Jessie Voigts's Blog, page 81
January 28, 2021
A Life of Extremes - The Life and Times of a Polar Filmmaker: In Search of the Sami
Max Quinn is one of the world's most experienced polar filmmakers. His career, which spans 50 years, has taken him to the ends of the earth, from his native New Zealand to Alaska, and Antarctica to the Arctic.
His new book, A Life of Extremes is a personal account of his work, featuring vibrant text and stunning images that illustrate 20 years of adventures in polar climates.
He has filmed in some of the most extreme environments on Earth, creating documentaries f...
January 27, 2021
Artist Spotlight: Melanie Whitson, Melart Scotland
The internet is an incredible place. I first saw Melanie Whitson's art on facebook, in a Scotland group. Her clean, beautiful drawings truly capture the essence of place. My favorites? While they are all so evocative, her Leanach Cottage at Culloden has grasped my heart. I feel the wind blowing across the battlefield, smell the smoke and humanity, and remember moments of history, both large and small.
Leanach Cottage, Culloden
Let's not forget Hog...
January 26, 2021
From Glasgow, Virtually: Celtic Connections Celebrates Hope and Music
By ones and twos, the pipers of Tryst stepped out as they played their pipes, walking up an almost deserted Buchanan Street in Glasgow city centre to enter the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
They were playing In Praise of the Pioneers, a well-chosen selection.
Theirs were the first notes to be heard as Celtic Connections became, for this year of unusual circumstances, a digital first festival. As you are reading this, you will want to know that the festival continue...
January 21, 2021
Getting Closer: Paul Sorrell’s Best Tips for Photographing Birds In Your Own Backyard
Renowned photographer Paul Sorrell has a new book out, entitled Getting Closer: Rediscovering nature through bird photography. In this fascinating book, he details ways to best photograph birds and other wildlife.
The entire book is both inspiring and a great read! Sections include Encountering the Great Outdoors, Making the Shot, The Bigger Picture, and Tools of the Trade. I'll never look at birds—and photographing them—the same way. Sorrell notes,
My aim in th...
January 20, 2021
22.33 Stories: The Food We Eat, Part 3
Featuring first-person stories of people finding themselves in the middle of a culture that is foreign to them; each week, 22.33 will deliver interesting tales from people who share how they were able to create mutual understanding through cultural exchange.
Another selection of unique, scary, strange, and sometimes delicious food stories from around the world: 22.33's The Food We Eat bonus podcast, wherein we learn about the...
January 18, 2021
Music's invitation to reflection, to connection, to peace
Music for shifting times. Four years ago, when we chose the title for this series, we could not have known what lay in store. There is no need for me to rehearse those events for you, and in any case, you will see them as you choose. Several threads which I would encourage you to follow, though, and which run through the music we have been sharing with you over these years are respect, reflection, connection, integrity, and peace.
Music is a way to reflect on th...
January 4, 2021
Through the Eyes of an Educator: “Come Alive”
You stumble through your days, got your head hung low
Your skies’ a shade of grey, like a zombie in a maze, you’re asleep inside, but you can shake away
‘Cause you’re just a dead man walking, that’s your only option, but you can flip the switch and brighten up your darkest day.
Sun is up and the color’s blinding, take the world and redefine it
Leave behind your narrow mind, you'll never be the same
The Greatest Showman kicks off with a show-stopping number. The m...
January 3, 2021
Breathe Into Love: Twinkle is Already the Must-Read Book of the Year
She's done it again!
One of our favorite writers, Patricia Leavy, has a new novel out that is, already, the must-read book of the year. Twinkle is a testament to the humanity in our lives—the joys of love, friendship, and laughter, as well as the challenges of trauma and life-changing events. I started reading it as a gift to myself in the new year, and wished that I had had it to hold in my heart during the last difficult year.
You, too, will cherish this novel...
December 29, 2020
Artist Spotlight: Nora Martin Hall
Nora Martin Hall is a contemporary representational painter working primarily in oil paintings, and utilizes a wide range of techniques, from classical painting methods to photorealism, creating trippy, large-scale portraits and installations. Requiring thousands of hours of focused training and dedication to execute, she blends the innate need to be spontaneous and reckless, too.
Coming from familial artist roots, Nora is a fourth generation arti...
December 21, 2020
Music for a Winter Afternoon
In the northern hemisphere, it is winter. Winter has many faces and facets. As you travel through winter, you may well experience all of them. I have always enjoyed winter's aspects of quiet and the season's call to reflection; you may experience this time of year differently. There are holidays and holy days of most faiths; there are secular celebrations; there is the turning of the year. This music will help with the journey. Some of it you may have heard befor...
