Wonderful Team Member Readership Award – Part 3:

I am very honoured to be nominated by ‘Footprints in the Sand’ – for this award. – http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com

This is Part 3. Please be sure to read Part 1 for a full introductory explanation.

A Great Reader is:         One who prefers the company of books to TV –

“The television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly, that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little”.  ~Ray Bradbury.

“The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television”.  ~Andrew Ross

My order of nominations is random and no priority is suggested in terms of numbering. Today I am posting my final four official nominees plus six others, beyond my award allocation, who I simply cannot leave out. Their writings are a joy to read (and, after all, the award criteria gives me leave to improvise and I am sure the originator of this award will forgive my enthusiasm):

 

11. http://seascapesaus.wordpress.com

Philippa is an amazing Australian painter and writes about art and life with the sensitivity she puts into her art. She has enormous understanding about the art of others and her comments are always discerning and unique.

12. http://shepaintsred.wordpress.com

Painter Lady explores the spiritual life through her beautiful paintings and writings. Her approach to living is inspirational and her love of her garden and community is always full of passion and creativity. She is an avid reader and often shares her responses to the books she is reading at present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. http://hansishallucinations.wordpress.com

Hansi is a darkly humorous and politically incorrect read but brilliant in his approach. His drawings and writings evoke belly laughs and invite us to reach beyond socially acceptable norms.

14. http://grosenberg.wordpress.com

Gary offers profound quotes that he comments on in deeply thoughtful writings. He contemplates questions about our shared humanity and paradoxical life situations. Gary is also a brilliant digital artist and complements his words with his art.

And now my six bonus nominees:

 

 

 

 

15. http://thekalechronicles.com

Sharyn writes about food and although I am not a foodie or capable cook I can’t pass up the writings in her blog. Sharyn’s obsession with real food and its preparation are inspiring. Her food paintings and recipes are sheer beauty and her words about life touch both heart and taste buds.

16. http://liamrainsford.com

William is an inspiring artist and teacher and his posts contain clear, vast and informative written information about the art of painting. I have learned so much from this man.

17. http://findingkelowna.com

Giovanni would have been on my list of superb writers but was already chosen by my nominator. He combines brilliant prose with candid and skillful photographs of everyday life in Kelowna B.C. Canada.

 

 

 

18.  http://patternsthatconnext.wordpress.com

Andy consistently offers us intellectual challenges about his own art and that of other artists with always-scholarly writings and thoughts. He is the prince of cerebral cogitation.

19.  http://inaweblogisback.wordpress.com

Ina’s poetry has been published with acclaim and her words, despite being her second language, evoke deep feelings and images that peel the human heart to its essence.

And last but definitely not least –

20.  http://hellenjc.wordpress.com

Helen writes about her brilliant photography with everyday prose, humour and compassion. She chooses to not accept awards, however, I still wish to include her here because of her accessible and humanistic approach to people, nature and life.

Image Credits – all from Google Images: From top to bottom – Interior with a Book by Richard Diebenkorn. / Book Reader Graphic – artist unknown. / Numa Book Face by Brian Dettmer. / ‘Reading River’ – artist unknown. / Madonna of the Book by Sandro Botticelli.

Thank you for your time in following this three part award series. I hope that you will visit my nominees and share their offerings – and I hope that new cyber friendships will evolve through these posts.

Wonderful Team Member Readership Award – Part 2:

I am very honoured to be nominated by ‘Footprints in the Sand’ – for this award. – http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com

This is Part 2. Please be sure to read Part 1 for a full introductory explanation.

A Great Reader is:         one who prefers the company of books to TV –                “I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book. Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” — Groucho Marx

My order of nominations is random and no priority is suggested in terms of numbering. Today I am posting my second five nominees:

 

 

6. http://mobiusfaith.wordpress.com

Terry is a digital artist extraordinaire and and his writing beautifully emphasizes this passion and his creative view of life. His painterly digital transformations and photographs are often interwoven with music – always an artistic treat.

7. http://moleculesofemotion.wordpress.com

Gregory explores the psychology, science and philosophy behind visual art, including his own wonderful work. His written explorations are wide, deep and totally fascinating.

8. http://starsrainsunmoon.com

Mari is a poet par excellence. Her writings are surreal, emotional, heart moving and burningly honest. Traveling through her work and unraveling her words is always a trans-formative experience. She writes: “The role of an artist is not to find solutions but to compel us to love life in all its countless inexhaustible manifestations”.

9. http://beautyanddreams.wordpress.com

Chrissy’s blog contains her own art and beautiful writings about books that have inspired her, especially children’s literature of magic and wisdom. She also explores and shares authors who write about life’s spiritual and philosophical questions.

10. http://notestothemilkman.wordpress.com

John is an accomplished print maker from the north west of England. His excellent writings about art are deep, thought provoking and perceptive and his blog’s title has to be my all-time favorite.

Tomorrow I will introduce my final four nominees – plus snuck-in additions beyond my allocated 14 – (another personal creative interpretation)…

Image Credits – all from Google Images. Girl Reading by Pablo Picasso. / Claude Monet Reading by Pierre-August Renoir. 1872. / Tolstoy Reading in the Forest by Ilya Yefimovich Repin. 1891.

Wonderful Team Member Readership Award – Part 1:

I am very honoured to be nominated by ‘Footprints in the Sand’ – for this award. – http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com

I must admit to some puzzlement at the award title and am curious about the initial intention because I am asked to  pass it forward. Well, the criteria does allow for creative interpretation as long as the spirit is kept alive, so I will try to do both and sincerely hope that I arrive somewhere close to the award author’s original idea.

My interpretation then is this: there are blogs that contain brilliant writing along with art and / or photography and / or music. Excellent writing, for me, is closely connected to a love of reading and many of these blogs also share discovered books and poetry as well as impressive quotes. So this will be my personal criterion for choosing my 14 nominees.

The ‘guidelines’ for this award are:

1. The Nominee of the Wonderful Team member Readership Award shall display the logo on his/her post/page and/or sidebar 

2. The Nominee shall nominate 14 readers they appreciate over a period of 7 days (1 week) – this can be done at any rate during the week. It can be ALL on one day or a few on one day and a few on another day, etc.

3. The Nominee shall name his or her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during the 7-day (1 week) period.

4. The Nominee shall make these rules, or amended rules, known to each reader s/he nominates.

5. The Nominee must finish this sentence and post: ”A Great reader is…”

PLEASE NOTE RULES CAN BE ADDED TO/AMENDED if deemed appropriate; let’s be creative, and let’s grow & improve, but let’s also keep to the spirit of the award.

A Great Reader is:      one who prefers the company of books to TV –      “So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, a lovely bookshelf on the wall.” –  Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I have previously nominated some of my nominees for other awards but they have been too modest to continue the process. I want to assure them here that my nominations are chiefly to recognize the excellence of their blogs and to let others know that they exist. You are completely free, my friends, to accept, reject or improvise…

My order of nominations is random and no priority is suggested in terms of numbering. Today I will post five, tomorrow five, and the following day, four.

1. http://cherylmoore.wordpress.com

Cheryl’s fantasy stories are composed with a quality of narrative writing only equaled by her superbly drawn illustrations. Visit Cheryl for a trip into a world of the imagination that will keep you coming back for more.

2. http://walterkittysdiary.com

Within Ms. Walter’s ‘diary’ you will discover perceptive, sensitive and humorous writing and poetry – all shared with beautifully written and warm human feelings – a visit will always make your day better.

3. http://burgessart.wordpress.com

Robert is a Visual Artist /Teacher who lived in New York for 15 years and showed his artworks at a prominent SoHo gallery in the 90′s. Currently he is back in Australia. His writings about art are exceptional, as is his art, and both are worthy of your time.

4. http://ephemeralgecko.wordpress.com

Eph’s writings about the process and exploration of creating art are detailed, clear and light-hearted. This is an inspiring, informative and colourful blog full of ideas and gorgeous photographs. If art is not your thing, Eph will change your mind…

5. http://stillfugue.com

Carl says in his ‘About’: I love writing that comes straight to me as art. It’s not mechanical, technical, popish and not all about the plot and stories. It’s about transforming who I am during the present moment and in some way who I am for the rest of my time. His brilliant and creative writings and images reveal intense struggles to understand and transform his life. I find Carl’s words inspirational and cathartic.

Tomorrow I will introduce five more of my favorite blogs…

Image Credits – all from Google Images. Woman Reading by Edouard Manet.