Laurette in a Green Robe (Black Background), 1916
Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954)
Oil on canvas

28 3/4 x 21 3/8 in. (73 x 54.3 cm)
Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, 1998 (1999.363.43)
© 2010 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

I was looking through a book about Matisse, when a page with the above painting caught my attention. I think it’s the colors…more inspiration.

Eye Candy-I no longer remember where I got this little snippet of information, but take a look at the photography of Carol Lyon here. I love the bird abstracts! More inspiration and possibly a have-to-have-it art purchase. The website says they can be printed on metallic paper or canvas—will have to send a query, since I don’t understand the metallic part. But those bird abstracts are wonderful!

And another Matisse—Cutting out paper as part of the design process is something that I occasionally do. However, I have never painted the papers first, which seems to me to be a good idea. You’d have exactly the colors you want! Color-aid papers are good, but they are soooo expensive.

The Snail
1953; Goauche on cut-paper, 9′ 4 3/4″ x 9′ 5″ Tate Gallery, London

This composition of rectangular and squarish patches form a snail-like shape, this has no precedent in Matisse’s career. “The Snail” is one of Matisse’s final works. It points to the fact that his career could go on indefinitely, and to directions that later art would take beyond his own lifetime. The various works of Ellsworth Kelly, Kenneth Noland, and Frank Stella are instances of how Matisse’s insights would later be fulfilled.

For several years I have looked at the museum workshops with interest, but have done nothing more. While going through a creative dry spell, I signed up for each workshop offered at the Kimbell. Yesterday’s workshop was to look at some selected paintings in the current exhibit (mentioned in my blog here) with a focus on the horizon line and the amount of sky visible in the painting. After discussing each chosen painting, the assignment was to use acrylics to make our own painting. I sat and stared at the canvas for what seemed like hours, while my table-mates busied themselves with mixing colors. I finally decided to do a version of the Yellow Mounds at the Badlands, something I’ve been fascinated with since I saw them a couple of years ago. The picture you see above is the photograph, something I could have used during the workshop! I still want to do something with that photograph. The idea of layers has been percolating for a couple of years now, and will probably show itself as a fully formed idea someday. And, notice that there is no picture of my painting. It was tempting to drop it in the trash as I walked out of the building.

I’ve been thinking about inspiration a lot lately, so it was with interest that I read Daryl Lancaster’s March 2 post on her blog. She mentions being in a kind of “plateau in her work and creativity” (her words). She then goes on to relate how she has been visiting more museums and exhibits, and since she teaches sewing handwoven cloth in clothing, even going shopping as a means of getting the creative juices flowing (my words). It seems that is exactly what I’ve been doing lately with my various excursions to local spots.

I recently went to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden Butterflies in the Garden. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my camera with me, so had to rely on the phone. If you’ve never been to one of these kinds of exhibits, it’s very warm and humid. However, I think I’m going to return, dragging along the camera this time. Sorry, but these pictures are the best of the lot.

1000 Patterns: Design Through the Centuries (Paperback) Drusilla Cole (Author)

It’s amazing to me how I can look at something one day and be totally uninspired. Case in point: I checked this book out of the library and marked bunches of pages with sticky notes because something on the page called to me. Some attracted me because of color, some because of a snippet of the overall pattern. I know I’ve seen this book in Borders, glanced through it, and decided against it. Must’ve been my mood at the time. Maybe I just wasn’t being receptive to the inspiration gods, whatever. Currently, it must not be in print any longer; when I checked, there was a copy selling for $800! Can that be right? Must be the hardback version.

And speaking of pattern, inspiration, etc, have you seen these from Dharma Trading Company? When I looked Tuesday morning, none were marked with a sold sign. These are copper batik stencils. Some are just amazing! I picked out some of the simpler designs to show here.

Late Breaking News: We have sunshine! It’s amazing what a little sunshine can do for the energy level. Even though I’m sure it’s too wet after rain all day yesterday, I may be forced to get outside and play in the dirt in the sunshine.

Again we’ve broken records for below normal temperatures and dreary days. And, since we’re into March, I’m adding some March color here. No flowers yet, just leftover colors from February. 

I love looking at the birds out my studio window, and the goldfinches are very pretty this time of year. I had to take this picture through the window—it was too cold and blustery outside for me to wait on them to come back to the feeder. Nature photography will not be a second career! These little guys are eating me out of house and home right now.Here are the nandinas that are growing along the back fence. They’re volunteers from my neighbor’s yard. At least they provide a little color, right?    

If you take a closer look at Venus, she’s a little worse for wear—leaves where they shouldn’t be, etc.

I love the juxtaposition of the signs here. The West Side Cafe is a place where we have breakfast fairly frequently. It’s an old-fashioned, small-town restaurant in the city. I know the owner must be doing a good job because there is little turnover of employees. But, they do not have tattoos available at this restaurant!

 Handwoven triptych, Squares, 25 x 75 inches  If you look closely, you can see little squiggles in the middle and right pieces-just a little break from the square image!

The above set of almost-squares was commissioned. It was great fun to find colors to use for this project and to put in the little squiggles in the lower right of the green piece and the upper right of the magenta piece.

Josef Albers
Homage to the Square: Edition Keller Ia, 1970
screenprint
Image size: 13 13/16 x 13 13/16 inches
(35 x 35 cm)
Paper size: 21 11/16 x 21 11/16 inches
(55.1 x 55.1 cm)
Edition of 125
#19760

I can’t find a picture, but the Amon Carter Museum has Study for Homage to the Square: Remote, 1960 by Josef Albers. It’s on masonite, and looks very different from the images we usually see in books of Albers’s Squares. The original piece is much richer, not so flat as the ones we’re used to seeing. Above is one of the square series that I found online.

The above picture came from here. I made up my own image of the one I saw in Photoshop. It looks maybe/kinda like this one:

At least that’s what I would have said on Thursday. Nothing to say…the same weaving is progressing in the same way, the weather is still cold, windy, and dreary. But today (Friday) we forced ourselves to go out in the cold, windy, dreary, and now rainy weather to have breakfast and go to the museum. We went to the Amon Carter Museum which I have mentioned before. I was thinking that a new exhibit was starting, because, if I’m out having fun, it must be Saturday. And Saturday is when the new exhibit opens. Not to worry…we got to see two great photography exhibits. The Carter has a huge collection of photography and always has some hanging, either from their collection or brought in from other places.

Edward S. Curtis: The North American Indian

Every time I see these old photographs, I am amazed at how good they are, and, even more so when I think about the age of the photos.  This one probably won’t reproduce well here, but it’s very effective in person.

The Night Scout, Photograph by Edward Sheriff Curtis

In keeping with weaving, I always notice patterns:

Original title: A chief of the desert – Navaho. Photograph by Edward Sheriff Curtis, ca. 1904.

I always carry a small notebook in my purse to make note of things I find interesting or draw patterns that might be used in a weaving later. Of course, I have to remind myself to look at my notebook occasionally!

And then, there is this one of interest to all of us who weave:

 The Blanket Weaver, Photograph by Edward Sheriff Curtis, ca.   1904.

It’s such a shock to walk outside and feel how cold it is. The sunshine makes it deceptive, along with the brisk 14 mph winds. I really wanted to catch a goldfinch at the feeder—at this time of the year, they’re very colorful—but it was not to be. Instead, I have pictures of hyacinth buds and new growth on the climbing rose by the front porch. The picture on the right shows what it looks like in bloom.

In the back, I know there are berries still on the nandinas, but the cold got to me. In keeping with the February color pictures proposed by Life Looms Large, here are my contributions. Otherwise, I have nothing. Still weaving the  same piece. I chose a color to put in that seemed right, but the yarn is a mix of mohair/wool, so it’s just a wee bit different in size than my usual two strands of wool together, so I am having to compensate for that in the weaving. The piece is not quite to the halfway point yet. 

Since I can’t do anything about the dreary days that we are having around here, I can choose to work with bright colors. At least the last couple of days have been mild as to temperature, and I did do a few things outside yesterday. The carport and back porch really need sorting and cleaning. A few months ago I cleaned out old files, boxed everything up, and hauled them outside. They’re still there, waiting for shredding.

I knew there was a reason that Olympic viewing wasn’t on my schedule. If I start watching, I have to go to the bitter end. Got caught up in the men’s skating finals and, last night, the men’s speed skating. They go past my bedtime, so that means the next day is full of the desire for a nap.

They’re calling for more snow! This is amazing!

No, not a sign “from above.” Just an interesting sign along the side of West Seventh Street. Hope you can read it. You can see the dreary day in this picture. But, then again, it WAS taken with the phone. Maybe I should start carrying around my camera, see if it makes a difference.

Weaving on tap for today. Maybe a picture later.