Genre Cookshop

Giorgio Morandi (Italian, 1890–1964)
Still Life (Natura morta), 1956
Oil on canvas; 9 7/8 x 13 7/8 in. (25.2 x 35.2 cm)
Yale University Art Gallery

MORANDI at the MET
Just back tonight from seeing the Giorgio Morandi exhibit at the Met. The show had a curiously dim, unassuming air, consistent with Morandi's reputation as a modest (and dusty) man, but in many ways the exhibit absolutely exceeded my expectations. At one point I became aware that I was faintly whimpering with some barely suppressed emotion...and I only realized it because some other show-goer gave me an alarmed look and stepped away smartly! ;-) Oh well. I wandered through the show several times (eventually the friends I was with got bored and went on ahead to lunch) and I would have happily stayed longer.

But we were due in Chelsea to drop off some paintings for the December group show at Sherry French Gallery. I felt a little dizzy later, sitting in Sherry's, discussing show cards and inventory numbers...as though I had just sledded top speed down a high mountain.



Nancy Bea Miller, Creamer, Cake, Coffee, 2008,
oil on canvas laid to board, 9 x 12 inches

Labels: artists, exhibits, galleries, New York City

DIVISION CHAMPIONS!
Young H's soccer team, coached by Paul, just won their league's division championship yesterday! It was a hard-fought game with beautiful team work exhibited by both sides. Our team scored the winning goal in the second half of overtime (!!!!) and I could just feel my hair going gray from anxiety as the minutes mounted. But what unrestrained joy when the whistle blew!

Not untinged with sadness on my part, for the defeated team. I have some great shots of both sides displaying incredible intensity, absolutely playing their hearts out. To come so close to the championship and then lose by a hair...oh man. However, I know this viewpoint is not "right" somehow, and that I am obviously just not a sports person. Except that I do like taking sports photos . And I am thrilled for my guys! Congratulations Patriots!

Labels: autumn, boys, sports

A MOMENT
last weekend, Paul with Henry. Henry is still very babyish in many ways, despite being six foot one and a hundred and eighty-five pounds. He is not quite as tall as Paul, but outweighs him easily. Still likes a "horsey ride" although he will soon be too big for this particular horsey!

Labels: autism, children, family

NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTY
My entire neighborhood seems to be in the middle of a long, slow, leafy fireworks display. I just cannot believe how beautiful the trees are this year, how intense and varied. And are they usually still flaming so brightly this late into November? This unretouched beauty was seen on my walk this morning.

Labels: autumn, neighborhood

VOTING DAY
Lots of signs, placards and slogans outside the polling place, but when I walked inside I was asked to remove a small political button I was wearing on my jacket. This seemed a bit odd, perhaps even unconstitutional, but I wasn't in the mood for a big brouhaha. I rolled my eyes, removed the button, and then voted. Which, after all, was the main point!

Labels: autumn, neighborhood

Parakeet Kiss
claws scrabbling for a stronghold-
sharp bite of the beak

Labels: animals, birds, haiku

I LOVE
the way this little tree looks like it is finally getting its turn on the playground carousel. Now that all the big kids are in school!

Labels: autumn, neighborhood, silly

LOU, IN MEMORIUM
This is from the beautiful funeral of my teacher, Louis B. Sloan, who died last week. It was amazing to hear his family and other friends testifying as to his rare character and the huge impact he made on their lives. He was such a wonderful guy. I was too shy to seek out a mentor among my teachers when I was a student, but Lou often reached out the hand of kindness and encouragement to me in a way very few of my other teachers did. It's a difficult business, being an artist, and learning to be an artist is also fraught with peril. People who go out of their way to be kind and helpful appear in memory like angels of light. Such was Lou!

I transferred to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) after a semester at another local art school. At that first place, I asked my painting teacher to show me how to set up my palette and he looked at me and said "Just FEEL where you think the paint should go, m'dear. No need to get too technical." Same for stretching canvases. "Oh just buy them ready-made. We are artists, not artisans!" After less than one month of this gruesome regime I'd had enough, and I secretly sent for an application to PAFA.

Lou was my very first teacher, on my very first day of classes at PAFA and thank heaven for that! Maybe I imprinted on him or something. But he was such a godsend! This was a still-life painting class (landscape came later) and when I confessed very little prior experience of oil painting he calmly took me under his wing, showed me how to set up my palette and clean my brushes and how to stretch and prime a canvas. He recommended books, and places to buy art supplies. And showed me how to accomplish dozens of other such small but important things. He also cheered me on and encouraged me, in his gentle way. I will be forever grateful to him.

My first class with Lou was that still-life painting class, and only a few months ago I myself started teaching a still-life class. It feels like some part of his spirit is with me, or within me, as I teach. Thank you dear Lou!

Labels: oil painting, people, teaching art

OFFERING TO THE GODDESS
From an Introduction to Drawing class this morning. I had affixed the cast head of Athena to the wall for my class to get a little practice in portrait drawing proportions and after they had practiced on her for a while (they did beautifully!) then I set up the fruits and gourds for a different, more organic type of drawing exercise. It's funny how it ended up looking like a sacramental offering!

Athena is the Goddess of of Wisdom, so it would not be entirely inappropriate for a drawing instructor to make her an offering, would it? She is also the patron Goddess of Craftsmen and Artisans, so maybe I should lend her to my husband Paul to hang up in his furniture design shop!

Labels: autumn, food, teaching art

ANXIETY

A Papillon meets a Springer Spaniel...oh dear! They went nose to nose outside the Lupine Gallery on Monhegan Island. I never saw so many people bringing their dogs with them on vacation as I did on Monhegan. Although the booklet published by the Island Association suggests that pets should be left at home, it seemed as though every third visitor had a dog on a leash. Perhaps the island has been listed in Dog Fancy magazine or some such publication as an ideal place to vacation with your pet?

As I myself did not have to break up dog fights or pick up dog droppings, I enjoyed the continual canine showcase. They are such beautiful creatures. In fact, I took so many shots of dogs that I could easily put together a photo calendar called Dogs of Monhegan!

Labels: animals, dogs, Monhegan