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  "Girl with a Cat," Gwen John, 1918-22. John (1876-1939) was a Welsh painter who had a very individual style that defies easy categorization. There's Realism, of course, an influence of Impressionism, and maybe even some Pointillism. Her misty, hazy portraits of mostly unidentified women are usually very simple and direct, with no elaborate poses or attempts at symbolism. Usually they simply had their hands in their laps, and their hair in simple arrangements. The girl here has an...

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  Good morning Mastodonians! Warm morning, with puffy clouds and a bit humid. Last day of work before the conference (we drive to the venue on Monday, so I get to rest up). And, sigh, it's to be a rainy week next week. And we have a couple of outdoor events planned. Oh well, onward and upward, as they say. How're all my friends & followers this morning? #GOodMorning #FridayFeeling

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  Good morning Mastodonians! Sorry to miss the last couple of days, been bleary-eyed from irregular sleep. And why THAT's happening is anyone's guess. It's still hot and steamy here, but at least I have a weekend coming up. Chances to go out and meet new people...woo hoo! How're all my friends & followers this morning? #GoodMorning #FridayFeeling

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  "The White Cat," Franz Marc, 1912. Marc (1880-1916) was one of the leading figures of German Expressionism and a founder of the art journal "The Blue Rider" which ended up giving its name to the artists who followed it. Marc loved animals and the natural world, and often used them as symbols of dignity and peace in a turbulent world. Here, for instance, the cat is white, possible symbolizing purity, and rests cozily against a background of strong yellow and red, the turbule...

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  "The Great Parade," Fernand Léger, 1954. Léger (1881-1955) was a painter, sculptor, and filmmaker, first starting off in his own style of Cubism that he called "Tubism," then branching off into a more general Modernist style that many feel prefigured Pop Art. He had some interesting viewpoints, one being that in Modern art, the painting itself should be what draws attention, rather than merely the subject, an interesting viewpoint. (And it makes sense in the...

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  Musical Interlude: Another musical discovery! I really like this guy's voice and approach, and this song in particular, about raising his sons to be good men, and avoided toxic masculinity, called out to me. "Tenderhearted Boys," performed by Will Hoge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKfvMf-l1zw #MusicalInterlude #WillHoge #Americana #Music #PositiveMasculinity

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  Good morning Mastodonians! And a lovely one it is....crystal-clear sky, temps in the low 70s, like a teeny hint of autumn to make July bearable. I was amazed at how much space I have in the living room now...like, wow. Definitely furniture shopping this weekend. And curtain shopping. And rug shopping. It never ends. By my birthday it should all be together. But in the meantime, the weather here is glorious. Just glorious. How're all my friends & followers this morning? #GoodMo...

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  "Matinée in Arcachon," Pierre Bonnard, c.1930. Bonnard (1867-1947) is one of my favorites, and a part of my favorite school of art, the Nabis. The Nabis were postimpressionists who believed that art could be pleasant and decorative, incorporated into everyday life, and were big believers in intimate scenes. This is actually pretty unusual for Bonnard, as he loved doing interiors and small scenes, or paintings of his beloved wife Marthe; he's not much for landscapes....

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  Musical Interlude: Here's an old favorite from decades past, featuring one classic singer and a group that came and went in a flash. "History Repeating," performed by the Propellorheads, with Shirley Bassey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzLT6_TQmq8 #MusicalInterlude #Propellorheads #ShirleyBassey #Electronica #Music #Nostalgia #ItAllComesBack

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  Good morning Mastodonians! Another cool, clear one...well, a few puffy clouds, but still wonderfully cool and dry. And it's Friday! I have a couple of meetings and consults today over various issues with our fall conference, and then it's freedom! How're all my friends & followers this morning? #goodMorning #FridayFeeling

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  "White Flower," Georgia O'Keefe, 1929. O'Keefe (1887-1986) is an ultra-famous painter, even today. Her studies of plants from extreme close-ups are topics of debate and conversation forty years after her death. Many felt, and still feel today, that her work was an exploration of female anatomy and sexuality, but O'Keefe always vehemently denied it. Her reasoning was that by studying organic forms in extreme close-up, she reduced them to studies in colo...

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  Musical Interlude: Whenever I post art by Georgia O'Keefe, I think of this song. I don't know if I've posted this but I just HAVE to post it. I love this band, and this song is a funny little hoot. "Shake the Dew Off the Lily," performed by Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk46yhugRrE #MusicalInterlude #Saffire #UppityBluesWomen #BluesMusic #Herstory #GeorgiaOkeefe #YourBladderAndYou #FlowerFriday #Music

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  Good morning Mastodonians! A bit overcast, warmer than we've had, but not horribly so. Storms are supposed to come today. Over the weekend I spent some time with friends while hanging on the porch, and I bought some furniture....one new loveseat, and a vintage armchair, for the living room, and a cedar chest for the bedroom. Woo hoo! I love the idea of cedar chest for my quilts and blankets. Also ordered some bakeware to restock stuff that got sacrificed before the move...NordicWare, wh...

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  "The Summer Snow," Edward Burne-Jones, 1864. Burne-Jones (1833-98) was one of the great artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic schools. While enormously popular in his day (leading to him being granted a baronetcy), he was largely neglected and forgotten after his death, until he was rediscovered in the mid-20th century and now is popular again. Jane Burden (1839-1914), pictured here, came from poverty but was spotted by Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who were b...

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  Musical Interlude: Somehow this old tune came randomly into my head today. This is a Gershwin brothers song, first featured in the 1930 musical "Girl Crazy," which introduced many classic songs. This was first sung by Ethel Merman....just imagine! "Boy, What Love Has Done to Me," performed by Ella Fitzgerald. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIQVDijMI4c #MusicalInterlude #EllaFitzgerald #GreatAmericanSongbook #GershwinBrothers #GirlCrazy #EthelMerman #Jazz #...

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  Good morning Mastodonians! It's an overcast and warm morning here, with a threat of storms to come. We were supposed to get some yesterday, but it avoided me. Maybe we'll get lucky today. Another day...gotta order stuff for our upcoming conference, and provide some info to the boss for an upcoming meeting. And I need to recruit someone to help me move furniture on Saturday. How're all my friends & followers this morning? #GoodMorning #TuesdayTasks

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  "The Singer in Green," Edgar Degas, c. 1884. Degas (1834-1917) is normally grouped with the Impressionists, although he didn't identify as one and regarded himself as a Realist. One thinks he's blowing smoke here; his style is definitely Impressionist, even if he didn't paint outside as they did. His subject matter was mostly dancers and entertainers. He did start off as a meticulous naturalist, depicting his subjects and forms very realistically, but...

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  Musical Interlude: The Tres Chicas were an alt-country group of Caitlin Carey, Tonya Lamm, and the late Lynn Blakey. They recorded a pair of albums in the early 2000s that had a unique charm. I always liked alt-country; even my rather traditionalist father liked what he heard, and he thought country music had sold its soul to the devil when they allowed drums on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.... But anyway, here's a sample. "Sweetwater," performed by the Tres Chicas...

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  Good morning Mastodonians! Had a downpour last night, some flooding in other parts of town, but I'm on a hillside. I got a couple tablespoons of water in my basement but that's it. Today it's clear and cooler but still a little warm. I'm feeling sluggish...haven't been 100% for a few days. Ugh. AND...I bought a GORGEOUS chair at a vintage furniture place....was going to pick it up on Saturday....but I just got a call that there was an accident and the c...

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  "Relief Orange," Robert Delaunay, 1936. French artist Delaunay (1885-1941) invented a short-lived style of modern art he dubbed Orphism, which centered on geometric shapes, mostly circles, and strong colors. He loved experimenting with color and form, and his Orphist works, while not having much in the way of messages, were visually arresting. This one is a great example; the circles are all strongly colored, and the waves radiating from them, all overlapping and interacting,...

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  Musical Interlude: Feeling kinda blah today; think I have a mild fever. So I opt for comfort music...and this offers comfort. "Easy Living," performed by Rosemary Clooney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgS1hwfWc4Q #MusicalInterlude #RosemaryClooney #Jazz #Music #ComfortMusic #EverythingsComingUpRosie

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  Good morning Mastodonians! Well, I'm a little late. I called in sick to work; I went home early yesterday feeling wobbly and feverish, and today I decided to get some extra rest. Still not 100% but better. I haven't been outside yet but it looks sunny, warm, and breezy, which is nice. I may slip out for lunch and see how I feel moving around a little. How're all my friends & followers this morning? #GoodMorning #ThursdayThoughts #SickDay

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  "Lady with a Bowl of Violets," Lilla Cabot Perry, c. 1910. Lydia Cabot (1848-1933) was born into a Boston society family, and in her youth spent time with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott, both family friends. Her family were passionate abolitionists during the Civil War and worked to protect runaway slaves. After the war, she married linguist and academic Thomas Sergeant Perry, and then began her artistic training at the age of 36. She became a protegee of Claude Monet and...

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  Musical Interlude: I had a rough time getting moving this morning, and dealing with everything at work....I was filled with dread over my annual review, although as it turns out I had nothing to worry about. But still, this music fits my pace today... "Dinosaur," performed by Link Wray & His Ray-Men. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov4F6FEGhpc #MusicalInterlude #LinkWray #SurfGuitar #Instrumental #Music

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  "Still Life with Clay Jug, Peonies, and Oranges," Paula Modersohn-Becker, 1906. Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907) had a tragically brief life but is now recognized as a very important Expressionist painter. She was born into an intellectual family and had a lot of encouragement in her artistic pursuits. She was painting a lot of still lifes at this period of her life, but would soon branch into an almost revolutionary act of painting some nude self-portraits, something unheard of. A postp...

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  Musical Interlude: It's been an ugly day outside, so I took comfort in a favorite piece that brings to mind clear skies and green landscapes. I know I've posted this before, but I love it so. "Hebrides Overture," composed by Felix Mendelssohn, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcogD-hHEYs #MusicalInterlude #ClassicalMusic #FelixMendelssohn #LondonSymphonyOrchestra #ClaudioAbbado #FromFingalsCave

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  Good morning Mastodonians! It's an overcast day, with a high layer of smoke from the Canadian wildfires that will hopefully cool things down. Boss is out sick today, so I have to reschedule some meetings and hang tight taking care of stuff. Had my annual review with my investment advisor; things are going well, hooray. But I always enjoy seeing him. I call him my "Money Doctor" and he wears the badge with pride. How're all my friends & followers this morning? #GoodMor...

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  Up in the mountains, attending the Chautauqua. Today I learned about the international extensions of the Appalachian Trail (which include Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Faeroes, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco!), the French and Indian War, and I attended a talk by a man portraying FDR. They had a guy doing Charles Lindbergh but I didn't go out of my fear that I'd be tempted to boo him. It's rainy here, and I retreated to my Airbnb, actually an old trailer in...

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  Musical Interlude: This classic came to mind this morning when I was putting together my new rocking chairs, and I've been humming it all day. So, I'm sharing it with you... "A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing," performed by Lynn Ahrens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0m89e9oZko #MusicalInterlude #LynnAhrens #SchoolhouseRock #Nouns #SaturdayMorning

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  "Mother and Daughter," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927. Waring (1887-1948) was the great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance, chronicling many of the major figures of the era. However, in this portrait of two unidentified women, she confronts a social reality. This is actually a daring painting for the time as it confronts the realities of mixed-race marriages, at the time a highly controversial subject. (Remember, the Supreme Court didn't legalize mixed-race marriage until the...