My trip to Hartford

I took trip number three to The Wadsworth Atheneum museum of Hartford for this class. Although you would think it small it holds more art work the you would expect. This museum is the oldest operating art museum in America. They continually bring in new exhibits of all types of art. They also house many master pieces permanently. I felt that the collection seemed to have an over abundance of religious works. I know many museums do but for some reason I felt WAM had more then usual.

As always I was thrilled to see Monet. I can’t get enough. The brilliant pastels and faint lines make such wonderful paintings. One of my favorite things to do is to get very close to the paints (as close as the grads will allow with out yelling at you… yes that has happened to me!) and look at the brush strokes.

Claude Monet, born in France in 1840 is most well known for his paintings of water lilies. He also painted simple landscapes like fields and meadows. Another paints you may have seen(although not as well knows as the lilies) are his snow covered hay stakes.

Monet was labeled as an impressionist. He preferred to call himself “independent”. He would not have been considered a staving artist. He was very well known by the mid 1880’s and was also the leader of the Impressionist era. This was also the time frame that he became a land owner. He developed his beautiful garden with the pond full of water lilies that he is so famous for. You may visit the garden and walk over his Japanese bridge. Claude Monet passed away in 1926.

His cool colors, soft brush strokes and what some may call lack of detail has a very relaxing affect on the viewer. It is calming to see the swooning lines of the lilies. Only he could paint this way. The artist was Nearsighted and painted with out glasses which is the reason for his feel.

I have posted for you some Monet’s that I saw along with other works.

My sister and I took Emily to the Florence Griswold museum yesterday. What a wonderful time of year to see this historic property. The history of the museum is very interesting. According to the women that I talk with at the front desk, the museum has a total of 5 buildings (not all are open to the public)

The website gives an excellent prospective on the history of the property. The first artist found the home in 1899. Looking to paint an landscape he asked the home owners if it would be alright for him to spend some time with them. The family haply accepted. When word got out about the property an alliance know as the Lyme Art Colony formed.

Although the family had a rule that only artist were allowed to stay at the home, they made one exception. In 1903 President Woodrow Wilson came to stay with them. He brought with him his wife and daughters and was so taken by the property that he came back three more times to visit.

The main Museum was adorned with beautiful Christmas trees. There was an exhibit with sculptures and one of the women artists of ct. My Favorite was “A Portrait of Mother and Child 1914” The artist was a woman by the name of Amanda Brewster Swell. She was a women artist who lived in Connecticut from 1859-1926. I found this Painting to be reminiscent of “A caress by Marry Cassette which can be seen at the New Britton Museum of American Art.

Being a new mom I feel I was draw to this painting simply for its meaning. It shows a mother and child in a loving embrace. The artist doesn’t an excellent job portraying that there is no grater love in the world. I also like the soft tones of the paint. I have seen other paintings of similar subjects in bolder coloring. Although beautiful, now seeing this painting I feel that she pastel colors are better job of putting a soft touch to this heartfelt subject

Again another gemstone hiding among us in our home state. If you did not see FGM as one of your day trips for class, I would recommend it as one to take on your own time

*I have included an up-load of "Baby's First Caress for you all to see in comparison to the painting at FGM"

Yale

It’s so wonderful to live in an aria that is so rich with culture. Many will say Connecticut is so great because 2 hours north we have Boston and 2 hours south we have Manhattan. Lets not over look the fact that we have the finest university in the country in our home town. This gives us access to wonderful facilities that include the Yale Museums of art.

I was able to share this experience with my mother and Emily. Even though she is so young I feel it is important to expose her to art. I have taken her to every museum I have been to and even talk to her and read the captions out load. You may think I am crazy but I feel that the more I expos her to it now, the more likely she will be to understand it and appreciate it as an adult.

I saw some intrusting work this time around. They had a Photo exhibit that was all shots of “eye teasers”. They were pictures of things that trick you into thinking they are something ells. For example I think one may have been an up close shot of some ones leg folded cafe to thy but it looked like cleavage. It was very cool! I also took a shot of a Picasso that I think I have seen on display before.

There was a painting of an artist that I have never seen before that I decided I wanted to dig into a bit and learn something new. His name is Sano di Pietro. I had a hard time finding a bio on him so I am not shore how well know he is but I did find his art intriguing.

Sano di Pietro was an Italian painter who lived in Siana from 1406 to1481. He went to art school in Florence. He is most noted work was on the Cathedral of Siena. He was classified as a Renaissance painter. His would have been considered in competition with Raphael.

The Painting is called “Saint Anthony Abbot tormented by Demons”. It is Tempera and gold on panel. This medium seems to be a trade mark of the artists as I found more information on him plugging in the medium then running a search on his name. Tempera is paint made with egg yoke. You can grind the color into the yoke. Artist like this paint because it dried very quickly.

The painting was commissioned in 1435. If my art history serves me right I belive this was a time when the artist we not free to paint what they wanted to paint. They were told by the church what it was they were to do. Most of the time it would be ether a religious work, painting Nobles or architectural painting.

The painting caught my eye do to its brilliant coloring. It shows the Saint tormented by four demands in a tropical looking setting. It looks to me more like something that would be painted more recently because of the way the demands are portrayed. They haven’t seemed to change too much over the years. I also find it interesting that the demands are attacking him in what look to be such a paradise. I think the artist was trying to show that it does not matter who you are or were you are that any one can be tormented by there own diamonds, any time any place.

All in all Yale was a great trip. I would defiantly recommend this as a great museum to some one who is looking to learn more about art and is not ready to hit a big museum. It has a little bit of everything but yet it is small enough to not run the risk of being over welling to a young person or a new adult just getting into art.

N. Rockwell

For the past few years my Family and I have taken a trip up north to the Berkshires to visit the Norman Rockwell Museum. It became a tradition when my mother decided she was going to buy me his works called the four Freedoms. We spend the morning walking the museum then head an hour north to the Yankee candle factory and eat lunch at chandlers and wonder the factory for some Christmas shopping.

I thought what better an artist to write a paper on then one that is actually hanging on my walls with great meaning. Norman Rockwell is as American as apple pie and probably very different form other artists you may have seen in going to the MET and the Wadsworth.

Norman Rockwell was Born February 3^rd 1894 In an upper west side Manhattan. When he was young, his father would read all the great works to him as he sketched out the images that came to his head. His family encouraged his skill and sent him to various art schools. His first commission came while still a student at the Art League. He was asked to compose a set of 4 Christmas cards.

In 1916 Rockwell began his work on “The Saturday Evening Post”. This magazine shot him into fame with his whimsical characters on every front page. The Basement of his museum has a copy of every cover hung on the walls from floor to ceiling. A total of 321 covers were created.

The “Four Freedoms” were created During World War II. He called them “his personal contribution to the war effort". He thought of the freedoms after President Roosevelt Said that his hope for are nation was that every family have “Freedom of Speech,” “Freedom to Worship,” “Freedom from Want” and “Freedom from Fear”. They turned out to be so successful that the works toured in an exhibition that raised $139.9 million for the war.

The freedoms were published in the “Saturday Evening on 1943 in conjunction with essays. The paintings also ended up being reproduced as stamps for the US postal serves in the following years.

The museum does not allow photography and when I attempted to take pics of my works, the glare from the glass was showing so what you are seeing are internet images of the work I have in my Dinning room! I also included a few others as well. The strange figures are gargoyle figures out side the museum.

I also put a pic up of my very unhappy Emmy meeting the big guy for the first time! This was the very last thing we did so she had was done with our adventure by this point!

Back in action

So I am re-instating this blog page for My museum class. I will be going on some adventures in the next few weeks!

I have already hit up the MET. LOVE IT!!

I will be going to Yale in the next day or two

Wadsworth Anthem will be after that

I also plan to go to Old Lyme

New Briton is on my list

The finally will be Boston!

Thought I would post a pic of my pumpkin!

Ok all, lets see if if im doing this right!

My name is Steph. I’m close enough to 25 to say I’m 25, married with 2 cats and a house in my home town (Madison).

The Past week or so has been like re-living a past life all over again. I was a day student at AMC from 2000-2002. I had to take a brake but hear I am back to the grind stone.... I am taking 3 classes this Mod. A science class, a history class and this Art class... can you guess what one is guna be my fave??? LOL

Any way, to start off I thought I would share one of my absolute favorite it pictures for one of my favorite artists. Although you true enthusiast will laugh at me because of his commerciality, I adore Thomas Kinkade. The way that he makes things glow as if full of Christmas lights amazes me. I can stare at any of his work for hours.

I also thought I should show you a pic of me as well. The one I chose is of my sister Kelsey and I . She is 16 and going to be a Jr at Guilford High next year. We are very close

Good luck to all!