Bloch

Carl Bloch, The Daughter of Jairus, 1863

In case any of you live in Utah and love art, the BYU Museum of Art has an amazing exhibition going called Carl Bloch: The Master's Hand. And when I say amazing, that doesn't even begin to describe it. They were able to get some really great altar paintings from Denmark and Sweden. In case you don't know who this Carl Bloch character is, he lived during the 19th century in Denmark and painted many religious pieces as well as some secular ones (which I really love). You might think you've never seen his works, but you'll be surprised :) Here's the museum's site, but other great places to see some of his work are here, or here, or here, or here (this one is my favorite because you get to see the works in their actual locations and it's all 3D!).

It's been going since November and it ends on May 7th (you have to have a free ticket, but I heard they were all out and now you can go on stand by). I just couldn't not say anything, because I loved it. And, as I've said before, there is just nothing like seeing paintings in real life. You can just go and sit in front of the altarpieces or get up close and see the beautiful brushstrokes.

left handed toons

So, I used to get on this site (lefthandedtoons.com) almost every day. And then I totally forgot about it (I blame facebook, because it used to be a box on my profile page. and then one day it was gone. forever). But today I remembered it. And I found this gem:

Just a little something to get through the Mondays :)

life is good

Brancusi, The Kiss, 1916

in one of my art history classes a few years ago 

my teacher put this up as his first slide. 

i didn't think of it much then, but it has grown on me. 

he used it as a way to explain the intimacy of life - and of art. 

you don't usually kiss someone with your eyes open. 

it's too special to do with just anyone. 

because being that close, it's like they're looking into your soul. 

sometimes i feel like getting up close to a work of art 

is like being able to see into its soul - and vice versa. 

that's why art is so special, 

because it can reach into your soul and make you feel something.

I don't really have much to say, but I wanted to blog anyway. I like having a photo of some sort for every post, and since i'm terrible at taking pictures, i think i'll post art instead :)

I'm [ ] this close to finishing my big paper that I have to give a presentation on tomorrow. I'm so excited to be finished (not because I hated writing it, but because I liked writing it) I'm having a hard time focusing enough to proof-read and prepare a PowerPoint. Thus, blogging.

I made Jantz a sandwich when I got home from work and then brought it over to his work so we could eat dinner together. and because he never brings dinner food with him to work, so he eats a granola bar or mcdonalds. not acceptable in my book. He showed me around where he works and all the little rooms he does stuff in. it was cute. My dad used to work in that same building so it was weird walking around without him haha. I'm so proud of Jantz and all the hard work he does. He works crappy hours and his job stresses him out sometimes. But he sticks with it. I know how miserable it can be to work full time at a job you don't care for (as I'm sure we all do). At least it won't be that way forever :) he's such a trooper.

I've been so grateful this past week for all the things I have. As I've mentioned before, sometimes I get real stressed about money. But you know, it always works out. no matter what. I keep waiting for a time when it doesn't and I'm stuck with no money and no help. But so far, it just keeps working out. I found out I got some scholarship money to help me this next year in school, which was a total surprise. then tax filing came around and my gracious mother is letting me get some of the money I would have gotten if she hadn't claimed me (what a saint, let me tell you). and then today I found out about a raise at work that will help out big time (who knew having a degree would be so beneficial?). I'm definitely not rolling in money (not by a long shot), but at least now I can save more money, start paying off loans and stop worrying so much about paying for school. I'm just really grateful that, even when other parts of life aren't perfect (because, when are they ever??), there is something that I can feel sure about.

ok so not such a short blog haha. but.....life is good. things are good. i'm happy :) even more so because the semester is almost over!

papers and more papers

how precious is this sketch by Rembrandt of his first wife Saskia?

I can not believe it is Friday already. I have been switching off grading papers that will be given back at the final from 8-10 (yes PM) tomorrow and writing my own paper that is due on tuesday. Needless to say I can't wait to be done with papers. And I can't wait for thursday, when I get to turn in a big project and an outline of my thesis. Then I will be all done with school until August :)

For a little break last night I made chicken enchiladas with green chile sauce. Sometimes I'm sheepish about cooking because I don't want it to turn out bad. But, I did it anyway. And it was fun. Almost as fun as baking. And I think it turned out pretty good. And apparently Jantz did too because he had seconds. I should have taken a picture because when it came out of the oven it looked amazing. Now it just looks half eaten...

Summer is just around the corner and I'm so excited!

P.S. I had this funny conversation scribbled on a paper (from probably last summer) in my drawer and randomly found it today:

A: "if you're not scared off by now...well i don't know, you could still get scared off..."
J: "no....unless you send me an alpaca"

I guess here's to no alpacas in our future. haha. 

thinking about art

I've been thinking about art lately (surprise surprise) and about the amazing effects it can have on a persons life. Which got me thinking about art that has really left a mark on me. There have been quite a few, maybe more than I can think of. But one place for sure completely changed my life. Not in a "i changed the way i do things now" kind of change; more of a "the feelings i felt there left me in an awe that i will never forget" kind of change. Seeing art like that is something you will never forget. It changes you somehow.

The place is the Galleria Borghese. There are several Bernini statues in there, and I promise that you will never look at his works the same after you've seen them in person. There is literally no comparison between a photograph and real life (kind of like hearing about going on a rollercoaster and then actually riding one. i kid not.).  

Apollo and Daphne is set in a little room where light shines through onto the statue, and it literally glows. The light shines through the leaves. And the textures. they are incredible. the smooth skin against the rough wood and the leaves. And then theirs the drama. the drama itself makes it breathtaking. We sat in that room for so long, just looking at it. I think about that day a lot. I don't think I could make it through life without art. it's one of those loves of your life that will never leave you and that makes life that much more worth living. 

If you ever get the chance to make it to Rome, don't miss this place. I can't wait to go back.

just for fun here's three of us waiting to go inside

dear robin eggs

i love you because you are so delicious to eat

but

i hate you because you make me sick when i eat too many of you (which is always)

someday, in our own house...

...our freezer will always be stalked with

for me. caramel is a must (but sometimes fudge is good too)

&

for jantz. the banana flavor of course

and....just for good measure, i'm gonna say that these will probably be next to them

don't worry, we'll be sure our fridge is full of salad and chicken and good things like that :)

another friday post

Jantz is visiting home in CO for the weekend. Before he left I thought, sweet, time to do some major finishing of projects. and all the hills watching that i want (yeah....sort of have a slight addiction to the show that has ended and is thus no longer applicable to life. but i still find the first seasons way too entertaining). So, I was set when i dropped him off at the airport yesterday afternoon (making me soo late for class. oops).

But then I woke up this morning and remembered that Jantz is no longer in this state. and even though I don't usually see him until 10:00 every night, just the fact that he wasn't in the city made me really nervous. sad/desperate-nervous. and pathetic-feeling. I went over a year of seeing him maybe once a month....then he's here for two and a half (yes i'm counting) months, leaves for one weekend, and i am completely lost in how to go about my day.

pathetic, party of one.

but also maybe, crazy in love, party of one (or two if jantz gets to tag along)   (you can cue gagging now ;)



in other news, i have amazing roommates who let me tag along as they picked up some goldfish (count: 55). and i got to buy some more robin eggs (which i LOVE. but whoppers not so much. however, malt shakes are my favorite). getting out of the house with the girls always helps :)

in even more other news, I'm doing an internship at the museum at BYU over the summer. I get to work on a Warhol/Murakami exhibition. I'm no contemporary connoisseur, but it's going to be freaking awesome. look forward to more talk on this over the summer, because i am so going to be talking about it.

and now i'm sitting on the couch reading article after article (and book after book...you get the picture) so i can write a "magnificent" paper on widowhood in Paris in the 18th century, in relation to this painting by David (that's Daaaveed, as in hot, and weed). when i saw it in the Louvre i cried

p.s. do any of you watch csi:ny? one more thing i am totally obsessed with. just a quick comment on Mac's round sunglasses.

i think he looks like a creepy mad scientist when he wears them. he is way too cool for such glasses, even if he does have some of the cheesiest lines.

p.p.s. biannual fondue night is happening tomorrow night and I. can. not. WAIT. be jealous.