John Lechner's Blog, page 6

The last rose of summer

September is flying past, and autumn begins this week. I took this photo of a rose in my yard yesterday, as it made one final salute to summer. Today, its petals are lying on the ground. It reminds me of the famous poem by Thomas Moore (1779 – 1852.)

'Tis the last rose of summer

Left blooming alone;

All her lovely companions

Are faded and gone;

No flower of her kindred,

No rosebud is nigh,

To reflect back her blushes,

To give sigh for sigh.

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the...

Cartooning under the sea with Jim Toomey

This recent talk by cartoonist Jim Toomey, creator of Sherman's Lagoon, is a great example of an artist who not only draws inspiration from the ocean but also uses his art to educate and raise awareness about earth's largest ecosystem.

As he says, there are things in the ocean that are more strange and bizarre than anything an artist could dream up, and humans are destroying it little by little. You can see more of Jim's work at his website.

And with this post, I bring my summer ocean theme to ...

Turner and the art of the seascape

The Slave Ship - J.M.W. Turner

J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) was one of the greatest English painters of land and sea, and far ahead of his time. Many of his works are so wrought with raw color and emotion as to be nearly abstract.

The ocean has always been a subject for painters, though I sometimes wonder how far we have come since the 19th Century. Are any painters today exploring nature with the kind of intensity that Turner had? I don't mean simply abstracting nature for art's sake, but really ...

Animated films under the sea

Many animated films have used the ocean as a setting. It's a colorful place that appeals to all ages, and has a mystery that lends itself to the imaginings of a creative animator. Crabs can sing, clown fish can converse with sharks, sponges can live in pineapples. Rarely do animated ocean films stick to realistic portrayals, though ironically there are many real things under the sea that are more strange and bizarre than anything Disney ever came up with.

Here are several animated films that t...

Moby Dick, a whale of a book

Illustration by Rockwell Kent

Continuing my summer ocean theme, I'd like to discuss one of the great novels of the sea, Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I was never forced to read the book in school, and probably wouldn't have liked it if I did. This is not a book that one can step into lightly or reluctantly, you have to dive in head first and grapple with it, like the great sea creatures it describes. It was only later that I discovered the quirky qualities of this epic tome.

The book is more...

Whale Rider revisited

The film Whale Rider won acclaim in 2002 for its moving story of a young Maori girl and her struggles to find her place in a changing society. It brilliantly weaves together themes of tradition, family, gender roles, and indigenous culture.  Based on a novel by Witi Ihimaera, this is one of those rare cases where a film veers away from the book and yet remains true to the book's spirit.

At the heart of both is an ancient legend of a man who came out of the sea riding on a whale, and who...

Monsters of the sea

Arion by Albrecht Dürer - 1514

The ocean has always been shrouded in mystery because it is almost entirely hidden. Imagine a time before submarines and scuba gear, before ships ventured beyond the horizon. People literally did not know what was out there, above or below the surface, and had to rely on stories from sailors. It's no wonder that myths and legends grew up around the sea.

But even as the ocean was a mysterious and hazardous place, it also inspired romantic notions of adventure and...

The Big, Blue Ocean

Illustration by Alicia "Kat" Dillman

Summer is here, and for the next six weeks or so, I am going to devote this blog to one of our greatest and most inspiring natural resources, the ocean.

Since ancient history, the ocean has inspired art, poetry and storytelling in every culture. In fact there are so many great works of art and literature about the ocean, I think we've taken it for granted as one of those eternal things in life that will always be there, impervious to anything. The...

A bit of earth

There are few things that hold more promise than a fresh patch of garden, all ready to be planted. An empty garden in springtime is a lot like an empty page on which to write a story, or draw a picture, or pour out your heart. It is full of expectations, hopes and dreams, and can be intimidating too. It is a place where miracles happen, where something emerges that didn't exist before, something brand new.

In the classic book The Secret Garden, orphaned Mary Lennox asks of her uncle, "Might I ...

A light exists in spring

In honor of Poetry Month and springtime, here is a poem by Emily Dickinson. There is a certain light in springtime that is unique to the year, and all the more precious for its briefness. Enjoy spring while it lasts!

* * * * * * * * * *

A Light exists in Spring

Not present on the Year

At any other period —

When March is scarcely here

A Color stands abroad

On Solitary Fields

That Science cannot overtake

But Human Nature feels.

It waits upon the Lawn,
It shows the furthest Tree
Upon the furthest...