See also my post 1000 years in the making
Art
Lech Walesa, two pieces in homage
I have long been an admirer of Lech Walesa. He was the head of Solidarity, having come to that position by way of his willingness to speak up for his fellow workers and take the jail time, periods of unemployment and other consequences. He was a father and a husband, so his actions were not easy for him nor for his wife and family. They helped develop Solidarity into a political movement with 9.5 million members at its peak, after having become the first non-government controlled trade union in the Soviet bloc. Solidarity helped bring down not only the Polish communist regime but helped bring about the fall of the Soviet Union. Lech maintains an office at the Solidarity Museum and at 72 still comes to work there.
Malbork Castle
Teutonic Knights built Malbork Castle in the 13th century. At that time Malbork was in Prussia, shifting in and out of Polish control, changing into Polish control in 1945. It is the largest castle in the world by the land area it covers and when built the largest brick castle in the world. Sitting along the Nogat River, it has been a Polish royal palace, later to become a Nazi fortification in the waning days of the Third Reich, subjecting it to Russian bombardment. Heavily damaged and afterwards faithfully restored, today you see a structure in fine condition and a great place to wander around, through narrow passages and steep winding staircases.
I’ve included some of the interesting artwork you find there. The walls were beautifully painted, judging by the remains. There are many interesting statutes and a few paintings.
The castle also has a mill. Here is a pen and ink of the mechanism:
Pen and ink drawings from Lublin
There’s an open air museum just outside Lublin containing houses, churches, barns and some bee hive structures unlike any I’ve ever seen before. Here are some pen and ink drawings from that visit. The setting is bucolic, with sloping meadows, wooden buildings on hilltops, a lake, a stream. You have a good view into the rural life style of area residents between 1800 and 1930. Some drawings and a water color from the museum:
Scratchy
Pegs in the Night Cafe
My wife Peg is in the Night Cafe in Arles, France, made famous by Van Gogh. Original digital painting.
Woman (With Red Lips) Walks Dog
The original drawing is in pen and ink, below. With Red Lips is the same drawing but painted digitally.
Carol — 1954-2018 (Version 2)
My previous painting of Carol was in watercolor whose shimmering qualities gives a kind of what one might call a ‘spirit shimmer.’ This rendition tells more about her fiery qualities, her strength, her defiance.
