Eternal Refuge

This set of icons is made for monthlyinspo  with a theme of Art Movements.

I chose to do 3 different themes, and just hope that they fit the assorted categories. I do go to art galleries, but tend to be a "I know what I like" visitor, rather than knowing what is what ... made worse by being colourblind. So if you feel that any don't fit the category then please let me know.

Pop Art

#1	#2	#3	#4	#5

Impressionism

#1	#2	#3	#4	#5

Old Masters (Portrait)

#1	#2	#3	#4	#5

As ever, all are snaggable, but credit would be appreciated. The credits are available over at my icon journal - d4s_icons

Since I was run over the day before my 21st, and then taken to Bart's Hospital, I had wanted to see St Bartholomew-the-Great ... which is one of 2 Churches that were founded in 1123. They were founded along with the hospital & an Augustinian Priory. Rahere was a courtier of King Henry I and caught a fever on a pilgrimage to Rome. On recovery he had a vision of the Apostle Bartholomew ... and hence the Churches were founded.












St Bartholomew, by Damien Hirst (he was martyred by being skinned alive)

Prior Rahere's Tomb



Font 1405

Cloisters (now a coffee shop)

The Lady Chapel - supposed to be where the Virgin Mary visited the Bishop in the 12th Century



For 3 of the 4 years I was at college, I walked across Trafalgar Square every day ... and if I had an hour spare I would have a wander round The National Gallery ... and a visit never gets boring.


van Dyck - Equatrian portarit of Charles I, 1638

Rembrandt - Frederick Rihel on horseback, 1663

van Dyck - Lord John Stuart and his brother Lord Bernard Stuart, 1638 ... Both died for the Royalist cause

Bartolone Esteban Murillo - Self portarit, 1670

Constable (attributed) - east Bergholt Singers, 1800

Constable - Cloud Study, 1821

Constable - Sketchbook, 1814

Vincent van Gogh - Snowy Landscape with Arles in the background, 1888

George Seurat - Le Bec du Hoc, Grandcamp, 1885

Monet - The Thames below Westminster, 1871



Gainsborough - Mr and Mrs Andrews, 1750

Constable - Stratford Mill, 1820

Canaletto - Venice The Grand Canal with St Simeone Piccolo, 1740

These are 2 of the earliest paintings of the collection -

Master of Saint Francis - Crucifix, 1265

Margarito d'Arezzo - The Virgin and Child, 1263

As I said it was a really lovely long weekend, although I was sad that I didn't manage to catch up with my friend D while there.

On day one we were late leaving as the weather wasn't great but we went to Angelsey Abbey and then went to Bury St Edmuns so I could see the cathedral & Abbey ruins.

Anglesey Abbey is a beautiful building with some lovely works of art. My friend Liz, who I was staying with, is an artist, so even more interesting to see some of the artwork from her eyes ...













( And now a walk inside )

Bury St Edmunds is the town that my friends live on the edge of (although technically in a village). I do love the Abbey Gardens, so neat and tidy ... yet with 1,000 + years of history ...





( Inside the Cathedral )

Boer War Memorial







More to come - next week

Snowflake Challenge #11

In your own space, create a fanwork.


As ever, I am not 100% happy with the work ... I say every year I want to work more on banners etc, and then don't do anything until I am challenged again ... but, at least with this Snowflake I have had to do some work ...

Anyone who has been to London and not visited Sir John Soane's House has missed a treat. People have always called me a hoarder, but compared to him I have a long way to go.

I have been a couple of times, and there is so much to see, that it's impossible to take in ... here is a bit of a taster -































The picture room actually has a second layer of paintings under these walls (they open like cupboard doors.









Looking down onto the Sarcophagus of the Egyptian pharaoh Seti I

One of his many cork models (this one of Pompeii)

One of our visits was one not scheduled ... and we went there for 2 reasons.  The first was that many of the group were Scottish, so we were taken to Black Watch Corner -


As I got off the coach our guide called me aside, to show me the view across the main road .... Glencourse Woods.  I had already been taken there on a previous visit, but this time it was across the road from where I was ... However, for me, it was in memory of my Grandfather.  On the 10th August 1917 during the third battle of Ypres (The Battle of Passchendaele), this is where he was stationed. The lowere photo was taken in 2018 when the tour went along the other road, than the one we were on this time.




From there we went to The Berks Cemetery & Extension -





CWGC re-etching the stones



A German Jew ... sadly if he had survivied he would have faced the Nazi regime.

Lieutenant R Pouton-Palmer, an English Rugby Captain ... and relative of the "Hunter & Palmer" biscuit company.


As we were driving along we saw some of the German bunkers



Another place we were shown was this re-built farmhouse, which (in the cellar) there are still the remains of the original cartoons of Old Bill, by Bruce Bairnsfather



Our next stop was at Messines and our first stop was the museum.

Old Bill

Photos of the town at the end of the war

Copy of painting of St Nicholas' Church - Dec 1914, by Adolf Hitler

The rebuilt Messines Church - where Hitler had been a patient in the crypt when injured in 1914

... and a toilet for the men near the entrance


And, our final stop of the day was Ypres, or Wipers as Granddad would have called it. The city was totally destroyed during the war, but rebuilt to look as it did pre WWI. As I said, Claire's great-grandfather's name is on the Menin Gate ... but as you can see it is being renovated.



















Since 1928, the "Last Post" has been sounded every evening at 8 p.m. by buglers of the local Last Post Association at the war memorial at Ypres in Belgium known as the Menin Gate, commemorating the British Empire dead at the Battle of Ypres during the First World War. The only exception to this was during the four years of the German occupation of Ypres from 20 May 1940 to 6 September 1944, when the ceremony moved to Brookwood Military Cemetery in England. On the evening that Polish forces liberated Ypres, the ceremony was resumed at the Menin Gate, in spite of the heavy fighting still going on in other parts of the town. These buglers or trumpeters, sometimes seen in fire brigade uniform, are members of the fire brigade representing the Last Post Association, who organizes the events. The Last Post Association uses both silver B♭ bugles and E♭ cavalry trumpets, with either British Army tradition being respected during services at the gate.

As I said, there were some other murals - and here are some






















One of the places we were told to visit was The Crown Bar ... but no, I didn't get anything as it was a very hot day, and quite airless in there!










The Big Fish - and yes, I did kiss it, as it's meant to make you cleverer



And, again on the last day, I went to C.S. Lewis square, celebrating a local author - C S Lewis ... I have read the book The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe as a kid, and I so need to re-read













On one of the roundabouts -

One of the places I wanted to visit was The Guildhall .. both for the building itself, and also to see the Roman Amphitheeatre However what I didn't realise there was a lovely art display, of Victorian art ... some beautiful pictures -



The art gallery is to the right



I loved this pair of pictures painted in 1864 ... the upper one called "My First Sermon" and the lowere called "My Second Sermon" ... (I have been to a few long services myself!!)



The Quarrymen of Purbeck, painted 1885

Salerno, painted 1849

Painted in 1762

Stallion, sculptered 1869

And these are a couple of images of the roman remains ... the lower of which shows original wooden sewer pipes






Well I am off to get my car MOT'd and serviced ... but before I go ...


21. Does your morning "getting ready" routine vary much between work days and weekends (or other days off if you work weekends)?
Not much difference ... although I read longer on days off, and relax with my second mug of tea, rather than rushing round to head out of the door.


See you later xx

Well I did say I was going to try to teach myself how to make banners, so although I am not happy overall, I am happier than I have been with some in the past ... Jack/Sam from SG1, for those who don't watch Stargate





And. of course -

26. What’s your favorite breakfast food?

I love a cooked breakfast if I am actually staying in England, and in a hotel (which is rare!). I tend to eat the smae cereal every morning - Honey-Nut Shreddies ... but if having a late breakfast it's Frosties ... and all served with ice cold milk, and at least a couple of mugs of tea.

I am a couple of days late as I don't turn on the computer on Sundays, and yesterday I wasn't feeling 100%, so I am doing a catch up now -

Challenge #9

In your own space, brag about yourself. Tell us what things you've done that you're proud of; the things that make you the wonderful person you are. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I am never happy with anything I do however as many of you will know I was bullied at school ... not just by the girls I was with but by a couple of teachers ... so, to Miss Bodmin & to Mr Nolle let me say this ...

Miss Bodmin, you tried throwing me out of English lessons when I was 15, but one year later I got a grade B & a grade C in O levels. And, since the internet has been more popular I have managed to write some fanfics .... ithey may not be Shakespeare, but I have managed to write them ... and even had a few nice comments and Kudos over the years.  So, maybe I can't always spell things, and get sentances muddled; but there is no deed to try to refuse a child her education.

Mr Nolle. yes you thought I had promise when I copied with a pencil, but you never accepted that I am colourblind.  Well, sorry but I am ... which is a real pain.  But to not believe me when I got colours wrong is truly wrong.  And again fandom has taught me to use photo-editing stuff to make icons ... and I enjoy it (I made the one I am using).

So, not to brag - but despite teachers I have fun in fandom ... and yes, I can be involved.