I wonder if
the snow loves the trees and fields,
that it kisses them so gently?
And then it covers them up snug,
you know, with a white quilt; 
and perhaps it says
“Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”

by Lewis Carroll
Art by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

  ”When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come,
I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out
with its great wide sounds,
cleanses me with its noise, and imposes
a rhythm upon everything in me
that is bewildered and confused.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
Art by Abbott Fuller Graves (1859 – 1936)

~Lord of the Rings

When the moon was new and the sun young
of silver and gold the gods sung:
in the green grass they silver spilled,
and the white waters they with gold filled.
Ere the pit was dug or Hell yawned,
ere dwarf was bred of dragon spawned,
there were Elves of old, and strong spells
under green hills in hollow dells
they sang as they wrought many fair things,
and the bright crowns of the Elf-kings.
But their doom fell, and their song waned,
by iron hewn and by steel chained.
Greed that sang not, nor with mouth smiled,
in dark holes their wealth piled,
graven silver and carven gold:
over Elvenhome the shadow rolled.

Read More

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary
so that the necessary may speak.

unknown to me
Art by Claire Fletcher

~HAVE A LOVELY

SUNDAY~

She did not need much,
wanted very little.
A kind word, sincerity,
fresh air, clean water, a garden,
kisses, books to read,
sheltering arms, a cosy bed,
and to love and be loved in return.

by Starra Neely Blade
..VIA..

~Book..

Historia Unicornis
Source

The Unicornis Manuscripts:
On the History and Truth of the Unicorn
by Michael GreenAmber Lotus

Explore the mysterious and magical world of
the unicorn in Michael Green's book,
The Unicornis Manuscripts. This newly updated book
explores the fluid boundary between what is real
and what is imaginary. Long considered one of the
preeminent books on these mythical creatures,
Unicornis explains and expands the lore
of the unicorn. An updated introduction addresses
our collective fascination with unicorns,
and the profound impact that the original book had
on unicorn lovers around the world.

Alongside a narrative history of the unicorn are
Michael Green's exquisite illustrations,
rendered as if freshly torn from a medieval manuscript.
Each image hearkens us back to an enchanted age,
when the mysteries of the world still held us captivated.

Through the pages of the book we are transported to
the spaces where unicorns abound, just out of our natural sight. For seekers of the beautiful and wondrous,
The Unicornis Manuscripts inspires you to believe.

..VIA..

That’s the thing with magic.
You’ve got to know it’s still here,
all around us, or it just stays invisible for you.

~Charles de Lint
Source

~Alice

~Source~

Once upon a time,
I thought faeries lived only in books,
old folktales, and the past.
That was before they burst upon my
life as vibrant, luminous beings,
permeating my art and my everyday existence,
causing glorious havoc.
~Brian Froud

~An He

 
An He is Chinese Artist who was born
in 1957 in Guangzhou, China.
While studying at the Guangzhou Institute of Fine Arts
An He was invited to join the All China Artists Association,
a top national organization only for professional artists.
An He was just 24 when he was chosen,
the youngest member ever.


Since then, his paintings have been widely exhibited
in many cities throughout China.
An He has won National Art Excellence awards in China
and three of his works have been purchased by
the Chinese government for the permanent collections
on display in the National Museum of Fine Arts in Beijing.


An He arrived in the United States in 1985
eventually making San Francisco his
permanent home
in 1988.
An He's subject matter is typically
elegantly dressed women.

“No, I would not want to live in a world
without dragons, as I would not want to
live in a world without magic,
for that is a  world without mystery,
and that is a world without faith.”
~R.A. Salvatore, Streams of Silver
Art found here~

Streams Of Silver is the second book
by R.A. Salvatore in the Icewind Dale trilogy
and the fifth of the Legend of Drizzt novels.
Originally published in 1989 by TSR in paperback
and rereleased by Wizards of the Coast in 2005
~VIA~

 

But I loved the library simply because it was a library.
I love libraries. I like reading, but I love libraries.
Being surrounded by books makes me feel safe,
the way some people need trees or mountains around
them to feel secure.
Not me – nature’s not what I cling to.
I cling to books.
.

by Emily Wing Smith,
Back When You Were Easier to Love

The Red Cross published recruitment and
fund raising posters in various countries during
World War I, and many of them are works of art!
The poster shown here was designed
by Harrison Fisher in 1918
(via 26 Vintage Red Cross Posters from WWI)

I really love this…
Art by Abbott Fuller Graves

I Found a copy of Waterbabies yesterday
and almost finished it :o)

The Water-Babies,
A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby is a children's novel
by the Reverend Charles Kingsley.
Written in 1862–1863 as a serial
for Macmillan's Magazine,
it was first published in its entirety in 1863.

The book was extremely popular in England during
its day, and was a mainstay of British children's
literature for many decades.

Sometimes I am in need of a quiet corner too ;o)
Art by Jessie Willcox Smith

Art by Rene Cloke

Rene Cloke (1905-1995) was born in Plymouth, UK
on October 4, 1905.
A good deal of her career consisted in
in illustrating postcards and greeting cards.
Her very playful Alice is drawn in classic '40s
children's book style.
For more information about Cloke, follow
this link to
Cuteanimalart.blogspot.com.

The Queen in Hamlet 1895
Art by Edwin Austin Abbey

.
The library of Charles Dickens, as rendered via
woodblock engraving and sepia ink on paper
by Sir Samuel Luke Fildes, 1870.
Image VIA.