Wandering Mist – Inspiration is everything – Page 21 – Art, Design and Inspiration Unlimited

Lecture on Deep Ecology – John Seed Strums his Way into our Hearts

January 29, 2010 Filed Under: Inspiration By Ishrath Humairah 2 Comments

Life had been on the fast track mode since last few months. From relocating to another city, moving into a new apartment, to school hunting for my kid, there has been enough mayhem. Not to mention the stress that comes with it. But midst these whirlwind activities, I got an opportunity to attend a beautiful lecture on Deep Ecology by John Seed – an environmentalist who was instrumental is conserving the rainforests of Australia. I’d rather call him the father of rainforest activism.

As a part of his lecture tour to India, John Deed has been travelling all over the country talking about Deep Ecology, rainforests conservation, and his past works in different parts of the worlds. The topic of Deep Ecology is very fascinating as it deals with philosophy of nature, which sees that underlying the environmental crisis there is a psychological or spiritual disease stemming from the illusion of separation between humans and the rest of the natural world. He explores the root causes of why our world has come to the state it is now in and we have dichotomized from our roots and the wisdom of our forefathers.

John Seed is seemingly simple, unassuming and frail. Looking at him it is hard to believe that this man not only thinks like a mountain but also moves a few. This was one of the beautiful lectures attended which had talking and singing love songs for the Earth in equal measure. John Seed believes that this Earth is alive, living and breathing. And that he is trying to do his bit to keep the lovely symphony of life going.

To read more about the event, here is a link to my coverage on John Seed’s lecture in Chennai on TreeSouls. And here are some of the songs John Seed sang at the Book Point Auditorium (Anna Salai, Chennai on 26th December 2009).

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How to Listen to Music – Dame Evelyn Glennie’s TED Talk got us Listening

January 13, 2010 Filed Under: Inspiration By Ishrath Humairah 3 Comments

“My whole life is about sound. It’s what makes me tick as a human being” says Evelyn Glennie. These words come from the world’s leading solo female percussionist and is one of the finest artists in the world who feels the music and lives by it.

There is no other better way to jumpstart my day than by sharing with you an amazing talk by Evelyn which continues to inspired me – almost every day. If you love music, I urge you to watch this video.

TED Intro: Evelyn Glennie’s music challenges the listener to ask where music comes from: Is it more than simply a translation from score to instrument to audience? How can a musician who has almost no hearing play with such sensitivity and compassion?

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Almond Blossoms Painting by Vincent Van Gogh – A Rare Desolate Bloom, Frozen in Time

January 1, 2010 Filed Under: Inspiration By Ishrath Humairah 16 Comments

Monet’s Lilies.
Vincent’s Sunflowers.
Salvador Dali’s Melting Clocks.
These are the classic icons of the art world that we often come across in our daily lives, in forms other than the stretched canvas. These iconic masterpieces are so popular that they represent the art-world to the world. But there are many more paintings and work by the same masters that, I’d say, are far more captivating, beautiful and awe-inspiring.

Almond Blossoms Oil Painting by Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890). Oil on Canvas – 73.5 X 92 cm

Vincent Van Gogh’s Almond Blossoms is one such masterpiece. Having studied Van Gogh at length, his works, life, including closer to his life fiction, I am surprised how I missed out on this classic painting that tells me a lot more than biography on him would. Guess I missed the Almond Blossoms midst Sunflowers, Irises, Open Fields and the portraits.

One fine afternoon, I chanced upon Almond Blossoms. Strange that I saw this painting on TV on Art Beat on NDTV Good Times. Yes, my jaw dropped then.

Almond Blossoms came across as a complete surprise as most of Van Gogh’s paintings were known for melancholy and loneliness. Painted upon good tidings of the birth of his nephew, Almond Blossoms is an unusual piece from Van Gogh’s collection. This turquoise and ivory masterpiece seems like a breath of fresh air in Vincent’s’ as well as our lives.

No one can help but admire the beauty of the panting. Watching Almond Blossoms is like having a conversation in your mind. What draws and trains the eye are not the ivory white blossoms, but the knots and gnarls of the branches in simple brush strokes.

Almond Blossoms branches are twisted and gnarled like a complicated mind with few blossoms of hope. I wonder if it is my imagination and my bent of mind going there instead of landing on the feather blossoms. In simple brush strokes, Van Gogh had managed to complete a true picture of the moment. The myriad expressions he must have felt, at that one moment, are for us to experience.

A sudden departure from his color palette, strokes and hues, Van Gogh has conjured up an entirely different painting. It shows how much gloom was in his life and a piece of small news made him paint in a different way, conveying a rare emotion that he felt. Wonder how Van Gogh’s paintings would have been if he was a happy person.

His limited color palette is another surprise. His turquoise blues, sepias, white, pink, black, and greens are nothing but born of his color mixing mastery. Something tells me that Vincent must have ran out of colors while he painted it and therefore we can across this rare muted color palette with many tones in between – making Almond Blossoms an absolute rare one.

The innate simplicity of the branches and the brush strokes, the amount of color on the brush, are all to engrossing to mull over. Almond Blossoms is a painting you can quietly stare at without a lump in your throat but with a lot more going on in your head. Many art lovers who have seen this painting live have said to have felt mixed emotions watching it.

Vincent van Gogh Stichting, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam now houses this masterpiece. If I ever get to goto Amsterdam, it will be to see Almond Blossoms amongst the other masterpieces. I guess I would need at least a week to spend my time in the museum. Here is short description of the painting in the museum website:

On January 31, 1890, Theo wrote to Vincent of the birth of his son, whom he had named Vincent Willem. Van Gogh, who was extremely close to his younger brother, immediately set about making him a painting of his favorite subject: blossoming branches against a blue sky. The gift was meant to hang over the couple’s bed. As a symbol of this new life, Vincent chose an almond tree, which blooms early in southern regions, announcing the coming spring as early as February.

True to his nature, Vincent Van Gogh had unknowlingly created this masterpiece. He died the same year. Isn’t this painting a glimpse of, perhaps, one happy moment he savored before his death?

The best book that I came across on Van Gogh, is Irving Stone’s Lust for Life which I would recommend you to read it if you want to understand his paintings more.

The Best of Wandering Mist in 2009 – An Exciting Year that Went By

December 31, 2009 Filed Under: Everything Else By Ishrath Humairah 1 Comment

2009 What a wonderful year it has been – charming, happy, depressing, heartening, enlightening and as good and bad as any other year would be. Few more seasons have gone, the climate got warmer, we learnt a bit more about things outside and things within and added lot more grey hair than we would like 🙂

Looking back, it feels good to see Wandering Mist grow slowly from a ‘wondering if I did it right’ test post to a full fledged art and design blog. There was never a specific aim or a set direction in which this was supposed to go. Wandering Mist has been crawling slowly and lovingly as a baby. It evolved with time, by wandering around.

Today is a perfect time to write a round-up-of-this-year post, as a recap to myself and my fellow wanderers. And to see how exciting this place has been. Here are some of the top articles that got many a wanderers around in here. To stay.

1) Recycle Old Magazines into Eco-Chic Gift Wrapping Paper

2) Gift a Heartwarming Box of Pink Roses

3) Green Birthday Invitation – Make your own Handmade Greeting Card from Recycled Paper

4) Marigold Flowers and White Candles make an Exotic Floral Centerpiece

5) The Charm of Poinsettias in Christmas and Holiday Season

6) Photo Shoot for Contemporary Jewellery Designer of Semi-Precious Stones in Silver

7) Semolina or Suji Cake – Quick, Easy, Healthy and Tasty Recipe

8 ) Diwali Theme Photo Shoot for Award Winning South Indian Recipes & Ayurvedic Cook Books

9) Ishrath’s Paintings Gallery

10) Frugal Table Centerpiece Ideas for Holiday Decorating

I wish you all wanderers, a very happy new year.

100 Paintings in 100 Days Marathon – Get your Portrait Done in Fauvian Style by Carol Nelson

December 26, 2009 Filed Under: Inspiration By Ishrath Humairah 2 Comments

100 Paintings in 100 Days Marathon

Once in a while you come across a painter’s work of art and say Wow! But there are very few artists whose works continually go beyond the wow-factor and make you want to linger around a bit more than usual. Carol Nelson is one of them. I admire her works which are so strikingly beautiful… and sometimes get inspiredd too.

Carol is going strong with her 100 Paintings in 100 Days Marathon. She is accepting your portrait photographs, to translate them into 6 x 6 paintings in her favorite Fauvian style.

My 3 Potrait Photo Entries for the Painting Marathon

I had sent her three photos of the three different people hoping that she may selects at least one. She liked all the entries and may take time to decide which one she would like to paint. But paint one, she will. I am more than excited about it. I can’t wait to see how she is going to translate these slice-of-life photos of these 3 lovely people and beautiful souls who have me humbled and happy, onto a 6 X 6 masterpiece.

Want your portrait done?
You can send her bust length photographs of the subject you want painted and it can include yours. She is skimming through many photos that have been sent to her by her art admirers but would prefer the kinds of shots that have more depth, light play, shadows, and a striking story to tell. Flat flashed photos on face are not really exciting to her. Here is the link to her blog post which clearly spells out the eligibility criteria. It is very easy to go for it. If you like her paintings, made from the photo you have sent to her on gessoboard or MDF panel, you can buy them too.

One thing I know for sure is that I will, once again, be amazed. To see the photo translated onto a canvas, through the artist’s creative eye, will be quite an experience.

I would say, experience it yourself. See some of her finest works on display and for sale here