Easter 2025

 Happy Easter Season 

A Resurrection Bible reading

“1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre,bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

8 And they remembered his words,

9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”

Gospel of Luke KJV c24 v1-12

The illustration was composed on black umbrella fabric. The frame is based on a yellow e-processed brolly fabric.

Saint Veronica

For me, one of the significant characters in the Easter story is Veronica, subsequently St Veronica.

She manages to get close enough and show compassion and kindness to Jesus who is being ill treated.

The background frame is based on an e-processed pink brolly fabric. 

Woodspurge and Yellow Brimstone Butterfly

The wood spurge plant and yellow brimstone butterfly are illustrated in the adapted style of the artist Edith Holden.

The background frame is based on an e-processed yellow brolly fabric. 

“Come  forth ye blossoms! – over hill and lea,

A breathe of sweetness wantons with the sea,

And mid the smiles and tears of tender Spring,

Ye cups and stars that strew the fair, green field,

Ye wings of gold the prickly gorses yield;

Ye perisive bells to purple pageants born,

Ye milk-white may-buds of the mantling thorn;

Ye violet gems and eyes of sapphire blue;

Wan, flushing wind-flowers and shy elfin crew

Of every crannied wall, — come forth! –and fling

Young vernal showers around me while I sing;” – A Song of Salutation – E.M. Holden

Note: E M Holden was Edith’s sister, Effie Margaret 

Some spring flora

The coltsfoot, daffodils and periwinkle are illustrated in the adapted style of artist Edith Holden.

Black bird song dawn chorus sound 

The background frame is based on an e-processed blue brolly fabric. 

Featuring the Celandine

The celandine, daisy and wren birds are illustrated in the adapted style of artist Edith Holden.  The background frame is based on an e-processed green brolly fabric. 

                Celandine

"Pansies, lilies, kingcups, daisies,
Let them live upon their praises;
Long as there’s a sun that sets,
Primroses will have their glory;
Long as there are violets,
They will have a place in story:
There’s a flower that shall be mine,
'Tis the little Celandine.

Ere a leaf is on a bush,
In the time before the thrush
Has a thought about her nest,
Thou wilt come with half a call,
Spreading out thy glossy breast
Like a careless Prodigal;
Telling tales about the sun,
When we’ve little warmth, or none."

Wordsworth 

Violet Plant and Female Chaffinch

The violet flora and female chaffinch are illustrated in the adapted style of artist Edith Holden.

In her 1906 Nature Notes she writes a quote from Shakespeare.

‘Violets dim, yet sweeter than the lids of Juno’s eyes or Cytherea’s breathe.’

The background frame is based on an e-processed purple brolly fabric. 

Lady Day - 25th March

Edith Holden included  25 March Lady Day in her 'Days of Note' section, in both the Nature Notes of 1905 and 1906. Lady Day is also known in some parts of the Christian community as the 'Feast of the Annunciation'. This is the period in time when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear Jesus Christ. 

Numerous artists have painted their interpretation of this significant event.  Some are shown below.

The background frame is an e-processed blue, green and yellow brolly fabric respectively. 

Chaffinch and Daffodil

The baby chaffinch and daffodils are illustrated in the adapted style of artist Edith Holden.

The background frame was created via an e-processed green brolly fabric. 

Huckworthy Bridge

Adaptation of Huckworthy Bridge

Edith Holden also produced over fifty oil paintings (as listed in The Edwardian Lady book).  Have you seen any? 

I illustrated this picture (June 2022), as an adaptation of Edith’s Huckworthy Bridge on Dartmoor that she produced as an oil painting in 1908.  Edith’s version contains much more details!

The background frame is based on an e-processed blue brolly fabric. 

Daffodils and Thrush Bird

I produced this daffodils and thrush bird illustration, (February 2020) in the adapted style of artist Edith Holden.

The picture has been given an e-processed purple brolly fabric frame. 

Re. February 1905 Nature Notes

 February nature notes sketch

The crocus and primrose are illustrated in the adapted style of artist Edith Holden. 
The sketch was drawn on purple brolly fabric and the background is on an e-processed yellow brolly fabric. 

Some Anniversaries

If you are part of a local community group, consider marking the occasion with:

  * Having a wildflower patch in your own / community garden.

  * An Edwardian Tea Party

  * An Edwardian Fancy Dress

  * An Art Exhibition (invite members of the community to bring and show their     flora / fauna art work.

   * A Talk / Discussion with members within your group.

You can find summary information about Edith and her Natures Notes online.

LDV Cloudburst (part 10)

Leonardo Da Vinci’s, A cloudburst of material possessions c1506 -12 

Black chalk pen and ink (part 10)

Ken Burns and others including members of his family produced a well advertised, (on YouTube) excellent detailed documentary for the PBS channel. The documentary aired in America and Canada 18 -19th November 2024.   It is also available on the PBS app and BBC iPlayer.

I watched the BBC iPlayer version and noted with interest a description via an actor covering Leonardo’s voice in the second part, (37 minutes in). It seems that the description could potentially also be linked to some elements of a sketch such as this cloudburst in representational form.

Numerous adverts such as Arts, Science and the Human experience  leading up to the airing the documentary are available on YouTube too.

Various coloured brolly fabric have been e–processed and made semi-transparent on the upper section of the sketch. Further information on each part can be found on the earlier posts.

Link to:  Part One , Part Two, Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8, Part 9

Happy Christmas

 

The gold shaded background was processed from a piece of yellow umbrella fabric.

Advent Season

Over the centuries, the Advent wreath featuring five candles has come to represent variations of similar themes.  In some churches, one candle is lit each Sunday leading up to Christmas day.

1. The Patriarchs in faith -  Hope  
2. The Prophets - Faith
3. John the Baptist / Gaudete - Joy  
(also for those who are fasting over the period, refreshment day)
4. Mary and Joseph / Annunciation - Love
5. Christmas Day Candle / White 

In the arrangement shown above, the background and outer candles are created from brolly fabric and the central one from a piece of cardboard.   As I do not have any holly in the garden, I have used the rosemary herb for the circular effect.  Furthermore I find rosemary easier to work with as it:

 - has a pleasant scent
-  is not prickly like the holly
-  can be washed and used in teas / cooking / cosmetics afterwards!

Advent song: Christmas is Coming

Another Advent explanation

LDV Water Studies

Adaptation of Leonardo Da Vinci’s, Studies of Water

Leonardo observed and analysed the movement of water for his civil engineering works, scientific studies as well as his artistic landscapes.  Most of his water sketches that features the movement of water can be found in his notebooks and what was called the ‘Codex Leicester’  in 1717.

My adaptation of one of Leonardo’s water sketches is illustrated below on pink brolly fabric.

Tenth Anniversary

Tenth Anniversary

Now ten years have elapsed since I started this blog. A wide range of topics have been covered including using the broken umbrella (brolly) for a variety of applications.  Below are some examples over the years.

To see what else was posted in that year simply click on the year listed below. You can also scroll to the right in 'Web Version' mode to access the list of years on the blog.

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Renaissance and Beyond

Some art from the renaissance and beyond

Umbrella / Brolly fabric used as a background in the art work shown below. 

Black History Month

Black History Month

Some paintings from the renaissance and beyond

Lapis lazuli, an expensive mineral in bygone days was used to form the Tutankhamun mask's eyebrows and  makeup surrounding the eyes.  The mineral came from the mountains of Badakhshan in Afghanistan. 

In some paintings of the renaissance era, Lapis Lazuli mineral was grounded and used to make a blue hue.  Not lapis, however, the blue brolly fabric is synthetic and similar in colour used as a background to some of the paintings below. 

LDV eyes in oil paintings

Review of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Eyes in his oil paintings

Mona Lisa: As Leonardo Da Vinci kept this version till his death, it would seem that this is a relative, perhaps a later version of his mother who he was taken from as a child.  Her iris is brown as most people would have been in that era (and still are today!).

Apart from her facial features looking well vexed, Ginevra’s eye colouring is hazel. Less than 6% of the world’s population have hazel coloured iris.

The angels with their grey iris are synonymous with people originating in cooler regions of the world e.g Northern Europe.  The frontispiece for ‘Girl with the Pearl Earring’,  (historical fiction set in the Netherlands), novel is also painted with grey iris.  Less than 5% of the world’s population have grey coloured iris.

The cropped paintings have been placed on former black umbrella fabric

Leonardo Da Vinci’s, Three Emblems c1508 - 10

Pen and ink, blue body colour, wash of ground red chalk (?)

“Each of these three emblems has the theme of constancy.

At the top is a plough with the motto Hostinato rigore (Obstinate Rigour). At the centre is a compass mounted on a shaft geared in a very Leonardesque manner to a water wheel; the wheel is being turned by the water flowing below, But though this rotates the body of the compass, the needle points steadily at the sun.  Beneath is the motto Destinato rigore, roughly ‘determined rigour’…Below, a candle at the centre of a lamp is blown by the eight winds and yet remains upright.”

Leonardo D Vinci A Life in Drawing, Martin Clayton

For me, the upper part of columns in the lamp looks to be in the style of doric or ionic.

I have superimposed a yellow brolly fabric in the candle section of the lamp.