1. Happy November and Happy Election Day! We’re going full-tilt 💙BLUE💙 for maximum good luck in today’s critical race. First, behold several blue beauties from Vermont artist-author-illustrator Ashley Wolff’s A Year of Birds Challenge.
“Blue Grosbeak”“CA Scrub Jay”“Peacock”
Each day in 2022, Ashley painted a different bird, an awesome opportunity for her to study one of the most varied and fascinating groups of animals on earth. Love seeing so many new-to-me species rendered in luscious, vibrant gouache.
“Indigo Bunting”“Grandala”
Each 5″ x 7″ signed painting is a OOAK original, and Ashley is donating 20% of the proceeds to wildlife conservation. Why not treat yourself or a special someone to one of these gorgeous pieces? 🙂
“Like a bolt out of the blue, faith steps in and sees you through. When you wish upon a star your dreams come true.” ~ Cliff Edwards
“Starry Night Sky Galaxy” by Brittany Drollinger.
BLUE STARS by Richard Jones
Yesterday I made a to-do list, a dozen tasks I would undertake and check off the list one by one. But what did I do with my list? Did I put it on the piano? Did I set it down by the coffeepot? I remember this morning in my robe at the back door contemplating frost icing the grass and seeing a dark-eyed junco at the bird feeder. How did I know it was a junco and not a sparrow? Maybe juncos and sparrows are cousins. I thought about birds in nests of twigs, reeds, briars, and straw. The clear, cold sky brought to mind the image of my late father, high up and far away, flying once again in his silver plane, and I closed my eyes to admire the many blue paintings hanging in the gallery of my childhood heart. Perhaps at that moment I had the to-do list in my hand and during my azure reverie the paper slipped from my fingers. I only know that when I opened my eyes I saw it would be wise to give my blue paintings away -- only then would my heart be free to help those in need. I resolved to put that on my to-do list, and that's when I noticed my to-do list had vanished. Now the frost has died, the sun is pushing noon, and I'm still in my robe with eternity hovering in the balance. But no day is without its victory. Because it is hiding, I'll search for the lost little piece of paper, and when I find it I'll write down my heart's resolution. Then I'll dress for the day and go out into the world. With pen and to-do list in my hands, I'll draw little blue stars beside all the accomplished tasks -- buying milk, picking up the laundry, driving to the library, and paying the fines for my overdue books.
“I sing my sorrow, and I paint my joy.” ~ Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell photographed in the Nevada desert by Henry Diltz (1978).
It’s no surprise that the ultimate “blue” song comes from a musician who’s also a painter.
Joni Mitchell has said that she applies the principles of painting to her songwriting. One of her old art teachers once told her, “If you can paint with a brush, you can paint with words.” In “Blue,” the title track from her iconic 1971 album, she sings the color of her heart — a plaintive love song and “somber lullaby” of haunting beauty.
Mitchell is one of the few singer-songwriters whose lyrics read like poetry. She’s largely inspired by personal memories, relating her stories through vivid imagery, striking metaphors, judicious use of rhyme and inventive turns of phrase. “Blue” is achingly honest; there is insecurity and resignation, but also optimism.
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“Portrait of James Taylor” by Joni Mitchell (Christmas 1970).
BLUE by Joni Mitchell
Blue songs are like tattoos You know I've been to sea before Crown and anchor me Or let me sail away Hey Blue, here is a song for you Ink on a pin Underneath the skin An empty space to fill in Well there're so many sinking now You've got to keep thinking You can make it thru these waves Acid, booze, and ass Needles, guns, and grass Lots of laughs lots of laughs Everybody's saying that hell's the hippest way to go Well I don't think so But I'm gonna take a look around it though Blue I love you
Blue here is a shell for you Inside you'll hear a sigh A foggy lullaby There is your song from me
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” ~ Maya Angelou
New album: “Dandelion Breeze” by The Clements Brothers.
There’s nothing like a good song to lift your spirits. If you’re lucky, sometimes one musical surprise can lead to another.
Earlier this year, while scouring YouTube for a good cover version of Simon and Garfunkel’s, “April Come She Will,” I chanced upon a video featuring New England singer-songwriter and guitarist George Clements. His rendition was my favorite of the dozens I had listened to.
Hello, George Clements.
Wow. The beautiful voice, the exquisite guitar picking (and yes, the blue eyes!). Who is this guy, I wondered? How had I missed him before? As a longtime S&G fan, I justknew I had stumbled upon something quite special.
So I listened to George’s other swoon-worthy covers — Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, more Paul Simon — a veritable playlist of all my fave singer-songwriters. Then I learned George had played Paul Simon in an off-broadway show called “The Simon and Garfunkel Story.” Well, no wonder.
But there was more. To my surprise and delight, I discovered George has an identical twin named Charles( I love twins!) who also has a beautiful voice and plays upright bass.
Blue-eyed twin musicians in blue (who could ask for anything more?).
Double the deliciousness, double the fun. Yes, please!
Charles and George grew up in a musical family, have been uniquely “in tune” since the womb, and have been playing music together for as long as they can remember. Another nice surprise: they are the youngest sons of popular children’s book author Andrew Clements, who sadly passed away in 2019. (Did you know that before breaking into publishing he’d moved to NYC to pursue a career as a folk singer-songwriter?)
Both twins are formally trained: Charles studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, while George is a Berklee College of Music alum.
Cutie pie twins(my guess: Charles in the blue t-shirt?).
After fronting The Lonely Heartstring Band for about seven years, the brothers decided to rebrand as a duo, releasing their debut full-length album, Dandelion Breeze (Plow Man Records) in August 2023. This acoustic gem is an appealing blend of bluegrass, roots, jazz, rock, and classical influences, elevated by sublime vocal harmonies and instrumental virtuosity. The album features all original material save one track, and I’ve pretty much had it on continuous loop the last few months.
“Blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies do I see . . . ” ~ Irving Berlin
Blue likes me. It’s always been there, coloring my life with good things since childhood: my first Schwinn bike, Island of the Blue Dolphins, fountain pen Quink, favorite pearl bracelet, the sparkling azure of the Aegean one summer.
At age 9, I saw Elvis filming “Blue Hawaii” alongside the pineapple fields. He was driving a baby blue convertible. The first time I met Len in London he was wearing a navy blue sweater. These days, I sip Darjeeling in a Blue Calico teacup, delighted to spot the first bluebird every spring.
Blue just knows how to make an impression. From the cozy comfort of broken-in jeans to the bright optimism of a clear autumn sky, blue touches us all in ways ordinary and profound.
But now I must confess something. Until I read BLUE: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and Daniel Minter (Knopf BFYR, 2022), I knew very little about blue’s fascinating history, origins, and cultural significance. Imagine my surprise when this book magically appeared in my mailbox one day — simply out of the blue (thanks for the gift, Miss T.)! 🙂
Brew-Hammond begins her captivating narrative by citing how elusive and mysterious blue actually is. It’s “all around us,” in the sky and sea. Yet we can’t touch the sky and when we try to cup the sea, its blueness disappears. We may crush iris petals for a brilliant shade of blue, but when we add water, the color fades away.
But then blue appears in the strangest places, discovered throughout history in unexpected ways.
Blue rocks called lapis lazuli were mined as early as 4500 BC in Afghanistan. The ancient Egyptians used the stones to make jewelry and charms to ward off evil, and by 44 BC they (including Queen Cleopatra VII) applied a bluish mixture around their eyes made from ground lapis lazuli grains, plants and animal fat.
In another 600 years or so, artists began painting sculptures, walls, and canvases with blue made from the crushed rocks. Since this paint was expensive to produce, only the wealthy could afford it. This high-demand luxury prompted scientists, merchants, and dyers to search for more sources of blue.
Jama's Alphabet Soup 