Art for Dummies
I never grasped the emotion of Art...
A print of an original watercolor by my neighbor in Mexico, Joan Franklin
Let me begin by saying that I’ve been in a bit of a slump for the last few weeks… Don’t know why exactly, but the darkness has lifted with the advent of spring, the sun, the temperatures, and the flowers. My latest task has been making my petite balcony a bit more hospitable for afternoon apéros and morning coffees. It’s actually pretty funny because only two people can fit out there so my invitation list needs to be petite, also.
However, all of that was to explain why I’ve been a bad, bad, very bad Substack writer lately. I just wasn’t inspired due to my melancholy, although I am never at a loss with my views on absolutely everything that’s happening in this world, but I sometimes doubt who really wants to read about what I think. Hey, but isn’t that what a writer is all about? And here I am trying to be a writer of sorts so I need to share my thoughts and hope that “you out there” are actually interested enough to want to read them…And I do amazingly have lots of people reading my posts and texts. That’s what I do when I read Substack authors…. I want to know what other “normal” people think. It’s interesting to delve in the minds of others because you can learn some marvelous things about this world.
A prized watercolor by one of the leading watercolorists in Canada, my friend Gerry Thompson, who gifted this to me. It’s of Honfleur, and I visited there later to find this exact spot!
OK, so what I was thinking about today was art. I have never studied art, famous artists, theories of art, art history, cubism, impressionism, realism, or any of that. However, when I moved to France I made a vow that I would learn to appreciate beauty, no matter the form. So, I have visited art galleries and actually totally enjoyed myself. Who can sit in front of the water lilies at the Orangerie in Paris and not be totally overwhelmed by the sheer size, the time it took to complete these masterpieces and the genius of the creator?
An original oil by my friend Efren Gonzales, one of the leading painters in Mexico, known internationally. It is in honor of my two granddaughters, Lily Anna and Emma Rose, that are estranged from me
I brought art with me from Mexico that I’ve collected over the years and I’m proud of the pieces that I have because they mean something to me. I decided that I would now completely cover my walls in this small apartment with additions of French art. It’s kind of like having champagne taste on a beer budget, though. What I would like to buy and what I can afford to buy are two different things.
Fast forward to one of my favorite brocantes, which is in Chinon on the third Sunday of the month. I have discovered the most darling older (and that saying a lot coming from me) Frenchman who sells art from a low price point to a high price point. Aha, I think: here’s my guy! I scoured his offerings and saw three things that are really liked that I could afford. One of the paintings reminded me of old Florida before it was over developed and modernized… at Pass a Grille in Saint Petersburg Beach, where there are still no high rises and the sea oats blow in the breeze on the edge of the dunes facing the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. As I looked at this painting I realized that it made me feel something, it evoked an emotion, a heartfelt response.
An original watercolor by Jean Paul Garnier, of Vieux Moulin on L’Indre à Monts, near Tours. Even though it’s of a place in France, it is reminiscent of old Florida
In the past, being the strict decorator that I am, I would only choose art that matched the colors in the room that I was choosing it for. I also only chose art that represented a memory for me of a place I had visited. These paintings didn’t evoke any feelings other than a pleasant memory of a day well spent in an historical or inspirational place.
Oh, but this painting made me feel something inside. It made me feel happy. The seller was trying to convince me that the artist was someone important, but the price certainly didn’t indicate that this person was of any renown whatsoever. I didn’t care.
So being a dummy in the world of art, I realized that that’s what art is for. Duh!! It’s meant to evoke emotion! I feel like an idiot, but you’ve got to appreciate my self-deprecation for even admitting it!
An original oil painting of Positano, Italy, bought on my honeymoon. I still have the painting, but not the husband.
A watercolor of incredible Rocamadour, France, that I got on a visit there in 2024
So as I wander through the brocantes that have turned into my favorite Sunday afternoon activity in the Loire Valley, I intend to be more intentional about looking for art that makes me feel good. Heaven knows we all deserve to feel good! I’ll hang said piece somewhere in my apartment and I’ll feel good when I look at it.
On the left is an original oil painting of the old church in Ajijic, Mexico, painted by my friend Amelie Marchesseau, a prolific artist in varying mediums, and given to me as a memory of my time there. On the right is a print of an original by Jesus Lopez Vega, a well-known artist in Ajijic.
Then, I’ll take an afternoon glass of wine into my petite balcony and feel good looking at my freshly planted flowers, feeling the spring breeze, and counting my blessings!
A print of the Passage Verdeau in Paris, done years ago by the original owner of the bookstore that still exists in that Passage.
Art, like books and music, feeds the soul. I like being surrounded by beauty, and also by things with a history…it’s grounding.
Well done!