Beautiful Art: architecture, paintings, sculptures, etc

Art by Chie Yoshii Leto, Goddess of Motherhood, one of her symbols is wolf.
I like the artwork you posted. Never heard of wolf as a symbolism of a goddess of motherhood, but I can relate. My experience as a mother and toward all children has been as one who is fiercely protective. And I admire the family/pack dynamics of wolves.

Dropping a favorite meme of mine...which happens to use a work of art I am particularly drawn to:

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I light of the recent session, I was reminded of this place in Colombia, it's a cathedral that was built on an old salt mine.
 

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I like the artwork you posted. Never heard of wolf as a symbolism of a goddess of motherhood, but I can relate. My experience as a mother and toward all children has been as one who is fiercely protective. And I admire the family/pack dynamics of wolves.

Dropping a favorite meme of mine...which happens to use a work of art I am particularly drawn to:

View attachment 70180
This is so beautiful! I mean the dogs. They are Groenendael Belgian Shepherds, I had in my life 2 of them. They look like wolves. At night I like to listen the song of wolves, there is something in their songs so amazingly calm. Thank you for this wonderful picture!
 
This year, 2023, is the year of the Rabbit for the Chinese. It means change.

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Bruno Bettelheim says, in his book about the psychoanalysis of fairy tales, that in India there is a therapy for adults working with fairy tales. In this mechanical and gray world in which our civilization is immersed we can read fairy tales but [...]
@loreta Besides the use of the fairy tale artwork, I concentrated on why we should avoid giving sanitized editions of fairy tales to our children...dropped the following post in a homeschool board:
"The Uses of Enchantment The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales"
by Bruno Bettelheim

Fariy tales get a bad rap, nowadays. Parents longing to protect their children from evil, scary things in the world do well to remember that this is the world to which we are preparing them to face. By trying to postpone or color the harsh realities of life, we are doing them a great disservice.

Rather than shelter children from life's evils, we can equip them with the tools needed to face them head-on with confidence. Bettelheim says that a struggle against severe difficulties in life is unavoidable, is an intrinsic part of human experience. If one does not shy away, "but steadfastly meets unexpected and often unjust hardships, one masters all obstacles and at the end emerges victorious."

The fairy tale, according to Bettelheim, confronts the child squarely with the most scary subjects in life: death, aging, loss of a parent, being trapped or lost, and other stresses. The fairy tale simplifies all situations, allowing the child to come to grips with the problem in its most essential form. The figures are clearly drawn and the details, unless very important, are eliminated. All characters are typical rather than unique. Evil is as common as any virtue and both are usually embodied in the form of a figure or their actions. Evil is not without its attractions, "symbolized by the mighty dragon or giant, the power of the witch, the cunning queen in 'Snow White.' " In many fairy tales the usurper succeeds for a time-as with Cinderella's sisters and step-mother-but in the end, the evildoer is punished, and the moral is that crime does not pay. Because the child follows the hero through his or her journey, he can identify with the hero in all his struggles-suffering and triumphing with him. Bettelheim says that the child "makes such identifications all on his own, and the inner and outer struggles of the hero imprint morality on him."
..........
I always thank my mother for giving me the joy of reading. Later, I found that my gram did the same for my mum. And I was steeped in fariy tales.

My son's tutor lent me Bettelheim's book. Before owning her bookstore, she taught at a school for troubled children. They were residents of the school due to abandonment or taken away from parents. These kids had little experience to none of a warm family, let alone being read to.

She told how important the fairy tales were to them; she could see this in action. Especially Hansel and Gretel. Two children abandoned in the woods. She could see how this psychologically helped them come to grips with say their mum leaving them in a hotel room and never coming back.

An extreme example, yes, but all children have fears of losing parents and a great many other things.
 
I want to share the work of my favorite watercolorist, the Taoist Cheng Khee Chee. He kind of inspired me to stick with the day job rather than to try to make a career of fine art. He made his living teaching Library Science at University of Duluth, I believe. Nowadays, he paints and teaches. He has such a kind, generous spirit!
He noted at a very early age that the finest works of art he saw were done by amateurs, as they had no monetary influence over their choice of output. Amateur used to mean one that does something for the love of the craft, while professional used to be a pejorative.
Unusual for artists, he works in radically different styles. Some of his work is spiritual/intuitive, some simple and realistic, some is strange yet realistic and some is so breathtakingly beautiful as to bring tears. I'll include some images here, which don't nearly translate. If you ever get a chance to see some of his work in real life, please do so!
He begins with a soup of colors, peering into it until he sees something...
th-1226311022.jpg
Maybe Koi...
th-4286713262.jpg
Maybe flowers...
th-386670066.jpg

These are of a more traditional technique, so gentle and lovely:th-2766718326.jpgth-4122828082-1.jpg

This is done on wadded up, then flattened mulberry paper, so the pigments set into the crinkles. Effect is strangely realistic.
th-893822566.jpg

This one is an enhanced Sumi ink print, done intuitively. Paper is pulled over water that has had a few drops of ink dropped in and swirled, like marbling. Then the print is analyzed for what it wants to express.
th-3290785894.jpg
There are a few other styles too.

I hope you all enjoyed these. Stay tuned for the excellent work of another artist or three soon.
 
@loreta Besides the use of the fairy tale artwork, I concentrated on why we should avoid giving sanitized editions of fairy tales to our children...dropped the following post in a homeschool board:
"The Uses of Enchantment The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales"
by Bruno Bettelheim

Fariy tales get a bad rap, nowadays. Parents longing to protect their children from evil, scary things in the world do well to remember that this is the world to which we are preparing them to face. By trying to postpone or color the harsh realities of life, we are doing them a great disservice.

Rather than shelter children from life's evils, we can equip them with the tools needed to face them head-on with confidence. Bettelheim says that a struggle against severe difficulties in life is unavoidable, is an intrinsic part of human experience. If one does not shy away, "but steadfastly meets unexpected and often unjust hardships, one masters all obstacles and at the end emerges victorious."

The fairy tale, according to Bettelheim, confronts the child squarely with the most scary subjects in life: death, aging, loss of a parent, being trapped or lost, and other stresses. The fairy tale simplifies all situations, allowing the child to come to grips with the problem in its most essential form. The figures are clearly drawn and the details, unless very important, are eliminated. All characters are typical rather than unique. Evil is as common as any virtue and both are usually embodied in the form of a figure or their actions. Evil is not without its attractions, "symbolized by the mighty dragon or giant, the power of the witch, the cunning queen in 'Snow White.' " In many fairy tales the usurper succeeds for a time-as with Cinderella's sisters and step-mother-but in the end, the evildoer is punished, and the moral is that crime does not pay. Because the child follows the hero through his or her journey, he can identify with the hero in all his struggles-suffering and triumphing with him. Bettelheim says that the child "makes such identifications all on his own, and the inner and outer struggles of the hero imprint morality on him."
..........
I always thank my mother for giving me the joy of reading. Later, I found that my gram did the same for my mum. And I was steeped in fariy tales.

My son's tutor lent me Bettelheim's book. Before owning her bookstore, she taught at a school for troubled children. They were residents of the school due to abandonment or taken away from parents. These kids had little experience to none of a warm family, let alone being read to.

She told how important the fairy tales were to them; she could see this in action. Especially Hansel and Gretel. Two children abandoned in the woods. She could see how this psychologically helped them come to grips with say their mum leaving them in a hotel room and never coming back.

An extreme example, yes, but all children have fears of losing parents and a great many other things.
19552.750.jpg

This beautiful painting (I do not know the name of the artist) is Bambi with her mother. Your comment reminds me when I saw the movie Bambi, for the first time, 8 years I had. The story was for me the realization, for the first time, that death (the death of my mother) was something that was possible. Bambi is for me, with Dumbo, the most beautiful stories by Walt Disney. Death, joy, life, humor, everything is in it. And also how the characters can grow and become adults. It is a hard road, to live. And to become adult.

By the way: when Bambi was released in theaters, some pediatricians said that the film was too hard for children. They advised parents not to show the film to their kids. I don't know… Fairy tales are hard too. But Bambi is especially very, very hard.
 
I want to share the work of my favorite watercolorist, the Taoist Cheng Khee Chee. He kind of inspired me to stick with the day job rather than to try to make a career of fine art. He made his living teaching Library Science at University of Duluth, I believe. Nowadays, he paints and teaches. He has such a kind, generous spirit!
He noted at a very early age that the finest works of art he saw were done by amateurs, as they had no monetary influence over their choice of output. Amateur used to mean one that does something for the love of the craft, while professional used to be a pejorative.
Unusual for artists, he works in radically different styles. Some of his work is spiritual/intuitive, some simple and realistic, some is strange yet realistic and some is so breathtakingly beautiful as to bring tears. I'll include some images here, which don't nearly translate. If you ever get a chance to see some of his work in real life, please do so!
He begins with a soup of colors, peering into it until he sees something...
View attachment 70213
Maybe Koi...
View attachment 70214
Maybe flowers...
View attachment 70215

These are of a more traditional technique, so gentle and lovely:View attachment 70216View attachment 70218

This is done on wadded up, then flattened mulberry paper, so the pigments set into the crinkles. Effect is strangely realistic.
View attachment 70217

This one is an enhanced Sumi ink print, done intuitively. Paper is pulled over water that has had a few drops of ink dropped in and swirled, like marbling. Then the print is analyzed for what it wants to express.
View attachment 70219
There are a few other styles too.

I hope you all enjoyed these. Stay tuned for the excellent work of another artist or three soon.
Thanks for this. The paintings are really beautiful, the fishes are astounding!
 
Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland

The Wieliczka Salt Mine reaches a depth of 327 metres and extends over 287 kilometres through horizontal passages and chambers.

The mine excavated from the 13th century, produced table salt continuously until 2007, as one of the world's oldest operating salt mines.

The mine's attractions include dozens of statues and four chapels carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The older sculptures have been supplemented with new carvings by contemporary artists.

There are chapels, statues and an underground lake 135 metres underground.
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19552.750.jpg

This beautiful painting (I do not know the name of the artist) is Bambi with her mother. Your comment reminds me when I saw the movie Bambi, for the first time, 8 years I had. The story was for me the realization, for the first time, that death (the death of my mother) was something that was possible. Bambi is for me, with Dumbo, the most beautiful stories by Walt Disney. Death, joy, life, humor, everything is in it. And also how the characters can grow and become adults. It is a hard road, to live. And to become adult.

By the way: when Bambi was released in theaters, some pediatricians said that the film was too hard for children. They advised parents not to show the film to their kids. I don't know… Fairy tales are hard too. But Bambi is especially very, very hard.
It has that "paint by the numbers" look. Unified splotches of color. No blending.

That said, the 1957 re-release of Bambi traumatized the hell out of me. I was 6 and saw it in a movie house with my parents. Not only is there the loss of the mother, there is a BOATLOAD of sexual imprinting going on. Well, a boatload of social programming too. Ok, I don't want to get too fired up about Disney in this thread. Finis.
 
It is tea time! In the past… I think that photography (black and white and from the past, when the beginning of photography) is one of the most beautiful arts that exists. Each picture not only allows us to travel in time, but it is like a book, like a novel with its sounds, its movements, impressions, sensations. Each photograph is unique. Like a star, lost in the cosmos. It still shines, even if the people in the picture are long dead.

When I look at a picture I imagine what we don't see: the photographer but also the people who are outside the picture: relatives, friends, etc. I imagine the voices, the laughter, the directions. I imagine love, frustration, stress, joy but specially love in these that I put here.

Here are some pictures from the past, when children and animals had a special place in the family. The little details are beautiful. And an opportunity to take a tea with all these nice people.

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