All posts by She Seeks Serene

My Journey of Reimagining Life, Love and Education

Art History: French Cubist Painter Fernand Léger (1881 – 1955) – Sotheby’s

Vice Chairman Lucian Simmons sits down to describe one of his favorite works – Fernand Léger’s Nature Morte. After surviving World War I, Léger joined an influx of artists searching for “purity” or a so-called “return to order.” Executed in 1925, Léger’s still life is an outstanding example of the artist’s classical period, where the artist found a new stride. Nature Morte will be offered as a highlight of the Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Evening auction in New York.

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Interview: Legendary 71-Year Old Folk Rock Singer Songwriter “Cat Stevens”

By any name, Yusuf Islam is a legend. The man who came to fame as Cat Stevens will soon release a new album, a collection of songs he made famous half a century ago and has now re-recorded with the perspective that 50 years of living can bring. Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with Yusuf about recording “Tea for the Tillerman 2,” including his duet with his younger self for the song “Father and Son.”

20th Century Art: Claude Monet’s “Weeping Willow” Paintings (1918 – 1919)

From the Wall Street Journal (June 19, 2020):

Claude_Monet,_Water-Lily_Pond_and_Weeping_Willow…what perhaps absorbed him most was a suite of 10 paintings of one of the weeping willows he had planted on the shores of his pond in 1893, when he had purchased the property to construct his aquatic paradise. The tree had grown in girth and grandeur over the intervening years, its leafy arms now extending out over the dappled waters like an impassioned conductor energizing an orchestra.

The trees in Monet’s water garden are much less known than the flowers, but they were central to his vision of what that ideal space should include and thus dear to his heart. In 1912, when severe winds and rains wreaked havoc on his horticultural handiwork, what Monet mourned most was the damage to his willows.

Weeping willows, of course, evoke mourning by their very appearance no less than by their appellation, their drooping tendrils the very symbol of sorrow. It’s therefore not surprising, given Monet’s sensitivity to his nation’s plight, that he turned to this tree to express the trauma of the moment.

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Top New Animated Videos: “A Mind Sang” By Vier Nev – “Transfixing Perception”

“A Mind Sang” is a Cinematic Visual Poem Animated Short Film Directed by Vier Nev.

Directed and animated by Vier Nev

ORIGINAL MUSIC | Yanis El-Masri
SOUND EFFECTS | Francisca Dores, Henrik Ferrara
SOUND TEAM MANAGER | Francisca Dores
RECORDING / SOUND PRODUCTION | Guilherme Correia
MUSIC ASSISTANT/RECORDING ASSISTANT | Miguel Serrão

A short film about perception, rebirth and transformation.

“A Mind Sang” is the winner of the Vimeo Staff Pick Award at the 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

A Mind Sang - Vier Nev Director and Animator 2020

Read more about it on the Vimeo blog

MUSICIANS
PICCOLO | Simão Pinto
FLUTES | Melanie Gil, Ana Teixeira
OBOE | Gabriela Pereira
CLARINET | Joana Lima
BASS CLARINET | António Lopes
BASSOON | Adriana Gonçalves
CONTRABASSOON | José Miguel Oliveira
FRENCH HORNS | Cristiana Azoia, Luis Oliveira
TRUMPET | Pedro Jerónimo
TUBA | José Santos
VIOLINS | Alice Abreu, Daví Rabog, Tiago Rodrigues, Yuri Gomes
VIOLAS | Catarina Gonçalves, Luís Silva
CELLOS | João Geraldo, Dinis Lecomte
DOUBLE BASS | Amã Oliveira

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Top Home Architecture: “Arrowleaf Cabin” By GoCstudio In Seattle

goCstudio ArchitectureLocated just outside Winthrop in eastern Washington, the site for this small cabin lies in the Methow Valley. Nestled in the foothills of the North Cascade mountains, the dramatic views from the site and opportunity for year round recreation drew our client to this region. A strong relationship to the site topography and varying climate was key to the design.

Arrowleaf Cabin - GoCstudio - Seattle 2020

Arrowleaf Cabin - GoCstudio - Seattle 2020The program for the project was to design a two bedroom cabin which maximized the connection to the surrounding natural environment and outdoor living. This cabin would initially serve as a weekend retreat from the city, and later become a permanent home. Our client wanted to create an efficient floor plan for the house, with open interior/exterior living, bedrooms above, and garage below. It was important to use durable materials throughout the exterior of the cabin due to the extreme climate and fire hazard in the area. The upper levels of the cabin sit on a concrete plinth which forms the garage. Concrete is used to both ground the cabin and retain the natural slope of the site that the cabin sits in. Above, black corrugated metal sheets are used as an efficient and weather resistant siding material. A shed roof with large overhangs on all sides protects the cabin from the heavy winter snowload. A large cantilevered exterior deck opens out from the main level, vastly increasing the living space in the summer months. Views from the deck capture the surrounding mountain ranges and natural beauty of the site.

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Top New Travel Videos: “Memories Of Australia” By Andrew Hamilton (2020)

Filmed and Edited by: Andrew Hamilton

Having moved from Australia to Sweden more than 15 years ago, I’m often struck with the crystal clear memory of a sound, smell, or particularly calm experience as a kid growing up in the land down under. This is a little tribute and collection of a few of those moments and sounds (WEAR HEADPHONES!) that leave me feeling positively nostalgic about a wonderful past, of great adventures, and of the ones we’ve lost. All nature you see here – vegetation, rocks, cliffs, etc – I’ve built from my own photogrammetry scans captured on a recent visit to Australia. I kept within typical game budgets for content and technical features, running in real-time on Unreal Engine. I hope you get a little taste of these memories and experiences that bring me joy. Enjoy!

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Political News: “Shields & Brooks” On U.S. Supreme Court Decisions (PBS)

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including major Supreme Court decisions on LGBTQ employment protections and DACA, the claims from John Bolton’s new book about President Trump’s interactions with foreign leaders and whether Joe Biden will pick a woman of color as his running mate.