Byzantine Mosaics, Ravenna Basilica, Italy

"Love is the beauty of the soul."

Saint Augustine

My cousin Sylvia and her hubby Tom last week went on a camping trip to northern Italy from their home in Vienna, Austria. They spent time at Lake Garda, and also visited Ravenna, which is known for its superb Byzantine mosaics dating from the mid-6th century and said to probably be the finest Byzantine mosaics in the western world.

As Syl always does, she promised me angel photos from her trip. Here are two of her photos with her description:

“This is from the Basilica in Ravenna. Dates back to 525A.D. It is a mosaic in a 2 octagon with 8 rectangles sort of chapels off the center. All is glitter with a play of light and dark void and solid forms. It is down some stairs almost in the basement so it is dark walking down then when you get there you see light in shapes and colors with filtered light through the windows and in and out of the octagon shapes. Very lovely experience. Ravenna was once the capital of the Roman Empire and in the 6th century it was dominated by Byzantine culture.”

It’s nice she often has the chance to explore Italy as our grandparents were born in Sicily and came to America in the later part of the 19th century...so Syl is able to explore some of our family heritage and culture.

Thanks, Syl...

~Linda

Love and Life Eternal

“Our largest challenge of this life experience may be to achieve unconditional love. That just may be how we ‘earn our wings’ as we journey through life eternal. Obviously, love is the most vital element of all human expression whether experienced in this physical dimension or some other. Our wings of time are woven into the fabric of eternity by those universal threads.”
~Don and Linda Pendleton, “Whispers From the Soul”

~Linda

Liam Herbert’s Wearable Sculpture, Jewelry

“I believe in unconditional Trust that a Higher Power, 'GOD', is nurturing our lives.” ~Liam Herbert, Artist




See his beautiful and unique jewelry at his website.

I have the silver "Rising Joy" Pendant and I love it!

~Linda

Gothic Angels

At Sainte Chapelle, Paris, France,

Photo © Copyright 2009 by Sylvia Stites

My cousin Sylvia and her husband Tom were on a visit to Paris for a few days from their home in Vienna, Austria. Again, she was on the lookout for angels to photograph so she could send me one this time from Paris.

Yesterday she emailed me angels she photographed in the interior pinnacle of the Sainte Chapelle, and a photo of a statue of St. Michael with his foot on the devil. This was on a building in the city of Paris.

Sainte-Chapelle ("Holy Chapel"), 13th-century Gothic chapel located within the Palais de Justice complex on the Ile de la Cité in the center of Paris, was erected by Louis IX, king of France, to house the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross, precious relics of the Passion.

At Sainte Chapelle, Paris, France
Photo © Copyright 2009 by Sylvia Stites

She included this information on Sainte Chapelle from Paris, Eyewitness Travel Guides. Main Contributor: Alan Tillier 1997...: “Ethereal and magical, Sainte Chapelle has been hailed as one of the greatest architectural masterpieces of the Western world. In the middle Ages the devout likened this church to a "gateway to heaven". Today no visitor can fail to be transported by the blaze of light created by the 15 magnificent stained-glass windows, separated by the narrowest of columns that soar 15 meters, 50 feet, to the star-studded vaulted roof. The windows portray over 1,000 religious scenes in a kaleidoscope of red, gold, green, blue and mauve. The chapel was built in 1248 by Louis IX to house Christ's purported Crown of Thorns and other relics. The Crown of Thorns decorates the pinnacle as the symbol of the first relic bought by Louis IX.”

I love that she is able to send me these angel photos from these incredible ancient European Gothic chapels. The last angel she sent was from Milan, Italy and I wrote about our Angel Connections.

Archangel Michael and the devil, by Francisque-Joseph Duret, centerpiece of the Fontaine Saint-Michel.
Photo © Copyright 2009 by Sylvia Stites

~Linda

Angel Connections

Photograph © Copyright 2009 by Sylvia Stites

Do you suppose the love and appreciation of angels can be in our genes? I’m wondering about that.

I always felt connected to my first cousin, Sylvia when we were young, although we didn’t spend a lot of time together during those early years. And then our lives went in separate directions for more than forty years, and just this spring Sylvia got in touch with me via one of my websites (thank goodness for the Internet and email). She and her husband, Tom live in Vienna, Austria, and recently retired from teaching. Sylvia taught school for forty-two years around the world; early on in the U.S, but for the most part in places such as Pakistan, Indonesia, South America, and Vienna. They are now retired.

It so happens Sylvia has a love for angels like I do. They just returned home to Vienna from a vacation in Switzerland and Italy. Syliva took this photograph of an angel for me. It is on the exterior door of the Duomo di Milan, a Gothic cathedral in Milan, Italy.

Duomo Milan is the largest Gothic cathedral and the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world.

By the way, our grandparents were born in Sicily. Our grandfather, Calcedonio Spera came to America when he was about eight years old in 1882, and in 1895 went back to Sicily and married our grandmother, Antonia Barcia and they both came to America.

~Linda

Time to Laugh

“The most utterly lost of all days, is that in which you have not once laughed.”
~Sebastien R. N. Chamfort (1741-1794)

I’m missing an angel. Has anyone seen him? ~ Linda

An Artist's Mission of Love

“As an artist you need inspiration. I draw all of my work from the inspiration that I receive. Where does the inspiration come from? It can come from a relationship where you loved someone, or it can come from someone who's passed away, it can come from a traumatic experience one had in life, or just the actual beauty of life.”
~Liam Herbert, Sculptor

Sedona, Arizona Sculptor Liam Herbert's slender, angular wood carvings and limited edition bronze sculptures flow with inspiration, diversity, and beautiful expressions of love. His art explores the human conditions, such as fear, anger, grief, hope, faith, and love. Liam's hands are led by his heart and soul, and he believes his mission as an artist is to share the insight and inspiration he receives, so others may grasp a greater meaning to their own purpose in life.

Liam has been sculpting for fifty years and his art includes bronze, wood, and mixed media sculptures, and his latest, a jewelry collection. He has put together a series of twenty short videos of his sculpting processes.

In 1995 we commissioned Liam to do an angel for our yard. Here are photos of “Soaring Angel.”

Here are his short videos. There are three you may want to watch, one on Inspiration, one on Wood Sculpture Process, and one on Sculpting With Clay, but you may love to watch all of them. I enjoyed them all.



View his gallery of sculptures.

~Linda

The Beauty of Art

Yesterday’s post on Creativity and Potential moved me to do more on the subject. Sydney asked in her comment on my post if there was any chance of a photo of my sculpture. So here she is in the “alive” (and modest) clay form when I had been working on her a few years ago. I titled her “The Surrender.” Other than an eagle I formed in clay, this was my first bronze sculpture and I have never taken any art lessons other than oil painting, but I was determined to give sculpting a try. It’s like that quote from yesterday: tell me I can’t and just watch me.

I was living in Sedona Arizona at the time, surrounding by excellent artists and galleries, so that helped to give me inspiration, although just being in Sedona and the beautiful red rocks gives a lot of inspiration. It’s a special place.

I’ve included a few photos of the works of two of my talented friends who are sculptors, Liam Herbert, who we met in Sedona and who is still in Sedona, and Chester Comstock who was in Sedona but is now in Colorado. I have also various quotes on art and artists.

“Imagination is the eye of the soul.” ~Joseph Joubert, French moralist, essayist (1754-1824)

"Aligning Thyself" © Copyright by Liam Herbert

Wood, Mixed Medium



“Good art is nothing but a replica of the perfection of God and a reflection of His art.” ~Michelangelo, painter, sculptor (1475-1564)

"When Love Strikes" © Copyright 2009 by Liam Herbert

12" x 5.5" bronze sculpture Limited edition/50

“Unleash your creative power. Let it flow in all its beauty.”

~Don Pendleton, author (1927-1995)

"Heart and Soul" © Copyright by Liam Herbert

Bronze Sculpture

“The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.” Gilbert K. Chesterton, English author, journalist, (1874-1936)

"Rising Joy "
2" x 1.5" Sterling silver pendant © Copyright 2009 Liam Herbert.

I love my pendant! Very unique and classy.

"Soaring Angel" by Liam Herbert

Wood, Mixed Media

Commissioned by Don and Linda Pendleton

“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.”

Ansel Adams, Photographer, (1902-1984)

Nuptial Finerey © Copyright by Chester Comstock

25" high x 18" wide x 18" deep Bronze. "The Poetry of Nature gives inspiration to this graceful image of the egret preparing for mating."

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ~Edgar Deges, French painter, sculptor, (1834-1917)

"Between a Rock and a Hard Place" © Copyright by Chester Comstock
26” High x 24” Wide x 24” Deep

“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. Give your dreams all you’ve got and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.” ~William James, psychologist, philosopher (1842-1910)

~Linda

Sedona Sculptor Liam Herbert's Bronzes and Jewelry

Sedona sculptor Liam Herbert, close friend of mine and a very talented artist, has a one man showing for the month of February at Sedona Art Vault in Sedona, Arizona unveiling his new works, "When Love Strikes," a beautiful bronze piece that "captures the notion that the power of love is greater than the love of power." Also included in Liam's recent works is a sterling silver pendant titled "Rising Joy."

Take a few minutes to visit Liam’s website to see his art. Liam's slender, angular wood carvings and limited edition bronze sculptures flow with inspiration, diversity and beautiful expressions of life. His art explores the human conditions - family relationships, faith, anger, passion, grief, hope, and love. His sculptures alternately crackle with excitement or soothe the soul in a quiet embrace.

I love his work!

Rising Joy, Sterling Silver Pendant by Liam Herbert

© Copyright by Liam Herbert, 2009, All Rights Reserved.

~Linda