Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter... a time to slow down and muse a bit... or get hands-on maybe?


Easter for me has often been a quiet time in recent years... by choice ... with many away for a five day break the world seems to become very peaceful! In the southern hemisphere days are growing shorter ... so its autumn and, depending where you live, the time to pack away summer things! Not so much in Queensland though!

In fact ...we're off to the beach in the hope of a little sunshine and swimming... and beach walks. Missed out over our summer of the "Big Long Wet" but maybe this break we'll get to see the waves!

I recently bought a camera so my task this weekend is to get used to using it and downloading images on my  return. Also ... finding the box and manual it came with... these past few weeks have been flat out! One doesn't realise quite how much you can come to depend on grabbing the camera and downloading an image till a hiccup like this... spontaneity goes right out the window and blogging images of late have been "found".

However they've been wonderful images Ive been finding! Just miss having that camera for another set of eyes ... that's the thing... to capture passing moments ... noticing things for later.

So... what to say about Easter....

love the life death-life-thing... the ancient pagan festival to spring.... but we southern-hemispherists (OK ... you know what I mean!) dont have the symbolism of new life coming through... so the death part of the cycle is more evident here.

Australia is made up of so many different cultural groups so Easter to many simply means not working, shops closed and perhaps a break somewhere.... hard to say how its perceived beyond the chocolate buying.


I'm really drawn to this ovoid form below... Anish Kapoor... it's my symbolic gesture to Easter this year!  The other images are finds from tumblr that I just posted at Seed Capsules if you wish to go see all of them there - or visit the archive  perhaps!




illillill:

Anish Kapoor’s Minimal Maximus
Anish Kapoor’s Minimal Maximus


For some reason I have adored getting stuck into painting at Easter over the years ... I guess the spaciousness ... life slowing down for a few days...

If you need inspiration for getting hands on at Easter then this might be the image for you! I was stopped in my tracks... loved this!



therhumboogie:

Human spirography, Tony Orrico makes these stunning drawings for 4 hours sometimes to make one large piece. I think they are just an amazingly beautiful feat of patience. 
therhumboogie: Human spirography, Tony Orrico makes these stunning drawings for 4 hours sometimes to make one large piece. I think they are just an amazingly beautiful feat of patience. 
in a somewhat similar vein....




ordovicianfauna:

Fingerings by Judith Braun
ordovicianfauna: Fingerings by Judith Braun
well... hands on ...feet on... etc...


ordovicianfauna:

Drawing Machine #1 by Joseph L. Griffiths is nothing without some human interaction.
ordovicianfauna: Drawing Machine #1 by Joseph L. Griffiths is nothing without some human interaction.
If you do a spot of gardening... and the inspiration strikes....


nadyawasylko:

100 shovels arranged in a radiating circle on a brick wall at Pratt. The sculpture is by Donald Lipski, “a protean surrealist who uses common materials and other objects [and] gives them new meaning…deconstructing our usual connection with the objects.”
nadyawasylko:100 shovels arranged in a radiating circle on a brick wall at Pratt. The sculpture is by Donald Lipski, “a protean surrealist who uses common materials and other objects [and] gives them new meaning…deconstructing our usual connection with the objects.”

And maybe you have a few repairs to do and that leads off on a tangent... 
magnificentruin:

Günther UeckerZum Schweigen der Schrift 1994
magnificentruinGünther Uecker Zum Schweigen der Schrift 1994


well I seem to have found things to share with you that require an element of every hands on making...

morganlevine:

More string art (by Ella Robinson)…the next big thing.
morganlevine: More string art (by Ella Robinson)…the next big thing.


perhaps you'll get into the kitchen and bake... mmm... that s good thought! I'll bring the teapot if you do!

But if you do get out the paints I wonder what you'll work on...
                                                                                               this is intriguing...



pootee:

¥ª₰ ¥∀₰ §฿₣∑₦₭$
I'll leave you with this colour chart for natural dyes in case you are inspired when Im off at the beach reading a book!

found at mirror-mirror blog - the blogger is not a big
Martha fan...but did go for these eggs using natural dyes.

well I guess its happy easter from ....

you know who...
and Happy Celebrations and/or relaxing etc from moi!


And before I go... here's a thought with some gravity,
 from Rumi:

Be with those who help your being.
Don’t sit with indifferent people, whose breath
comes cold out of their mouths.


20 comments:

annamaria potamiti said...

Fantastic images- thank you for posting them- such fun!- and the final one of 'you know who'- you made me laugh- have a lovely Easter then -whatever way you chose to spend it - I am working on Easter Day at a co-op gallery I am involved in- we take turns to sit at the space-I will probably have my nine year old daughter with me- so the two of us will have fun together- maybe grab a treat for lunch-anyway, Happy Easter!!XX

William Cook said...

Hi Sophie--This is one of the best posts I've ever seen. I was naturally attracted to the guy scribbling. i have a lot of work like that. And the symmetrical stuff is delicious. I roared out loud when I saw the blue canvas and the newspaper installation. Unbelievable. I've just started Rumi--got it as a gift two years ago. Very impressed. And of course there's the ubiquitous Ms. S. Fantastic post. Best regards.

Wm

Mlle Paradis said...

can't wait to see what comes out of your studio after the easter hols! love the anish kapoor egg. fascinating artist.

Anonymous said...

Sophie,
One word Swoon! The Anish Kapoor Ovoid is to DIE FOR. And then on to the tony Orrico! Wonderful.

As a self centered Northern Hemispherite, I hadn't connected the dots on how you folks below are thinking more about the death aspect. We are in full on new life and are hungry for more. Fall can be very inspiring in an internal sort of way.

Thank you for yet another inspiring post. Enjoy the holiday. In the US, this is a one day affair, and then business as usual. Sigh....
xo

Sophie Munns said...

Hello there my lovely visitors...
toodled of to bed a few hours ago and at some point realised I wasn't sleeping... bit of late night angst.... got up to wander about and saw I had mail...
oooh! lovely mail! Late night angst gone now.. thanks all!

Annamaria....
tonight I found your watercolour "a river runs through me" and reblogged it on tumblr ... to die for... just wanted to swim in the lushness of it! Have a lovely Easter day with your daughter and hope people snaffle up your work and the day is lots of fun! Il be over to see more of your beauties A.M. Thanks you for your words!
S


William...
nice to meet you... welcome to this impossibly eclectic world of my visual interests (for starters) where I sometimes get around to posting my own work... (well there's signposts to other places where my work lives!) Thanks for your kind words...very cheering!
That guy scribbling is a good one hey... I had a sneak peak at your blog and ...yes...you scribble terribly well I must say... found some very blogworthy things... e.g. the drawings that went with the text on stuff like string theory... yes please!
Rumi I reckon offers a universe of thought ....one can climb in and visit many rooms ...will pop over and say hello!
S

MP.... do you know a good declutterer?
My studio is shrinking ... finding its hard to work out where to do the painting... i did some large ones... now thinking miniatures...and paper.
That short break is certainly offering a tonic for this cabin fever. Haven't even left and already feel better... know that feeling?
A K's work is a stand out for sure... see ya!
S

Mary,
Swoon is good... yes... Kapoor .... and Orrico! Glad you liked!
Below the equator is quite a different world ... all those daffodils and chicks breaking out of eggs never rang true!
When I lived closer to the south pole (Melbourne) that whole autumn/things dying off scenario was enough to make you a bit melancholy around Easter ...Christ on the cross made more sense in a way than those fluffy chicks!
I read tonight that in Norway they have a festival of crime fiction and film over Easter ... so there you go... !
Too bad you dont get the 4 or 5 day break too... the states being religious .... curious that!
hope things are going along nicely since your southern break!
S

ronnie said...

hope you have a delightful easter sophie...... isn't tumblr a funny thing? I'm always and never surprised by what attracts people - and that certain things go viral in there!- as an arteest I'm pondering the possibilities and ramifications of artyworks blogged and reblogged in the tumblr environment...I haven't come to any resolution about it personally yet but I'll keep fiddling away and see what comes of my play....

Sophie Munns said...

and a most pleasant Easter to you to Ronnie!

I agree about Tumblr being a most curious vehicle... most players very careful to attribute... but sometimes acknowledgements get lopped off, by mistake or otherwise.
I add the artist's name when reblogging if I know it.
It is, to some extent, pretty random... when reblogging images that had few notes... perhaps the tumblr site itself was not getting much traffic ... just sending out images in a new context meant the images got picked up.... even went a bit viral!
The science of that is hard to work out...I guess its a case of expect the unexpected.
... it opens out the notion of being in the blogosphere.... potential for finding some magic, excellent sites and complex material too... despite the brevity!
Wonder what we'll be thinking say 12 months form now Ronnie!
enjoy the days...blue skies here so far!
S

Sharmon Davidson said...

Sophie- You've found some wonderfully intriguing art here! I don't Tumbl but maybe I should...

Sophie Munns said...

Sharmon,
good to hear your thoughts... tumblr can be a good side thing to the blog... i find I put content from one on to the other now and tumblr archives images and material you want to save very conveniently.
Thats a big plus!!!
Maybe its not for everyone...but as Ronnie said...its an adventure and you get on it and see.
S

Janis said...

Fingerings!!! Like feathers or a school of tiny fish! I am enchanted... xo

Sophie Munns said...

yes...yes... thats it janis... delighted you came by
S x

Missouri Bend Paper Works said...

So many wonderful works here....thanks so much for the much needed inspiration! Enjoy the weekend!
--Patti

Sophie Munns said...

Thanks Patti ...
always good to come across something that really speaks to one... glad you enjoyed!
Have a lovely weekend!
S

Maggie Neale said...

Sophie, you make a delightful collection here for viewing. I love the oval basket. I am fond of ovals, eggs, spring flowers and chocolate, but yes, death also, so there can be rebirth. The face down body drawings are incredible to be exposed to...thanks always. Happy Easter break.

nathalie et cetera said...

fantastic post again! thank you for making me discover Tony Orrico's incredible work and rediscover Judith Brown!
have a great weekend!

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Maggie,
Just back from a lovely time up the coast... didn't over-do the chocolate egg eating ... they are pretty tempting though!
thanks for your lovely message ... happy Easter to you too!

Hi Nathalie,
Glad you enjoyed these works...thanks ...it was a great weekend! Ready for another get away before too long!Ill be over to see what you've been up to soon!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sophie,
Hope you had a wonderful long-weekend away and lots of fun experimenting with your new camera!
I thoroughly enjoyed the images in this post (you always find such great images!), and particularly liked the shovel circle (and of course AK's Minimal Maximus... his work is almost always utterly intriguing!). Thanks!

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Suzanne,
glad you found something to inspire you... tumblr helps me track and keep images for later...
It was a delightful weekend thank you... even tried taking photos as I rode my bike through the bush. Decided that was too tricky so backed off that idea... will be interesting to see if my modest little camera produced anything of note... still haven't read the manual mind you - so its all a bit random for me with the camera!
Cheerio,
S

Sanne said...

what a great post!!! I love this!

Sophie Munns said...

hello Sanne... Easter seems so long ago now... thanks for popping in!
S