Have a look at the exquisite pages in Mira calligraphiae monumenta or the Model Book of Calligraphy, which was crafted by Croatian-born mastercraftsman Georg Bocskay, and Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel. This is a real work of art and shows beautiful attention to detail with the gold leaf writing and sublime illustrations of flowers, insects andContinue reading “An Exquisite Model Book of Calligraphy, 1560”
Tag Archives: nature
Summer on Mother’s beach, Mornington
It’s summer right now in Melbourne and everyone is recovering from Christmas overindulgence by rolling and tumbling to the beach to drink beer in the sun. I’ve got a wine spritzer in hand and I’m feeling really guilty about doing absolutely nothing. Today in 37 degrees and there is absolutely nothing you can do inContinue reading “Summer on Mother’s beach, Mornington”
Wild woman quote: Love
Thanks Tish for your wonderful reminder the other day of the legendary writer Clarissa Pinkola-Estes. In case you don’t know of her, Clarissa wrote the book Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of The Wild Woman Archetype, This book calls upon the eternal feminine qualities in each of us and asks usContinue reading “Wild woman quote: Love”
Film Review: Ancient Woods
I saw this film at the recent New Zealand International Film Festival. The festival has grown and developed over the years and has become quite a magical event. I thoroughly recommend it if you are in Auckland. Ancient Woods is a Lithuanian production and it’s a magical foray into the flora and fauna living inContinue reading “Film Review: Ancient Woods”
Ancient Word of the Day: Reave
Reave A long and low boundary wall or bank, found especially on Dartmoor and in Devon, mostly now sunk back into the landscape. Also, as a verb, to tear, split, divide or cleave. Rof/rifa An Icelandic word meaning to rip or tear something. Rof á landi refers to the rupture of the top soils ofContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Reave”
Beltane of the Southern Hemisphere
Today, in the Pagan calendar, the north celebrate the coming of winter at Samhainn. And all the while the sun is peaking up from behind the lush vernal trees and dancing for us once more in the southern hemisphere, as we welcome Beltane on October 31st. Or as I like to refer to it BeltaneContinue reading “Beltane of the Southern Hemisphere”
Lucky’s 18th Birthday
Lucky sadly left this planet in recent months. Here he is a year ago on his 18th birthday. I just love this look of absolute and unfettered delight at eating the ice-cream cake. He was a good boy. My parents got him when he was only a puppy from the animal shelter. He was sentencedContinue reading “Lucky’s 18th Birthday”
The Jigsaw Puzzle of Pangea: What It Tells Us About Our Fragile Human Lives
Around 200 million years ago the world’s landmass was contained in one giant supercontinent called Pangea surrounded by a mega ocean. I know that this isn’t news but I still find it startling and incredible nonetheless. In the graphic below you can see the composition of Pangea but with the modern countries boundaries superimposed onContinue reading “The Jigsaw Puzzle of Pangea: What It Tells Us About Our Fragile Human Lives”
Book Review: Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini
A surreal art book that redefines the meaning of imagination. Codex Seraphinianus has a lot in common with other bizarre books like the Voynich manuscript. This new edition by Italian publisher Rizzoli was republished in 2013. It has been redesigned by the author Luigi Serafini with includes new illustrations. The fascination and curiosity for CodexContinue reading “Book Review: Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini”
The Viking Imagination: Medieval Cartography of Scandinavia
Just because I love cartography, here’s a couple of remarkable Scandanavian medieval maps. Note the dominance of several kraken and sea monsters off the Norwegian coast and how each country is barely hanging on by a thread because of these menacing beasts. Here be magic, Vikings and mysterious beasts. Velleius Islandia by Abraham Ortellius (1603)Continue reading “The Viking Imagination: Medieval Cartography of Scandinavia”
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