Temptation of the New! Exploring.

Albert Einstein said, "Once you stop learning, you start dying." That seems a bit intense, but when brother Buddy asked me if I had worked with water mixable oils, I had to admit, of all the crafts I had not tried, that one was not tempting. He said it is such fun to work with oils but not have the smell and the cleanup. You just wash out your brush and containers with water! "Why not," said I!

Exploring online, I liked what I read about Cobra brand water mixable oils and bought a set of ten tubes. I was going to NYC to see Alice Neel before it closed at the Metropolitan Museum, Cezanne at MOMA  and the Medici Portraits at the Met, so these paints would be easy to get into and carry on the spirit. At the art store I had earlier asked a helper what had most recently excited her that the store started carrying. She introduced me to Arches paper that is gessoed. Although she suggested the gessoed paper for studies, I like the fact that Cezanne often put several paintings on one big sheet or canvas and Tanquy his dealer could be seen cutting out the assorted gems to sell, three paintings from one. I loved the oil paints.

I had read in the Times and seen photos of Cezanne's drawings and watercolors or colored pencils and thought I must be prepared for that as well. I went armed with a good 0.7 mechanical pencil with leads that were darker than usual. I loved working in a Cezanne spirit,  but of course forgot the colored pencils. I picked up a limited number at the Met. It was 95 degrees in NYC but it seemed open and beautiful again, while nightly I would color: paint and draw. When I returned home I couldn't quit. Cezanne said he sketched daily; and the late in day drawing prepared him for painting the next day.

The oil painting did not dry immediately  like my gouache paintings did, so I ordered  Daniel Smith water mixable medium that speeds up the drying. However. the water mixable oil paint lifts so beautifully and covers so well when wet, I was excited to keep working on the self portrait. I was so mesmerized drawing sunflowers one early morn in the dark with my new mechanical pencil and dark lead, I dated the drawing 2020 instead of 2021.  

And I haven't even told you about the superior drawing lessons online: Art Making at the Princeton Museum which reference their collections and take you on more trips of the mind and hand.Nor did we discuss synthetic squirrel watercolor brushes. As Michaelangelo said at 87, "I am still learning." I also like "The expert in anything was once a beginner."

Recovering December: Use it or lose it

       A post a month is my goal, although in the beginning, ten years ago in 2010, it was one a day. Life happens and I missed December 1919, but not the art.

      First stop in NYC was the Whitney Museum in Chelsea. Katie alerted me that Liza Lou had a room, an entire kitchen, made of beads. Joe and I favored the 6th floor. The sculpture also grabbed us: some giant animal ceramics and Arneson's striking bust. In the cafe there were pumpkin seeds all over the tops of the oatmeal cookies and a favorite, pimento cheese, was turned into a dip with chips. We walked the High Line for more art.  

The Met was next where we went to see Vallaton's art. His prints and paintings staggered.A revisit to the Christmas tree was a bonus, a creche as I was in pursuit of creches, missing mine lost in the fire. I was inspired to see an elderly man with his stool and mounted paper, sketching ceramic or clay wrestlers in charcoal. If I lived in NYC I would spend many of my days in that building.The subway had a post from Michelle Obama's painter; the street, a peace display; the Mexican food restaurant, murals.The cucumber margarita seemed healthy.

 

Neue Gallery merited a revisit.This time, I read about Kirchner's paintings, especially  colors, before my visit. I saw a lot more. The Austrian meal and coffee in the best booth underlined our good time. Every evening after dinner  I would draw Joe or the flowers in my sketchbook.

       Joe and I continued to the Met Breur for Vija Celmins, plus a New Year's Eve lovely meal. And why not the Jewish Museum with its honoring a gallery owner who advanced modern art in America?It was a  big show of favorites, from folk art to modern. Then, still pursuing a creche, we headed to the Museum of Natural History, the American Folk Art Museum and the Museum of Art and Design where a self portrait in cactus caught our eye.

      At the French restaurant around the corner, Joe found this brass plaque about the area where so much art is being shown in and out of museums and where we had such a good time. Read about the trees and The Night Before Christmas gift to all children.

       After a week+ we hit the road home. It was only in New Haven at Ten Thousand Villages that I found my creches. Joe then asked at home, as we opened the mail, if I would draw a New Year's card of the two of us and Harry. I tried and quickly experienced "if you don't use it, you lose it!!" Hopefully, some day I wll get back to work.

How did I forget to mention the Frick!!! Super show of Manets and sculpture!