The Steins Collection

I saw the Steins show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s on until June 3rd. I only have a few words: get there quick.

What can I say about this astounding exhibition: Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Pierre- Auguste Renoir to name a few. Not only are the paintings spectacular, the show is also an amazing story about two bohemian collectors who had tremendous foresight.

I was reminded of the movie Midnight in Paris which touches on the Gertrude Stein and her collaboration with artists of all types in Paris. I was fascinated to discover by the exhibit's virtual view of where Gertrude hosted the Saturday night salons in which the artists would come to her house and share their latest work.

I left the museum on such a high: Paris at the turn of the 20th century, walks through the Tuilliers, discovering Picasso, what romantic bliss! Je prends le champagne, darling!

A bientot.

Starlet Chorus Line Queens

I did a series of large abstract paintings in the fall 1995. Several months later, was opening night – wine, cheese, jazz and the paintings hovering over white walls like starlet chorus line queens at their first show. They looked great.  I remember after the exhibition was over, I sat in the corner of the room for a while and felt smitten. All the hard work and angst over these paintings had paid off.

In the summer of 1996, I rolled up the 5 by 7 feet paintings. Today I unearthed them for the first time. Sixteen years later, I can still hear that jazz beat, I smell that cheap wine, I sense the clatter of people's comments and me, much later, sitting on the floor looking up at my beauties.

I eventually want to do something with this collection. A piece of me wants to cut them up into little paintings and mount them on boards. Another part of me wants to trim the edges and frame them. For right now, I’ll let them simmer in my head as I produce more paintings . . .

Here I am, amongst them, really to show scale.

Here is the glorious group of beauties, "sunbathing" in the yard.

Here is a close up.

Here is an extreme close up.

Here is my foot next to an old foot print. Oh! I used to love those old shoes. They were my first pair of Simples.

A bientot.

Three Minute Watercolors

I got out my rusty stop watch (the one my husband used to time out my contractions during labor) and watercolor paper. I set up an object and gave my self three minutes. Here's one of my attempts:

Try it. You'll be surprised with what you see! A bientot.

Back from Arizona

We were on vacation last week so I wrote a little poem about coming home. I suppose I needed a little more time out west!

 Upon Return

Mesa tables drift through
the vast western desert plain.

Cactuses suspend this idle time
and promise fountains of oasis.

Catch the upward open sky
to descend this vacation high.

Abound blue goes to sheltered view
surrounded by sparse budding trees.

Settle humble cabin life- lake and woods

where violets bloom on bereft return.

Here’s a quick painting from my new sketchbook. I did this rather quickly. More entries on working with time constraints to come . . . A bientot!