Wednesday, August 1, 2012

ABC Wednesday - Round 11 - letter C

Colour, children, community, critters, canines, the osprey chick, the Cone sisters, Guy Clark and some C-shapes - those are the ideas that came to me this week, in preparing an ABC Wednesday post for the letter C. 
Colours painted by Children of the Roundhouse Community Centre
"Chroma" is the colourfulness relative to the brightness of another color that appears white under similar viewing conditions.  The many greens in the park may be an example of that.
Crimson?
Cornflower Blue?
I have edited this post to link to a Kate Wolf song called  "Cornflower Blue" kindly suggested by EvenSong.
Canary yellow? And, do you see a C-shape? (For photos above and below)


C-shape - bike lane on the Cambie Bridge
C-shape of a fountain near me.
Chinese red? (above and below)

Canine energy, seen and photographed from the truck as we drove to Port Moody.
Colourful mural!
Osprey Chick, growing quickly (above and below)

Canine power (Black Jack running at Deboville Slough

Celerity (My new word for the week means "speed")
 CRITTERS seen this week 
Otters at Deboville Slough



Neighbourhood Cat
My favourite C-shape of the week, taken very early this morning before sunrise.
My "C" artist of the week stretches the idea a little bit, but I think it works.  I learned about two sisters, Etta and Claribel Cone, when Bill and I attended the Matisse exhibit at The Vancouver Art Gallery.  The sisters were not artists per se but they had an eye for art and they became passionate about Matisse and his work.  They met him several times, exchanged letters with him, and they had a great many pieces of his work in their home.  In the photo below, Gertrude Stein sits between Claribel (left) and Etta.  It is 1903 and they are in Italy.  You can learn about the Cone sisters and see more photos at this site.  But, even better, if you are anywhere near Vancouver, you can go to the museum, read their letters, see their shopping lists, check out their jewelry and even "walk" through the three adjoining apartments (amazing interactive screen) where they and their brother lived.
*I'm not sure why, but some of the links only work if you click on the last underlined word. 
Matisse was considered the master of colour, and this fact may have accounted for the compelling and irresistible attraction that Claribel and Etta felt towards his art.
La Musique
I have been pondering my own interest in Claribel and Etta.  To me, the details of their lives are absolutely fascinating.  Clearly, I am not alone, since at least one book has been written about them and the documentary that we saw at the museum goes into considerable detail about their personalities.  They are written up on Wikipedia, and I also found this youtube account that appears to have been put together by a high school student.  It touches on some of the facts that I find so compelling - their upbringing in a large Jewish-German immigrant family (12 children), their unusual independence in early 20th century society, Claribel's insistence on completing a medical degree (she was valedictorian of her class) in spite of her father's attempts to discourage her, their stuffing (the only word that seems appropriate) over 3,000 pieces of art into their apartment.  I could go on and on.  I do believe a feature film waits somewhere on the sidelines for the right time to make its appearance.  
To complete my goal of finding one musician each week previously unknown to me, I have chosen Guy Clark. I found him listed in "1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die."  His voice is rough and his melodies repetitious, but he is a story teller and he sure does know how to get around the guitar. The song mentioned in the book is called Old Number 1He grew on me with each listening, and I'm pleased to have made his acquaintance.  In his song,The Guitar, he does not sing.  It is a narrative with guitar accompaniment, but I love his guitar performance and I love the story.  Perhaps you will as well.   


For more thoughts and ideas about the letter "C" from people around the world, I hope you will take some time to check out the ABC Wednesday web site.  Thank you so much for stopping by!

22 comments:

  1. Love your photos! Where is that mural located? It's gorgeous. Those sisters are quite fascinating, aren't they!

    Leslie
    abcw team

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carol, just gotta say that TWO references you made in this post pointed me at one of my favorite singers, Kate Wolf. She had a song that referred to a "China Red" box in which a sea captains wife kept her treasures, and another called "Cornflower Blue" that is one of my favorites. You might want to google her and watch some of the old videos (she died of leukemia many years ago).

    ReplyDelete
  3. This post has me intrigued about the Cone sisters. How fantastic their lives are etched in history in such personal detail. It really does sound like a movie in the making. I liked all the “C” shapes you found and can almost see one at the table where the Cone sisters are sitting. Also, looks like Gertrude Stein has got an umbrella at her side. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, Penelope, thank you! That's a wonderful C-shape in the table, and Gertrude Stein is indeed holding an umbrella. How neat :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a rich and interesting post for ABCW! Have a nice week!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, EvenSong. I couldn't find the song about the "China Red" box, but I did find a youtube version of Cornflower Blue, in case anyone would like a listen. I didn't know Kate Wolf, but will be checking out more of her songs, as there is a lovely depth to her voice and lyrics.

    ReplyDelete
  7. wow!! a lot of beautiful stuff going on here
    the pups and cat make me smile
    the mural is amazing

    ReplyDelete
  8. Clever pot, clever camera work all the way around! Don't know which shot is my fav (they are all so good-canine power with all fours off the ground).
    Perhaps it will be as yours is. What an incredible shot of the moon!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I always enjoy your posts so much. I love how you started with the splash of color and then wove so many great shots with C words and the narrative. Carver, ABC Wed Team

    ReplyDelete
  10. There is so much detail and work that goes into your posts.
    Thank you for the interesting photos and thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Loved this post, Carol. Guy Clark and his wife Susanna wrote one of my favourite songs called The Cape. It tells the story of a child who is convinced that his flour sack cape enables him to fly. Every time William ventures confidently into some new adventure/danger, this line comes to mind.
    "He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith,
    Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape."
    Also makes me think of you:) William is currently sporting a shiner and a smile, but he's "pretty sure he can fly".

    ReplyDelete
  12. Always a delight to see your captivating photos! Catching up with ABC.

    C is for...
    Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

    PS.. COMMENTS makes me happy!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wonderful set of images. The shot before the sunrise is excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I know a guy who LOVES Guy Clark, knows a whole lot more about him than I know.
    As usual, a quality COLLECTION!

    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

    ReplyDelete
  15. You have given me so much to research this week. I love to read every word on your posts, they are all so intriging. Great C pictures, the moon is totally awesome.
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lovely! The Cone sisters were a particularly unusual and interesting topic.

    Chris H
    Off the Shore of Orion
    ABC Wednesday

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great pictures, btw that Crimson flower is also a Coleus. Love the osprey Chick, it is growing fast. The Moon shot is fantastic, my favorite I think.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Colourful, creative and clever! Beyond that, I am happy to introduced to musicians and artists or art lovers in this case! Phyllis

    ReplyDelete
  19. You have treated us to a wonderful display of C words. The mural is very colourful indeed, and the moon is brilliant! Thanks for all those beautiful photos!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wow! You Covered so much territory and your crimson plant was a Coleus.
    Thanks so much for your visit. I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. I have been inflicted with the same inconsiderate treatment.

    Blessings, Judy

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello.
    I'm always fascinated by your creative posts. That last photo was awesome...what a capture! Thanks for sharing.

    The Confidence Of A Man

    ReplyDelete
  22. Always a joy! Black Jack is a bundle of energy.

    ReplyDelete