Sketch of "Statuette of Deacon"




































This is a sketch done with a #2, 5mm mechanical lead pencil, with shadows touched up in charcoal. The subject is from the collections of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston, and rendered from a photo-illustration in the book 'Medieval Objects in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Metalwork" by Nancy Netzer. The statuette is from the Low Countries c.1450-1500 of leaded lattan (50.7% copper, 13.8% zinc, 31% lead, 2.6% tin, and 1.9% antimony) and stands 8 7/16th inches high. Sketch is copyright 2006 by MJ Andrade

Polymath; the term used in polite society for an adult with ADHD

I wonder if anyone has studied or theorized on the evolutionary cost and benefits trade-offs of depression and ADHD. Depression is tricky, I can't really think of anything it is good for, but it may come hand-in-hand with something beneficial. ADHD and ADD on the other hand, strike me as having distinct possibilities. Being able to concentrate on boring or repetitive tasks, like chipping flint to make spear-points for a whole day, but being able to suddenly flip into hyper-vigilance at the hint of danger would be a distinct survival tactic.

I am just a layman, and my understanding of these processes is only light. Anyone have any thoughts?

"As to killing all the fun: Isn't that the essential methodology of Gender Studies?"

Anne Althouse has an incredibly funny post, suggesting someone do a Gender Studies course on Don Knotts. I found it through a link from Instapundit. Normally I wouldn't link to something Glenn Reynolds has linked to, as it would have all of the impact of turning on a garden hose next to Niagara, but the above line by Ms. Althouse in the comments section is just to good to pass.

Go read it, and the comments too.

Matchbox Cars

Old Campainers

Three Brits

Premonitions of Alan Rickman

Blue and Purple


I'm thinking through a painting series based on my old matchbox cars to fit in and alternate with this series

The Refuse of the Alchemist (redux)



Cracker box, acrylic pallette scrapings, beer bottle caps, assembled between 1998-2004 copyright 2006 MJAndrade

I wasn't pleased with the last version, so here it is redone, with a seamless background.

Vintage Mazda Lamp Advertisements







These are printed on heavy card stock, I think they were part of a calendar.

Please note that these may still be subject to copyright by the estate of Maxfield Parrish (and its agents) or GE or both.

Images of Bes and Canopic Jars from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

bronze bird and a fainece statue of Bes













Bes relief



























Jug figured as the household 'god' Bes



























Jug figured as the household 'god' Bes (side view)



























canopic jars
















canopic jars













Nubian canoptic jars













egyptian statuary, and two part canoptic jar

Ringwraith Nuclear Family




After her disastrous break-up with the Beast, Belle's choices in men continued to be poor. She managed to keep things together for the sake of the children, but she knew that her marriage to the Witch King of Angmar could not last much longer.




Attorneys representing Disney and Peter Jackson should be presenting cease-and -desist orders any minute now...

Vintage Postcards

Cathedrale de Strasbourg


Le Choeur

Colonne des Anges

Ecclesia

La Synagogue

Horloge astronomique de la Cathedrale

Le Grand Portail

Vintage Swedish Postcards
















































































These are some of the many vintage postcards from my Mom's side (the Swedish side) of the family. There are seventy-four in all, dating from between 1900 and the 1930's

You really should browse through BibliOdyssey.

Their four most recent posts cover illustrations by Franz Stassen from 1899,



The Book of Examples,



Costume History,



and Comparative Mammalian Anatomy,



I hope they don't mind my purloining some of their hard-found research. Don't settle for the measily amount I have here. BibliOdyssey always has a huge amount of beautiful and arcane imagery.

the Persistence of Memory



Going through old family photos, I found this one of my mother's mother. It may be a high school graduation picture, I'm not sure.

While I was in college, I lived with my Grandparents near Boston. My Grandmother didn't like having her picture taken, because she thought that she did not look good in photographs.

This shot struck me. I had never seen it before. She really was a lovely girl. Maybe she didn't do so well in shots when she was older, but this may give you an idea of the lovely heart that she had all through her life.

More Book Madness; Reviewing Dover Publications softcover editions of Giovanni Battista Piranesi's The Prisons (Le Carceri) and Hans Holbein the Younger's The Dance of Death.



Dover Publications has been in business since 1941, providing and reb]producing historic books on all subjects at reasonable prices. I purchased my first Dover Books in high school, some of Bridgman's Anatomy books, back in the late 70's, but I seem to remember some in the family library before then as well. For well used paperbacks these have held excellently, and I have even leant them out to drawing students from time-to-time.

Last year I ordered several books on art from Dover, inclucing The Dance of Death and The Prisons. Both of these books are lovely, and the images are reproduced with great care.



The Prisons (Le Carceri) may be the most complete reproduction of this series of etchings bu Piranesi that is available. Both series one and series two etchings are included, and all are printed at 60% of origional size (which makes them about 9 X 13 inches). The images are stunning, bringing to mind fantastical opera sets or the type of grandiose locations that Spielberg or Peter Jackson might create if they remade "Nosferatu." The sixteen plates, in both 'First State' and 'Second State' versions show imaginary dungeons, prisons and vast laberinths of stairs balconies and galleries that would be fitting for Dante's Inferno.

The Dance of Death is a complete view of Hans Holbein the Younger's 41 Woodcuts, in a complete facsimile of the original 1538 French edition. The plates are printed with the orgional Latin captions, and then again with modern English. Unfortunately the plates are rather small, being only 2 x 2 1/2 inches. I do not believe the originals were so small, but I may be mistaken. Also the origional essays that accompanied the original prints are not translated. This is unfortunate, but as an artist I find the book well worth having in spite of this. The woodcuts are simply wonderful.



I highly recommend Dover Books to anyone looking for reprintings of older references, and especially for specialty art references. For anyone interested in the Art History or 'fantastic' art, I would strongly recommend The Prisons and The Dance of Death.


Giovanni Battista Piranesi, The Prisons (Le Carceri) ISBN 0-486-21540-7 $18.95 US

The Dance of Death, 41 Woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger ISBN 0-486-22894-5 $8.95 US

OCD Artist Alert!

I've been going through old family photos and archiving them to disk. At 1200 x 1200 dpi and an average of five photos per 8 1/2 x 11 scanned page, I've probably done over seventy pages so far. I will post some of the most interesting later.

Maybe I need to drink less coffee...

More Book Madness

Reviewing “Goya” by Sarah Symmons, Phaidon Art & Ideas series; copyright Phaidon Press Limited, Regent’s Wharf, All Saints Street, London England

Let me begin by saying that I am very pleased and impressed with the Art & Ideas series. All of them that I have browsed have been wonderfully put together for their very affordable prices. “Goya” is the second book from this series that I have purchased (following on the heels of ”The Northern Renaissance”. The reproductions are clear and of great quality and high detail, and the writing is by people with a deep knowledge and love for the subjects. “Goya” is no exception. Ms. Symmons’ writing is thorough, in depth, and accessible. Not only does she cover Francisco Goya’s life in great detail, but she also ties in a history of the prevailing social and political conditions, provides insight into Goya’s character and possible motivations, and highlights the legacy of his work and its continuing impact on artists.

I would highly recommend any of the Art & Ideas series to anyone who, like myself love art and art books, but want to purchase wisely and on a budget. I would especially encourage you to take a look at “Goya,” who is one of my favorite artists.

Roundup of Artists Interview Artists Project

I've been meaning to catch up with linking to JT Kirkland's interviews of artists by other artists for a while.

Marianela de la Hoz with questions by AB Miner Ms. de la Hoz's work is amazing.

Martin Henry with questions by Barbara Johnson-Gresser, a very rational and grounded person, Mr. Henry.

AB Miner with questions by George Wayne(I especially am intrigued and challenged by his response to question number four.)

Barbara Johnson-Gresser with questions by Martin Henry

Adrian Parsons with questions by Yours Truly

Don't forget to follow the link's to the artist's and interviewer's work and websites!

Images from our family trip to the Higgins Armory Museum

Polychrome figure, German


Saint George, German (?Tulip Wood)



Austro-German Figure presenting a church


Armor

Dad



Lynn and Dad dancing at our wedding eleven years ago



Mom, my brother and Dad at the farm, before I was born



Dad, his sister Helen and brother Ernie, long ago



In a week, it will be five years since my Dad passed away from cancer. I owe everything to him. My Dad, the engineer who taught me how to think creatively. My Dad, who every week drove me to Boy Scouts till I became an Eagle Scout just before my eighteenth birthday. My Dad, who used the Dodge dump truck (shown in the previous post) to build the road that goes to the family farmhouse.

He hated wearing a suit and tie, because he'd had enough of dressing for someone else in the army. He happily donned a white dinner jacket for my wedding, because I'd always thought he looked like Bogie from Casablanca. He had two boys, and doted upon the women we married.

Rugged, individualistic, libertarian before that was a type of politics. He was a stand up guy, who in his older years I still wouldn't have wanted to be on the wrong end of. Yet he was gentle and kept himself in control. He was a man who knew, loved and understood history, and along with my Mom collected a vast number of books.

I see him in my brother, as he raises his family. I hope my brother can see him in me.

If I can raise my boys as he raised me, I will have done well.

I miss you, Dad.