Deep peace of the running river to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Gaelic blessing
© Artblog Flora van Stek, 2004 - 2019 +++ al +++ 15 +++ jaar +++ in +++ de +++ lucht +++ 15 years +++ in +++ the +++ air +++
zondag, april 25, 2004
zaterdag, april 24, 2004
Zoom Magazine is out, issue of May/June 2004, I bought it at the grocery store of Albert Heijn. They published two photos of mine, Sandkisses and Pothole 1. Sandkisses you see published above, and Pothole 1 I published here a little while ago. For the rest it's the same article I published here at the end of March 2004, with the English translation at the start of April 2004.
vrijdag, april 09, 2004
Free photo for Easter!
As a special Easter offer it is possible to order a photo from my website Just pick your favorite photo and send me an email to info@floravanstek.nl with your name and address, and I will send it to you, free of any charge. Just to show you my appreciation. Click on this link to go to my website and pick your favorite pic! Happy Easter! Vrolijk Pasen!
This offer is valid till Monday, April 19 2004!
This offer is valid till Monday, April 19 2004!
More Flora meanings
Flora is a brand of butter-like spread, made by Unilever, in the UK. A former marketing slogan was "Are you a Flora man?"
A few years ago I found a small plastic butter 'can' with light blue capital letters on it spelling 'Flora', quite bleached out by the sea. I picked it up and still have it in my room, as an artifact. Now I know it came from England!
A few years ago I found a small plastic butter 'can' with light blue capital letters on it spelling 'Flora', quite bleached out by the sea. I picked it up and still have it in my room, as an artifact. Now I know it came from England!
woensdag, april 07, 2004
Where my name Flora comes from
I have found a lot of information on the net of which I will publish a selection here. I won't include where I have found everything but the first piece of information comes from the Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology.
Flora, 'flourishing one', was the Roman goddess of flowers, gardens, and spring. She is the embodiment of all nature; her name has come to represent all plant life. She is especially a goddess of Powers, including the flower of youth. Her festival of unrestrained pleasure, the Floralia, was celebrated at the end of April and beginning of May, this festival was probably the origin of the maypole dance and the gathering of bouquets of flowers, symbolizing the bringing of spring and new life into the world. She gives charm to youth, aroma to wine, sweetness to honey, and fragrance to blossoms.
Flora teaches us to honor growing things, both inside and outside us. She is a reminder to pay attention to pleasure, to the beauty of spring, and to new life, wherever it is found.
Well, a reminder to pay attention to pleasure I need every day! I never knew that this reminder was so close to me: My Own Name!
Flora. In primitive central Italy Flora was the goddess of budding springtime, of cereals, fruit trees, the vine and flowers. With Robigus (or Robigo) she prevented wheat-rust. With Pomona she watched over fruit trees. She had a temple on the Quirinal and another near the Circus Maximus. Her festivals, the Floralia, lasted from the twenty-eighth of April to the third of May and were rather licentious. On the twenty-third of May there was another festival in her honour, a rose festival.
The Farnese Flora. The goddess of spring and flowering or blossoming plants, Flora was an Italian goddess whose cult was in existence at Rome at an early date. A temple was dedicated to her in 238 B.C. on the
advice of the Sibylline Books and her festivals, the Floralia, were celebrated annually. She was later identified with the Greek goddess Chloris. May-blossom was associated with her worship
About the painting 'Primavera' (which you can see when you click on the link above that says 'Where my name Flora comes from':
Zephyr, is transformed into Flora, the herald of spring. Botticelli takes his inspiration from Ovid's Fasti: "Chloris eram quae Flora vocor" (I once was Chloris who am now called Flora). As in the triad of the three Graces, here the neophyte is transformed, enraptured by love. The fleeing nymph (Chastity) and the amorous Zephyr (Passion) unite in Flora (Beauty).
Again this belongs to my life, to find a way to harmonize Chastity and Passion. My photo work is always a search for Beauty.
Flora, 'flourishing one', was the Roman goddess of flowers, gardens, and spring. She is the embodiment of all nature; her name has come to represent all plant life. She is especially a goddess of Powers, including the flower of youth. Her festival of unrestrained pleasure, the Floralia, was celebrated at the end of April and beginning of May, this festival was probably the origin of the maypole dance and the gathering of bouquets of flowers, symbolizing the bringing of spring and new life into the world. She gives charm to youth, aroma to wine, sweetness to honey, and fragrance to blossoms.
Flora teaches us to honor growing things, both inside and outside us. She is a reminder to pay attention to pleasure, to the beauty of spring, and to new life, wherever it is found.
Well, a reminder to pay attention to pleasure I need every day! I never knew that this reminder was so close to me: My Own Name!
Flora. In primitive central Italy Flora was the goddess of budding springtime, of cereals, fruit trees, the vine and flowers. With Robigus (or Robigo) she prevented wheat-rust. With Pomona she watched over fruit trees. She had a temple on the Quirinal and another near the Circus Maximus. Her festivals, the Floralia, lasted from the twenty-eighth of April to the third of May and were rather licentious. On the twenty-third of May there was another festival in her honour, a rose festival.
The Farnese Flora. The goddess of spring and flowering or blossoming plants, Flora was an Italian goddess whose cult was in existence at Rome at an early date. A temple was dedicated to her in 238 B.C. on the
advice of the Sibylline Books and her festivals, the Floralia, were celebrated annually. She was later identified with the Greek goddess Chloris. May-blossom was associated with her worship
About the painting 'Primavera' (which you can see when you click on the link above that says 'Where my name Flora comes from':
Zephyr, is transformed into Flora, the herald of spring. Botticelli takes his inspiration from Ovid's Fasti: "Chloris eram quae Flora vocor" (I once was Chloris who am now called Flora). As in the triad of the three Graces, here the neophyte is transformed, enraptured by love. The fleeing nymph (Chastity) and the amorous Zephyr (Passion) unite in Flora (Beauty).
Again this belongs to my life, to find a way to harmonize Chastity and Passion. My photo work is always a search for Beauty.
zaterdag, april 03, 2004
Article for Zoom Magazine translated into English
Up till now I have only done free work, in the Netherlands as well as during travels abroad.
I got interested in photography when I wanted to photograph my selfmade paintings. A friend advised me to get a Pentax, and for 250 guilders I bought a secondhand Pentax MG mirror reflex camera, with which I have shot all my material till now. The goal of my photography is to show that there is much more beauty and mystery in nature than we would think so on the surface. That's why I make close ups. In that way I can look at reality much more intensely, ever on the look out for surprising, strange and mysterious forms and structures. I also pay a lot of attention to contrasts between light and dark.
What fascinates me in sand, is its seemingly uniformity, its monochrome nature. It seems but one shade, one color, and that makes it extra susceptible for light and shadow effects. And the combination of sand and water which one finds at the beach, gives new possibilities continuously. I love the sea and the beach very much. Nowhere else in the Netherlands one finds such vastness and infinity.
You can look upon my close ups as a kind of aerial photography for near-sighted people. I love maps and the view of the earth from a plane. For me making close ups means a quest for images that emanate quietness, amidst our overcrowded visual world, and a certain mystery. I also love it when the images are abstract, but at the same time tell something in figurative forms.
Whether I have tips for thematical photography? Photograph that which you love, that seems to be the most important thing. Next to sand I like to photograph water, rain and mist, ice, stones, rocks, shadows and woodlands. All nature yes, but I also like advertising boards in foreign languages. Everything that emphasizes the mystery of life.
The color red is very powerful and draws a lot of attention. I don't use it specifically, but I would use it in a subtile way. What I find beautiful is a red detail in a surrounding which is for the rest not so colorful.
My photography is as pure as possible. I don't use flash light, only day light. I only use my Pentax and don't even own a telelense, for I like to keep it simple.
I got interested in photography when I wanted to photograph my selfmade paintings. A friend advised me to get a Pentax, and for 250 guilders I bought a secondhand Pentax MG mirror reflex camera, with which I have shot all my material till now. The goal of my photography is to show that there is much more beauty and mystery in nature than we would think so on the surface. That's why I make close ups. In that way I can look at reality much more intensely, ever on the look out for surprising, strange and mysterious forms and structures. I also pay a lot of attention to contrasts between light and dark.
What fascinates me in sand, is its seemingly uniformity, its monochrome nature. It seems but one shade, one color, and that makes it extra susceptible for light and shadow effects. And the combination of sand and water which one finds at the beach, gives new possibilities continuously. I love the sea and the beach very much. Nowhere else in the Netherlands one finds such vastness and infinity.
You can look upon my close ups as a kind of aerial photography for near-sighted people. I love maps and the view of the earth from a plane. For me making close ups means a quest for images that emanate quietness, amidst our overcrowded visual world, and a certain mystery. I also love it when the images are abstract, but at the same time tell something in figurative forms.
Whether I have tips for thematical photography? Photograph that which you love, that seems to be the most important thing. Next to sand I like to photograph water, rain and mist, ice, stones, rocks, shadows and woodlands. All nature yes, but I also like advertising boards in foreign languages. Everything that emphasizes the mystery of life.
The color red is very powerful and draws a lot of attention. I don't use it specifically, but I would use it in a subtile way. What I find beautiful is a red detail in a surrounding which is for the rest not so colorful.
My photography is as pure as possible. I don't use flash light, only day light. I only use my Pentax and don't even own a telelense, for I like to keep it simple.
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