 A neighborhood deer drinking from the tiny pond with nibbled hostas behind her. A Surprise Resident |
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A mother rabbit near her nest which I covered to protect her remaining kit inside from hawks.
The most surprising discovery of late, though, is the realization that we have a resident owl roosting in the trees of our garden. The large bird with brown and white striped wings and tail that I saw flying about during the day was not a hawk, as I had first thought, but was actually a barred owl, also known as a hoot owl. Looking out of a window one morning I caught a glimpse of movement in the trees beyond. A rather large, stocky bird had flown to a nearby tree limb. Intrigued, I went to another window for a better look and I was both surprised and delighted to see an owl roosting in a tree above the driveway, its huge dark brown eyes looking in my direction.
For the space of an hour or so I watched the owl: from its perch in the tree the owl sat alertly scanning the ground below for possible creatures to catch, often swiveling its head in various directions and making a bobbing motion; then it would fly to another perch and search again for something to catch. I was able to get a great view of the owl and its movements through the lens of my camera and you can be sure I took a great many photos and even a video of this fascinating creature.
For the space of an hour or so I watched the owl: from its perch in the tree the owl sat alertly scanning the ground below for possible creatures to catch, often swiveling its head in various directions and making a bobbing motion; then it would fly to another perch and search again for something to catch. I was able to get a great view of the owl and its movements through the lens of my camera and you can be sure I took a great many photos and even a video of this fascinating creature.
Our resident barred owl perched atop the old play fort.
While I had often heard the tell-tale call of a barred owl in the garden and the nearby woods, it never occurred to me that an owl might actually be living here. Since then I have learned that barred owls make their distinctive syncopated calls, sounding something like “Who, who are you?”, to guard their territory from others of their kind. Native to eastern North America, and particularly plentiful here in the southeast, barred owls also live in southern Canada, the northwest of the United States and a small region of Mexico. Attracted by our little woodland pond, a forest of big deciduous trees, and a plentiful variety of prey such as frogs, chipmunks, songbirds and other small animals, this owl has everything barred owls could want. As most barred owls live in the same area their entire lives, I look forward to more armchair owl watching!
~If you are located in North America and have a similar environment, it’s possible you may have a barred owl too. You can learn more about barred owls at: https://allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/overview
~If you are located in North America and have a similar environment, it’s possible you may have a barred owl too. You can learn more about barred owls at: https://allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/overview
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A stunning display of orchids in a plethora of colors at my local grocery store.
Marvelous Orchids
By Annette Bartlett-Golden
Everywhere I turn there are orchids. In grocery stores, plant centers and even home goods stores I have seen live orchids of various varieties for sale. Perhaps it’s because we celebrated Mother’s Day this month or maybe it’s because when it comes to flowers, orchids are just marvelous gifts. With their regal, arching flowers spikes rising above their leaves, they are elegant plants. And their flowers come in every hue of the rainbow. For the same price as a bouquet of flowers that may last a week you can buy an orchid with stunning blossoms that will flower for months.
Many years ago my son was given some orchids plants in need of love. One of these suddenly began blooming at Christmas and is still in flower now, nearly six months later. It is a Phalaenopsis (fayl-eh-NOP-sis) orchid with white flowers. This type of orchid has thick, oval shaped leaves that alternate and sit close to the potting medium. When the plant prepares to flower, a single stem grows out from the center of the leaves and buds begin to form on this spike, eventually swelling to round orbs that blossom into stunning, distinctively shaped flowers.
Many years ago my son was given some orchids plants in need of love. One of these suddenly began blooming at Christmas and is still in flower now, nearly six months later. It is a Phalaenopsis (fayl-eh-NOP-sis) orchid with white flowers. This type of orchid has thick, oval shaped leaves that alternate and sit close to the potting medium. When the plant prepares to flower, a single stem grows out from the center of the leaves and buds begin to form on this spike, eventually swelling to round orbs that blossom into stunning, distinctively shaped flowers.
Caring for orchids may seem a mysterious art, but Phalaenopsis, one of the most commonly sold varieties of orchids, requires about the same basic care as ordinary houseplants. According to the American Orchid Society’s website, Phalaenopsis (also referred to as “phal”) are one of the easiest orchids to grow at home. These are low light orchids that thrive in the same temperatures that we prefer in our homes and indoor work spaces. Perhaps that may be why phals were popular with Victorians collectors of exotic plants.
For watering, the American Orchid Society website explains that “If your phal is potted in bark watering once a week is generally sufficient. If your plant is potted in moss, water when the top feels dry. … Place the plant in the sink and use tepid water. Do not use salt-softened or distilled water. Let the water run through the plant for a minute or so. Be sure to let the plant drain completely.” The crown of these orchids, which is the center area where the leaves are joined, is sensitive to moisture. One of the reasons Phalaenopsis orchids perish is crown rot so it’s important to make sure that water doesn’t sit in that area. Giving the plants orchid fertilizer about once a month or so is also recommended for optimal growth.
On Mother’s Day I was delighted to receive a gorgeous phal with magnificent flowers in a rich shade of magenta. In the morning light, the flowers glow like rubies and light up the room. Now there are two fabulous blooming orchids on the window sill and I have a strong inclination for more in the near future. My studio desk seems rather bare and every place without a blooming orchid seems to be missing something… Yes, I’m falling for orchids!
~For more information on plant care for Phalaenopsis orchids visit the American Orchid Society webpage.
For watering, the American Orchid Society website explains that “If your phal is potted in bark watering once a week is generally sufficient. If your plant is potted in moss, water when the top feels dry. … Place the plant in the sink and use tepid water. Do not use salt-softened or distilled water. Let the water run through the plant for a minute or so. Be sure to let the plant drain completely.” The crown of these orchids, which is the center area where the leaves are joined, is sensitive to moisture. One of the reasons Phalaenopsis orchids perish is crown rot so it’s important to make sure that water doesn’t sit in that area. Giving the plants orchid fertilizer about once a month or so is also recommended for optimal growth.
On Mother’s Day I was delighted to receive a gorgeous phal with magnificent flowers in a rich shade of magenta. In the morning light, the flowers glow like rubies and light up the room. Now there are two fabulous blooming orchids on the window sill and I have a strong inclination for more in the near future. My studio desk seems rather bare and every place without a blooming orchid seems to be missing something… Yes, I’m falling for orchids!
~For more information on plant care for Phalaenopsis orchids visit the American Orchid Society webpage.
My marvelous magenta Phalaenopis orchid!
©Annette Bartlett-Golden, Yoga in the Park. Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches.
Painting Yoga in the Park
By Annette Bartlett-Golden
It was late in the day as I strolled through the Arboretum. Afternoon light spilled across the grassy commons and lit up the treetops. As I turned the corner, I was surprised to see a group of people sitting on mats performing yoga poses. This scene, with figures in a landscape and strong afternoon light, subjects I am interested in exploring, caught my imagination and I decided that I would paint it. That was over three years ago. At the time, I was busy with other projects. Time passed and when January came around I set a goal of starting and finishing the painting, Yoga in the Park, by the end of spring.
Creating the composition turned out to be a complicated process. When I took my reference photos, I didn't want to disturb the yoga class so I was only able to take a few pictures of the scene. In all the photos some of the people were obscured by greenery. That meant I had to work out the composition in the studio. To do this, I needed to gather more information in the form of reference photos and sketches. I used part of the group of figures in my photos and added a fifth figure to balance the grouping. For the last figure (on the far left), I needed reference photos. Since I was available and knew what pose I wanted, I ended up as the figure in that photo. Color balance and harmony is also an important part of composition so I changed the shirt colors of the people to make the figures more dynamic.
Creating the composition turned out to be a complicated process. When I took my reference photos, I didn't want to disturb the yoga class so I was only able to take a few pictures of the scene. In all the photos some of the people were obscured by greenery. That meant I had to work out the composition in the studio. To do this, I needed to gather more information in the form of reference photos and sketches. I used part of the group of figures in my photos and added a fifth figure to balance the grouping. For the last figure (on the far left), I needed reference photos. Since I was available and knew what pose I wanted, I ended up as the figure in that photo. Color balance and harmony is also an important part of composition so I changed the shirt colors of the people to make the figures more dynamic.
Yoga in the Park with several of the reference materials I used to paint it.
While I liked the background in my reference photo, I decided it would make a better composition if I flipped its orientation from left to right. I also wanted to add some color to the background so I painted the crepe myrtle in the back right and the flower grouping in the foreground in full bloom. For these I scoured the internet to find pictures of the plants in bloom. For some, I had to decide what sort of plants and flower color they would be since it wasn't clear from the photo. I ended up with Joe Pye weed (the tall light purple flowers), and yellow irises next to a pink dwarf hydrangea.
While I began working on the painting in January, it was a lengthy process made more difficult because of frequent starts and stops for long periods of time. Having to come back to a painting after a long break takes a bit of reorienting and doesn't make for a smooth process. So I am particularly glad to finally finish this challenging painting. Now that I have a solid composition, I think I may paint the same scene in watercolors. I’m curious to see how it will turn out.
While I began working on the painting in January, it was a lengthy process made more difficult because of frequent starts and stops for long periods of time. Having to come back to a painting after a long break takes a bit of reorienting and doesn't make for a smooth process. So I am particularly glad to finally finish this challenging painting. Now that I have a solid composition, I think I may paint the same scene in watercolors. I’m curious to see how it will turn out.
Here I am at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art next to The Parthenon painted in 1871 by Frederic Church. Oil on canvas, 44 1/2 x 72 5/8 inches.
Incredible Landscapes by an American Luminary
by Annette Bartlett-Golden
Like thousands of Americans in the 1850s and on, I’ve admired the awe inspiring panoramic paintings of nature scenes rich in details and glowing with light by the renowned American landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church (1826 - 1900). I had the pleasure of viewing the exhibit Frederic Church: A Painter’s Pilgrimage at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina which highlights Church’s latter paintings from his trip to Palestine.
Perhaps best known for his large dramatic painting of Niagara Falls in New York State where he settled, Church traveled extensively in North America and around the world seeking out stunning views of nature for his paintings – volcanoes, mountains, icebergs, rainbows and more. Inspired by the writings of the naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt, a contemporary, Church visited Columbia and Ecuador in South America, sought solace in Jamaica, embarked on an Arctic exploration, toured the Holy Land including Petra, Jerusalem, and Baalbek, and sojourned in Greece and Rome.
His enormous canvases of famous locales all over the world gave viewers amazing glimpses of places most had only heard about. In an age before the widespread publication of color photography, this was a truly special experience for which thousands of visitors would wait in line and pay. As a result, Church’s enjoyed enormous financial success throughout his lifetime.
Perhaps best known for his large dramatic painting of Niagara Falls in New York State where he settled, Church traveled extensively in North America and around the world seeking out stunning views of nature for his paintings – volcanoes, mountains, icebergs, rainbows and more. Inspired by the writings of the naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt, a contemporary, Church visited Columbia and Ecuador in South America, sought solace in Jamaica, embarked on an Arctic exploration, toured the Holy Land including Petra, Jerusalem, and Baalbek, and sojourned in Greece and Rome.
His enormous canvases of famous locales all over the world gave viewers amazing glimpses of places most had only heard about. In an age before the widespread publication of color photography, this was a truly special experience for which thousands of visitors would wait in line and pay. As a result, Church’s enjoyed enormous financial success throughout his lifetime.
My photograph of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives by Frederic Church painted in 1870 after the artist's tour of the Holy Land. Oil on canvas, 54 1/4 x 84 3/8 inches.
On their property above the Hudson River, after his travels to the Near East, Church and his wife built a grand villa inspired by architectural elements they had admired in Palestine. They named it Olana and it was the Church’s family home where they lived with their four children. It is now Olana State Historic Site in Greenport, New York.
Seeing so many of Frederic Church’s panoramic paintings together at the exhibit, along with many of the preliminary sketches, created a context for the paintings and offered insight into Church’s method of working. After creating numerous studies of a particular place, often consisting of both drawings and oil sketches, Church typically merged many views of the place into one spectacular scene for the composition of his paintings.
For the artist, this is a more time consuming and thought provoking way of working than painting a scene just as it appears in life. However, this type of artistic interpretation allows artists to present a scene strong in composition and imbued with meaning. Having used this technique in many of my paintings, I was particularly interested to see Church’s magnificent examples. I left the exhibit marveling at how he accomplished such paintings and my sense of amazement has only increased in the time since.
You can find more information about Frederic Church at:https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chur/hd_chur.htm
Seeing so many of Frederic Church’s panoramic paintings together at the exhibit, along with many of the preliminary sketches, created a context for the paintings and offered insight into Church’s method of working. After creating numerous studies of a particular place, often consisting of both drawings and oil sketches, Church typically merged many views of the place into one spectacular scene for the composition of his paintings.
For the artist, this is a more time consuming and thought provoking way of working than painting a scene just as it appears in life. However, this type of artistic interpretation allows artists to present a scene strong in composition and imbued with meaning. Having used this technique in many of my paintings, I was particularly interested to see Church’s magnificent examples. I left the exhibit marveling at how he accomplished such paintings and my sense of amazement has only increased in the time since.
You can find more information about Frederic Church at:https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chur/hd_chur.htm
From a Woodworking Shop
Every month I strive to bring my readers interesting article on a variety of topics ranging from art, gardening, books, and travel. It occurred to me that readers may also enjoy reading about fine crafts.
Every month I strive to bring my readers interesting article on a variety of topics ranging from art, gardening, books, and travel. It occurred to me that readers may also enjoy reading about fine crafts.
My photograph of a mashrabiya window I saw in Granada, Spain at the Alhambra in the Hall of Ambassadors.
Magical Mashrabiya
By Steve Golden
For the last thirty years, I have been a professional wood worker making all types of furniture, but in the past couple years I have become fascinated with Arabic decorative woodwork. Recently, I visited the Reynolda House Museum of American Art to see the exhibitFrederic Church: A Painter’s Pilgrimage. Church’s near east travel brought to mind my own travels to Morocco and Southern Spain and how it has affected my woodworking craft. Like Frederic Church with his plans for building Olana, what feeds my imagination and what woodworking I want to do for myself has totally changed since my return. Frances Mayes in her book A Year in the World remarked about Morocco and Spain “what man can travel this long road and not fill his soul with crazy arabesques?” Only too true! The wooden lathe turned Mashrabiya screens and windows I saw in Spain and Morocco absolutely fascinated me. I had to learn how to make them! I have been busy the last few months building mashrabiya shutters for my Moroccan/Andalusian themed library.
Dating back to the 9th century, the craft of mashrabiya has long been, and continues to be, a part of Arabic culture. I did not realize the extent that woodturning was utilized in the east and southern Mediterranean. Mashrabiya was in most of the historic buildings I visited in Morocco and Southern Spain. Over time, mashrabiya has come to mean the turned inter-locking pieces making up a window, screen or other decoration. Arabic turners refer to it differently, however. Agnieszka Dobrowolska says it best in her book The Building Crafts of Cairo: “While the craftsmen have a name for any piece of a mashrabiya screen, there is some confusion about the general nomenclature. The term mashrabiya means an architectural element-a bay window- rather than the technique by which it was produced, but it also applied to the turned wood panels of which these bay windows are made. The panels wood turners produce are often called ‘arabesque rather than mashrabiya.’ Arabesque in modern Egyptian Arabic refers to woodwork that allows a draft of air but seals the view to the interior.”
The main function of mashrabiya can be discerned from the Arabic root meaning of the word as a place of drinking/the place to cool water, as water in clay pots placed behind these screens cooled the air flowing into the space as well as the water. Mashrabiya evolved by the 14th century to jutting balconies with interior seating from which one could view the world below but not be seen. Besides the main functions of controlling air and light flow and providing privacy, mashrabiya has been used decoratively from early in its history to the present. It is has been used to great effect in many pulpits of mosques, known as minbars, as well as for interior doors, screens, and many types of furniture. A large market for Egyptian, Iranian and Syrian mashrabiya decorated furniture existed in late 19th and early 20th century.
Making mashrabiya is a very exacting and time consuming craft. Thousands of wooden pieces must be turned, drilled and assembled to make up a screen. The function of the mashrabiya determines the density of the turned elements. Fine mashrabiya work can reach densities of 2,500 inter-locking pieces per square yard! Because the numerous small inter-locking pieces are not glued but instead held together by the surrounding frame, mashrabiya is ideal for the harsh North African climate. This sort of construction allows for the shrinkage and swelling that inevitably occurs through the seasons and demanding temperatures of the Middle East and northwest Africa.
Dating back to the 9th century, the craft of mashrabiya has long been, and continues to be, a part of Arabic culture. I did not realize the extent that woodturning was utilized in the east and southern Mediterranean. Mashrabiya was in most of the historic buildings I visited in Morocco and Southern Spain. Over time, mashrabiya has come to mean the turned inter-locking pieces making up a window, screen or other decoration. Arabic turners refer to it differently, however. Agnieszka Dobrowolska says it best in her book The Building Crafts of Cairo: “While the craftsmen have a name for any piece of a mashrabiya screen, there is some confusion about the general nomenclature. The term mashrabiya means an architectural element-a bay window- rather than the technique by which it was produced, but it also applied to the turned wood panels of which these bay windows are made. The panels wood turners produce are often called ‘arabesque rather than mashrabiya.’ Arabesque in modern Egyptian Arabic refers to woodwork that allows a draft of air but seals the view to the interior.”
The main function of mashrabiya can be discerned from the Arabic root meaning of the word as a place of drinking/the place to cool water, as water in clay pots placed behind these screens cooled the air flowing into the space as well as the water. Mashrabiya evolved by the 14th century to jutting balconies with interior seating from which one could view the world below but not be seen. Besides the main functions of controlling air and light flow and providing privacy, mashrabiya has been used decoratively from early in its history to the present. It is has been used to great effect in many pulpits of mosques, known as minbars, as well as for interior doors, screens, and many types of furniture. A large market for Egyptian, Iranian and Syrian mashrabiya decorated furniture existed in late 19th and early 20th century.
Making mashrabiya is a very exacting and time consuming craft. Thousands of wooden pieces must be turned, drilled and assembled to make up a screen. The function of the mashrabiya determines the density of the turned elements. Fine mashrabiya work can reach densities of 2,500 inter-locking pieces per square yard! Because the numerous small inter-locking pieces are not glued but instead held together by the surrounding frame, mashrabiya is ideal for the harsh North African climate. This sort of construction allows for the shrinkage and swelling that inevitably occurs through the seasons and demanding temperatures of the Middle East and northwest Africa.
John Frederick Lewis, A Lady Receiving Visitors, 1873. Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 inches. Yale Center for British Art.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Frederick_Lewis_-_A_Lady_Receiving_Visitors_(The_Reception)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Frederick_Lewis_-_A_Lady_Receiving_Visitors_(The_Reception)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
John Frederick Lewis (1804-1876), one of the first so called British Orientalist artists, lived in Cairo for nine years and captured the feeling and atmosphere of mashrabiya in his paintings of Egyptian interiors. In these scenes, Lewis painted with meticulous accuracy all the fine detail of the wooden mashrabiya windows, recreating the brilliant effect of light diffusing through the mashrabiya lattices which gives his paintings a magical feeling. This feeling, which Lewis evokes so well, is similar to the atmosphere that I want the shutters to create in the library. The orderly pattern of my “crazy arabesques” splinters the light and makes the window look like so many magical diamonds creating for me a spirit of place that reminds me of the bright colorful reality of Morocco and Southern Spain.
Here are my partially complete mashrabiya shutters. I am working on filling in the middle lattice structures. When the four shutters are complete, there will be 744 individually turned pieces in all.
~ Steve Golden is a master woodworker who has been listed in Early American Life magazine's Directory of Traditional American Crafts and is an alumni of Summer Institute at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Art.
A beautiful Lenten Rose in my garden, also known as a hellebore, lifts its face to the sky.
Designing for the Garden
By Annette Bartlett-Golden
The sun is out, the snows have melted and it's spring in North Carolina. Daffodils, hyacinths, hellbores, quince and a variety of other flowering trees and shrubs brighten the landscape. Soon azaleas will glow with vibrant colors, barring any frost damage, and the weather will be warm. By the pond hostas are shooting up as well as the Jack-in-the-pulpit we planted last year. It's a very exciting time full of expectation and possibilities and I can't wait to start planting in my garden.
Inspired by a British gardening show called Love Your Garden, I have a lot of new ideas I want to put into place this spring. In this upbeat show, Allen Titchmarsh and his crew completely transform gardens for families dealing with difficulties, usually health issues, so that they can have a beautiful, functional and restorative outdoor living space. I love watching their process of creating amazing gardens specifically tailored to the need of every family member and the family’s genuinely delighted reaction after the transformation is revealed and they have had time to enjoy it. Besides being a very inspirational program, it also includes visits to other gardens, gardening tips for viewers ranging from plant selection and care, and design ideas and advice.
For years, a problem area in our garden has been the dry shady spot beneath large oak trees next to the back chain link fence with an unappealing view beyond. After watching a number of episodes ofLove Your Garden, I am starting to understand how to structure plantings to create a fabulous effect. By planting a mixture of interesting shade loving shrubs with varying heights, shapes and textures near the fence and other shade loving plants towards the front of the border, I can create a lovely focal point and screen. But before I go out and buy plants, I need to decide what I want to see when I look at that area.
A very helpful suggestion from my son, who soon will be graduating with a degree in horticultural design, is to sketch out in general terms what I want the place to look like. It can be as simple as taking a photo of the spot, placing tracing paper over the photo and tracing the basic lines of the location, for example trees and the path that will stay. Then draw basic shapes of plants you might like there–ovals, circles, and triangles will do fine. You can also add color to the shapes. Experiment with the size and placement of the shapes and also color. The idea is to work out a pleasing visual composition.
Inspired by a British gardening show called Love Your Garden, I have a lot of new ideas I want to put into place this spring. In this upbeat show, Allen Titchmarsh and his crew completely transform gardens for families dealing with difficulties, usually health issues, so that they can have a beautiful, functional and restorative outdoor living space. I love watching their process of creating amazing gardens specifically tailored to the need of every family member and the family’s genuinely delighted reaction after the transformation is revealed and they have had time to enjoy it. Besides being a very inspirational program, it also includes visits to other gardens, gardening tips for viewers ranging from plant selection and care, and design ideas and advice.
For years, a problem area in our garden has been the dry shady spot beneath large oak trees next to the back chain link fence with an unappealing view beyond. After watching a number of episodes ofLove Your Garden, I am starting to understand how to structure plantings to create a fabulous effect. By planting a mixture of interesting shade loving shrubs with varying heights, shapes and textures near the fence and other shade loving plants towards the front of the border, I can create a lovely focal point and screen. But before I go out and buy plants, I need to decide what I want to see when I look at that area.
A very helpful suggestion from my son, who soon will be graduating with a degree in horticultural design, is to sketch out in general terms what I want the place to look like. It can be as simple as taking a photo of the spot, placing tracing paper over the photo and tracing the basic lines of the location, for example trees and the path that will stay. Then draw basic shapes of plants you might like there–ovals, circles, and triangles will do fine. You can also add color to the shapes. Experiment with the size and placement of the shapes and also color. The idea is to work out a pleasing visual composition.
A photo of the woodland patch, a problem area I want to change.
My plan to transform the woodland patch at the back of the yard into a beautiful spot.
Now that I have a composition I’m happy with, I’ll turn the plan over to my son who will be in charge of selecting site appropriate plants that will bring my sketch to life. Besides considerations of shade, all the plants we choose will need to be drought tolerant and deer resistant as we still have herds of deer that journey through our yard on a daily basis. Another equally important aspect, which Love Your Gardenillustrates well, is to make sure that the planting area is properly prepared for the new plants with good soil. We certainly have a bit of work to do but I’m looking forward to it with zest.
©Annette Bartlett-Golden, Marbled Tree. Mixed media collage, 16 x 20 inches.
Discoveries in the Clutter
by Annette Bartlett-Golden
For some time I’ve been missing my music and I haven’t been the same without it. One evening I was tidying up the studio. I pulled out a stack of papers stuffed in the bookshelf and to my utter amazement and delight there was my missing music~ a filmy sheet of tissue paper with the notes to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy printed on its silvery surface. Joy! I’ve used pieces from this sheet of tissue paper in nearly all of my collages. It’s the common theme that unites them as part of my Music of Life series. Missing this essential part of my collage making supplies was distressing and highlighted the fact that it’s time to organize the studio again!
So I’ve been going through the bulging file drawers, so stuffed I can no longer file and culling the clutter. I’ve also started reorganizing the chaotic insides of my carefully labeled binders which have caused me much frustration. The mountain of paper I’ve gotten rid of so far is really astonishing! Yes, working artists can have a bunch of paper pile up, too.
The biggest and most gratifying project though, was rearranging the art room closet which was overflowing with supplies and a great many non art related items. To make the closet space really functional, it needed more shelves, including vertical storage for canvases, frames, finished paintings and matting supplies. (I do my own mating and framing.) After measuring everything and deciding on the shelving configuration that would best house my supplies, I turned my plan over to a professional ~my husband.
Happily, he is an expert woodworker and was willing to take on the job of building it all. While he built the shelves units in the workshop, I took everything out of the closet ~ it practically filled the studio. Then I sorted all the stuff from the closet which was a huge accomplishment in itself. Finally, the three large shelving units were assembled and installed in the closet. It was a thrilling moment. Now everything has a designated place and I can easily find and store the things I need. It’s a great feeling and what an amazing transformation!
Another wonderful benefit of the reorganization is that along the way I rediscovered a couple of unfinished collages I had begun years ago. I finished them and both Soaring and Marbled Tree are on exhibit in my solo show, Intimate Vistas at the Mebane Arts & Community Center.
So I’ve been going through the bulging file drawers, so stuffed I can no longer file and culling the clutter. I’ve also started reorganizing the chaotic insides of my carefully labeled binders which have caused me much frustration. The mountain of paper I’ve gotten rid of so far is really astonishing! Yes, working artists can have a bunch of paper pile up, too.
The biggest and most gratifying project though, was rearranging the art room closet which was overflowing with supplies and a great many non art related items. To make the closet space really functional, it needed more shelves, including vertical storage for canvases, frames, finished paintings and matting supplies. (I do my own mating and framing.) After measuring everything and deciding on the shelving configuration that would best house my supplies, I turned my plan over to a professional ~my husband.
Happily, he is an expert woodworker and was willing to take on the job of building it all. While he built the shelves units in the workshop, I took everything out of the closet ~ it practically filled the studio. Then I sorted all the stuff from the closet which was a huge accomplishment in itself. Finally, the three large shelving units were assembled and installed in the closet. It was a thrilling moment. Now everything has a designated place and I can easily find and store the things I need. It’s a great feeling and what an amazing transformation!
Another wonderful benefit of the reorganization is that along the way I rediscovered a couple of unfinished collages I had begun years ago. I finished them and both Soaring and Marbled Tree are on exhibit in my solo show, Intimate Vistas at the Mebane Arts & Community Center.
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On the left is the closet with the finished shelving units installed and there I am on the right with my art supplies in place.
Photos from Intimate Vistas
I'm so pleased to have the opportunity to exhibit my work in a solos show called Intimate Vistas on view in the Mebane Arts & Community Center sponsored by Alamance Arts. It's a wonderful space for viewing art. Please stop by if you're in the area!
Intimate Vistas
March 9 – May 7, 2018
Mebane Arts & Community Center
633 Corregidor Street, Mebane, NC 27302
Tel. 919-563-3629
The gallery is open from 8 am to 5 pm during weekdays.
Intimate Vistas
March 9 – May 7, 2018
Mebane Arts & Community Center
633 Corregidor Street, Mebane, NC 27302
Tel. 919-563-3629
The gallery is open from 8 am to 5 pm during weekdays.
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My already worn copy of a great book!
Monet and his Remarkable
Water Lily Paintings
By Annette Bartlett-Golden
Convalescing from a bad cold, I spent the first three weeks after Christmas with Claude Monet in the French country village of Giverny, forty miles northwest of Paris. He was in his sixties by then and living with his second wife, Alice, and eight children in a large farmhouse with an enormous studio. Just beyond the back door lay a garden paradise of Monet’s own design with a profusion of flowers and a green Japanese bridge spanning a spectacular water lily pond. Many of his paintings hung in the homes of wealthy Americans and the feisty politician Georges Clemenceau was one of his best friends. I had been gifted Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies by Ross King and with each page I sunk deeper into the world of Monet.
While I had long admired the paintings of the French Impressionist artists, particularly those by Monet, I knew relatively little about his life. I was pleased to learn that he had a stable family life, was beloved by his children and step children, as well as by a devoted circle of friends, and that he became quite wealthy in his later years. I did not know that in his early seventies, despite suffering from impaired vision caused by cataracts, Monet struggled to paint. At times, he became so overcome with frustration that he would destroy his paintings.
Nor did I realize the scope of Monet’s genius or the significance of his late works, which were primarily comprised of paintings of his water lily pond, of which there are about 250 surviving canvases. In this most ambitious series Monet set out to achieve the impossible, as he called it, on a grand scale: painting the ever changing surface of the pond on huge wall sized canvases. The results were stunning. Brilliant, shimmering nuances of color leap from the canvases resonant with dauntless expression. These works were “Larger, bolder, more experimental, visionary, and abstract,’’ writes Ross King (p. 304). “Arguably, only Michelangelo and Titian ever achieved as much, or developed as forcefully as they worked in their ninth decades.”
After reading Mad Enchantment I now see Monet and his art with new eyes. The water lily paintings that I have admired for their depiction of ephemeral natural beauty are also imbued with the raw emotions of Monet’s life experiences at the time: the loss of his second wife and two grown children, the horrors of World War I, and his deteriorating eyesight. Yet it is this which gives the paintings a power and depth that make them even more beautiful and remarkable than his previous works. I was also struck by Monet’s keen focus on the water lily theme, a lesson that would benefit me to keep in mind. Certainly, Ross King’s account of Claude Monet and his water lily paintings has increased my understanding and appreciation for a much beloved artist.
While I had long admired the paintings of the French Impressionist artists, particularly those by Monet, I knew relatively little about his life. I was pleased to learn that he had a stable family life, was beloved by his children and step children, as well as by a devoted circle of friends, and that he became quite wealthy in his later years. I did not know that in his early seventies, despite suffering from impaired vision caused by cataracts, Monet struggled to paint. At times, he became so overcome with frustration that he would destroy his paintings.
Nor did I realize the scope of Monet’s genius or the significance of his late works, which were primarily comprised of paintings of his water lily pond, of which there are about 250 surviving canvases. In this most ambitious series Monet set out to achieve the impossible, as he called it, on a grand scale: painting the ever changing surface of the pond on huge wall sized canvases. The results were stunning. Brilliant, shimmering nuances of color leap from the canvases resonant with dauntless expression. These works were “Larger, bolder, more experimental, visionary, and abstract,’’ writes Ross King (p. 304). “Arguably, only Michelangelo and Titian ever achieved as much, or developed as forcefully as they worked in their ninth decades.”
After reading Mad Enchantment I now see Monet and his art with new eyes. The water lily paintings that I have admired for their depiction of ephemeral natural beauty are also imbued with the raw emotions of Monet’s life experiences at the time: the loss of his second wife and two grown children, the horrors of World War I, and his deteriorating eyesight. Yet it is this which gives the paintings a power and depth that make them even more beautiful and remarkable than his previous works. I was also struck by Monet’s keen focus on the water lily theme, a lesson that would benefit me to keep in mind. Certainly, Ross King’s account of Claude Monet and his water lily paintings has increased my understanding and appreciation for a much beloved artist.
Here I am next to Claude Monet's Charing Cross Bridge, Reflections on the Thames at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
©Annette Bartlett-Golden, Color Play in Aqua. Watercolor, 16 x 20 inches. $285
New Directions
by Annette Bartlett-Golden
With the coming of the New Year I feel compelled to take my art in new directions. That means trying new materials, experimenting with different techniques, and exploring more abstract subject matter. It also entails focusing my energy on finishing the series of large Blue Ridge mountain paintings called Woven Existence rather than painting many smaller works as I have done over the last few years. In coming months look for a balanced mix of abstract and representational art. Of course, it will be interesting to look back later and see what I actually did!
In the painting above, the goal was to just play with color and texture. That is definitely a new direction for me and one I greatly enjoyed stepping into. I used traditional transparent watercolors under liquid watercolors, which are quite intense, on Arches art board that I had never used before. I love how it turned out!
Although there are plenty of bright colors in the collage below, it had a slightly different intent. It's purpose was therapeutic expression. This month has been a whirl of ups and down for me and my latest collage,In and Out, is a reflection of that. As with most of my collages, their creation is a journey of inner exploration that often results in the reorganization of my inner landscape.
In the painting above, the goal was to just play with color and texture. That is definitely a new direction for me and one I greatly enjoyed stepping into. I used traditional transparent watercolors under liquid watercolors, which are quite intense, on Arches art board that I had never used before. I love how it turned out!
Although there are plenty of bright colors in the collage below, it had a slightly different intent. It's purpose was therapeutic expression. This month has been a whirl of ups and down for me and my latest collage,In and Out, is a reflection of that. As with most of my collages, their creation is a journey of inner exploration that often results in the reorganization of my inner landscape.
©Annette Bartlett-Golden, In and Out. Mixed media, 11 x 14 inches. $185