Artists run in my family. My grandmother is an artist, and so are some of her children, while I like to dabble in painting and collage. My husband’s family also is artsy; he’s a graphic designer and photographer, and his late grandfather was a painter and photographer as well. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal his name [...]

My husband and I both love music (he blogs about it, I used to make a living from it) but we approach music quite differently, and therefore have vastly different opinions about what makes a piece or a song “good.” He is supremely interested in the actual music, i.e. the notes, chords, arrangements, etc. While [...]

In the fourth season premiere episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a group of vampires steal a poster from a freshman dorm room. They then take bets on whether it will be a Monet or a Klimt; it turns out to be the latter, and is added to a collection of Waterlilies and Kisses. The [...]

Sarah McLachlan, Do What You Have to Do What ravages of spirit Conjured this temptuous rage Created you a monster Broken by the rules of love And fate has lead you through it You do what you have to do And fate has led you through it You do what you have to do …And [...]

Fiona Apple, The First Taste I lie in an early bed, thinking late thoughts Waiting for the black to replace my blue I do not struggle in your web, because it was my aim to get caught But daddy longlegs, I feel That I am finally growing weary Of waiting to be consumed by youGive [...]

Today I’m debuting a new category on themodernista: artbeat. This category will be for discussing art, reviewing art,  looking at artist’s bios, and occasionally debuting my own work, when I feel I’ve done something worthwhile. Today’s feature is Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse. I’ve loved this work ever since I was a [...]