MFA Day – Exhibit B

The second exhibit I viewed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston was the fun and lighthearted Hippie Chic. Though I was just a young child during the '60s, I can certainly appreciate the colorful fashion and classic rock music of the period. Totally groovy, man.

Women's outfit designed by Barry & Yosha Finch, circa 1970.

Though the styles shown at this exhibit were primarily couture – many from British designers of the period, like Ossie Clark –  the bright colors and mix of fabrics are instantly recognizable from countless magazine covers and knock-offs people wore back then. Velvet, Qiana, ruffled "prairie" dresses, caftans, bell-bottom pants, fringe and crazy ethnic patterns were all represented.

Hippie women – far out, man!

Love the riot of colors! The patchwork dress in the back is by Geoffrey Beene. The green tie-dyed silk number is by Roy Halston Frowick, 1969.

Men's clothing was also on exhibit:

My fantasy hippie?

I guess I got so excited, I couldn't quite hold my camera steady.

Oh, behave!

MFA Day – Exhibit A

I finally made it out to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for the first time in years, and, though crowded, it was a great day.

I limited myself to viewing two exhibits. The first was John Singer Sargent's watercolors.

Here is a sampling, reproduced on convenient postcards:

(Clockwise, from top):
In a Medici Villa, 1906;
Corfu: Lights and Shadows, 1909;
Venice: Under the Rialto Bridge, 1909
The Bridge of Sighs, 1903-1904;

I hadn't realized he was such a prolific artist, and after my recent foray into watercolor painting, I can truly appreciate how a master used the medium.

I was especially impressed with how he created shadows. I also like how some paintings were very deliberately structured while others were more abstract (more typical of watercolor than other media).

And, since I've actually visited Venice, I appreciate that I can recognize the Rialto Bridge and Bridge of Sighs, two of that city's most iconic features (sigh).

Watercolor Memories Made

This past summer I took a one-day, "boot camp" watercolor class, which I enjoyed. This is a new medium for me, which I think I'll get to like the more I practice. What I especially like is that you can keep going over any mistakes you make, so anything you paint is never really "complete." This is probably true for just about any art form, and one of the most difficult decisions any artist makes – "Am I really done with this piece?"

This was my first watercolor attempt, based on a photograph I took of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir at sunset this past July.

Summer Sunset – Chestnut Hill Reservoir
watercolor painting, 11"x15".

Here's the photo:

Chestnut Hill Reservoir sunset photograph

I first drew a rough sketch, then painted over it. One of the most difficult challenges is learning how to mix colors to get what you want. Making the dense black parts in the center was the most difficult to achieve, and I more or less settled for brown.

I do like landscapes, but they're kind of the cliché subject matter for watercolors, so for my next two paintings, I wanted something a bit less typical and more challenging.

For my second watercolor, I found this image online.

Image of model falling on the runway

Though the colors are drab, I decided watercolors would help to enhance the subject matter a bit.
I drew this out in pencil before painting it. Getting the face and hair the way I wanted them proved to be the most challenging. Painting the shadows was yet another challenge.

Model Crush
watercolor, 11"x15".

For my third watercolor, I found this online image:

Another image of model falling on runway

This image is extremely complicated, with a lot going on in her outfit – "creation" is more accurate. There's mesh, lace, fishnet, feathers, crystals, sequins and more – as well as the elaborate headpiece.

I had to draw this out in pencil first to get a sense of what's going on.

Pencil sketch of Model Crush II

This watercolor painting took weeks to complete. To get the black, I experimented and mixed brown with blue, which worked out pretty well. The most challenging part was getting the chest portion painted because there's so much going on in that area. The areas with crystals and sequins were really difficult. To enhance these areas, I used glitter glue for sparkle.

Model Crush II
watercolor with glitter glue, 11"x15".