Vintage Christmas Card Art of the Cartoonist Roy Doty . . .

If what you see above interests you, click here to read more about the interesting life, times and career of Roy Doty (1922- ) and many, many more of his wonderful Christmas cards from the past 50+ years.

Each of the thumbnails (in the new link) can be enlarged so you can view the full-size illustration. What a treat; a real trip down memory lane.




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Georgia O'Keeffe :: Exhibit of her Abstract Paintings at Whitney Museum of Art . . .

 

Details about the exhibit with 130 paintings by the iconic O'Keeffe at New York City's Whitney Museum of American Art.

Thanks for stopping by the cottage today. I'm running a little late in getting my daily blog post up and running. Enjoy. ♥Rosemary

Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre . . .

This is my favorite! Perfect for a realtor.

SILHOUETTE MASTERPIECE THEATRE.
These wonderful creations are by Wilhelm Staehle. I found the site this morning and couldn't wait to share it with you. Make sure you look at all of them. Aren't they charming?

Thanks for stopping by the cottage. Enjoy your Monday. I plan on doing some quality mowing today. ♥Rosemary

A chipmunk in my garden + an antique etching with dogs and a squirrel . . .

I can't believe how many chipmunks I see running around my property storing food for later. I was in my vestibule when I saw this one on my front wall yesterday. Could this be a sign of a cold winter? We'll just have to wait and see.

"Nuts to You" ~ A delightful etching by Marguerite Kirmse
English printmaker 1885-1954

Label on the back of the framed artwork with provenance.
Try to do this with your own antique purchases if you can.
Thanks for stopping by the cottage -- have a great day!

A screensaver for your desktop until April 15th tax deadline . . .

"Paying the Tax" or "The Tax Collector"
(Click photo to enlarge)

Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564 or 1565–1636), Flemish painter. Oil on panel circa 1620. USC Fisher Museum of Art, The Armand Hammer Collection.

I thought you might want to use this as a screensaver for your desktop to remind you that April 15th is just around the corner and you should start figuring your taxes.

Some things never change, do they? There are papers everywhere and nobody looks happy. I wonder what that woman is digging out of that basket? Certainly not credit card receipts!

In Love with A. Lincoln | Another picture story by Maira Kalman . . .

This is my lucky day and yours too! The New York Times has a wonderful picture story by Maira Kalman. You liked the one I ran earlier this month about her day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

She recently visited the Lincoln Archive at the Rosenback Museum and Library in Philadelphia where she fell in love with Abraham Lincoln.

Read the entire illustrated picture story about Lincoln here with many more of Maira Kalman's wonderful illustrations for you to enjoy. You can thank me later! I was so happy to learn that there will be a feature in the New York Times every last Friday on "The Pursuit of Happiness". I hope we won't have to wait too long for another illustrated story by Maira. I love that she's always hungry and feels compelled to tell us what she eats! I wonder what's in a Lincoln Italian sub?

You will probably want to go back and view her picture story called 'MAD ABOUT THE MET' here.

Thanks for stopping by. ♥Rosemary

Winnie the Pooh sale brings £1.26m at auction in London . . .

December 18, 2008
Sotheby's - London, New Bond Street
A collection of E. H. Shepard's original drawings for the Winnie the Pooh children's books fetched £1.26m at auction.

The top lot, "He went on tracking, and Piglet... ran after him", one of Shepherd's best-known drawings, went for £115,250, a record for the artist (Ernest Howard Shepard, 1879-1976).

The illustration, showing Pooh walking with Piglet by his side, leaving a trail of footprints behind them, sold for far more than its pre-sale estimate of between 40,000 and 60,000 pounds.

Another drawing, "Bump, bump, bump - going up the stairs", sold for £97,250, almost double its lower estimate.

The auction also included limited edition and signed books by author AA Milne, and the first US edition presentation copy of Winnie-the-Pooh, dated 1926, which sold for £39,650 against an estimate of 15,000-20,000 pounds.

Philip Errington, Sotheby's specialist in charge of children's books and original illustrations, said he was "delighted" with the sale results. ...read more...

View Sotheby's Catalog with Sale Results:
'That sort of Bear': E. H. Shepard's Winnie-the-Pooh From the Collections of Stanley J Seeger and Christopher Cone

"Take care of your antiques and they will take care of you."

Mad about the Metropolitan Museum of Art . . .

A charming illustrated short story ~ MAD ABOUT THE MET by Maira Kalman. I scanned the pages from the May-June 2008 issue of Departures Magazine. Click to enlarge for easy reading.

Enjoy your Sunday whether or not you go to the Met.

See her picture story about Abraham Lincoln here.

Beatrix Potter quote and illustration . . .

"Thank goodness I was never sent to school;
it would have rubbed off some of the originality. "

Beatrix Potter, born in London, was educated privately at home. Both parents were from Unitarian families that became prosperous through the cotton trade. She grew up isolated from most other children, with drawing, nature, pets, her little brother, and governesses as her contacts with the outside world. In the 1890s, Beatrix Potter carried out experiments in natural history, illustrating animals, plants, lichen, and fungi. When the difficulties of succeeding as a woman scientist became clear, she began a career as an illustrator of children's writing.

Her best-known book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, began as a letter to the young son of her former governess. It was first privately published in 1901. After she married at age 47 and bought a farm in England's Lake District, her writing tapered off. She focused on her personal life with her husband, preserving (protecting)the natural landscape from developers, and raising sheep. In 1930 she became the first woman president of the Herdwick Sheep Breeder's Association.

Beatrix Potter wrote a diary in code from ages 14 to 31, deciphered and published in 1966. I never tire of learning more and more about this fascinating woman. Imagine writing a diary in code! I wonder who broke it? She must have been very protective of her private thoughts. I must look for this book at the library. I hope it is illustrated with her delightful drawings.

Create your own JACKSON POLLOCK masterpiece . . .

I just noticed the Google Doodle today and wondered what it was. It is a squiggly painting celebrating the birthday of Jackson Pollock (1912 - 1956).

I have had this link saved to my computer for years. The paint splatters when you move your mouse and the colors change with each click. When you "finish" your masterpiece, you can even save and print it. Very cool indeed. Here is the link to bring out your inner artist: http://jacksonpollock.org/

“The sad truth is that excellence makes people nervous.”
— Jackson Pollock