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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 1h

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories SAWAKI SUUSHI (1707 – 1772), “Yūrei”, 1737. Fukuoka City Museum, Fukuoka, Japan. Sawaki Suushi’s most famous work is the picture scroll known as “Hyakkai Zukan” (The Illustrated Volume of a Hundred Demons). #arthistory #art #Japan #Ghosts

Sawaki Suushi’s most famous work is the picture scroll known as “Hyakkai Zukan” (The Illustrated Volume of a Hundred Demons). This work greatly influenced later generations of Japanese Yūrei-zu artists. The demons and ghosts portrayed were sourced from literature and folklore and given visual form by Suushi. His forms became the “norm” for ghosts in Japanese art: they are easily identified by long and uncombed hair, very pale complexions, jangly hands and by the garment they wear, the katabira, which is a white burial kimono. Suushi also created non-ghostly scenes but the Hyakkai Zukan is his masterpiece. His artistic style is marked by careful brushwork and soft colors. This particular yūrei is not a depiction of a specific ghost from a specific tale.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The theme for October: Japanese Ghost Stories OKUMURA MASANOBU (1686 – 1764), “Shoki the Demon Queller Sharpening His Sword”, 1725. See ALT for story.

During the Edo Period in Japan (1603 – 1868), traditional folk stories that had been enjoyed for centuries began to appear in art – particularly in woodblock prints. The story of Shoki originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE), where Shoki was a spirit who protected the Imperial family against evil spirits, disease and demons. Shoki was a brilliant scholar who traveled to the Imperial Court to take the civil service exams. He scored first on the examinations but the Emperor rejected him, declaring that Shoki was too ugly to serve him. Heartbroken, Shoki committed suicide by smashing his head on the palace steps. Filled with remorse, the Emperor gave Shoki an honorable state burial. This pleased Shoki’s spirit and from then on Shoki swore to rid the realm of evil spirits and to protect the Imperial dynasty. This woodblock print shows Shoki wearing a scholar’s robe and an official’s hat as he sharpens his sword to battle supernatural evils. He is technically a kishi (guardian deity) rather than a yurei (ghost) or yokai (supernatural being).

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekMforMachinery #Photography #Barcelona #UrbanGaze #Cathedral Cranes galore as the basilica of Sagrada Familia continues to rise to the heavens. This photo was taken a few years ago so there are more towers up now (18 towers are planned).

The cranes mimic the towers being constructed at the basilica of Sagrada Familia - Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece - in Barcelona, Spain. This photo was taken in 2013 so work has progressed quite a bit since then. This should be a destination on everyone's Bucket List! Spectacular and visionary.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

September's theme: Labor EDWARD BURTYNSKY (born 1955), “Highway #1, Los Angeles, California, USA”, 2003. Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. #arthistory #art #photography #UrbanGaze #Burtynsky

Highway cloverleafs are a potent symbol of a labor force that commutes – sometimes for hours on end – to work each day. The Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky has spent his career “bearing witness to the impacts of human industry on the planet”, as he explains on his website. Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, his interest in the natural world and how it is changed by human activity began early with observing shipping on the Great Lakes. His photographs have captured strip mines, refineries, quarries and ship-breaking in compositions that approach abstract art in their intricacies. “Highway #1, Los Angeles, California, USA” was a shot taken from a helicopter of the intersection of the 105 and 110, officially the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange. This interchange has been nicknamed “The Cathedral” for its complex structure consisting of five levels, flyover connector ramps, light rail system and a bus transit station on the lower level. You may recognize this piece of Los Angeles from its movie “roles” in LaLaLand and Speed. Burtynsky has composed his photograph to highlight the beauty of its pattern and geometry without ignoring the devastation to the surrounding landscape. He is well aware of the cost of progress.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekMforMachinery #Photography #Monochrome #BlackWhitePhotography #RailroadBridge #ECK #UrbanGaze The HX Drawbridge (Hackensack Crossing) over the Hackensack River in New Jersey. I love a good counter-weight! Looks like something out of Star Wars...

This type of bridge is technically a heel trunnion bascale (jackknife) railroad bridge. The counter-weight lifts up part of the bridge for boats to pass underneath (hopefully not when a train is on the way).

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

September's theme: Labor SEBASTIÃO SALGADO (1944 - 2025), “Coal Mining, Dhanbad, Bihar, India”, 1989. The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, US. #arthistory #art #labor #photography

This photograph of three coal miners in India became the cover for the Brazilian photo-journalist Sebastião Salgado’s book titled: Workers, An Archeology of the Industrial Age. Trained as an economist, Salgado turned to photography as a way to bring greater attention to adverse conditions around the world. He began documenting the pain caused by exploitation, war and climate destruction, especially on the conditions employing manual labor globally. Using black and white photography as his medium of choice, Salgado’s pictures are lush with texture and layering, even when capturing moments of pain and exhaustion. In “Coal Mining, Dhanbad, Bihar, India”, three coal miners stand one behind the other; each man’s face has a different expression visible through the coal dust. Each man projects dignity and pride along with anger, exhaustion and amusement. Salgado’s close up vantage point creates a direct relationship with his subjects; we can sense that he cares deeply about the situations experienced by the men and women in his photos. Salgado presents suffering and dignity side by side.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

September's theme: Labor EDWARD HOPPER (1882 - 1967), “Office in a Small City”, 1953. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City US. Hopper was a slow and methodical painter and “Office in a Small City” was the only painting that he produced in 1953. #arthistory #art #labor #EdwardHopper

Hopper was a slow and methodical painter and “Office in a Small City” was the only painting that he produced in 1953. He began this work in Truro, Massachusetts, where he and his wife Jo spent their summers for decades, and finished it later after returning to New York City. His study of and fascination with light resulted in the clear colors that are typical of a Hopper artwork. The scene of a solitary figure, glimpsed through a side window of a corner office, invites the viewer to create his/her own narrative for what is going on. The figure is high up in an office building, unaware that he is being watched; “Office in a Small City” has a touch of voyeurism delivered with Hopper’s Realist style. Hopper composed several paintings of people he spotted in buildings while riding the elevated train through New York City; this one has that feel to it. In the 1950s, New York City was bustling and growing at a very fast pace but Hopper has captured a quiet moment with one isolated man; the cityscape beyond his office does not appear particularly busy. Hopper was the master of loneliness coupled with beauty in his scenes. And, always, that crystal clear light is the star.

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Reposted by World Of Art By Sue

AlinaHagen 🌊🎨📸 🥾 @alinagrafik.eurosky.social · 28/09/2026

Your art challenge cheat sheet for Sept 28-Oct 4 is here! Let's have some fun. Compiled by Robyn @handcranked See comments for host list and details. #EastCoastKin #ECK #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersOfBlueSky #Photography #DailyArt #Painting #Drawing #ArtChallenge #ArtPrompt #TraditionalArt

Daily Art Prompts: Sept 28–Oct 4

Compiled by @handcranked

Monday, September 28
#BlueSkyMonday (anything blue)
#MacroMonday (any macro)
#MountainMonday (mountains)
#MinimalMonday (minimalism)
#ColorADay + #PinkMon

Tuesday, September 29
#RockinTuesday (rocks)
#TidesOutTuesday
#ColorADay + #BlueTue

Wednesday, September 30
#WaterfallWednesday
#WackyWednesdayArt
#ColorADay + #RedWed

Thursday, October 1
#HumansOfBlueSky (people)
#UrbanGaze (anything urban)
#PalacesAndGardens + #ItsAJungleOutThere
#ColorADay + #YellowThu

Friday, October 2
#Scape (any kind of scape)
#ForestFriday
#FlyDay (critters that fly)
#ColorADay + #BWFri

Saturday, October 3
#BNWmacro
#SmallBirdSaturday
#BlueSkyArtShow + #3rdPlace
#ColorADay + #GreenSat

Sunday, October 4
#Stunday (stunning)
#BNWmacro
#ImageAndVerse (your image + any poem)
#ColorADay + #OrangeSun

All Week Art Prompts: Sept 28–Oct 4

Compiled by @handcranked

#AOFoto
(Aesthetic of the ordinary. See aofoto.art for details.)

#ArtYear (any art)

#BirdOfTheDay
(See Atlantic Birding, Helen Bennett, Alan H, or Rob Crank for daily prompt)

#ClassicMono (monochrome)

#EastCoastKin or #ECK
(Art collective open to everyone. Message @rina2012 to join.)

#ECKPalette
(See WealieArts for this week’s colors)

#ShowHeart (hearts)

#Abstractia + #leaves

#AlphabetChallenge + #WeekMForMachinery

#MixedMedia52 + #roads

#PaintByWords + #persimmon or #railway
(art, photos, and/or poetry)

#PostProcess + #silence
(See @rjrock for photo to edit)

#SensoryArt + #roads

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Reposted by World Of Art By Sue

🆂🅷🅴🅴🅽🅰 @sheena-mck.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Attention Alphabetters! This is your reminder that Mon 28 Sep starts Week M and the #AlphabetChallenge is Machinery. Everything from cars to factory production lines, or even the internal machinery that make things work. So lots to choose from! Use the # below and have fun😁

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

September's theme: Labor ELIZABETH CATLETT (1915 - 2012), “Sharecropper”, 1952 & 1970. Art Institute of Chicago, IL. Catlett was an artist who used her work to highlight the plight of African-American women while stressing their dignity, strength and resilience. #arthistory #art #labor #Catlett

Catlett was a tireless art educator and artist who used her work to highlight the plight of African-American women while stressing their dignity, strength and resilience. “Sharecropper” is her most famous print. She produced this colored version of her original 1952 linocut print as a reprint in 1970. In “Sharecropper”, Catlett uses a low perspective, forcing the viewer to look up into the woman’s face to find her determination. The composition is made of patterns and textures: the large brimmed straw hat, the woman’s hair, the folds in her garment being held closed by a large safety pin, the busy background that mimics a field of grain, the lines giving hard-won character to the fieldworker’s face. Race, gender and social inequality were themes embraced by Catlett in her art and in her life. Her prints and sculptures grew increasingly political after she moved permanently to Mexico in 1947, where she became acquainted with the Mexican power artists (Rivera, Siqueiros, Kahlo and Francisco Mora, whom she married and with whom she raised a family). Catlett’s leftist activities drew the scorn of the American government; she became a Mexican citizen in 1962 and the US promptly barred her reentry to her birth country as an “undesirable alien”. It wasn’t until 1983 that she was allowed to return to the US.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

September's theme: Labor ERIKA GIOVANNA KLIEN (1900 - 1957), “The Driller”, 1951. Private collection. Erika Giovanna Klien was an Austrian-American artist at the forefront of the Viennese Kineticism movement. #arthistory #art #Labor #Kineticism

Erika Giovanna Klien was an Austrian-American artist at the forefront of the Viennese Kineticism movement. Mixing elements of Cubism, Futurism and Constructivism, Klien’s art focused on capturing dynamic movement on canvas. She was passionate about theater and dance and many of her subjects were dancers in motion. She took her expertise in twirling bodies and applied the same techniques to birds in flight and rotating machinery. Like Futurism, Kineticism looked to modern life and technology for inspiration. “The Driller” from 1951 was the artist looking back to an earlier work she completed in 1923, but this later work captures the workman’s every move as he works the drill whereas the 1923 painting was more straight-forward. Using tonal shadows and simplified forms, Klien created a work that is modern in subject and atmosphere. There is little detail but intricate detail is neither needed nor missed.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

September's theme: Labor L. S. LOWRY (1887 - 1976) “Going to Work”, 1943. The Imperial War Museum, London UK. Lowry captured the industrial landscapes of northern England, where he lived his entire life, with a keen eye and a distinctive style. #arthistory #art #Labor #Manchester

Lowry captured the industrial landscapes of northern England, where he lived his entire life, with a keen eye and a distinctive style. Factories, mills, streets crowded with stick-like people, railways and sporting events (he was a huge Manchester City Football Club fan) fill his canvases. In “Going to Work”, Lowry’s grey atmosphere emphasizes the monotony and drudgery of going to the same factory day after day; the stylized workers stream in to work from the streets and from two buses on the right. Manchester was a major industrial and manufacturing hub for the British war effort and as such it suffered devastating destruction from frequent German Luftwaffe air raids. Lowry included a couple of barrage balloons above his factory in “Going to Work”; the balloons were supposed to deter the enemy bombardments. Lowry produced a large number of paintings, which sold very well during his lifetime, but he was actually never a full-time artist. His primary job was as a rent collector. He was meticulous about painting every night after work, a discipline he exercised for decades. The factory depicted in this painting was the Mather & Platt plant in Manchester that manufactured engineering equipment; it remained in business until 2019, when it closed for good, and was later demolished.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekLforLookingIn #Photography #UrbanGaze #NewOrleans #NOLA #StreetPhotography Looking in to a driveway next to a bead-bedecked garden fence - a typical street scene in New Orleans, Louisiana. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

A lacy gate to the left with a short driveway beyond and a "Warning Security Dog" sign next door to a home with a front rose garden and an iron fence bedecked with Mardi Gras beads.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekLforLookingIn #Photography #Japan #ECK #UrbanGaze One of the most pleasant things about travel in Japan is looking in the restaurant windows to find plastic models of the food on offer before ordering. No translation needed!

Plastic food models in the window of a sushi restaurant in Kyoto, Japan. You really can't go wrong with what you pick; it is all delicious!

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

September's theme: Labor HAROLD WESTON (1894 - 1972), “Building the United Nations #1, Steelwork of Secretariat”, 1949. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC. #arthistory #art #Labor #UnitedNations #NYC

Weston was stricken by polio in 1911 that left his left leg paralyzed. Unable to serve in uniform during World War I, he volunteered through the YMCA as a liaison to the British Army in Baghdad, bringing entertainment activities including art classes to the soldiers; he soon became the Official Painter for the British Army in the Middle East. These years impressed upon him the perils of food insecurity, famine and disease and he spent the rest of his life organizing humanitarian food relief efforts. Back in the US, Weston withdrew to a rustic cabin in the Adirondack Mountains, where he relished the quiet and communed with nature. The outbreak of World War II drew him to Washington DC, where he founded Food for Freedom to combat war-related famine abroad. After the war, he made a series of six paintings (1949 – 1952) of the construction of the United Nations complex in New York City. Unsurprisingly, the UN’s mission aligned perfectly with his personal philosophy of working cooperatively to create a more peaceful world; he believed the United Nations was the “greatest hope for a better world”. “Building the United Nations #1, Steelwork of Secretariat” is bathed in the golden light of optimism. Weston painted in a modernist style, showcasing technology that moves civilization forward. His construction scene is filled with activity as the structure rises up towards the sky, with laborers working together to make this dream building a reality. In addition to his food relief activities, Weston also advocated tirelessly for government support of the arts and the creation of the National Endowment for the Arts; the NEA became a reality when legislation passed in 1965.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekLforLookingIn #Photography #Venice #ECK #BaroqueArchitecture Looking up into the dome and cupola of the lovely 17th Century Baroque Church of Santa Maria della Salute, at the entrance to the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.

The simplicity of design and ornament of the interior of the dome on the Salute Church in Venice is stunning. You can see the sky above peeking through the openings in the cupola that tops the dome.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

September's theme: Labor BEN SHAHN (1898 - 1969), “Welders”, 1943. Museum of Modern Art, New York City US. Ben Shahn said, “I paint two things: what I love and what I abhor”. #arthistory #art #Labor #BenShahn

Ben Shahn said, “I paint two things: what I love and what I abhor”. He loved and championed hard work and the disenfranchised; he hated injustice and oppression. Immigrants were dear to his heart, being an immigrant himself as a child (with his family) from Lithuania in 1906. He painted in the Social Realism style, embracing real life and pushing ideas that aligned with his personal leftist outlook. During the Great Depression, he worked for the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and then, as a photographer, for the FSA (Farm Security Administration) where his work centered on rural poverty. During World War II, he contributed to the Graphic Arts Division of the Office of War Information; his insistence on realism brought the horrors of genocide in Europe to the attention of many in the US for the first time. He firmly believed that art could, and should, move public opinion for the betterment of all. “Welders” became an illustration for a popular poster from the CIO labor organization’s political action committee. It shows two welders – one black, one white – looking off into the distance, where, as reflected in the safety glasses, a structure rises – a promise for a bright future. The depiction emphasizes the importance of skilled labor in securing that future. The poster (with added text) was used for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1944 reelection campaign as a means of engaging the support of union members. It was posted throughout the country in union halls.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekLforLookingIn #Photography #SanFrancisco #Alcatraz Looking in to a jail cell at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay. Wouldn't want to be closed in here, that's for sure!

The barred metal door is half open so visitors can peek inside a cell at the infamous Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay in California. Not much to see inside except for the knowledge that nobody would want to be here with the door closed.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

September's theme: Labor ROMARE BEARDEN (1911 - 1986), “Factory Workers”, 1942. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnesota, US. This is an early piece by Romare Bearden, who had participated in his first public exhibit just two years earlier in 1940. #arthistory #art #Labor #RomareBearden

This is an early piece by Romare Bearden, who had participated in his first public exhibit just two years earlier in 1940. Even at this early stage, he displayed a confident use of color and an interest and activism regarding Civil Rights, interests that remained throughout his life. “Factory Workers” was made to accompany an article in the June 1942 issue of Fortune magazine. The article, entitled “The Negro’s War”, advocated for full social and financial integration in the US workforce. In “Factory Workers”, Bearden portrayed African-American men who have been denied jobs at a steel mill due to their race. The artist used water-soluble pigments on brown paper for this depiction; the medium produces clear, vibrant colors that Bearden applied in large swaths without adding a lot of extraneous detail. As he continued to mature as an artist, Bearden moved into greater abstraction with his presentation; in the 1950s, he mastered compositions using collage and photo-montage techniques. Bearden, as a child, had been part of the Great Migration of African-Americans moving from southern states (his family moved from North Carolina) to northern states (the Beardens settled in New York City) in search of greater opportunity and less racial oppression. He continued his family’s quest for social justice in Harlem, where he was a founder and integral part of Spiral (a collective for African-American artists), established Cinque Gallery (for emerging African-American artists) and became a founding member of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (to promote African-American cultural achievement).

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Reposted by World Of Art By Sue

Robyn @handcranked.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Your art challenge cheat sheet for September 21-27 is here! Let's have some fun. See comments for host list and details. #EastCoastKin #ECK #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersOfBlueSky #Photography #DailyArt #Painting #Drawing #ArtChallenge #ArtPrompt #TraditionalArt

Daily Art Prompts: Sept 21–27

Compiled by @handcranked

Monday, September 21
#BlueSkyMonday (anything blue)
#MacroMonday (any macro)
#MountainMonday (mountains)
#MinimalMonday (minimalism)
#ColorADay + #PinkMon

Tuesday, September 22
#RockinTuesday (rocks)
#TidesOutTuesday
#ColorADay + #BlueTue

Wednesday, September 23
#WaterfallWednesday
#WackyWednesdayArt
#ColorADay + #RedWed

Thursday, September 24
#HumansOfBlueSky (people)
#UrbanGaze (anything urban)
#PalacesAndGardens + #MellowYellow
#ColorADay + #YellowThu

Friday, September 25
#Scape (any kind of scape)
#ForestFriday
#FlyDay (critters that fly)
#ColorADay + #BWFri

Saturday, September 26
#BNWmacro
#SmallBirdSaturday
#BlueSkyArtShow + #lights
#ColorADay + #GreenSat

Sunday, September 27
#Stunday (stunning)
#BNWmacro
#ImageAndVerse (your image + any poem)
#ColorADay + #OrangeSun

All Week Art Prompts: Sept 21–27

Compiled by @handcranked

#AOFoto
(Aesthetic of the ordinary. See aofoto.art for details.)

#ArtYear (any art)

#BirdOfTheDay
(See Atlantic Birding, Helen Bennett, Alan H, or Rob Crank for daily prompt)

#ClassicMono (monochrome)

#EastCoastKin or #ECK
(Art collective open to everyone. Message @rina2012 to join.)

#ECKPalette
(See WealieArts for this week’s colors)

#ShowHeart (hearts)

#Abstractia + #geometric

#AlphabetChallenge + #WeekLForLookingIn

#MixedMedia52 + #autumn

#PaintByWords + #HarvestMoon or #music
(art, photos, and/or poetry)

#PostProcess + #subtraction
(See ‪@rjrock for photo to edit)

#SensoryArt + #fruit

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

September's theme: Labor BORIS GORELICK (1911 - 1984), “Sweat Shop”, c. 1935. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas US. Gorelick was born in Russia and emigrated to the United States when just a baby. #arthistory #art #Labor #NYC

Here is another print (this one a lithograph) created under the auspices of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) during the Great Depression, when the government stepped in to offer employment to artists who were unemployed (or underemployed). Gorelick was born in Russia and emigrated to the United States when just a baby. He championed the downtrodden in his artwork and advocated for social justice as a political agitator. “Sweat Shop” shines a harsh light on the oppressive and exploitative conditions found in the garment industry in New York City, where (mostly) women toiled in cramped conditions for long hours and little pay. His print is filled with exhausted faces, sewing machines and burdened seamstresses. The garish lighting suggests work being done at night. A headless (soulless) mannikin stands to the left, surrounded by faces that look like masks. The mask/faces, skewed perspectives (the round stool top beneath the most central sewing machine is tipped so far that it looks like a hole in the ground) and fragmented details are evidence that Gorelick was familiar with Cubism; the dreamlike atmosphere with bits of walls and doors and railroad tracks in the background point to his interest in Surrealism. All of these disjointed details are crammed into one claustrophobic scene, intensifying the drudgery and hardships endured by the women working. It is a scene that demands attention; it is art pushing for social change.

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Reposted by World Of Art By Sue

🆂🅷🅴🅴🅽🅰 @sheena-mck.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Attention Alphabetters! This is your reminder that Mon 21 Sep starts Week L and the #AlphabetChallenge is Looking In. So pics you took looking in or into things- doors, holes, cups etc. Or pics taken of things looking in at you- birds, kids etc. Easy peasy Use the # below and have fun😁

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

September's theme: Labor CHARLES TURZAK (1899 - 1986), “Work Relief (Chicago Snowstorm)”, c. 1935. Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois US. Turzak was working for the WPA during the Great Depression when he made this woodblock print. #arthistory #art #Labor #Chicago

urzak was working for the WPA (Works Progress Administration) during the Great Depression when he made this woodblock print of “Work Relief (Chicago Snowstorm)”. This composition contains all the things that make Turzak’s prints so appealing: wonderful contrast between black and white; a sensation of movement and activity; interesting backgrounds with exaggerated perspective. This scene of men laboring to clear snow from the city streets after a storm is alive with motion, starting with the beautiful lines that twist and swirl across the entire print like snow blowing through the “Windy City”. Turzak’s early prints were of the Art Deco buildings in Chicago – the architectural style itself, soaring vertically, is a perfect subject for a woodblock print. He later found much success in illustrating people and events from American History for book publications. I particularly enjoy his WPA work for its emphasis on the working class and their efforts to forge a better world; the prints are my favorites but he also painted murals for several post offices, including the Main Post Office in Chicago. The buildings in the background of “Work Relief (Chicago Snowstorm)” mimic the Art Deco style of many Chicago structures, but they are not of any specific buildings. Some of the men are stooped by the heavy physical work, as they trudge from one place to another, but the central figure stands tall and powerful, looking forward with determination. The very medium used by Turzak underscores his admiration for the workers: prints were an inexpensive way to produce lots of copies that could be sold for very reasonable prices, so that everyone – not just the wealthy – could own and admire an original work of art.
#CharlesTurzak #WorkRelief #ChicagoSnowstorm #Print #WPA #GreatDepression #ArtInstituteOfChicago #Labor #WorldOfArt #arthistory #art #learnsomethingeveryday

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

#BlueSkyArtShow #Golden #Photography #Barcelona #SagradaFamilia #Gaudi #ECK #Architecture The amazing ceiling of the amazing Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain. Antoni Gaudi was a visionary genius.

Detail of the ceiling structure of the Sagrada Familia, which took inspiration from the towering trees in the forest, reaching up to heaven.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

#BlueSkyArtShow #Golden #Scape #Water #Photography #ECK I call this one "On Golden Pond" - the setting sun hit the water just right, making the water shimmer regally.

This photo was taken in the Fall, when tree branches were bare and the sunlight golden.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

September's theme: Labor CYRIL EDWARD POWER (1872 - 1951), “The Tube Train” c. 1935. Private collection. Power’s linocut print of the London subway (the Tube) captures the hustle and bustle of commuting to and from work. #arthistory #art #Labor #LinoPrint

Power’s linocut print of the London underground system, known as The Tube, captures the hustle and bustle of commuting to and from work. Trained as an architect, Power blossomed as a print artist and was instrumental in the establishment of the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in London. His artistic vision aligned with the Futurist movement’s focus on speed and modernity. His prints are innovative in design and full of rhythm. “The Tube Train” is not a static presentation of men and women riding the subway: we can physically experience the swaying of the train car as it shoots through the tunnel. Power was particularly talented in using curved lines to indicate motion: look at the train ceiling, and the forms of the strap-hangers in the distance, and the patterns of the shoes on the floor. His commuters are crammed together but are totally disengaged from each other. Each holds a newspaper (also curved) and minds his or her own business. Power’s printing process required one linoleum block per color. For this print, he used four blocks for layering four colors: yellow, red, light cobalt blue and deep blue.

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Reposted by World Of Art By Sue

𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝙸𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜 @churchstreetimages.com · 14/09/2026

Join the #BlueSkyArtShow Saturday September 19, 2026 The theme is #Golden This week all that glitters is indeed gold! Use both tags to be included in the feed. Multiple entries welcome. #art #artists #photography #drawing #painting #sketching #writing #poetry

Photo of a yellow flower with text reading:
Join the #BlueSkyArtShow
Saturday September 19, 2026
The theme is #Golden
Any Art. Any interpretation.
Use both tags to be
included in our feed.
Multiple entries welcome.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekKforKn... #Photography #Monochrome #BWPhotography #ECK A photo of shadows and KNot holes on a wooden deck floor. Simple and quiet. A study of textures. I like it!

The shadow from a round, glass patio table brings out the texture in the worn, wooden deck floor.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#ForestFriday #HumansOfBluesky #Fishing #Photography #ECK A boy on a rock by a pond surrounded with trees - what's not to love? (He is actually fish-spotting for the guys on the left).

Looking for fish in the clear water below from his preferred location atop a boulder. He did a good job: his brother and grandpa on the left made some good catches from his directions.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekKforKn... #Photography #Knight #Scotland Yes, Robert the Bruce (the subject of this statue) was a knight who famously fought at Bannockburn but the star of this photo is really the stunningly beautiful landscape surrounding Stirling Castle.

The view from Stirling Castle, past the statue of a standing Robert the Bruce, out into the gorgeous land that is Scotland.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

September's theme: Labor FERNAND LÉGER (1881 - 1955), “The Mechanic”, 1920. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Léger's unique take on Cubism has been called Tubism because of his love of tubular forms. #arthistory #art #Labor #Cubism

ernand Léger’s service in the trenches during World War I (where he was gassed near Verdun) opened up a life-long fascination with industrial machinery and a desire to produce art that appealed to all social classes. He embraced Cubism but with a twist: he rebuilt his deconstructed forms using solid geometric shapes - the cylinder in particular. His unique take on Cubism has been called Tubism because of his love of tubular forms. “The Mechanic” presents a very confident working man, striking a pose during a cigarette break (I like how the cigarette smoke has been geometrically turned into bubble-like shapes). This is a portrait rather than an anonymous “everyman” presentation. The worker, sporting a mustache and tattoo as well as the muscular arms of physical labor, is dimensional; he stands against a flattened, abstracted background filled with railroad and factory imagery. Every detail reflects the mechanical industry of modern life. Every detail is geometric, from bold background lines to the man’s chiseled jawline. The colors are crisp and simple; high contrast is the rule here. Léger’s figures became even more robot-like as his career progressed.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekKforKn... #Photography #Knight #MetMuseum #Armor My favorite "knight" photo, but not really for the knights in armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art... Gman loves knights as much as I do :)

He's so excited to visit the knights in shining armor at the Met Museum in New York City!

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

September's theme: Labor GEORGE BELLOWS (1882 - 1925), “Men of the Docks”, 1912. National Gallery, London UK. George Bellows was the youngest artist associated with the Ashcan school, and his artwork exudes a confident, vigorous style. #arthistory #art #Labor #AshcanSchool

The American Ashcan School championed the grit and hard work inherent in contemporary urban life, so it’s no wonder that we’ve looked at several Ashcan artists this month. George Bellows was the youngest artist associated with the Ashcan school, and his artwork exudes a confident, vigorous style. Famous for his tenacious boxing scenes, Bellows also painted portraits, seascapes, landscapes and urban scenes and produced prints. “Men of the Docks” shows a group of longshoremen along the East River near Brooklyn Heights. The dock area is flanked by a warehouse on the left and a large ocean liner, with tugboat, on the right that form diagonals leading the eye towards the sunlit skyline of Lower Manhattan across the partially frozen river. The top of the Brooklyn Bridge can be spotted above the ocean liner. The men seem to be waiting for their assignment to unload the ship; it is winter, with snow on the ground, and the men appear cold as they wait with their hands shoved deep into coat pockets. Bellows’ intrepid use of color sets him apart from his fellow Ashcan artists. His handling of color is bold – his use of blues in this piece keep the viewers’ eyes moving around the composition – and his brushwork is loose but not sloppy. “Men of the Docks” was the first American painting to enter the National Gallery in London’s collection (in 2014).

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

September's theme: Labor JOHN SLOAN (1871 - 1951), “Renganeschi’s Saturday Night”, 1912. Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois US. Renganeschi’s was an Italian restaurant on 10th Street in Greenwich Village, located not far from Sloan’s studio. #arthistory #art #NYC #Labor #AshcanSchool

Sloan was a newspaper artist in Philadelphia (where he took a drawing class at PAFA taught by Thomas Anshutz, whom we saw earlier this week) before moving to New York City to become a full-time artist; he became an important member of the Ashcan School. Although he painted landscapes and seascapes during his summers in Gloucester, Massachusetts, his primary subject matter in his work was the urban working class. Renganeschi’s was an Italian restaurant on 10th Street in Greenwich Village, located not far from Sloan’s studio. Sloan’s informal style serves this scene well: we see a busy night with full tables and active waitstaff. Our attention is drawn to the table with three women – not an unusual sight these days but a little shocking in 1900, when three women eating out without a male chaperone would have raised eyebrows. Sloan’s work with newspapers earlier in his career taught him how to quickly sketch what he saw and as a result his paintings do not feel staged. These are working class women: Sloan gently smiles at their raised pinkies and legs wrapped around their chairs. As an Urban Realist, Sloan sympathized with his subjects but he did not judge them.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#BirdOfTheDay #Silhouette #ECK #Birds #ArtChallenges A little black bird hanging out on a thorny bush in Santa Barbara, California

The black outlines of a thorny bush and a little black bird surveying his realm stand out against a clear blue sky in Santa Barbara, California.

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