Founder: Sasha Soren (Random Magic) Show us something pretty!
Commentary: Very pleasant little reading nook in a home in Kungsladugård, Göteborg, Sweden. Although there's very little shelf space, it's a cute little spot for a tray just big enough for a pot of coffee or tea, a nibble, and a nice view to go with a late morning or afternoon flip-through of some favorite magazine or newspaper. Not for a multi-hour reading session, but a likely place to take a half-hour break for yourself, to have a quick bite and a leisurely browse.
Photographer not specified. Location: Private home, Kungsladugård, Göteborg, Sweden
The Voice (singer Frank Sinatra) (2002) by LeRoy Neiman. Serigraph. 28 x 22 in(71.12 x 55.88 cm). Limited edition of 500 numbered impressions, 100AP, 8PP, signed by the artist.
Additional info on this work, via LeRoyNeiman.com: LeRoy Neiman had a long-standing personal relationship with entertainer Frank Sinatra. The artist portrayed the 'Chairman of the Board' many times, from quick pencil sketches at live performances to full-color oil paintings.
Shown above: The Song is You (1943), sung by Frank Sinatra. Songwriter not specified. Performance notes: Frank Sinatra performs during a filming in November, 1943, at the Walton High School Auditorium in the Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Neiman, always drawn to action, usually depicted Sinatra singing on stage and at recording sessions. This particular portrait was commissioned by Tina Sinatra for the cover of the album, Classic Duets.
Shown above: My Way (1994), sung by Frank Sinatra. Song notes (via Wikipedia): My Way is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the song Comme d'habitude, composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault.
The new portrait, unlike all the previous ones, shows 'Ol' Blue Eyes' quietly sitting still. Captured in shades of aqua and blue, he is at a recording session, appearing typically casual, sitting backwards in a chair and wearing his trademark hat. But while he may look relaxed, he's actually listening intently to a playback of his own singing, judging his voice and performance. Sinatra (Dec. 12, 1915 - May 14, 1998) was a perfectionist and his own harshest critic, and would not accept a take until he thought it was perfect.
Toreador (1973) by LeRoy Neiman. Limited edition serigraph on paper. Signed by the artist.
Painter LeRoy Neiman has passed away at the age of 91. Via Wikipedia:LeRoy Neiman (June 8, 1921 - June 20, 2012) was an American artist known for his brilliantly colored, expressionist paintings and screen prints of athletes, musicians and sporting events. More
Commentary: Teeny little room, which still manages to be quite welcoming to a reader; choice of couch or chair, nice selection of books, quiet atmosphere and what looks to be a loft. Sensible use of space, and even a touch of sensual appeal, with the use of velvet green fabric and other pleasant touches, like the green plants and vintage reading lamp.
Commentary: Keep on reading - and rolling. Circular bookshelf, with a spot for sitting or lying down at the center of the shelf. And a resident ghost, evidently. That could be good for spooky tales on Halloween.
Photographer and location not specified. Designer: Irina Zhdanova
Writer Ray Bradbury has died, aged 91. Shown above we have an hour-long lecture you can view by this grandmaster of fantasy fiction. About Bradbury: Bio | More clips: Browse Video summary (via YouTube): Writer Ray Bradbury regales his audience with stories about his life and love of writing in "Telling the Truth," the keynote address of The Sixth Annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea, sponsored by Point Loma Nazarene University. Lecture footage provided by University of California Television. Also mentioned in this clip: Dancer Gene Kelly, special effects creator Ray Harryhausen, and artist Joe Mugnaini.
Shown above: Icarus, illustration by Joe Mugnaini, materials and date not specified, but likely to be 1962. More info
Shown above: Interview with special effects creator Ray Harryhausen. Video interview uploaded in 2011, provided by the Tate.
Shown above: Additional video clip featuring brief interview with Ray Bradbury. Uploaded 2007, source not specified. Sound for clip is a little loud, compared the others above; you might have to turn volume down somewhat. Transcript (excerpt): Bradbury discusses the origin of one of his short stories.:
All of my stories that are worth anything are based on some sort of personal metaphor. And when I was eight years old, a little girl went into Lake Michigan, [a girl] that I was playing with, and she never came out. What a mystery it was, to hear about this thing called drowning, and death. And she stayed with me, for 12, 13, 14 years, the memory of her disappearing into the lake.
And when I was 22, I sat at the typewriter one day and remembered the lake, and wrote the story of this girl, and building a sand castle with her, and very late in time, coming back, and there's the sand castle, waiting on the shore. She's been there. And left the metaphor of her death for me.
And when I finished the short story, I burst into tears. I realized that, after 10 years of writing, I'd written something beautiful. I'd turned a corner, into my interior self. I wasn't writing exterior stuff, I wasn't writing for the right, or the left, or the in-between; I was writing for me. And I discovered that that's the way to go.
Commentary: Pleasant little room for reading, painting, arranging flowers, maybe for a light supper. So, a multi-purpose sort of room, but with excellent quality of light and surfaces for books, definitely a nice reading spot. This would be a particularly nice place for a summer read, either inside, with a bowl of apples, or through the doors and out into the garden.
