My Weekend

One of the highlights of my weekend was spent at the High Museum seeing the Impressionist exhibit. I have been enjoying my annual membership where I can just pop in and out for a few hours whenever I feel like it. For me the museum is a place I can go and let my mind muddle over things that I don't quite understand. I really can not tell you the difference between a Monet and Manet but enjoy the process of letting my mind drift over an image as I ask and try to answer questions such as do I like this? If so why? What do I like about it and just who is this guy/gal anyway. What was he or she thinking here? The audio tapes and little description signs are a big help.

Several of the paintings really moved me to the point where it was difficult to walk away. There was a landscape painting by Monet that showed a lake with lots of tree reflections in the water. When I stepped up close to the picture it was just a bunch of blurred strokes but as I stepped away my mind put the image together and it became a non-realistic foggy dreamscape where I felt lulled and peaceful.

He also did 3 separate paintings of the same object but each painting held an entirely different perspective even though the object was exactly the same. I liked that a lot and it reminded me of life and how people can experience the exact same thing but have an entirely different perspective. For example getting pregnant can devastate one person but thrill another. I want to learn more about always being on the thrilled side. I guess it's like Laura said, learning to embrace the waves.

The Renoir pieces were mostly portraits. The exhibit stated that portraits was a style in which he was known best. There were many portraits of nudes, especially women. Renoir said "A nude is never quite finished until I feel I can pinch the flesh." I was beginning to think he was quite a ladies man and this whole artist thing was just a ruse. I mean, just who were all of these naked woman anyway?

I smiled as I imagined myself sitting around drinking French wine in little street cafes like they often did, complementing each others work and flirting with the admirers. Alas, it's back to my banking job for me but what a great escape for the day! I can't wait for the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit next month.