I visited the Seattle Art Museum for the first time last week to see the Intimate Impressionism exhibit on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. I am sharing this photo represent the collection because Oysters, 1862, Edouard Manet is featured on the home page of the art gallery. I have no intention of reproducing the collection without permission, so I'll show you this glimpse above to encourage you to seek out these glorious Impressionist artists on your own.
The limited engagement (October 1, 2015 - January 10, 2016) at the Seattle Art Museum posed a challenge for many art lovers. I know that I tried to make plans with a group of women to see the exhibit together, but the timing was difficult over the busy weeks leading up to the holidays. I made it downtown with Dan and my mom the last Friday night it was open and I am so glad we did.
The exhibit included 68 intimately scaled paintings displayed across many large rooms to accommodate the crowds. There were images that were familiar in style, like Claude Monet's ARGENTEUIL, CA. 1872, that had soft blue skies and white sailboats on a summer day. See some examples of Monet's Argenteuil paintings here.
I didn't realize that the subject matter of this collection would be so broad. When I think of Impressionist, I always think of landscapes. However, this exhibit covered people, pets, food and Degas' ballerinas. I enjoyed the mix and was interested to see how many times I confused Monet, Manet and Pissaro.
I'm sorry to say that the exhibit has closed and that this beautiful collection is on its way back to our nation's capital. It should be on display again as soon as the renovations in the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art are complete.
Ooh la la...for a brief moment I fooled myself into believing that I was at Giverny, Claude Monet's home and gardens which was the setting for many of his famous water lily paintings. I have always wanted to visit Giverny, which is about 45 minutes from Paris, but I have never scheduled it into my itinerary. In the past, something wonderful has always trumped it, but I intend to make it a priority the next time I visit.
I am thinking about making this image into an art print for my family room. You can easily upload a photo to the Costco Photo Center and have it printed on a stiff museum-quality semi board that you can then hang on the wall. The treatment is casual, but effective. Remember how pretty my hollyhock photo turned out?
Sometimes the best art for your home is something you created yourself. And when Costco makes it this easy (you can also order canvas prints, which are more expensive, but also more formal), why not give it a try?
Would you believe I found my own little Giverny just minutes from our cottage? I left Glen Arbor, Michigan after a wonderful visit with a friend and was driving north on M-22 when I noticed that the pond I love (that appears in the woods next to the road) was flecked with white spots.
I pulled over to the side of the road, gambling that the white spots were water lilies and I was right! What really made me happy was the Impressionistic reflections on the water that look so much like Monet's waterlilies. Isn't it gorgeous? What you see above is an unaltered photo - it looked exactly like that to my eye.
I can only wonder how many artists will be inspired when they find this little piece of heaven by the side of the road. Are you inspired? As for myself, I can hardly wait to get to Michaels Craft and buy some canvas and paints!
