Brush With Orange; Photo. More Ascender’s Photos.

~~~

The visible carries all the invisible on its back.
Tonight, in the unconditional, what moves in the long-limbed grasses,
what touches me
As though I didn’t exist?
What is it that keeps on moving,
a tiny pillar of smoke
Erect on its hind legs,
loose in the hollow grasses?
A word I don’t know yet, a little word, containing infinity,
Noiseless and unrepentant, in sift through the dry grass.
Under the tongue is the utterance.

A Short History of the Shadow by Charles Wright

Mountain Landscape with Cattle by William Keith. Oil on canvas. 30 x 50 in. More Huntington on this blog.

The great naturalist John Muir called William Keith a “poet-painter,” referring to the lyrical quality in Keith’s art. The idea for the Sierra Club was first formed in Keith’s studio during conversations with Muir, Dr. Joseph LeConte, the first president of the University of California, and Warren Olney, a prominent San Francisco attorney.

In 1891, he shared his studio for several weeks with East Coast Tonalist George Inness, Sr. [1825-1894]. Both men painted in a similar style and were followers of the mystical teachings of Swedenborg. The Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco: Described as one of California’s earliest pure Arts and Crafts buildings, this complex represents a unique collaboration of many influential architects and craftspeople.

Among the locations where Inness and Keith painted together were Monterey and Yosemite, and it was reported they discussed art from every possible angle. Under Inness’ influence, Keith painted more than ever in a Barbizon-influenced vein with many sunset and twilight scenes. More barbizon artists on this blog.

(detail of cow stare) Mountain Landscape with Cattle

Cow I captured staring while speeding 80 mph down Highway 5; I am rather pleased with this shot – what are the odds that it would be looking at the highway.

Whether lying in a straw-filled stable or lazily grazing in a grassy meadow, the many images of cows captured the rural lifestyle and conjured up a simpler time when man was more tied to the land — a subject that was popular at the time when modernity was sometimes viewed as a threat. This “cow craze” made the market for cow paintings very profitable and the images most fashionable — even for turn-of-the-century parlors.

Cows dotting the horizon near Gilroy. It reminds me of those Happy California Cow Commercials. Vote for your favorite today.

Sagebrush lined highway near Point Reye. I like the lush golden colors, hills in the distance, ocean beyond those.

My mother, from Missouri, used to say “That’s money you’re smelling” when passing large commercial cattle lots. (aka cash cow)

In the hills near Gilroy. Agenda of cow: meander to tree in the morning, picnic and a nap, meander back home at night.

I’ve been pulled into the Farmville craze. Have you?
Milk (Regular Cow), 1 day, 6 coins
Strawberry Milk (Pink Cow) 1 day, 12 coins
Chocolate Milk (Brown Cow) 1 day, 18 coins
Milkonium (Bovine-09) 1 day, 18 coins

(Sick of Farmville Cows on Facebook)

Oh, will you be my neighbor?

Glance In The Reliquary; Dry Pastels. More Ascender’s Dry Pastels. Purchase a small print.

~~~

And this, then,
is the vision of that Heaven of which
we have heard, where those who love
each other have forgiven each other,

where, for that, the leaves are green,
the light a music in the air,
and all is unentangled,
and all is undismayed.

To My Mother by Wendell Berry

It’s Electric; Photo. Inside a light bulb at The Huntington. I think it looks like a tiny opera singer?  More Ascender’s Photos.

~~~

Art begins with a lie
The separation is you plus me plus what we make
Look into lightbulb, blink, sun’s in your eye

The Lie by Anne Waldman

From the Huntington science exhibit… a hundred historical light bulbs, including three test bulbs labeled by Edison himself. Displayed in a case filled with Nitrogen (in case the seals on the bulbs were broken) and put a few watts through some of the old bulbs. Edison’s and many others’ bulbs were designed to maximize the length of filament that was inside the bulb, by looping the filament up and down in a circle. Modern day light bulbs are made with very thin filaments, tightly packed in coils.

Near San Jose