Perseus and the Graiae: Explore the Painting 2 May 2013 Persius and the Graiae Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), 1877 This remarkable work occupies the boundary between painting and sculpture and was the centerpiece of one of Burne-Jones's most ambitious narrative schemes. In 1875 the young conservative MP Arthur Balfour (1848-1930), who would later become Prime Minister, commissioned a cycle of narrative works for the drawing room of his London home. Burne-Jones selected the legend of the Greek hero Perseus, devising a sequence of ten scenes to tell this story – six were to be oil paintings and the remaining four were to be low relief panels. All ten were to be set in an elaborate framework of acanthus scrolls which would run around the upper walls of the drawing room. However, this work was not well-received when exhibited in 1878 and Burne-Jones abandoned the remaining reliefs, meaning this is the only example. Explore the Painting Use the links below to navigate around the painting to discover more about story of Perseus and the Graiae and how this work was made. Perseus The eye of the Graiae Latin Text Painted faces and hands Gilt Gesso Perseus Perseus was a hero from Greek mythology. He was a demi-god – the son of the god Zeus and Danaë, the human daughter of the King of Argos. Burne-Jones concentrated on the most familiar episodes of the Perseus legend – the hero's search for the gorgon Medusa, his killing of her and his rescue of the beautiful Andromeda. The eye of the Graiae The Graiae were three perpetually old women who were sisters to the gorgons and had only one eye and one tooth between them. Between his fingers, Perseus holds their single eye. As the women passed the eye between them Perseus stole it, using the promise of its return to make them tell him the way to find Medusa. Latin Text This long Latin text tells Perseus's story. The letters are carved mahogany and have been gessoed, gilded and pinned to the oak panel individually. A close examination reveals the chalk lines that were drawn to guide the original placing of the letters. Burne-Jones used a poetic narrative of the legend taken from the version written by his good friend William Morris (Earthly Paradise, 1868-70). Painted faces and hands The faces and hands of the figures have been painted in oil directly on to the oak panel and the texture of the wood shows through this paint layer. Burne-Jones left the grainy surface of the rest of the panel unpainted, creating a barren background for the image. Gilt Gesso The bodies, limbs and clothing of the figures have been modeled in low-relief gesso. Burne-Jones worked with the highly-skilled gesso specialist Osmund Weeks to create this extraordinary example. Gesso is traditionally made of rabbit skin glue and chalk. It was applied wet and then when dry carefully carved and incised to create form and detail. The gesso was then painted (red beneath the gold areas and dark grey beneath the silver) before gold and silver leaf was applied.
Peregrines on the Clock Tower 2013 - April 30 Peter Howlett, 30 April 2013 Update 30 AprilGreat news, at least one chick has hatched over the weekend. The female spent 10 mintues or so tearing off little morsels for a chick this morning. I could just make out a little white head wobbling around. As I write this the female is back brooding the chick and the remaining eggs. Apologies for the quality of the photo, the only way I can get screen shots of any activity is to photograph the screen.
Super Scientist Awards 2013 Catalena Angele, 22 April 2013 Eighty five schools across the UK will be awarded Super Scientist Certificates from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales this year, in recognition of their contribution to the Spring Bulbs – Climate Change Investigation!Huge Congratulations to all these schools! They are listed below, is your school listed?Over twice as many schools took part in the Investigation as last year, which is fantastic news! It’s wonderful to have so many of you helping with this really important study.Thank you to every one of the 4116 pupils who helped this year! Thank you for working so hard planting, observing, measuring and recording - you really are Super Scientists! Each one of you will receive a certificate and Super Scientist pencil, these will be sent to your school around the middle of May.Many thanks to the Edina Trust for funding this project and helping to make this all happen.Super Scientist Winners 2013Well done to our three winners for sending in the most weather data! Each will receive a class trip of fun-packed nature activities. SS Philip and James Primary School in England Williamstown Primary School in Wales Wormit Primary School in Scotland Runners UpEach school will receive a gift voucher to purchase lovely things for your gardening projects. Balcurvie Primary School in Scotland Sofrydd Primary School in Wales Stanford in the Vale Primary School in England Highly commendedEach school will receive certificates, pencils, flower seeds and herb seeds. Balmerino Primary School Blaenycwm Primary School Britannia Community Primary School Coed-y-Lan Primary School Coppull Parish Primary School Dunbog Primary School Freuchie Primary School Glyncollen Primary School Henllys CIW Primary School Oakfield Primary School St Athan Primary School St Joseph's RC Primary School (Penarth) St Roberts Roman Cathlic Primary School Torbain Primary School Tynewater Primary School Westwood CP School Ysgol Gynradd Talybont Ysgol Nant y Coed Ysgol y Ffridd Schools with special recognitionEach school will receive, certificates, pencils and flower seeds. Brynhyfryd Junior School Bwlchgwyn CP School Darran Park Primary Gladestry CIW School Greyfriars RC Primary School Hawthornden Primary School Kilmaron Special School Lakeside Primary School Llangan Primary School Magor Church in Wales Primary School Milford Haven Junior School Newburgh Primary School Newport Primary School Rhydypenau Primary School Rogiet Primary School St Mary's Catholic Primary School (Wales) St Mary's RC Primary School (England) Stepping Stones Short Stay School Thorneyholme RC Primary School Ysgol Bodafon Ysgol Bryn Garth Ysgol Clocaenog Ysgol Deganwy Ysgol Hiraddug Ysgol Porth y Felin Schools to be awarded certificatesEach school will receive Super Scientist Certificates and pencils. Archbishop Hutton's Primary School Auchtertool Primary School Cadoxton Primary School Christchurch CP School Duloch Primary School Eyton Church in Wales Primary School Freckleton CE Primary School Fulwood and Cadley Primary School Harwell Primary School Holy Family RC Primary School Hywel Da Primary School Ladybank Primary School Ladygrove Park Primary School LasswadePrimary School Lever House Primary School Manor Primary School Medlar with Wesham CE Primary School Nether Kellet Primary School Northbourne CE Primary School Park Primary School RAF Benson Primary School Rishton Methodist Primary School Sherwood Primary School St John's Catholic Primary School St Nicholas Primary School Stepaside CP School Tor View Community Special School Weeton Primary School Windale Primary School Ysgol Capelulo Ysgol Gymunedol Dolwyddelan Ysgol Iau Hen Golwyn Ysgol Morfa Rhianedd Ysgol Pencae Well done, you have all done an AMAZING job.Daffodil Drawing Competition 2013Congratulations to the following pupils who produced some excellent botanical drawings! 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners will receive a bird watching kit with mini binoculars. 1st: Oliver – Stanford in the Vale Primary School 2nd: Sam – St Joseph's RC Primary School (Penarth) 3rd: Daniel (age 6) – Stanford in the Vale Primary School Runners Up All will receive flower seeds for your garden. Etward? (age 6) – Stanford in the Vale Primary School Finlay (age 7) – Stanford in the Vale Primary School Jemima – St Joseph's RC Primary School (Penarth) Joe – St Joseph's RC Primary School (Penarth) Joshua – St Joseph's RC Primary School (Penarth) Joshua (age 7) – Stanford in the Vale Primary School Larson (age 11) – Stanford in the Vale Primary School Leo – Stanford in the Vale Primary School Nathan – St Joseph's RC Primary School (Penarth) William (age 5) – Stanford in the Vale Primary School Many ThanksProfessor Plant
Shirley Jones and the Red Hen Press John R. Kenyon, 18 April 2013 Shirley Jones, Nocturne for Wales (1987). Cwmparc Colliery, Rhondda Valley. (c). Shirley Jones Shirley Jones, Llym Awel (1993). A raven picking at the dead after a battle. (c) Shirley Jones Shirley Jones, A Thonnau Gwyllt y Môr / And the Wild Waves of the Sea (2011). Worm's Head, Gower. (c) Shirley Jones An 'artist's book' is defined as one created or conceived by an individual artist. Some of the best contemporary examples from Wales are the works of Shirley Jones. Born in the Rhondda Valley, and after studying English literature at the university in Cardiff, Shirley Jones undertook courses in printmaking in the early 1970s, with advanced study in printmaking at Croydon Art College in Surrey in 1975-6. She set up her own studio and began to produce her own books in 1977, and from 1983 she took the name Red Hen Press. In 1994 she moved back to Wales and established her studio in Llanhamlach, near Brecon. Shirley Jones's books are virtually all her own work, the text often her own poems and recollections, or translations from the Welsh and even Old English, all printed on hand- or mould- made paper. The books may be bound and also housed in tailor-made boxes, all created by well-known binders. Her first productions appeared in very small numbers. For example, her first work, as a student, was Words and Prints, which appeared in 1975 and ran to just six copies. Twelve copies of the second book, Windows (1977), were produced and the third, The Same Sun, (1978), ran to twenty-five copies. Greek Dance (1980) appeared in an edition of forty, and most of Shirley Jones's later works appeared in editions of twenty-five to anything up to fifty copies. The particular attraction of her books is the illustrations, whether aquatints, etchings or mezzotints. There has always been a great demand for Red Hen Press books in the United States of America, where over sixty institutions hold copies of Shirley Jones's books, with thirteen holding ten or more titles. In the United Kingdom, eleven institutions collect her work, including Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery, with ten or more titles held by the British Library, the National Library of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru. Copies are also to be found in libraries and universities in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and South Africa. Amgueddfa Cymru's Library began to take note of the Red Hen Press in 1999, when it acquired Nocturne for Wales (1987), Llym Awel (1993), Falls the Shadow (1995) and Etched in Autumn (1997). The Library has acquired all her work since that date, and later purchased two of Shirley Jones's earlier books: Five Flowers for my Father (1990) and Two Moons (1991). Thirty copies were produced of A Thonnau Gwyllt y Môr / And the Wild Waves of the Sea (2011). The book has an introductory essay and includes three aquatints and two mezzotints of the coasts and islands of Wales that accompany the poems. Of the other titles, Etched Out (2003) is the story of the people of the Epynt area of Breconshire who were moved from their homes during the Second World War, as the land was required for the military. The names of fifty farms are recorded on a pull-out mezzotint, with some of the figures depicted being based on images in St Fagans National History Museum. Some of the paper used was custom-made, making use of the red soil of the Epynt. One of Shirley Jones's most dramatic images is to be found in Two Moons, and this mezzotint, one of nine, is to be seen on the cover of the book published to mark thirty years of the Red Hen Press: Shirley Jones and the Red Hen Press: a Bibliography, compiled by Ronald D. Patkus, Vassar College, University of Vermont (2013).
Please send your flower records Catalena Angele, 17 April 2013 The extended deadline for flower records is Friday 19 April – that is this Friday bulb buddies! Please remember to send me your records on the website.Remember to check the bulb-blog next week as I will be announcing the Competition winners!! Winners for the Flower Drawing Competition and the Win a Nature-Activity Trip will be announced on Monday 22 April.Whose flowers have opened this week?Lakeside Primary, Ysgol Bryn Garth, Christchurch CP School and Rhydypenau Primary School in Wales, Manor Primary School and Coppull Parish Primary School in England and Wormit Primary School in Scotlandhave all sent in flower records. Well done and thank you to these schools!There has been a lot in the news recently about the cold and snow, and how late flowering is this year. Did you know it was the coldest March in the UK in over 50 years? And guess what? March was colder than the winter months of December, January and February! No wonder some of our flowers are late to open this year.See BBC News or Met Office News for more information on these cold weather stories.In March The Guardian reported that plants are late to bud and flower this year, especially in Scotland, and that hibernating animals like bats, frogs and lizards woke up then went back into hibernation because it was too cold!Unfortunately, cold weather can lead to an increase in local air pollution. This is because we generate more pollution by using more heating, but also because when the air is cold and still, pollution particles build up in the atmosphere rather than evaporating or being blown away.Many thanksProf P
