The Monet Exhibit

meeting a bigger than life Monet as we entered

it's not easy getting timed tickets to the Monet exhibit in Denver. Then driving there, finding parking, walking distances to the actual door, etc. We did it, and on our appointed time were handed devises to listen to curators discuss the work. It took over two hours to see it all!

ahhhhh

the show was so large, organized by places he lived and worked, and styles. I loved one of these early paintings done from a high vantage point in Paris. Most painters of the time used a lower viewing point.  Aren't the frames magnificent? Note all the people, and mood, and pale colors.

I noticed he chose to almost always center his horizon line, to mute colors, to manage to add details while being abstract, and to mix pure color on the brush so that each dab of paint blended but not totally the colors.

I'm including detail shots, and was lucky enough to get very close to see brushstrokes. The guards were not like the ones at the National Gallery of Art in DC.
Monet was fascinated by nature, and frustrated by working outside painting in real time as the light is constantly changing his view of subjects.

He went out in all weather, always observant, blurring the lines between object and reflection, using almost the same intensity of color for reflection as object, so that the sky was often seen under the horizon only in the reflections.

forcing the viewer to choose where the object is and where the reflection is

The detail in each leaf, the composition was entrancing in this one to me

I admit I loved the ones painted in Italy.
I stopped a long time to absorb the gentle field scene with these children

this one fascinated me for the sun, painted with a strong spiral of thickened paint

The last galleries were of his time in Giverny, water lilies and bridges. He began to paint for an hour, then take breaks. He obsessively designed and redesigned his garden, even rerouting a river despite the objections of his neighbors.
He was a man driven to paint. He shared a love of light with his contemporaries, learned from them, respected them. He spent a lifetime exploring his unique vision and style, persisting in art despite his father demanding that he go into business.

He so inspired me that I bought a small set of acrylics to try his dab technique. I watched painters on youtube as they explained how to paint like he did. I like more intense color but I want to learn from someone who recognized the subtlety of color and light, and how the human eye mixes colors on a canvas.
this was one of two videos I watched:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpmdlAi0IUY

LINKING TO
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum visit

by Randa Milford I think

Just before the illness took hold of my life, we drove to Golden CO to see the quilt museum and walk around. We really like Golden and the stores are nice to Milo.

 The museum is beautiful and we were lucky to have a docent walk around with us and talk about the quilts. We learned how the curator chose from the large number of entries too. They range from hand pieced and quilted to a modern version of just cutting hexies and fusing them to a background

don't think I'd call this EPP

so here are a few pictures to give you ideas for your next work... apologies for not always getting pics of the maker's names, I was very cloudy thinking from getting sick.

I liked the way she floated star shapes swirling around the border, and the colors

I think the maker here is Karen Fisher.

this was to look like rocks and it's very inventive in it's layout and shapes.




 Each hexie is a different shape, yet they join on one side.

I believe this was made by Beverly Miller

I loved the impact her color placement made, the light to dark placement, the overall confetti effect and edge.

The light ones blend to look like dots are appliqued but they are pieced like all the others

Isn't this combination of hand piecing hexie's and applique charming?

I believe the maker was Janet Finley

Even if I didn't respond to a more traditional quilt, settings or colors, they had reason to come in close to see the hand of the maker. When you do EPP it's not fast, it's slow and deliberate like drawing as opposed to painting. Painting can be slow and deliberate but it can be done quickly with abandon too. 

Sketching can be done quickly but drawing like EPP is deliberate, placement of each stroke or stitch is considered.

I took a pic of this because of the details. The overall look was too busy and disjointed for me, but the details are so interesting in fabric placement. Note the fussy cut forest scene catching tiny deer in hearts. Intricate sewing joining different shapes that all come together into a unified top. Each fabric chosen for impact, bright yellow to set off the points that were carefully cut to show the same repeating lines. 

this maker was subtle in color but actually overfilled the space with intricate crazy quilt laces, stitching, embroidery and buttons.

a unique setting for a Pasagalia quilt. Fresh unified color scheme, values matching so that you see the whole piece not disparate colors, and the little flowers escaping into the border

I really like the quilting on this! It's difficult to choose a quilting design for these quilts that take so long to piece. The texture and line created in the final joining of back and batting to the top, is what makes a quilt and why we love to touch them. What artistry and vision these makers have.

The back room held a special exhibit of one woman's work. She left all her quilts to the museum in her will... what a grand idea.

What a riot of color in this little display. The museum has a store inside that had the largest array of EPP books I've ever seen. Many I've never heard of before.
Our docent invited me to join their EPP group. Golden is about 40 min away by bad roads but I think I will join them and meet other people as intrigued by detail as I am. I'll let you know how it goes!

Linking to
off the wall Fridays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays  
Midweek makers wednesdays

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
sew can do mondays

hoppy Easter!

Look, I finally caught a bunny!!!

Look what the Easter Bunny brought me! Oh and to Mama and Daddy too, heh heh.

Milo here, I met the bunny on Saturday and she was enormous! Not like the other bunnies I chase. I did taste her paw,

and play with her after a bit of barking and darting around

 but my friend Gabby just growled at her.
Mama was proud of me for being so brave. It wasn't natural, I tell you. At first I was scared but then I thought, whatever, I can play with whatever it is! Who cares what you look like, it's what I feel your heart is like that counts!

can you see the eggs just scattered on the grass???

There was an easter egg hunt and lots of fun kids around to play with,

and dogs too.

but it was hot.
I had a good time with all those people and dogs and eggs and bunnies!

Editor's notes:
there was an easter egg hunt in the park today, well more of an egg "GATHER" since they were just all over the ground,  and Milo was exceptionally well behaved. Whew!
He can be awful, or perfect. No middle ground for him.

We met up with his new friend Gabby, a rescue who is skittish about other dogs, and he tried to play with her, she stared like she had no idea how,  which she might not have.

Later, on our evening walk,  we saw her at her yard. She came right out under her fence to him, then back in for her ball, then back out to tease him.
I thought, uh oh.
She dropped it and he picked it up and tried to get her to chase him.
Again, uh oh. He circled and puppy bowed, and ran around her.

She stared again, then let out one bark, he dropped it and ran away! She picked it up, trotted back to the fence, went back under, to her owner.

Glad Milo likes kids and is a lover not a fighter. So when he's a PITA I have to remember he can be gentle too.
The Easter bunny brought some good things to eat, and a new dress for me, new trousers for DH, sweet snacks, and  new toys for Milo.

I used to wonder how that bunny could carry baskets, but having met her yesterday I understand now. We all needed a treat!

linking to

https://comedy-plus.wordless wednesday
pet parade 
all seasons
sundays in the city
pink-saturday/

31 days of posts Print making at the art museum

We went to the Denver art museum yesterday afternoon. What a hassle to get there. It's okay but nothing compared to the National Gallery of Art... it's hard not to compare them since we spent the last 24 years going to the National.... I know this is our new normal.

thick fibers woven

That said, it was fun to see a new museum. While DH waited in the long line (at 2:30 PM for Pete's sake! I thought we'd be the only people still buying entrances) I looked around the shop. It's a good shop for artistic gifts.

They had Chilhuly glass chandeliers just hanging in there. Not show cased or spotlit...and these are scarves for sale.I wanted this cool flexible bracelet but the catch kept popping open...

I bought nothing... whew! 

The day before I went to the local quilt shop sale, and purchased 6 yards of various prints averaging $4 a yard. As if I needed any more fabric... only how can a quilter/collector resist that price??? 

a sketch of faces before doing the etching  No I'm not touching it! It's about 3" X 4"

We took our time going through the Rembrandt exhibit, most of which was from the collection of France (originally Louis the 16th before the revolution) I learned so much about printmaking, and about the artistic journey of one man in 1600's Holland.

tiny and detailed, lines etched through wax, then acid poured in to etch the metal

There are people who say an artist should only work in one medium, and style. Bosh! I have always careened from one form to another and each informs the others. I went through a doll making phase and learned to paint faces. Then a watercolor phase that led to fabric painting... beading (still firmly in that) that led to embellishments, knitting, weaving, macrame and pottery, silk painting, photography, languages, cross stitch and embroidery (still enjoy that) and well you get the idea. 

Rembrandt did prints. He also did pen and ink drawings, oil paintings, and three forms of printmaking all at the same time with the same composition. He might even make a tiny 2" x 3" copper plate, cover with wax, use a tiny stylus to etch itty bitty lines to create the small detailed portrait, pull a print, then correct the plate, pull #2, correct, pull #3 etc til he was satisfied with the piece. 

the start to a 17th century joke??

He must have worked non stop throughout his life as he left an enormous body of work. It was fascinating to see the same composition done by sketch, oil paint, etching, printing, etc. hanging side by side. And so very tiny and detailed. I began to wonder if his eyes were those of eagles not older humans like mine. 

Did he have a wife and life? He must have been obsessed with art. He was apparently really good at self marketing as well, and business of art. I feel good at making art but not so good at marketing my work. 

They gave us sheets of magnifiers to better see the tiny lines he etched. I'd look at a piece, see a vague landscape, then see tiny dogs and deer, hairs, when I looked through the magnifiers. 

I liked this Native American woman's art

We visited the hands on area after, to try our hand at print making.

note to self: Next time reverse the word's letters

Luckily there were children there to explain the process to me. I did a very simple hand with spiral, and a word. Forgot to reverse the word so that when I spread a thin amount of paint over the styrofoam stamp I got an abstract print of a word.

Drew's print, upside down because I think it's cool this way

 Drew's etching was lovely, tiny thin repeating lines to make a pine tree and fence. I might frame that.

the way he meant it to be

It certainly made me want to try my hand with stamp making now. We are always learning. How you apply the ink/paint makes a major difference in the image. Rembrandt inked his plate so that ink filled the tiny grooves and wiped off the surface ink. Our prints are the opposite, ink on flat side not in etched grooves.

I once made a baking tray of gelatin,  to make  monoprints on fabric and loved what came out... I hope I locate those this year.

After the print making we walked through the other floors for an overview of permanent exhibits. 

Interesting mix. I liked the interactive nature of some areas... encouraging us to try our hands. A mother and son were at an easel, drawing the horses here.

There is a Dior exhibit up til March, so we decided to return to see that with fresh eyes. It interested me to see a few peacocks among those of us dressed comfortably for 20F weather... those tall women with bored faces, clacking along in heels on hard floors, draped in scarves and designer clothing, hair and make-up done. They would sweep past me as if I were a squirrel in the park. Not looking at me, not noticing they shoved past a human, bored look in their eyes. 

As a sociologist, it intrigued me. They had more important things to do than notice mere older women in stretch chords. Or so it seemed to me.

I did not feel less than, I merely observed behavior... from more than one fashionista there.

ancient pot with flamingos painted on the neck

Isn't that grand!!!

Sometime at the 5:30 mark, my eyes were full. I said, uncharacteristically (I stay til the end, ignoring physical needs) I said, "I'm tired... let's go and see more next time" so we made our way back to the parking lot and out of the city one more time. The drive was stressful to me, but we followed the breadcrumbs back to our suburb and our quiet house with the poodle waiting for us.