On beautiful summer days like today, I want to find a way to capture the blue sky, the leaves fluttering in the slight breath of a breeze, and the birdsong. I want to be able to preserve the feeling of dappled sun and shade across my skin, and the scent of flowers in full bloom. Summertime memories are made of such things.
Perhaps this is why I admire artists so much -- they have the gift of being able to capture the very essence of a transient moment, be it a summer afternoon, a fleeting passion, or the way the light falls on a wine glass.
John Sloane is one such artist. I had not heard of him before, but when I saw that puzzlemaker had written an article about her favourite artist I knew I would not be disappointed. Far from it!
Artist John Sloane is a talent indeed, who in his paintings has combined enchanting scenes of a long ago world with themes that resonate with us all: seasons, nature, childhood. Though the fashions change, who among us cannot recall from our own experiences a memory of sitting on daisy-dotted summer grass listening to a teacher? Or pausing in a moment of work to lose ourselves in the beauty of the sky above? Though what he shows us is in many ways a better world, eternal memories lie within the scenes.
But these paintings are by no means the only reason to visit this article. Every bit as engaging is puzzlemaker's own beautifully-expressed passion for his artwork and her story of how this prompted a quest of several years duration to find John Sloane.
Such persistence pays off, and find him she did. Better than that, she interviewed him via email and shares his responses with us. And in the process has gained him more than one new admirer, I'm certain!
Visit: Artist John Sloane
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Image Credit: Daisy Field by utachick02
What a lovely review, it painted it's own picture for me. Absolutely loved puzzlemaker's article about John Sloane. An artist that I was unfamiliar with but now am a new fan.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bev, your writing captures the moment just like a painting. The story about artist John Sloane was just mesmerizing and I am so glad you pointed it out.
ReplyDeleteI am humbled to be featured here at Squidoo Lens Reviews. Thank you for your beautiful words. Honestly they got me choked up.
ReplyDeleteMy hope is that others, like me, will find a safe place to feel innocent in the peaceful refuge of his paintings.
Thank you WordCustard for your time, interest and kind review.
.-= Paige Graves´s last blog ..Artist John Sloane =-.
Paige, that is such a lovely wish. His paintings captivate with the innocence and peace that you mention, so I am sure it is one that will come true for those who discover his work via your own tribute to it. And your own lens was full of that same beauty and sunshine.
ReplyDeleteBev and Kim, while I don't think this brand new lens would have remained a 'hidden gem' for long and will I think get many visits, I'm delighted I was able to share it with you.
Wow! Nicki... thank you a thousand times for having featured this lens and their lensmaster: I had a wonderful trip into these paintings. The kind of paintings I love the most just after those of the classic artists!
ReplyDeletePaige, indeed, there is a "peaceful refuge" in these paintings for me. Would love to see these works every day. They absolutely take you to a more serene place. Just fantastic. ...Thank you to John Sloane, Paige, and Nicki.
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