A Surprise Artistic Adventure

 

We arrived in Oregon last week the day before our event began so we had some time to do some exploring.  Dave had seen an ad on the back of guide for an art gallery belonging to an artist named Erin Hanson and the paintings shown looked beautiful so we decided to go there.  Dave put the address into the GPS and we set off in search of this gallery.  We kept getting further and further away from the city center until we arrived at a new industrial center where the gallery was located.  We commented to each other that it seemed like an unusual spot for a gallery.  Entering we could see that it clearly was a gallery and we proceeded to enjoy the paintings.

The artist has an impressionist style that was very appealing and each painting had its own natural appeal.  

I rounded a corner and found this example of an artwork guide showing an original oil painting, a 3D replica of the painting and a stretched canvas print of the same painting.  

I walked into another room that looked a bit like an office and was greeted by the gallery manager.  She told us a little about the artist, Erin Hanson and told us that this facility is her studio where she paints and where she creates reproductions of her paintings.  

Erin's unique style of painting is known as "Open Impressionism" and I must say, the works were very attractive.  

The gallery manager took us on tour of the facility.  I snapped this photo of her studio showing a painting she was currently working on.  We saw a dark room with the biggest scanner I've ever seen.  That is where the original oil painting is scanned.  In another room we saw a huge 3D printer where the 3D prints are placed on canvases.  In addition to that, we saw the shipping room where canvases are stretched, framed and packaged for shipping to clients all over the world.  It was quite an operation and I had never seen anything like it before.

At the end of the tour, she gave each of us a beautiful gift bag with one of her paintings on the side and filled with a variety of publications.  Two of the magazines were about her work specifically and the others were art magazines in which her works were featured.  

The artist has this studio where she works and a gallery in Carmel-by-the-Sea (California) and we learned that she will soon have a gallery in Scottsdale.  I will look forward to going there when it opens.  

What a nice surprise this was.  Not only did we get to see some wonderful works of art, we also got to learn how print replicas are made.  And we got to see the equipment it takes to do that work.  It was fascinating.

Oregon Wine Country

 

The Oregon wine industry had humble beginnings but has quickly become one of the most popular wine country destinations in the United States.

With over 900 wineries and 22 distinct growing areas, Oregon is now the third largest wine and grape growing states in the U.S.

All those wineries scattered among the hills of Willamette Valley make the scenery alone a reason to visit the area.

The wineries are some of the most beautiful in the nation.  

It's a perfect place to spend some time exploring.

Getty Museum Architecture

 

The Getty Museum in Los Angeles is as interesting on the outside as the art works inside.  The museum sits on top of a hill with sweeping views toward the Pacific Ocean on one side and the skyline of Los Angeles on the other.  

The buildings that house all of the art surround a beautiful garden in the center of the complex.  The garden is a work of art itself.

Visitors are welcome to wander in the garden and admire the beautifully landscaped grounds.  I even saw a few people who made a little picnic under some of those trees.

The open space between the buildings is beautifully landscaped with fountains and places to sit and rest.  

The museum buildings are all constructed of light colored stone blocks.  Although the buildings are modern in style, all that stonework gives a feeling of a historic site. 

Visiting the Getty Museum is as much about the artistry of the architecture as it is about the wonderful art exhibits inside the buildings.

Wallace Collection Details

 

Last Sunday I featured the Wallace Collection in London, a house filled with artistic treasures.  In last week's post, my photos just walked through many of the amazing rooms filled with paintings, sculptures and furniture.  This week, I thought I'd show you just a few of the smaller pieces on display.  As you can see from this shot, some of the rooms were filled with cabinets full of beautiful things.

Here is a perfect example.  This cabinet is full of 18th Century French porcelain, exquisitely painted.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York recently did an exhibit detailing how Walt Disney was inspired by the beautiful porcelain pieces of this era and the Wallace Collection loaned many pieces to the Met for that exhibit.  When I checked the website for The Wallace Collection, I learned that same exhibit has now moved to London and will be on display at the museum through mid-October.  

Today, I'll feature a few other things that caught my eye when I visited this beautiful museum.  First is this painting by Flemish artist Pieter Pourbus called "An Allegory of True Love".  Since I studied Flemish art in school, I recognized the busy style of this artist who lived from 1523 to 1584.

I loved seeing these two exquisitely painted plates.  The one on top is described as "the virgin leading the Magdalene to Christ" and the second one depicts women bathing.  These are from the early 16th century.  

Here we have a larger sculpture made from Sicilian marble.  This is a copy that Sir Richard Wallace commissioned of "Love Triumphant".  

This painting was familiar to me.  I've seen it featured in books many times.  It's called "The Laughing Cavalier" by Frans Hals (1584 - 1666).  

He does look like a rather jolly fellow.  

Here we have a bust of Louis XIV, King of France.  This is a 19th-century replica.  

This last piece I've pictured brings to mind the art of Walt Disney that I mentioned above.  This reminded me so much of Cogsworth, the talking clock from the movie "Beauty and the Beast".  The clock in that movie is based on a mantel clock but that didn't stop me from seeing the rather proper, butler-like figure this clock seems to represent.  

The Wallace Collection

 

The Wallace Collection wasn't on my original list of things to see in London but, I saw it on my street map and decided to check it out.  It is located in Hertford House which was once the London Home of the Marquess of Hertford.  

The collection contains a vast amount of art that was collected over four generations with a strong representation of 18th century French art.  

Each room in the house is brimming with paintings, furniture and art objects for the visitor to admire.  

The house itself is huge with many rooms that all seemed to be filled with priceless pieces of porcelain, paintings and other small objects.  Visitors can wander from room to room.

The collection was brought together by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace the son of the 4th Marquess.  The entire collection and the home was bequeathed to Britain by Lady Wallace, Sir Richard's widow in 1897.  There is no charge to view the collection making it well worth a visit.   

Small Town Sculpture Garden

 

The city of Prescott Valley Arizona has created an area around its municipal buildings that is filled with sculptures.  My sister lives in Prescott Valley, about an hour and a half drive north of Phoenix.  On one of my visits to see her, we walked around this area admiring all the art work.  Here are some of pieces we admired.  First is a sculpture by Debbie Gessner called "Not So Gentle Tamer".  It's a tribute to all the pioneer women who helped tame the west.  The artist was inspired by the works of western artist, Bob Boze Bell. If you look closely, you will see she is holding a snake in one hand and a spade in the other.  Those pioneer women were a tough bunch.

Above is a modern sculpture called "Limitless" by Michael J. Tierney.  Those colorful arms are reaching for the sky.

And to the left is a cute piece called "Bedtime" by Joan Andrews.  It looks like that cat is off to bed with that child.  

The sculpture to the right is called "To Protect and Serve" and was created by Clarke C. Riedy.  This one was commissioned by the city of Prescott Valley to honor the police force.

The piece above is "Learning Together" and was sculpted by Jeff Carol Davenport.  The artist based this sculpture on her own son and his dog.  

To the left is another more abstract sculpture called "Adios Columbus".  It was created by Regina Araujo Corritore.  I read that the yellow represents the sun and the blue the seas.  

This last one doesn't need any interpretation.  It's easy to see that it represents a motorcycle.  It's called "Easy Rider" and was created by Sherman Rouse.  The Northern Arizona city of Prescott Valley has done an excellent job collecting a variety of art works for citizens and visitors to enjoy.  

Doors of Tucson

 

When I visit Tucson Arizona, I tend to spend a lot of time in the "old town" area near downtown.  That's where my favorite restaurant is located and it's also where there are a lot of historic buildings.  

The last time I was there, I noticed how each of the doors along the building that houses local arts and crafts has been painted with different designs.

Each one is a unique design.  

What a clever idea!

Such an appealing way to attract customers to each of the little shops inside this building.