#Chirstmas, Happy/Merry Christmas!

(Francisco Bravo Cabrera/actor portrayal/at his favourite charcuterie in Valencia)

We here in Valencia eat lots of good, tasty, delicious foods for Christmas. We celebrate the night of the 24th of December as «Nochebuena» (literally translates as the «good night») and we eat fish, turkey or pork. Personally I only do the fish or the pork as I am not a fan of turkeys (except for Thanksgiving, a US tradition that I keep). But we add to our meals some good items from our phenomenal charcuteries! I personally love the Iberian ham from acorn-fed pigs that graze freely in the dehesas (pastures) of Castilla and Andalucía. And of course we are a nation of fabulous sausages like chorizo and salchichón, among others, and phenomenal cheese which we serve, together with our olives and wine (every region of Spain has great wines) and we enjoy the holidays…

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. May you enjoy these holidays with family, loved ones, or alone. It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you recognize that these are festive days filled with excitement for many, and perhaps for you too. I know that this time of year is not liked by everyone, and there are probably some out there who hate it, but we must show patience, tolerance, and understanding to everyone. Each of us is a world, a universe, a whole, and then part of a greater whole.

Although December is characterised bu the Advent and the Nativity of our Saviour Jesus Nazarene, born in a manger in Judea on Year Zero, the legend did not take into consideration the facts that point to Jesus being born perhaps more accurately in April. But it’s alright, what matters is that we recognise that this time of the year invites us to get closer together, to understand each other a little better and to even, dare I say, love each other a whole lot more.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS – MERRY CHRISTMAS – HAPPY CHRISTMAS – MERRY CHRISTMAS – HAPPY CHRISTMAS – MERRY CHRISTMAS

#art, #poem, Bon Nadal – Feliz Navidad

Felicidades a todos – Felicitats a tothom – Zorionak guztioi

(En un bello hotel de Barcelona/In a beautiful hotel in Barcelona/Derechos Reservados/All Rights Reserved)

Os deseamos a todos una Navidad feliz y un prospero año nuevo. Que estas fiestas las disfrutéis con familia, seres queridos o solo, no importa, lo importante es que reconozcas que estos son días festivos y llenos de ilusión para muchos y quizá para ti también. Yo se que esta temporada del año no le gusta a todo el mundo y probablemente hayan algunos por ahí que la odian, pero bueno, hay que demostrar paciencia, tolerancia y entendimiento con todos. Cada uno de nosotros somos un mundo, un universo, un todo y una parte de un todo mayor.

Aunque diciembre se caracteriza por el advenimiento y la natividad de Jesus en un pesebre en Judea en el año cero, creo que la leyenda no tomó en cuenta la verdad histórica que apunta que Jesus Nazareno probablemente nació en abril y no en diciembre. Pero eso no importa. Lo que importa es que esta época nos convida a que nos reunamos, nos entendamos y nos queramos un poquito mas los unos a los otros.

Felicidades a todos – Felicitats a tothom – Zorionak guztioi

Síguenos en nuestras redes sociales:

YouTube: http://www.YouTube.com/@FranciscoBravoCabrera

IG: @Francisco_Bravo_Cabrera

Web/Gallery: http://www.fbcart.wixsite.com/jazzart

Artist Representative: «By Guloshka»

E-Mail: guloshka404@gmail.com

IG: @Guloshka

GRÀCIES – GRACIAS – ESKERRIK ASKO –

#opinion, #art, #poem, Dear Diary, Page No. 4

(El Corte Inglés in Barcelona, Photo by Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)

Well, as John Lennon said, «And so this is Christmas and what have you done…», I too ask of myself and those around me, like you. So, what have I done? Well, I’ve done a lot of things, but could I have done more? I travelled a lot, I ate well, I worked hard, I painted, wrote, danced, made new friends, and so on and so forth… But I ask myself, is that all there is? Are those the important things that I should be doing? Probably yes and probably no…

The important things are to grow spiritually and intellectually. To recognise that God has spread wisdom all over the Earth. To find such wisdom through meditation, contemplation, prayer, devotion and to continue to spread it forth to others. To be kind, considerate. To help friends and strangers. To read more, eat less, learn more and discard more useless information. We are bombarded with stupidity these days in those reports they call «news» but that are nothing more than manipulation and lies…

So, dear diary, what have I done? I think I fell short of expectations. But not to worry, 2024 is on the wings and waiting to make its grand entry into the cicle we call life so that we can make new years resolutions! Yes! Resolve to eat less, exercise more et cetera et cetera…

Cheers to all that have followed, liked, and replied to my posts throughout 2023!

#art, Women Artists Series: Beryl Cook…

(Photo The Telegraph)

A few days ago a friend and fellow blogger on WP suggested I look into a woman artist from the United Kingdom who I did not know, and I certainly did and here she is: Beryl Cook. She was born on September 10 of 1926 in Egham, Surrey, England, and although she claimed not to have had any «formal» art training, she painted very well. Her paintings are of everyday people, sometimes a bit bizarre but almost always with a comical twist.

Although her bulky figures might remind one of Botero, (another one who claimed to be self-taught), in my opinion Cook’s work is much more interesting. She painted volume in her outlandish and extroverted characters. Beryl Cook was influenced, according to her own words, by the work of Sir Stanley Spencer and Edward Burra, both highly trained and successful British painters.

Cook moved to Plymouth in 1968 and at the Plymouth Arts Centre had her first exhibition. The success of that exhibition led to her being contracted to the Portal Gallery in London (1976) where she exhibited until her death in 2008. In 1995 she was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Channel 4 News produced, in 2005, a short film of her work and the Royal Mail used one of her paintings for a first class postage stamp.

Although I did not know much about this painter, she is certainly well known in the UK and her work has achieved a wide level of success. Can it be that because she is a woman artist she has not been taken as seriously as men in Art History? I don’t know. But her country did take her seriously. So I ask myself, why did I not hear of her in Art School? In any event, I like her work and I wanted to share it with you and find out what you think.

(«Tea in the Garden» berylcookprints.co.uk)
(«Hen Night» berylcookprints.co.uk)
(«By the Clyde» Artuck.org)

I would highly suggest that if you are interested in art, either as an artist, student, lover of art or collector, that you look further into the work of Beryl Cook.

CHEERS – CHEERS – CHEERS

(Thank you M.)

#opinion, #art, #poem, Querido diario, pagina no. 4

(«Papa Noel con vino»/«Santa Claus With Wine» – de/by Francisco Bravo Cabrera/Derechos Reservados/All Rights Reserved)

Como dijo John Lennon «And so this is Christmas and what have we done…» («Así que ya es Navidad y que hemos hecho…»), creo que lo podemos decir todos, al menos me lo pregunto yo a mi mismo. Mi respuesta siempre es la misma, he hecho bastante pero no lo suficiente. He logrado muchas cosas, pero me faltan muchas mas. He comenzado muchos proyectos pero me quedan por terminar. He hecho nuevas amistades. He ido a muchas fiestas. He visto muchos espectáculos, he escuchado mucha música, he comido bien, he viajado etcetera etcetera ad nauseam…

Bueno, es verdad, pero creo que no es lo único ni lo más importante. A todas esas cosas, a todos esos logros, acontecimientos, gratos recuerdos et al, les falta el ingrediente principal, la espiritualidad. El amor a Dios, a uno mismo y al prójimo, venga, eso debe ser el objetivo de nuestra búsqueda y de todo. Claro, ahora llega el momento de hacer resoluciones para el año nuevo, promesas que uno le hace al almanaque, a la agenda o a un pedazo de papel donde uno apunta todo lo que quiere hacer, lo que piensa uno hacer. Jolines, a ver si las cumples…

Si, ya ha llegado la Navidad, y ¿Qué has hecho chaval?

Doce meses escurridos, apurados y taciturnos

atraviesan por el cielo imaginario,

sembrando dudas, verdades, cuentos, desesperos,

ahogando al grillo viejo y descarado

de la consciencia filantrópica, remolona y mañanera,

y bebiéndose el anis de la eterna madrugada.

Doce meses, ni uno más, ni uno menos,

nos da el decrepito almanaque,

cada uno con su alforja y su jaleo,

y nosotros con la prisa por que llegue,

el año nuevo con sus disparates…

Francisco Bravo Cabrera, escrito hoy, 20 de diciembre de 2023 mientras escuchaba al Trio en Si bemol mayor para Clarinete, Violoncello y Piano, Opus 11, “Gassenhauer-Trio” de 1797)

#art, Una vez más, Sharon Stone, la pintora – Once More, Sharon Stone the Painter…

(Foto/Photo El Correo)

Ya había hablado de ella… Sharon Stone es también pintora – Sharon Stone is Also an Artist … Pero ahora vuelve a ser noticia el arte de esta gran actriz de Hollywood. Están hasta diciendo que pinta abstracción, pero, mirando sus cuadros me lucen un tanto figurativos pero con mucha abstracción, si… Tambien me lucen un poco simplones, y aunque no soy nadie para juzgar, no me dan que los haya currado mucho… La revista Artnet dice que la toman muy en serio como pintora porque ella se toma muy en serio a si misma y a su arte. Bueno, ya la hemos visto en el cine y se sabe que es una artista completamente comprometida con su arte, el arte del actor, pero hay que ver si tiene el mismo compromiso con la pintura… Su nueva exposición titulada “Welcome to My Garden” se puede ver en la C. Parker Gallery de Greenwich, Connecticut (EEUU)… hay 19 obras nuevas de la actriz y suponen los críticos…ay estos críticos…que los cuadros demuestran mas profundidad y disciplina que los que expuso anteriormente. Le deseamos mucha suerte a esta gran actriz de 65 años que aún luce guapísima… (Vaya al enlace con Artnet para ver la exposición)

+++

I had already talked about her… Sharon Stone is Also an Artist… But now, the art (paintings) of this great Hollywood actress is making headlines again. Some are even saying that she paints abstract art, but when looking at her paintings, they seem somewhat figurative but with a lot of abstraction I’ll admit. They also seem a bit simple to me, and although I am no one to judge, it doesn’t look like she put much effort into them… The magazine Artnet says that she is taken very seriously as a painter because she takes herself and her art very seriously. Well, we have already seen her in movies and we know that she is a fully committed artist when it comes to acting, but we have yet to see if she has the same commitment to painting… Her new exhibition titled «Welcome to My Garden» can be seen at the C. Parker Gallery in Greenwich, Connecticut (USA)… There are 19 new works by the actress, and according to critics… oh, these critics… the paintings demonstrate more depth and discipline than her previous ones. We wish this amazing 65-year-old actress a lot of luck, as she still looks absolutely gorgeous… (Go to the link on Artnet to see the exhibit)

(Foto/Photo ELLE)

GRACIAS – CHEERS – GRACIAS – CHEERS – GRACIAS – CHEERS