The rain of Seattle kept me inside this spring (plus I've been decorating the new house) so I had no idea that the special exhibition "Seeing Nature" (a collection of landscape masterworks from the Paul G. Allen Family Collection) was closing so soon. Get thee to the Seattle Art Museum before May 23. I am very new to Seattle and am very interested to learn about influential figures in the area. It is unlikely that I will ever run into Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) at a party, but if I ever do I can now chit chat with him about his landscape art collection. What first struck me was that while all technically landscapes, the styles are so diverse. I would love to have heard the logic behind curating this collection. Some paintings are cram jam with perfectly represented objects, like Jan Brueghel the Younger's The Five Senses: Sight. The happy clutter reminds me of my old studio on a busy day.
And then not much farther into the collection we see the dreary gray and black gas station known as Untitled by Ed Ruscha. While it may convey a stark commentary on the place of energy in our past, it hardly seems to fit into the collection as a whole. Yet that is the beauty of art; where color and content are in charge and the message is up for interpretation. I found myself jealous of the Paul Allen who owned one of Monet's Water Lilies, happy for the Paul Allen who saw beauty in a psychedelic work titled The Grand Canyon by David Hockney and worried for the Paul Allen that selected Untitled by Ruscha. His life is surely as complicated as his art collection and I appreciate that he was willing to share it with the public. People talk about the vastness of the ocean and how small it makes them feel. I get that feeling when I stand close to the dried paint of a masterwork.
The collection Seeing Nature includes 39 significant works that span 400 years and is only on display another week! The paintings are by a wide range of artists including Gustav Klimt, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Georgia O'Keeffe and I think you will have a thoughtful and interesting experience viewing them. Let me know what you think. #seeingnature #momentsofdelight
I wrote about having a Master Plan back in 2009. When I referred to it again this week in my post about decorating cookies with edible wafer paper, I occurred to me that I left out part of the explanation. Having a Master Plan can mean that you have a stockpile of ideas that you want to try, much like a Pinterest Board, and that satisfaction comes when you follow your plan to completion, like when I finally put that French ribbon around my bouquet of mustard-colored roses. What I neglected to say is that a master plan can also include ideas you've had for years. I write this because of the images above and below. Every year I try and get a few good pictures of the landscape - cherry orchards, rolling hills, vineyards, barns, trees. Why?
I want to embroider or needlepoint the landscape of northern Michigan. Rolling hills with trees in every shade of green, a cherry orchard (french knots?), Lake Michigan in the distance. I know that I can buy a software program called "PC Stitch" that converts photos into cross stitch patterns, but I'm not ready. The software costs $50 and once you load it onto your computer you can convert images forever. So my dream its within reach, but I'm not done thinking about it yet. Does that make sense? It is part of my master plan. My suggestion is to make note of things you'd like to try. When you think about it again and it comes even more into focus, jot those ideas down too. There's no hurry. Let it percolate.
I've made a new friend here in Seattle (yea! She has made my stay here so much more fun) and she invited me to her home to see her garden. I knew that she loved collecting blown glass and that she often attended art shows, but I really learned about "her eye" when I saw how artfully she has designed her outdoor living area. I loved it!
It was a little too cool and misty to sit outside that evening, but I fully intend to walk around on the patio and spend some quality time talking out there when I get the chance. I was particularly drawn to the woods behind her garden. Enormous pine trees with long smooth trunks surrounded by fern - I could see into the woods for a long distance and there were a million shades of green. I kept commenting on the woods and I realize now that I probably sounded funny to them. It reminded me of when we had a friend who had been living in Kazakhstan visit us. When we were leaving for dinner, I was telling him about the "signature pasta salads" at a restaurant we were going to. He said he really just wondered if they'd have a salad of green lettuce. Um...yes? He said that it was hard to get fresh produce that time of year in Kazakhstan and he couldn't wait to have "green lettuce." I felt the same way in this beautiful Washington forrest. I was supposed to be noticing the garden art (which I did love) but I couldn't stop talking about the trees.
Look at these glass flowers! Perfectly at home in this natural setting and a brilliant way to bring year round color to an outdoor space. I had never seen art pieces like this on display in a private setting. I had only seen them at art shows and when 50 pieces are together, they are beautiful but the color and movement is too overwhelming for me. Here, when they are artfully arranged, I can see them exactly as they were intended and I love it! (2/19/16 Update: I just met the artist that made the flowers (in the first photo) at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle. Her name is Katy LaReau and you can buy her work here. It is a fairy garden for grown ups. Bravo!
Ooh la la...Olana! I was able to route our day of exploration in the Hudson River Valley to the estate of the famed American painter, Frederic Church.
My mom has long admired the paintings by the artists of the Hudson River School and she has several beautiful coffee table books on the subject. In this case, school in Hudson River School is used to describe the style and era, rather than an actual place of study. While I was in Upstate New York, I heard the phrase "fleet of sloops" coming through the phone receiver every time I called home. You see, a relative of mine was the Captain of a fleet of sloops on the Hudson way back when and my mom was trying to peak my interest.
When I asked more questions, I found out that my relatives were from Nyack, much farther south down the Hudson than I would be able to travel on this long weekend. But I'll be back, armed with a camera and a family tree and I promise to tour the area properly.
Frederic Church was a prized pupil of the Hudson River School founder, Thomas Cole and they both eventually lived and painted on opposite sides of the Hudson River. Our enthusiastic guide pointed out Cole's home, which is also a historic site, as we looked at the familiar view from Olana's porch.
I have a policy of stopping in the gift shop first, whenever I visit a museum or historic site. You see, I love to buy cards, posters and paper souvenirs at museum gift shops and it only took me "running out of time" once to set this important policy. Remember when I only had about 8 minutes to shop the store at Windsor Castle? I showed the teenage clerk what "power shopping" meant! Anyhoo, now I start at the gift shop and always I have plenty of time to explore my options. This is what I bought at Olana; framable cards of Church's major works.
I may scan one of these images and then print it on inkjet fabric and make it into a personalized souvenir. Remember how this painting-turned-pillow turned out? You can shop for postcards from Olana here.
The home, Olana, that Church collaborated on with architects, was heavily influenced by his overseas trip to Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Syria. The Persian-style home includes intricate woodwork, painted glass panels and mosaics. Church was even known to mix the paint color for the walls himself - creating just the right hue to complete his vision. His paintings hang in many rooms around the house and are all in place, just where he enjoyed them, during his life.
Photography is not allowed inside Olana, but I found this official video that talks of his life, inspiration and tours the inside of this famous home. If you are interested, you should watch this official video created for Olana, a State of New York historic site.
I was able to get a few great photos of Olana's exterior.
And this one of the grand porch, just off of Church's studio, overlooking the Hudson.
And the same porch, photographed from the outside.
One aspect of Church's work that I wish that I could show you are his sketches. There are few framed upstairs that show the landscape roughed out in pencil, then you can read his writing that says (something to the effect of): "deeper blue here, lighter than sky" or "moss green - A and B" and then you could find the A and B on the sketch, as if Church was building his own paint-by-number. I had never seen an artist's sketch like that, have you?
I am so lucky to have had a chance to go on a guided tour of Frederic Church's Olana and then wander his gardens on the estate.
While living at Olana, Church had the property planted with thousands of trees and plants to create a lush landscape to paint. It is an inspirational estate.
I've been on an adventure in upstate New York. This incredible view is from the Helderberg Escarpment in Albany and is compliments of Uncle Bob and Aunt Jan, who drove us to this spectacular vista to help us get a sense of where we were. What a day!
I am just home now and pulling together all of my thoughts to pour into the blog. Stay tuned for paint, art and goats. I'm serious!
There is nothing quiet as relaxing as painting. My mom and I always make time to paint when we are at the cottage, we sit on the patio or in the garden and try to make something beautiful (and recognizable) with our new palette of paint. Did you notice what I'm mixing paint in? An empty egg carton tray! Often organic eggs come in these wonderful clear trays at the grocery store (even The Merc!) and I always save them to upcycle into art trays or bead holders. I found this set of acrylic paint tubes at Homegoods for $3.99, including 2 paint brushes! I also bought a 3-pack of canvas panels (4 x 6) that were on sale for 40% off at Michaels, so I think each panel cost about a dollar. With supplies this reasonable, why wouldn't you try and experiment with painting? You see, I have a weakness for art supplies and usually can't resist the beautiful and reasonable watercolor sets that you can buy at Michaels. Have you seen them? I buy a new one every year and get the same feeling as you get from a new box of crayons. Love it! Let me be clear. I really don't know how to paint. I copy what I can with dabs of color and blurs of water. I think it is fun and give myself a lot of poetic license. I also throw away the ones that don't work out. It makes me feel better to never see it again. This painting was inspired by an impressionist piece I saw in a photo. The farther away you are from my version, the better it looks. Ha! I am planning on taking it to Michaels Craft store to find scrapbook paper to make into a pretty mat. Then I'll frame it, hang it on the wall in my office. It will always remind me of a beautiful summer afternoon I spent with my mom.
Would you believe that I took this photo just yesterday? I spent the day exploring Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City and captured this view from the vineyard at Chateau Chantal.
The ribbons of interest are as follows: the vineyard, a red barn and farm house with pine trees, a cherry orchard, a swath of trees and farmland, the water of West Grand Traverse Bay and the shore beyond. I love the layers and texture, don't you? It actually includes all of the elements that I have been looking for in a needlepoint landscape.
I know it sounds ambitious, but this really is the scene I would like to convert to a needlepoint canvas. I'd translate it using the same colors, designate special stitches to make each tree in the orchard stand out, do a long stitch to replicate the wooden planks of the barn. Oh, I think it would be wonderful. A lot of work, but wonderful.
Someday, when I have a little time, this will become my needlepoint canvas. A girl can dream, can't she?
These "shades of blue & green" are from a favorite day on Lake Michigan when the elements were backwards.
Normally, the air is clear and the water is a bit murky from the action of the waves. On this super calm morning, the water was crystal clear (look at the rocks!), but I could barely pick out the horizon. A heat haze was hanging over the water. It was still and gorgeous.
I hope this moment of delight gives you some room to breathe.
