On Frida & Albright's Pins

I maybe spelled her last name wrong.

I went to a bookstore last night and spent several hours relaxing and reading through a stack of books.

The last one I read was a large art book of Frida's work.

It was really interesting. Her art used to scare me and I thought it was a little grotesque but I understand it now.

I also enjoy looking at photographs of her. You can almost read the intelligence in her eyes. She was very strong. I don't know why she kept the slight moustache but I thought it was at least authentic. She was so beautiful but I really want to shave that upper lip. I love her flowers and jewelry and artistic sense of dress.

My favorite works by her, or ones I noticed and paid attention to were...

(I will have to finish up later bc I am having to go to another location...check out of a room basically)

Okay, so back to Frida, I really enjoyed looking at this book of her work. I cried at the one, b & w called "The Miscarriage". Well, instant upset but no public tears, thank goodness. But it wasn't depressing, it was more moving than anything and empathetic.

I like her work so much. I don't like the one of the really bloody girl. No thank you. But I do like the other ones. I like the one where she has the pink and yellow and green and purple parrots on her shoulders and the detail of that one (a self-portrait). The layering of color on the shoulders for the parrots is really beautiful. I also like the one of her dream, with the bunkbeds and she's below and the skeleton is above.

Then, she has this really straight and traditional stuff, like flowers on a bowl painted without the surrealism or whatever. She's so talented, she could paint however she wanted.

I also like the one about "The Two Fridas" with the hearts interconnected. The one of the wounded deer, with the arrows in it, first sort of disturbed me, but the expression on the hart is so sweet and vulnerable I couldn't look away. I like it. It's magical. An entire story there.

Not for the boudoir, but I like it.

Then, today I looked an interesting book by Madeline Albright. How much do I know about U.S. politics? Ahem, well, I thought Albright was English. I looked at her book, her new one, about pins.

It's really wonderful, and all it is, is her collection of antique and new pins which she wore on her lapel on different occasions.

I COVET her collection. I want them all.

It's a cool book. I love the first one, of the serpent, with a diamond dropping from its mouth. And the one torwards the back, of the dandilion seed and the one of the dandilion. I like these two best of a little flower collection, some which are more intricate. I like the simplicity and color and statement of the dandilion!

Then, there was a really cool one, all gold and in a solid octagon shape, of a web with a spider with a diamond or rhinestone at its mouth. There is a cool web with a separate spider next to it on the side of the book but I don't know if it's a brooch or not. Then, there were a couple with small insects which could be paired together. Like, a flower with four bees which can be arranged in different positions. So fun. I liked the sheaf of wheat as well. And one from croatia or something, called "mucha" and sort of art deco in silver and coral. I liked the butterflies too, some more than others. Oh, one called "grapes" too, with pearls.

I think I really like pins as a form of decorative art. I like the combination of making a statement with creative art and form and stones. I do like the rocks. That's what led me to even pick up a Town & Country magazine--the advertising for jewelry. Most of it I'd just like to look at though, and wouldn't wear. Pins are different though, if you're on business and want to dress it up. I like scarves and pins. Clarification--some scarves and some pins--Silk scarves and well-made and designed pins.

I think if I continue to blog, it will just be about books, art, and music! I could handle that.