What is done in love is done well. ~ Vincent van Gogh
Aug15
Monday Morning Wisdom #375
What is done in love is done well. ~ Vincent van Gogh
Tag Archives: Vincent van Gogh
Jul29
Creative Juice #305
Wonderful articles to enjoy this weekend.
- These designs should win awards.
- Breathtaking horse photographs.
- Practice to grow as a writer.
- Photographs of geographic formations and natural disasters. The top photo is the beginning of the slideshow.
- Thoughts on a scrappy Christmas (or not) quilt.
- The discovery of a previously unknown self-portrait by van Gogh.
- Creating new creatures by collage.
- Multi-media artist Judi Kauffman.
- Children’s book illustrator Katie Mazeika.
- Thoughts on religious art and on Carracci’s The Lamentationin particular.
- I could vacation here.
- Parenting book recommendations.
Oct15
Creative Juice #264
Halloween is coming soon. . .
- Day of the Dead quilts.
- Amazing 3D murals.
- Some writers have strange working habits.
- What one must do to fresh rice to prepare it for cooking—Mozambique style.
- For the bloggers: strategies to get more writing done with less pressure.
- Printable Halloween bookmarks. Easy craft for kids.
- The true value of the jewelry you buy.
- Legendary portrait photographers.
- About the letters of Vincent van Gogh.
- The essence of an old quilting bee.
- Awesome piñatas.
- Can your Halloween display top this?
Jul2
Creative Juice #249
Works of art. Personal experiences. Articles to enrich your weekend.
- Beautiful artwork.
- How to invite your viewer into your photograph. This makes me want to take a field trip to the zoo. . .
- You can draw pretty leaves.
- Meeting John Lennon in India changed his life. (Heads up: this article was published a year ago; some links no longer work.)
- Her pet got loose on a flight.
- Driving during a tornado watch.
- The complex architectural drawings of Benjamin Sack.
- Want to improve your life? Here are some little books that can help you change.
- These surrealistic paintings give me chills.
- Lovely Victorian houses.
- How an author wrote her first historical fiction book for children—oh, and there’s a book giveaway too.
- A discussion of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
Nov13
Creative Juice #216
Such good stuff here. Curated especially for you.
- How the pandemic affected an artist’s work.
- Photographer makes a living taking pictures of squirrels on his balcony.
- Beautiful quilts.
- Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Do you wonder if any NaNoWriMo books ever get published?
- The best of this year’s short stories.
- For the quilters: a quick way to turn 5-inch squares of precut fabric into four-patches.
- The music of Alina Gingertail.
- This is going to sound really offensive, but bear with me. The best Covid death story ever. Don’t judge me, just read it.
- For the fiction writers: some ways to plot your novel.
- Award-winning photographs.
- If you love Van Gogh, you’ll love this resource.
- The stories behind some of music’s most iconic album covers.
Aug14
Creative Juice #203
Beautiful things to look at, and ideas that will help you boost your own creativity.
- Sculptures made from discarded metal.
- Murals that incorporate their surroundings.
- A clue may shed light on Vincent Van Gogh’s last days.
- The hundred best books of the last twenty years. I’ve read maybe ten of these; they were all good except for one which I can’t remember. One more is in my TBR pile. Most of these I’ve never even heard of.
- I love this artist’s Instagram page.
- Rebellious nuns.
- Are you living the dream? Why not?
- A little city of zentangled architecture.
- Free summer-themed quilt patterns.
- Wonderful photos of scenes in Saigon—and each one includes at least one motorbike.
- I have long loved Grant Snider’s Incidental Comics. This article explains his process for a recent book cover he illustrated.
- Admit it—you’ve been thinking about starting your own podcast. How hard is it, really? Read this article to find out.
Nov29
Creative Juice #166
Neat stuff found online.
- A watercolorist’s process.
- Can’t find your wedding ring? Did you check the garden? (I almost spelled it “weeding ring.)
- Laughter makes your day better. Read these comments a teacher collected from her young students.
- A children’s book explores the plight of the polar bear.
- Street art and doors.
- When her bracelet broke, it inspired six little pieces of art. (I have wasted my life.)
- I’m so jealous—I wish I could take a trip to Paris like this one, including the Van Gogh exhibit.
- Being a good conversationalist isn’t so much about what you say as what questions you ask.
- Were you wondering what to get me for Christmas? Or for the other writers on your list? Some items are no longer available, but the ideas are still valid.
- Beautiful photographs of fungi.
- Memoirs that read like thrillers.
- Beautiful, easy fabric star ornaments to make.
Jun27
Guest Post: “The Night Café” by Vincent van Gogh from Joy of Museums
Thanks to Joy of Museums for this commentary on The Night Café, a painting by Van Gogh that I’ve never seen before.
“The Night Café” by Vincent van Gogh depicts the interior of Café de la Gare, in Arles. Five customers are sitting at tables, and a waiter in a light coat is standing and facing the viewer. A half-curtained doorway in the centre background is leading to more private quarters. The title of this painting is inscribed lower right beneath the signature. In highly contrasting and vivid colours, the paint is applied thickly, with the perspective leading toward the door in the back.
Van Gogh stayed up for three consecutive nights to paint the picture, sleeping during the day. Van Gogh wrote to his brother about the Café:
“… staying open all night. “Night prowlers” can take refuge there when they have no money to pay for a lodging or are too drunk to be taken in. ”
To continue reading this article, click here.
Apr5
Creative Juice #334
You can’t fail to be inspired by these wonderful articles.
- Photographer James Abbe.
- More quilts from the Arizona Quilters Guild show.
- A street artist improves the neighborhood.
- A heartbreaking inside look at the genius of Vincent Van Gogh.
- The benefits of reading with your kids.
- Is there something in your life you wish you were doing? Just do it. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Here’s what happened when someone drew every day for a year.
- 55 cool things you can make from pallets!
- This sculpture of a homeless man reminds people of the words of Christ.
- Can you teach creativity? Should schools test for it?
- A fascinating interview with illustrator Kate Cosgrove, showing her process for drawing, painting, and paper cutting.
- An altar to Zeus.
- Artist Nathalie Kalbach designs rubber stamps. Watch this video to see her creating with them.
Nov1
Guest Post: “White House at Night” by Vincent van Gogh from The Joy of Museums
Thank you to The Joy of Museums for insights and background on this painting.
“White House at Night” by Vincent van Gogh
“White House at Night” by Vincent van Gogh was created six weeks before his death. It is thought that van Gogh painted “White House at Night” around 8:00 PM based on the position of the “star” in the painting. Astronomers calculated that the star in the picture must be Venus which was bright in the evening sky in June 1890.
According to the Museum, this painting:
“expresses the great psychological tension under which Van Gogh found himself.”
ARHtistic License 