Painter of Moonlight! (Encouragement for Creators)

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Reflection on the Thames, Westminster, 1880

You’ve probably never heard of John Atkinson Grimshaw, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen his work. His evocative Victorian landscapes are frequently reprinted as posters, or used to illustrate the covers of classic mystery novels. Today, among those in the know, Grimshaw is the acknowledged master of the Nocturne, a style of painting that depicts night scenes, or subjects veiled in twilight. James Abbott McNeill Whistler — well known for one of the world’s most famous paintings, Whistler’s Mother — once remarked, “I considered myself the inventor of Nocturnes until I saw Grimmy’s moonlit pictures.”

Boar Lane, Leeds, 1881
A Street at Night

Grimshaw created night-scapes of amazingly accurate color and lighting. He gave his work such vivid detail and realism, that it’s been described as “sharply focused, almost photographic.” Grimshaw frequently depicted city street scenes and moonlit views of the docks in London and Glasgow; but he managed to capture only the charm, and none of the grit and grime of the Victorian Industrial Age.

On Hampstead Hill, 1881

On Hampstead Hill is considered one of Grimshaw’s finest works, a night-scape that exemplifies his skill at capturing the mood of the passing of twilight into night. So adept was Grimshaw at painting lighting effects that he was able to capture both the mood and the minutest details of a scene. He could capture the seasons of the year, or the type of weather; and his “paintings of dampened gas-lit streets and misty waterfronts conveyed an eerie warmth….” His work was popular with London’s middle class, and it sold well and quickly. When you look at his vivid lighting effects, you may understand why we like to think of Grimshaw as the Thomas Kinkade of his day.

Liverpool from Wapping, 1885

Not much is known of Grimshaw’s life. Unlike most painters of his time, Grimshaw did not leave behind any journals or letters. We do know that he was born September 6, 1836 in Leeds. In 1856 he married, and in 1861, at the age of 24, he shocked his parents with the news he was giving up a stable and well-paying job as a clerk for the Great Northern Railway, to become a painter. And he struggled for eight years, painting birds and fruit, before he developed his unique style and found success.

In the Golden Gloaming

On the back of one of his canvases, Dulce Domum (1855), Grimshaw wrote, “mostly painted under great difficulties.” But John Atkinson Grimshaw wanted to pursue art, and he was willing to pay his dues. We present his lovely work today, to move you and inspire you. If you’re a novelist or a composer or an illustrator, it’s “visual music” to create by.

Southwark Bridge and St. Paul’s

“There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars….” (1 Corinthians 15:41 HCSB)

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Let’s talk turkey (Angel in the Kitchen)

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Benjamin Franklin once stated, in a letter to his daughter, “…I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country.” Apparently the great inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States fancied instead the wild turkey, a wily game bird that was plentiful throughout Colonial America, and which provided a rare feast for many of the families struggling to maintain a foothold in the New World.

Franklin writes, “…The Turkey is … a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America… He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

These are indeed fine and representative qualities for any National Bird, and no doubt, Franklin’s intentions proceeded from a good heart. But imagine for a moment, our federal currency adorned with a sassy-looking turkey, beard and all. Or this funky bird adorning our federal buildings. Hardly appropriate.

Let’s talk turkey. After all, it’s the bird most associated with Thanksgiving Day dinner, and the traditional main course fancied by most people. That’s what we’re serving. And, depending on who joins us at the table, there’s a chance we could be serving a “ham,” too!

During the preparations for our feast, our “kitchen angels” (so-called because while working with these appliances and gadgets, we’ve learned that each one has a unique message to convey, about life, love, and relationships) arise to their tasks with beeps, buzzes, and billows of silent steam. Sparky the gas range, while baking a turkey in his capacious oven, imagines he’s like the great whale that swallowed up Jonah. We reassure Sparky, however, that our turkey will probably turn out far more tender than the hardened profit God sent to Nineveh.

Meanwhile, Luke and Nuke, the twin microwaves, frequently beep at the completion of their various chores: melting butter for various recipes or warming a few dishes we prepared the day before — because, yes, it pays to plan ahead and be prepared. And Fridgey, our refrigerator — What else? — whines at us because, after removing an armload of items from his spacious interior for the umpteenth time, we left his door standing wide open!

On the counter, Mr. Keurig surveys the scene while brewing cups of specialty coffees, which go great with all the seasonal pies we serve after the big meal. While under the counter, “Garbo” (that would be our kitchen garbage pail) debates with “Sinky” (take a guess) what’s the best strategy for mop-up operations once the big celebration is over.

As you can see, no one gets left out, because observing Thanksgiving is important. Although many of us view the holiday as a time for friends and family to feast and fellowship — and some people have jokingly dubbed it “Turkey Day” — we should always remember the true meaning, significance and purpose of Thanksgiving.

To be continued tomorrow: “The Secret Origins of Thanksgiving”

“Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1 NIV)

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