Friday, November 29, 2013

Vogue and the Pre-Raphaelites

Recently, I saw this Vogue cover in the stores.


And I immediately recognized it as being modeled after this Pre-Raphaelite painting called "Flaming June," by Frederick Leighton.

Flaming June, by Fredrick Lord Leighton, (1830-1896). Public domain
I am sure Vogue has copied Pre-Raphaelite art before, but I was glad to have caught this one while it's still on newstands. Here they are side by side.


You can't go wrong with copying Leighton, or Waterhouse, or whomever. 
Why reinvent the wheel, it's good enough for Vogue.
More Vogue here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise. 
"For the Beauty of the Earth" traditional hymn

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The Backyard Path


I adore the backyard path (that may be stretching it a bit) that I can easily take when the mood strikes me, leading me to another world in minutes. Bright blue November sky, the background setting to late autumnal tales written sky-high in the trees.
 
Stories that are simply lost into the wide open air, 
Their wild and withered pages reaching out to the wind, 
craving to be turned, like the pile of classics stored on the shelf 
for reading later that you never seem to get to.

And something wholly unexpected too, ...up in high branches, tucked safely between a highway of crisscrossed sticks and branches, a beautiful nest is spied, belonging not to the southern flown winged bird, but a sleeping wasp colony. I've never seen one so big or so close, so perfectly spun like cotton candy, and intricately woven together, bathed in a background of yellow leaves still clinging to the tree.
Sunset by the river and through the trees.
No matter which way you see it, sheer beauty.
It happens every day, this passing of the light baton,
Though sadly, I miss most of them.
When I live in Walden, I will watch them all.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Last Nod To Fall

Ithica, New York (Photo Source: Enchanted Nature)

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Fly Away

Out in the cold, the night sky is stirring,
Swirling a whirlpool of creamy clouds.
Like Alice, I spy a rabbit hole leading somewhere,
And wish I could jump jump jump right up,
Into the swirl and cream, and fly away,
To exquisite winsome pretty dreams ~
Photo Source: http://takemeimalive.tumblr.com/

Friday, November 1, 2013

A Little Further On

A little further on ... fall continues to divert me. 
I crave her delicate leaves in beautiful arrangement,
And they are everywhere. 
The further on she goes,
I can't begin to tell you,
How her winds wake me up,
Out of listless passive dreams.
How her breath breathes,
A soothing balm to my soul.
How her leaves speak of heaven to me,
Like words whispered to my ears.

 She slowly and delicately transforms,
The green to the red,
The supple to the withered,
The full to the bare,
Spreading her magic as a fairy,
Casts her dust,
And the transformation is truly magical.

She transforms me, too,
For born-again I soon become and, 
The world seems new and alive.
A time of rebirth and kindling for a starving soul.
A little further on,
 I notice every little thing,
And all of it is beautiful to me.