What Makes a Van Gogh a Van Gogh? By Richard Muhlberger

Published in part by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this book shares information about Vincent Van Gogh's life and paintings. It discusses his surroundings and others who had influence upon him; deals with 12 of his important paintings pictures ranging from the Potato Eaters to the very ominous Crows over a Wheatfield; and covers the different types of pictures that Van Gogh painted including portraits, interiors, florals and landscapes. It also talks about his painting techniques and choices of color. This is a handsome, hardcover book that you will treasure forever. It is a young adult book, perfect for someone like you and I who wants to learn a bit more about Van Gogh and who does not already have a lot of knowledge about the painter.

Order your copy of What Makes a Van Gogh a Van Gogh here on Amazon.

See you

at the art gallery!

Brenda

Vincent Van Gogh's Ominous Wheatfield With Crows Intrigues...

Haunting Wheat Field With Crows Painting At The Van Gogh Museum In Amsterdam

Vincent Van Gogh's Wheatfield With Crows is, in my unschooled opinion, one of Van Gogh's lesser known pieces. I myself only recently discovered it in the summer of 2009 when I was privileged to spend two days in Amsterdam and visited the Van Gogh Museum. I was familiar with some of Van Gogh's more popular works, not because I know much about art but because they inundate our society. Pause for a moment and think of the Van Gogh works you are familiar with. They include his Sunflowers, Night Cafe, Yellow House, Starry Night and Irises, all of which appear on everything from t-shirts and mugs to calendars.

The Wheatfield with Crows painting apparently does, too, albeit to a lesser degree and I expect that is why I was unfamiliar with it. Coming face-to-face with it in Amsterdam was my introduction and sparked a desire in me to learn a bit more about this slightly eerie, somewhat ominous and definitely thought-provoking masterpiece. This painting was considered to be one of his most powerful paintings. It is also the one which is most strongly debated for it has been considered the artist's suicide note.

INTERPRETATION OF THE PAINTING

Van Gogh painted three 50 by 100 centimeter wheatfields at Auvers. Of two of them he said, "They depict vast, distended wheatfields under angry skies, and I deliberately tried to express sadness and extreme loneliness in them." and "I am almost certain that these canvases illustrate what I cannot express in words, that is, how healthy and reassuring I find the countryside."

People interpret Vincent Van Gogh's July 1890 Wheatfield With Crows as representing his troubled state of mind shortly before his death. They take that dark sky, choice of path direction and the crows circling as signs of darkness or death. 

THE PATHS: 

The paths seen in the painting are sometimes seen to reflect choices. Choices to Van Gogh's past and to the future. They are also interpreted as an indication of the confusion regarding the direction of his life and the middle path has raised the questions of whether or not it leads anywhere or whether it simply leads to the end.

THE SKY: 

Van Gogh often depicted the sky as stormy. He was respectful of nature and found storms liberating. Storms, he felt, were an important part of nature.

THE CROWS:

A powerful part of this painting is, of course, the crows. There is a lot of symbolism involved and a lot of debate about whether or not the crows are flying to or away from Van Gogh. That makes a difference as to how you perceive them. Are they a threat or not? The VG Gallery feels that this debate is unimportant. First, they feel that since it is impossible to prove which way the crows are going, it is irrelevant and second, they feel that Van Gogh generally celebrated nature and so would not have found the crows to be a threat.

LAST PAINTING?

This painting is often thought to be Vincent Van Gogh's last painting, although this fact has never been proven.  

What do you think about this painting? Like it or not?

Click here to order this Vincent Van Gogh Wheatfield With Crows print from Amazon. 

See you

at the art gallery!

Brenda

Treasures By Brenda

MORE VINCENT VAN GOGH:

Jeffrey Archer's False Impressions Book Review

Though fictional, this book looks at the art world.

Vincent Van Gogh Coffee Mugs.

Van Gogh, A Brush With Genius, Documentary Film.

Discover The Van Gogh Museum.

Canadian Artist Elizabeth Hoey Art Pottery Tile

ELIZABETH WILKES HOEY (1915 – 2012) was a Canadian artist who graduated from the Ontario College of Art. 

She ran a textile printing facility and eventually was involved in the printing of fabric for various institutions like Thor Hanson, Westinghouse Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, University College Women’s Residence in Toronto, Hart House and the Windsor Arms Hotel. 

She was a muralist who created a mural of old Toronto for the King Edward Hotel. 

With her daughter, she became a potter, producing art pottery pieces that included both plates and tiles like the fabulous owl-themed tile shown on this page. 

She painted with watercolor and her image, Wild Flowers of Canada, was distributed via the Toronto newspaper, the Globe and Mail. 

She illustrated books including Folk Songs of Canada and Chansons de Québec. 

Her works were shown at the Art Gallery of Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, Royal Botanical Gardens, Edwards Gardens, and MacDonald Art Gallery and the Textile Museum named her "a pioneer silkscreen printer and designer."

She was a talented artist who was creating art in her sketchbook until almost the very end of her life. 

As I write this, I can see a few samples of Elizabeth Hoey's art tiles including this owl on eBay.

You never know what 

I might have in store for you! 

Brenda

Whimsical Vintage Art by George Buckett

George Buckett was born in England in 1939. He studied Building Trades at East Cowles Technical College but did not finish instead he joined the British Merchant Navy. He travelled the world, then did odd jobs and in 1957 emmigrated to the United States where he took a job as an artist in an advertising agency for a few greeting card companies and eventually worked as a freelance artist.

I was unable to discover if he had any training as an artist or illustrator though he is apparently recorded as a children's book illustrator rather than as an artist. In my mind, the two are the same but I am not an expert.

Buckett illustrated Golden Books with the most known book perhaps being Never Talk to Strangers by Irma Joyce. He also created posters and the aforementioned greeting cards and is considered one of the ‘Big Eye’ artists. Finally, he is know for his whimsical 1960s animal pictures, which are shown here on this page. His illustrations were shown in the United Kingdom and in the United States.

Buckett's works are happy and they show much imagination and humor even though the internet tells us that he suffered with depression.

In any case, Buckett's illustrations are well known and there are many old prints of his work available. There are few originals, possibly because he was an illustrator rather than an artist, and this fact makes the mass produced prints popular. His prints are an affordable way to add a bit of vintage charm to your home. I have had them in my bathroom but they would also suit your baby nursery, children's rooms, etc.

You can find the three pictures shown on this page in my eBay store by clicking right here and you can see all of the George Buckett pieces available on eBay by clicking right here.

You never know
what I might have in store for you!
Brenda

Canadian Artist Claude Le Sauteur (1926-2007)

This year I discovered or rather expanded on my interest in art. While I have always been generally interested and have had the opportunity to visit art galleries around the world, my focus spilled over into my eBay store when I had the opportunity to buy and resell a few interesting pieces of Canadian art. I subsequently took the opportunity to learn more about art in general by enrolling in a couple of art classes through Carleton University's Learning in Retirement program.

Most recently I found this limited edition signed print by Quebec artist Claude Le Sauteur (1926-2007). His work can be both figurative and abstract in style as I think is the case with this picture, which is called DONATE and I expect related to Le Sauteur's social consciousness. The image features both a male and female violinist portrayed in a definitely abstract way.

In the 1940s, Le Sauteur studied at L’École des beaux-arts de Québec and his lifetime's work included pieces oil on canvas, oil pastel, charcoal on paper and engravings.  He  received both the National Order of Quebec and the National Order of Canada and he was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.    According to The Order of Quebec website, his works appeared in 13 solo exhibits and more than 80 group exhibitions and today, his works are held in various museums and important collections.

As I write this post, a quick peek at eBay by following this link shows a couple of Claude Le Sauteur's paintings available on eBay. Because of the framed size, my limited edition print, shown above, will be posted locally here in Ottawa on a couple of resale sites. Hopefully, it will eventually find its way into the collection of someone who appreciates the work of Le Sauteur.

As in my previous art-themed post, I will add here that I am not an art expert. What I share here is from research that has been done online and I am always wanting and willing to learn more.

Until next time,
Brenda

Quick Links:

Claude Le Sauteur Paintings on eBay.
Art in my eBay store.

Charles Meynier's Wisdom Defending Youth from the Arrows of Love Painting

I don't usually write about art and I am not an art expert but I am definitely interested in the subject. I am taking an art class at the National Art Gallery through the University of Carleton's Learning in Retirement program and have encountered some stories that I would like to share here with you.

Just in time for Valentine's Day we discussed Charles Meynier's Wisdom Defending Youth from the Arrows of Love. It is a magnificent, large painting the theme of which is drawn from the classic 17th-century story by François Fénelon called The Adventures of Telemachus, the story of Ulysses’ son. A love story, of sorts. Definitely seemed appropriate for the day we viewed it because of the cupids attacking with their arrows of love.

The story goes that the youth Telemachus dreams of two choices. In the first option, Venus, the goddess of love, offers him a life of pleasure and luxury and in the second, Minerva, the warrior-goddess of wisdom, offers a life of struggle, virtue and glory. Telemachus is tempted, but will give up on the life of pleasure for the more noble option.

According to the National Art Gallery's website, critics at the time of the painting in 1810 questioned the youth's decision and asked:

"Is he (Telemachus) being prevented from falling into temptation, or had he already fallen? If Wisdom were not there, would he be able to resist? Was he faithlessly abandoning his sleeping beloved? What of the next time he was faced with a similar choice?"

The critics of the day may have had questions but they apparently liked the emotional balance of desire and regret shown in this image. Meynier's works were popular in his time and later lost some of that popularity when, according to the Press Reader, neoclassical works like this were deemed "boring and contrived." Today, they have regained popularity and this painting was acquired to fill a spot in the Art Gallery's collection.

Wisdom Defending Youth from the Arrows of Love is considered one of Meynier's best works. It was purchased by the Art Gallery in the summer of 2015 from a private collector. Exact details of pricing and the seller's name are not shared with the public.

When you visit The National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, make sure to take a look at this painting. I find any painting more more interesting when I know the story it tells. You can find it in the European Art Collection.

See you
In Ottawa!
Brenda

31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS: Mustached Coffee Mug Art by Lisa Audit

The 31 Days of Coffee Mugs has been derailed but will be continued as soon as I can get caught up on a few other items. A visit to my mother's home broke my rhythm and set me behind in other areas of my work life.

I came across these fun mustached coffee-themed prints representing Mr. Cappuccino, Mr. Latte, Mr. Mocha and Mr. Espresso. I would pick a London Fog Tea Latte though I particularly love the warm orange color of the Mr. Cappuccino image at the top of this page. Orange always draws me in. The mugs seem to be smiling as they overflow with goodness and the moustache adds a bit of trendy whimsy. 

The images are by Lisa Audit, a Canadian artist from Marbleton, Quebec. She studied graphic arts in college and first went to work for several wallpaper companies. She went on to work creating images for many household items including stationery, fabrics and bathroom accessories. These coffee pictures are from her In The Kitchen images, many of which include coffee. The prints are affordable and readily available from Amazon by clicking here. 

You never know 

what mugs I might 

have in store for you! 

Brenda 

Quick Link: 

Check out all the coffee-themed items in my eBay store.

31 DAYS OF COFFEE MUGS: Chaleur Coffee Mugs Feature Famous Pieces of Artwork

Chaleur Coffee Mugs Are Collector's Items

Chaleur coffee mugs are definitely collector's items! You might not know it but collecting teacups and saucers is out of fashion and collecting coffee mugs is in.

Once upon a time, I had the opportunity to sell two Chaleur coffee mugs in my eBay store, Treasures By Brenda. I had never heard of Chaleur before and boy was I about to be surprised! It was quite exciting when the bidding was fast and furious and ended at about $50 for each of these coffee cups from two separate buyers. Each buyer was thrilled that they won ONE of the auctions but disappointed that they did not win both of the beautiful out-of-production Chaleur mugs that I had for sale.

More About Chaleur

Between 1986 and 2009, Chaleur had produced 88 of these coffee mugs. Some of their mugs were made in agreement with Starbucks and the Museum Company under those labels rather than under Chaleur's.

They are all beautiful, sturdy mugs made from fine quality bone china that is microwave and dishwasher safe. (Edited in August 2013 to add that a reader reports that the newer more powerful detergents fade the colors after only a few washes so if you put them in the dishwasher so beware.)

They feature lovely works of arts by 32 Art Masters including Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Paul Gaugin, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Emile Bernard, Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec, D. Burrows, Pablo Picasso, Louis Comfort Tiffany , Jeff Chuang and Gustav Klimt. Each mug includes the artist's signature and the picture on each one wraps all of the way around and is even on the handle. When you buy one of these mugs you feel like you own your own little piece of art.

Not every coffee mug by Chaleur sells for as much as the two I had the opportunity to sell. Some, including the two that I sold, are rarer than others and that, of course, is how the final price is determined. The mugs I sold were somewhat hard-to-find ones; no longer being manufactured. Others are still available in gift stores and directly from Amazon's website so you have the choice of buying a new mug to start your own Chaleur collection or give as a gift or of buying a pre-owned one to add to an existing collection. 

The mugs shown on this page were available on Amazon when I wrote this post. However, most of them are no longer there but you can check to see if any are available by clicking right here. You will have greater success in finding these mugs on eBay at the link shown below. Be aware that there are many look-a-likes available that were not produced by Chaleur.

Out-of-Production Chaleur Mugs

Of course, like many companies, some of Chaleur's mugs have been produced for a while and then terminated. If you are looking for one of those older, rarer mugs, eBay is the best source. To see what Chaleur mugs are available on eBay, click here.

Artists, art enthusiasts and coffee lovers around the world are collecting these mugs. Are you?

I Love Coffee Mugs!

Brenda

Quick Links:

Find Chaleur mugs on eBay.

Author's Note: This page originally written for another website in 2009.

INTERESTING AUCTIONS: Emily Carr's The Crazy Stair

I am always intrigued by unique, one-of-a-kind auctions like those that include works by famous artists. In this instance it is a painting by Canada's Emily Carr that is known as The Crazy Stair and The Crooked Staircase, which is coming up for auction on November 28, 2013.

The painting, which hung previously at the historic Vancouver Club in British Columbia, Canada, was called The Crooked Staircase but recently, during conservation, it was discovered that this painting is really named The Crazy Stair by Carr herself. 

This work, which comes from Emily Carr's West Coast aboriginal artwork of the 1920s, features a looming totem figure, a crooked staircase and bright Pacific greenery.

The auction house, Heffel Fine Art, says this painting represents Emily Carr at "full maturity."   It is expected to fetch up to $1.6 million dollars with that figure being called conservative. 

Emily Carr is one of Canada's most known artists and this piece of art considered amongst the rarest of Canadian pieces. I would love to see it find a new home in a museum so that all of us can enjoy it but I have no idea if that is likely to happen.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what I
might have in store for you!

Quick Links:

Read Heffel Fine Art's description of this auction.

Visit my Native American themed listings by clicking right here.

I Bought A Rock at the Great Glebe Garage Sale

May 25, 2013 dawned a beautiful but cool Saturday morning with a blustery north wind. It marked the umpteenth time I've been to the Great Glebe Garage Sale and, as always, I totally enjoyed myself.

As an eBay seller, I shopped for treasures for my eBay store but, given the difficulties of carrying purchases around an entire neighborhood, I shopped in a very limited way.

While I am always happy to come away with an interesting find or two, the Great Glebe Garage Sale is really more of an opportunity to be outside and enjoy a lovely part of the city on a beautiful summer day than it is a serious shopping day.

This year my university-aged son dragged himself out of bed at 7 a.m. so that he could see what all the fuss was about and I do believe he enjoyed himself, too.

We parked far outside the Glebe and set off in hunt of treasures. Driving within the Great Glebe on garage sale day is, in my opinion, a mistake and of course taking the bus doesn't work either if you are a shopper.

I was looking for any of the sorts of  treasure you'll find in my eBay store with due consideration to the fact that anything I purchased would have to go in my small wheeled cart and be pulled around all morning.

My son wasn't looking for anything in particular though we did determine midway through our morning that he could use a new griddle since he's the pancake expert amongst his friends at university and that he was interested in an inexpensive Nintendo 64 to replace a broken one that belongs to one of his house mates.

My first purchase was a small and lightweight rock, which is shown in the photograph on this page. Okay, maybe it was not so light but it was an impressive piece of Newfoundland that the vendor was asking a whopping .25 cents for. How could I leave it behind?  I didn't and we had a chuckle as I placed a 'rock' in the bottom of my cart.

Of course, it didn't take long to fill my cart once I'd purchased a couple of wooden Korean masks, a toy soldier Wilton cake pan, a giant bag of Thomas the Tank Engine Duplo, a large Walt Disney snowglobe and a sealed Mickey Mouse World's Most Difficult Jigsaw Puzzle. In due course, you will find all of them listed in my eBay store.

Once my little cart was full, we hiked back to the car and put my purchases away returning once again to the Glebe in search of sustenance.

Stopping for lunch a bit early proved helpful as we were able to score a patio table right on Bank Street. We enjoyed our lunch at the The Farmteam Cookhouse and Bar while watching hoards of happy shoppers pass by with their purchases.  I'll never forget the young man struggling with bicycle, skis and a shiny silver...mannequin.

Have you shopped at the Great Glebe Garage Sale? What did you think? Did you discover any hidden treasures? Or maybe you have a favorite neighborhood sale of your own elsewhere?

You never know
what I might have in store for you!
In this case I can offer a little piece of Newfoundland.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Quick Links:

Find treasure in my eBay store.