fine art Archives - Page 4 of 8

January 30, 2013 In appreciation, art, black and white, craftsmanship, design, fine art, illustration, inspiration, photography, presentation, skill By Patricia Saxton

In Praise of Black and White: Part IV

It’s a black and white world tonight ~ snow is falling against the dark night sky, which seems to take an edge off the bitter of winter’s cold ~ and I’m reminded how every year at this same time I feel this same compulsion to post some great black & white pieces. (It’s starting to feel a little spooky, how this happens, on cue, every January.) Whatever the reason for the timing, I adore black and white; always have. From my life-long love affair with the #2 pencil, to the magnificent drama of a fine black & white photograph, I’ve been captivated by the beauty and emotional breadth that can be so singularly captured without a spot of color. There’s character and grace and strength and guts and mood that seeps into your skin. I’ve written at length about these moods in the past, so will spare you the repetition and get on with the show!

“Oak Tree, Sunset City” / Ansel Adams

Photo by Hegel Jorge

Tattoo

Marilyn

Tea Wisdom / Patricia Saxton

Artist: Jose Ernesto Rodriguez

Boneshaker Zinfandel / Hahn Family Wines

Gia Photography

Lovely

Stair Design at Musee Robert Tatin

Land and Sea Clothing Co.

Eagle / @Patricia Saxton

Black & White Mimi Shoe

Zentangle

Book Cover

J.D. Label

Photo by David Mar Quinto

Photo by Hengki Koentjoro

“Ray” Movie Poster

Vulture / David Lloyd

January 25, 2013 In appreciation, art, branding, creativity, design, fine art, graphic design, illustration, imagination, inspiration, peace, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

52 Weeks of Peace [squared]: Week #82

“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

January 21, 2013 In art, fine art, history, inspiration, intelligence, leadership, life and the universe, painting By Patricia Saxton

Thank you, Dr. King.

@ 1964, Norman Rockwell, “The Problem We All Live With”

Thank you for sharing your dream, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For fighting the good fight. For lifting up the eyes, hearts and minds of millions with hope, peace, perseverance and integrity.

And Norman Rockwell, thank you for your brilliance.

December 30, 2012 In appreciation, art, branding, creativity, design, fine art, graphic design, illustration, imagination, inspiration, peace, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

52 Weeks of Peace [squared]: Week #81 / Dreaming Peace in 2013

saxton_peace_dreaming2

What are your dreams? What do you really yearn for? What makes your heart smile, your toes tingle, your eyes sparkle, just imagining it were real? What thoughts bring light to your spirit and peace to your mind?

It starts with a single, shiny thought. Maybe just the whisper of an idea; maybe a booming revelation ~ maybe you overhear something on a crowded bus that sparks you to action, maybe it’s a piece of music, a taste of something delicious; maybe it’s a child’s tears or the launch of a rocket; maybe it’s the grace of a winding river or the steady power of a mountain or the freedom of a bird in flight; maybe it’s a flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk. Who knows where the stuff of dreams comes from, but we all have them. Sometimes I think our job is to find the key, unlock the door and venture out towards a path we’ve always known we belonged on but didn’t know was there ~ or didn’t recognize through the bramble of life’s distractions ~ or, yes, even, with a million variations of reasoning, talked ourselves away from.

So maybe this is the year we listen more, with eyes and hearts more open; maybe this is the year we hear the rumblings in our soul with renewed anticipation, renewed interest, renewed commitment to step closer to that stuff of our dreams.

Wishing us all the brightest of dreams, the courage to honor them, and much love, laughter, health, harmony and happiness along the way. Bring it on.

November 25, 2012 In art, books, children's books, craftsmanship, drawing, fine art, illustration, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

Dragon Moods

“Come not between the dragon and his wrath.”
~ William Shakespeare, King Lear

I’ve been stealing some time here and there to work on my Book of Dragons, so thought I’d share a couple more glimpses. Funny thing about these, I find myself feeling attached, as if they were real…. but then again, maybe they are ~ just out of sight, across and through the veil that separates worlds… : )

October 21, 2012 In art, craftsmanship, creativity, design, drawing, fine art, painting By Patricia Saxton

Creative Duet: The Prolific William Morris

Perhaps the grand lord of the decorative arts, one could think of William Morris as the craftsman’s craftsman. His uncompromising belief that the best things in life were hand-made using natural materials combined with his exquisite drawing and watercolor skills to produce a vast collection of wallpaper and fabric design still widely used today.

Early on he was dedicated to creating beautiful, hand-crafted furnishings, which led to fabric printing and then to excelling in the arts of carving, dying, embroidery, stained glass and weaving. A prolific individual, to be sure.

But ~ yes ~ there was more to this inspired man than textile design. Throughout his life he wrote and published poetry, fiction, and translations of ancient and medieval texts. As author, illustrator and medievalist, he helped establish the fantasy genre, and was a direct influence on authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien.

Morris was born into a well-to-do family on March 24, 1834 in Essex, England, educated at Exeter College in Oxford, and was married to Jane Burden until his death in October, 1896.

September 23, 2012 In art, drawing, fine art, illustration, painting By Patricia Saxton

Two Autumns

Two styles. Two quotes. Two Autumns.

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf’s a flower.” ~ Albert Camus

•

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” ~ Stanley Horowitz

September 9, 2012 In art, color, creativity, fine art, life and the universe, painting, travel, work and play By Patricia Saxton

Getting What You Ask For

Unplugged is when you decide to stay away from all work and computer / electronic connection.

Very unplugged is when Mother Nature steps in to be sure you fulfill that intention. Something along the lines of a rainstorm. Drenching your laptop. Unrecoverable. Which is what happened to mine on my “unplugged” trip ~ just so there was no cheating, even if I’d wanted to.

The bad news, of course, was having to get a new laptop sooner than I’d hoped. The good news ~ it was a liberating 7 days. I highly recommend it. Just one caveat: be careful what you ask for. The universe just might give your request an unexpected boost!

In any event, thought I’d share a small taste of what I did instead of checking emails and monitoring facebook pages… (Thank you rainstorm?)

July 14, 2012 In art, color, creativity, fine art, imagination, painting By Patricia Saxton

Abstracts

“I’ve been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it.” ~ Steven Wright

That quote cracked me up, as my canvasses are pretty much screaming at me! But it also inspired me to share some abstracts ~ not my “typical” style, but there’s “something about them”. Maybe just their free spirit? Ah, but I’m not one for analyzing my paintings, so here goes, just because.

May 1, 2012 In art, books, branding, communication, creativity, design, drawing, fine art, illustration, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

May!

Here’s to May ~ my favorite month of the year. So with a re-posting of 52 Weeks of Peace / Week #35, I lift a virtual glass and say… here’s to springtime! Here’s to new dawns, to growth and rebirth, to bright fertile dreams and the sprouting of fresh possibilities…