I visited Savannah, GA this past weekend (it's been years since I'd been there). I met up with my WAM artist buddy, Kim Minichiello, who lives near Orlando (I'm near Charleston, SC). This was the last weekend for the "Monet and American Impressionism" show to hang at the Jepson Center and we were going to see it!
The show was excellent and I walked away with two memories of that day:
1. It's ok to paint "thin". When I was young and painting in oils, I submitted a painting to a competition. (I later found out the painting was being considered for an award.) The painting was hung up high over a doorway (the painting was a diptych that measured 60"h x 60"w). The judge asked for a ladder to be brought around so he could see it up close. He climbed back down and later I found out that he decided no award was warranted because I had painted "thinly". I never painted that way again, but apparently the Impressionist Masters sure did! There were PLENTY of examples of this throughout the Impressionism show. Canvas showed through on many of them. (I'm wondering if that judge has changed his tune in the last 30 years). I wish I had examples to show you from the show, but it was forbidden. We were admonished several times for "stepping over the (black) line" too, and I was sure I'd have to use my Get Out of Jail card for Kim before the day was over!
2. And the other memory we will have is of being hurriedly evacuated from the Museum. Kim & I had JUST finished "enhaling" the last painting when the siren went off. The alarm sprinklers had gone off! We were told to head outside (it was cold and rainy out there), but Kim had the good sense to run into the coatroom and gather our things first! Others were not so lucky because they didn't reopen the museum till the next day. Here's a pic of the confusion outside the Jepson (which is the white building at the top left corner).
That evening, Kim and I (and Kim's daughter) ate dinner at Bella Napoli Bistro (the scallops and shrimp in vodka sauce were delish!). Below is a pic of me and Kim (who's on the right), along with our "flat heads" of Maria Bennett Hock, Carrie Waller and Debra Keirce (the other members of our WAM group), whom we carried to Savannah with us.
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| Carrie Waller (over my shoulder), me, Kim Minichiello, Debra Keirce (in front of Kim) and Maria Bennett Hock (above Kim's shoulder) |
Even though I couldn't take pictures at the Jepson, we later stopped into the Telfair Museum and there we WERE allowed to take pictures. There were definitely a few paintings that grabbed my attention right away, and I think I'll save those for my next Post!
All I have to say for now is "Go visit Savannah!".
Come paint with me!
In April, I'm taking students to Venice again.
Check out my classes HERE.
