Beautiful Libraries

Books were everywhere.  Piled under the table, in corners, and stacked neatly on bookcases that went up to the ceiling.  The room was messy in a very tidy sort of way.  A shaft of sunlight poked through a large bay window on the opposite wall from the door, and the little window seat was padded with a long cushion of silver and red and matching pillows.  On the round table in the middle of the room there was a globe, a quill and ink, and an open, empty volume that Ren guessed was someone’s journal or log book.  The whole room had a musty, comfortable smell that made Ren wish she were better at reading.

- An Excerpt from Seaspear ©

Today in the oversize section I found a book entitled, "The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World", with pictures by Guillaume De Laubier.  Needless to say, I brought it home and oohed / ahhed over the full color photographs - some in three fold parts!

Here is my favorite - the Benedictine Abbey Library of Admont, Austria.  It's the biggest monastery library in the world.

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Can you imagine sitting down on one of those ladders with a favorite tome (fancy word for book)? Wouldn't it be just ... out of this world? I know I would not be able to concentrate on reading with that huge expanse of tile and that huge mural stretching overhead.  And can you imagine the silence....?

Here is the Abbey Library of Saint Gall in Switzerland.

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Also very cool.  (Although - and I can't stop thinking this - the ceiling decorations look like some odd mildewing fungus.  But I say this in all due respect...)

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And here is the Wren Library of Trinity College in Jolly Olde England.

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Mmmm, the sight makes me want to settle down with a Jolly Olde classic by Dickens or Austen.

Although the lack of twisty stairs / balconies is a little disappointing.  I guess the English were too practical for that? :)

What about you - which of these beautiful libraries would you most like to visit?

(By the way - when did I become an expert in European architecture? Never.)  

Yours,

Ellyn

Peeling Paint, Pretty Maidens

This week in school, I have had to do lots of little mini biographies on painters.  One of them was John William Waterhouse, and when I dutifully began looking at his paintings (as was required),  I discovered something:

I love this painter's work!

*All photos in this post are from http://www.jwwaterhouse.com

"Fair Rosamund"

Waterhouse was part of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, an association dedicated to bringing the detail and quality back into modern art.

"Miranda - The Tempest"

As I looked at the paintings, I thought of all the stories that were woven into the depicted scenes.  Unfortunately, most of those stories are already told, and were in existence long before Waterhouse enhanced them with color.

"The Lady of Shalott"

The above 'lady' is one who fell in love with brave Lancelot, I believe.  (Correct me if I'm wrong.)  She looks sad? Yeah.  Lancelot was already in love with Queen Guinivere, who, even though she returned his affections, was married to King Arthur.  It's messed up, I know.

"Lady Clare"

"Lady Clare" by Tennyson is my favoritest piece of poetry! Except for maybe "The Eagle" (Tennyson) and "The Highwayman" (Noyes).

"The Missal"

I'm working on copying "The Missal" in charcoal.

"Windflowers"

Can you say SPRING in one...well...painting? Here 'tis!  This is our weather right now, except without all the flowers.  I wish we had more flowers...



P.S.  I have been thinking about my new design but I don't have any ideas yet.  You'll know when inspiration strikes.



Off to dinner!

- Ellyn

Art / Cartoons by Moi

It so happens that while I was gone I did a fair amount of drawing.  I got this lovely oversize book of Sea Battles from the library and copied these two pictures.  I tweaked them a little bit, but you could still recognize them in the book.

These pictures may remind you of something: Seaspear.  I, uh....cleverly....forgot to give you an update in my last post.  My little book was exploding with progress for most of March - so much so that I considered taking the month off of writing too, because I was neglecting other things.  But I'm almost to 60,000 words with it and right now, I have....writer's block.  Bah.

I'm soo sorry these are sideways.  I tried everything I could think of!  The top one is John Paul Jones, aboard his Bonne Homme Richard - I've always loved the fellow.  Especially in that old tv show - Liberty's Kids! Has anyone watched that? The bottom one is Admiral Brueyes, who was killed...hm.  Don't remember.  Killed in a battle with Nelson, I believe.

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A conversation my dad and I had over a catalog gave me the idea for this comic.  I'll give it to you frame by frame so its easier to read.  (As I uploaded all these, I realized some definite mistakes, like the lack of a question mark in the last frame.  Also, Ash had a little lipstick malfunction in this first one, due to a wayward pen.)

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Here's a four-frame comic I just did yesterday for a co-op art class.

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Hope you enjoyed these!

P.S.  Isn't the weather beautiful? I woke up to birds singing. :)

- Ellyn