The Pieta

Michelangelo carved 'The Pieta' when he was just 24 years old, and it is the only piece of sculpture he ever signed. The sheer beauty of its lines and expression leaves a lasting impression on everyone. Hopefully, one day, I too, will see this masterpiece in person!

With this magnificent sculpture, Michelangelo has given us a highly spiritual view of human suffering. Artists before and after Michelangelo always depicted, his mother, Mary, with the dead Jesus in her arms as grief stricken, almost on the verge of desperation. (And really, who can blame her, or the artists, for depicting Mary in such a state after what she just witnessed).  Michelangelo, on the other hand, created a highly supernatural feel.

As Mary holds her sons' lifeless body on her lap, her face glows with sweetness, serenity and majestic acceptance of immense sorrow, combined with her faith in the Redeemer. It seems almost as if Jesus is about to reawaken from a tranquil sleep, and that after so much excruciating suffering, the rose of resurrection is about to bloom!

Happy Easter to All who celebrate!

Happy Passover!

Jewish Family at the Seder table

The youngest child asking the 4 questions, starting with, 'Why is this night different from all other nights?', as the Father  eats in a reclining position.

 The Haggadah (Hebrew, meaning, 'the telling'), the great book of freedom, tells the story of the Exodus of the ancient Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. One of Judaism's most popular works of literature, it has been used during the Seder meal of the holiday of Passover, or Pesach, for over 1000 years!

Jewish artists first began illustrating the Haggadah during the Middle Ages. The Sarajevo Haggadah of the 14th Century is a well known example. A vibrant tradition still observed today.

One of the most beautiful and moving of all illustrated Haggodot is the beloved Haggadah of Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Drawn and first published during the rise of Hitler, the Szyk Haggadah is a triumphant and enduring work of hope and courage, the supreme expression of one artists love for his people and his heritage.

To my Family and Friends, a sweet sweet Passover for All!!!
'Next year in Jerusalem'

Spring!!!!

 Ranunculus

'It is said that springs of sweet, fresh water pool up amid the saltiness of the oceans, that the fairest Alpine flowers bloom in the wildest most rugged mountain passes, and that the most magnificent psalms arose from the most profound agonies of the soul.

May it continue to be!'

Streams in the Desert, March 20

The promise of Spring....

Morning Skies...

I am not usually up w/ the sun. Not a 'morning person'. I am certain that I have missed some breathtaking, jaw dropping gorgeous sunrises, however, the mornings here, yet and still, remain quite beautiful. As the skies are photo worthy on many days at every turn, at every glance, I find I need to pick and choose, or I would not get anything done, except take pics of the ever changing sky. These few pics are from this past week alone...in the morning!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Wordless Wednesday

 Van Gogh’s Starry Night detail

Van Gogh painted Starry Night while in an Asylum at Saint-Remy in 1889

Impressions...

 Bird impression on window...

 Clear in the afternoon sun

 Looks like an owl!!

 Using the sky as a backdrop..

It was a couple of weeks ago. I heard the thud. Even w/out ever having heard this sound (other than in the movies or on TV), I knew exactly what it was. A bird had flown into, or was blown into one of the large windows of the house. I completely forgot about it until yesterday. The sun is now higher in the sky w/ Spring on the horizon, and we are getting direct sunlight around 3:30-4:30ish. Great beams of sunshine! Edward noticed it. That bird who had made such a familiar sound, even though I never heard it 'for real', left his/her mark in great detail on the window he/she slammed into. The afternoon light picked it up, clear as a bell. Edward said that there was a technical term for the 'impression', called 'volumetric lighting'. Volumetric lighting is a technique used in 3D computer graphics to add lighting effects to a rendered scene. It allows the viewer to see beams of light shining through the environment; seeing sunbeams streaming through an open window is an example of volumetric lighting, also known as crepuscular rays. The term seems to have been introduced from cinematography and is now widely applied to 3D modelling and rendering. However, in this case, the beams of light are for real, as is the bird....we hope that the bird is okay after leaving such an impression!

The bottom pic is from this AM, as weather has been so much of everybody's discussion. We are expecting a snow storm tomorrow, hence, the clouds today.