Above is a detail from Arthur Rackham’s illustration of Pan from The Wind in the Willows. I first became enchanted by Pan when, as a little girl, I read The Wind in the Willows. I was in love with that book from the moment Mole became fed up with his spring-cleaning, left his hole, and met…
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When I was fifteen years old, my father taught me how to drive. I was eager, yet scared; I couldn’t believe that I had actually passed the test to get my learner’s permit. Dad wanted to give me ample opportunity to practice before beginning Driver’s Ed at school, so we drove together often. He’d pick…
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I have an obsessive/compulsive relationship with the number three that has been in place for most of my life. For many years, it was so subtle that neither I or loved ones noticed. It existed in childhood but was overlooked. I have now been a parent for nineteen years, and it is something my children…
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Well, hello there 2014! We’ve barely begun to get acquainted. I don’t have a feel for you yet. You still hold that thrilling newness and I can not peek inside of you. But I know that right now, you are magical. At this moment you are twelve months of possibility. And I long to dwell…
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Pre-Raphaelite art includes many beautiful yet different types of women. On one end of the spectrum, we have damsels in distress that need to be rescued. Or fallen women in need of forgiveness for having fallen (as if they fell by themselves). On the other end, we have goddesses and mythological women who need no…
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I seem to be bombarded by advertisements that insist there is still time to get my body “bikini ready”. If I can’t sculpt, shape or melt away areas of my body, I can visit one of the many tanning salons that seem to be popping up on every corner. Or I could take a safer…
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About a year ago, I was lucky enough to acquire a two volume set of The Life and Letters of Sir John Everett Millais, written by his son in 1898. It’s a beautiful set that I’ve longed to own, but was unable to give it the attention it deserves as my husband was still recuperating…
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I’ve recently read Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué. Written in the early 1800s, it is a classic fairy tale in which Undine, an elemental water spirit, marries a human in order to gain a soul. It may be derived from the tale of Melusina. (I prefer Melusina, who seems to have a strength…
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My husband is in the hospital again. Still dealing with the repercussions from his accident last May. It’s more serious this time. An infection has spread to the bone. Let me use the technical term, just so I can feel the weight of it: Osteomyelitis. It’s serious and scary, but we are remaining hopeful and…
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I am exhausted. On a whim, I decided to paint my living area and kitchen red. I’ve always wanted red walls. I think they are bold and artistic and for me it represents a creative outlook that I’m trying to indulge in my life. But, good grief does my back ache right now. I am…
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There is a wealth of possibility in beginnings, especially the beginning of a new year. Since I see beginnings as positive, I think it’s dreadful if we add anything negative to that. I never form New Year’s Resolutions that have anything to do with subtraction. No eating less, no shedding pounds, no pining or wishing…
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As part of the Magick4Terri findraiser, I am auctioning off the chance to promote your product,site, book, or whatever fabulous idea you have on both of my sites. I don’t usually have advertising on my sites, but I’m actually excited about this as I’d love to help Terri in some small way and I’m curious…
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This blog generates a lot of email. I try my best, but I can’t always answer it all. Often I will receive an email that I don’t have time to answer that very moment, but as I continue with my day I will mentally compose a reply, usually a great reply. Later I will embarrassingly realize…
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I’m lucky enough to have regular readers here at Pre-raphaelite Sisterhood and several lovely followers on the accompanying Facebook page. The Facebook page has been convenient for me, especially since my daily schedule has been different over the summer and I haven’t posted as much here as I would have liked. Plus, the facebook page…
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I see the world with a Pre-Raphaelite eye. I can’t help myself. Things happen and Pre-Raphaelite images will pop into my head without warning. Or a passage I’ve read will suddenly be there, rewritten in my mind. When I first saw the Prisoner Zero episode of Doctor Who, when everyone else was probably thinking “get…
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I want to thank you all. I rarely post anything personal here since I don’t want to deviate from the subject of this site. Anything not related to Pre-Raphaelite art will clutter things and it’s very important to me that this blog is interesting and useful to you. However, I have to tell you how…
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First, a personal update: I mentioned in my last post that my husband was involved in a motorcycle accident. Unfortunately his injuries are more serious than previously thought. He’s crushed most of the bones in his foot and ankle, requires multiple surgeries, and will lose some motion. All of this happened while our son (age…
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I’m still reading Sidonia the Sorceress and am actually surprised at how much I’m enjoying it. I spent most of the weekend reading and jotting down a few notes for a future blog post. And then the unthinkable happened. Sunday night, my husband had a horrible wreck on his motorcycle. I’m grateful for the neighbors…
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Fernand Khnopff was not a Pre-Raphaelite painter, but I wanted to share his 1891 painting I Lock My Door Upon Myself which draws inspiration from Christina Rossetti’s poem Who Shall Deliver Me? Khnopff’s title comes specifically from this stanza: I lock my door upon myself, And bar them out; but who shall wall Self…
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It is the first of November and we have followed All Hallow’s Eve into All Soul’s Day. Autumn is a season that excites all the senses: the red and orange hues, the crisp breeze, and the general thrill that seems to accompany even the most mundane of tasks. I think I prefer Autumn the most…
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The weather has been unusually cold and yesterday’s snow made my little neighborhood look like a different and more enchanting place. I loved yesterday. It was a day filled with exhilarating romping in the snow with my children until night fell and we literally tumbled indoors feeling exhausted and content. Then the night became one…
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In this previous post, I mentioned a mirror seen in Fair Rosamund and Queen Eleanor by Burne-Jones and also in The Return of Tibullus to Delia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This seemingly mundane object has captured my attention, mainly because I have this nagging feeling that I’ve also seen it elsewhere, but can’t remember where….
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These pre-shrunk Gildan brand shirts feature an image of Elizabeth Siddal at an easel, painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Buy yours today! Thank you for supporting PreRaphaeliteSisterhood.com. You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook.