Pam Smilow Tree of Life Series I and II: Day and Night , mixed media on paper 60” x 22” each, $4000

three things we love

Many of the images above and below are clickable and lead to further information, so click away….

Wise Indigenous Quotes

From the website inspiringquotes.com, here are a few wise proverbs from indigenous people world-wide:

The roots of all things are holding hands. When they cut down a tree in the jungle, a star falls from the sky. — Lacandón proverb

We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. — Aboriginal Australian proverb

Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins. — Cheyenne

Don’t be afraid to cry. It will free your mind of sorrowful thoughts. — Hopi proverb

Where there is true hospitality, not many words are needed. — Arapaho proverb

The Last Tepui

Biologist Dr. Bruce Means and Climber Alex Honnold

Alex Honnold hanging from a tepui in Guyana

Many carnivorous plants are found at the summit of the tepui

I always knew I wanted to be an artist ever since I was little but second choice would have been a journalist. After seeing the film The Last Tepui, I now am reconsidering. This biologist, Bruce Means, might just have the coolest job around although I could do without the spiders and snakes. I watched this mind-blowing Nat Geo film the other night him while staying at my new friends Dede and Scott's beautiful little house deep in the woods of Otisfield, Maine. The Last Tepui is the story of an 2021 expedition into the very remote and untouched region of condensed sandstone mesas, known as tepui ("islands in the sky") that rise out of the jungle between Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil. The purpose of the trip was for Means to carry out his last field study in the area (he was eighty at the time of the film) with an expert climbing team (including Alex Honnold of Free Solo fame, National Geographic explorer Mark Synnott Venezuelan Federico Pisani and an intrepid team of photographers and local Akawayo guides). The Last Tepui documents their exciting, extreme journey and climb into this unbelievably biodiverse, untouched region in search of undiscovered species of frogs, snakes, spiders, etc. Thrilling is an understatement, even from the quiet of our living rooms...Couldn't recommend this film more highly. Here is a link to the trailer and film itself.

Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is a big deal in Europe. This year it kicks off on May 10th in Turin, Italy. The competition begins with 40 countries, with two semi-finals on 10 May and 12 May and then reducing to 26 groups for the grand final on 14 May. Systur, the Icelandic entry consisting of three sisters (and their brother on drums) is something that caught my eye (ear) with their song Með Hækkandi Sól. So did the upbeat song Trenulețul (The Little Train) sung by the Moldavian folk punk band Zdob și Zdub and folk musicians the Advahov Brothers. To have a taste of other current entries, click here for a sampler with songs from around the world
And if you are really interested, here are past winners of the Eurovision Contest 1956-2021.

Charity of the Week:
Unicef

Products of the Week

Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching…Let’s not forget to celebrate our moms…

Animal Giclee Prints (100+images) by Pam Smilow and Gert Mathiesen, 8” x 10”, $150 Framed

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.