Have I Mentioned....

... That I love this man? I couldn't agree more.

I love how he uses The Birth of Venus. I myself have struggled with the nude form and the possibility that I might tempt viewers to lust by drawing/painting it- puritanism is a sneaky thing unfortunately. Once it gets it tentacles in you it can be hard to remove. It's one of those things that is like a tree root- nearly impossible to completely pull out. I have fought and read and prayed and fought and read and prayed. But finally, one day in Florence Italy, God struck a deadly blow, and I feel like own little Puritan Tree is dying of some disease. Funny, there are so many ways that beauty wounds and kills, but that is another topic.
    Anyway, that blow was this:

Botticelli's Birth of Venus

I never really cared for this painting before. But that was quickly remedied. In my semester abroad, I saw many lovely things- but some particularly struck me, and literally hurt me and left me breathless. This was one of them.
    That blow, and this one:

Michelangelo's David. Also in Florence.

I didn't get to sit and draw from The Birth of Venus. There were too many people in front of it! (Grrr!!!) But I did get to sit and draw The David for about 20 minutes. I will never forget those 20 minutes. Ever.

Mary and art and nudity will never be the same. Thank God.

Fascinating....

This makes me want to scour the comments on youtube of lovely videos to see what's being said.

My blog is about art- but over all, hopefully, about beauty.

Meago/deviantart

And of course:

"Beauty will save the world." -Dostoevsky (and I STILL have not read that book.)

BadCatholic Tackles Death Metal.....

... and he's brilliant as ever.  I mean, not to be a fangirl, but yes, I am linking to him again (and probably will again and again). And not to steal anyone's thunder, but I have totally thought what he said is so true! Those goths... they have no idea what dark means. They haven't even thought to imagine it's beautiful depths. You know, really, I mean, dead seriously, everyone longs to be Catholic so bad- they just don't know it yet.
    I know that I personally love darker things, but only darker things that have depth. The artist in me wants to somehow combine love, suffering, sacrifice, even death somehow in art. But as Marc mentions, today, death metal and the like are boring. They lack depth. They lack courage. I apply this to art. Type in "sacrifice" in the deviantart search, you get some model chick, half dressed, with some sort of blood substance somewhere, has too much make up, and is strewn across some decrepit looking structure or other with a pitiful look on her on her pouting lips. Nice. (Side note: not to completely bash deviantart. I use it myself right now, and for better or worse -usually worse- you can find what you want on there, and it does serve as a convenient free gallery for ones use and exposure. For now.)

I sympathize with them. I really do. If I weren't Catholic, had a life, a good family, etc, I would probably be one of them. I pity them.
    For what it's worth, here is what my emo/goth side produces:

Like Great Drops of Blood. Agony in the Garden.

I would like to think there is some difference. But of course, I am always learning. Both as a person and as an artist- while trying to combine the two in my art. Somehow.

I Have Been Busy Drawing Noses, Working on Commissions......

.... and reading Catholic blogs (a new favorite activity). 

And here is one.

Ugh, my very NAME is MARY and I love the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows and BOTH this year AND last year I MISSED it. I know Our Lady forgives me, and she is probably laughing at my distress now- but it does make me a bit frustrated. Anyway, I have linked to the BadCatholic blog before, and I think you should read the article linked above. Besides, he picked two VERY lovely paintings for the post (all things lead to art/the pictures!.... and Chesterton, Aquinas, Jane Austen, Tolkien, the Passion and Resurrection, and coffee.)

I am also reading The Hunger Games series. It's not bad, but it could be a lot better- I just find the dumbed down YA style and the ever going love triangle annoying. Ugh, I usually can hardly abide love triangles!

I have been working on my anatomy lessons as well. I will share some of them with you, because I think they are cool looking, even if with a touch of creepy- which only makes them cooler in the end.

Did you know your mouth had that many muscles? Fascinating.

The nose.

The Eye! Ugly thing ain't it?

    I also have a lovely friend who commissioned yet another artwork from me. I  have people asking for art fairly often, and this young lady gets me to do stuff for her more than anyone (which, regrettably, still isn't much)! I must love her. 

   Her commission will have one of these:

And one of these (yay!):

   I think that is quite enough links and photos and update for now. Keep a special friend in your prayers. God bless!

Inspiration for the Day

Two things.

1) I am not sure why I have been putting the date on my posts, seeing as they are already dated- and so I think that that will come to an end. "I swear on my pretty floral bonnet that I will end you.".... Sorry. (Firefly anyone?)

2) This post is awesome! as is that entire blog I might add. It's art related, and while that's not quite a sketch, it's well worth reading none the less. Besides, it has Johnny Cash in it, which makes my Southern heart proud. Anyways, it's on a subject that has been in my thoughts lately, and it's always good to find a kindred spirit on the matter. Nothing creates art like suffering. Amazing how good can come out of evil, almost as if there is more good as a result of evil sometimes. Man that must frustrate the devil!

No, Three things.

3) I am reading Harry Potter LIKE CRAZY! I will finish this series on time to see the last movie! Even if the darn books just get longer and longer as I go! (I think the ever growing size of the books is a cruel joke to make me fail. Maybe the books ARE magic!!)

3 again) No way! A 13th follower!? Two in three days!? God is good and yall are awesome!