PLAY LIKE A PRO!

21 STEPS TO YOUR MOST CREATIVE SELF

This is the 8th installment in my series 21 Steps To Your Most Creative Self.

Today most of us are focused on work and commitments. In our culture, playing is often thought as wasting time – it is often looked down on as there are no real goals (except to have fun!) Play is a time to forget about work and all those pesky commitments. It can be a time to be social without structure and be creative at the same time. When we play, there is no goal in mind, except to have fun.

What is play?  It has been defined as taking part in an in activity for enjoyment and recreation instead of for a practical purpose.

There are many benefits to play. It:

Relieves stress – play often triggers endorphins which gives one the sense of well-being.

Stimulates your mind – people tend to learn better than they are having fun and when they are relaxed.

Improves learning skills – playing chess or putting together puzzles are things that challenge the brain and will improve memory.

Keeps you young

Teaches children social skills and cooperation with others – something adults can learn too.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

I believe a little bit of play will go a long way – but what can we do for play?

Most of us don’t have access to a trampoline bridge.

Most of us don’t work in offices that have slides.

But, most of us have access to a playground. When was the last time you played on a swing?

Other things to do:

Learn a card trick

Have a game night with friends

Go bowling

Play miniature golf

Play with a dog – if you don’t have one, many rescue groups need dog walkers. While you are at it – have a conversation with the dog.  

Find a child to play with – play a “pretend” game – remember those? Or play Follow the Leader or Hide and Seek (I play Hide and Seek with my dogs!)

Put on music and dance

Put together a puzzle

I may never finish this - but I haven't given up!

I may never finish this – but I haven’t given up!

       Make a collage

p5 copy

       Get a coloring book

Coloring was easier as a child I discovered. I need to loosen up!

Coloring was easier as a child I discovered. I need to loosen up!

Research shows play helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Playing a musical instrument or playing checkers is helpful.

Who doesn’t play? Mass murderers – studies have shown. 

Playing helps us relax, it takes us away from the “real” world. Through playing, we can be anything, an explorer, a rule, a time traveler – the list goes on. It helps remove the limits to what we believe is possible.

What do you do for play?  I’d like to know!

Closing thoughts:

“Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent and independent with a tremendous amount of adventure and a love of play.” Henri Matisse

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The true object of all human life is play.” G.K. Chesterton

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by intellect but by the play instinct.” Carl Jung

“Almost all creativity involves purposeful play.” Abraham Maslow

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” C.S. Lewis (which I recently did rereading Alice in Wonderland and Aesop’s Fables)

 

 

 

NOVEMBER BOOKS

HISTORICAL FICTION, A BIOGRAPHY, A FAIRY TALE – OH MY!

Yes, November was an interesting month of reading.

MADAME PICASSO by Anne Girard:  Beginning1911, it is set in that wonderful time in Paris that is so much fun to read about. A fictional historical novel, it tells the story of Eva Gouel, one of Picasso’s first loves.  A seamstress at the famous Moulin Rouge she spots him in the audience and later meets him backstage. Names like Matisse, Gertrude Stein, Apollinaire, George Braque, Maurice Chevalier to name a few appear. Even the sinking of the Titanic makes an appearance. Eva Gouel is fairly hard to find in the history books, but she did exist. Picasso describes some of his art himself which was nice to read. It is a well-researched novel set in a wonderful time to read about.

IF YOU LIVED HERE, I’D KNOW YOUR NAME, NEWS FROM SMALL TOWN ALASKA  by Heather Lende: I’m on a quest! I’m reading a book by an author from every state in the nation (you can read my declaration here). This is my selection from Alaska with a separate blog to come. I will say I enjoyed this book and the inhabitants of Haynes, Alaska. Heather is a frequent contributor for NPR’s Morning Edition.

TINSELTOWN – MURDER, MORPHINE AND MADNESS AT THE DAWN OF HOLLYWOOD by William J. Mann: The basis for this book is the murder of William Desmond Taylor, then the president of the Motion Pictures Directors Association, in his own home. It is billed as “The Day of The Locust”  meets “Midnight in the Garden of the Good and Evil” and “The Devil in the White City”.  The books says the crime has never been solved, but other books have been written devoted to this topic. It starts off fast, but it gets bogged down in the middle. As it goes into the history of 1920’s Hollywood, the rivalry between Adolph Zukor and Marcus Loew is investigated, as is the lack of morality, Christian vigilantes, anti-trust violations, and of course, sex and drugs. There is ALOT of information but the murder somehow gets lost along the way. It left me wanting to read The Day of the Locust about the people that lived on the fringes of Hollywood.

STATE OF WONDER by Ann Patchett: I am a fan of Ann Patchett, so I was excited to find this book. But – it gets downright wierd as it follows Dr. Marina Singh into the Amazon to investigate the death of an employee of a pharmaceutical company and also to investigate the progess of a drug that is being researched. This part was interesting, but when she gets to a village deep in the Amazon, she finds there is research being done on women that bear children well past menopause.  I found most of the characters flat, almost unlikeable. When the women go into the jungle to chew on the bark on trunks of trees, I found it unbelievable. Then, there was an ending that left a lot to be desired.

THE WISHING SPELL (#1 The Land of Stories) by Chris Colfer: This book is about twins Alex and Connor as they journey to a fairy tale land through an ancient book of stories. Here they meet all the characters they read about growing up, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are all queens of different kingdoms, married to the “Charming” brothers. Goldilocks is a wanted fugitive, the evil queen who poisoned Snow White has escaped prison and the son of The Big Bad Wolf is intent on revenge. The twins want to go home and they begin a scavenger hunt taking them through the kingdom. It was great fun! The author is an actor on Glee!

THEN AGAIN by Diane Keaton: This is as much about Diane Keaton’s mother as it is about her.  Her mother kept about 85 journals over the course of her life and much of this book is Diane sorting through these and learning more about her mother.  Her life seems to be mentioned in passing, she’s in a play with Woody Allen and then she has broken up with him. She has a childhood crush on Warren Beatty – and then they are together. She makes The Godfather with Al Pacino and years later they are a couple, then not, and then they are, and then not. It is an enjoyable book. My favorite section was her hanging out with Larry McMurtry – I wish she would explore this more in depth at a later time.

ONE DOG AND HIS BOY by Eva Ibbotson: I am writing a series of blogs regarding Women in Art, and Eva Ibbotson was my choice for the letter “I”. I had never heard of her – and I’m so glad I found her while researching women artists that start with the letter “I”.  You can read that blog here. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any 8-13 year old that loves dogs. It was described as Lassie meet Roald Dahl – and that’s not too far off. Basically it is about a boy and a dog that belong together, his parents who think they can buy him anything to make him happy – anything but a dog, and the journey the boy and the dog make to be together (which includes a trip the circus, an orphanage and a monastery).

That’s it for November! Happy Reading!

 

 

 

 

IT WAS NEVER TOO LATE FOR EVA IBBOTSON

Eva_Ibbotson

WOMEN IN ART

Eva Ibbotson (born Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner) published her first English language novel at age 50.  Known for her children’s books, she was an Austrian-born British novelist. This is my 9th installment in the Women in Art Series.

Born in Vienna in 1925, her father was a doctor who is credited with pioneering human fertility treatment (and probably used his own sperm). Her mother was a novelist and playwright who worked with Bertolt Brecht. When her parents separated in 1928, her father became a professor in Edinburgh while her mother hightailed it to Berlin. For Eva, it was a

“very cosmopolitan, sophisticated and quite interesting, but also very unhappy childhood, always on some train and wishing to have a home.”

Her mother’s writing career stopped when Hitler banned her work – and relocated her and Eva to London in 1934, avoiding the worst of the Nazi’s.

Eva initially thought she’d like to be a physiologist like her father, but she couldn’t commit to spending a life doing experiments on animals. While studying at Cambridge, she met her future husband, Alan Ibbotson, a university professor and entomologist.  They had three sons and a daughter and that was the end of her scientific career. She was briefly a teacher and began her writing career in the 1960’s.

Her first English language book was The Great Ghost Rescue published in 1975. Her books are known to be imaginative and often humorous. She wrote about magical places,  even though she disliked the supernatural –  she wanted to dispel that fear in her readers.  She said she disliked “financial greed and a lust for power”, which is another theme in her books. 

Interestingly, one of her books, The Secret of Platform 13 has been compared to the Harry Potter books – both platforms are located at King’s Cross Station!  But, as far as plagarism or copying goes, Ibbotson stated of J.K. Rowling

“I would like to shake her by the hand. I think we all borrow from each others as writers.”

To properly research this article, I chose to read the book One Dog and his Boy.  Interestingly, it was her last completed book, finally a good dog book where all the animals live (but not the author, sadly). Unknown

This is the story of a boy and a dog that were meant to be together.  His materialistic wealthy parents feel they give him everything he could possibly want or need.  But, what he really wants is a dog. So, they “rent” a dog for the weekend and fool the boy. When the dog is returned to the rental agency, the boy, of course, rescues him.  This turns into an odyssey involving another girl and four additional dogs and a trip to the circus.

“Ibbotson’s final book is a story with the heart of Lassie and the satirical bite of Roald Dahl…as funny as it is satifying”  Booklist

Would I read more of her books? You betcha!  Here are some quotes from her books:

“slowly, Anna put up a hand to his muzzle and began to scratch that spot behind the ear where large dogs keep their souls.” A Countess Below the Stairs

“Loneliness has taught Harris that there was always someone who understood – it was just so often that they were dead, or in a book” A Company of Swans

“I want to live like music sounds.” The Morning Gift

“You cannot stop the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can stop them nesting in your hair.” A Countess Below the Stairs

“…adventures are good for people even when they are very young. Adventures can get into a person’s blood even if he doesn’t remember having them.” The Secret of Platform 13

I think the quotes say is all! I am thankful my research on Women in Art introduced me to Eva Ibbotson!

 

 

 

SWEET HOME ALABAMA

MY QUEST

After reading the book The Happiness of Pursuit by Happiness, Finding a Quest That Will Bring Purpose To Your Life by Chris Guillebeau, I declared my own quest. I have started a journey across the United States by reading a book by an author in every state of the union. You can read about my declaration here. Starting at the beginning of the alphabet, of course I began with Alabama with The Glass Harp by Truman Capote. I also read the essay by Mark Childress, Looking for Harper Lee.  Of course, my first choice was To Kill a Mockingbird, but I decided not to reread anything I’d read in the past 10 years! So, I chose a book by Harper Lee’s best friend.

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To start with, here are some interesting facts about our Western neighbor Alabama (i’m writing from Georgia).

The state song is Alabama

Alabama is the only state with the natural resources to make iron and steel

The mardi gras was introduced to the western world in Alabama

Huntsville is known as the rocket capital of the world

A skeleton of a pre-historic man was found in Russell Cove

In 1902, the first open heart surgery in the western world was performed in Montgomery

The word Alabama means tribal town in the Creek Indian language

The official insect is the Monarch butterfly

The pecan is the official state nut

At the Battle of Mobile Bay, Admiral Farragut issued the famous command “Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead” August 5, 1864

The Birmingham Airport opened in 1931. At this time, a flight from Birmingham to Los Angeles took 19 hours

THE GRASS HARP was published in 1951. While Capote was born in New Orleans, he spent much of his formative years in Alabama, which was the inspiration for this novella. It tells the story of an Collin Fenwick, an orphan how is living with his elderly eccentric aunts, Verena and Dolly. He is intimidated by the businesswoman Verena, but he loves the gentle Dolly. There is also their friend Catherine, who lives in a small building on the property.

Dolly and Catherine have a small business making a dropsy cure from herbs. When Verena brings home a man from Chicago to mass produce the cure, Dolly becomes rebellious and moves into a tree house at the edge of town – taking with her Collin and Catherine. Several others in the town take up temporary residence with them, including Judge Charlie Cool and Riley Henderson.

This is a charming little book, almost with a fairy tale approach. It has been said it is a tale of misfits, what makes you you, and refusing to fit in.

The book was inspired by a tree house that was built in the 1930’s in Capote’s cousin Jenny’s yard. It had a tin roof, a spiral staircase and a sofa inside. Capote spent many hours here with his cousin and his best friend Nelle Harper Lee. His cousin also made a dropsy cure, taking the recipe to her grave.

Truman Capote was a master writer. The book definitely has a sense of the South. The Atlantic Monthly wrote it

“charms you into sharing the author’s feeling that there is a special poetry – a spontaneity and wonder and delight – in lives untarnished by conformity and common sense.”

This was Capote’s personal favorite! It is lyrical and beautifully written. Here are some quotes

“Dreams are the mind of the soul and the secret truth about us.”

“What one says hardly matters, only the trust with which it is said, the sympathy  with which it is received.”

“But, ah, the energy we spend hiding from one another, afraid as we are of being identified.”

“Of all things this was the saddest, that life goes on; if one leave one’s lover, life should stop for him, and if one disappears from the world, the world should stop too, and it never did. And that was the real reason for most people getting up in the morning; not because it would matter but because if wouldn’t.”

What is a grass harp? It is the sound of the wind blowing through a field of tall grass.

The essay Looking for Harper Lee by Mark Childress was worth the time it took to read about ten pages. I believe it was originally published in Southern Living magazine.  Mark Childress has produced such modern day southern classics as Crazy in Alabama and Tender. And, he actually grew up on Monroeville, Alabama, the home of Harper Lee. He explores the mystery of Harper Lee, her importance in literature – and his quest of meeting her (he had a quest too!).  As he says:

“She wrote a book that was better than anybody else’s book, and never saw the need to publish another. I think she wanted to stay inside.”

By the way, he did meet her after the essay was published, happening upon her and her sister eating  at The Catfish House in Monroeville.

“They were sweet to me, every bit as sweet as the tea at the Catfish House. I was glad I’d waited.”

Next up – Alaska!

 

JIVING WITH JENNIFER DOWN PEACHTREE

WOMEN IN ART

Let’s take a trip through Atlanta with composer Jennifer Higdon. This is my eighth installment in my Women in Art Series.

This post is somewhat serendipitous. One of my readers suggested I include women in other genres of art, i.e. composers, authors, etc. I took it as a challenge. Coming from a musical family (my grandfather had a music store and was a piano tuner, my father rebuilt pianos), I realized I wasn’t familiar with any female composers to speak of. Wouldn’t you know – within 24 hours I tuned to NPR and heard a story about Jennifer Higdon, who has Atlanta roots.slide1-n-1

Born in Brooklyn, she spent her first 10 years in Atlanta, Georgia. Teaching herself to play flute at age 15, she didn’t start formal training until age 18 and began studying composition at the ripe old age 21. She studied at Bowling Green State University and majored in flute performance. While there she met Robert Spano, the music director for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, who was teaching conducting there at the time and has since become a champion of her compositions.

Jennifer is  a force in contemporary classical music and makes her living primarily from commissions. The Washington Post called her

“a savvy, sensitive composer with a keen ear, an innate sense of form and a generous dash of pure esprit.”

She has received commissions from The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Atlanta Symphony (see above), The Chicago Symphony, The Baltimore Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Melbourne Symphony – – – the list goes on and on! Wow – this is so impressive!

She received the Pulitizer Price in Music for her Violin Concerto, as well as awards from The Guggenheim Foundation, The American Academy of Arts and Letters (two awards), The Pew Fellowship in the Arts, the National Endowment of the Arts and ASCAP. She has been a featured composer as many festivals, including Tanglewood.

Her work is performed several hundred times a year, and her orchestral work blue cathedral has been performed over 500 times since it premiered in 2000 – making it probably  the most popular orchestral piece performed today.

Her work City Scape is based on her memories of Atlanta melded with her perceptions of Atlanta today (and it is dedicated to Robert Spano). Here are her words from the album notes:

“The first movement, “SkyLine” is the profile of Downtown, Midtown, and the Lenox Area. Over the past four decades I’ve watched the skyline change and grow, rising up distinctly into its own identifiable shape, projecting an image of boldness, strength and growth. Every city’s skyline is a fingerprint that the rest of the world recognizes at a distance; Atlanta has developed a powerful, distintively metropolitan image, recognizable around the world.”

Today, Jennifer teaches composition at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she currently resides. She is also working on her first opera based on Charles Frazier’s book Cold Mountain

Take a listen, the first is Blue Cathedral, the 2nd is an excerpt of City Scape

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAIL FAMOUSLY

21 WEEKS TO YOUR MOST CREATIVE SELF

You read that right!  Give yourself permissions to fail!  This is the 7th installment in my series 21 WEEKS TO YOUR MOST CREATIVE SELF. 

“Fail, Fail again, fail better” Samuel Beckett

“You gotta be willing to fail…if you’re afraid of failing, you won’t get very far.” Steve Jobs

People are not born with a fear of failure. Think back to the time when you were a kid. Wouldn’t you try anything?  Didn’t you wonder about how things worked? 

It has been said that failure is a requirement for creativity. Being creative means trying things by trial and error, and if it doesn’t work, you just keep trying and you keep going.

Being wrong can bring about unexpected discoveries. In the art studio – these are often referred to as “happy accidents”.  Relish the uncertainty of not knowing how things are going to turn out. Embrace wondering what will happen.

“Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time.” John Cage.

In fact, I paint in layers. One evening while cooking out, I thought I’d lay a canvas on the grill for a few seconds.  This moment propelled my art in a new direction as I began exploring the effect fire can have on paint.  See below –

thumbs_heat

So, experiment with things you have never considered using before!  Embrace the things that don’t work, use what you learned and move on to more experimentation.

vickie copy

using both fire and gunpowder

thumbs_mercury-rising-24x48

using salt and saran wrap in paint

Below are successful people that failed at first:

EINSTEIN: did not speak until he was four and could not read until he was seven. He was the only person in his graduating class that was unable to get a teaching position.

FRED ASTAIRE:  After his screen test, the casting director wrote “Can’t act, Can’t Sing. Slightly Bald, Not handsome. Can dance a little.”  He kept that note with him his entire life to remind him to never quit trying.

R.H. MACY: started seven businesses that failed before he founded Macy’s.

WALT DISNEY: Was fired by a newspaper editor who said “he lacked imagination and no good ideas.” He also started businesses that ended in bankruptcy before he found success.

THOMAS EDISON: Was fired from his first two job because he wasn’t considered productive. He also made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: went to war a captain and returned a private. He was also defeated over 20 times before he won a public office.

JERRY SEINFELD: froze the first time he was on stage and was booed off the stage.

VINCENT VAN GOGH: sold only one painting in his lifetime, and that was to a friend.

DR. SEUSS: first book was rejected by publishers 27 times.

The list goes on and on! So, don’t let that fear of failure paralyze you!

What are some of your successes that started out as mistakes?

 

 

 

 

MOVIES AS VISUAL CANDY

21 WEEKS TO YOUR MOST CREATIVE SELF

This is the 6th Installment in this series

Some of us may be sick of candy by now, now that we have just gotten through Hallowen. So, let’s look at another kind of candy. Kick back, but your feet up, and feast your eyes on some of the most visually stunning movies ever made.

Now, this list is somewhat subjective. I included only movies I have seen, so I know there are many that are missing.  Feel free to add your own movie!

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THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL – 2014.  directed by Wes Anderson.  There are many reasons I included this movie.  For one thing, you could watch it several times and still not see everything! For instance, currency was specifically designed for this movie, based on old French Francs. Each bill was handmade and hand-colored. The luggage you see was actually designed by Prada. The building is stunning, which was actually an empty department store in Germany. Much of the movie is based on two paintings, Boy with Apple and Two Lesbians Masturbating. Both paintings are fictional and were commissioned for the movie (Michael Taylor and Rich Pelligrino respectively). However, if you look closely, you will see several paintings on the wall. I counted 3 Klimts and one Egon Schiele  – I am sure I missed more!!!!

Actually, most anything Wes Anderson has directed could be included on this list. Among them Moonrise Kingdom and The Royal Tenenbaums. Oh, in case you were wondering, Rosemary’s Baby and A Clockwork Orange are favorite movies of Wes Anderson’s.

 

BIG FISH – 2003 directed by Tim Burton:  Surprisingly, Steven Spielburg was originally attached to this movie and he considered Jack Nicholson for the role of Edward Bloom. The movie was shot in Alabama in the Southern gothic style.  Tim Burton wanted to keep the digital effects to a minimum, so the Siamese Twins, Ping and Jing, were played by identifical twins that had specially designed dresses to make them appear conjoined. Mathew McGrory who played Karl the Giant was actually 7′ 6″ tall, not the 12 feet he appears in the movie.

Billy Redden plays the banjo on a porch – you first saw him at age 16 playing the banjo in Deliverance.

 

if you look real hard, you will see a childhood friend of Edward Blooms, Ruthie.  She is played by Destiny Cyrus, who later changed her name to Miley (this was her first role at age 8).

HUGO  (2011) directed by Martin Scorcese.  Interestingly, the opening shot of Paris that ends at the train station was the first shot designed and it took a year to complete – requiring 1000 computers to capture each frame! This was the first film Scorcese directed in 12 years without Leonardo DiCaprio – and it was his first PG rated film in 18 years.

Other movies I include are:

Amarcord (1973) by Federico Fellini

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) directed by Michel Gondry

Fantasia (1940) directed by Walt Disney

Brazil (1985) directed by Terry Gilliam

Days of Heaven (1978) directed by Terrence Malick

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) directed by Ang Lee

Barry Lyndon (1975)  directed by Stanley Kubrick (tough choice between this and 2001:  A Space Odyssey

Lord of the Rings series (2001-2003) directed by Peter Jackson

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) directed by  David Lean

The Story of Pi (2012) directed by Ang Lee

The Three Colors Trilogy by Krzysztof Kieslowski

and of course, Citizen Kane (1941) directed by Orson Welles.

There are so many many more, and so many I haven’t seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IS IT POSSIBLE TO READ TOO MUCH?

OCTOBER READING

 

This is my monthly blog devoted to the previous month's reading

According to GoodReads, I have read almost 14,000 pages this year – that is almost 10 days (and that is the 24 hour day, not the work day!). Is that too much? Possibly. I admit reading is a habit and I’m guilty of downloading free books on my Kindle just to pass the time with reading. So, I publicly declare – I will concentrate on reading NO MORE THAN ONE BOOK A WEEK, unless I am on vacation. I am going to be more thoughtful in my choices of books. I have to admit, in looking back at what I read in October on GoodReads, some of the books have already faded from my memory.  So – here goes.

THE GRASS HARP- by Truman Capote. This is a delightful novella. I am currently on a quest to read at least one book by an author from every state in the union. This book is my first selection for the state of Alabama – okay – I know Truman Capote was born in New Orleans, but he lived in Alabama for years and his best friend was Harper Lee. I will write more about this book when I blog about my quest. (You can read where I declared my quest HERE).

SYCAMORE ROW by John Grisham. This book takes place three years after his first novel A Time To Kill, with Jake Brigance back. This follows the trial after Seth Hubbard, dying of lung cancer, kills himself and leaves a handwritten will giving his fortune to his black maid of three years. Of course, his family contests the will. I think Grisham is in better form in a courtroom drama, so I’m very glad to see him back! He makes it fairly clear that he will return to this character in the future. The only drawback to the book, it is a little wordy.

A COLD DAY FOR MURDER by Dana Stabenow. This is the first in a series by Kate Shugak, who left the Anchorage D.A.’s office and returned to her home in North Alaska. I found this book while researchingAlaskan writers for my previously mentioned quest – so I will write more later. It was a fun and quick read, but it gets a little bogged down explaining Alaskan culture. (PS, it is free on Kindle right now)

A CRUISE TO DIE FOR by Aaron and Charlotte Elkins. This is the 2nd book in the Alix London series. Alix is trying to make her way in the artworld as an art restorer and consultant. Trouble is her father is a convicted forger himself. In this book, she gets a job as an art expert on a cruise in the Greek Islands by one of the richest men in the world. Her job is to give lectures and answer questions from prospective buyers of world class art. However, she is working for the FBI’s Art Bureau, trying to expose an art forgery scheme. This was a fun little read, not too heavy, but it does have a little art history thrown in!

WHAT THE DOG ATE by Jackie Bouchard. The first sentence is very promising:

“The vet handed Maggie Baxter a plastic specimen bag containing a pair of size tiny, lavender thong panties extracted from her dog, but they were not hers. Or rather, they were hers now since she’d just paid $734 to have Dr. Carter surgically remove them from Kona’s guts.”

This is a cute book about Maggie trying to get her life back on track after her husband leave her. Starting out as a workaholic, she is trying to balance her life and find her dream job. Along the way her brother moves in, he leaves, she hangs out with his best friend, she meets a new best friend in a yoga class, all the time trying to figure out what direction she should take her life in. As I said, it is cute, but it is also pretty predictable!

REUNION WITH DEATH by Sheila Connally. Laura joins a group of her college classmates from 40 years ago on a trip to Italy. When a professor from the school is killed by a fall down a hill everyone thinks it’s an accident. But, of course, Laura things there is more to it than an accident. I liked the fact that the women were older,  and while it is billed as a “mystery”, a large part of it is a travelogue of Northern Italy. While I enjoyed it, it was an extremely light read and I knew who the murderer was early on.

 PLAY DEAD by Leslie O’Kane. This is the first in a new series about Ally Babcock, an animal therapist in Boulder that, of course, solves crimes.  Cute but very predictable.

So – no more downloading books just to have something to read! I’m going to plan what I’m going to read and take it slowly.

Any recommendations for good winter reading?

 



 

					

				
	
								

				

									

				LET’S SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT FOR ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI
			

						
		

				

			
Artemesia Gentileschi  (1593 – 1652/53)


This is my 7th installment in my weekly Women in Art series.


Why do we need to set the record straight? Artemesia fell into obscurity after her death, even though she was one of the first female artists to paint more than the traditional portraits – she actually painted major historical and religious scenarios. The Medici family collected her work.  Michelangelo Buonnarti the Younger (the more famous Michelangelo’s nephew) helped her start her career in Florence. She was friends with Galileo. But, after her death, many of her paintings were thought to have been done by her father, Orazio Gentleschi,  from whom she received early training.


Her technical abilities were beyond reproach. The following painting was done when she was but 16 or 17 years of age.


Madonna and Child 1609
Madonna and Child 1609


 


When she was not allowed to study in the art academies of the time her father arranged for a friend of his, Agostino Tassi, to teach her. In 1612 her father brought charges of rape against Tassi that resulted in a seven month trial. During the trial it was found that Tazzi planned on murdering his wife, planned to steal some of Orazio’s painting and was having sex with his sister-in-law. Can you believe that? He was sentenced to either a year in prison or banishment – neither of which was carried out. 


After the trial, Artemisia’s father married her off and she moved to Florence. In Florence, she was the first woman accepted into the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno.


Susanna and the Elders 1610
Susanna and the Elders 1610


 


This is a painting that was attributed to her father for awhile – but it is the first known signed painting by Artemisia. The story is of a virtuous Susanna being sexually harrassed by the elders in the community. Most male painters approached this with a flirtatious and coy Susanna. But, you can see Artemisia shows her scared, upset and vulnerable. Was she our first feminist painter?


Judith Slaying Holofernes 1612-1613
Judith Slaying Holofernes 1612-1613


This painting was possibly inspired by an earlier painting by Caravaggio. But Artemisia’s depiction is must more bloodier and graphic. (see Caravaggio’s below – not nearly as bloody)


 


Caravaggio's Judith Slaying Holofernes  1598
Caravaggio’s Judith Slaying Holofernes 1598


To read the story of Judith Slaying Holofernes – click here


Judith and her Maidservant 1613-14
Judith and her Maidservant 1613-14


This is a scene after Holofernes is beheaded and they are attempting escape. One interesting thing that is very hard to see online – Judith has an ornament in her hair that is a picture of a man with a lance – was it possibly David, who decapitated Goliath? Scholars believe it is a homage to Michelangelo’s statue of David. 


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This is considered a self-portrait. In fact, alot of her paintings were self-portraits.


There is must more to know about her life – she even joined her father in London in 1638 into the court of Charles I.


For more information about her life – here are some more references:


The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland


Artemisia – movie from 1997


 


 


 

					

				
	
								

				

									

				BUTTON UP YOUR OVERCOAT
			

						
		

				

			
As the song says 




“Button up your overcoat when the wind is free, Take good care of yourself!”






Yes, take care of yourself!  This is the 5th installment in my 21 Weeks to Your Most Creative Self series.


Research shows there is a link between physical health and creativity.  In fact, health and creativity seem to feed off each other.  When you take care of your body, you are reducing stress, anxiety, and more than likely depression. And positive emotions generally increase.


Sounds like a winner to me! In 2010, The American Journal of Public Health issued a study called The Connection between Art, Healing and Public Health.  In the study, five visual arts were used with patients who had chronic illnesses.  The arts including painting, drawing, photography, pottery and textiles. Here are some of the findings describing the impact the art activities had on the patients:


    

  • Reduced depression
    • 

  • Improved well-being
    • 

  • Reduced thought of distress and negative emotions
    • 

  • Reduced stress and anxiety
    • 



Conversely, if you take better care of yourself, you have more energy, more focus, and therefore, are more creative.  What are some simple things you can do to live healthier?


    

  • SLEEP  – get enough! Research shows that REM Sleep helps the brain make new and unusual connections.  It is often called the wonder drug. A power nap has been shown to stimulate right brain activity.
    • 



 


“To dream the impossible dream, try going to sleep.” Joan Klempner


    

  • EAT WELL – enjoy your food, take your time.  Eat more plants, eat more whole foods
    • 

  • LAUGH – often
    • 

  • SMILE – a lot.
    • 

  • DRINK YOUR WATER – as much as you can manage
    • 

  • CUT BACK ON CAFFEINE
    • 

  • CUT BACK ON ALCOHOL
    • 



Create more by living well!  What would you do to live a healthier life?


“Artistic, creative people are solvent, they’re happy; just start working on your creativity and watch what it does for you.” Julia Cameron


 


Here are the some of the lyrics to the song quoted in the title ( yrics by B.G. DeSylva and Lew Brown)




Button up your overcoat

 When the wind is free

 Take good care of yourself

 You belong to me


Eat an apple every day

 Get to bed by three

 Oh, take good care of yourself

 You belong to me


Be careful crossing streets, ooh, ooh

 Cut out sweets, ooh, ooh

 Lay off meat, ooh, ooh

 You’ll get a pain and ruin your tum-tum


Wear your flannel underwear

 When you climb a tree

 Oh, take good care of yourself

 You belong to me


Button up your overcoat

 When the wind is free

 Oh, take good care of yourself

 You belong to me