I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? Then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says “Go to sleep now, darlings, till the summer comes againLewis Carroll
Hello and Happy December! With the Winter Solstice approaching we decided to share some of our favorite examples of winter artwork to ring in the new season!
Even though December is crazy and the holidays make us rush around with stress like headless chickens after the holiday storm the new year brings with it a chance to slow down and there is a bit of an underlying feeling of calm when the weather turns cold and we hibernate in the house. As a New Englander it’s hard for me to imagine a winter not buried under piles of snow. The magic and the quiet the comes with that coat of fresh white . Winter is steeped in so much tradition. People read the same winter stories, watch the same holiday specials, enjoy the same winter rituals with family and friends.
NOT YOUR MOMMA’S ICE SCULPTURE
Andy Goldsworthy
Goldsworth is a sculptor who uses natural elements in his site specific installations. He documents his process with photography and notation.
There's a great documentary about his work called Rivers & Tides.Simon Beck
Simon Beck creates incredibly detailed mathematical patterns and designs by walking MILES over freshly fallen snow (and sometimes sand). Kind of like snow crop circles! I can't imagine taking something like this on without falling over in the snow and messing up the pattern completely.
A COUPLE OF CLASSICS
Waltz of the Snowflakes from Mark Morris' The Hard Nut
What kind of dancer would I be if I didn't include a little Nutcracker up on this list? I love Morris' Nutcracker adaptation "The Hard Nut" and the Waltz of the Snowflakes in particular is a whimsical dream. Watch over on YoutubeChild's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
I love me some Dylan Thomas! I think this story speaks for itself.
"All this Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands into the snow and bring out whatever I can find. In goes my hand into that wool-white bell-tongued ball of holidays resting at the rim of the carol-singing sea, and out come Mrs. Prothero and the firemen."
You can read the whole thing for yourself here . Or hear a recording of Dylan Thomas reading it to you himself.
Best read/heard when snuggled up cozy while sipping cocoa!
MOTHER NATURE
Snowflake Photos
These babies are the real deal! Russian Photographer Andrey Oscine takes close up photos of snowflakes, revealing their fragile structure.Iceberg photos by Camille Seaman
They are like humans in that each one reacts to its environment and its circumstances in its own way,” Camille Seaman, 42, said. “I’ve come across icebergs that were very stalwart and just refused to dissolve or break up. And there were others — massive, massive icebergs — that were like ‘I can’t take it anymore’ and in front of my eyes would just dissolve into the sea. There’s so many unique personalities. There’s a sadness to them.Camille Seaman, via the New York Times
FUN FACT!
Did you know that some ice crystals are formed from plant bacteria up in the clouds? The bacteria have a protein that gives them ice forming powers. It’s called Bio-precipitation. I don’t think it should stop you from catching snowflakes on your tongue.
Also, check out this cool time-lapse video by Vyacheslav Ivanov.
What about you? Have any winter inspired projects up your sleeve?