Ray Downing

Easter video message: What was the purpose of Jesus' life?

Looking for a beautiful Christmas gift book?

Great exhibit: The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine. At the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge MA.

Illustration from the nursery Alice (1889/1890), an abridged version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll. For the nursery version, 20 of the 42 original black and white illustrations were enlarged and colored.

Illustration from The Taylor of Gloucester (1903) by Beatrix Potter, one of the world's best-selling and best-loved children's authors. She grew up in a family with artistic leanings, from photography to painting to embroidery.

Illustration from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by English illustrator Arthur Rackham (1867-1939). His whimsical trees, a mixture of nature and human forms, would become characters of their own.

#eclipse2024 Otherworldly feelings as this eclipse was accompanied by a drop in temperature and a sudden breeze. A nearby barred owl started calling and was answered by a distant call. Everything went back to normal within minutes. Strange experience. Catskill Mountains in New York.

Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates illustration (1921). This influential illustrator created the iconic pirate garb as we know it today, since no examples of pirate dress have survived.

Noli Me Tangere, by James Tissot (1836-1902). French painter and illustrator of The Life of Christ, an impressive series of 350 illustrations. Tissot traveled to the Middle East to absorb the culture and the landscapes in which Jesus lived. His works depict the region in an accurate and realistic style. Happy Easter!

The Last Supper (1896) by Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret. This painter, the son of a tailor, became on of the leading French artists of the naturalist school. A beautifully intimate portrayal.

The Kiss of Judas (1886-1894). Illustration by French painter and illustrator James Tissot. Opaque watercolor over graphite.

Palm Sunday: The Procession in the Streets of Jerusalem, (1886-1894) by James Tissot, a French society painter turned illustrator of The Life of Christ, a series of 350 watercolors illustrating the New Testament from Jesus' birth to the Resurrection.

The highly personal style of famous illustrator JC Leyendecker in full display in this 1927 advertisement for Arrow shirts and collars. Leyendecker was a great influence in Norman Rockwell's work.

Masterful use of clouds and shadows to create a three dimensional effect. The Giant (1923) by N. C. Wyeth, an illustrator who brought to life many works of classical literature.

Stunning use of light and color. The Lantern Bearers (1908) by Maxfield Parrish, one of the giants of the Golden Age of Illustration.

@Rainmaker1973 With Lincoln's birthday approaching, I thought I would share my own artistic commemoration of his tragic assassination. This video was created using 3D computer graphics. See more images and videos at raydowning.com/lincoln-gallery

The Lincoln illusion A heavily pixelated image becomes clear if you squint or look at it from afar. In 1976, Salvador Dali showed it in his painting Gala contemplating the Mediterranean Sea, which becomes the portrait of Abraham Lincoln. [📷 LANOEL]

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? Here is an inspirational Christmas eve story for the whole family. Turn on the sound and enjoy 🎵 🔔 🎵

It's been 40 days since we celebrated Easter. Today we celebrate the ascension of Jesus. Please share and enable sound for the full experience.