Painting of the Day

"Fall at Blackman's Lake" 10" x 13" watercolor

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this month and with all the creative outpouring of words, I've had little chance to paint. And so, after nearly three weeks of no-painting I just had to get out my brushes and paint something.

I've been watching the trees for weeks, trying to remember the process of color in transition from Summer to Fall. We had several strong wind storms early on that tore the leaves from the trees. But a few in sheltered areas kept their leaves for a bit longer. One morning at dawn I looked out my window and saw one tree still dressed in golden leaves catching the morning sun. I did a quick sketch in colored pencil and took some color notes. Then I left the sketch on my desk for nearly two weeks. Tonight. I decided to try and capture the image in watercolor.

I like the result. I think it suggests the trees in the marshland behind my house pretty well. It's also nice to know that I haven't forgotten EVERYTHING I've ever learned about painting after all that time off. ;-)

#SOCIALMEDIUM at the Frye Museum in Seattle

#SOCIALMEDIUM

Today, I went to a  “crowdsourced” exhibit at the Frye Museum in Seattle. It was called #SOCIALMEDIUM.

A few months ago people were asked to vote online for their favorites from the Frye’s 232 late 19th- and early 20th-century European painting collection. The vote was taken over a two week period in the form of “Likes” in social media. 17,000 votes were cast from 500 cities world-wide and the most popular paintings chosen for the exhibit. It wasn’t just votes the museum was tallying, but also the comments associated with the paintings. Some of these comments were later added to the descriptive labels posted in the exhibit.

The walls were filled with the names of people who voted

It was an unusual and exciting show combining old ideas and new. The comments added a dynamic touch - modern voices, some knowledgeable about art, some not, “voicing” their opinions about the European masterpieces. To me, the interplay of words and art felt like having a conversation with friends in my living room. Very engaging.

"Woman in Costume" (1910) by Leopold Schmutzler

 

Social media comments for "Woman in Costume"

 My favorite comment above was made by Lindsey Rae Gjording who said - "Eyebrows for days."

According to the Frye staff #SOCIALMEDIUM is a hit with visitors. It’s helped people engage with the art in new ways. Here are some of the paintings I liked from the exhibit with the associated comments:

"The Birch Grove" (1900) by Ludwig Dill

Comments on "The Birch Grove"

"Landscape with Church Towers" (1912) by Franz-Xaver Hoch

Comments on "Landscape with Church Towers"

The Frye is among the first museums in the country to try crowdcurating. Good for them! If you're in Seattle, I’d encourage you to check out #SOCIALMEDIUM. It runs until January 4, 2015. It’s definitely worth the visit.   

Obligatory Selfie