Clouds

 Clyde Butcher's clouds are art.

I found Clyde on Facebook recently, (Clyde Butcher Photography) and am sharing just a bit of his art. 

He said:

I've been photographing in Myakka River State Park for many years, but after my stroke, it became my new backyard and second healing waters. Much like Big Cypress National Preserve was for me after the loss of my son.

Nature has always had a profound ability to heal me, and the water, in particular, has been my sanctuary. My time in the Everglades helped me heal in ways I never imagined, and now, in Venice, I've found the same comfort in the gentle flow of the Myakka River.

To see more of my images from Myakka and be inspired just as I have been: https://bit.ly/3S6Ytsw

 

He also has a web site clydebutcher.com

I lived in Florida many years...where it's mostly flat and wet. And all summer long thunder clouds float into being each afternoon. I once had a poster (black and white) of one of Clyde's beautiful clouds.

Wikipedia says this:

Beyond photography, Butcher is an active environmentalist. He has been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of preserving natural habitats, particularly the Florida Everglades. Through his galleries, exhibitions, and public speaking engagements, he advocates for conservation and educates the public on environmental issues.

My photo of Lake Tomahawk in September 2023. 

Another view of Lake Tomahawk from November 2023.

Yes, North Carolina has thunder clouds also.

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Sharing with Skywatch Friday!

Today's quote:

There are two things to aim at in life; first to get what you want, and after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. -Logan Pearsall Smith, essayist (1865-1946)

Wild Things

  Maurice Sendak was born on June 10, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents. His childhood was shaped by the struggles of the Great Depression and the stories of relatives lost during the Holocaust. As a sickly child, he spent much of his time indoors, developing a love for drawing and storytelling. Inspired by Disney films and comic books, he decided early on to pursue a career as an illustrator.

His most famous works include Where the Wild Things Are (1963), In the Night Kitchen (1970), Higglety Pigglety Pop! (1967), and illustrations for Ruth Krauss’s A Hole is to Dig and Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bear series.

Maurice Sendak’s work captures the inner world of children with an honest and unfiltered lens. His stories explore themes of anger, fear, imagination, and emotional complexity while balancing whimsy with realism. His expressive illustrations add depth, evoking wonder with a subtle touch of darkness.

Sendak transformed children’s literature by addressing intense emotions and themes previously avoided in books for young readers. He challenged the idea that children’s stories had to be cheerful and simple, inspiring writers and illustrators to explore creative and emotional depth.

He won numerous awards, including the Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. His books remain beloved worldwide, and his influence on the genre is profound.

He was openly gay and shared a 50-year partnership with Eugene Glynn. In addition to writing and illustrating, Sendak worked as a set and costume designer for operas and ballets. Some of his books faced controversy due to their bold themes, but they have endured as iconic works of children’s literature.

Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak with his Wild Things

Wild Things Christmas Tree

Woman painter - Ottilie W. Roederstein

 

Ottilie W. Roederstein (German/Swiss, 1859-1937)
Selbstbildnis mit Roter Mütze Self Portrait with Red Cap

Tempera on wood
36 x 44 cm
Kunstmuseum Basel

Ottilie Wilhelmine Roederstein was a German-Swiss painter. She was the long-time companion of Elisabeth Winterhalter, one of the first female doctors in Germany.

She was first attracted to painting when the now-forgotten Swiss painter Eduard Pfyffer came to their home to do family portraits. This interest grew with visits to local museums. For a woman, training as a painter would have gone against contemporary social conventions. In 1876, she was allowed to study with Pfyffer, so she would be close to home.

Her talent for portrait painting soon became obvious and she quickly outgrew Pfyffer's studio. Her opportunity came when her sister Johanna married a businessman from Berlin. Johanna and her husband agreed to let her live with them there, and she found a place as a student in a special women's class given by Karl Gussow. In 1882, she had her first exhibition with an art dealer in Zürich and it was well received. That same year, she followed a friend to Paris, where she found a position in the studios of Carolus-Duran and Jean-Jacques Henner. By 1887, she was able to support herself with sales and commissions and no longer had to depend on her parents. She was a participant in the Salon and won a Silver Medal at the Exposition Universelle. She exhibited her work at the Woman's Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.

After 1890, she moved to Frankfurt to be with her lover, Elisabeth Winterhalter; although she travelled widely (including a trip to Africa in 1913). She never lost track of her Swiss roots, however, and became an Honorary Citizen of Zürich in 1902. Five years later, she and Elisabeth settled in Hofheim am Taunus (a suburb of Frankfurt). Amongst her models was Gwen John who was intrigued that Roederstein wore a shirt, jacket and a fob watch. Roederstein's painting of her as "The Letter" was exhibited at the salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1908. That same year Roederstein and her partner helped to create the Schillerschule Frankfurt's first school for girls. After the war she did a number of portraits of women widowed by the war. She continued to exhibit regularly until 1931.

Roederstein died on 26 November 1937 in Hofheim am Taunus.

Source: Facebook  page of Maryellen Brown for Pride Month (June)

1887_Roederstein_Bildnis_ portrait of Elisabeth_Winterhalter

Roederstein_1918_Self- portrait

June is Pride Month, where we celebrate the lives of many LGBTQ+ people.