflecting mirror, the little abandoned note by the back of the dog:


St Olga

St Olga of Kiev [b.c. 890-969] is a very unique saint. She ruled the Kievan Rus as a regent after her husband died. She avenged him spectacularly: she burned the enemies alive, several times, even tricking people and locking them into buildings first. Many saints have extremely interesting stories--the tie between the 'new' Christian world and the old pagan world is a strange one. It is a slow process, realizing how little changed after religion changed. Old things evolved, old symbols and rituals, everything really.

This famous art piece by Russian, Symbolist painter Nesterov [ie. Не́стеров], who lived 1862-1942], is a great illustration of her. His other paintings are incredible, like his "Girls on the Banks of the River".


Sunday, June 14, 2015

Songs

After resisting the band Animal Collective based on some reviews, I have to take back what I thought--they have an interesting, chaotic ambient sound. Try 'Visiting Friends' or 'The Softest Voice'. I love the idea of playing them on the sound system while driving cross country on a meandering trip.

A lot of ambient music reminds me of the first Silent Hill video game. It had a great ambiguous, eerie backdrop of sound/noise. The tv show Hannibal's composer Brian Reitzell writes great music in this vein--like his 'Wendigo Quintet'.

Though the soundtrack/score of the 2006 Peter Mayle's book-based film A Good Year was more upbeat and French, there are some parts with slow, rainy music.


Art

St Joan of Arc is a timeless figure, a modern Boudica. It's interesting to look at the art created featuring her: the statues all over the world, the paintings. There are different interpretations of her banner, her clothing, her stature. Looking at how a subject is portrayed over time is very interesting--look at biblical figures, Greek and Roman myths, Shakespearean characters, medieval heroes and villains. 




Ambient

When you're in the mood for ambient/'noise' music, it's hard to find what you're looking for. There are recordings of jungles, bird calls, thunderstorms, rivers, waterfalls, fires crackling, etc, and more man made, white noise type music: the type that seems to have evolved from the noise edges of the Kid A album or Bjork's work.

One great piece in the latter category is Of - Aerial Cisterns by the Jewelled Antler Collective in their compilation 'Heat and Birds'. Another, more vocal, from them is their 'The Famous Boating Party - White Butterfly'.

They have a more soothing background/mostly instrumental piece in 'The Muons - Little Star'. A lighter True Detective sounding piece is 'Rover - Encyclopedia #3 - untitled', or this eponymous similar one, or this one.

Music

Brightblack Morning is a really interesting group for those who like ambient/modern ['modernist'/minimalist] music--try their great song 'Star Blanket River Child'. They are kind of reminiscent of the world/new age group Enigma.

More in the vein of Psapp and The Skygreen Leopards are The Bird and the Bee, I love their song 'Come As You Were'. Similarly, be sure to try Swedish-Zimbabwean Pauline Kamusewu's songs 'Loving You', 'Happy People', 'Give me a call', 'Answer', etc.

In a more French vein, but within the broader category, also try 'Retrolectro Hottie XI (Fame Dance with Dimie Cat - Glam Remix)'-- early 1900s styled and focused Dimie Cat is a perfect French, classic song chanteuse. She also did a selection of disney theme songs in swing style, like this one [it's 'Once upon a dream'].

She's like a European version of the American Puppini Sisters [their song 'Spooky' is great, it was featured in the BBC show 'Jonathan Creek' once]. Their version of 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' is great.


Saturday, June 13, 2015

Read

I really like the Irish Farmette--it has a mystical feel to it, a lost in the magical woods scenario that you want to find yourself in.

I love the poetry and photos of HerriottGrace, it almost makes you think of the most brilliant poems of e.e. cummings.

I love to scroll through the famous SmittenKitchen and VickiArcher, it's like a glossy magazine to think about. And CupofJoe is fun to read, they have great links. Katie'sPencilBox is really fun to look through, it's like a real life, bright Eloise style art-focused pottery barn catalogue but with even better photos, lovely.

For a buy-able pottery barn read, try Coco+Kelley, which is great, you get to see so many options--it's like reading multiple aesthetics at once, a real time saver [and fun to see!]. In the interesting reading vein, RueRude is a look at France that's neat because it's on things you wouldn't guess about daily life.


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Montreal Travel

On the East Coast, there are only a few options for high intensity city vacations: NYC and Montreal. For the outdoors types, there's Maine. While reading the big Paris blog and the Médoc blog are a must, don't forget your required reading before crossing the border" F---NoMontreal.

I love the racing flags strung up between buildings in Old Montreal [as in below from here], though it's hard to just slow down and walk slowly through any part of Montreal.

Be sure to go to:
--Au Kouign Amann for the incredible raspberry fruit mix drink, sold in little cups
--Big in Japan bar on St Laurent for the Jamaican mule after going to Patata Patati for poutine or a slider
--McGill Music school free concerts
--Chai Tea Lounge on Parc for the raspberry scones and poppy flower extract macarons [called coquelicot in French, a rather unique thing to the culture]
--Wilensky for their famous sandwich and homemade cherry cola
--To see churches like Notre Dame, Mary Queen of the World, St John the Baptist, St Michael's Polish Byzantine church
--Go to the museum by the water for changing exhibitions on ancient world artifacts and the see the Paul Peel painting in the Museum of Fine Arts while you look through which exhibits are on currently
--Mamie Clafoutis by MetroSherbrooke for its apricotine, Breton canelé, pistachio-choc croissant and clafoutis
--Going through the vintage stuff at Eva B
--Getting an almond cookie in Chinatown, looking at the Kawaii store and the Chinese clothes/tea set/statue stores, getting a watermelon bubble tea, going to the new fancy Chinese pastry place for coconut-filled 'melon pan' buns, seeing the downstairs fish tanks and great little altar at the fish store
--Looking at the many Asian statue/decor stores in Old Montreal
--Getting a rosemary bagel at St Viateur Bagels
--Get cucumber sandwiches and a scone at Salon Cardinal Tea Room