Okay today’s strip is another from the Seattle Asian Art Museum’s Indian sculpture collection. This one is of a Kimnara from either Bhar or Bengal done in the Pala period C 12th century. It’s done in a black stone. I think the main reason I like it is because it kind of reminds me of Despair from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.
Today’s Rhapsody is Bond’s Gypsy Rhapsody from their album Shine. I’m really fond of these “Classical Crossover” bands that take full advantage of the versatility of the stringed instruments, everything from groups like this to bands like Apocolyptica. If I have any problem with them it’s that I find most of the pieces they play are too short. Musical phrases that haven’t yet tapped into the full potential of what they are doing.
Today’s sketch is something a little different. I never really had that much of an interest in the Seattle Art Museum’s porcelain collection. But last Saturday I started doing some drawing of the figurines there as a change of scene. This piece is called Oberon and Cynthia from Sevres France done in soft paste biscuit porcelain around 1766-73. The model is by Étienne Maurice Falconet based on a scene from the one act comedy, L’Oracle, by Germain-François Poullain de Saint-Foix.
Today’s sketch is another from the Seattle Art Museum’s collection of Northwest Native American tribal masks. Both of these are Nuxalk (Bella Coola) The top mask is a Human/Bird face done in alder, red cedar bark, cotton cloth, hair, cotton twine, nails, and paint around 1880. (Original here) The bottom is a Hamane’kwíla Kálxasamí (nightmare-bringer-nest mask) done in red cedar with paint around 1910. (Original Here)
Today’s Rhapsody is the Norfolk Rhapsody By Ralph Vaughan Williams
Today’s sketch is another from the Seattle Asian Art Museum’s collection of Indian sculpture. This one is from the famous temple site of Khajuraho in north central India, depicting the Hindu god Shiva and his consort, Parvati. This is a frequent image in Hindu sculpture and I’ve seen and sketched it several times (to the point where I may be describing the wrong piece here) I always like these images as there is a noticeable closeness and tenderness between the two which I find to be a welcome contrast to the noticeable sterility of most western religious art.
