Why am I writing this? the answer is probably to feel a sense of connection to everyone else out there. It's late at night and the question is whether to embrace loneliness or fall into technology. Has this become the new form of loving letter writing? I now have the sense that this is a universal human response. It may not be that everyone wants to feel a spotlight of technology on them to make them feel special, but to share a communal spotlight with every one else to avoid loneliness and boredom.
But this has never taught me anything, but writing to myself in my journal has taught me many things. And reading has taught as much as painting has taught me. So I say embrace the feeling of being by yourself. Take a walk. I think of this blog as a digital journal, and I know that if I am writing to merely get thoughts out then that is okay. I will continue to learn when I am at the easel or sitting outside, because this inter-connection to everyone on a daily basis is taking the power away from my relationships and time away from my work.
0 Comments
For my birthday, I had the pleasure of going to the Princeton University Art Museum and seeing some beautiful paintings. It's difficult to find information on a lot of the pieces at the museum online, but trust me, it is an unknown wonder. By the way, the museum has amazing information on all of the pieces within the collection on the plaques. Of course, I was immediately drawn to my areas of interest. There's a breathtaking 19th century gallery including a large Frederic Leighton painting, some studies by Ingres, a Rosa Bonheur sketch of a dog and this amazing Bouguereau that I am pictured with titled "Women with an Iris" (1895) amongst other works. There is also a Prud'hon pastel portrait of a man in its original period frame. Perhaps the most impressive is a partially finished oil on canvas painting by J.L. David and his studio as a copy of his 1787 masterpiece "Death of Socrates," which is on display at the MET. It's difficult to explain but the painting is partially finished because it was used as a teaching tool in his studio so you get to see the layers pealed back from finished to a rough ebauche underpainting. It's a great piece and very difficult to track information on. The museum has a great all-around collection, from Sargent and Bierstadt paintings, renaissance and Dutch masters to Roman sculpture and beautiful Japanese and Chinese works on paper. If you're in the area, stop by and see the collection, because it has so much to offer. |
Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|