HAPPY HOLIDAYS WITH MY ART!
Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! I hope you're all safe and sound. The end of Autumn and the start of Winter means one thing- the end of year is around the corner and so are the holidays connect to it. It's time to be merry, as they say. If you're struggling with holiday stress, back in 2018 I published some tips that have been helpful to me (My 10 Tips to Help You Reduce Holiday Stress and Enjoy a Merry Christmas!). These 10 tips are basically just general advice, like for example taking little breaks, or remembering to get enough rest. Some people might feel more than a little bit stressed during these times, and might need more help.
As much as many people look forward to holidays, it's important to remember that there is such a thing as holidays blues and depression. If you're really struggling with depression over holidays, don't hesitate to reach for help. It's alright to ask for help. We cannot help others if we cannot help ourselves. Contact your doctor if you need help. If for some reason you don't have access to healthcare, there are free resources for people struggling with depression online, even volunteer sites and hot lines that offer free therapy. If your loved ones are struggling, try talking to them and letting them know you're here. You don't need to be a therapist to be able to have a heart to heart talk with someone.
As the title implies, in this post I'll share some of my art. A peak in my sketchbook that will allow you to see a few sketches and portraits. Am I somewhat of a workaholic? As soon as I have managed to find a few free moments, I set to sketching and illustrating that lead to creating more art. In 2021, I published Christmas themed fashion illustrations that you can use as free Christmas cards. So, feel to check out those as well.
If you want to read about Christmas traditions in Croatia, there's a cute article on Visit Croatia site. There are some interesting Christmas customs in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. Maybe when I find the time, I will write about them, but for this post I'll keep things short for once. I'll show you some of my Christmas decor, leave you with links to old posts and show you my new art.
All of these are still works in project. Some sketches, some portraits and so on. Below you can see four portraits, the medium is watercolour pencils on mixed print paper.
I might post more of my art and fashion illustrations soon! If the weather is sunny tomorrow, I might photograph and post them as soon as that.
THIS IS HOW WE DECORATED OUR CHRISTMAS TREE
We've been using the same plastic Christmas tree ever since we got married, so you have seen in on the blog plenty of times. Just in case you want to see how it looks this year, there's a photograph below.
In this 2017 post, you can see details and Christmas decorations from my home. See how I decorated my home for Christmas that year. I must say not much has changed, my Christmas decor is usually a mix of retro and DIY stuff. I typically don't buy Christmas decor.
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-choose-festive-outfit-more-tips.html
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2017/12/merry-christmas-and-happy-holidays.html
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-mood-board-bozicna-inspiracija.html
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2019/12/merry-christmas-and-all-best.html
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2020/12/ivanas-holiday-reading-recommendations.html
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2015/12/merry-christmas-sretan-bozic.html
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-10-tips-to-help-you-reduce-holiday.html
ABOVE IS THE SMALLER VERSION, AND BELOW IS A BIGGER VERSION!
To be honest, I'm not happy with either one. I thought I was a better builder. My husband helped me with the second tree, but it still was far from perfect. Never mind, I'll give it another try in the morning.
HERCULE POIROT'S CHRISTMAS, A NOVEL BY AGATHA CHRISTIE 4/5
PUBLISHED IN 1938/1939
Agatha Christie delivers a grim but convincing Christmas tale in this murder mystery. Some might say that is a bit dark for Christmas, but I rather enjoyed it. I mean it is a crime novel, how light can it be? Anyhow, the plot is very interesting and the beginning of the story very engaging. Simon Lee, a tyrannical but interesting patriarch is the villain of the novel. I would call Simon interesting because despite of all his flows, this character seems very lively and is at any rate a well portrayed character- a kind of an endearing sinner. Simon Lee invites his estranged family members to join him for Christmas. They include mostly his estranged sons (and their wives) but there is a single granddaughter Pilar as well, a daughter of his recently deceased daughter. The unknown granddaughter is the only child of his only daughter. This young pretty face is Simon's only granddaughter as his sons were not able to have children and not surprisingly the old man takes an instant liking to her. A son of his family friend also finds his way into the house (possibly attracted by the pretty Pilar he met on his way) and thus they all await for Christmas together. Brothers who hate one another and those who are merely estranged will have to spend Christmas under the same roof.
This was a great murder mystery. I particularly enjoyed the psychological portrayal of some of the characters. Indeed, Hercule Poirot's Christmas contains a nicely portraited set of characters. It is a rather realistic book in its grim portrait of Christmas and showing of the dark side of the holidays. Things do improve as the novel ends, but still this tale feels quite realistic. I suppose that is what I really like about it- it feels like a sincere (if dark) view on Christmas- it is not a magical time when problems go away. In fact, for many it is a painful and troubled time. As Tolstoy said: Happy families are rare....I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Christie, just don't expect it to convey any 'merry feelings and vibes'.
SWIFT AS DESIRE, A NOVEL BY LAURA ESQUIVEL 5/5
PUBLISHED IN 2001
You have probably all heard about Laura Esquivel, sometimes considered the queen of magical realism. As a lover of Latin American literature and its take on magical realism, I'm naturally familiar with this author. However, this time I was a bit surprised. Swift as Desire was not the novel I expected it to be, but it was a novel that touched me deeply. It is different from other Esquivel's writing in the sense that it's more auto-biographical and personal. Swift as Desire is devoted to Esquivel's father- the telegraphist. Indeed, much of this novel describes a strong bond and love between a father and a daughter that seems to resist even death itself. The mixing of magical realism with the deeply personal narrative didn't always work well stylistically, though. Often I felt like I was reading two separate novels. This review will contain spoilers for 'both' of them, so make sure to stop reading if you want to avoid them.
Swift as Desire starts as a novel about Júbilo, a man with an extraordinary gift of understanding people, born from a mixed marriage of an ingenious man and a Spanish woman. There is talk about his cosmic connection to the Universe, the Mayan and Aztec culture and so on. Naturally, you as a reader expect to read about his life and adventures in the fascinating multicultural Mexico. However, that is not what this novel ultimately is about. It is more about one daughter dealing with the imminent death of her father and trying to make sense of the estrangement of her parents (both of whom she loves dearly, but is closer with the father at that point in the novel).
The novel keeps making you think it is going to venture deeper into magic realism, but instead it focuses mainly on deeply personal examination of Júbilo's marriage to Lucha made by their daughter who is taking care of him while he is dying. Her trying to make sense of things is what this novel is really about and much of it seems to be autobiographical writing. A daughter grieving for her father who is dying and in some ways also for her mother who became estranged from her husband. A daughter grieving for the loss of love between her parents, somehow instinctively understanding how strong their bond was and wondering what could have possibly driven them apart. In other words, this novel is more family realism than magic realism, as it draws towards its end you'll see there are no adventures besides the great mystery of love and married life.
MISS JULIE, A PLAY BY AUGUST STRINDBERG 5/5
WRITTEN IN 1888, FIRST PREMIERED IN 1889
What a play it is! Full of verbal and physical violence, opposing passion, incredible cruelty, neurotic behaviour and full blown hysteria. I can understand why many should find this play a rather difficult read. I definitely wouldn't call it an enjoyable or an easy read. It's rather sickening at times and distinctly unpleasant all the way. However, this play definitely made me think and the ending broke my heart a little, so I'm going to score it highly.
Miss Julie is a brief play and can be performed on stage in a few hours I believe. A lot happens in a short period of time, but only three characters appear directly in this play (we might call the count Julie's father the fourth character, even if his voice is suggested and not heard). Miss Julie can be described as a naturalistic play with a district Darwin influence. It is mightily depressive in its atmosphere and brutally pessimistic in its view on mankind. Stripped bare, it can be seen as an evolutionary battle for the survival of the fittest. The author itself hints at it in his Preface to this play. Nevertheless, this play can be read in a number of ways and that is what I find so fascinating about it. Miss Julie can mean different things to different people and while one can argue that is the case with all good literature, there is a certain strength in this book that cannot be disputed.
My opinion is that Miss Julie is one of the best, if not the best, naturalistic play that I have read. It is beautifully complex and open to different readings and interpretations. A lot of things in this play are suggested, rather than showed. The film version wasn't bad, it was beautifully shot and the acting wasn't bad either. The Northern Ireland also seemed a good location for the movie version because its complex history gives new depth to the gap between Miss Juliet and Jean. Still, it is not hard to imagine a similar gap in the Swedish setting. After all, all European nations had and still have many divisions between classes. I haven't seen all the film versions, but I definitely recommend you to read the book first.
THE UGLY SWANS, A NOVEL BY ARKADY & BORIS STRUGATSKY 5/5
PUBLISHED IN 1968
I picked up this novel some time ago and couldn't put it down until I read it cover to cover. I finished this atmospheric literary SF novel in a few hours and while the ending didn't reveal much, I immensely enjoyed reading The Ugly Swans. There is so much to learn from this novel. Indeed, The Ugly Swans is one of those novels that speaks about the complexity of not only the human soul, but about the way our souls interact. The writing at times feels hallucinatory and it can be hard to follow, but on overall I found the story quite touching and moving. I'm not sure I completely understood The Ugly Swans, but I loved reading it.
What it is about? About the everlasting conflict between the past, the present and the future, about human society, parenting and revolutions. On the surface it is a story about an alcoholic writer Victor Banev, a citizen from a totalitarian state ruled by the all powerful Mr. President. Victor Banev returns to his hometown (a depressive and claustrophobic place where it has been raining non stop for a couple of years) on a plea of his ex-wife who wants him to help her with their daughter Irma who has become difficult. After a brief conversation with Irma, Victor sees what the problem is. Irma is an intelligent and brilliant teen, but she acts strangely, not appropriate for her years. Irma thinks logically and without emotion. There is something disturbing about Irma's calmness and Victor will soon find out that all teenagers and kids in town are like that- they enjoy reading and are very smart, but they show no emotion towards their parents. Her mother is confused, Victor agrees to help and plans to write letters to get Irma admitted to a boarding school but he needs to think first. There is a lot going on in Banev's head, revealed in inner monologues and less often- in dialogues with people he somewhat trusts. When dialogues do happen, they seem to flow naturally.
Victor tries to make sense of things but his thoughts are interrupted by a constant flow of events and mysteries, not to mention his own rather extreme drinking habits. There is a leper colony in the town. Very early in the novel, Banev tries to save one of those leper people from an attack of some sort, but he is knocked unconscious in the process and the leper man is kidnapped. He himself seems to be have contradictory feelings towards the leper people (also known as slimies and four eyes because they have yellow circles around their eyes). After this incident, a young boy helps him get up, he turns out to be a friend of his daughter Irma and is also rather symptomatic towards the lepers. He contradicts Victor when he calls them sick, claiming they are more healthy than them. This young boy named Bol-Kunats, Irma's friend, follows Victor home, argues with the doorman who happens to be his father, uses Victor's telephone and then invites the writer to a meeting with the town school's students. This meeting is the best part of the novel for me, but I won't get into it to avoid spoilers. All I'm going to say is that it really made me think- about education, about youth, revolutions eating their children and so on.
TIPS FOR A SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS
GET CREATIVE!
THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT
I didn't really wonder much for Advent this year, but in the post I've been fortunate to visit different places during advent, so here are the links
- USE MATERIALS YOU HAVE AT HAND FOR PACKING
- USE OLD DECORATIONS OR MAKE NEW ONES FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS
-UPCYCLE AND RECYLE EVERYTHING YOU CAN
- SHOP YOUR CLOSET FOR HOLIDAY OUTFITS
- DON'T WASTE, DONATE THE EXTRA FOOD IF POSSIBLE
THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT
THE OVERSIZED TARTAN SCARF- old, New Yorker. I bought it 2019 when I showed you two ways to style it in this post.
THE BIKER CROPPED TWEED JACKET- super old. I bought it a decade or so ago. Last time I wore it was for a visit to Čapljina on the 6th of December. Before that I wore it:
THE GREY VINTAGE MIDI SKIRT- this skirt is very old, old as it has a label that says 'made in West Germany'. Yes, that kind of old.
See how I styled it in 2019 with leather jacket. In 2015, with heels, a statement necklace and a blue turtleneck.
THE HIGH POINTY BOOTS WITH HIGH HEELS
See how I styled them in this post that features multiple outfits (including the skirt mentioned above)
I didn't really wonder much for Advent this year, but in the post I've been fortunate to visit different places during advent, so here are the links
ADVENT IN STARI GRAD
ADVENT IN SPLIT
ADVENT IN VRBOSKA AND HVAR
ADVENT IN ZAGREB
https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2012/12/beretfrancuzica.html
No in-depth discussions about art today, but there are always older posts if you want to see more of my art.
To end this post, here is a fashion illustration I did!
Once again, I wish you all the best. Take care!
Once again, I wish you all the best. Take care!
Te deseo una feliz navidad para ti y tu familia. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteThe birth of Jesus is the brightest day, because it reminds us that any miracle is possible for those who believe in it! May everything in your life come true, no matter how fabulous your plans are!
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