The Artisans of Fez and Solitaire.

On a recent trip to Morocco we were fascinated by just how many goods are still made by local artisans. Apparently the ancient city of Fez has 700 artisans still crafting goods by hand and selling them on to tourists as well as markets abroad. One product we picked up was a game dating back to the French Revolution. The story goes that the game known as peg solitaire was designed by a French aristocrat who was imprisoned in the Bastille. Later it was designed with indentations rather than holes and marbles were used and this is the version we bought.  I just hope that one day we can see more locally hand made products in our local markets. 

Here are the rules clearly explained for this wonderful little game.

Great Architecture

The Chrysler Building, NYC 
(One of the finest examples of art deco today)

 The Blue Mosque, Istanbul 
(A masterpiece of craftsmanship and design)

 

The Taj Mahal, Agra 

(A symbol of the power of love; built in homage to the ruler's wife)  

 The Petronas Towers, KL, Malaysia 
(Contemporary architecture influenced by Malaysian religious traditions)

 

 St Basil's Cathedral, Moscow 

(An incredible pattern of beautifully coloured domes) 

Portmeirion,Wales, UK 

(A Mediterranean styled village in North Wales where the original version of The Prisoner was filmed)

The Painted Cityscapes of Leonid Afremov

It's wonderful to discover something new especially when you are submerged in work and research. Here's a painter then who's originally from Belarus but now lives in Florida, USA. His work reminds me a little of Marc Chagall's, the great Belarusian painter. I remember seeing Chagall's beautiful stained glass windows in a church (the Fraumunster) when I was on a previous holiday in Zurich.  

It seems like Chagall's mozaic of colours has influenced the artist Leonid Afremov from Vitebsk, Belarus. According to the artist's web page it's the same town where Marc Chagall was born. Interestingly the same page also points out that "Leonid Afremov graduated from Vitebsk Art School in 1978 [which] was founded by Marc Chagall in 1921. Along with Malevich and Kandinsky, Leonid Afremov is one of the elite members of the famous Vitebsk art school."  

Here's some of Leonid Afremov's work I've found and would like to share:  

If you would like to see more of his work or find out more about the artist try this website:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/leonid-afremov.html

A little of my artwork

These are just a few paintings I've done since starting an evening course in oriental art. As you can see there's still more work to be done, so step by step.

A Crane in a Snowy Landscape.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher

Mice Having Fun.

Pure Colour

This is beautiful and is the reason why I prefer painting to photography for capturing the essential mood just as a writer attempts to draw out the soul of a character.

Daily Food for Thought

This is great website ~ ideas for living

http://www.theschooloflife.typepad.com/