Nothing quite like it. Some of my favorite starry night places are Shane Creek Montana 1962 or so. Pacific ocean from the deck of the USS Belleau Wood 1978, California desert sleeping beside a motorcycle with a nice smelling mesquite fire 1980 and sitting on or beside Big Bass Lake Minnesota various years.
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This page from the Cybermonk reminds us to unplug from the datastream every so often. Or someting like that. For what it's worth, I liked the words and the background of stars.
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Vincent van Gogh: The Paintings (Starry Night)
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Don McLean Song "Vincent"
Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and gray,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.
Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.
Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of China blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.
Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.
For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.
Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.
Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will.
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I'm guessing Vincent was in a happier state when he painted The Sunflowers.
I was lucky enough to see this Sunflower painting. It's one of my favorites. That must have been cool for Paul Gauguin to have a friend like Vincent who made paintings like that to decorate your house.
A Vase of Flowers by Paul Gauguin is a favorite too (because it's one of the few great paintings I've ever seen up close). Maybe when I get even older I'll take some time to look at some more.
Nothing like actually seeing a painting up close. The old CRT/LCD just doesn't do them justice.....
