Last fall, my husband Tom and I traveled to Europe for a mix of visiting museums, eating great food, and collecting board games at the big convention held each year in Essen, Germany (hey, we all have our Thing). We had a great time--lots of excellent Roman pasta was enjoyed and new board games were acquired and shipped back home.
The Museum visits, however, were another story
I had planned to go to one of my favorite museums, Musée d'Orsay, in Paris and visit some of my beloved Impressionist painters' works. Seeing other artists' work in person teaches me so much about how they juxtapose colors, move their brushes, and see the light. I couldn't wait to bring those insights back home to my studio.
Tiny problem...it was sold out
Turns out in the semi-sorta-post-but-not-really Covid world we are in, or however you describe this time, a lot of people are traveling again and museums (and airports, historic sites, etc.) are not really re-staffed at the same pre-pandemic levels, so many now require reservations. In the past, I was able to buy a ticket and walk right into Musée d'Orsay, particularly in the autumn shoulder season. Sadly, this time, I needed a reservation, which booked up within minutes of the museum opening, as it was the first day of a new Van Gogh exhibit--poor planning on my part. Instead, Tom and I walked for miles and had lunch in a café, which was not the worst way to spend the day. I put my museum visits on hold until we were in Rome a week later, after the board game convention. We went to the Vatican Museum and the Palazzo Borghese to take in the art and history.
In Rome’s museums, what I found surprised me
It's been a while since I've been to major museums. I'd forgotten that while the paintings and sculptures are technically beautiful in how the marble is carved and paint is blended, very often--too often--the subject matter depicts bad 'me too' things happening to women. As I walked through room after room, I lost the interest in the works because the subjects, frankly, were terrifying.
And that's when it occurred to me
One of the reasons I love abstract, non-objective, and Impressionist art is that I can get lost in it. The colors are soothing or energizing, the compositions pleasing, and I can bring what I want of myself to the canvas.
I am not the subject of the work, but I am included
Abstract and non-objective work is more about the paint, the emotion we feel when seeing the colors, and painting gestures. A painting that to me is about love, could be about a sunset to you, and a perfect morning walk to someone else--and all of that is valid. I paint non-objectively so as to invite you into the work--so you can bring your memories and feelings to it, so you can find your joy in it. At the end of the day, my goal is for you to feel better for standing in front of my paintings.
Why I love Claude Monet (even though it's not so chic to say that)
Claude Monet is one of the most widely-recognized artists and for good reason. Among a lot of the Art World, however, his work can be seen as too easy, not challenging enough to be worth a lot of consideration. And yet, when there is a retrospective of his work, people travel thousands of miles to see it. They queue up for hours at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris to see his large scale water lilies paintings in person. They take the train outside Paris to visit his home and studio in Giverney and experience his gardens and the Japanese bridge in person. Ok it's me. I am 'they' -- but I know I'm not alone in these Monet pilgrimages. Seeing Monet's work, home, and studio in person has brought me so much joy. His work matters, even though it's often criticized for being too easy to like, too joyful, and deceptively simple. Honestly, to me, our ability to connect with his paintings is what makes it powerful and why so many of us keep coming back to it. He was immersed in painting his local and natural world and teaches us all how to love what's beautiful in our daily lives.
All of these years later and his work continues to influence choices I make at the easel. Much of his colors and way of painting favorite scenes in a series, is part of the works in my upcoming solo show at Fogue Studios & Gallery here in Seattle (March 2-30, 2024).
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