Paper and Threads

It is snowing right now in New York City for the 3rd time in 7 days.  Trees are up everywhere and decorated.  Skaters are enjoying all of the skating rinks.  And I'm hoping for a white Christmas.

My Grandson Callum loves to pick out an ornaments for me to make for our Grandchildren.  I originally made this one in 1987, and we have one on our tree each year.  Yesterday I listened to NPR and made 9 Geese Hearts between 10AM and 7PM! The Geese are hanging  today on my Swedish Christmas tree until our grandchildren come over for dinner tonight.  Then Sydney and Charlie will decorate (i.e. refill) the Swedish Tree with small ornaments from a group project I had with my quilting friends in San Antonio.

This was a pattern from a McCall Christmas decorating pattern and remains a favorite.  Our houseguest this week traced the pattern to make one for her daughter and son-in-law who were married in November. 

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Thaw Drawing Collection at the Morgan Library and Museum:  I LOVED this exhibit and recommend it to anyone who loves drawings.  It is a very large exhibit, spanning drawings from before and including Rembrandt, through drawings from Modern and Contemporary Art.  Photos are allowed, without flash, except for a small number of the most recent drawings which have copyrights.  It is a tremendous resource for copying the Masters to study their skills and improve your own.

http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/drawn-to-greatness 

Through January 7, 2018 

Louise Bourgeois at MoMA:  The exhibit contains a huge Bourgeois "Spider sculpture" in the main atrium, and many different types of her work, including collage, drawings, paintings. and cloth book pages.  The strength of this exhibit for me was seeing how an artist expands their skills into many mediums.  Through Jan 28, 2018

Max Ernst at MoMA:  I'm partial to Max Ernsts's sculpture and some are included in this exhibit.  Through Jan 1, 2018

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Benedicte, Pat, and I met at the Jewish Museum when it opened and spent several hours in the Modigliani Unmasked Exhibit (closes Feb 4, 2018).  It is a wonderful collection of art on paper, paintings, and sculptures.  Here is a video from the exhibit:  http://thejewishmuseum.org/exhibitions/modigliani-unmasked#video

I loved how he explored African Masks in drawings, and then modified his portraits over time to lengthen the face, nose, and neck.  He also did many drawings of caryatids, and fallen caryatids, for a second series that was well represented in the exhibit, moving from drawings to paintings.

I also sketched the photo of a Russian poet who modeled for him, and with whom it is alleged he had an affair in Paris.  

After lunch we walked down Madison Ave to Van Doren Waxter Gallery to see Richard Diebenkorn: Works on Paper (1922-1993) - through Jan 20, 2018.  I love his figure drawings, and took a photo of my favorite in the exhibit. Richard Diebenkorn was an abstract expressionist in the 40s and 50s, and then turned to figurative art in the 50s and 60s.

We ended the day at the Met Breuer Museum to view Edvard Munch's paintings:  Between the Bed and the Clock (through Feb 4, 2018).  If you only know Munch because of his "Scream" paintings, you need to see this exhibit: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/edvard-munch

This is my photo of the painting for which the exhibit was named.  My favorites were his many self-portraits.

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A Michelangelo exhibit opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last week.  It is quite wonderful!  And it is VERY CROWDED!  There are 133 drawings from 50 institutions and 3 sculptures by Michelangelo.  Most of the drawings are in red chalk, and there is a ceiling reproduction of the Sistine Chapel in one gallery, with preliminary drawings for this monumental work.  I actually visited with friends for several hours on 3 different days and enjoyed drawing there after finding tiny little places to stand out of the crowds. 

Here is a link to the Exhibit which will be at the Met until February 12, 2018

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/michelangelo

I sketched his statue called Apollo-David from two views, and also a few of his drawings.   The first is a frontal view, with a few copies of hand drawings from one of his Sistine Chapel drawings.  The second is a side view, when I could stand with my back to a wall, out of the way.

The head of the prophet Zachariah - who is painted at one end of the Sistine Chapel as a fully developed figure.   Each of the drawings are accompanied by a small photo of the finished painting in the Sistine Chapel, and a diagram where you can find it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all who celebrate this Holiday! 

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In the Fall and Spring, Sothebys and Christies auction houses hold BIG auctions of Impressionist-Modern-Post-War and Contemporary Art, and attending the previews for the auctions on the days leading up to them is like going to a new museum every 6 months.  I went to previews at both places last week and enjoyed the art immensely.  I always try to draw something for my sketchbook to remember the day and lately draw more sculpture than drawings or paintings because translating 3D to 2D is better exercise for my brain.   

Rodin Maquette of Andrieu D'Andres, one of the now famous Burghers of Callais.  This piece had so much emotion that I was immediately drawn to it.

Degas Ballet Dancer - A Composite Drawing:  I loved a small Degas dancer sculpture at Christies and sketched it because Degas really "nailed" the position.  So many of his other ballet sculptures don't have enough turnout or extension.  When I painted the dancer I surrounded her with collages of my quick drawings from a recent working rehearsal of the New York City Ballet.  I only can sketch for a few minutes when the dancers are warming up on stage before the lights go down.

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