Snow

We got our first snow Tues night. It is suppose to get cold and snowy the rest of the week and really cold next week. The house is warm and toasty with the fire.

While in Utah we were able to see some great art. In Midway we were able to meet Robert Duncan and his wife http://www.robertduncanstudios.com/. I wasn't familiar with his work but Dad was. He originally did cowboy and Indian work and was the youngest cowboy artist invited to join the Cowboy Artist of America. He wanted to expand his work and now records the disappearing small towns and farm life of the northeast, mid-west and the west. He and his wife were very generous with their time and ideas both with the art and marketing. I came home with new enthusiasm for dad to branch out and try some new material and techniques.

Michael posed for a painting that Gary Ernest Smith http://www.overlandgallery.com/ was commissioned to do of Nephi. We were able to see the original, it really looks like Michael but it is Nephi, must say something about Michael. Michael arranged for us to meet and visit Gary's studio and home in Alpine Utah. I have long admired his early works I see Grandma-great and her sisters in so many of them. Gary is highly successful and again was extremely gracious. His home itself is a piece of art. There again I felt like we came away with permission for Dad to explore some new things in his work.

Gary recommended that we go to the BYU Museum of Art http://moa.byu.edu/and view the Carl Bloch and James Tissot shows. The Carl Bloch many LDS will be familiar with, but seeing them in person was breath taking. It is the first time I have ever witnessed people moved to tears by art. His Elizabeth greeting Mary and taking Christ from the cross were my favorites. This is the first time the work has left Denmark. The Tissot works are small watercolors, the detail is amazing, they have magnifying glasses there for the patrons to use to be able to view the works detail. This show is on loan from the Brooklyn Museum of Art. My two favorites were the Journey of the Magi and the Last Supper. Tissot's Last Supper is by far the best I have seen.

Then there was Mel's playhttp://melboren.blogspot.com Peter Pan. She does a phenomenal job. You forget i is Junior High because of the pure entertainment. It was magic.

I love seeing EXCELLENCE! It gives me new vision.