Big spring trip to Kansas is over. I am experiencing the settling down after that. Have been melancholy, smug, weepy, content and frustrated so far. A friend sympathized and referred to the dopamine depletion after a trip like this. I've burned through some of the infatuation as expected. Last spring was a coup de foudre. As I told the Danish, I wasn't expecting a boy. (I checked and learned that foudre is "lightning and thunder" the whole phenomenon, éclair is lightning and tonnerre is thunder.) Nod and I are supporting each other, it's good to have understanding company.
I have a lot of thoughts about what I want to do more of and less of. I wonder if the hormonal roller coaster is dipping now. I am working on saying what I want rather than leveraging acceptance and accommodation. Being an asshole (asking directly and acknowledging that this can hurt others' feelings) can be helpful for everyone, as V says.
The current national crisis doesn't help lift me from a low mood. I skim bluesky and read some news there when I'm feeling up to it. Other days I concentrate on the personal stories, art, pets and nature photography instead. Yesterday I walked with a friend and went jogging for the first time in a couple weeks. Daylight, social contact, fresh air and exercise continue to have their boring helpful effects.
The skin on and around my nose has been reactive for a long time, some redness, pimples, dryness. I assumed it was a combination of the rosacea and maybe some fungus. (Gah! so gross. I treated it.) I'm trying more moisture. I'm going to rinse or wash my face morning and evening and put on some jojoba as well as moisturizer. I will check in after a week. More moisture for desert living.
I ran into this Annunciation by Jan van Eyck and am still thinking about it. I won't include the whole image as it's tall and thin, assumed to be the left side of a triptych whose other pieces are lost. "Oil on canvas transferred from panel" how is that possible? I'll have to ask the art conservator daughter. Here's a detail:
My repost comment:
This one is wild. The overloaded angel (big smile, crown, rainbo wings, rock crystal rod) and the plainest Mary I've seen in a long time with a gilt target line where the holy spirit dove is going to hit her right on top of her head. Oh those windows in the bkgrd.
The National Gallery write up points out that Mary and her angel are larger than human size within this church setting. The Wikipedia article lists more details about the roof, floor, windows and walls. This thing is vibrating with symbolism. Oh those ecstatic Dutch religious painters. I love all the meanings but also don't like the figures in this painting, what a combination.
2 comments:
Hallo from long time a silent reader. I am commenting because I have been entranced - for lack of a more suitable word - with the Flemish painter of the late Middle Ages, esp. Jan and his brother Hubert van Eyck. As I am living not too far from Belgium I have been fortunate to see many of their work in the real world. If you ever come to Europe, go and visit Ghent to see the van Eyck altar piece.
https://closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be/ghentaltarpiece/
Anyway, concentrate on the colour blue in this picture and have a listen to this episode of the Blindboy Podcast, where he explains in his unusual way (hope you don't mind the Irish culture of swear words) the origin, importance of this colour blue and and how it became so important. Blindboy can be a bit of challenge to listen to but give it a go, he gets to the point. I often listen to older periods when I am out walking and occasionally startle people, birds and dogs with exclamations and laughter.
https://shows.acast.com/blindboy/episodes/ganderpanderer
I'm partial to Rogier van der Weyden myself. What a glorious era of painting. I hope to come see them some day. Thanks for the links!
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