I got to stare, in person, at two paintings by Claude Monet.
I even tried to draw one.
The art museum in Columbia, SC has an exhibit called “French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850 – 1950.” I visited it this week.
I didn’t fully understand the theme behind the exhibit. I figure it was along the lines of
“We got Monet! Renoir! Degas! And even a Chagall!”
Works for me.
And I got to stare, in person, at a bunch of Impressionist paintings. And some other stuff.
Colored pencils to the rescue
Museums let you draw inside (they even have folding chairs you can borrow), but the only permitted media is pencil. So I brought 3 colored pencils, each a variation on a primary.
I drew “Rising Tide at Pourville,” a work from 1882.
When I got home, I pulled out my watercolors and completed it.
It was so amazing to study how Monet put his colors together. And the brush strokes he used.
I can’t think of time better spent than staring at his work, being amazed by it, and learning from it.
I got closer than I expected to
Of course my version is heavily flawed. But, damn, it was fun working on it.
And I got to stare, in person, at paintings by Monet.
Even the very best-quality print doesn’t do justice to seeing the original canvases in person.
The exhibit is open through Jan. 5, 2025. I may go again…