Art, elven things, tea
After spending a morning rambling in a friend's post, I realize I miss talking to you guys and want to be more diligent about updating. :) So, as long as LJ is working, ahem *peers at how long it took the window to load*, I figured I'd fill in folks on what's up.
The holidays took a lot out of me and last week found me sick with a minor plague. House vector of disease is B > Me > J, and we all share so willingly! Isn't poly great? Still haven't had a call from my mother, but I did have to leave a recent message on her cell because my sister nearly got stranded in Africa due to monsoons, and someone had to be sure my mother knew that a. she was ok, and b. leave extra food and stuffs for the cats. So, not seeing my brother online, I did it. I have not heard anything back since. Ah well. Such is.
The new year has brought a most welcome influx of art into my life. Finally, I have gotten down to see the National Gallery. Yeah, yeah, I know--it's the sin of, "I live here, I'll get to it." Art brain was happy because it had starved for so long and OMG DO YOU KNOW ALL THE COOL THINGS WE HAVE IN THERE? What started as a great time and fulfilling a long desired date plan with laurelindel was made extra awesome because the Pastrana tapestries were on exhibit until the 9th and dude, hi, medievalist/fiberartist here?
An art review in the Post will provide some pics and historical background here. First and foremost, the immensity of these works was just incredible, very much so pieces for the castle walls...and very much so a form of propaganda. Well, it's not like Afonso is commissioning his losses, what one sees becomes very much a reminder of what you do not see. A few men drowning in the canal becomes a marker to the memory of the fact that those canals were probably filled with the dead. I've been trying to find the population of Asilah in the late 1400s, but no go so far. Still, 2,000 dead, 5,000 captured...yeah. No wonder Tangiers just surrendered. Which brings me to that tapestry and the fascination of the depiction of the fleeing common people--only a few pictured, leaving somewhat orderly, all depicted as European, just as is the architecture of the cities. (Understandable, to some extent, given that they were probably woven by folks with no knowledge of the place.)
It's a historical catalog of richness for military/knighthood images (knights with guns! Siege pieces!), documentation, weaving artistry and technology (god, I wondered what they looked like fresh, unfaded, in full color?) coupled with the knowledge that this is conquest, European expansion and all the horrors that would bring to the new world and elsewhere. I am viewing idealized and idolized warfare, but also a form of primary documentation. This IS the war as it occurred for some who viewed it then. Written accounts and participants will describe it otherwise, to be sure (or similarly--I have not read documentation on this period nor do I know what's available, am speaking generally here) but this is the image we have, made within a few years of the taking of the city. I continually spin it around in my head, wondering how that image would have been read by its contemporaries, by nobility, by soldiers, by common folk, if they saw it. By the conquered. *wince*.
Also, apparently, tapestries have a smell to them that some folks find nasty. laurelindel overheard one lady commenting, but neither he nor I could pic up anything noticeable, whereas, when we went the following weekend, hasufin picked up the scent and wrinkled his nose. Heh, I can't comment on whether this is a blessing or not.
And then there was sculpture. And more medieval art and iconography. And paintings. Tons of paintings. I could not stop staring and have clearly been deprived of the art gallery experience in my life and this will be remedied. I could look at Dutch masters all day for brush strokes and color. Best of all? I came home with ideas, and have started another acrylic piece that I hope to get more done on this week, now that I am better. I really want to start a place to post some of my work in this new medium, but I do not have an art scanner, and, like with jewelry pics, I am not sure I can get all the nuances of color in what I am playing with--see, I heart interference colors and the iridescence and tricks they play under different lighting. Maybe multiple pics could get it, but never like seeing the original. Which, of course, is why you must get your ass to museums to view original works of art and not just prints/pics. :) This year will hold many more such trips for me, and I'll be sure to post when I am going if anyone wants to join me!
And I have not been skimping on the fiber arts. Um...there's a lot of wool/fiber in this house. A lot. I am almost done spinning a pound of Icelanding wool, have a 1.75 lb alpaca blanket to spin up, raw, another pound of Polworth...and others. And the silk. I have not forgotten the silk--BUT, BUT, here's the real geekage:
So a week ago, I am nosing Etsy, like you do, and a pic of some nice dark silvery grey fiber comes up. It's a good price, and a good quantity is available, so I go about researching the breed. The fiber in question is Gotland wool. Now, the cool thing? Turns out that sheep of this breed, of the Stansborough line in New Zealand, were the exclusive providers of all cloth for the elven cloaks for all the LoTR films.
Yes. I found magical elven sheep fiber.
Yes, of course I bought 2.5 lbs of it.
Yes, I bought that because I want to spin it all and am thinking of trying to knit a lacey mebbe caplet or--oh fuck, who am I kidding?--cloak. Yes. I am thinking of this.
I am thinking this may take another 2.5 lbs.
Or I could knit lace. Elven lace! Cowls! Fingerless gloves!
*calms down*
...you guys get where I'm coming from, right?
Anyway, despite what I may make of it, the fiber is gorgeous and I hope I do it justice. It has a luster like silk and is a very dark silver grey, like pewter, though I think it will spin up even lighter. When I get paid at the end of the month, I think I am going to buy more.
And you all will not think me that weird, right? At least, no more odd than usual. *grin*
Well, I will do this after I restock my tea cabinet. Um...cause...I am almost out of tea. AND honey. Two sick people, various bits of holiday stress, and the tea cabinet is starting to make that cricket noise when I open the door and stare into it. There are only 9 kinds of tea left in the cabinet. 2/9 will only make a cup or a pot. I can see the back of the cabinet. Clearly. Oh, and 5 lbs of honey, purchased in August, is all but gone. I am so mailing for Icewine today from the New Mexico tea company. I can do anything if I have my tea.
The holidays took a lot out of me and last week found me sick with a minor plague. House vector of disease is B > Me > J, and we all share so willingly! Isn't poly great? Still haven't had a call from my mother, but I did have to leave a recent message on her cell because my sister nearly got stranded in Africa due to monsoons, and someone had to be sure my mother knew that a. she was ok, and b. leave extra food and stuffs for the cats. So, not seeing my brother online, I did it. I have not heard anything back since. Ah well. Such is.
The new year has brought a most welcome influx of art into my life. Finally, I have gotten down to see the National Gallery. Yeah, yeah, I know--it's the sin of, "I live here, I'll get to it." Art brain was happy because it had starved for so long and OMG DO YOU KNOW ALL THE COOL THINGS WE HAVE IN THERE? What started as a great time and fulfilling a long desired date plan with laurelindel was made extra awesome because the Pastrana tapestries were on exhibit until the 9th and dude, hi, medievalist/fiberartist here?
An art review in the Post will provide some pics and historical background here. First and foremost, the immensity of these works was just incredible, very much so pieces for the castle walls...and very much so a form of propaganda. Well, it's not like Afonso is commissioning his losses, what one sees becomes very much a reminder of what you do not see. A few men drowning in the canal becomes a marker to the memory of the fact that those canals were probably filled with the dead. I've been trying to find the population of Asilah in the late 1400s, but no go so far. Still, 2,000 dead, 5,000 captured...yeah. No wonder Tangiers just surrendered. Which brings me to that tapestry and the fascination of the depiction of the fleeing common people--only a few pictured, leaving somewhat orderly, all depicted as European, just as is the architecture of the cities. (Understandable, to some extent, given that they were probably woven by folks with no knowledge of the place.)
It's a historical catalog of richness for military/knighthood images (knights with guns! Siege pieces!), documentation, weaving artistry and technology (god, I wondered what they looked like fresh, unfaded, in full color?) coupled with the knowledge that this is conquest, European expansion and all the horrors that would bring to the new world and elsewhere. I am viewing idealized and idolized warfare, but also a form of primary documentation. This IS the war as it occurred for some who viewed it then. Written accounts and participants will describe it otherwise, to be sure (or similarly--I have not read documentation on this period nor do I know what's available, am speaking generally here) but this is the image we have, made within a few years of the taking of the city. I continually spin it around in my head, wondering how that image would have been read by its contemporaries, by nobility, by soldiers, by common folk, if they saw it. By the conquered. *wince*.
Also, apparently, tapestries have a smell to them that some folks find nasty. laurelindel overheard one lady commenting, but neither he nor I could pic up anything noticeable, whereas, when we went the following weekend, hasufin picked up the scent and wrinkled his nose. Heh, I can't comment on whether this is a blessing or not.
And then there was sculpture. And more medieval art and iconography. And paintings. Tons of paintings. I could not stop staring and have clearly been deprived of the art gallery experience in my life and this will be remedied. I could look at Dutch masters all day for brush strokes and color. Best of all? I came home with ideas, and have started another acrylic piece that I hope to get more done on this week, now that I am better. I really want to start a place to post some of my work in this new medium, but I do not have an art scanner, and, like with jewelry pics, I am not sure I can get all the nuances of color in what I am playing with--see, I heart interference colors and the iridescence and tricks they play under different lighting. Maybe multiple pics could get it, but never like seeing the original. Which, of course, is why you must get your ass to museums to view original works of art and not just prints/pics. :) This year will hold many more such trips for me, and I'll be sure to post when I am going if anyone wants to join me!
And I have not been skimping on the fiber arts. Um...there's a lot of wool/fiber in this house. A lot. I am almost done spinning a pound of Icelanding wool, have a 1.75 lb alpaca blanket to spin up, raw, another pound of Polworth...and others. And the silk. I have not forgotten the silk--BUT, BUT, here's the real geekage:
So a week ago, I am nosing Etsy, like you do, and a pic of some nice dark silvery grey fiber comes up. It's a good price, and a good quantity is available, so I go about researching the breed. The fiber in question is Gotland wool. Now, the cool thing? Turns out that sheep of this breed, of the Stansborough line in New Zealand, were the exclusive providers of all cloth for the elven cloaks for all the LoTR films.
Yes. I found magical elven sheep fiber.
Yes, of course I bought 2.5 lbs of it.
Yes, I bought that because I want to spin it all and am thinking of trying to knit a lacey mebbe caplet or--oh fuck, who am I kidding?--cloak. Yes. I am thinking of this.
I am thinking this may take another 2.5 lbs.
Or I could knit lace. Elven lace! Cowls! Fingerless gloves!
*calms down*
...you guys get where I'm coming from, right?
Anyway, despite what I may make of it, the fiber is gorgeous and I hope I do it justice. It has a luster like silk and is a very dark silver grey, like pewter, though I think it will spin up even lighter. When I get paid at the end of the month, I think I am going to buy more.
And you all will not think me that weird, right? At least, no more odd than usual. *grin*
Well, I will do this after I restock my tea cabinet. Um...cause...I am almost out of tea. AND honey. Two sick people, various bits of holiday stress, and the tea cabinet is starting to make that cricket noise when I open the door and stare into it. There are only 9 kinds of tea left in the cabinet. 2/9 will only make a cup or a pot. I can see the back of the cabinet. Clearly. Oh, and 5 lbs of honey, purchased in August, is all but gone. I am so mailing for Icewine today from the New Mexico tea company. I can do anything if I have my tea.