An inspiring trip to MOMA

Had such a great day in the city recently. Met up with friends to see the new Matisse exhibit at MOMA “The Red Studio”. Here is the description from the museum website:

For many years after its creation, Henri Matisse’s The Red Studio (1911)—which depicts the artist’s work space in the Parisian suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux—was met with bafflement or indifference. Today it is known as a foundational work of modern art and a landmark in the centuries-long tradition of studio painting. Matisse: The Red Studio will reunite this work with the surviving six paintings, three sculptures, and one ceramic by Matisse depicted on its six-foot-tall-by-seven-foot-wide canvas. This will be the first reunion of these objects since they were together in Matisse’s studio at the time The Red Studio was made. They range from groundbreaking paintings, such as Le Luxe II (1907–08), to lesser-known works, such as Corsica, The Old Mill (1898), to objects which have only recently been rediscovered.

I was so inspired by his vivid color and line and couldn’t wait to get back home and paint. This was my sketchbook page the next day. I had so much fun!

January days...

How do you sum up January? Well, for me it is a welcomed break from the chaos of the holidays. As much as I love seeing everyone and celebrating, I find myself missing solitude and creating. I love to get up super early and watch the sun rise. I’ve been working long hours lately, so I often watch the sun set as well! But I enjoy what I do so much and this is that special time in a book project where i can obsess over details such as color palettes and composition. I’ve been working out visual solutions in my sketchbook, as well as doing some location scouting for some of the scenes in the book. More news on this to come!

Boo continues to be her charming self and typically spends the first two hours of the day staring at me and waiting for treats. She never gives up.

I was sad to see that Sidney Poitier had passed this month. I only recently saw “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” in the past two years or so. His performance was truly incredible and I particularly loved the scene with his father. He played it with such candor and emotion and you truly felt both his love for Joey and his frustration with his father’s racial mindset. It was so tender and filled with love and compassion. I feel like we are losing so many great actors of this caliber.

Well, I guess that is it for now! I hope each of you are having a great start to 2022!