Art

Lens-Artists Challenge #261 – Work in Progress

/ Leya / 189 kommentarer

If you think about it, everything is a work in progress, isn’t it? So, this should be a challenge open to endless possibilities – I can’t wait to see what YOU think when you hear this phrase. Here are some things I came to think of – hopefully they will help refreshing your thinking cap…

Everybody’s a work in progress. I’m a work in progress. I mean, I’ve never arrived. I’m still learning all the time. – Renée Fleming

A work in progress…often we think we know the outcome – and other times we really have no idea. But, that is part of the fun. Planning, longing, guessing, following the project. I know though, that the work in progress in the opener/header, is one of my homegrown cucumbers.

No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying. – Tony Robbins,

The artist here is sculpting with a chainsaw and other, smaller electric tools.

The secret of making progress is to get started. – Mark Twain

Ladies making Churchkhela candy in the streets of Tblisi, Georgia. Smashingly tasty, I promise!

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. – Mark Twain

– Or?

The construction site in Barcelona as it looked in 2011. This famous project started in 1882, but Antoni Gaudí died in a tram accident before he could finish Sagrada Família. It is said to stand finished in 2026 – a rather long work in progress. We plan to visit then, or when…

Then I must add some examples of budding life – fascinating works in progress.

Failure is success in progress. – Albert Einstein

A new puppy means working on – becoming a sociable dog and hopefully a lifelong companion.

Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. – C.S. Lewis

A newlywed couple with their young daughter. Maybe one of the longest and most important works in progress we can embark upon – growing a harmonious family.

– Gaudi knew…

So, now it is your turn! A work in progress can be almost anything…can’t it? Looking forward to seeing your ideas and images! Don’t forget to link to this post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Finally, sincerely thanks to Janet and her creative theme Overlooked – which it indeed wasn’t (overlooked) ! And thank you to all our fantastic guest hosts this July – we hope you enjoyed it just as much as we and the readers did! Now we are back to the ordinary hosting, and next week it is Amy’s turn to lead us. Until then, stay calm and be kind – also to yourself.

Oh, and one last, wise quote for all of us to remember:

Allow yourself to be proud of yourself and all the progress you’ve made. Especially the progress that no one else can see.– Anonymous



Lens-Artists Challenge #259 – Unbound

/ Leya / 53 kommentarer

We welcome Dan as our host this week, and the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this time is to capture moments that break the boundaries of our everyday life.

Today I have chosen to write about a Swedish prince who broke free from his life as a royal and from the conventions and norms he was expected to follow. To feel Unbound. I hope this twist is OK with you, Dan!

Prince Eugen of Sweden was the son of King Oscar II and Sophia of Nassau.

Showing early artistic promise, he studied in Paris, and went on to become one of Sweden’s most prominent landscape painters.

We visited his home in Stockholm, at the beautiful Waldemarsudde.

After finishing high school, Prince Eugen studied art history at Uppsala University. He did not make the decision to pursue a career in painting easily, not least because of his royal status.

Prince Eugen was very open-minded and never married, in an era when royal princes almost always found princesses to wed. His homosexual orientation was unknown to the general public.

In this gallery, we see the prince painting, and next to him another famous Swedish painter, Carl Larsson. His home Waldemarsudde, and pieces from his collections. The last painting was my favourite of his own paintings, The Blue Villa.

Prins Eugen loved Norway, and was also a prince of Norway before the union was dissolved in 1905. He loved flowers, and one of his famous designs is a flower pot – Waldemarsuddekrukan.

Throughout his life Prince Eugen was an art collector, a designer and a supporter of fellow artists. He was also involved in many cultural organisations and committees. He bequeathed his villa Waldemarsudde at Djurgården in Stockholm, and its collections, to the nation. It is now one of Sweden’s most popular museums.

Sincere thanks to Dan for this interesting challenge, “unbound”. Please be sure to visit and link to his amazing post here, and remember to use the Lens-Artists Tag. Thanks also to Dawn for last week’s Fences challenge, and to you for the incredible variety of responses. Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week when Janet of This, That and The Other Thing will join us as our final Guest Host of the month. Until then, please stay safe, be kind and enjoy the journey.

Lens-Artists Challenge # 249 – Art in the Park

/ Leya / 48 kommentarer

John gives us a chance to feature almost any public art we have met – please visit his inspirational site for more!

First in my post must be an all time favourite of mine – although I don’t remember either artist or name of the work. The rain made it even more unforgettable. I still find her fascinating – and so much alive.

This oversized, strong worker portrayed walking, and the fragile woman walking beside him – I loved the contrast. Look at their hands, and their feet, putting the same foot first.

This is a Prague cavalcade. You will recognize Kafka – and the Lennon Wall I guess. So much to see, so much to take in, so much to love. In the end, it had to be The Dancing House and Charles Bridge, for the goodbye.

Tančící dům

Karlu̇v Most

”Art is where you find it.” John says, – where do you find yours? Your challenge response should include a link to his original post.  We can find your post easily in the Reader if it includes the “Lens-Artists” tag. For more information on joining the challenge, click here.

Many thanks to Sofia for her wonderful mood theme. We have learned more about moods in photography from her and from your creative photos. Next week, it’s Amy’s turn to host the Lens-Artists Challenge. Until then, stay kind and well.

Lens-Artists Challenge #243 – It’s Tricky

/ Leya / 48 kommentarer

This week Donna is our host – and yes, it is this tricky time of the year… she is so clever… but I have chosen tricky things that still are real and true…or most of them are.

Life is tricky – you never know what’s going to happen.

– Dito Montiel

My two dogs (both gone now) posing as ”The Town Musicians of Bremen” from the fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.

Life is really pretty tricky, and there’s a lot of loss, and the longer you stay alive, the more people you lose whom you actually couldn’t live without.

– Anne Lamott

And what is this? Tricky…but soon coming to us in the northern hemisphere…

That’s the tricky thing these days: being able to surprise people.

– Joseph Kosinski

…and so are these little wonders.

Ideas aren’t magical; the only tricky part is holding on to one long enough to get it written down.

– Lynn Abbey

These two furry friends used to have a lot of fun together – and indeed we all had! Talking about all the tricks they played on us…

I think human beings are funny, tricky things.

– Amy Landecker (or Mille and Totti)

I have posted this image a couple of times before – but it is still truly tricky…which one is an animal and which one is a twig?

Double vision makes reading the prompter very tricky.

– Shannon Bream

Earthquake or…no, just modern architecture.

I find it tricky to make plans.

– Isabel Lucas

Time for a dog again…WANTED – dead or alive!

I just like having creative solutions to tricky situations.

– Simone Giertz

This is the fascinating remains of a basilica in Tblisi, Georgia. I walked past it and noticed you could touch the debris through the window, and see across the whole building to another window. Enigmatic.

Making peace with one’s choices is always a tricky feat to achieve.

– Sameera Reddy

As you may have understood, I am not the really tricky sort…so, I will borrow some of Erik Johansson‘s works. He is a Swedish artist based in Prague, who creates surreal images by combining images to what looks like a real photograph, but with logical inconsistencies. The trickiest guy I know… enjoy!

Thanks to Donna for this week’s tricky challenge. Be sure to check out her amazing post, and to link your responses to it here. Thanks also to Anne for last week’s New Experiences challenge. A fabulous trip to Australia, and many interesting responses and tips what you can do and where you can go.

Next week we’re excited to welcome Guest Host Siobhan of Bend Branches so be sure to check out her post at noon EST next Saturday. Until then, please remember to stay safe and be kind.

Thursday Thoughts – Banksy

/ Leya / 35 kommentarer

Banksy in Malmoe! I have no idea how many of you are fans of Banksy, but for me he is an icon. The exhibition in Malmoe is very well presented, and whatever you think of the fact that they are not original works, it would never be possible to show his originals, would it? I believe his genius shines through anyway. Let’s go!

Bristol born Banksy has been wellknown to the world since the 1990’s, and the story of his Girl with Balloon tells us something of how his mind works.

In general, no explanations are needed – his works speek for themselves.

Anti-war and…

… anti-consumerism graffitti marks his engagement in today’s society.

And the elephant in the room is –

– the billions of people who are living below the poverty line.

Nothing escapes his irony,

and this week we all learned about the content of the latest IPCC report, didn’t we?

If this exhibition comes to your city – go see it!

LAPC #239 – Finding Peace

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Learning to distance yourself from all the negativity is one of the greatest lessons to achieve inner peace.
― Roy T. Bennett

Tina is our host this week, and she wants to know how we find peace in this busy world. For me, it’s a struggle, but in short, I need alone time and to immerse myself in Nature, Beauty and Art.

A combination of architecture – old and new – and books, is just perfect. It is enough for me to enter a library – any library… But, an exquisite one, like the Long Room in Trinity College, Dublin, is unforgettable. There is an atmosphere around all these books, the authors’ aura peacefully descending on you.

Art – especially otherworldly and fantastic art, like this of Yasec Yerka, expands my mind and thoughts. Yerka’s Surrealistic art is inspired by old masters like Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel. I often sit in my armchair and wander through his books, resting in peaceful wonder.

On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.

– Jules Renard

Looking at beauty in the world is the first step of purifying the mind.

– Amit Ray

Lose yourself in nature and find peace.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time spent amongst trees is never time wasted.

– Katrina Mayer

Wander often. Wonder always – Anonymous

Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.

—John Muir

Thank you for all your inspiring images and words on Alone time! I enjoyed every piece of them, and I think we also got to know each other a bit more. This week Tina is taking last week’s theme a bit further – hopefully we will get many ideas on how to find peace in this busy world. Please visit Tina for more inspiration, and don’t forget to use the Lens-Artist’s tag when you link to her original post.

Next week it is John’s turn to lead, make sure to visit his site for more about the challenge.

Thursday Thoughts – Spring Feelings

/ Leya / 17 kommentarer

Photosketcher for fun today. It has been a sunny day, and in my windows the flowers are coming alive! Outdoors it is still too cold, but I am in the mood.