Animal Wednesday - Just been feeling slow....

Hi there friends.   I haven't posted.  I've forgotten my Animal Wednesday for weeks now.  I/we are slowly coming back up for air from that dreadful health scare a few weeks ago, which was followed by another - possibly unrelated issue which necessitated a trip to the ER late last week.  Up until that point I was feeling rather giddy and free, but that has left me - to the point of worn out and tired and rather scared.

And what do I usually do when feeling out of control?  I find something to organize!  Which is why I found myself on Saturday morning with every bit of clothing in my closet on the bed, and having a rollicking good time sorting thru it all.  What have I worn this year? What haven't I worn?  Does that fit? Two giant bags are going to Goodwill, mostly very gently used stuff. I still have too much but it's getting more under control.   It felt good to work on something that I had control over, and could see tangible results at the end.

I am treating myself to a Florida trip this weekend, to bask in the sun, play with Scruffy and see mom...not necessarily in that order.  I've scheduled a massage and facial and will go to my favorite street fair on Saturday morning.  I'll stop by my Favorite knitting store.  I am hoping for a recovery weekend, and next weekend is Passover and I'm going to my Grandma's old house, which now belongs to a cousin, for a weekend by the beach.  The thought is soothing.

Be well. 

Art of the Week

I've had a most extraordinary week, very very stressful and unsettling for the most part, but with a good outcome.

My DH has been in the hospital all week, with a "-itis" brought on by a procedure that he had to have.  No gory details here but suffice it to say that I lost a nights sleep, have been driving back and forth to the city 45mins away,  have been worrying myself sick, but it's all coming out OK in the end.   DH is coming home tomorrow, with a new diet, a new approach to some of his meds, and hopefully a charmed future (from my mouth to gods' ears please).  I've had to cancel a trip to Florida with my BFF and my nephews, but they are going anyway and my mom is thrilled to be having them.

I spent a bit of time wandering the halls of this behemoth hospital and was amazed to find some very decent artwork hung on the walls in some places.  Sure, there were a lot of posters, and drab posters at that, but I also saw some good art work like this quilt below - a lovely work of hand dyed fabric for shells and with wonderful waves and sand images.

The Sea-Shell art quilt.

Opposite one of the elevators (SLOW elevators, lots of time to review art) was a watercolor dyptich of Boston Common - it was wonderful!  Detailed but loose, and sorry....I didn't copy the artists name.

 

A detail below

The watercolor below was so detailed it was amazing.  This is Rowes Wharf in Boston as seen from the water.  I loved it but just imagined the time it took to do all those windows! 

 

In the lobby were three paintings above mundane waiting room/lobby furniture.  These are almost too pastel colored but I thought they were beautiful and soothing. 

 

What I found amazing is that the hospitals approach to helping the "whole person" and appreciation for how artwork can help make you feel less institutionalized.   You never forget that you are in a hospital, but it helped both of us to discuss the paintings and look at technique and details.  Also interesting was the soothing subject matter and technique - I didn't see anything avant guarde or modern.  I also didn't have time to wander the multiple buildings looking for new artwork. 

Speaking of new artwork - I did this BIG painting last week in class.  The assignment was to paint big - the portrait below was about 3' by 5'.   My instructors were so helpful as to how far to go with the painting, and working from big loose brushes to smaller detailed ones.  The part I like the least is his upper lip - and the highlight there, it sort of looks like he has a milk mustache.  In the photo I copied, he had such a bright highlight there that I tried to capture it.   Anyway, painting big was fun, fun, fun. 

That's my art week report.  Crazy crazy week, good in the end which is all one can ask for right?

Animal Wednesday - one of my favorite sounds - spring Redwing Blackbird

Another Museum

This was another odd, out of the way museum that we've been meaning to go to. Today was the perfect day, being cold and rainy and snowy all at the same time. Unfortunately when we got to the museum it was closing, but we spent about 1/2 hour wandering around.


This museum is in Clinton, MA - another one of those towns that you wouldn't expect to house a museum like this. Clinton is an old mill town, like so many in New England, that is not really a terrific town right now. Right across the street from this museum is a lovely wide common, which was surrounded by very old beautiful trees and some beautiful examples of houses - from about the 1700's thru about 1909 - I'll go back in better weather and take pictures.

This is the house that the museum is in - this photo is from the 1800's some time - I didn't have a chance to get the history of the house.


This is a more current photo of the front. I'm used to walking into houses like this and seeing a front stair case, with a study on one side and a dining room on the other, with the kitchen in the back. That's what I expected to see when we walked in today and instead we saw.....


this amazing inside - wow - it was so striking! There is a huge extension off the back of the building - all steel and glass.


We didn't get to spend too much time there but it looks like an absolutely astounding collection of Russian icons - gorgeous works of art from as far back as the 1500's.

I snuck in these two photos - they didn't say that you couldn't take pictures but the guard was glaring at me...so I stopped.


They also had a lovely little gift shop, you can see me peering into this case holding modern icons - trying to decide if DH's aunt would like anything from this case.


By the time we got out of the museum, the sun was starting to come out so we walked around the common and looked at the monuments and fountain, then drove to a bookstore and whiled away another hour or so before coming home to sit in front of the file.


Today was a relaxing day - a good day