North Light Studios

I have this weird dream about living on the east coast, and I'm positive that one of the reasons is the artwork there. I'm not talking about the upscale galleries in New York that sell extremely modern art and nothing else, but about the public art. Have you ever wondered why people love to go to places like Rome and Paris? Now you know. I want to start off with New York. We all know about the Statue of Liberty. I don't even need to post pictures, but that is one freaking fantastic statue. Next on my list isn't as impressive, but it's still pretty good.  Columbus Monument in Columbus Circle, Central Park, New York This is a monument to Christopher Columbus. No, that's not him that you can see there, but an angel (really quite subtle and lovely). Chris is at the top, which is hard to see from there. Here's another view: Columbus Circle Sculpture, top, Christopher Columbus Personally, I like the angel figure at the bottom better than the Columbu...

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...

Happy New Year! It might be a little late to say that, but I'm excited about the blogging subject I picked for this year. There are many places - not including museums or galleries - where sculpture leaves its lasting mark. I'm an advocate for public art, and though my views may differ from many, this is my list of fantastic and beautiful pieces and their places. Today I will focus on places of worship. Your groan is not unheard, but I'll also add that many churches have artworks of not only religious pieces, but historical and social pieces as well. George Washington by Lee Lawrie This statue of George Washington is on permanent display at the Washington National Cathedral. It looks like it might be marble, but I can't tell for sure. It's a great rendering, slightly imposing but almost in a subtle way. Washington was well known for this subtlety, the humble power that emanated from him and still does in nearly every rendering of him I've ever seen. ...

I thought, because of my lack of posting, and the fact that's it's already December, that I would round things out for the year with the sculpture of the Staglieno Cemetery in Italy. I've already talked about several of the sculptures there (Bistolfi and Monteverde), but would like to continue because there are some amazing and awe-inspiring works there that I haven't touched on yet. First, a tiny bit of history. The Staglieno Cemetery is in Genoa, Italy, which is on the gulf of the Liguarian Sea in Northern Italy (waaay north of Rome). The full name for it is the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno. The original design was made when Napoleon declared that no one should be buried in churches or towns anymore. It really was a work-in-progress for many years, constantly changing men-in-charge and adding expansions. There are many family tombs here, mostly rich people who could afford to hire artists to create monuments for them. At least they spent their money on something...

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...

The first time I saw a statue by Giulio Monteverde it stole my breath. As I watched my husband scroll through images of his sculpture on Google yesterday, I knew he was the next sculptor I was going to talk about. He was born in the very small province of Bistagno, Italy, and attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. He was also a senator, but I think that's the least of his achievements. The Boy Columbus, from Wiki Commons The first piece I want to talk about is The Boy Columbus. It's obvious at first glance that Monteverde has a way with subtlety and form that knows how to just ignite your interest and imagination. Columbus has been caught in a moment of formulation, as if he's staring at a point he can't really see because he's concentrating on something else entirely. Thought This next piece, called Il Pensiero which translates in English to Thought , is a striking and powerful multi-figure sculpture. An allegorical masterpiece with a glimpse at one...