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Tag Archives: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Studying van Gogh

17 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, paintings, sketching, Uncategorized

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art museums, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Van Gogh

On a wintry morning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I went from gallery to gallery looking at art. I was looking at the people as much as the paintings.  I was on a mission to find a new subject or subjects for my own paintings.Image 2

I have recently been fascinated with museum visitors.  Generally speaking, they seem to be so intrigued and at peace with their surroundings.  It was so nice to see people happily disappear into the art in a room. Museums were a refuge.

In a small gallery in the contemporary section of the Metropolitan (gallery 826) there was a room of Van Gogh’s.

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I came across this small group of people looking intently at the “Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat”.  It was painted by van Gogh in 1887, on the reverse side of a painting he had done earlier “The Potato Peeler”.  He was known to do these studies back-to-back to save money on canvas. It was an educational exercise in technique for him to do these self-portraits.  He is quoted saying “I purposely bought a good enough mirror to work from myself, for want of a model.”

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This group of four seemed to be together, and spent a long time studying this one painting as others moved through the gallery.

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It was their only interest.  I found myself getting caught up in their observation, asking my own questions.  The group speaks for itself. The small painting is like a magnet. Art is a wonderful thing.  It can bring out the best of ourselves, even as just observers.

 

 

Overture: The Met

02 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, paintings, sketching

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forsythia, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

The Metropolitan Museum of art has been a place I’ve returned to again and again over the years. I grew up on Long Island and escaped whenever possible in to the city. The Met, MOMA, Central Park…lucky girl. They all still feel like home.

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No matter how short the train ride from where I lived on the north shore to Penn Station, the anticipation would build to full, blown out excitement.

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I still feel that anticipation. And a visit last winter to the Metropolitan gave me the same feeling.  This time the trip was longer, and I took a plane rather than the train. It was absolutely frozen outside.  But inside it was golden. Huge boughs of forsythia were everywhere in the main lobby.

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The crowds shed their coats  and strolled under the yellow petals waiting for the day to begin.  It was like hearing an orchestra tune up before the concert starts.

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After plotting the course of the day throughout the museum and lingering for a few moments more under the spring flowers…

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finally they moved into the hallowed halls.

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What a perfect introduction to a magnificent museum.  This is “Overture: The Met” which I completed this summer.  It never gets old. The museum and painting in my studio are both wonderful.

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Spring Morning: The Met

08 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, paintings, sketching, Uncategorized

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Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, oil painting

The second in a series of gallery paintings I worked on this winter is a 30 x 24″ oil called Spring Morning. In many ways it was the most complicated of the three.  Dealing with architectural elements is always a challenge for me, and this scene was no exception. But the lobby of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is magnificent, and worth the effort.

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I try to work out problem areas early, before I put paint to canvas.  Sometimes the drawing is one of the most difficult phases, especially in these with multiple perspectives and an overhead viewpoint.

Image 2Notice in the upper left hand corner where I realized in time that my floor tiles were out of line.

Image 6I didn’t notice an issue with the center podium under the flowers until later in the process.

ImageThe proportion and scale were slightly off.  Still easily fixable at this point.  One of the hardest lessons to learn is to look carefully, then look again.  A lot of time I find a tea break and coming back with a fresh eye helps to see issues.

Image 2

Often I photograph the work in progress (therefore all these lovely progression photos).  When I put the image up on my computer screen I often spot something that I might not notice staring constantly at the actual canvas.  Rather like a fresh pair of eyes on a new point of view.

Image 3Sometimes I look at a black & white version of it on the computer to check my contrast and shadows.  It all helps.

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And finally comes my favorite part…adding detail and breathing life in to the work.  I work on mood and shadows, depth and atmosphere.  On this piece I actually ran a glaze with a golden hue over the canvas to soften and unite the many parts near the final phase. Each day it progressed in the rich layers of transparent color and small detailed highlights.

Until, as in this case, the soft light streaming through the doors adds a glow to the entire scene.

Image 1

All photos and images by me.

 

 

 

 

Winter Escape

06 Thursday Feb 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Travel, Uncategorized

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Tags

Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

I have been putting a lot of hours in at the studio over the past several months and loving every minute of it.  What better way to spend this long, cold winter.

Fifth Avenue, next to Central Park, in New York City.

Fifth Avenue, next to Central Park, in New York City.

But at times the artist needs to go out in to the real world to find new inspiration and increase their artistic vocabulary. A good friend of mine, and wonderful painter, was having a show in New York City this week, and I decided it was the push I needed to go up north and revisit the area that had inspired me so much in the past. And a little snow never hurt anyone.

Entering Central Park early in the morning.

Entering Central Park early in the morning.

After one plane delay, and many icy encounters, I reached New York City.  And it was magical in the snow.  I started my visit by entering Central Park’s south edge early the next morning…

Entering the Mall area.

Entering the Mall area.

The avenue of old elms was closed to pedestrian traffic for fear of falling ice and branches.

The avenue of old elms was closed to pedestrian traffic for fear of falling ice and branches.

Benches are waiting for spring.

Benches are waiting for spring.

And ended at the Metropolitan Museum of Art….

The lobby of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The lobby of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

which was bursting with forsythia.  Spring must not be too far off.

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I spent hours wandering through the maze of galleries…

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visiting old favorites,

Degas and Ballet…classic beauty

Degas and Ballet…classic beauty

and discovering new surprises.

In the Asia wing, these classic statues...

In the Asia wing, these imposing statues…

Face off with this contemporary brushwork.

face off with this contemporary brushwork.

It was as wonderful as I remembered.

A group of artists spend their morning sketching.

A group of artists spend their morning sketching.

I only gave up when my legs couldn’t walk one more step, and stopped at the American Wing Cafe to take a break.

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I think I’ll dream about forsythia tonight.

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And remember enough images for a seasons worth of inspiration.

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