Inspiring art: Stella Maria Baer

 I am a fan of the moon. I love the beautiful light it shines in the dark sky. I love how it is a reminder of things greater than our little worries nagging away at our turbulent minds. I also love when I see pieces of art that capture the magic I see in the moon. Today, I found an artist named Stella Maria Baer that does just that. Below are some of her paintings and words are not needed to describe their beauty.

All images source: www.stellamariabaer.com

"The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to "

Carl Sandburg

5 Lovely Facts About Sunflowers

Sunflowers are beautiful, beaming flowers that just make you smile once seeing them...right?

Here are some lovely things you may like to know, or may know already, about sunflowers

1) Sunflowers are a combination of individual flowers joined together
"Sunflower heads consist of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base. The large petals around the edge of a sunflower head are individual ray flowers which do not develop into seed"*

2) Sunflowers track the sun's movement
"A well-known sunflower characteristic is that the flowering heads track the sun’s movement, a phenomenon known as heliotropism" *

3) Sunflowers attract birds
If you have sunflowers in your garden the birds will be attracted to them as they love sunflower seeds*

4) Sunflowers inspired one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings
Van Gogh made seven different versions of sunflower paintings. He felt yellow was an emblem of happiness and in dutch literature, the sunflower was a symbol of devotion and loyalty.
Read more about this here

5) Sunflowers are a symbol of peace
Sunflowers are used  in a campaign for a world free of nuclear weapons and nuclear power.
When Ukraine became a nuclear-weapon-free nation in 1996, US Defense Secretary William Perry declared that “sunflowers instead of missiles in the soil would ensure peace for future generations” (Source: ICAN)

*Facts found here: amazingandweird.com

Do you know anything about sunflowers?

Quote of the week!

Hi- it's summer! I have a lot of time off before I go back to work and instead of finding something 'worthwhile' to do, i.e. getting a summer job, volunteering etc., I am going to truly do something worthwhile.
 I am going to look after me.

I normally worry all over summer. I worry that I am wasting time; that I should be doing something to help my career or I worry that I will have no career and that I am doing nothing to help myself. Well, this summer, I vow to do neither. I am going to try not to worry about me, my career and my life and whether I will be okay or not, and I am going to try to be positive and happy.  

I am going to try to fight this depression that I sometimes find myself immersing in and I am going to do things that make me happy. I hope to drink more water, go for more walks, eat healthier and to enjoy the simple things.

So, here is my quote of the week which serves as a reminder of what I shall try to do each day:

Also, as I was looking for a quote this week, I came across this work of art on Pinterest (don't you just love that site?) and I thought it was a lovely, uplifting piece that I had to share on my blog. The creator Lori Portka has a page on etsy with lots more lovely pieces -Take a look!

 

(Source:  May You Wake up with Gratitude by Lori Portka )

P.s This is my first Weekly Wishes Link up! :)