05 June 2015
Westervelt’s paintings reflect a certain raw primitivism that is both moving and seductive. His works are emotive, almost always featuring faces and figures assembled from the skins he creates and tempered by his imagination. Though at first glance his pieces may seem abstract, the facial expression and body language of his characters convey a never ending array of feelings and...
29 May 2015
Looking at Buddha’s face and head can also give an indication of whether you are seeing Gautama Buddha or a different Buddhist figure entirely. The original Buddha’s facial expression is typically serene and his mouth is usually shown smiling slightly. His earlobes are usually shown long where they were once weighed by his heavy jewelry as a prince. Later, the long earlobes bec...
22 May 2015
I write this in the wake of a question posed by my grandson just this evening before tea. The family was gathered in the drawing room where a fire had been lit to ward off an early autumn chill. I was resting on a chaise when Edward approached. The boy had recently discovered an old box of cards and other memorabilia from my younger years in India, and has since acquired a keen interest in my ...
15 May 2015
It was not a good time to be around if you were a piece of antique furniture during China’s Cultural Revolution. You might have been burned to ashes or if you were lucky, thrown haphazardly into a large warehouse run by the Peoples Liberation Army. Such was the fate of a great deal of antique furniture during the ten years between 1966 and 1976. Many pieces were destroyed for being &l...
08 May 2015
Have you ever printed a picture that looked marvelous on the computer screen, only to pick it up from the printer and experience an utter ‘what the heck!?’ moment? Delicate hues turned into globs of ugly, dark color, conjuring a catastrophic oil spill inside the printer! Or, have you ever printed on different kinds of paper only to discover that some absorbed too much ink while...
01 May 2015
As dawn broke over the crests of the Andes, the silhouette of a lone traveler navigating a high ridge was no more than a speck. An alpaca followed at his heels bearing several packs, blankets and wedding gifts. Slowly, the pair descended deeper into a valley dotted with plowed fields and windowless houses made of thrush. The year was 1808 and unrest was growing in many areas of colonial So...
27 March 2015
What constitutes idealized feminine beauty? The answer changes based on who is doing the answering and the year the answer is taking place; but if you really want to answer the question you need only refer to artwork of the period. For example, in many early civilizations a beautiful woman was considered one who had a generous full figure. She was curvy, had wide hips and large breasts. In...
20 March 2015
In a small nameless village among the grasslands of southern Burkina Faso, farmers were already hard at work in the fields while the morning sun was still low in the sky. It was planting season; and every available hand was busy plowing the earth, sticking seeds in the ground, and working in unison on what everyone agreed was back breaking work. Even young children helped by chasing away p...
13 March 2015
In 1950 Indonesia, the monsoon season was just beginning, drenching the island of Sulawesi with damp, humid air. Heavy clouds hung low over the tropical forest, obscuring the peaks of the nearby mountains. A small group of women were making their way through the lush forest, bearing baskets full of ripe fruits, and following doggedly on their heels was a young girl clutching a bright red m...
03 March 2015
Just about all women from tribal cultures know what it feels like to prepare a massive feast. They start preparing weeks ahead of time. Meanwhile, the men go about their business, typically more concerned about how much meat will be served at the feast. Women will hammer out multi-course menus, hunt down ingredients, horde spices and herbs, stock up on drinks, count dishes and glasses, and...