I love how the old becomes new again: the forgotten is suddenly remembered and the flooding memory is a recalled revelation. I am absorbed with the idea that the new–foreign and threatening–reveals itself to be a recollection, strangely and beautifully made-over, of the past. That the sun rises again and anew each morning is a thrilling repetition of a perfect God-created order in this world–made each day to repeat a never-ending fact:

      “What has been will be again,
       what has been done will be done again;
       there is nothing new under the sun.”
                                            Ecclesiastes 1:9

And it’s inevitable conclusion:

      “In the day of prosperity be
          happy,
     But in the day of adversity
          consider–
     God has made the one as well as
          the other
     So that man will not discover
          anything that will be after
          Him.”
                                          Ecclesiastes 7:14

And all this from a song.

   There are so many talented artists out there, I sometimes despair at the prospect of continuing in my hobby (it seems like just a hobby when compared to some artistic careers out there…). Just a few examples below that I’ve found on Etsy of folks just like me: painting for art’s sake and trying to make a little money at the same time.

Even though each of these was created by a different artist, they all share a similar ethereal, impressionistic quality that I love. I suppose it is seeing paintings like these that inspires me to continue in my quest of re-creating the beautiful things that surround us in life. Why put in on a canvas? There is something intangible about “real live” beauty that often can be captured and exhibited with paint on a canvas, or with a camera, or in the many other media out there. It is the constant working out of that process–from the real to the created to the understood reality–that is the artist’s task.

It’s not quite the same as a quiet evening spent watching a movie with my fiance after a dinner and a walk….but my little “date night” with myself has it’s perks: chocolate. 🙂

I love the idea of hats as a fashion statement–archaic though it may be in this age of “less is more”–and I think it would be a great trend to start again at weddings. In the absence of the old photo from my mother’s baptism that depicts several mothers, aunts, grandmothers, etc., in hats of all shapes and sizes, I’ve included this vintage pic (circa 1920) to show just how classic this style can be.

And below, some modern versions of the classic “wedding hat”. Wouldn’t it make things a little more exciting (or at least give you another excuse to go shopping) if all each guest–at the least, diginified, fashionable female guests–went out and bought a hat to match her outfit? I think it would add interest and a summery flair (not to mention block out all those harmful UV rays!) for the audience. 🙂

A few shots of the beautiful tulips that my thoughtful fiancé sent. 🙂

Some favorites from a photo session yesterday with my most recent portrait commission (!)–expecting a 16×20 oil portrait of this friendly, energetic ten-year-old: