Poetry and Art, Katherine Mansfield and Moy Mackay

Katherine Mansfield was born Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp, in 1888, into a socially prominent family from New Zealand. She was born into a middle class family and was first cousin of author Countess Elizabeth von Arnim. Her father, Harold Beauchamp, went on to become the chairman of the Bank of New Zealand and was also knighted. The Mansfield family moved to Karori in 1893, where she would spend the happiest years of her childhood; she later used her memories of this time as an inspiration for her work

Very Early Spring by
Katherine Mansfield

The fields are snowbound no longer;
There are little blue lakes and flags of tenderest green.
The snow has been caught up into the sky--
So many white clouds--and the blue of the sky is cold.
Now the sun walks in the forest,
He touches the bows and stems with his golden fingers;
They shiver, and wake from slumber.
Over the barren branches he shakes his yellow curls.
Yet is the forest full of the sound of tears....
A wind dances over the fields.
Shrill and clear the sound of her waking laughter,
Yet the little blue lakes tremble
And the flags of tenderest green bend and quiver.

Artist Moy Mackay was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1966. She graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1990 with a BA (Hons) degree in Design. Since then, she has lived and worked in the Scottish Borders.

delete reply mitchylr wrote on Feb 18, '10 I loved the artwork of Moy Mackay. Wonderful broad strokes and vibrant colours :-))

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Feb 18, '10 forgetmenot525 said Now the sun walks in the forest, He touches the bows and stems with his golden fingers; They shiver, and wake from slumber. There is nothing in those words not to like, describes well perhaps the most anticipated time of year.

delete reply stillwandering wrote on Feb 18, '10 Wonderful post! The painting are vibrant!

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Feb 17, '10 now we are talkin' :)