In Praise of Rembrandt, Lightness and Darkness

Self Portrait - Rembrandt

Have you ever been to Amsterdam?

It's a fabulous city, one of my favourites in fact.  Wonderful friendly people, Art galleries, architecture, bridges, canals, flowers, fabrics, design, parks, bicycles, restaurants, fashion.  It's probably my favourite European city….and so close to Paris, London and Antwerp too.

Rembrandt's home is in Amsterdam....which is now a wonderful museum where you can wander from room to room and floor to floor imagining the Great Master at work.

It was clearly a very swish home when he bought it for his wife and family...in one of the new, up and coming areas of Amsterdam.

Upstairs at Rembrandt House….the Master's painting studio.

Recently, I finished reading a book on Rembrandt and I was struck by what an incredible man he must have been.

Innovative, talented, determined, emotional and  loving…Rembrandt was all of these.  He also loved the finer things in life...spent to match his income as many of us are tempted to do....and experienced great highs and intense lows during his lifetime.  But what a life it was!

He clearly knew he was a great artist....one of the greatest ever....and yet he saw his 'star' fall during his lifetime.

He didn't give up though....he remained true to self....continuing to paint 'real' depictions of what he felt and saw.  The 'pretty pitchas' of the day were not for him!

Inspired by Rembrandt's story and his emotive self-portraits, etchings and dry points, I created 'The Dutchman' series below....as a tribute to him.

My collages attempt to capture the fact that Rembrandt's 'artistic style' had faded from popularity....due to the fickleness of 'fashionable Art'.

So here's a sample of my white, fading pitchas of "The Dutchman".

The Dutchman III

The Dutchman IV

The Dutchman I

Soon after I completed these collages I saw an exhibition by Lindy Lee, a Chinese/Australian artist at the University of Queensland Art Museum.  She, too, has based some of her work on European Masters.

Oh my....Lindy Lee!!

Inspired by Lindy's work.....her search of discovery, her sense of freedom, lightness and darkness, my collages below are a continuation of the white, faded series….only in red!

I've made them using rich ox-blood and black inks (intense colours that seem to represent Rembrandt for me)...stroked liberally across a collaged, emotive self-portrait.

I've simply called the series "Red Rembrandt".

Red Rembrandt I

Red Rembrandt II

Red Rembrandt III

Red Rembrandt IV

Red Rembrandt V

Rembrandt...out of fashion...yes, but certainly holding firm and definitely not out!

There'll be lots more about Lindy Lee in my next 'Promenade with my Parapluie' post.

Lindy's an inspiring artist, born in Brisbane, whose style and story are rooted in her Chinese/Australian background and cultures.  For me, a most impressive artist.

Ciao

Robyn

You may also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/promenade-with-my-parapluie-i-david.html
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/amsterdam-impressions.html
arisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/les-fleurs-and-aalsmeer.html

Bit of Paradise (BOP) 1 & 2 - Noosa and Cooroy, Queensland

Good morning everyone on this very hot, humid and sticky Saturday, 3 January 2015!

As I type this blog post, a pigeon is cooing on the telephone line overhead…..there's green everywhere and I have to say, "it's a gentle start to the day."  I like those starts.

In a previous post, I said that I like to create Art 'in a series' so, for consistency, I thought I'd also post some blogs 'in a series' too….an easy way to follow my gad-abouts this year.

I've introduced you to the "Promenade with my Parapluie" series"…..following is the "Bit of Paradise" (BOP) series.  There'll be lots and lots of BOPs!!!  They're everywhere here in Australia.

Here's my first BOP.
BOP 1 - Noosa

Noosa is on the Sunshine Coast…about a 2 hour slow drive from Brisbane.  It's a truly glorious spot…and that's where we bolt to when we need to 'smell the roses' (or sea spray) as they say.

We plonk ourselves smack bang on Noosa beach, watch swimmers far out splashing away with the Australian Crawl or catching a wave, cool ourselves under those magnificent Pandanus and simply connect with the glorious Noosa environment.  Noosa...fine one day...perfect the next!

The Pandanus are so ancient looking and sculptural.  They're beautiful to draw too.

Watercolours, pencil case and a pad of paper goes with me to Noosa…nothing better
 than to sit on the balcony, draw, feel the warm breeze and smell that ocean.

So there's just a little taste of Noosa for now….it's all glorious up there but that'll be another post.
Now here's my second BOP.
BOP 2 - Cooroy

I consider Cooroy to be a hidden gem.

Situated in the Noosa Hinterland,  it's a farming area….dominated by the Cooroy Mountain (which some have been known to 'race' (run) up!

Our oldest friends live there.

They've developed their beautiful BOP over the last 10 years with a lot of love, hard work, talent, vision, skill, connection to the land and creativity.

It looked nothing like this 10 years ago….raw bushland, somewhat overgrown with noxious weeds like Camphor Laurel and Privet….no residence, shed, dam, water bore, tanks, fences….no sculpted garden, cooling clumps of trees, grape-covered archway, vegetable garden, orchard, chicken house etc.

Congratulations my dear friends….you are generous in spirit, have a real connection with our wonderful environment and developed a BOP that you can truly be proud of.

Take a look….I'm sure you'll agree with me.

An Aussie Stonehenge perhaps?

This is where I take a rest, smell 'the grapes" and take in the exquisite view.
I can feel my blood pressure drop at least 10 points whenever I visit!

My friends also love rust in the garden….aahhh great minds...!!!!!  Well, it's so Aussie isn't it?
Rust and corrugated iron in the garden are a perfect match….and what a contrast to the green!

Lush, blood red helaconia.

A lacy parapluie….direct from Mother Nature.

Look…up in the sky…is it a bird, cockatoo, galah, magpie, guinea fowl, dove, owl, currawong, hawk or a kookaburra?
All of the above…and more.

He's one proud and beautiful rooster!  Those hens are good sorts too!

Christmas stars….direct from Mother Nature.

Holding on tight with an 'araldite' grip.

Those essential watering cans….to help delicate young things along the way to vibrant growth.

A splash of vermillion….the perfect shade for a summer lippy me thinks!!

Plump, juicy finger limes.  Try these in a Soda Stream….with icy batons….incredible!
Who needs Dom Perignon 2004?  OK!!!  Let's not get too carried away now!

Blue Quandong berries.  Tiffany was, no doubt, inspired by their shape and colour….I've seen lapis bead necklaces like these berries in their window.  For creativity….always head to Mother Nature….you can't go wrong.

The dam….apparently it leaks.  But I just adore it the way it is.

Rusty, leathery sculpture….direct from Mother Nature.

Can you believe our friends' talent, skill and creativity?
You can see their strong connection to the land can't you?

And a babbling brook!!!!  Does it get any better than this?

Mottled, mosaic leaf litter covering the way over the clay bridge.

Nature's treasure caught inside a rusty ball.

Schiaparelli pink coloured orchids.

Guerlain…eat your heart out.  Now THIS is "L'heure bleue".

Strike a pose darling!

Rosemary for remembrance.
Remembering this Cooroy BOP is easy.  Abundant and beautiful…a huge credit to my friends.

Exquisite?  Yes
Hard Work?  You bet….and for many years.
Worth it?  Without a doubt.

Oodles of Art inspiration for me in the coming weeks I think.  And I think the colour 'green' just may feature!

Would love to know if you enjoyed my first two BOPs!  Post a comment if you have the time.

Anyway, have to be off to start "Le beautification" for the big date tonight.

Anniversary tonight…one year short of 4 decades!  Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Where did it go?

Unfortunately, I won't be wearing the exceptional "L'heure bleue".  I'll be wearing Guerlain's "Chamade"….the one I wore 39 years ago!

Ciao

Robyn