studying art and history

These are studies from a few weeks ago. I hope to try again while I still have daffodils in the yard. I haven't had the chance to paint or to comment on blogs lately.

We recently spent a few days in Philadelphia. We toured some historic sites, very inspirational, and we spent a day at the art museum. No, I did not run up the steps.

The exhibit Cezanne and Beyond was well planned, with an audio tour. It was interesting to see the ways in which Cezanne's work influenced artists who followed, but I was mainly focused on him. We also viewed a healthy collection of European Art 1850-1900.

As we headed back to Pittsburgh, we took a detour to Chadds Ford, to visit the Brandywine River Museum. It was so great to see the work of Andrew Wyeth, N.C. Wyeth, oh the many Wyeths. I lingered over Andrew's work, some of which included a written statement of his thoughts. It was heartening to see a painting dated 2008.

Our next stop was Shanksville, where we paid our respects at the Flight 93 temporary memorial. I was nearly oblivious to gentle rain and cold air as I stared out over the barren, sacred field. For a moment I imagined I was in a Wyeth painting, an expanse on the cusp of color. I'm at a loss to describe everything else I felt. I still have a lump in my throat.