Monday Inspiration: Lilias Torrance Newton

Lilias Torrance Newton, Two Little Sisters, 1920 (source)

Lilias Torrance Newton, Elise Kingman, 1930 (source)

Okay- sorry for the week off- we had a heck of a week here- and now are starting this one off with a big round of winter cold virus, I think the worst of it is over now- but there it is- a couple of nights sleeping sitting upright because the baby can't breath properly lying down, and can't nurse and so that means a lot of rocking- plus the already barnacle like behavior of the 1.5 yr old is amplified by feeling crappy, add in the crazy cold temperature outside, and it's enough to drive you bonkers, or into moving to Hawaii. Anyhow On with today's Artist- Lilias Torrance Newton was one of Canada's Premier Portrait painters- her work is phenomenal- rough but so accurate, painterly but still capturing the essence of the sitter- just plain lovely to boot- who wouldn't love one of these hanging on their wall? 

She was very prolific, another member of the Beaver Hall group, and highly esteemed within her lifetime, she painted the Queen, and she painted soldiers during the second world war (it says in her bio at the national gallery that she was an 'Honourary war artist'- which makes me wonder why the honourary?- also I could not find any images of her war work on line). She was basically a dynamo of Canadian Painting- She painted over 300 portraits during her lifetime and she lived a good long while (she died in 1980). 

I was starting to get a little annoyed that one could go through four years of university education in Canada and not actually have heard of her- but then I realized that during my education-unless it was Aboriginal art- we didn't hear of any Canadian Artists, period, maybe someone briefly mentioned the group of seven, but I do mean in passing, and very briefly. I wonder why- but also it gives the chance to remedy it now- so I think I will consciously try to use Canadian artists for my Monday inspirations this year- try to educate myself a little on what went on in this 'Wilderness'. 

(a little hint- if you click on (source) in any of the image captions it will take you to the original place of the image on line- and usually to a lot more info about the artist)

This Moment

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.- Amanda Blake soule

Joining in with Soulemama

Ways we're enjoying winter...

:: Tiny strawberry feet, on tiptoe, no less.
:: Science experiments for pre-schoolers- (from here and here)
:: Playing outside. Briefly, before the windchill warnings start up again.
:: Feeding the birds, there is something so soothing about just sitting out there watching them flit around.
:: Snuggling on the couch, listening to the new words blossoming "Get down", "Noooo" (said oh so sweetly...), "Birdie", "Ball", "Nose", "Mouth", "Eyes", "Hi", "Bye"(said after someone leaves, or after we hang up the phone, of course)
:: More science experiments- this time bending candy canes (which was an excuse to eat candy canes...)
:: Chocolate Croissants, that were devoured in no time, leaving only sticky faces...
::Sour Cream Brownies, and the (almost) empty sour cream container as a treat, my kids eat Butter and Sour Cream like some kids eat candy, is that odd do you think?

Monday Inspiration: Prudence Heward

Prudence Heward, Young Girls, 1945, (source)

Prudence Heward, At the Theater, 1928, (source)

Prudence Heward, Girl in Yellow Sweater, 1936, (source) 

Prudence Heward was a member of the Beaver Hall Group, a group of modernist Canadian painters ion the 1930's. It was really uncommon for women to be considered professional artists those many (short!) years ago, regardless of their skill, or training, most women who made art (painting, pottery, sculpture) were termed 'hobbyists', while men (also regardless of education or talent) were deemed professional. The Beaver Hall group were one of the first that actually included women. What I mean by that is that women were exhibited in galleries right alongside the men of the group as their peers.

It's not as though women weren't artists back then- they still painted- it just took the exceptional one to be considered a peer of the men- Prudence Heward was exceptional- and was asked to exhibit with the Group of Seven. The thing that is so unfair about this to me is that, seemingly, if you were a man- all you had to do is pick up a brush, you might stink, but no one would call you a hobbyist. It's somewhat hard to fathom that as recent as the 1930's  this was the case, there are still women alive who were born when 'good girls' just didn't do that sort of thing- mind boggling.

Anyhow- back the actual art...I love these images- I love the expression on the women- which is almost always somber, self reflecting. I love the luminous quality of their skin, the way the whole thing just seems to radiate inner light. The way that the edges are clean and sharp- but the painting is still so 'painterly'. I also love how they are like a time capsule of their period, there is no way that those images could be deemed timeless, and I think that's a good thing, they are most certainly 'of their period' (funny that last week I talked about how Brancusi's work was so good- because it was not 'of it's period', and now Heward's work is so good because it is. No accounting for taste right?).

This Moment

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.- Amanda Blake Soule

linking up with Soulemama

In Bloom: Amaryllis

The copycat, she'll do anything she sees you do- be warned.

This big beauty is such a treat, such large blooms, and so many of them- 4 on each stalk, it's an Amaryllis "Minerva", and I highly recommend it to anyone else out there that's buying them, it's so much nicer than I thought it would be. Also don't throw them out! ( I'm assuming that people throw them out and that's why they're so cheap right before Christmas- I've thrown out a couple myself... if you buy them from proper bulb sellers they're way more expensive) just keep on watering and fertilizing until July-ish, then let it die off and start watering again in October. My other plant (amaryllis 'Red Lion') bloomed the first year then just produced leaves, then produced blooms last year- I assumed it would be a bi-annual bloomer- but it's got a flower stalk again this year- and lots of leaves and also a tiny baby plantlet starting out- so I think fertilizing regularly is the key, isn't it always?

Monday Inspiration: Brancusi

Constantin Brancusi, La Muse, 1912, (source)

Constantin Brancusi, Portait of Mlle. Pogany, 1912 (source)

Constantin Brancusi, Little French Girl (the first step [111]), 1914-18, (source)

Constantin Brancusi, Bird in Space, 1932-40 (source)

Okay I'm going to give a go at Monday inspiration again, turn this blog back into more than once a week postings if I can summon the courage to go against the tide of tiny people wanting me to play all the time (while I arranged these images I was served up a litany from N- "ooh, it's so frustrating when my kids don't listen to me" I was supposed to be playing house with her- putting my baby brother 'Duke' (aka baby A) to bed, unsurprisingly N was annoyed that both her 'children' weren't listening to her, I know how she feels...).

Where was I? oh Brancusi, Right. well. I have not always loved Brancusi's work, in school I thought it too reductionist and minimal, but now I love it- the lines! so flowing and perfect, space aged, but in 1912! It's a good example of work that needs to be appreciated within it's historical context. I put up this post because I thought the smooth flowing brass lines are really appropriate to winter somehow, but while I was looking through the works, I fell for his women. They are so charming, there's something about them that allows the imagination to follow. The lines are so simple- but so perfect in how they capture a moment, it is beyond me how a twist of oak can perfectly encapsulate a toddler's wide gait during her first steps, but it does, somehow.

(Now I've been told by N that "it's midnight, and she can't understand how I'm not doing what she's asking me to do", better go before I get a time out, cheers)