'"Knight" at the Museum' with My Students

December 10, 2022 in Artist Diary, Museums + Galleries

Something miraculous happened towards the end of teaching my art history class at Nossi College of Art last Spring. My students enjoyed it so much that a number of them requested I start an Art History club - can you believe that?! My heart was literally bursting!!

I told my students we’d chat once we came back together in the fall. When we spoke again I let them know I looked into how to set a club up and after giving it some thought I concluded that I really didn’t want to deal with all the ‘bureaucracy’ of starting an official club, such as electing officials, having regularly scheduled meetings, working out a budget, etc.

Instead I suggested that we just keep an eye on the local art museums and all attend some art happenings together. My students are all 18+ and most live independently so no need to make the outings into formal events, we can just check out whatever fun artsy thing is around town as as group!

The first one we’ve gone to was the Frist Museum for a ‘Knight in Shining Armor’ exhibit featuring actual body armor from Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries. Thursday evenings at the Frist are free with student IDs so the place was quite bustling. I loved being able to show my students what a hip place the art museum is to visit!

It’s interesting to learn about jousting as more of a regulated sport than a way to actually do battle. Maneuvering in the metal armor took a small team of people to assist the knight since it was so cumbersome and prohibitive to vision.

Of course the horses needed protection too! And how much do you love those pantaloons?!

Downstairs there was also a Japanese robe exhibition showing the fine weaving details that go into ceremonial garments. I think some of them went with full kimono ensemble, but others were just worn on their own.

The intricacies of the cloth were pretty mind blowing and supremely detailed. I can’t imagine ever wearing such delicate clothing. I would feel like a bull in china shop!

And look at my art history students go! One wore a classically inspired jacket and another gave us a little lesson on Empress Xi!

I managed to get one great pic with almost all the kiddos that came. I couldn’t believe what a great turnout it was - I would say about a dozen. Can’t wait for the next artsy outing!

12.10.2022

A Big 'No Go' to the Van Gogh Immersion Experience

July 04, 2021 in Museums + Galleries, YouTube Videos, Art Vlog

Vincent Van Gogh was one of the least appreciated artists of the 19th century, yet has become one of the most famous artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, especially these days considering his artworks are no longer protected by copyright.

That's right, his artworks can literally be used, reproduced, and profited off of by anyone in the world now... but should they?

Today I want to share with you some of the ethical concerns I see arising from this wave of Van Gogh immersive experiences popping up in cities all across the US. I'm sure it will be a fun experience for those that choose to attend, but being an art history teacher and knowing so much about Van Gogh's last years and the suffering he endured, I have a few ethical concerns to share regarding this traveling exhibit that you may be interested in learning for yourself.

Here are the images I shared in the video. The first ones are Vincent Van Gogh and the last four are by his friend and notable artist Paul Gauguin who moved to Tahiti where he became known for painting the local women.

After watching the video, I would love to hear what you think of random companies being able to profit so heavily off of art they find in the public domain. While I think the ability to access old artworks, songs, and other creative accomplishments as copyright free and able to be built off of long after the artist has passed on is a wonderful part of our society, turning that work into an exclusionary event just feels wrong. Leave me your thoughts here or on the video comments!

7.4.2021

Picasso Figures Exhibit at the Frist Museum

April 25, 2021

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to see about 80 original Pablo Picasso figure works at an international traveling art exhibit here in Nashville, TN at the Frist Museum. It was a truly incredible collection dating from the late 1890s when Picasso was a teenager all the way up to 1970 just a few years before his death.

Combining this super special opportunity with even more knowledge I've picked up teaching my art history class made this an unusually inspiring and illuminating art show (that I actually couldn't help but visit twice!).

I hope you enjoy this visit, and my own personal anecdotal 'Favorite Picasso Ever' story! And I hope I can encourage you to go see original art in person whenever possible as well, whether by a big name like Picasso or by your own local artists:)

4.25.2021

In Heaven at the Picasso Exhibit

April 09, 2021 in Museums + Galleries, Inspiration

I got to do a few figure drawings from actual PICASSO’s todayyy!!! 🤩🤩🤩

This wonderful local museum, the Frist, has an exhibit currently featuring about 80 figures by Picasso. They’re all on loan from the Picasso museum in Paris and it’s truly an incredible collection; Nashville is the only city in the US that it’s even visiting!

I’ve actually seen just about this entire collection already from when I visited Paris and went to the Picasso museum, but visiting a beautiful masterwork is like seeing an old friend, some thing I try to do time and time again. I spent four hours in the museum today really sitting with many pieces. I had my headphones on playing some Chopin and later on some cello music, just vibing out with the paintings, taking in each and every brushstroke, and indulging on a few sketches before I left.

If you’re not someone who normally goes out to see local original art in person, much less masterworks like this when they come to your area, I would highly recommend you begin to make that a hobby. Seeing my favorite paintings in life makes me more of a fan girl than any celebrity ever could. Inspecting their strokes, admiring the luminosity, seeing every little nook and cranny purely the way your favorite artist created it... nothing in between you and their hand but the movement of paint they left behind. It’s such an ethereal experience....

I can honestly say I Learned so much from Picasso‘s brushstrokes today, even having seen a lot of these paintings before. Because I’m in a different place in my life I saw them in a different light and I actually got inspired for a few of my own works. Check out a few of these incredible works, more will be coming along with a few more sketches. I just got home a few minutes ago and I’m literally on an art high 💜🤤🎨

And, lucky me, I’m actually going back to visit these works again next week! My mom is coming to town for her first visit to my new spot (yay!) and I’ve already got us tickets to see Picasso together!

4.9.2021

Ringling Museum of Art

January 22, 2020 in Museums + Galleries

Guess who discovered that the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL is free on Mondays?!?

Now free entrance to a quality art collection is like Christmas morning to this Bird!

While I was in St. Petersburg, FL last weekend visiting friends, attending a figure drawing session, and learning how to belay climb on an interior rock wall (yes, it was amazing!!), I was told by a fellow artist that I should pop down for free day while on my way out of town. And you know your girl looooooves to museum so how could I resist?!

I loved the wall of spots by Yayoi Kusama and a few textured abstracts by Syd Solomon, along with some old photos including Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera in action as well as a young girl posing with an authentic Mexican sugar skull.

There was a fair collection of pre-Renaissance artwork as well. I was particularly impressed with the quality and precisionof some of the old wood sculptures.

And just a few more lovely and inspirational works from the collection….

Francisco Cairo

Gerard Kuijl

Lodovico David

Francesco Salviati

Carl Marr

G. Lachaise

Kay Sage

1.22.2020

Salvador Dali Museum Tour

January 24, 2019 in Art Vlog, Artist Diary, Adventure, YouTube Videos, Inspiration, Museums + Galleries

I just got back from the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL and the collection is as mind-blowing as one could wish! As the world's preeminent surrealist painter it's a real treat to study Dali's works in person. I spent over 4 hours melting into his paintings while learning a lot about his life and the reoccurring symbols in his artwork which I'm so happy to share with you today.

I highly recommend you put this museum on your bucket list and in the mean time you can see and read about the whole collection here.

One of the most important things we can do as artists is to experience other artwork in person and since we can’t all be everywhere at once I’ll be creating more art tour videos to share with you in the future. Enjoy!

And here are the works I feature in the video for you to get a closer look. Click thumbnails to enlarge!

And the photos of Dali and his wife/muse Gala:

originally published January 24, 2019

Visit to the National Gallery, Washington DC

June 24, 2015 in Adventure, Inspiration

I was fortunate enough to spend three and a half days at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. while visiting my boyfriend at his parents’ house recently. The collection is absolutely incredible; as good as any museum I’ve seen in Europe! I have always especially enjoyed visiting art museums by myself so I can spend as much time as I want mulling over whichever works tickle my fancy. Of course, I love the docent tours and headset tours and this time I even brought along a guidebook to the collection. I did a few master copy sketches in the galleries and really just soaked it all in.

A few of the highlights of my visit included the only Da Vinci painting in North America, a small room with four Vermeers, the four Raphaels, six Toulouse-Lautrec paintings, and a number of John Singer Sargent, Van Gogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, and Matisse works, just to name a few. I was literally in constant awe! I will be posting many of my favorites on my Tumblr blog periodically.

I was really paying close attention to various artists’ brushstrokes and choice of light and color. I have been feeling so inspired lately and am thinking of doing a few master copies just for fun.

originally posted: June 24, 2015