Chrysanthemums the Word

Last weekend I went out to western Mass to see my sister-in-law, Ann Lee Hallstein. Always the gracious host, she takes me on walks and outings she knows I will enjoy. On Saturday we went to the Smith College, Fall Chrysanthemum Show which is in their greenhouse near the Botanical Garden. This show will be up until Nov. 21^st, so if you are in the area, I recommend both a walk along the water way and a peek at the small, but charming display in the greenhouse. The horticulture students created hybrids and attendees are invited to vote for their favorite, a difficult job to do as each flower type is as beautiful as the next. This one was my pick.


There are many forms to this member of the daisy family, and all are here in abundance.

Cascades, which require months of special pruning and training:

Standards, which are large blooms that can reach seven feet in height!

There are many exceptional hybrids that out shine any bushy variety at your local Depot.



One of the lovely "cross curriculum" features on display was the poetry chosen by students in the East Asian Language and literature class:

Click to zoom

There is also a poetry reading, music and lectures scheduled. Check it out at: www.smith.edu/garden.

After I got home, I got busy on the computer and ended up with many serendipitous finds. In my own work, when I choose an image or particular flower there are usually personal reasons behind behind my choice.

This small painting is a tribute to the ephemeral nature of all flowers.

In Chinese and Japanese cultures, all seasonal and natural subjects have meanings beyond their appearance; most of it known by their audience and in context to their culture.

Chrysanthemums, the November flower, signal the last burst of summer and in many Asian motifs, represent lamentation and grief, adding a special poignancy to the season. In European cultures the white chrysanthemum is used for funerals and on graves. In contrast, in the United States we look on these flowers optimistically and in some countries chrysanthemums represent honesty.

But, as we all know, research is frequently contradictory and meaning can be applied in all kinds of ways.

At the MFA in Boston there is a display of Japanese prints which feature characters with tattoos. Chrysanthemums are in abundance. http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/under-skin

Here are some actual chrysanthemum tattoos, off the web.

It seems appropriate that there are also Chrysanthemum fire works:

Another connection occured this morning. In the Globe was a notice about a show at the Miller Block Gallery. Imi Hwangbo does intricate 3d drawings using mylar and ink. I have seen her work before and the constructions are both contemporary and petal-like. The announcement says that in Korea the chrysanthemum represents joy! The show is up through December.

http://www.MillerblockGallery.com

On Harvards' Sackler Museum collection page I found a comparable example in Japanese silk brocade from the 18^th century. In Japan the golden chrysanthemum is the emblem of the Imperial Emperor and the Imperial order of the Chrysanthemum is the highest order of chivalry. Japan also has a National Chrysanthemum Day, which is called the Festival of Happiness.

Here's a quote from my Wikipedia source which seems particularly apt for my next find:

"If you would be happy for a lifetime, grow Chrysanthemums," says one ancient Chinese philosopher. In China the chrysanthemum is a symbol of Taoist simplicity and perfection. Autumn is the season of this flower, a time of tranquillity, completeness, and abundance following the harvest. Since it blooms right into winter, it may also symbolize the ability to mediate between life and death, between Heaven and Earth.”

I knew the Sackler Museum site had many beautiful examples of paintings. But also my search revealed this little pot by Makoto Yabe, who was my first teacher in ceramics at the DeCordova. He stunned the students on the first day of class by showing us chrysanthemum wedging. He said he spent years in apprenticeship doing nothing but wedging all day.

Wedging sets up the clay to be thrown, getting rid of air pockets and basically warming it up to be supple and easy to work with. In chrysanthemum wedging the end result is as beautiful as the pot you may throw. It looks like a many petaled flower. Here's an example of that wedging technique..on Youtube (p.s..Mokoto was much faster)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbLV7LrY-Yc&feature=related

And here's his stoneware potin the Sackler collection with the flowers impressed using the "mishima" technique.

Makoto Yabe also taught at the Harvard Ceramic Studio. I was glad I attended the special luncheon held in his honor. Sadly, he died soon after from cancer. His work and his teaching were a great gift. This small bowl is a humble and poignant reminder of how art helps us “mediate” between life and death.

Lastly: Madame Valpincon with Chrysanthemums by Edgar Degas

This painting is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and seems a perfect compliment to all the examples above. The model is contemplative and attending to something just outside the picture. She's wrapped up in her thoughts and in her winter scarf.

Happy Fall friends.... Let us give Thanks for the beauty of Art and the Natural World.

Stay warm!

Tuscany

Rocca d' Orcia

It's hard to believe it was just a little over a month ago that we were in this beautiful place. September is a great time to be in Italy. It was not crowded and the weather was perfect. Something about the air is incredibly soft and caressing. It may be the rolling landscape filled with vineyards and olive trees. Whatever the cause, I now fully understand the romance of Tuscany. What beautiful colors and heavenly sky-scapes. Just like you see in the paintings !

We spent our first few nights in the small town of Pienza . The hotel was originally a convent. Pienza is where Zefferelli filmed Romeo and Juliet. (A film I have in my Netflix lineup so I can re-live the charming streets and beautiful vistas. The English Patient was also filmed in this locale)

Here's an early morning view from our window.This is the little chapel for the nuns in the church next to the hotel.
Notice the blue "sky" in the arches.
We spent a day in Sienna.
The wonderful piazza is shaped like a scallop shell.

Here's a view from our lunch table looking out.Oh ..and here's the end of one of my many delicious lunches....The Duomo in Sienna had this wonderful libraria "piccalomini." with beautiful illuminated books and walls covered with frescos. Unfortunately it was a narrow space so you could not get a straight picture. This painting had both a rainbow and a storm.
And there again... beautiful skies.

And here's a picture I got from the web that gives you a better
feeling for the paintings in the space.

Here are two more treasures from the museum in Sienna.

This is a sculpture by Della Robbia.We also went to the 12th century Romanesque Abbey St Antimo. A winding road past many vineyards led us to this pristine and quiet spot. It was so quiet I did not feel I could take pictures. We could hear through a wall, the chanting of the monks. A truly heavenly place.

Bagno Vignoni was recommended to us and we ended up spending several nights at a lovely hotel with a spa and hot baths as part of its accomadations. The art and overall decor of the hotel was lovely. The waters were wonderful. The colors in the room were totally in tune with the area.On the last day we stopped at an agritourismo where you can rent an apartment for a week!
Look at this driveway!And this is my new hat! Looking out from Montepulciano.For more pictures you can see my album on Facebook or go to Flicker... Ciao!

Roman Holiday

This is Santa Maria Maggiore as seen from the roof top garden of our hotel, an appropriate place to start our ten day excursion in Rome and Tuscany.

This basilica is the site of Bernini's tomb which says simply: " He decorated the city."

This was my first trip to Rome and hopefully it won't be my last. I feel we just scratched the surface. Following, is some of the art that I saw that impressed and inspired me.

Our first full day was spent visiting our neighboring Basilica.. so much bigger than it first appeared. Then the Roman Baths. Both sites were relatively uncrowded, so we were able to wander at will .

The Baths' courtyard's atrium had sculpture after sculpture, it's a vast site continually being excavated.

I was especially inspired by the clothed figurines called Tanagra and found a great description and link to an audio visual explanation from the Louvre: go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanagra_figurine

Here's another example

The National Museum of Rome is housed both here, at the Baths, and across the street.
It has beautiful modern exhibits showing frescoes and mosaics from ancient homes.

This fresco, featuring multiple flower, fruit and bird specimens is from the subterranean dining room of Augustus and Livia. It was designed to keep their guests cool during the heat of the summer.

Each display was laid out in rooms reproducing the size of the original and with mosaic floors both in situ or on the walls. Here are examples of my favorites.

The colors, sophistication and intricacy of the mosaics in particular, were astonishing.

I also loved the frescoes that were only partially saved.
This one was especially entrancing, with a mysterious view of horses and dolphins bounding through the waves.

The next day we went to the Vatican City and ran into the Pope. It was a terrific day, with representatives from Costa Rica and Africa dressed up for the occasion and waving their flags.

Also charming were the many brides celebrating their weddings and dragging their trains across the cobblestone square. We spent a lot of time enjoying the crowd before going into the Basilica.

Inside St Peters', besides the magnificent sculpture of the Pieta, were interesting portraits of the Popes.

There was beautiful light that people passed through while touring the space, creating a show of living sculpture.

Bernini did this fantastic sculpture, notice the hour glass.. he really is over the top...

After following the hoards through the museum and being overwhelmed by both the art and the crowds, we came out past a model of the Vatican. Joey asked where exactly the Pope lives and the guard pointed out the upper windows of the building on the right.

The following day we went to the Trevi fountain.

and the Spanish Steps.

There, I went into the little museum devoted to Keats and the Romantic Poets. They have a re-creation of what his room was like and multiple pictures of Byron, Shelly, Keats and his letters. His poetry was cut up and given in line segments to various friends and followers after his death. Keats had a third floor view out onto this wonderful scene.
If one were to suffer from TB and die at an early age.. this would be the place to go.

Our last day before Tuscany, we took a quick trip to see the basilica at Piaizza del Popolo. Another beautiful public space. The basilica had two Caravaggio's in an awkward niche.
The Conversion of St Paul

The Crucifixtion of St Peter

Truely stirring and wonderful pieces of art. You have to push a button to light them, the space is so dark.
Somehow it seemed appropriate to the power of the pieces and the lighting Caravaggio is so known for.

Next Blog: Tuscany

Kingston Gallery Show

Here's a peek at the Kingston Gallery show that occurred last Friday night. It was a lot of fun; a beautiful summer night with many friends and walk-ins taking advantage of our treats as well as enjoying the display. I've had a lot of fun working with the other associates.

We got along well and did a good job considering our work runs the gamut of styles and techniques. For a look at all the participants you can go to the gallery website at www.KingstonGallery.com.

Here are some installation views :

In this one my work Tomato is on the back wall and another is first on the left. It's called Money Plant, which is the actual name of the plant. The other painting is by Chantal Hardy, who if you were there was wearing a terrific pink polka dot dress. I'm sorry there's no picture!

In this one, the painting on the left is mine: Flag, and Joan Benotti's work is on the right.

Also for the opening, my daughter Jay and I collaborated on making a dress. It was modeled from my painter's smock; an old dress from the 70's

Here also is a view of Jay working on the fabric and a detail of the results. Great Stuff!

Thanks to all who came out. It was great to see you! The show will be up until the end of August and I will be gallery sitting on the 19th and 20th. Check it out!