North Light Studios

Halfway through the year and I finally decided how to theme the blog. Yeah, I'm sorry about being MIA; I'm even more unfocused than normal this year. So I'm sitting at my computer and thinking, "what the heck am I'm going to focus on?" Since I don't know how to focus anymore, the answer came in a moment of non-focusing. Subjects. As in, things. People. Figures of a certain sort. For instance, in order to ease into this momentum (did you catch that oxymoron there?), I'm doing angels today. Why? Because I know them. A lot of them. Angels represent something different for each of us. They can be spiritual, or emotional, or representative of something we're looking for whether it's peace and tranquility or the knowledge that we are only human but strive to be more. And here they are, in no particular order. The Stagliano Angel This angel, by Giulio Monteverde, guards the Oneto family monument at the Stagliano Cemetery in Genoa, Italy. I...

Mike has been doing a lot of research about the Armenian Genocide, and one of his most recent sculptures is of an angel that will be used as a memorial for a gravesite. In the past few years I have lost many people I love, most recently a young, 20-year-old girl who I was very close to. It's been heartbreaking, and I decided to do this post on the Monmartre Cemetery in Paris because of the way we use art to help in our grieving process. I could've picked from several cemeteries, and though the Staglieno is my favorite, I'm saving that for another day when I can really put together a lot their most gorgeous pieces. Tombs at the Monmartre Cemetery, picture from Ila Chateau The tombs alone in this place are amazing, building up a miniature city of the dead, clearly protecting the bodies and souls of those who've gone before. There are beautiful plants and flowers, well-kept and beautified out of respect.   Didsbury Monument, "Douleur" I can't ...

I know I said I would focus on places this year, but don’t call me on it just yet. Paul Dubois had a lot of public art pieces in many different places, so it counts. As I searched through images of the sculptures he’s done, I was incredibly impressed with his talents, and this is why my blog this month centers on him.   The first of his works that I’d like to bring to your attention is The Tomb of Paul Baudry. Dubois sculpted only the bust of Baudry that you can see in the center, the other figures were done by Antonin Mercie. I've included this one particularly because I love cemetery art, which is something else you'll see a lot of this years. Le Chanteur Florentin This sculpture, Le Chanteur Florentin, is one of the most sought-after pieces he's done. The bronzes are still being sold. It is currently displayed at the d'Orsay museum in Paris. He's talented with faces and expressions, and at catching this young minstrel in the middle of his song. Y...

Now that it's less than ninety degrees outside, I am feeling that I can bear sitting at the computer and doing some intellectual and fun stuff. For instance, talking about Leonardo Bistolfi, another fantastic sculptor born in Casale Monferrato in Piedmont in 1859. In 1876 he enrolled in an art academy in Milan before delving into full-time sculpture. Fallen Thanks to Wikimedia for the pic! Caduti is a beautiful and touching memorial. I like to think this woman is the guardian of the Fallen (literal translation), those who have gone before us, who have died protecting us. This is a war memorial at Casale Monferrato, and this woman foregoes two angels carved in stone beneath an archway. This figure can tell us so much from her gesture and expression, something different and meaningful for each of us. I see someone who is both frustrated and happy, someone who is seeking freedom and coming into happiness after sorrow. I love the hair and fabric on this piece. Gorgeous! Ce...