Never Mind Your 5-Year-Old

…it appears that even a raven can do what Jackson Pollock did:

It’s Jackdaw Pollock! Odin the raven paints just like the American artist whose work is worth millions

A creative raven has the art world in a flap after producing a stunning range of experimental paintings – with her beak.

Eleven-year-old Odin uses an array of vivid animal-safe paints and food colourings to make her amazing abstract works, which are flying off the shelves…

My favorite part:

for up to £15.

…which is about what people should be paying for Pollock’s stupid splashes and daubings, instead of millions.

Landscapes

As a rule, I tend to prefer Impressionist landscape paintings, such as Monet’s Morning:

That doesn’t mean I’m completely averse to the more realistic style, though, and I also think that 19th-century American painters are quite noteworthy, especially those of the Hudson Valley School.  Here are a few from John William Casilear, for example, that are quite lovely:

Hudson View
(One might think that this is an Impressionist painting, unless one has actually seen the Upper Hudson Valley at this time of day…)

Lake George (early)

Lake George (later)

Saratoga Springs

New Hampshire Beach

Sea Scene

Sunset

My favorite Casilear, though, is a moodier piece:

Moon Rise

Landscape art, I think, is supposed to calm the viewer and make them wonder at the beauty of Nature.  Casilear’s work does that, in spades.

Art Time

Sotheby’s had an auction a while back, and these particular pieces caught my eye:

First, from my favorite modern Impressionist, Leonid Afremov:

Then, two pieces from my favorite Academy artist, Eugenio (Eugene) De Blaas:

I like this one, simply because I love rainy Paris street scenes:

And this, from a painter whom I don’t know (but intend to rectify the situation):

Finally, another artist unknown to me, on another favorite topic (gloomy 19th century street scenes):

My only regret is that I don’t have enough walls to hang all the art I’d love to own.

Winning Combination

Longtime Readers will know that among my many passions in life (guns, beautiful women etc.) are two things especially:  cars and fine art, especially paintings.

The latter two may seem a little at odds with each other, but there you go:  each of the two inspires wonder in me.

If you follow my reasoning, and you should, then let me introduce you all to some of the works of artist Alan Fearnley:

   

One may think that Fearnley specializes in older cars;  but one would be wrong:

One might also think that Fearnley specializes in classic pastoral themes, but again one would be wrong:

   

And finally, Fearnley doesn’t just do cars:

 

I have over a dozen of his pics saved as laptop wallpapers.  Here’s one:

Longtime Readers will not be surprised at this choice.

All the above, and many more, can be found here.  No need to thank me, it’s all part of the service.