Today's writing assignment:

What’s your favorite picture? Is it a photo, piece of artwork in a gallery, or even something you or your child did at school. Choose your favourite image and describe what it is, and why it’s important to you.

That's a tricky one.  Not because I have so many things to choose from but just the opposite.  I don't have a lot of artwork that's mine, and I haven't spent a lot of time in museums or familiarized myself with art.  And while I've taken a lot of photos, none really jump out as being exceptional.  Maybe if I printed one now and then.

While I was in college, decorating the basement room in my parents' house, I discovered Barewalls.  They (and I'm sure dozens of other sites) sell cheap reproductions of artwork.  So what I would do is purchase some prints from them and then frame them myself and hang them on the wall.

Somehow getting a $10 print and putting it into a $15 frame from Target, without a mat, then randomly hanging them evenly spaced on every wall didn't have quite the classing-up effect I had expected.

Anyway, here are some of the prints I ordered:

First we start with my favorite M.C.: Escher.

The Waterfall - this one is a twist on his more familiar drawing of an unending staircase.  Here, at least, it doesn't look like there's anything particularly non-Euclidian about it.  Not to me, anyway.  It's just obviously not possible.

I had this one in the bathroom which was really funny for reasons that I've forgotten.



Spheres - M. C. Escher did a lot of drawings like this where he played with reflection and different refractions on various objects.  I think this is the only one, though, that includes a reflection of him drawing the picture.  Thought it was pretty neat.



Cycle - this one always creeped out my sister.  It basically shows some imp-like creatures running down stairs to become the structure of the building itself.  Just another in his tesselation drawings.


And, of course, what college-age right-wing nutjob's bedroom/office/living room would be complete without some patriotic art?


The Spirit of '76 - I'm not entirely sure why.  I assumed at the time that since it was popular that it would look good in my room.  Same with...

The Declaration of Independence.

I can at least console myself with the knowledge that I didn't have some huge eagle painting with red, white, and blue talons, crying a tear made of children's prayers, etc.

I wanted some Salvador Dali paintings but, frankly, a lot of his stuff is just too spooky to keep in the bedroom.  I'd be afraid the walls would start melting or something...

There is one painting I have kept and keep hanging in my office as we've moved around since then:



The Prayer at Valley Forge.  I splurged on this one and wasn't disappointed.  It's beautiful and looks great on the wall.  So this would probably have to be my favorite of them (gradually getting back to the original point of what was supposed to be a writing exercise).

Yes, I know.  He was a deist.  Or theist.  Or whatever.  And, yes, while it is documented that he regularly prayed throughout the war and especially at Valley Forge, he never mentions Jesus once but it's all about some unnamed God or Providence.

But still.  That the future first President and the man that shaped the destiny of the world, really, would kneel down to God and ask for help is still a powerful picture.  Nice details all through it too, especially on his uniform and on the horse.

The plate at the bottom contains a quote from his military retirement announcement in 1783:

"I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my official life by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of the Almighty God and those who have the superintendence of them into His Holy keeping."

So there.