Visiting the Prado

On By Rick McIn Art and beauty, travelLeave a comment

Mike Sisson’s favourite work in the Prado Museum, Madrid, is Las Meninas (‘The Ladies-in-waiting‘) by Diego Velázquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age.

It’s one of the most widely analyzed works in Western painting.

5-year-old Infanta Margaret Theresa is surrounded by her entourage. The artist is stage left. I like how the entire top half of the painting is wall and ceiling. 😀

Margaret Theresa died age-21.

For some reason, the painting below by Antonio Fabrés jumped out at me.
The Slave Girl. Of course it seems to more be his  erotic fantasy — not anything to do with slavery.

“El Greco“ moved to Toledo, Spain in 1577. So different than anything that had come before that he’s considered unique. Imaginative, colourful and … weird. So different than the endless portraits and dark religious paintings of the day.

Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta caught my eye.

The model for nearly all of the female figures in his genre paintings was Aline Masson, the daughter of the doorman at the Paris residence of the Marqués de Casa Riera.

Immersive Van Gogh

On By Rick McIn Art and beautyLeave a comment

I finally saw one of the many touring Van Gogh shows.

It cost $40 for a 33 minute presentation which I watched twice.

Impressionists and post-Impressionists are my favourites. Van Gogh in particular.

That said, I wouldn’t go again. BUT a 3D virtual reality wearing a headset would be cool, I would think.

Toronto December 2021

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Lewis Man by Peter May

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

Peter May is a great writer.

And The Lewis Man is an excellent book. Though a sequel, I found it quite different than The Blackhouse, 1st in the series.

Fin Macleod has returned to the Isle of Lewis, the storm-tossed, wind-scoured outer Hebridean island where he was born and raised.

Having left behind his adult life in Edinburgh – including his wife and his career in the police force – the former Detective Inspector is intent on repairing past relationships and restoring his parents’ derelict cottage.

His plans are interrupted when an unidentified corpse is recovered from a Lewis peat bog. The only clue to its identity is a DNA match to a local farmer, the now-senile Tormod Macdonald – the father of Fin’s childhood sweetheart, Marsaili – a man who has claimed throughout his life to be an only child, practically an orphan. Reluctantly drawn into the investigation, Fin uncovers deep family secrets even as he draws closer to the killer who wishes to keep them hidden. …

BookBrowse

The Judge’s List by John Grisham

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The Judge’s List builds on characters introduced in Grisham’s 2016 novel The Whistler, including Florida Board on Judicial Conduct investigator Lacy Stoltz.

It’s Grisham so it’s good.

Suspicions are easy enough, but proof seems impossible. The man is brilliant, patient, and always one step ahead of law enforcement. He is the most cunning of all serial killers. He knows forensics, police procedure, and most important: he knows the law.

He is a judge, in Florida—under Lacy’s jurisdiction. …

JGrisham.com

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Mike Sissons – Artist

On By Rick McIn Art and beauty, friends1 Comment

Mike — originally from New Brunswick — has lived around the world. Speaks 5-6 languages. Started as a gymnast and coach. Moved into teaching Physical Education.

But is today an Art teacher at a private school in Madrid.

He lives in the neighbourhood of the major Art museums.

Mike and I have been friends for decades. I really enjoyed a recent chance to visit. Catching up on his philosophical world view and recent Art. He’s currently exploring painting on stained metal. One example:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CV-rTzsjbfV/

He’s still sculpting, as well.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxXh2bvnvUi/

Mike works a lot in digital media with his kids at school.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CC4L4Wvo0si/

Recently he did some commercial work — major art pieces for Cruise Ships under construction now.

Check his Instagram: sissonsart.

Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer

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From an early age it is clear that Alexander Karpenko is destined to lead his countrymen.

But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, Alexander and his mother will have to escape Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they have an irreversible choice: board a container ship bound for America or one bound for Great Britain. Alexander leaves the choice to a toss of a coin…

GREAT plot device.

Even greater when the book alternates between the life stories of Sasha over 30 years in London and New York.

The ending is a shocker. I can’t say it was what I wanted to happen.

In any case — this book is as good as any Jeffrey Archer.

Google Maps – LIVE view

On By Rick McIn Google, product endorsements, travelLeave a comment

In the tangled web of European old city cobbled streets, I used LIVE view for the first time.

A preview of the augmented reality we’ll all be using soon.

NOW … Google Maps often screws up. LIVE view often doesn’t work. But when it does, it’s a game changer for those frequently lost. Like me. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’ve also used Google Map LISTS for the first time. Very handy.

Killing Eve – books 2 & 3

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

Having now finished the trilogy of novellas, I’m impressed.

It’s a complex plot with many twists and turns. AND the relationship between nerdy Eve and the psycho killer makes a lot more sense than in the TV show.

Luke Jennings is an excellent writer.

Tom Hanks – Finch

On By Rick McIn moviesLeave a comment

I actually enjoyed this film.

…

Finch Weinberg (played by Tom Hanks), has survived the apocalypse — but just barely. He’s dying of radiation poisoning because of the depletion of the ozone. And though he tries to stay a step ahead of the worst of the resulting extreme weather events and starvation, he’s more than aware his days are numbered.

That bothers him. But more than that, he worries about what will happen to his beloved pet dog after he dies. To that end, he’s been converting his vast library into PDFs, feeding them into a computer brain that will serve as the main hard drive of a robot he’s built. …

Cult of Mac

It’s simple. Kind of charming. But no Academy Award winner. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.