#David Hall Art Gallery

[albumcoverhalloffame]

Album Cover Hall of Fame's News Update and Link Summary for October, 2023

I’d surmise that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the news unless you have a friend – someone like me – who’ll spend countless hours of getting all of the details together for you, as I’ve done again in this month’s summary. You’re happy, I’m happy!

Album Cover Hall of Fame’s News Update and Link Summary for October, 2023 Posted October 1, 2023 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com Summer’s gone and its time to start thinking about a) what to do during the day now that kids are back in school (I personally don’t worry about this but suspect that some of you do) b) Holiday season prep and c) what we’re going to do to keep ourselves…

[beatleshistoryblog]

LECTURE 18: COMING APART (PART 1): This unusual footage of Yoko Ono having all of her clothing cut up in a performance art exhibition was filmed by brothers Albert and David Maysles, a pair of documentary filmmakers, who shot the footage in Carnegie Recital Hall in New York on March 21, 1965. As one description of the short documentary aptly puts it: “Yoko Ono sits motionless on the concert hall stage, wearing her best suit of clothing, with a pair of scissors placed on the floor in front of her. inviting the audience to come up on stage - one at a time - and cut a bit of her clothes off which they were allowed to keep, covering her breasts at the moment of unbosoming.” The following year, in 1966, Yoko Ono met John Lennon at the Indica Gallery in London, and the two would gravitate closer and closer together. 

[kmomof4]

To Sir Graham, With Love Ch. 3

An early posting for ch3!!! Hubs and I are heading out of town for the weekend to celebrated our anniversary, and I didn't want Marta to have to wait until we got back for an update!! Thank you so much for reading and sharing! I hope you enjoy and I'd love to know what you think!

Thank you again to @jrob64 and @whimsicallyenchantedrose for beta and sounding board duties, and also to @motherkatereloyshipper for the GORGEOUS banner!!!

And finally, happy birthday again, @snowbellewells!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

Summary: After a year long secret correspondence, twenty-eight year old spinster Ruby Jones decides to accept Sir Graham Humbert's offer of a visit to see if they might suit for marriage. Unfortunately, he failed to mention that he was the father of twins, and they are not thrilled with Ruby's appearance.

Rating: M (for smut in later chs and mentions of physical abuse)

Words: Approx 8800 of 68k

Tags: Red Hunter Fic, Birthday Fic, Inspired by Eloise Bridgerton's Story, Smut

On ao3 From Beginning / Current Ch

On Tumblr Prologue Ch1 Ch2

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615

@donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells @pirateprincessofpizza

@djlbg @lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@anmylica @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling

@caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite

@captainswan-kellie @soniccat @beckettj @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose

@thisonesatellite @jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones

@mie779 @kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites @myfearless-love 

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

… implore you, Mother, you MUST punish Belle. It is NOT FAIR that I am the only one sent to bed without pudding. And for a week! A week is far too long. Especially since it was all mostly Belle’s idea.

– from Ruby Jones to her mother, left upon Alice Jones’s night table during Ruby’s tenth year

~*~*~

… have never been so bored in my entire life. David, you must come home. It is interminably boring without you, and I don’t think I can bear such boredom another moment. Please do return, for I have clearly begun to repeat myself, and nothing could be more of a bore.

– from Ruby Jones to her older brother, David, during her fifth season as a debutante, sent (but never received) while David was traveling in Denmark.

~*~*~*~*~*~

How could so much change in a single day? Ruby thought. Not long after arriving - just this morning, Ruby realized with a start - she’d been convinced that she’d made a dreadful mistake, but now, as they strolled through Romney Hall, ostensibly to view the portraits in the gallery, but which she knew was actually just prolonging their time together, she was almost convinced that he would make a fine husband after all.

He was obviously quite handsome. He was tall and lean with a chiseled face that reminded her of some of the works of art she’d seen in the British Museum. His blue eyes were piercing and his boyish curls simply begged for her fingers to run through them. But besides that, he’d been quite a pleasant dinner companion, though not as loquacious as she was used to. He’d accepted, and even admired, her fish-in-the-bed treatment of Ava, proving he had an innate sense of fairness, which to her was quite essential in a potential husband, and for whatever reason, he’d handled Ava’s understandable tantrum with aplomb, which after the confrontation this morning when she’d arrived, was a bit surprising.

They stood now in the hall, his large hand gently holding her elbow, and she was quite simply enveloped in his presence. It was thrilling and terrifying in equal measure, but gratifying as well. She’d taken a gamble on her future and she appeared to have won. Nothing would have been worse than coming back to London, her tail between her legs, and explaining to her family what she’d done. 

Ruby hated to be wrong. 

She hated even more to admit that she was wrong. 

Especially to herself.

But in this case, she didn’t appear to be wrong. 

Perhaps this could work. He wasn’t a complete stranger, after all. They had been corresponding for over a year.

“My grandfather,” Graham said, gesturing vaguely at a large portrait she could hardly see in the low light. 

Ruby nodded. “Is that your father?” she asked, nodding at the portrait on the right.

That was all it took for Graham to tense up - his shoulders and the corners of his lips tightening, the lines on his forehead becoming more pronounced as he nodded sharply.

“And where are you?” she asked, quickly realizing Graham had no wish to talk about his father.

“Over here,” he replied, leading them some distance away from where they stood. They came to a stop before a medium sized portrait of two boys - the older a young teen, the younger a couple of years behind.

“What happened to him?” Graham was obviously the younger and wouldn’t have inherited Romney Hall and the Baronet if his brother still lived.

“Waterloo.” No other explanation was needed. 

Ruby nodded and turned to him. He stood staring at the portrait, profound sadness in his eyes that Ruby couldn’t help responding to.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, laying a hand on his arm.

A small sigh escaped his lips, but his gaze didn’t waver. “No one was sorrier than I,” he whispered.

“What was his name?”

“George.”

“You must have been quite young,” she observed, thinking back to 1815 and doing the math.

“Twenty-one,” he replied.

It was odd, Ruby reflected. At twenty-one she was expected to be married and running her own household. But now, nearing thirty, she thought it was awfully young and green to be thrust into responsibilities he never expected to have.

“My father died two weeks later.”

Ruby gasped in dismay. To lose a brother and a father so closely together must have been terribly difficult for Graham to endure.

“Here’s a portrait of Jacinda with the children,” he said, motioning to the other side of the room. It had been many, many years since she’d seen her cousin, but she still recognized her, the darker skin tone, the dark eyes with a sadness in them that was utterly foreign to Ruby then and heartbreaking to see now. With a much younger Nicholas by her side and Ava sitting on her lap, Ruby would have hoped that her eyes would reflect the joy of having two beautiful children, but no, her eyes still held the same emptiness and sadness that had so baffled her when they were children together.

“She was lovely,” Ruby said quietly. “The children must miss her.”

Graham nodded. “They’ve missed her for a long time.”

Ruby thought that was a rather odd way of phrasing it. “I know how they feel. I was very young when my father died.”

“I didn’t realize,” he said, turning to her.

“It’s not something I talk about all that much,” she replied with a half shrug. “It was a long time ago.”

“Did it take you very long to get over it?” 

Ruby considered her words before answering, quite aware that the question wasn’t simply referring to her. “I’m not sure it’s something you ever fully get over,” she said, “completely, anyway. There will always be moments that you wish they could have been there to see and experience with you. But if you’re asking if I still think of my father every day, the answer is no, I don’t.”

Graham didn’t look away and Ruby finally turned to face him. They were still a respectable distance apart, but the darkness of the room and the intimacy of the conversation had a chill running down her spine. The blue of his eyes was spellbinding, and Ruby could almost feel his gaze as a physical touch on the apple of her cheek, along her jaw, and down the long line of her neck. 

“Ruby?” His voice was a whisper, and it broke the spell she was under. She took a small step back and searched for something, anything, to say in response.

“My brothers!” The words burst out of her mouth. “Especially Liam. He’s the oldest. It affected him much more than it did me. They were very close. And my mother, as well. They loved each other very much.”

“How did she react to his passing?”

“She cried a lot in the beginning,” Ruby said softly. “I’m quite sure we weren’t meant to hear. It was always late at night after she supposed we were all asleep. She missed him desperately, and it couldn’t have been easy with seven children.”

“Seven?” Graham asked. “I thought there were eight of you.”

“Tilly wasn’t yet born,” she informed him. “Mother must have been about eight months along.”

Good God, she thought she heard him breathe. Good God, indeed. She had no idea how her mother had managed.

“He was stung by a bee,” she continued. “Can you imagine?” A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked around the room. It always left her a little melancholy to speak about her father, but now, talking about him to a virtual stranger in a room filled with portraits of dead people, she wanted to leave. Immediately. 

“May I see your greenhouse?” she asked abruptly, turning back to face him.

“Now?” he asked, his voice filled with surprise.

Well, she shouldn’t have been surprised; it was dark outside, after all. “In the morning then, when we’ll be able to see.”

A bemused yet indulgent smile was on his lips. “We can go now,” he said. “The moon is full and we’ll take a lantern.”

She returned his smile. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, I’d like that very much.”

He held out his elbow to her, and she took it, allowing him to lead her out into the night.

“It’s so warm!” she exclaimed some minutes later as he shut the door of the greenhouse behind them.

“It’s usually warmer than this,” he said. “The glass traps the heat from the sun to warm the air, allowing plants native to much warmer climes to grow and thrive, and aside from today, it’s been rather overcast lately.”

Graham often toiled in his greenhouse at night when he couldn’t sleep. Even during the day, he rarely had anyone with him, preferring to work alone, but now he found that he was seeing the greenhouse through Ruby’s eyes, and it was mesmerizing. The moonlight fell on the leaves and fronds of the plants he knew and loved so well, creating an otherworldly hush that was almost indescribable. During the day, the greenhouse wasn’t that different from almost any wooded place in England, but under the light of the moon, it was enchanting and mysterious, as if he moved his head quickly enough, he might catch a glimpse of a fairy, leaving a trail of magic in her wake. 

“What is this?” she asked, looking at a row of pots on his workbench.

His smile was ridiculously wide, exceptionally pleased that she seemed truly curious about his work. Most people feigned interest and looked for a quick escape.

“It’s an experiment I’m working on with peas,” he informed her.

“The kind we eat?”

He nodded. “I’ve been trying to develop a strain that will grow fatter in the pod.”

“Really!” she exclaimed, her eyebrows rising in surprise. “I had no idea that could be done.”

He shrugged. “I have no idea if it can be done, either. I’ve been trying for a year.”

“With no success? How very frustrating!”

“I’ve had some success,” he admitted. “Just not as much as I’d like.”

“I tried to grow roses one year,” she said. “They all died.”

“Roses are not easy to cultivate.”

She raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “You have a lot of roses.”

“I also have a gardener,” he informed her amusedly.

“A botanist with a gardener?”

He shrugged. “It’s no different than a dressmaker with a seamstress.”

She considered that for a moment before nodding decisively and turning away from him, heading deeper into the greenhouse and scolding him for not keeping up with her with the lantern.

“You’re a bit bossy, this evening,” he said, an amused smile on his lips.

She smirked back at him. “I prefer the term ‘managing.’”

“A managing type of female, huh?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t deduce as much from my letters.” She tossed the words over her shoulder to him flirtatiously and he responded in kind.

“Why do you think I invited you?” He continued to follow her until she came to an abrupt stop and turned to him.

“You want someone to manage your life?” she asked, a bit breathlessly, he thought. He wanted someone to manage his children, but he didn’t think now was a good time to bring them up. Not when she was looking at him like that. Like she wanted…

Like she wanted to be kissed.

“May I kiss you?” he whispered. He would have stopped if she’d shown any hesitation, but her gorgeous green eyes were lit by the moon and there was nothing but wonder and acceptance and desire in them. “May I?” he asked again.

She nodded, a tiny, but sure thing. He lowered his head and simply brushed his lips against hers, the way one should kiss a woman one thought about marrying. But then her arms stole around him and her fingers brushed his neck, and he was lost.

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer, closer, closer, until her body fully lined up with his. His tongue touched the seam of her lips and she opened, allowing him full access to explore all the hidden depths of her mouth, and he took full advantage, drawing soft mewling sounds from her that he swallowed with more kisses. 

But it wasn’t enough. 

He wanted to feel her. All of her. His hands ran up and down her back, until one boldly reached the curve of her bottom. He pressed her against him, not caring that she’d be able to clearly feel his desire for her. It had been so long, so damned long, and she was so soft and responsive in his arms, hesitantly at first, but then answering his passion with her own. She gasped, her head falling back and Graham took the invitation to pepper her jaw and the long line of her neck with his ardor. 

He’d begun working his way down, over her collarbone toward the neckline of the gown she wore when she pulled away from him.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out, her hands flying to where he’d last kissed her.

“I’m not,” he said matter-of-factly.

Her eyes widened at his bluntness. But he’d never been particularly good with words and it was probably better that she learned this now.

“It… it was a figure of speech,” she stammered.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said I was sorry,” she repeated, shrugging one shoulder, her eyes wide and guileless, confusing him further. “It was a figure of speech. I’m not really.”

She sounded rather flustered to his ears, and he couldn’t help the surge of male pride that he’d brought her to this state.

“It’s something one might say to fill the silence,” she continued. 

Graham was beginning to realize that Ruby didn’t like silence. He kissed her again. “You know, silence is sometimes a good thing.”

Her mouth dropped open slightly in surprise. “Are you saying I talk too much?”

He shrugged, the corner of his lips lifted in a smirk, having much too much fun teasing her.

“I’ll have you know, I have been much quieter here than I normally am,” she informed him haughtily.

He wrapped his arms around her again and smiled. “We need a bit of noise around here.”

~*~*~

Ruby woke the next morning feeling wonderful. As if she was still wrapped up in a dream. A dream of a completely unexpected kiss.

A dream of enjoying a completely unexpected kiss far more than she thought she would.

Her stomach reminded her of the lateness of the hour and she decided to make her way down to the breakfast room. She had no idea if Sir Graham would be there or not. Was he the kind of man who rose with the sun? Or did he prefer to lay abed until noon? It seemed rather odd that she didn’t know something like this about a man she was seriously contemplating marrying.

And if he was there - waiting for her to join him to break their fast together - what would she say to him? What did one say to a man who’d licked one’s neck as if it were a delectable frozen treat? It was quite beyond scandalous.

What if she got there and could barely get out a good morning? He’d surely find that very amusing after his teasing her last night. It nearly made her laugh out loud. Ruby Jones - who could carry on a conversation about anything and nothing, and frequently did - not knowing what she was going to say to Sir Graham Humbert when next she saw him.

Of course, he had kissed her, and that changed everything.

Once dressed, she crossed the room, ready to leave, making sure her door was still tightly shut. She didn’t think the twins would try the same trick twice, but she wasn’t willing to place a large amount of trust in the thought. Honestly, after using a fish, she expected they were devising a more slimy or smelly retribution.

Humming softly to herself, she emerged into the hallway and headed toward the stairs. She was in a good mood since the sun had been peeking out from behind the clouds, making the day seem filled with promise…

“OH!”

The cry ripped out of her as she plunged forward, her foot caught back behind her, wrapped in something strung between two pieces of furniture. She had no chance to try and maintain her balance. She’d been walking quickly, as she was wont to do, and never saw the string reaching across the hall until it was too late. She didn’t even have the time to break her fall with her hands.

Tears burned her eyes. Her chin - dear God, her chin - her chin felt like it was on fire. She’d just been able to turn her head to the side before she landed, but the side of her face had taken the brunt of the fall, and Ruby couldn’t keep the incoherent whimpers of severe pain inside. She waited for the pain to fade, like it did when one stubbed one’s toe. The pain would take your breath away for a moment, but then would fade until it was nothing more than a dull ache. But the pain was not fading at all. Her chin, the side of her face, her elbow, hip, and knee were such a cacophony of agony, that she could do nothing more than lie there until she could draw breath without wanting to scream in anguish.

She felt as if she’d been beaten.

“Ruby!”

Graham. She couldn’t even look up, still trying to control her breathing and not willing to move from her curled up position.

“Ruby, my God!” he cried, taking the last few steps in one giant stride until he reached her side. “What happened?”

“I fell.” She tried not to whimper, she truly did, but it came out anyway.

His actions full of tenderness, he pulled her hand away from her face. The words that fell from his lips once he got a good look at it were not words Ruby was accustomed to hearing.

“You need a piece of meat on that,” he said grimly. 

“Is it very bruised?”

He nodded. “You may have a blackened eye as well; it’s too soon to tell.” She tried to smile, but it was just too painful to manage. “Does it hurt very badly?” he asked softly.

She nodded, a single tear finally falling down her cheek. It reminded her of a time when she was very small and fell out of a tree. She’d sprained her ankle quite badly, but hadn’t cried until she got home to her mother.

Graham touched her cheek gingerly, but pulled away with a scowl on his face when she winced. “What happened?” he asked again.

And of course she knew exactly what had happened. The twins had strung a piece of string across the hallway for her to trip over. But one look at Graham’s face and she almost considered holding her tongue. She didn’t think they meant to cause quite so much harm.

But she didn’t need to say a single word. He’d obviously already seen the piece of string, and without taking his eyes off of hers, he’d twisted it around his pointer finger until it snapped in two. He didn’t seem aware of it - his strength, nor the strength of his anger.

“Sir Graham,” she whispered, but it was clear he didn’t hear her.

“Nicholas! Ava!” he bellowed.

“I’m sure they didn’t mean to injure me,” Ruby tried, quite sure that any punishment coming from their father while he was in this state would be far more painful for them than what she’d mete out.

“I don’t care what they meant!” he snapped. “Look how close to the stairs you were! What if you’d fallen down them?”

The thought hadn’t occurred to her, and now that she really looked, she had fallen dangerously close to them.

“They must answer for this.” His voice was low, and shaking with rage.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. And she would. In a few days. The agony was finally starting to fade, but she still cried out softly when Graham picked her up in his arms.

“You’re going straight to bed,” he bit out. She offered no disagreement. 

A maid arrived, a dismayed gasp escaping her when she saw Ruby’s bruised face. “Get me something for this,” Graham ordered. “A piece of meat, anything.” She nodded and quickly disappeared.

“Does anything else hurt?” he asked, as he laid her on top of the coverlet.

“My elbow. Hip. And knee,” she admitted.

“Do you think anything is broken?”

“Oh, no!” she assured him quickly, shaking her head as well. “I’m sure…”

“I’ll need to check anyway,” he interrupted her, cradling her arm in his hands as he gently examined it.

“Sir Graham!” she protested.

“My children nearly killed you,” he growled, but with no real heat in it. “I think we can dispose of the Sir.” He finished his examination and moved to the door of her bedchamber, his stride powerful and full of purpose. “Get me the twins immediately,” he barked to some servant who must have been hovering in the hall. She couldn’t imagine they hadn’t heard his earlier summons, but she also didn’t blame them for attempting to delay judgment day at the hands of their father.

“Graham, please,” she tried again. “Leave them to me. I was the injured party…”

“They are my children and I will punish them,” Graham said grimly. “God knows, it’s long overdue. They hurt you and that is unacceptable.” He leaned back against the wall next to her bed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. “If I had…” He stopped and tried again. “If I hadn’t…” He blew out a frustrated breath and that was when Ruby knew. 

The rage in his voice, the shaking in his hands and body, wasn't directed at the twins. Not entirely anyway. 

He didn’t blame them.

He blamed himself.

Some minutes later - as the twins were ushered into the room by their nursemaid, half dragged and half pushed no doubt, if the heaviness of their gait was any indication - Graham maintained his position next to Ruby’s bed, deathly afraid that if he came any closer to his progeny, he’d beat them within an inch of their lives.

And when he was done, he wouldn’t regret his actions.

So he simply crossed his arms and glared at the children, letting them squirm under his clear anger and condemnation, while he tried to figure out what the hell to say to them.

Finally, Nicolas spoke, his voice trembling. “Father?”

Graham took a deep breath, and still not moving from his position, said the only thing he could think of. The only thing that bore mentioning at the present moment.

“Do you see Miss Jones?”

They both nodded, though they didn’t lift their gazes to where she lay on the bed.

“Look at her!” he barked.

They both jumped slightly, and then raised their eyes to actually look at her. From where he stood, he could see sorrow and, he hoped, remorse in their countenances, which helped him rein in his fury.

“Sir?” a servant asked from the door. 

He acknowledged her with a nod and took the piece of meat she’d brought for Ruby’s eye.

“Hungry?” he snapped at the children. When they didn’t answer, he continued. “Good, because we won’t be able to eat this now, will we?” He gently placed it over her eye and then covered it with a cloth so she wouldn’t dirty her fingers as she held it in place. Once he was done, he rose and stood in front of the children.

“Look at me,” he said, his voice still low and furious. They met his eyes and the fear he saw there made him sick, but he didn’t know how else to act. Or what else to do. They had to learn that they couldn’t continue behaving like this. They had to learn to show respect to adults. 

“We didn’t mean to hurt her,” Ava whispered.

“Oh, really?” he asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “You didn’t think she might possibly be hurt when she tripped over the string? Hmmm? Or perhaps you correctly thought that the string wouldn’t actually hurt her, but it didn’t occur to you that she might be injured when she actually fell?”

They said nothing. Graham glanced back at Ruby, who’d removed the meat from her eye and was gingerly touching her cheek. The bruising was getting worse by the minute.

“You will come with me,” he said, directing his words to the twins, and jerking his head in the direction of the door. He turned to them when he reached it to see they hadn’t taken a single step to follow him. “Now!” he barked. They finally moved and Graham prayed that he’d be able to control himself.

Once they were gone, Ruby tried not to listen, but she couldn’t stop herself from straining her ears. She didn’t know where he was taking them, but one thing was perfectly clear. They were going to be punished.

And while she agreed that it was necessary, what they’d done was inexcusable, she found herself anxious on their behalf. It reminded her of when Nicholas asked if she was going to hit them after he’d pushed her the day before. As if he’d been hit before. Surely Sir Graham didn’t… No, it was impossible. It was one thing to administer a spanking at a time like this, it was another thing entirely to habitually strike children.

She couldn’t possibly be that poor a judge of character. She’d spent time with the man. Allowed him to kiss her. Even kissed him back. She would have been able to sense if there was an inner streak of cruelty within him that would cause him to beat his children.

Shortly thereafter, Nicholas and then Ava entered her bedchamber again, their father bringing up the rear for the sole purpose, she was sure, of making sure their steps exceeded that of a tortoise. They were somber faced and red-eyed, and Graham looked just as grim as they did. 

They shuffled over to Ruby’s bed and she turned to face them. 

“We’re sorry, Miss Jones,” they mumbled in unison.

“Louder,” Graham said sharply.

“We’re sorry, Miss Jones,” they obeyed quickly.

Ruby nodded and tried to give them a small smile.

“It won’t happen again,” Ava added.

“I’m certainly glad to hear that,” Ruby replied. Graham cleared his throat, loudly.

“Father says we have to make it up to you,” Nicholas said.

“Oh…” Ruby wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.

“Do you like sweets?” Ava asked, in an apparent burst of inspiration.

“Uh, yes, I do,” Ruby replied. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“I have a bag of lemon drops,” Ava informed her. “I’ve been saving them for months. You can have them.”

Ruby sighed internally. There was something quite wrong here in the lives of these children. She had enough nieces and nephews to know, and her own upbringing as well to reference, what happy children looked like. And these children before her were anything but happy. She felt her heart clench in her chest in compassion for them.

“That’s alright, Ava,” she said softly. “You may keep your lemon drops.”

“But Father says we have to give you something,” she said, casting a fearful glance at Graham.

Ruby was about to say it wasn’t necessary, but then she realized it was. Not only because Graham had obviously insisted upon it, and she wasn’t about to undermine his authority in front of them, but because they also needed to understand what it meant to make amends.

“Very well,” she conceded, “You may give me an afternoon.”

“An afternoon?” they parroted.

“Yes,” she said. “Once I’m feeling better, you may both give me an afternoon. After all, there is much here at Romney Hall that I know nothing about and I’m sure you two know every nook and cranny of the house and gardens. You may take me on a tour. Provided of course,” and here she looked at them as sternly as she could manage with a large steak still covering her eye, “you both promise there will be no pranks.”

Ava nodded vigorously and quickly. “No, no pranks,” she promised.

“Nicholas,” Graham growled.

“There will be no pranks that afternoon,” he mumbled. Graham grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “Ever,” he shouted. “There will be no pranks ever! We’ll leave Miss Jones completely alone!”

“Well, not completely, I hope,” she said, shooting a glance at Graham until he released Nicholas’ collar, “since you do owe me an afternoon.”

Ava smiled softly, but Nicholas’ scowl remained firmly in place.

“You may return to the nursery, now,” Graham informed the children, and they scurried away as fast as their feet could carry them.

Ruby and Graham remained silent for nearly a full minute after the twins left them alone. Ruby felt quite drained and wasn’t sure what to say. Graham turned back toward her and swallowed hard.

“How are you?” he asked. His voice was still rather gruff, but given the entire episode, she didn’t really blame him.

“If I’m not permitted to remove the steak soon, I think I might be physically ill,” she said, honestly.

He picked up the platter it’d arrived on and Ruby placed the meat upon it, grimacing at the squelching sound it made. “I’d like to wash my face, please.”

Graham nodded. “Let me first examine your eye. Look up,” he directed, probing gently around the socket when she obeyed.

“Do you have much experience with this sort of thing?” she asked.

“A bit,” he replied. “Look right.”

“A bit?”

“I boxed at university.”

“Were you good?”

“Look left,” he said, turning her head to the side. “Good enough.”

“What does that mean?”

“Close your eye.”

“What does that mean?” she asked again.

“You’re not closing your eye.”

She closed both eyes, though with a scowl on her face. “What does it mean!?” she repeated for the third time. And though she couldn’t see his face, the smile came through in his tone when he spoke.

“Has anyone ever told you that you are exceedingly stubborn?” he asked.

“Oh, all the time,” she replied. “It’s my only flaw.”

“The only one, eh?” And now she could imagine his raised eyebrow.

“The only one worth commenting on.” She opened her eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I’ve quite forgotten what it was. Now close your eye again, I wasn’t finished.” Ruby scowled when she caught the teasing glint in his eyes, but obeyed. “Good enough,” he continued once her eyes were shut, “means that I never had to fight. Not if I didn’t want to.”

“But you weren’t the champion,” she speculated.

“You may open your eyes now,” he said gently. She blinked a few times in surprise when she saw how close he still was. “I wasn’t the champion.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “I didn’t care about it enough.”

“How does it look?”

“Your eye?”

She nodded.

“There’s nothing to be done to stop the bruising.”

“I didn’t think I hit my eye,” she said, pressing her fingers gently around the socket. “When I fell. I thought I hit my cheek.”

“Hitting your cheek, the blood will spread to the eye area. I can see from your face that you fell right here,” he said. His fingers oh so gently touched her cheekbone, exactly where she landed, but his touch was so light, there was no pain. 

Ruby groaned. “I’m going to look a fright for weeks.”

“Maybe not weeks,” he tried to reassure her.

She sent him an extremely dubious look, one that should have told him she knew what she was talking about. “I have brothers. I’ve seen blackened eyes. Killian had one that didn’t completely fade for two months.”

“Really?” Graham chuckled. “What happened to him?”

“Our older brother,” she informed him drily.

Graham nodded, his lips pressed together in amusement. “Say no more. I had a brother myself.”

“Beastly creatures,” she said, but her affection for them was clear from her tone.

“Your black eye probably won’t take that long to diminish,” he said, helping her from bed and over to the washbasin.

“But it might,” she said as she washed the smell from her face.

Graham nodded in agreement. “We need to get you a chaperone.”

Ruby stopped abruptly. “I’d quite forgotten.”

“I hadn’t.”

“It’s all my fault, of course,” she said, patting herself dry. “You had written in your invitation that you’d provide a chaperone, but in my haste to leave London, it didn’t occur to me that you’d need time to make the arrangements.”

Graham watched her closely and wondered if she realized just how much she’d revealed to him about her reasons for coming. It was hard to imagine someone as open, honest, and loquacious as the woman before him having secrets, but he did have to admit she’d been rather quiet about her exact reasons for coming to Gloucestershire.

She’d said she was looking for a husband. But he was starting to wonder if perhaps it had as much to do with what she was leaving behind in London as what she was looking for here.

And then the words in my haste…

What could have caused her to leave in such a hurry? 

“I sent a letter to my great-aunt yesterday morning after your arrival,” he informed her, “but she’s not the sort to leave home at the drop of a hat. She’ll need to pack and do whatever it is you ladies need to do when preparing for a journey.” He waved his hand vaguely around, and Ruby tried her best not to laugh. “I don’t expect her before Thursday. At the earliest.”

“Well, it’s only a few days, and it’s not like we’re completely alone,” she asserted. “You do have a house full of servants.”

“That may be,” he agreed, “but your reputation could be seriously compromised if this visit of yours were to get out among society.”

Ruby blew out a long breath, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Well, there’s not much I can do about it now,” she said. Then motioning to her eye, she continued. “And if I were to return now, this will have more people talking than the fact that I left to begin with.”

He nodded, acceding to her point, though his mind started shooting off in other directions entirely. Was there a reason she was so unconcerned about her reputation? He may have spent little time in society, but it’d been his experience that properly bred young ladies, no matter their age, were always concerned about their reputations.

Was it possible that Ruby’s reputation had been in tatters before she’d even arrived on his doorstep?

And more to the point, did he care?

He honestly wasn’t sure. He knew what he wanted - no, needed - in a wife, and it had very little to do with purity and chastity and all those things that society deemed important for young ladies.

He was looking for someone who could step in and manage his life and care for his children. He was quite pleased that Ruby not only appeared to be able to fill the role admirably, but that she was rather beautiful and he most undoubtedly felt a great deal of desire for her. Even if she’d been as ugly as a crone, he’d still have been willing to marry her if she could be a good mother to his children.

But if that were all true, then why did he feel no small amount of annoyance that Ruby might have had a lover?

She settled herself against the pillows, looked longingly out the window, and sighed. “Oh, look, the sun is shining again.”

“Would you like to sit in the garden?” he asked. “You haven’t eaten yet; I can have breakfast brought out to you.”

“I’d like to walk in the garden,” she groused, “but I suppose I should try to rest today.”

“More than just today,” he murmured.

“I’ll never be able to manage it,” she said. 

“You could take a book with you,” he suggested. It didn’t surprise him at all when she said she couldn’t sit still. Even injured, she was fidgety on the bed, and he couldn’t suppress a small smile.

“Will you not join me?” she asked.

“Ah…” he stammered. “I have work to do in the greenhouse today.” Her eyes reflected her disappointment, and as much as he would have loved to spend time with her in the garden, he needed to get away. Away from his swirling thoughts, conflicted feelings, and most of all the desire to crawl out of his skin over having to spank the children. He needed his hands in the dirt where the most complicated thought he’d encounter was about plants, something he did know something about. 

Every fortnight, it seemed, they did something that warranted punishment. He hated having to do it. To the depths of his being. But what else was he supposed to do when they behaved this badly? He could justify to himself brushing aside small things, but when they’d glued their last governess’ hair to the pillow while she slept, how on earth was he supposed to brush that aside? Or when they’d gotten into his greenhouse and broken an entire shelf of terra cotta pots? They’d claimed it was an accident, but Graham knew better, and from their countenances, they didn’t even truly think he’d believe them.

So he punished them the only way he knew how, if he punished them at all - though, to this point, he’d only used his hand. More often than not, he was so overwhelmed at the memories of his father’s brand of discipline and horrified at the way his hand itched to swat them on their behinds that he’d simply stumble away, a trembling and sweating mess.

He knew he was too lenient with them. They weren’t getting any better, after all. He knew he needed to be more stern with them, but the memory of what he’d almost done after the episode with their governess was enough to make him want to retch. He’d been so furious, so blindingly angry, that before he even realized it, he’d gone out to the stable and grabbed a whip. That was all it took for him to realize what he’d done and make him drop it in horror. Graham had fled to his greenhouse, shaking with disgust and hating himself for what he’d almost done.

But not only that. Hating himself for what he couldn’t do. 

Make his children better people.

He didn’t know how to be a father to them. Maybe he just wasn’t suited to the task. Perhaps there were men out there who just naturally knew how to teach, how to mold children, but Graham certainly wasn’t one of them. Perhaps one needed a good father in order to be one. But if that was the case, Graham had been doomed from birth. 

And now, here he was, pinning all his hopes on Miss Ruby Jones. Perhaps he wouldn’t feel so guilty about being a miserable father to them if he could provide them with a good mother. 

But nothing was ever as simple as one might want and Miss Ruby Jones was proof positive of that. He’d never expected to want her. And when he came up the stairs and found her on the floor, his first thought hadn’t been anger at his children, it had been terror for her. For her wellbeing. As well as, if he was being brutally honest, terror that they might have convinced her to leave.

With the glue incident, his first emotion had been rage. With Ruby, he spared barely a thought to the twins until he’d assured himself of her well being. He hadn’t wanted to care about her, and now that he did, he didn’t know what to do with himself. So while a morning in the garden with her sounded lovely, he had to get away for a while. He had to try and bring his chaotic thoughts and feelings into some semblance of order. And if that made him a coward, then so be it.

~*~*~

Ruby spent the entire day in the garden on what she was sure was the most comfortable chaise lounge she’d ever had the pleasure to sit. It must have come from Italy, because in her experience, neither England nor France knew how to make comfortable furniture. Not that she normally spent much time pondering furniture makers, but being left alone in the gardens did provide her with an abundance of time and blessed little else to ponder.

Well, perhaps beside the fact that Sir Graham Humbert had to be the most ill-mannered beast on the planet, leaving her alone after his two little monsters - whom he hadn’t even disclosed the existence of in his correspondence - left her with a blackened eye. 

It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, the sky was the deepest shade of blue, a light breeze was blowing, and Ruby had not a thing to occupy her thoughts.

She had never been so bored in her entire life.

It just wasn’t in her nature to sit still and watch the clouds roll by. She would be much happier doing something - walking through the gardens, or at the very least having someone to talk to, rather than just sitting here like a bump on a log. If she had company, then perhaps the clouds would be more interesting. They could discuss the shapes they saw in them.

But no, he’d left her quite on her own. She could see him out there in his greenhouse from where she sat, but while she’d really like nothing better than to join him - his plants must be more interesting than clouds - she refused to seek him out. Not after the way he’d departed so abruptly earlier. She’d thought they were getting along rather well, but then he’d suddenly grown distant and irritable and made up a terrible excuse about having to work in the greenhouse. He’d all but run away from her.

Odious man.

She picked up the book she’d chosen from the library and held it in front of her face, determined to actually read it this time. Of course, that was what she said the previous four times she’d picked up the book. 

Blast it all. 

The Botany of Ferns? What exactly had she been thinking when she pulled it off the shelf? Well, the clear answer to that question was, she hadn’t been. Ruby rolled her eyes at herself. She should have at least looked for a novel to read. The library was quite extensive and she was sure she could have found something more enjoyable than this thing. And what was worse, if, for some reason, Sir Graham came back and found her reading it, he’d think she was wanting to learn more about him and his interests.

This was ridiculous. She slammed the book closed and back down on the side table. She got up and took a few steps to test the tenderness of her hip, a satisfied and rather smug smile lifting her lips when she realized her hip was causing her no more than mild discomfort. She walked all the way to a large rosebush some ways ahead and bent over to see if they had a scent yet. The buds were still closed, but there was always the chance…

“What the devil are you doing?”

Ruby just managed to avoid falling into the bush in surprise. “Sir Graham!” she exclaimed. “I was just…”

“You were supposed to be sitting down,” he interrupted.

“I was sitting down.”

“You were supposed to stay sitting down.”

The truth would make a superb explanation, she decided quickly. 

“I was bored.”

“Did you not get a book to read from the library, like I invited you to do?”

She speared him with a glance and Graham could feel a flush rising on his skin. 

“You said that you could have breakfast sent out to me,” she began, her temper rising along with her words, “and suggested that I could enjoy a book in the garden, which I wrongly assumed meant that you’d have something I’d enjoy reading included on the tray.”

Blast, he had said that, hadn’t he? He’d been in such a hurry to get away, he’d quite forgotten. The flush reached his face. 

“Allow me to apologize and correct that oversight, then,” he replied in a remarkable display of humility. Ruby wasn’t used to men ever admitting to a mistake, however unintended. “But you should remain seated.”

Ruby patted her hip. “I am truly perfectly fine. It hardly hurts at all.”

His expression was still irritable, but even with filthy hands and face, there was something very striking about him. Elemental, almost. Ruby’s mouth dropped open as a shiver of awareness worked its way over her.

“I can’t work if I’m worrying about you,” he groused.

“Then don’t work.” The solution seemed perfectly logical to her.

“I’m in the middle of something.”

“Then I’ll accompany you,” she said lightly, brushing by him on her way to the greenhouse. Really, how did he expect them to see if they would suit if they didn’t spend any time together?

“Miss Jones,” he bit out, “you cannot…”

“Couldn’t you use the help?” she asked, turning back toward him.

“No.”

“Sir Graham,” she snapped, deciding on a different tact. “Are you the same man you were last night?”

“I beg your pardon?” The expression on his face suggested that he thought she’d lost her mind.

“The man I spent the evening with last night,” she began, only just restraining herself from crossing her arms in her annoyance. “The one with whom I shared a very pleasant meal, then toured the house and greenhouse. The man who actually spoke to me, and seemed to enjoy my company.”

He shook his head at her words, bringing himself out of his haze of confusion. “I do enjoy your company,” he replied, utterly befuddled at her seemingly random tirade.

“Then why,” she asked, “have I been sitting alone in the garden for the last three hours?”

“It hasn’t been three hours.”

“It doesn’t matter how long…”

“It’s been forty-five minutes,” he interrupted.

That silenced her for just a moment. She stood there staring at him, her lips pressed together in a straight line, before opening them to speak again.

“Well…” She lost her words after that and Graham decided he’d better say something to save her from any more embarrassment her countenance told him she was swimming in.

“Miss Jones.” He tried not to snap, truly he did, but was extremely doubtful he’d succeeded. “As you might imagine, the incident with the children this morning has left me in rather a foul mood, and I sought to spare you my company, such as it is.”

“I see,” she said, rather meekly in his opinion.

“Good,” he bit out. 

But then she straightened up and looked him directly in the eye, lifting her chin just slightly. “In that case, I’ll just leave you to your work.” Then she had the audacity to wave him off as if he were nothing more than a buzzing fly, disturbing the peacefulness of the garden.

“And what will you be doing?” he asked.

“I will go for a walk,” she informed him, haughtily.

“You will not go for a walk,” he growled.

Almost, Ruby thought, as if he cared about her.

“Sir Graham,” she began, “I assure you, I am perfectly fine. I shall remain out of your way, which is all that really matters, is it not?” A vein in his temple began to pulse, and Ruby found entirely too much pleasure in the fact. She turned on her heel and began to walk to another area of the garden. 

“Stop this instant!” Graham exclaimed. “You may not go for a walk!”

Ruby stopped and turned to him, about to ask if he intended to tie her down to stop her, but shut her mouth just as quickly when it occurred to her that he might heartily approve the suggestion. 

“Sir Graham,” she said, “I fail to see… OH!” she exclaimed when he scooped her up in his arms, mumbling something about stubborn and foolish women, marched over to the chaise, and dropped her unceremoniously upon it.

“Stay there,” he ordered.

She sputtered indignantly, almost at a loss of what to say after his unbelievable display of arrogance. “You can’t just…”

“Good God, woman! You would try the patience of a saint!”

She glared at him.

He huffed in frustration. “What would it take to keep you from moving from this spot?”

She lifted her chin at him before answering. “I can’t think of a single thing,” she said honestly.

“Fine,” he said. “Hike all over the countryside, if it pleases you. Swim to France.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “From Gloucestershire?”

“If anyone could figure out a way to do it, it would be you, Miss Jones. Good day.” Then he turned on his heel and left her exactly where she’d started from.

~*~*~

Graham sat at supper that evening utterly dejected and lonely. One would have thought that eating alone was commonplace for him after all the years married to Jacinda, but in the last day and a half, he’d become used to Ruby’s presence and now, he missed her. If he wasn’t already painfully aware of how badly he’d handled the day's situations, her short missive informing him she intended to take supper in her room this evening made it abundantly clear. Considering the fact she’d been complaining about the lack of his company earlier, her refusal to join him was a stark insult, indeed, and one that the servants were obviously aware of. Graham sighed. He hated being the subject of the servants' gossip. 

He made his way through all the courses, hoping she might change her mind and come down. It was certainly doubtful, given her stubborn streak, but he could always hope. When it became abundantly clear it was a futile hope, he considered going up to her. But that would have been extremely inappropriate, even out here in the country. Besides the fact that seeking her out after his behavior this morning was tantamount to eating crow.

Which wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world, considering he’d already decided he was willing to beg her to stay and be a mother to his children, if necessary. But wanting to woo a woman didn’t mean that he knew how to do it.

George had always been the one to charm and woo the ladies. He always knew what to say and how to act. He wouldn’t have cared about being the subject of the servants’ gossip. Graham had always been the quieter one, the studious one, the awkward one when compared to his older brother. Much less suited to being a father and lord of the manor. He’d always planned on leaving Romney Hall and never looking back, at least while his father was alive. George was to have married and had half a dozen perfect children and Graham would have been the somewhat strange but still fun uncle, working on his experiments at Cambridge.

But all of that changed on a battlefield in Belgium. England may have won the war, but it was blessed little comfort when his father dragged him home, determined to mold him into a suitable heir. Determined to mold him into George, who’d been his favorite.

And then he’d died. Right there in front of Graham. In the middle of a screaming, raging fit, his heart had given out on him. 

And Graham had become Sir Graham, with all the rights and responsibilities of a baronet. Rights and responsibilities he’d never, ever wanted.

He loved his children more than life itself, so he guessed he could say it’d turned out alright in the end, but he still felt like he was failing. Romney Hall was doing well. As a result of the agricultural techniques he’d introduced in the fields of the estate, they were turning a profit for the first time since… Well, he wasn’t sure exactly. They’d certainly never turned a profit in the years his father was lord of the estate.

But the fields weren’t nearly as important as the children. They were flesh and blood and would someday grow up, and with how badly behaved they were now, he was terrified of what the future would hold for them if something wasn’t  done soon. Which was why he was so desperate for Ruby to stay and marry him. 

He couldn’t continue to fail his children the way he had been since they were born really, but especially since Jacinda died. He had no idea how to handle them. 

Except the night before, with the fish incident. For the first time, he’d handled Ava exactly right. Ruby’s presence had calmed him in a way that he never would have believed, if he hadn’t experienced it himself.

That was why he couldn’t seek her out this evening. So he couldn’t muck it up any more than he already had.

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! I'd love to know what you think!

[insanityclause]

Guillermo del Toro's haunting gothic horror film Crimson Peak is headed to 4K. Arrow Video will release a deluxe 4K Blu-ray edition of the 2015 film this spring. The film has been restored with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision, personally approved by director del Toro, and will be packaged in a case featuring all-new art by concept artist Guy Davis.

The set will also include a wide array of special features, including an audio commentary from del Toro, the feature-length documentary The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak, and a wide assortment of featurettes; they will include a tour of the movie's lavish lets with star Tom Hiddleston, and closer looks at the film's costumes, production design, and nightmarish creatures. The set will also feature deleted scenes, trailers, and an image gallery. The package will include a double-sided, fold-out poster, four double-sided postcards, and an 80-page book with essays from David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an archival interview with del Toro, and concept illustrations by artists Davis and Oscar Chichoni. The set will retail for $45 USD; it will be released on May 21, 2024, and can be preordered from ArrowVideo.com.

What is 'Crimson Peak'?

"Crimson Peak" is the nickname for Allerdale Hall, a dilapidated mansion noted for the red clay that constantly seeps out of its grounds. It becomes the new home for aspiring author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) when she marries its owner, Thomas Sharpe (Hiddleston). Unfortunately, the mansion is also home to Thomas' sinister sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) and a bevy of horrifying ghosts (noted creature actors Doug Jones and Javier Botet). Meanwhile, Edith's father has been gruesomely murdered, and her childhood friend Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam) is on the case, uncovering dark secrets from the Sharpe siblings' past. Soon, those secrets are revealed, and Crimson Peak becomes a place of murder and mayhem - where the living are far more terrifying than the dead.

Arrow's 4K edition of Crimson Peak will be released on May 21, 2024.

[yujisleftshoe]

Not to beat a dead horse, but LIBRARIES literally will give you online access to TV and movies for free without having to pirate them. They also have recordings of theatre productions!! I just watched David Tennants Richard ii FOR FREE with a really high quality recording FROM THE LIBRARY!!!! Everyone needs to GET A LIBRARY CARD!!!!

My library also has access to programs that can help you make your own legal documents if you can't afford an attorney but need things like wills or bills of sale or lease agreements!!

There is concerts and and documentaries and operas and Ballets from carnegie hall and the Palace of Versailles and other world class theaters!

They have coding courses! IELTS training!! News paper access that usually requires a subscription! Audio books! Music! Tickets to events and museums and aquariums and art galleries and carnivales and park passes and youth programs!!!

There is literally no reason to not have a library card. They're free.

[fr00tb0wl]

Hi!! Not really an ask but I didn't know if you'd be okay with me dming you so i thought i'd send you these here!! I thought you would appreciate the sheer fucking SCALE of the main stemma compared to the others surrounding it!

+ I enhanced the colouring on the pic a little because it was kinda washed out in the lighting when I initially took it, I just didn't have the energy to do that before posting last time whoops

Anyway i hope you enjoy! I actually have a few more that I think you'd appreciate, though most aren't actually renaissance art, they are *chef's kiss*

This is the 'Monument to Marchese Spinetti Malaspina', who was a condottiere who died in 1407! It was made by Antonio da Firenze, Pietro Di Niccolo and Giovanni De Martino Da Fiesole and was originally made in Verona ca. 1430-1435.

This is 'The Sleep of Sorrow and the Dream of Joy' by Raffaelle Monti, made in 1861 (so obvi no renaissance). I just find her absolutely beautiful though - it's widely considered a comment on Italian politics at the time; a say on the resurrection of cultural unity in the country as it was proclaimed a kingdom on the 17th of March in 1861.

This is 'Diana Hunting' by Giovanni Maria Benzoni, made in 1859, and was adapted from the 4th century B.C. marble statue known as the Diane de Versailles which is situated in the Louvre. Personally I'm just a big fan of how he's managed to sculpt the flowing tunic, an art the Greeks mastered, but hasn't been lost (thankfully) even centuries later.

Finally here's some pics from the statue hall at the Victoria and Albert museum - most of these are copies but it's still very pleasing to admire. Trajan's Columns are the big ol' ones in the first pic, and any renaissance lover will recognise David in the second pic. I hope to visit Florence one day and see him in person <3

I apologise for the long long ask but if anyone would appreciate these pics that have been sitting in my gallery for almost a year now, it would be you! xx

All of these can be found on the Victoria and Albert museum website btw, with lots of different pictures and more information available if you're interested! I spent some time hunting everything down so I could be accurate since my memory isn't the best :)

Oughh!! This is absolutely wonderful!! Thank you so much for all of the lovely photos! 🥺 I deeply appreciate the effort that went into acquiring them as well as all of the information you provided! I’m definitely going to squirrel these away for further research!

Even if it isn’t Renaissance art, I AM a very big fan of art and art history! (Perhaps one day I’ll get around to posting all of the works of art I got to see in New York a little over a year ago now!)

I was in Europe last December to see and spend time with my Fiancé, and it’s a dream of mine to be able to go back and do a tour of art and historical museums in a multitude of countries. 🥹✨💕

[mybeingthere]

Peter Coker, RA (British, 1926-2004)

‘One of the foremost realist painters in England … Coker will be remembered for the refreshing nature of his astringent vision, for his consummate mastery as a draughtsman, painter and etcher, and as a proud and vigorous inheritor of a great artistic tradition.’ (Frances Spalding, Independent, 20 December 2004)

Peter Coker was born in London on 27 July 1926. He first studied at St Martin’s School of Art (1941-43; 1947-50), and began to exhibit regularly at the Royal Academy from 1950. Though he was a contemporary of John Bratby and Edward Middleditch at the Royal College of Art (1950-54), his work related only briefly to the raw figuration of the Kitchen Sink School. This was signalled by his paintings of a Leytonstone butcher’s shop which were included in his highly successful first solo show (Zwemmer Gallery 1956). His development as a landscape painter originated in his first encounter with the canvases of Gustave Courbet on a trip to Paris (1950). By the mid 1950s, he was an established landscapist in the French manner, working from the motif on the coasts of Normandy (1955) and Brittany (1957), and drawing inspiration from such contemporaries as Nicholas de Stäel. Later in the decade, he revived the spirit of Barbizon in his paintings of Epping.

Coker moved with his family to Manningtree in Essex (1962), and added occasional appearances at Colchester School of Art to teaching at St Martin’s. Nevertheless, he concentrated on his work, and made time for painting trips to France, the North of England and Scotland. He held solo shows at the Zwemmer Gallery (1960s), the Thackeray Gallery (1970s) and Gallery 10 (1980s), and continued to exhibit regularly at the Royal Academy. He was elected an Academician (ARA 1965, RA 1972), and had his early images of the butcher’s shop presented at the RA in one of an increasing number of public retrospectives (1979).

From 1972, Coker made several visits to Bargemon, Provence, during which he gradually accepted the character of the South of France, and integrated its startling light and colour into his established palette and handling. Late in the decade, he applied this approach to an ideal motif, in beginning a series of paintings of the garden of the Clos du Peyronnet, Menton. Following the death of his son Nicholas in 1985, he stayed at Badenscallie, Ross-shire, Scotland. There he began an impassioned series of landscapes, extended on subsequent visits, which focussed on salmon nets drying at Achiltibuie. These reaffirmed his essential identity as ‘a northern painter’, which had actually become more strongly emphasised by his contrasting achievement of painting the south. The many studies and paintings inspired by both Mediterranean France and the West of Scotland comprised important elements of such recent retrospectives as that of drawings and sketchbooks at the Fitzwilliam Museum (1989) and that of paintings and drawings at Abbot Hall Art Gallery (1992).

In October 2002, Chris Beetles mounted a major retrospective of the work of Peter Coker and, at the same time, launched the artist’s authorised biography. The beautifully produced hardback book, with over 250 illustrations, contains contributions from Richard Humphreys (Tate Gallery), John Russell Taylor (The Times), and David Wootton (Chris Beetles Ltd). The book includes a comprehensive biography and chronology, essays, appraisals of his work, a catalogue raisonné and lists of his exhibitions and sketchbooks.

While the monograph and retrospective were being planned, it seemed that the artist’s career might have been drawing to a close. However, the joint project revived his energies significantly. This was manifested by a range of new work, which was shown at Chris Beetles Ltd during spring 2004. The motifs are mostly familiar, being drawn from existing sketchbooks, and range across France and encompass Britain. Yet the handling was freer than ever, and the palette more vibrant – accomplishments of which Peter was justifiably proud. This display was complemented by an exhibition of recent Parisian subjects, touring to Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield.

Peter Coker died in Colchester, Essex, on 16 December 2004.

[longlistshort]

78th Street Studios, located in Cleveland, is the largest art and design complex in Northeast Ohio. The building is home to several art galleries, artist studios, performance spaces, and businesses, and is a great place to see local art.

Tonight, 11/15, the complex and several of its creative spaces will be open from 5-9pm for its monthly Third Friday event.

Below are some selections from April of this year.

Gallery 202 has a variety of work from local artists for sale and also hosts exhibitions. Above is work from Jennifer Omaitz's exhibition Where Love Lives and mixed media work by Mark Yasenchack.

Sculptures and installations can be found throughout the building like the light sculpture pictured above by Dana L. Depew.

Rebecca Cross' installation Rock Cloud, was part of her exhibition Mapping the Sensorial at HEDGE Gallery. The gallery focuses on promoting contemporary artists from Northeast Ohio.

Susan Snipes' work, pictured above was part of a group exhibition at Understory.

You can also see artists at work in their studios. Above is work by Jessica Mia Vito.

Dawn Tekler encaustic wax paintings like the one pictured above, are on view in her studio.

The painting above is by Laurel Herbold, located outside her studio.

Walking through the halls you can also find artwork hanging outside several of the spaces- like the two paintings below.

David King, "Snow Day", Oil on aluminum

Scott McIntire, "The Birds", Enamel on canvas

[film-classics]

Marlene Dietrich - The Queer Icon

Marie Magdalene "Marlene" Dietrich (born in Berlin, Germany on 27 December 1901) was a German-born actress who often blurred the feminine and masculine, making her "The Queer Icon."

Dietrich's earliest appearances were as a chorus girl in 1922. Making film history, she was cast in Germany’s first talkie The Blue Angel (1930) by director Josef von Sternberg. With the success of the movie, von Sternberg took her to Hollywood under contract to Paramount Pictures. She soon had hits like Morocco (1930) and Shanghai Express (1932).

When war broke, she set up a fund to help Jews and dissidents and toured extensively for the allied effort. After the war, she limited her cinematic life.

In 1953, Dietrich appeared live at Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. This was so successful that she also appeared at Café de Paris in London and Broadway.

She continued to tour as a marquee performer until 1975, when she fell onstage. She spent her final years mostly bedridden, passing away at 90 in her Paris flat from kidney failure.

Legacy:

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Morocco (1930) and a Golden Globe Best Actress for Witness for the Prosecution (1958)

Received a Special David at the David di Donatello Awards for Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Given a Special Tony Award in 1968

Received German Film Awards Honorary Award in 1980

Is the namesake for asteroid 1010 Marlene in 1923

Inspired the Marlene pants in 1932

Has a Mercedes-Benz model, the 500K Marlene, named after her in 1936

Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1947, the Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1950 and Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1983 from France, the Order of Leopold in 1965 from Belgium, and Medal of Valor of the State of Israel in 1965

Published an autobiography Nehmt nur mein Leben in 1979

Granted the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986

Honored with a plaque at her birth site in 1992 and became an honorary Berlin citizen in 2002

Has a permanent exhibit at Deutsche Kinemathek, the Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin, since 1993

Ranked #60 in Empire's 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History in 1995

Honored with street names: the Marlene-Dietrich-Straße in Munich, Dusseldorf, Weimar, Ingolstadt, and Neu-Ulm, the Marlene-Dietrich-Allee in Potsdam, the Marlene-Dietrich-Platz in Berlin in 1997, and Place Marlène-Dietrich in Paris in 2002

Commemorated by Deutsche Post with a stamp in 1997

Listed 43rd in Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in 1998

Depicted in a musical, Marlene on the West End in 1997 and Broadway in 1999, and a biopic, Marlene (2000)

Named 9th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema in 1999 by the American Film Institute

Inducted in the Online Film and Television Association Hall of Fame in 2003

Honored by Montblanc with a fountain pen in 2007 and by Swarovski with a dress in 2017

Awarded a star in Berlin's Boulevard der Stars in 2010

Honored with a Google Doodle on her 116th birthday in 2017

Honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month for May 2018

Featured in songs, including Suzanne Vega's "Marlene on the Wall" (1985), Peter Murphy's "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem" (1989), Black Midi's "Marlene Dietrich" (2021)

Depicted onstage in Marlène Dietrich, The Blue Angel's White Nights in 2017 at Théâtre Trévise and Marlene in Hollywood in 2023 at Theater Lindenhof

Featured in exhibits, such as "Marlene Dietrich, Creation of a Myth" at Palais Galliera in 2003, "Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image" at National Portrait Gallery in 2017, "Play the Part: Marlene Dietrich" at International Center of Photography in 2023

Is a muse for designers, including Vivienne Westwood, Thierry Mugler, Jason Wu, Max Mara, David Koma, and Dior

Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6400 Hollywood Boulevard for motion picture

[travelwithtravejar]

Museums in Georgia offer a Cultural Exploration: Visit 7 Must-See Exhibits

Explore Georgia's rich history through its diverse museums on our exclusive Georgia tour packages 2023. Discover archaeological treasures, sacred artifacts, and artistic masterpieces spanning over 1,000 years. The National Museum of Georgia, the largest in the country, houses an extensive collection, including Urartian inscriptions, hominid bones, ceramics, ancient icons, handicrafts, and historical clothing. Explore these remarkable exhibits not only in Tbilisi but also in various display buildings. Additionally, delve into comprehensive collections of zoology, anthropology, and geology, enhancing your immersive journey through Georgia's cultural tapestry. Join us for an unforgettable exploration of Georgia's fascinating heritage in 2023.

Georgia also has a large number of local exhibition centers and art galleries where exhibitions from diverse collections are frequently opened. The majority of art galleries are private, although this does not stop them from exhibiting the best Georgian masterworks from previous centuries. Please be aware that practically all museums in Georgia close at 18 o'clock on Mondays (and even earlier in the winter). 

Museum of Georgia

The Museum of Georgia, a section of the National Museum of Georgia, is situated on Shota Rustaveli Avenue in the heart of Tbilisi. Taxis and public transportation are both simple ways to get to the Museum. The Museum in Tbilisi is home to an exceptional collection of ancient artifacts from all around the world, including items from the third century. A permanent exhibit about the Caucasus' natural history is available to visitors to the Millennium BC.

Soviet Occupation Museum 

The Georgian History Museum houses the Soviet Occupation Museum, which depicts the 70 years of Soviet authority in Georgia, starting in 1921 and ending with its fall in 1991. Along with other artifacts depicting Georgia's social and political tyranny during the Soviet era, you can view the personal files of "rebellious" prominent personalities in Georgia as well as preparations to have them executed or exiled. One of the train cars where the 1924 national revolutionaries were executed is also housed in the hall.

National Gallery, Tbilisi

The National Gallery is one of the amazing places to visit in Georgia if you love art and want to see Georgian painters' greatest works. The structure was constructed in response to the Russian tsar's 1888 plan to establish a military and historical museum to highlight the superiority of the Russian Empire inside its borders. The works of Georgian artists from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Niko Pirosmani, Lado Gudiashvili, David Kakabadze, and the sculptor Iakob Nikoladze, are currently on display in the museum's permanent collection. 

Dadiani Palace Museum

In addition to these objects, the museum boasts a beautiful library with books from Napoleon's personal library, furniture in the French and Russian styles, and personal gifts from British, Russian, and foreign nobles to the Dadiani family. Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi, Samegrelo region, is home to more notable remnants of both Georgian and European culture. Over 45,000 pieces, some of which were part of the Dadiani family collection, may be found at the museum. The death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte and the robe thought to have been worn by the Virgin Mary are two of the most important treasures on display here. Salome Diadiani Murat, the spouse of Napoleon's nephew Achille, brought the mask to Georgia.

Sighnaghi Museum

Georgia's most renowned wine-producing region is Akheti. The best tourist spot that must be seen practically all year round is this one. Home to a number of museums in Kakheti, but one is unquestionably worthwhile. This is the Sighnaghi Museum, which is situated in the romantic city of Sighnaghi. Five thousand ethnographic relics, including textiles, copper and wooden household goods, agricultural tools, winemaking supplies, jewelry, and musical instruments, are on display at the Sighnaghi Museum. You may also see the extensive numismatic collection of around 2000 coins, which includes old Sassanid Persian coins as well as local coinage issued by Georgian kings Erekle, Tamar, and Lasha-Giorgi. On the second floor of the museum, Niko Pirosmani's transient paintings are also on display.

Tsinandali Museum

In the Akheti district, the Tsinandali Museum is housed in the residence of Alexander Chavchavadze, a poet and aristocrat from Georgia. Various slices of furniture, works of fine and decorative art, and manuscripts from Chavchavadze's collections are on show in the museum. The house-Museum also features a beautiful nineteenth-century garden and a wine cellar that was constructed in 1835. Regional buses and taxis are two ways to get to Sighnaghi and Tsinandali. The stations are a short walk from several museums in Georgia.

Svaneti Museum and Tower of Margiani

Visitors visiting Georgia are required to climb the Svaneti Mountains. As the tsars transported their wealth to the mountains during invasions, the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region served as the Keeper of the Georgian Treasury for centuries. The Svaneti Museum in Mestia, which is a division of the National Museum of Georgia, currently houses these artifacts, making it one of the most significant collections kept in Georgian institutions. With its renovated media library, modified foyer, and roof terrace (in the summer), the Svaneti Museum serves as an important regional social space in addition to exhibiting one-of-a-kind masterpieces of domestic and international decorative and applied arts. 

Before continuing your ascent to Ushguli, which is thought to be the highest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe, a cup of delectable coffee at a cafe with a panoramic view of the towers of Svaneti and the summit of Tetnuldi will lift your spirits and give you new energy. Regional buses go from Zugdidi and Tbilisi to Mestia. The Mestia city center is just a short stroll from the Museum to visit during Georgia tours.

[musemash]

GALLERY: 1 Michael Cacoyannis' 1977 film Painters: 2 Jacob De Wet 3 Giovanni Battista Tiepolo 4 François Perrier 5 Bertholet Flemalle 6 Nicolo Tornioli 7 Giovanni Andrea Carlone 8 Franz Anton Maulbertsch 9 Francesco Fontebasso Actors: 10 Irene Papas & Tatiana Papamoskou

IPHIGENIA'S ANCIENT CAUTIONARY MYTH STILL RESONATES – by David D. Fowler & Aeon 999

MFF marks INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, and WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, by exploring an iconic work of art from many centuries ago. EURIPIDES' tragedy, IPHIGENIA IN AULIS, is one of the greatest anti-war statements ever created; and it is also a powerful commentary on the plight of women down through the ages.  

EURIPIDES' powerful drama focuses on the dilemma facing KING AGAMEMNON, when the gods order him to sacrifice his own daughter. It can also be seen as a protofeminist work – highlighting perils faced by women and girls, when they are part of a militaristic, male-oriented culture with authoritarian religious leaders. Various traditions of this myth are embodied by the paintings in our image gallery.

This story is at the heart of our special feature: IPHIGENIA, the 1977 epic masterpiece, by ZORBA THE GREEK director MICHAEL CACOYANNIS. It is one of the finest depictions of a Greek tragedy, which takes a few imaginative artistic liberties with the conventions of that art form. Chief among its virtues are the powerhouse performances of IRENE PAPAS, as Queen Clytemnestra; and TATIANA PAPAMOSKOU as her daughter Iphigenia.

The videos embedded above include an extended trailer from this film – along with a graphic novel portrayal of the death of Iphigenia; and an experimental theatre adaptation of Agamemnon's ritual murder of his daughter. As an alternative metaphor, we have also included accounts of the biblical legend of Abraham being called to sacrifice his son Isaac. One is a poignant song by LEONARD COHEN; and the other a powerful depiction of WWI poet WILFRED OWEN's apocalyptic take on the same story.

An old Chinese proverb calls women "THE OTHER HALF OF THE SKY". In keeping with our desire to honor the respect being shown to women worldwide on this particular day, one of our playlists offers eloquent articles debunking stereotypes about FEMINISM. We also include items dealing with the history and meaning of these holidays, embodying more progressive attitudes toward women.

We present various retellings of Iphigenia's story, and related myths, in movies, plays, audiobooks, and operas. This includes works by composers such as CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK, BENJAMIN BRITTEN, WAYNE SHORTER, SERGEY TANEYEV, NICOLE V. GAGNÉ, and DAVID AVIDOR. We also offer different versions of Euripides' companion piece, IPHIGENIA IN TAURIS – which tells an alternative tale, wherein the heroine is supernaturally rescued from her father's sacrifice by the goddess Artemis.

We feature works created by acclaimed directors such as PETER HALL and ANDREI KONCHALOVSKY, as well as another outstanding Cacoyannis film, THE TROJAN WOMEN. Performers include MARIA CALLAS, KATHARINE HEPBURN, VANESSA REDGRAVE, GENEVIEVE BUJOLD, ISABELLA ROSSELLINI, ARMAND ASSANTE, GRETA SCACCHI, BERNADETTE PETERS, ERIC ROBERTS, GERALDINE CHAPLIN, CHRISTOPHER LEE and ESPERANZA SPALDING.

It should be noted that some of these videos are by talented amateurs; thus, there are occasional technical issues, and a few have overly lengthy introductions. Nevertheless, they are well worth watching, if you overlook these very minor flaws. Most of the foreign language productions have English subtitles, sometimes accessed via the CC feature on YouTube videos.

We end with a section of works dealing with the fates of characters from Euripides' plays – and depictions of the Trojan War and its aftermath, by notables such as AESCHYLUS and HOMER. But first, we present further interpretations of the story of Isaac from the Book Of Genesis, one of human history's most enduring tales of child sacrifice. This is followed by the extraordinary Cacoyannis film; its availability, in a good quality copy, is what inspired us to do this post for Women's Month.

SACRIFICIAL MYTHS Story Of Isaac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ30w3eQR4o Abraham & The Sacrifice Of Isaac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zb9ql-rSOs Abraham & Isaac Paintings https://fineartamerica.com/art/paintings/sacrifice+of+isaac The Old Man & The Young  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16kjENwNjDw Britten War Requiem: Offertorium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xctltGbPL4s Iphigenia In Greek Mythology https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Story-of-Iphigenia-in-Greek-Mythology The Sacrifice Of Iphigenia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay5kRC_989U Iphigenia In Aulis & Tauris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcBIn_PvaWs Cacoyannis' Iphigenia (1977) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jD-IuhwLmk

MYTHS VS REALITIES Mythology & Feminist Thought https://consortium.gws.wisc.edu/conference/past-conferences/announcing-the-4w-and-wgsc-2021-conference/2021-presentations/mythology-and-feminism-the-connection-between-myth-and-feminist-thought/ Myths & Truths About Feminism https://www.theodysseyonline.com/10-myths-and-truths-about-feminism https://femalemindunleashed.com/myths-about-feminism/ https://www.mic.com/articles/96292/the-10-worst-myths-about-feminism-debunked https://www.bl.uk/sisterhood/articles/myths-and-controversies-surrounding-feminism https://medium.com/@makemuse/5-of-the-most-common-misconceptions-about-feminism-91292daa5c37 https://studybreaks.com/culture/feminism-common-stereotypes/ https://icytales.com/top-10-myths-about-feminism/ https://www.aware.org.sg/2010/02/myths/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinapark/2015/03/07/a-millennials-perspective-five-myths-about-modern-feminism/ https://medium.com/keepmesafe/widespread-myths-about-feminism-and-feminists-fe47456a7897 International Women's Day https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/other/international-women-s-day-women-s-history-month-101-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-celebration/ar-AA185qpU https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/how-women-s-rights-in-the-us-have-been-eroded-since-the-last-women-s-history-month/ar-AA18bHUg https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/womens-history-month-2023-books-feminist-reading-list https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/2023/03/01/international-womens-day-gifts/?sh=5bc62e497ba6 National Women's History Month https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/655595/womens-history-month-facts https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/when-is-womens-history-month-everything-you-need-to-know/3289829/ https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month https://nationaltoday.com/national-womens-history-month/ https://news.yahoo.com/celebrate-women-history-month-female-220052929.html

IPHIGENIA AT AULIS Iphigenia At Aulis Onstage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yR6VwSG_wY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTGn__ph4bY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILyUShi5l4g Gluck: Iphigénie En Aulide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBRU5NlQVxw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJL2E7Aqu40 Iphigenia: A New Opera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbeGIdyhy7c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5erDLURRCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG6ZoESYjPQ Iphigenia In Aulis: Zoom Drama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8vF1By09Bc Iphigenia In Aulis: Audio Drama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm1gzYTVsbw Iphigenia At Aulis: Translations http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/iphi_aul.html https://archive.org/details/iphigeniaataulis00euriuoft/mode/2up

IPHIGENIA IN TAURIS Iphigenia In Tauris Onstage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqyM0hSRBt0 Gluck: Iphigénie En Tauride https://www.metopera.org/globalassets/user-information/nightly-opera-streams/week-14/playbills/feb-26-iphigenie.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow9zpUw91J4&list=OLAK5uy_kmz32yqjO79d8FQZWtCv0AaiSOFG_ozcM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROzh7i_RSyc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0m07GnesPs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at1OhtsICt4 Iphigenia In Tauris: Audio Drama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAjas-3kAdM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YDv5PsrIiM Iphigenia 2020: One-Woman Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji75882oPgc Iphigenia In Tauris: Translations http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/iph_taur.html https://archive.org/details/iphigeniaintauri00gluc/page/n5/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/iphigeniaintauri01goet/mode/2up

FURTHER ADVENTURES IN MYTH Agamemnon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkJi7UG0Llk&list=PLNB6PCJBrfBooXOg2Yr_G0Y9P0FbZDGwo Oresteia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RQ_h46zE-s The Oresteia In 3 Minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz93CoLroeU Agamemnon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdv3vkECqXA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldIJVtDG5TM The Libation Bearers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFv5-OuaL-E The Eumenides https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xagHZoNS6DQ The Trojan Women https://ok.ru/video/2113193708195 The Odyssey https://archive.org/details/the-odyssey-1997-part-1-of-2-avi https://archive.org/details/the-odyssey-1997-part-2-of-2-avi

[jankowskiroman-news]

Paterson's Art Factory owner, facing foreclosure, files for bankruptcy

PATERSON — Facing foreclosure, the owner of The Art Factory — a complex of 19th-century mill buildings near the Great Falls now used for weddings and other banquet hall events — filed for bankruptcy in August.

Mayor Andre Sayegh, who held his first inaugural ball at The Art Factory in 2018, touted the eclectic arts and events business as an important part of the Great Falls area’s revitalization during his early years in office.

The bankruptcy filing comes as the owner of The Art Factory, David Garsia, said his four party halls are supposed to host about 160 weddings and other “upcoming” events in the near future. The complex also features exhibits and rents studios to artists and filmmakers.

Story continues below photo gallery.

Court papers indicate Garsia plans to continue operations during the bankruptcy. He said in court papers that the bankruptcy was triggered by a New Jersey Superior Court judgment issued last month against his business involving a $12.5 million loan in 2018, which was supposed to provide him with money to do a massive renovation of the complex.

Under the judgment, Garsia is supposed to provide rent and fees from his Art Factory events to the lender, 100 Mile REIT Inc., a group headed by Bergen County real estate investor Billy Procida. Garcia said in court papers that such a requirement would destroy his business.

But Procida’s lawyers said in their court-filed objection to the bankruptcy that Garsia has no right to the revenue generated by The Art Factory in light of his alleged track record of defaults on the loan and the fact that he owes Paterson almost $250,000 in unpaid property taxes and sewer charges.

In a statement issued Monday, Garsia said the bankruptcy was designed to “replace a problematic lender.”

“The Art Factory continues to reserve venues for weddings and events through 2026 and we look forward to providing an exceptional experience for every family’s celebration!” Garsia said in a statement sent via text message.

Neither Procida nor Sayegh could be reached for comment.

Art Factory in controversies

During the past decade, The Art Factory has been embroiled in numerous controversies. About eight years ago, Paterson fire officials intervened and canceled a massive Christmas party planned at the complex because The Art Factory lacked fire safety protections, including requisite sprinklers.

Shortly after that, Paterson community improvements director David Gilmore issued more than 150 violations against tenants at The Art Factory for not having certificates of occupancy. Those summonses ended up being dismissed, and Gilmore filed a political retaliation lawsuit against the Sayegh administration saying the mayor was protecting Garsia, his political ally and supporter.

Sayegh’s inaugural ball took place even though The Art Factory at that time had not yet obtained required licenses for music and dancing, something Garsia did later. One of Sayegh’s first press conferences as mayor touted a trolley service that he said The Art Factory would provide for downtown Paterson, a promise that never was fulfilled.

When asked about the bankruptcy, Gilmore said Sayegh had given Garsia “carte blanche.”

“If his friends in City Hall had anything to do with it, he’d be getting everything he wanted,” Gilmore said of Garsia.

The bankruptcy has triggered speculation in city real estate circles about what will become of The Art Factory property on Spruce Street once the financial battle between Procida and Garsia is resolved. Garsia’s complex sits next to the New Jersey Community Development Corporation, or NJCDC, Paterson’s largest nonprofit developer.

“I wasn’t aware of the bankruptcy filing, but if it were to happen, I think the entire complex would need to be reimagined and I could easily see it becoming a mixed-use site with housing and office space,” said Bob Guarasci, the NJCDC’s executive director. “But given the size and complexities of the site, my guess is that any redevelopment would need to be done in phases over a number of years.”

[ustimeslocalnews]

Paterson's Art Factory owner, facing foreclosure, files for bankruptcy

PATERSON — Facing foreclosure, the owner of The Art Factory — a complex of 19th-century mill buildings near the Great Falls now used for weddings and other banquet hall events — filed for bankruptcy in August.

Mayor Andre Sayegh, who held his first inaugural ball at The Art Factory in 2018, touted the eclectic arts and events business as an important part of the Great Falls area’s revitalization during his early years in office.

The bankruptcy filing comes as the owner of The Art Factory, David Garsia, said his four party halls are supposed to host about 160 weddings and other “upcoming” events in the near future. The complex also features exhibits and rents studios to artists and filmmakers.

Story continues below photo gallery.

Court papers indicate Garsia plans to continue operations during the bankruptcy. He said in court papers that the bankruptcy was triggered by a New Jersey Superior Court judgment issued last month against his business involving a $12.5 million loan in 2018, which was supposed to provide him with money to do a massive renovation of the complex.

Under the judgment, Garsia is supposed to provide rent and fees from his Art Factory events to the lender, 100 Mile REIT Inc., a group headed by Bergen County real estate investor Billy Procida. Garcia said in court papers that such a requirement would destroy his business.

But Procida’s lawyers said in their court-filed objection to the bankruptcy that Garsia has no right to the revenue generated by The Art Factory in light of his alleged track record of defaults on the loan and the fact that he owes Paterson almost $250,000 in unpaid property taxes and sewer charges.

In a statement issued Monday, Garsia said the bankruptcy was designed to “replace a problematic lender.”

“The Art Factory continues to reserve venues for weddings and events through 2026 and we look forward to providing an exceptional experience for every family’s celebration!” Garsia said in a statement sent via text message.

Neither Procida nor Sayegh could be reached for comment.

Art Factory in controversies

During the past decade, The Art Factory has been embroiled in numerous controversies. About eight years ago, Paterson fire officials intervened and canceled a massive Christmas party planned at the complex because The Art Factory lacked fire safety protections, including requisite sprinklers.

Shortly after that, Paterson community improvements director David Gilmore issued more than 150 violations against tenants at The Art Factory for not having certificates of occupancy. Those summonses ended up being dismissed, and Gilmore filed a political retaliation lawsuit against the Sayegh administration saying the mayor was protecting Garsia, his political ally and supporter.

Sayegh’s inaugural ball took place even though The Art Factory at that time had not yet obtained required licenses for music and dancing, something Garsia did later. One of Sayegh’s first press conferences as mayor touted a trolley service that he said The Art Factory would provide for downtown Paterson, a promise that never was fulfilled.

When asked about the bankruptcy, Gilmore said Sayegh had given Garsia “carte blanche.”

“If his friends in City Hall had anything to do with it, he’d be getting everything he wanted,” Gilmore said of Garsia.

The bankruptcy has triggered speculation in city real estate circles about what will become of The Art Factory property on Spruce Street once the financial battle between Procida and Garsia is resolved. Garsia’s complex sits next to the New Jersey Community Development Corporation, or NJCDC, Paterson’s largest nonprofit developer.

“I wasn’t aware of the bankruptcy filing, but if it were to happen, I think the entire complex would need to be reimagined and I could easily see it becoming a mixed-use site with housing and office space,” said Bob Guarasci, the NJCDC’s executive director. “But given the size and complexities of the site, my guess is that any redevelopment would need to be done in phases over a number of years.”

[lovemusicpart2]

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

"In the imortal words of captain James T. Kirk 'there is no room for bigotry on this ship' so if yiu dont mind, sit down and shut up"

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Basics

•Name•

Dr. Maximilian 'Millie' Juliette McAlastair

•Nickname•

Millie, little miss genius, little Britain

•Birthday•

25th August

•Birthplace•

Greenwich, England

•Gender Identity•

Female (She/Her/Hers)

•Sexuality•

Pansexual

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

"It greatly upsets me that theres no good tea in the kitchenette"

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Appearance

•Eyes•

Green

•Hair•

Ginger

•Skin•

Very pale/Porcelain

•Height•

5'4"

•Scars•

A few small scars on her hands and a large one from her pelvis to her ribcage from a case

•Piercings•

Basic ear piercings

•Tattoos•

N/A

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

"If i have to look at another petty crime casefile again im going to throw up"

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Personality

•One word to describe them•

Alexithymia

(n.) The inability to express one's feelings

•Good traits•

➶ Intelligent

➶ Cheerful

➶ Honest

•Bad traits•

➶ Timid

➶ Easily distracted

➶ Sarcastic

•Hobbies•

➶ TTRPGS

➶ Baking/Cooking

➶ Reading (she loves comic books)

•Likes•

➶ Art galleries/museums

➶ Crime Novels

➶ Board games

•Dislikes•

➶ Hot weather

➶ Being rushed

➶ People not being clear about what they mean

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

"Who doesn't love a good murder suicide to start the week"

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Health

•Physical•

Millie is physically quite healthy, though she does suffer from

- POTS

- Hypogycemia

- Anemia

•Mental•

Millie is rather disconnected to the world around her due to some incidents in her youth.

•Illnesses•

N/A

•Sleep habits•

She sleeps decently most nights, but sometimes it's interrupted by bouts of insomnima. However, she is suffers from Charcot-Wilbrand Syndrome, causing her tj be unable to dream

•Eating habits•

Millie likes to cook her own food, that way she knows exactly what goes into it

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

”i think even my bones are bruised. What happened?”

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Family

•Mother•

Dr. Lorelai James McAlastair (deceased)

Lorelai was a well known and published Psychologist.

•Father•

George Rafkin McAlastair (deceased)

George was a British politician known for his left wing views

•Sibling•

Older Sister - Harrison 'Harri' Rosaline Hawkins

•Extended family•

God father - David Rossi

Brother in law - Aston Hawkins

Niece - Christopher 'Kit' Hazel Hawkins

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

”look, i dont know what to tell you. The Riddler is the best Batman villain"

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Relationships

•Best friend•

Penelope Garcia

•Friends•

Emily Prentiss

Aaron Hotchner

Jennifer Jareau

Derek Morgan

•Enemies•

N/A

•Love Interest•

Dr. Spencer Reid

•Pets•

Cats - Donald & Benoit

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

”im so tired that i dont even know what day it is”

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Agent information

•Unit•

Behavioural Analysis Unit

•Rank•

Agent

•Specialization •

Psychology and Criminal Behaviour

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

”all i want is to curl up with my cats, watch Clue and get some rest”

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Backstory

•Childhood•

When she was quite young, Millie was very close to her family. Though, when she accidentally viewed her fathers suicide while trying to surprise him, her problems began. She was about 10 when it happened

•Teenage years•

After countless sessions of therapy and attempts to console her over her father's death, it happened again. Due to the sheer pain her mother felt of her husbands suicide it wasn't long before she killed herself too. Millie came home from school and found her mother hanging in the hall. She was about 15 this time

•Adulthood•

After both her parents suicides she joined a university and poured everything she had into her studies. She managed to get a job at MI5, and then later, she moved to America to be closer to her remaining family. She quicklyngot a job at the FBI in their Behavioural Analysis Unit

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

”you know, sometimes i just want to go to the sea side and not have to look at a dead body”

•──•─•──•✦•──•─•──•

Extras

•Face Claim•

•Theme song•

[saurabhgt]

Exploring Kochi: A Blend of Tradition, Modernity, and Natural Beauty

Kochi, often referred to as the “Queen of the Arabian Sea,” is a vibrant city on the southwest coast of India in the state of Kerala. This bustling metropolis is a melting pot of cultures, boasting a rich history that dates back to the time of ancient traders from Rome, China, and the Middle East. Whether you’re a history buff, nature enthusiast, art lover, or foodie, Kochi has something for everyone. Here’s a guide to some of the must-see attractions in kerala And Best things to do in Kochi .

1. Visit Fort Kochi and Mattancherry

St. Francis Church: The oldest European church in India, where Vasco da Gama was originally buried.

Santa Cruz Basilica: A stunning example of Gothic architecture with beautiful frescoes.

Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace): Known for its exquisite murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Jewish Synagogue: One of the oldest active synagogues in the Commonwealth, located in Jew Town, a bustling area with antique shops and spice markets.

2. Explore the Chinese Fishing Nets

A visit to Kochi isn’t complete without seeing the iconic Chinese Fishing Nets at Fort Kochi Beach. These massive nets, introduced by Chinese traders in the 14th century, are still in use today. The best time to visit is during sunset when the nets are silhouetted against the vibrant sky, creating a picturesque scene perfect for photography.

3. Stroll Through Marine Drive

Marine Drive is a popular promenade that offers stunning views of the backwaters and the Kochi Harbor. Take a leisurely walk or enjoy a boat ride to experience the serene beauty of the Vembanad Lake. The Rainbow Bridge and the International Tourism Boat Jetty Complex are notable landmarks along this stretch.

4. Discover Kochi’s Art Scene

Kochi is a hub for contemporary art, and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale is a testament to this. Held every two years, this international exhibition showcases works by artists from around the world. Even outside the Biennale, you can explore numerous art galleries such as:

Kashi Art Gallery: A vibrant space for contemporary art.

David Hall: A historic building now serving as an art gallery and cafe, often hosting exhibitions and cultural events.

5. Enjoy Kerala’s Culinary Delights

Kochi’s cuisine is a delightful blend of traditional Kerala flavors with influences from its diverse cultural heritage. Must-try dishes include:

Appam with Stew: A lacy rice pancake served with a rich and creamy coconut-based stew.

Kerala Sadya: A traditional feast served on a banana leaf, featuring an array of vegetarian dishes.

Seafood: Freshly caught and cooked to perfection, especially the Karimeen (Pearl Spot) Pollichathu.

Don’t forget to visit local eateries and cafes such as Fusion Bay and Ginger House to savor these culinary delights.

6. Cruise the Backwaters

Experience the tranquil beauty of Kerala’s backwaters by taking a houseboat cruise from Kochi. These traditional Kettuvallams offer a unique way to explore the network of rivers, lakes, and canals. You can book a day cruise or an overnight stay, complete with delicious Kerala cuisine on board.

7. Visit the Hill Palace Museum

Located in Tripunithura, just a short drive from Kochi, the Hill Palace Museum was once the residence of the Maharaja of Cochin. This sprawling complex houses an impressive collection of royal artifacts, including paintings, sculptures, and jewelry. The lush gardens surrounding the palace are perfect for a relaxing stroll.

8. Experience Kathakali and Other Cultural Performances

Immerse yourself in Kerala’s rich cultural heritage by attending a Kathakali performance, a classical dance-drama known for its elaborate costumes and expressive gestures. Venues such as the Kerala Kathakali Centre in Fort Kochi regularly host these performances, along with other traditional arts like Kalaripayattu (martial arts) and Mohiniyattam (classical dance).

9. Shop for Souvenirs

Kochi offers a fantastic shopping experience with its vibrant markets and boutiques. Popular items to take home include spices, tea, handicrafts, and antiques. Broadway and MG Road are bustling shopping areas, while Lulu Mall provides a more modern retail experience with international brands and a variety of dining options.

10. Relax at Cherai Beach

Located about 25 kilometers from the city center, Cherai Beach is a serene getaway known for its golden sands and calm waters. It’s an ideal spot for swimming, sunbathing, and enjoying fresh seafood at the beachside shacks. The backwaters near the beach also offer opportunities for kayaking and bird watching.

Kochi is a city that effortlessly blends the old with the new, offering visitors a rich tapestry of experiences. Whether you’re exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying its natural beauty, or indulging in its culinary delights, Kochi promises an unforgettable journey.