Slow Art Sunday - Cassatt

With the season of spring breaks underway, Slow Art Saturday would like to offer a tiny hiatus from your regular hustle and bustle with “Children Playing on the Beach”.  Slow looking can give you a few peaceful moments even if you don’t head to a warm sea for spring break.  These two little cherubs playing blissfully in the sand certainly takes down my heartrate. 

American born Mary Cassatt painted this lovely setting in 1884. Well known for her tender scenes with mothers and children, some have suggested that this painting may have been a tribute to Cassatt’s sister Lydia who died two years prior.   

Most of Mary’s adult life was spent in France, first to study and then staying on to make art as she became friends with many of the French Impressionists.  Her family later joined her living  together in Paris.

So, even if this masterpiece is only the size of your cellphone screen, let it take you away to a warm shore for a little R & R.  (by the way, the numerous blues in this painting are my favourite!!)

#slowartsaturday #marycassatt #childrenplayingonthebeach #impressionistart #slowart #slowlooking #slowartflow

Slow Art Sunday - International Women’s Day

I just made up a new rule for Slow Art Saturday (which is what you get to do if you’re running the show!).  Here it is – not all artwork featured on SAS has to be famous.

Since this past Wednesday was International Women’s Day, I have chosen a painting that I created (see? not famous!) in 2017?? and gave to my eldest daughter.  She was involved for several years with International Justice Mission’s “Dressember”; a movement leveraging fashion and creativity to restore dignity to all women. I love their hashtag for the project which is #YouCanDoAnythingInADress   —including end slavery!

This mixed media piece (36” X 12”) simply called “Sisters”, hopefully communicates the most basic premise of Women’s Day which is equality for women in all realms.

#slowartsaturday #internationalwomensday #equalityforwomen #internationaljusticemission #dressember #sisters #slowart #slowartflow #bcartist #mixedmedia #mixedmediaart

Slow Art Sunday - Seurat

This week for Slow Art Saturday, let’s direct our gaze to a summer setting (we can dream) and take a slow look at a beautiful Georges Seurat painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grand Jatte”.  This lovely artwork captures a scene from a Paris park on the River Seine.

When art unexpectedly comes across my path as Seurat’s did this week, it seems like the right time to feature it.  Hooray RNB, for recognizing it from our 70’s childhood game of “Masterpiece”, which is weirdly no longer in production!

Seurat was a French artist who sadly lived a very short 31 years and died of an illness speculated to be pneumonia or meningitis. His young son died of the same disease two weeks later.  Seurat was known for developing the technique of pointillism which is a method of painting small distinct dots of colour to form the shape.  Seurat studied colour theory and practiced the use of applying opposite or complementary colour dots and letting the eye blend them together.

Let your eyes do the work of moving around the painting, wherever they go naturally – this one has so much to see.  If you look at it from a different angle or position, do you notice other details.  Of course, it could be tricky to get another angle on a phone screen so we might need to take a trip to Art Institute Chicago to see the original!  Check out the closeup of pointillism in action in the second photo.

Enjoy your summer day at the river.

#slowartsaturday #georgesseurat #a sundayafternoonontheislandofgrandjatte #pointillism #dots #complementarycolours #slowart #slowartflow #riverseine #impressionism

THREE THINGS Issue 03

THING ONE
 

I love me some British telly and my favourite art programs from across the pond are “Portrait Artist of the Year” and “Landscape Artist of the Year”.  Tune in and you will get to watch people painting in a competition that is timed and high pressure.  Not every artist will be to your style but I think it’s extremely impressive what they all manage to produce in four hours.  Despite the same view, it's fascinating how different the finished paintings are. You will absolutely know there is always room for more painters in the world as everyone makes their own unique impression.

Amazon Prime has a couple of the early seasons of both series, Makeful channel has some as well, CBC Gem has one season of the Canadian version, but YouTube has tons of episodes from all 9 seasons so far.  Of course, they’re a bit hard to keep track of there but you can still find endless hours of entertainment watching paint dry. 

Somewhere to start:
Landscape Artist of the Year 
Season 08 Episode 01
Landscape Artist of the Year 2019 Finale
*Spoiler Alert* - This link is to the winner’s commission.  Her work is amazing but don’t watch it yet if you want to find the full season first.
Portrait Artist of the Year
Season 03 Episode 01

THING TWO

Years ago I took a little online course about Antoni Gaudi and was smitten with this distinguished artist.  Since then I have wanted to go to Spain to see his many grand works of architectural art in person.  I haven’t made it yet but thought I would share one of his masterpieces in case you find yourself in Barcelona looking for something to do. 

La Sagrada Familia (Temple of the Holy Family) was started in 1882.  Gaudi came on the project a year later and revised the plans to a design based on forms found in nature.  It became his life’s work and he died before it was fully complete. Construction has continued intermittently since his death with a deliberate goal now to complete the Basilica by 2026 (the centenary of Gaudi’s death).

This monumental beauty was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984 and you can enjoy a virtual tour on the website.

Gaudi was “Ahead of his time, unique. A man of faith, observer of nature and genius architect” (from official website).  I think his work adds a brilliance to the cultural landscape that is awe inspiring.

THING THREE

Scientists are discovering that feeling “awe” changes how our brain works in a way that is actually good for us.  I find this to be great news considering how easy it is to be filled with awe. Apparently, research has shown that children who consume good culture and nature are much less self-absorbed than their peers who don’t spend time laying in the grass and staring at the sky. If you’re out of the habit it may require generating a little list so I thought I would help you to get started.
 
Stare at the night sky.
Think about the size of a single cell in our body (1/10 the size of the width of a hair).
Think about the size of a blue whale.
Find a painting you like (even online) and look at it slowly for a few minutes.
Walk in a forest.
Ponder how the invention of electricity changed the world.
Listen to some music that moves you.
 
I know you can think of many more but the key is to remember to think about the things on your list and take the time to be awed (being odd isn’t so bad either).

That's a wrap for March.  Happy coming of spring! 

Artfully yours,
Glenna
 

Slow Art Sunday - Hokusai

Inspired by snow that insists on still coming around, we are travelling to Japan on this Slow Art Saturday. Take some time to observe “Morning after the Snow at Koishikawa in Edo” (1830-32). The artist, Hokusai, was born in 1760 in Japan and lived during the Edo Period when people enjoyed the arts and culture and relative peace in the country. He is best known for his woodblock prints (Ukiyo-e) and most recognized for his series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” of which this is one.  It is a lovely far-reaching scene which includes a teahouse where a waitress points out Mount Fuji to guests. You may be familiar with Hokusai’s most famous work, “The Great Wave” (swipe to see).

He began apprenticing as a wood carver at the age of 14 and although Western art was forbidden at the time, Hokusai had seen some smuggled paintings and prints.  He combined this influence with traditional Japanese style and revolutionized the Ukiyo-e form.  

The word “Manga” was first used by Hokusai when he created amusing images for fellow students. It has lived through the centuries to now be a popular Japanese comic style.  Spend a few minutes looking around the whole picture.  What stands out to you most. If you were to now title this artwork 200 years later, what would you call it?  Happy looking!

TAKE NOTE - Family Day and Van Gogh’s Art of Loving People

British Columbia is one of the provinces in Canada that now observes Family Day. It was, I assume, invented due to the bleakness of the Canadian February, however, the premise of setting a day aside to spend time with your family is a very good one.  This year the holiday happened to coincide with me reading up on the 50th anniversary of the Van Gogh Museum and I was pleasantly surprised with how the theme of “family” dovetailed together that day.

The first exhibit now open for the VG Museum’s half-century celebration is called “Choosing Vincent” and is Van Gogh’s life story as he interacted with his family. There were well over a thousand letters sent from Vincent to his family with the majority of them addressed to Theo, his younger brother.  It’s easy to see from these records the love and support they had for each other. 

Unfortunately, Theo died not long after Vincent which meant Vincent’s vast art collection was left to his sister-in-law Jo, Theo’s widow. If it wasn’t for Jo’s tenacity in raising awareness of Vincent’s talent, his work may never have reached the level of fame that it has.  After her husband’s death, Jo moved to a town known for attracting artists and opened a guest house.  She learned from those artists how to navigate the art world and through exhibition loans to museums all over, publishing Vincent’s letters to Theo and other strategies, she worked hard to let the world know what an outstanding artist Vincent was.  Theo and Jo’s son, Vincent Willem, founded the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 1973 and continued the family culture of advocating for this important painter.  The fact that Theo and Jo named their son after Vincent with the wish that their child be as determined and courageous as his uncle affirms their deep love for their brother.

Vincent was profoundly touched by this gesture and painted “Almond Blossom” as a gift for his new nephew.  He was always fond of nature and at the time he was living in southern France where blossoming trees were one of his favourite subjects.  As well, he was incorporating a Japanese influence into his paintings with the theme of serenity to calm his mind.  This beautiful painting became a gift that was greatly cherished by Jo, her son Vincent and future generations, giving them reason to never sell this particular work.

Here are a few lines from Van Gogh’s later letters to Theo:

“Sincere thanks for your kind letters which gave me a great deal of pleasure…I often think of you both and would very much like to see you again.”

“I read your kind letters, then the letters from home as well, and that did me an enormous amount of good in giving me back a little energy, or rather the desire to climb back up again from the dejected state I’m in.”

“Dear brother and sister, 

Jo’s letter was really like a gospel for me, a deliverance from anguish...”

Oh, how lovely and soothing an encouraging word from home was for Vincent.  And truly isn’t it for any of us? The supportive assurance of loved ones, related or not, can absolutely help us through difficult times.  Vincent has also been quoted as saying “there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people” (and he knew artistic).

Dear Mom…

Slow Art Sunday - Van Gogh

On this February Slow Art Saturday, I thought Vincent Van Gogh’s lovely “Almond Blossom”, painted in February 1890, would encourage thoughts of hope and the coming spring. 

As we celebrate Family Day weekend, it seemed fitting to remember how Van Gogh’s family loved and supported him and his art throughout his short life and challenging struggle with mental illness. His younger brother Theo especially looked out for him, saw the best in him and encouraged him to paint through hard times. Theo and his wife Jo named their first child Vincent Willem with the wish that he be as determined and courageous as Van Gogh.  This touched Van Gogh deeply and he painted “Almond Blossom” as a gift for his new nephew.

Vincent Willem went on to found the Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam which is just now kicking off it’s 50th anniversary with an exhibit called “Choosing Vincent”.  This display highlights the important role that his family played in him becoming a world-famous artist. (there is lots of art and great stories on their website). 

So, whether you celebrate an official Family Day or not, it’s always a good day to show your family members some love!

#almondblossoms #vincentvangogh #vincentvangoghmuseum #familydaybc #slowart #slowartsaturday #slowartflow #bcartist #familylove

THREE THINGS Issue 02

THING ONE

On this happy St. Valentine’s Day, I thought I would tell you that I have ancestors a couple of generations back with the last name of “Valentine”. Lucy Valentine in particular had many nice things that got passed down through the family and I have received the lovely locket pictured here. Inside you will see a photo of Lucy herself in all of her fashionable 19th century glory. Facing Lucy on the other side and under glass is her woven hair. Some may cringe at the thought but in the past, it was considered a sign of love and devotion to give away a lock of your hair, especially if you were to be apart from your loved one for a time. 
 

Be sure to remember someone you love today (lock of hair not necessary ;)
 

               
 THING TWO
 

Have you come across the children’s book “The Creator in You” written by Jordan Raynor and illustrated by Jonathan David?  What a winner this one is!  It’s an enchanting read about our creator God and is especially lovely for encouraging the kids in your life to embrace their own God-given call to create.  The story is engaging, the illustrations are gorgeous and any artist, young or old, I’m sure would appreciate a copy.  Find it here.

                                               

 

  
THING THREE

“Emily Post Etiquette” has a place setting layout pattern for an informal dinner that includes 14 items. For one place setting!  As lovely as that may be, and I do appreciate good etiquette Emily, I’m thinking we could simple that down a bit and still provide a welcoming place for guests to come to the table.  Whether a full dinner, a bowl of soup or just for tea, sitting down to a set table adds a special feel to the invitation. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not above eating out of a takeout bag with friends and I do believe the primary purpose of setting the table in the first place ought to be the gathering and sharing of food with others. Doing it in style is an art that can add that little extra to the occasion.   

You know who sets a beautiful table?  Check out the flair with which Janice (my cousin ) sets a pretty Valentine table here. And if you look further, you’ll see it’s just one of many.
 

Well, that’s it for February!
 

Lots of Love 
Glenna

Slow Art Sunday - Hollins

February is Black History month and if you don’t already know Janice Hollins, Slow Art Saturday would like to introduce you to her.  Jan is a current American textile artist who makes beautiful art with quilts and other fabric creations. 

The history of quilting in the African American community has a lovely, long heritage and Jan is no exception, learning to quilt with both her mother and grandmother.  Her art quilts are exquisitely pieced to create both a stunning picture and a compelling story.

Here are three quilts for you to take a slow look at called “Days Gone By”, “We Will Survive” and “Hands of Gold”.  Take a minute to think about the tale that Jan is telling through each work.  Her wonderful colours are worth focusing on as well as you view the art today. 

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Slow Art Sunday - Vermeer

Did you pour milk on your cereal this Slow Art Saturday morning?  Many of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer’s paintings focus on domestic life portrayed in a simple scene and are known for their great luminosity. 

I chose Vermeer’s work today because I wanted to let you know that if you happen to be in Amsterdam between now and June 4, you can go to the Rijksmuseum to take in the largest Vermeer exhibition ever held (opening June 10). Of the only 37 known works by Vermeer, 28 have been collected from far and wide to be in the exhibition so this is really an amazing opportunity.

If you won’t be able to make it, take a few minutes to look slowly at this lovely work of art called “The Milkmaid” painted in 1657 (WOW!). You may decide to employ the “See, Think, Wonder” routine to this painting today – What do you see? What do you think about that? What does it make you wonder?

By the way, if you do go to the show, could you pick me up a “Miffy” at the gift shop please? (swipe to see 😉.