Scenes from American Life, Beach, Gertrude Goodrich, 1914 (Treasury Dept, From the Cafeteria, Section of Fines Arts Mural!)

 

Our recent trip to Washington DC also included our first visit to The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture.  It is better known as the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  To tell you the truth, until I got home and read the Wikipedia article, I didn't quite understand where one museum started and one ended.  Apparently, the way it's laid out now, it just flows together seamlessly, which is what I observed.  It's such an interesting museum since it's not really laid out in a gallery setting, but more, like it actually is...a reuse of the old Patent building.  

Cape Code Morning, Edward Hopper

The art is ... well... just astounding.  Since it's not set up like a conventional gallery, there is art everywhere- every hall - every little room - next to the staircase.  You never know when you're going to turn the corner and see a painting that you only thought you'd see in books.  At one point, I spotted my husband after looking for him for 10 minutes and walked right past a treasure that I caught out of my perifacial vision. I stopped dead in my tracks.  OMG!  There was Cape Code Morning by Edward Hopper.  I've always loved that painting because of the great use of color blocking and PLUS I want to know what the woman is so urgently looking at.    Anyways, it made me gasp! out loud.  So much so that the docent laughed.  I had to apologize and say, sorry I just didn't expect to see a Hopper just hanging out here in the hall.  She laughed harder.  

Barack Obama, Kehinde Wiley, 2018

The Presidential Gallery was amazing.  It was fun to go through the chronological order of the portraits and see if you could remember who would be next!  If you're wondering, Obama's painting looks much better in person - way more depth - less characture.  Really it's quite breath taking and I didn't expect that at all.  Trump had a somber powerful photo in place till his painting is done.  He'll probably have the numbers 45, 47 next to his in keeping with Cleveland's 22,24.  Lincoln's portrait was nearly as impressive as his monument.  

One thing I did notice was that there a concerted effort to feature previous marginalized artists through the museum.  On that note, I found a new favorite piece, Three Figures by Lorna Simpson which is an ink and screen print portrait of a race riot being hosed to dispersed.  

Gorgeous right?

I would call this just an intro visit since we only saw 2 floors before I called "uncle" to my husband.  Apparently, 15K steps is all this ole gal could take for one day.  I do love that the museum is open 11-7, so you can see another museum in the morning and this one in the afternoon.  It does have a great art museum gift shop but no place to have lunch of a snack.  Plus, it this amazing atrium which was all lit for Christmas.  I love that it's become vague to put in gorgeous atriums into museums, especially those that are in winter climes.   It always feels like summer in there.   

Obviously, we'll be back.  

So What Have You've been Up to Creatively?

The Crosses II, Nina-Marie Sayre

This week I was reminded by Jenny Lyon that I used to a write a  Word of the Year the first post of January.  The ritual started on our Art Quilt email list of the 2000's. (Sigh, I miss that list.  Reddit is just not the same...just sayin')  The members of the list would choose a word and write their meaning why.  It was inspiring to hear the different words from so many diverse voices chiming in from around the country and world.  

Mine always were normally words that represented an aim or a purpose that I probably thought I was lacking in at that moment. Of course, writing a blog post about that aspect I wanted to inspire to do better in was a lot easier than actually doing better in it.  

So, I thought this year, I would aim a little lower and a little closer to home.  I chose

Quilt 

I'm a firm believer that when things get tough, it's time to take a breathe and go back to the beginning.  For me that is just quilting. I'm always the one that has the big ideas, that more is more and who doesn't want it to be more?  The last few years, I've been failing miserably at that.  So why not try less is more this year and just 

Quilt

I'm thinking smaller projects - nothing innovative, nothing taxing...just basic quilting.  

Proverbs 4:18, Nina-Marie Sayre

To start with I'll need to clean my studio, get it back to rights and pick a project.  That's my homework for the week.

Now onto...

Things I Like...

Don't you love when people give you just the right gift?  My sister this year gave me fat quarters of custom printed Spoonflower fabric.  She gave me a little of her taste and a little of mine which is thoughtful.  Here is the stash....

Like how can one fat quarter spark so many possibilities??

Then my sister-in-law who had me in our Secret Santa got me a rug hooking kit from Loop by Loop by Haley Perry.  My obsession with hooking rugs I fear has only begun.  There is something really satisfying about running little loops up and down through a mesh background.  Then if you don't like them, just pull it out with one tug.  Haley is brillant enough to design kits for the beginning to intermediate hooker that have a bit of a more modern twist.  I got the School of Fish and since it's was a busy social time, only have just begun.  

This is reality - LOL!

Did you get Anything Good this Holiday Season?

One of the First Rooms of the Paris:1874 exhibit

 Okay, show of hands...who here when you think of art history, think immediately of impressionist paintings?  I wouldn't doubt that out of all art movements, impressionism is by far the most known and beloved.  I know, that's where I started my art history journey. It's still one of my favorites.  I think it's partly due to the fact that it's representational (which also makes it approachable) without being too stuffy.  Plus, the colors and the subjects just capture moments in everyday life that let you  live them over and over.  

The Railway, Edouard Monet, 1873

So when the National Gallery in Washington, DC put together an exhibit, Paris, 1874: The Impressionist Moment, we put it on our "must do list".  It exhibits 130 paintings from what is now considered to be first impressionist art show. To my art quilt friends, see if this scenario sounds familiar. Apparently, in 1874, the most successful artists were creating large dramatic paintings of historical and biblical scenes.  The Paris Salon was the annual art show of the time, where half a million people visited.  Of course, it favored this more conventional art style where wealthy patrons would buy art and sponsor artists.  

In comes who we now know as the impressionists.  Artists, most famously Claude Monet, had been experimenting with a looser style of painting where the subject is stylized in a more relaxed way.  Also, the canvases were smaller.  These paintings were all rejected by the Salon's jurors to be in the annual show.  Because of this, 31 artists came together to organize their own show.  In April of 1874, 200 artists (not all impressionists) showed their work.  

The Ballet Rehearsal, Edgar Degas, 1874

Although, it was not a huge commercial success with only 3500 visitors, it really was the birthplace of the impressionist movement.  It's amazing how many world-famous paintings were in the exhibit that year.  Even Monet's Impressionism Sunrise 1872 was featured, and that painting gave the name to the whole movement.   You can read the full story here.  

To say the exhibit was stunning would be an understatement.  To me, it was a bit surreal. So many paintings, I've been admiring for years, were just a finger reach away.  The colors are all so much more vibrant in person. You could see the individual paint strokes and then you would stand back to see the whole composition.  Just stunning.  And overwhelming.  

Impressionism, Sunrise 1872, Claude Monet

The exhibit has been super popular as you can imagine.  Never before had these paintings been brought all together from all over the world.  We got there at 10 am on a Monday morning and there was line a block long at least waiting to get into the gallery.  The docent said it is much, much worse on the weekends. 

The highlight for me was seeing the work of the women artists of the impressionist movement.  Just seeing The Cradle by Berthe Morisot in person was a thrill. Several of her paintings were featured.  Everywhere you look you would see real women of the time painted with - get this - their clothes on. 

The Cradle, Berthe Morisot, 1872

We finished our time at the Gallery, by visiting the Impressionist rooms and a bit of the American section from the early 1900's.  My husband is fan boying over Sargent right now so we hunted all of those down as well.  I've learned from past visits, its better to take the National Gallery in 4 or 5 hour bites.  

The Gallery's Rotunda at Christmas

I know, I know for a quilting blog I've been doing a bunch of art posts lately..but what can I say?  At Winter Solstice on Lake Erie, it's grey days and long nights.  It's a good time for some colorful art.

The Renwick Gallery, The National Museum of Craft

 So this past week, I got spontaneous.  Yep, you read that right...the princess of plan decided at the last minute to take a quick trip to Washington DC.  Two of our favorite art museums, the National Gallery and the Renwick Gallery had some great exhibitions that are going to close in the beginning of January.  We've been trying to make time to see them, but with our early winter here on Lake Erie, it's been hard to find a few good weather days.  I saw that it was going to be 65 in DC this week, so I thought it was now or never. 

Washington DC is a wonderful place to visit.  Still when I talked to my friends, so many people haven't gone because they found the whole trip a little intimidating.  It's not.  No, really, it's a pretty easy place to plan an inexpensive, interesting trip.  My version of ....

DC on a Dime...warning what follows is purely my opinion and anecdotal experience

1.  Choose a date.  Since, I don't do hot, humid very well I shoot for fall or spring (not cherry blossom season which varies year to year).  I will also do warm winter days because DC will get spells of 40-60 degrees in the winter which is actually pretty nice for walking. I also check when Congress is not in session, because with all of Congress AND their staff, the hotels are booked and more expensive.  
2. Drive.  I personally love a nice road trip and we are only 5.5 hrs from DC which is very doable.  Driving through Pennsylvania is a blessing and a curse though.  The blessing is that the Turnpike takes you through the north end of the Appalachia region which is gorgeous any time year. The curse is that the PA Turnpike is literally the most expensive toll road in the world...yes ...THE WORLD. Anyways, if you're within 8 hrs of driving, I suggest take a ride.

   Ballston Neighborhood, Arlington, VA

   
   
3. Stay in the Suburbs.  After a bit of research, I decided on staying in Arlington.  It's a quick Metro ride to the capital and it always feels clean and safe.  We stay in the Ballston neighborhood which is walkable and there are a ton of places to eat.  We stay at the Ballston Comfort Inn because they have free parking, clean, reasonable rates (this trip my hotel was $99/night - taxes included!), breakfast included, super friendly staff and a shuttle to the Metro station.  It could use some updating, but for just a quiet place to sleep, it was fine. (I like how Comfort Inn website will give me the prices for the calendar year so I know not to book my stay on January 20th when it would be $600/night)
4. Use the Metro.  The Metro is DC's subway.  Unlike what you might see on TV, this subway is clean, safe and easy to navigate.  Traffic in the area is so horrendous, I'm not sure why anybody would drive to work.  It has a great website, which makes it easy to plan out your day.  You put in where you are and where you want to go and it tells you how to get there.  Rides are usually
   
   
   somewhere between $2.50-$5 each way.  You can pay with your phone, but we just bought cards that can be reloaded at the stations or online.  They have stations everywhere and it's always fun to see where you are going to pop up.  Also, a lot of stations in the suburbs have parking lots so you can drive to an outer station, park and ride into city. (This is handy on days you're driving home).  If you've never used the Metro, I suggest you read the New Rider Guide.  
5. Pick 1 - 3 Places.  There is a TON to do in DC, a lot of which is iconic and free.  So, it's easy to get carried away and want to see it all.  I highly suggest you just do 1-3 places a trip because it can be overwhelming and exhausting.  We keep an eye on the websites of our favorite museums and venues and see what exhibitions are being offered.  We also try to visit mid

   Courtyard, National Portrait Gallery

   
   week because it's all quieter then.   I keep wanting to take a Monuments by Moonlight tour, but I'm always so exhausted when the museums close, I haven't made it yet.  
6. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes.  I keep saying this trip is low maintenance and inexpensive but it's a lot of walking.  I usually do about 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day there and for this office girl who normally does about 4,000 that's a lot.  Still, most of it is very flat, there are elevators at all the museums and there are plenty of places to sit and people watch.  I definitely suggest you do that.  There is no better place to sit and take in your surroundings than on the National Mall.  
7. Use TripAdvisor/Smart Phone.  Between TripAdvisor and your smart phone you can easily find food you want to eat, places you want to go and facts you want to look up.  We always find meals for $10-$20/each.  We have a habit of one big meal a day and one smaller one.  I used Google Maps to get me easily from place to place, but really it's all in one central area so it's hard to get lost. 

So today the sun shone in my part of the county while our lakefront once again got pelted with snow. 

Erie is easily up over 60" inches of snow and it's not even winter.  It's been exhausting and kept people from truly enjoying Advent and the Holiday season.  I have a bit of the blahs that have been continuing for about the last 3 weeks.  Sigh the joys of dark grey days.  

Anyways...

Over the years I've done a series of posts about Christmas gifts I thought were what every quilter needed but might not be on the conventional quilter's gift list.  Since I have a lot of new readers, I thought I would pick my favorites and repost them today.

These are the gifts I've gotten ... some asked for ....some not.... ALL have stood the test of time....

In no particular order...

A Functional Pincushion and Bobbin Case  ...both changed my lives.  I got my first little basket pincushion about 28 years ago from a fellow quilter.  I LOVED it.  No matter where it is on our table you can use the handle to stretch and grab it.  I literally wore it out and have made 2 others since then.  No ... sorry...3 others.  Plus, I had fun hunting down just the right baskets for them.

I looked forever to find just the right bobbin case that would be inexpensive, durable, keep my bobbins dust free and wouldn't split open when dropped on my hard wood floors.  Found it on Amazon finally and they were like 5 bucks each  I have three now.  One for just bobbin thread in neutrals, one for bobbin threads in colors and one for 50 wt cotton.  

Amazon for about $4 each

Sharpies and Tracing Paper ... so many uses...I have sharpies in 3 widths and use them for a ton of stuff in my studio.  Also, all the different colors are great.  The tracing paper is amazing

because it comes in a roll and can be used for patterns and mock up designs.  You can find both cheapie on Amazon as well.

A table size cutting mat....stop reading this and go add this to your Christmas list...you need this.  My husband bought me mine 4 years ago and truly I don't know how I lived without it.  It almost fits my worktable perfectly and even though it doesn't feel like a Olfa mat it definitely is self-healing and durable.  I love that no matter where I'm working, I can cut on it.  (He said he found it on Amazon as well, but I do know they have specialty sites which will make them to custom size.  I just happen to have a 4 by 8 foot table)

Finally  - truly my favorite thing ever is  ...

Kai Scissors....I know, I know quilters rave about their Karen Kay Buckley scissors and I have a pair too that like for applique...but...nothing compares to my professional series Kai's.  The action on them is amazing and they stay so sharp.  Really, I haven't ever used anything that even comes close to being as amazing as they are.   Plus, now they have new sizes for every taste.  

The best gift though is TIME.

 Now I just don't mean in the literal sense... like hours to sew....which really is a nice gift.... But I mean piece peace of mind time to sew.  Free of anxiety, free of depression, full of quiet and hope...creative energy in abundance time.  If the people around you can give you that kind of environment, well that's the best gift of all.

Well not quite as good a gift as my Kai scissors.

No, I guess better than my Kai scissors.  But just barely...grin.

So, What is Your Favorite Quilty Christmas Present?

Presque Isle, Lake Erie, PA

 

Living on the shores of Lake Erie is always an adventure in the winter.  You never know what the weather is going to do.  Last year, we got 25" of snow all year.  This year, we doubled that in 3 days.  Yes, there are parts of the county that got 50" or more of snow this last week.  

But we live in Erie County so we take it all in stride right?  Well you would think, but when your authorities  declare a state of emergency and have all non essential workers to shelter in place.well let's just say...it takes it to new levels.

I myself got stuck in the beginning of it at noon on Black Friday coming home from Thanksgiving.  I90 got so bad we got off to "wait it out" at my inlaws.  We were there for three days. YES THREE DAYS. Finally, we made a break for it to finish the 30 min ride to my house.  

Just as the county was starting to dig out (and I use that term very loosey), we get hit with two days of blizzards warnings and 60 mph winds.  

It's all a bit much.  Thank God, my employer is kind enough to let me work from home for a few days (although I'm one of the ones that much prefers to work at the office). White knuckle death rides are truly not my thing.  

So if you start dreaming of a White Christmas, please come visit.  We have enough snow for everyone.  

(I'm sorry between the long dark nights and the cold blowing feet of snow I wasn't feeling creative.  I thought I would give you a sampling of some of the best pictures from this week, taken around the county.)

I mean this picture gave me a bit of hope that someday we might dig out....

Thankful this year for being able to navigate all the changes....changes in a job, family dynamics, our country.  It all seemed so overwhelming at the time, but here it is Thanksgiving, quiet and relaxed.  

 I'm traveling this weekend on the edge of Adirondacks where snow is quietly falling....

What Have You to Be Thankful for?