Francine Van Hove

ART APPRECIATION

I'm not sure how I came across Francine Van Hove's paintings. I probably stumbled across Van Hove's work while researching  Antonio Guzman Capel or realistic oil paintings.

The Parisian contemporary painter and illustrator uses oil, pastel and charcoal in her work. And like Antonio Guzman Capel, many of her realistic paintings captures the subject in private intimate settings.

Perhaps a common characteristic in her paintings, which I personally like, is the use of mirrors and reflections, such as the one of a young girl looking at herself in a tri-fold vanity mirror titled Argus (2006).

You can see more of Van Hove's work HERE.

Le Grand Tabouret (2007)

Sources: http://www.francinevanhove.blogspot.com/; http://www.nouvellesimages.com/Francine-Van-Nieuwenhove-(Van-Hove)_id~artistes_aut~AUT002152; http://www.artistsinpastel.com/2009/12/francine-van-hove.html; http://www.artnet.com/artwork/425444539/139/francine-van-hove-le-grand-tabouret.html; http://www.francinevanhove.com/

Scorpions - Wind of Change

Music Appreciation

Ranked by VH1 as one of the Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, Scorpions, the band from Hannover, Germany, gave us the rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and power ballad "Wind of Change."

The song celebrated Glasnost, a policy that was introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev as a to reform the stagnant Soviet economy. Glasnost called for an increase in openness and transparancy in government institutions and activities. The effects of this new policy eventually brought down the Soviet Union and ended the Cold War. Remember the Berlin Wall?



Source: Wikipedia

The Contralto

Art Appreciation  

Imagine the elegance of the art deco operatic sculptures, known as "The Tenor" and "The Contralto," at the end of the reflective pool leading to the Hall of State at the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition at the Dallas Fair Grounds.

Unfortunately, the original sculptures, which were designed by Lawrence Tenney Stevens, disappeared soon after the 1936 expo--it is thought the original sculptures may have been made by plaster. Recently, David Newton recreated the sculptures that helped complete the restoration to the spectacular elegance of yesteryear.

This photo was taken on April 21, 2012 in Dallas, Texas, US, using an HTC PH44100.                 

Sources: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20091203-Esplanade-Fountain-at-Fair-Park-expected-6927.ece; http://www.dallasparks.org/FairParkNews/Spring2007/FPStory2.html

Generalizations

"All generalizations, including this one, are false." - Mark Twain

Source: "Guilt by Association," Uncle John's Heavy Duty Bathroom Reader, 2010, Pg. 102

Crazy Penguin

One of my son's art.

Shana Zimmerman

Art Appreciation

I picked up the essential guide, a publication of arists in the Santa Fe and Taos area, at the Visitor Info Center in Raton, New Mexico, and came across the Green Room VI by Shana Zimmerman.

The painting is of a young lady leaning over a counter staring out at what appears to be a window. Looking at the painting I thought of the many things she might be thinking about or what events she experienced that day.

I appreciate the use of shades and colors to express the subject's feelings.

Green Room

Source: http://www.joewadefineart.com/zimmerman.shtml; http://www.shanazimmerman.com/, http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/tag/calendar-visual-arts-local/page/10/, the essential guide: Santa Fe & Taos, 2011 - 2012, 22 Edition.

Marion Post Wilcott

Photography Appreciation

Marion Post Wilcott was known for her photography that captured poverty and deprivation during the Great Depression.

I came across this photo while searching the Commons for photos of Mark Twain. The caption for this photo reads "Boys fishing in a creek in Souther U.S.A. bayou near the school. Cajun childrne of Terrebonne, a Farm Security Administration project, Schriever, La."

When I was in school, I was taught a photo should tell a story. This could easily tell a story. Perhaps one of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.

Boys fishing in a bayou, June 1940

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Post_Wolcott; http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsac.1a34360/