Winter Collection

Finding Beauty in Winter: Six Thoughtful Art Recommendations

Despite the hibernation, drizzle and early sunsets, winter can be a time to foster a sense of tranquility, rest and an appreciation the slower pace of life this season brings. Rather than mitigating the effects of winter, this collection of visual art, writing, and music encourage an embrace of the season in whatever form it takes in your life.

I think it’s going to rain today by Nina Simone

Simone was no stranger to covering both contemporary and traditional songs, and this 1969 rendition of Randy Newman’s I think it’s going to rain today is one of many she made unmistakably her own. Elements of Simone’s myriad of musical influences can be heard throughout the song. Even in the opening seconds, she adds baroque trills followed quickly with dissonant jazz-inspired chords. Light piano accompanies her ever-powerful and evocative voice.

Her rendition adds a further emphasis on the contrast between the mostly bleak lyrics and uplifting music. The lyric ‘human kindness is overflowing’ immediately precedes ‘and I think it’s going to rain today’, setting the tone for rain to be a positive, almost cleansing, force.

So, next time you have to walk through the rain, put your head phones in, play this song and watch the misery around you transform – small details you might otherwise miss become beautiful, cinematic moments.

The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski

This album is somber, soft and a true embrace of winter. It is built for hibernation, when energy is low and daylight is precious. Each song is both distinct and clearly intertwined with each other track to create a dreamy, melancholic yet inviting body of music. Her vocal timbre lends itself beautifully to the musical arrangements and the album’s overarching themes.

Here are some standout tracks to help delve in:

I’m Your Man – The sonic depth of this song is created by muffled strums and a low, booming drum pattern. Canine references, both lyrical and sonic, contribute to its complexity and enthralling nature of the song.

Heaven – ‘I bend like a willow thinking of you’, ‘stay a while and listen for heaven’: these poetic lyrics are set against classical elements such as strings and gentle piano, in tandem with drawling country guitar and lazy drums. Paired with her soothing, echoing vocals, this song feels like an embrace.

My Love is Mine All Mine – This one had to be mentioned. Its lullaby-like tempo gives the track a tender, intimate atmosphere.

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Gut punching, emotive and inspiring, this book breathes life back into you. Set against the New York creative scene in the 1960s and 70s, Smith chronicles the story of two creative souls, entwined and devoted to each other. Against a dark, gritty backdrop, Smith’s eloquent writing and raw emotion paint a life-affirming portrait of her youth and creative origins.

The Given Note by Seamus Heaney

Based on a song called Port na bPúcaí (trans. ‘The Tune of the Ghosts/Fairies’), this poem chronicles the story of a fiddler who sets out to transpose sounds of apparently mystical origins coming in from the Atlantic Ocean.

Through the tale of this fiddler, Heaney celebrated some of the elements of Irishness that are held most dear; the fiddling tradition and the importance of music, the Irish-speaking islanders, the unruly Atlantic weather and wild Irish landscape, and Celtic legends of fairies and ghosts.

The poem is a meditation on the mystical origins of all art and the human ability to create something from nothing. As expected, Heaney’s own ability to create something beautiful out of nothing, and his command of language, is extraordinary. This poem exemplifies his ability to appeal to all our every sense, engulf us in his literary world, and evoke feelings of awe and wonder at the nature of human creativity.

The Sleeping Venus by Paul Delvaux

Delvaux creates an entrancing sense of depth, drawing the viewer into a dark, peaceful and intriguing world. While a proclaimed reject of surrealism, it is clear Delvaux was inspired by elements of the movement. The amalgamation of classical and Gothic architecture, distant, distant and imposing natural landscapes, and expressive female figures form the foundation of this dreamlike scene.

Regardless of what is going on around her, the central figure of the sleeping Venus stills the entire composition to a state of stasis. Her calm, untroubled presence in the face of the surrounding disquiet is reinforced by Delvaux’s use of colour. Dark, slate greys and dusty creams and beiges allow her bright skin to glow.

In 1944, in Nazi occupied Belgium, Delvaux created this version of The Sleeping Venus while the city around him was being bombed. This stark contrast of creation and destruction – and the psychological discord produced by their juxtaposition – is what gives the painting its tangible, evocative power. It serves as a reminder that there can be peace and beauty can exist within darkness, a notion that feels particularly resonant at this time of year.

Casablanca, dir. Michael Curtiz

Winter feels like the perfect time to get lost in cinema. And black-and-white films, especially one considered to be one of the most spectacular love stories ever told on screen, offer exactly that.

For most of viewer, the premise is so removed from our everyday lives that it instantly transports us. Set in Morocco during the depths of the Second World War, this tale of doomed lovers, resistance fighters and moral ambiguity is as tragic as it is enrapturing. With Rick’s bar as its epicentre and the ever-present motif of As Time Goes By, this film engulfs the viewer from its opening scene.

Conclusion

In the final weeks of winter (which can often be the toughest), I hope these recommendations help foster a sense of acceptance and appreciation for the season’s quiet beauty.