"All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered."

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, my True Love Gave to Me…

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Seven Swans a-swimming
Six Geese a-Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Swans are beautiful but they are non-edible and likely to go mad if you don’t have a lake for them to swim in (and even if you do have that). Now you have seven of them. Good luck. It’s also New Year’s Eve, after a horrible year. Here’s some seven swans to cheer you up.

1. Ameluria

Here geese sunbathing were rather fun, but her swans are really something beautiful.

2. Hester Durkan

Yes, I love her work. Her swans are a family of seven and they’re taking the safe approach. Smart swans indeed.

3. Justin Rowe

If you thought his six geese sculpture was beautiful, wait and see his seven swans. Probably my favorite.

4. Smallstuffink

Barry is the ironic artist behind the Small Stuff Ink shop, in which you’ll be able to find this seven swans card that calls them by name: wisdom, counsel, courage, understanding, knowledge, reverence and wonder. All stuff we need to face the new year.

5. Amanda Kelly

Amanda Kelly did beautiful minimalistic cards for the days of Christmas and they’re all absolutely wonderful. Here’s her swans, all swimming around in the stamp.

I’ve decided to continue showing you beautiful stuff (or at least stuff I think it’s beautiful) even after Christmas, but instead of having monographic articles featuring single illustrators I’ll be grouping them with themes. As a theme I’m picking the Twelve Days of Christmas, a British carol I adore. If you never heard it (you’re clearly not Britsh) I suggest you take a look at this incredible performance.

Spooktober

Spooktober 27 – The Black Monk (2)

Chapter 3 After supper, when the visitors had gone, he went to his room and lay down on the sofa: he wanted to think about the monk. But a minute later Tanya came in. “Here, Andryusha; read father’s articles,” she said, giving him a bundle

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Spooktober

Spooktober 26 – The Black Monk (1)

Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) was a Russian physician, short-story writer and playwright, and I’m not particularly fond of him, though he’s widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of modern short fiction and who am I to argue? His work is celebrated for its psychological

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art and fashion

Beauty and Ugliness: an exhibition

A few pictures from the recently closed exhibition on Beauty and Ugliness as an aesthetic paradigma in which what’s ideal and what’s grotesque melt together as sides of the same coin. The exhibition featured works by Brueghel (lent from the other exhibition at Palazzo Reale),

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Spooktober 27 – The Black Monk (2)

Chapter 3 After supper, when the visitors had gone, he went to his room and lay down on the sofa: he wanted to think about the monk. But a minute later Tanya came in. “Here, Andryusha; read father’s articles,” she said, giving him a bundle

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Spooktober 26 – The Black Monk (1)

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