Tuesday, July 1, 2008

SUMMER AFTERNOON, SUMMER AFTERNOON


"SUMMER AFTERNOON AT
SKAGEN BEACH"
Peder Severin Kroyer
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I bid rather a sad farewell to June and to Fairy Month by drawing the name for the winner of my Fairy Day Giveaway. The winner is Mari-Nanci of "smilnsigh". Congratulations, Mari-Nanci, and may you enjoy Cicely Mary Barker's paintings in "Return to Fairyopolis" for many a day.
When I went over to Mari-Nanci's post to tell her about her win, I realized that needn't be so sad - I have a fabulous July ahead of me. Her post today is a plethora, a panoply, a paean to the wonderful things we experience in July. From fireflies and fireworks, straw hats and strawberries, flag-waving parades and front-porch swings, she names dozens of simple-to-sumptuous delights to be found in the seventh month of the year.
Reading her post, I was reminded of the Henry James quote:
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"SUMMER AFTERNOON,
SUMMER AFTERNOON,
THE TWO MOST BEAUTIFUL WORDS
IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE"

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I decided to check out the Internet for summer paintings, and within a couple of minutes I had found dozens either called "Summer Afternoon" or which had "Summer Afternoon" in the title.
Here are seven of them, including my favorite, "Summer Afternoon at Skagen Beach." I have note cards of this painting, and I also have a print of it.
After you peruse my luscious summer afternoon paintings, please go to Mari-Nanci's post and read her luscious descriptions of July delights: http://www.smilnsigh.blogspot.com/.
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"SUMMER AFTERNOON"
George Konis

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"SUMMER AFTERNOON"
George F. Schultz

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"SUMMER AFTERNOON"
Mary Travers

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"SUMMER AFTERNOON"
Frank Weston Benson
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"SUMMER AFTERNOON"
Barbara Loftin

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"SUMMER AFTERNOON, BIARRITZ"
Jose Villegas Cordero

16 comments:

  1. Oh I am so glad that you have begun to feel better about the wheel turning, to July. :-) And thank you so much for the sweet words, about my July 1 entry.

    And of course, thank you for your Fairy Day Giveaway. I sent you my address, didn't I? ,-) Yes, I did, I know I did. By email. :-)

    July hugs,
    Mari-Nanci
    'Smilnsigh' blog

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  2. Hi Julie, gorgeous summer photos !!!

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  3. Congratulations Mari-Nanci!

    Love the summer Paintings Julie ….
    I wish my summer afternoon were as
    Romantic as the paintings …

    Louise

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  4. Congrats to Mari-Nanci on winning the giveaway. Personally July just means HOT weather for me and I usually stay inside most of the time. :-(

    I like all the paintings but my favorites are "Summer Afternoon" by George Konis and "Summer Afternoon, Biarritz" by Jose Villegas Cordero. They have such a lush look, and Biarritz is the name of the street that turns onto the street where we live!

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  5. Happy July, Julie! I love all the pretty pictures you are sharing!
    ~Kelli

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  6. These summer paintings are fantastic. So glad you have chosen to remind us of all the wonders July brings. Fireflies remind me of fairies anyway!
    :-)

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  7. Congratulations to Mari-Nanci!
    You have made me want to wear a white dress and "float" in the summer breezes near an ocean! The first painting of the garden fence with afternoon sun is truly lucious. I will take my camera as I go to visit gardens this afternoon with a friend!

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  8. Ahh..this post was filled with Joy for Summer afternoons!MY favorite season!! I love the ~Mary Travers~ painting..can identify with it! sigh!

    HURRAY for Mari Nanci!! So I now I've got to the bookstore and buy my own copy..I was holding out! Tee Hee!
    Enjoy your summer afternoons Julie!
    hugs NG xo

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  9. Hi Julie
    ~~ pretty pretty~~ Love your post and especially the bio.. very cute..hugs Patty

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  10. Oh, how I love the artwork!

    Hope you will stop by for my "Friday's Favorite Family Foto"!

    Deborah

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  11. Oh these paintings are so beautiful! And I love the summer quote. I hope you have a fabulous 4th of July and then follow it with 27 even greater days! Happy July!
    Colleen

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  12. Thanks for sharing so many lovely paintings Julie - all gorgeous in their own way of viewing a perfect Summer's day. Of course for me I always have to add ENGLISH to 'Summer afternoon' because those were the really perfect and special ones of my childhood - they were the best!

    Have a great fourth - looking forward to hearing July is a truly great month for you dear. Enjoy every day.
    Hugs - Mary.

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  13. Such beautiful paintings and I especially love the first one. I have been on Skagen beach and have been to the museum where the work of this painter is exhibited. I love his work and used to have two prints hanging on my wall. They have dispappeared in one of our many moves. I have to return to Skagen again someday to get new ones. I sure hope I can because I love Danmark !!!!
    Have a great 4th of July and a great weekend !!!!

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  14. Julie, that picket fence painting is almost a duplicate of a picket fence photo I recently took in Mendocino. Amazing to see it like this. PRETTY!!

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  15. That's a lovely painting at the beginning of your post - it has a dreamlike quality to it. I hope we get a few lovely summer afternoons like that but at present all we have is rain!

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  16. These paintings are wonderful. I have a couple of them in my own collection. Growing up, I was always drawn to Victorian paintings that had to do with the beach. I think it was Anne Morrow Lindbergh who collected shells. I do now.

    Beautiful post!
    KJ

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