"I asked the Zebra,
are you black with white stripes?
Or white with black stripes?
And the zebra asked me,
Are you good with bad habits?
Or are you bad with good habits?
Are you noisy with quiet times?
Or are you quiet with noisy times?
Are you happy with some sad days?
Or are you sad with some happy days?
Are you neat with some sloppy ways?
Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?
And on and on and on and on and on and on he went.
I'll never ask a zebra about stripes .... again."
- Shel Silverstein
the poem was wonderful! I think the John Carpenter photo would make some really fun fabric.
ReplyDeleteSandy in the UK
John Carpenter's photo is quite striking isn't it?! I would have called it Tiger stripes.
DeleteThat thumbnail of the zebra stripes had me rushing over to see what delights you'd posted. Love the poem and all else. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteBlack and white stripes always get my attention too.
Deletepatterning, zebra style, and shel. what a fine way to stat my day, robyn. thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe poem does tend to put a smile on one's face :-) Glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteWonderful stripes over everything! The zebra poem is such fun.....what a fine way to finish my day!
ReplyDeletejenni
I love the fact that Australian bloggers are awake during my day :-)
DeleteLOVE the stripes!!!
ReplyDeleteThey are magical aren't they?! I particularly love stripes in nature.
DeleteIsn't it funny that when you see black and white stripes, no matter how they are arranged one thinks of Zebras.
ReplyDeleteLisa I very nearly mentioned that in the post. Black and white stripes will always mean zebra to me. Black and white stripes sing!
Deleterepetition of pattern and form ... my favorite passion/obsession + Brenda's pots always make me swoon with delight! Thanks for the link - she'd fallen off my radar ... glad to have her work back in my sights.
ReplyDeleteKathy, good news.... Brenda is on Pinterest!
ReplyDeletehttp://pinterest.com/bholzke/
It seems the eye never tires of geometric patterns, at least my eye doesn't, I'm always drawn to circles and stripes and when they are put into random patterns all the better.
ReplyDeleteThere were so many amazing striped images to choose from. Glad you enjoyed the post, Linda.
DeleteWhat a great post...Shel's poem is awesome...his writings remind me of when my boys were young.
ReplyDeleteThe poem was fun wasn't it?! I enjoyed the last line.
DeleteWonky and Cool, the whole works of them.
ReplyDeleteWonky is good :-)
DeleteRobyn, I love stripes, they are right up there with the holy circle and I love Teri Brooks. Thank you for another wonderful post.
ReplyDeletexoxo
It would be great to see Terri's work in person. Lots of lovely stripes!
DeleteWhat a great post to enliven my eyes this morning.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a way of gathering and presenting the best of the best. What a gift you share.
Thanks Kim, glad your eyes are dancing :-)
DeleteThis is a particularly fine collection of stripes. Thanks for the links to some great sites.
ReplyDeleteHi Theresa, there are a few new links for me too. I discovered Bringfried-John on Tumblr!
DeleteStripes! One of my favorite things, second only to circles, probably. Fun. Love the Silverstein quote.
ReplyDeleteOne can't help smiling at Silverstein's poem .... and remembering it all day.
DeleteI love stripes, what a great post featuring so many talented interpretations. Great quote too . . . made me smile.
ReplyDeleteThe talent amazes me! So many images to choose from.
DeleteAnd aren't we all a 'little bit of this' and a 'little bit of that'.?......the 'dark' and the 'light'.......I'm particularly drawn to the ceramics....and love Shel's humour! Thank you for inviting us to think about this subject.....
ReplyDeleteThe ceramics are particularly delicious. They lift my spirits.
DeleteHi Robyn, I love the way you have combined artworks with organic photographs of stripes in nature, all the best Terri.
ReplyDeleteThank you Terri. I'm always so delighted to see new work on your blog.
DeleteHi Robyn - I seem to have lost my last few comments - fingers crossed. Nothing essential to say except I loved that poem - so true for all of us, and the images so right. A delightful stop early int he morning (before you wake??)
ReplyDeleteLovely to wake to see you all here this morning. It is very annoying to lose one's comments. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with this new reply set up.
DeleteI love stripes and as usual some here have given me food for thought.I especially loved the tattered look of the one by Eric Adamas.
ReplyDeleteHi Penny, this is one of my favourite Eric Adama pieces. Probably the tattered look has a lot to do with it.... and the earthy colours.
DeleteLove the poem, love the art.
ReplyDeleteAs always a wonderfully composed post; thank you!
:-) Glad you enjoyed the post, Anna.
Deletehi robyn! it´s a wonderful blog here!
ReplyDeletei´m curious to see more of your work,-
with best regards from winterly germany
Hi Kjoto, thanks so much. If you click on the wood quilt in the sidebar it will take you to my website.
Deletein Australia those white reflective lines painted on the roads to indicate where pedestrians might cross and still retain their lives on the other side are called zebra crossings.
ReplyDeleteas a child i looked in vain for zebras at these places...
Too funny. Of course you would be disappointed by the lack of zebras!
DeleteThey call them zebra crossings here too...... and I know the feeling.... Where are the zebras? :-)
Deletewhat a wonderful set of images & poetry to inspire the weekend, thank you Robyn!
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling pretty inspired by them myself :-)
DeleteThe organic lines you have shown us are so well done...I haven't seen that work of Eric's which is wonderful, and Terri's too. And Brenda's - well all of them! Thanks Robyn!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you saw this post at Minimal Exposition, showing Eric's work. Beautiful big images!
Deletehttp://minimalexposition.blogspot.com/2011/01/eric-adama-cerulean-2.html
Clever Zebra! Maybe only we humans get trapped in thinking in polar systems..:)
ReplyDeleteOh I love ceramic works by Brenda and Poppy here...!! All images here are really inspiring.
The poem had me smiling all day. Brenda's and Poppy's ceramics are just wonderful.... well, you can see why I just had to include them in this post.
DeleteHi R - the shadow and water reflection stripes really do it for me - a subtle reminder that we artists are still catching up. Thanks for sharing. B
ReplyDeleteElise's photo makes me want to dive right in .... or at least twiddle my toes under water and into the sand.
DeleteI love Shel Silverstein! I remember tapes of his poems when my daughter was little. What a wonderful collection of such a basic design theme, just shows the breadth of the human imagination and creativity. Some great new finds for me and I love Terri Brooks work.
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
I would love to have read Shel's poems to my girls when they were little.... if only I had known.
DeleteWith this post I have fundamental options to consider when choosing between the kind of stripes to wear : 100% handcrafted stripes from prison or vertical zebra stripes.
ReplyDeleteJust kidding ;-)
I always like your posts you they are perfectly lined up.
I always thought the striped prison outfits were very becoming ..... well I just love black and white stripes!
Deletebeautiful post and blog, thank you for sharing my photo.
ReplyDeletehappy week end!!!
Elise
Elise, thank YOU. Your beautiful photo has quite an effect on me. Besides making me thirsty, I really need to get to the beach or a mountain stream soon.
DeleteThe Silverstein poem is perfect here, and the art stripes inspirational!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the post, Marie. I've enjoyed seeing all the stripes together in a post.
DeleteI absolutely love the poem by Shel Silverstein. It says so much about life. And thank you for the long list of links that are new to me!
ReplyDeleteLOL.... Now where would you find the time to follow the links, Seth? Though you do need to take a coffee break every now and then.
DeleteThat picket fence and sand image is just brilliant! It is like seeing something for the first time that has always been there.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I think taking your camera with you, makes you see those things that were always there.
DeleteHello! I like the wisdom of this poem so much, that I will learn it by heart and will go back to it often, often. often...!
ReplyDeleteBrenda Holzke's art impressed me most. Such lovely baskets and banded ceramics!!
I should look around me for more stripes...:-)
Hello Rossichka! You will be surprised at just how many stripes you will find. Don't forget the shadows ! Glad you enjoyed the poem.
DeleteI'll take photos of them, whenever I can! Oh, the shadows...!:-)
DeleteThese stripes are mesmerizing. Love the pottery esp
ReplyDeleteand the top image has such Power. But i loved the tiger
on your tumblr, so much.
I didn't learn of Shel Silverstei until college when some students teased me for not knowing this author and then nabbed me after class to sit outside in spring and read to me some of his poems. They thought it vital that I know these things. :)
Hope your summer is cooling and it feels good!
The tiger needs to be here doesn't it?! After doing this post I've been alert to all things striped. We've had some very hot days but the cool days in between make it bearable. Autumn is in sight so I'm happy.
Deletethe poem works so well with the images Robyn, and the work is just so yummy, love Brenda's work and seeing it here...
ReplyDeleteYummy indeed!
DeleteCheeky Zebra!
ReplyDelete.... but I like him anyway :-)
DeleteLove Shel Silverstein - and your art discoveries!! Always something new to check out here!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading up on Shel Silverstein's poetry. This is probably my favourite.
DeleteAfter dots and circles, my next favorite pattern is STRIPES... my socks and scarves either have stripes or dots. You have some wonderful examples of stripes in art here.
ReplyDeleteShel Silverstein and stripes....it just doesn't get better! Thank you for always setting the smile on this face!
ReplyDeletethese are wonderful striped offerings Robin!!!
ReplyDelete