We recently went to the new exhibit at Brigham Young University, Carl Bloch: The Master’s Hand.

If you are in the area, even for a short time, I URGE you to go!  It was so very, very beautiful!

Five original altarpieces are on display in the exhibit, 4 of them taken from their altars in Sweden and Denmark for the very first time.

This next one was my favorite.  It is so very stunning in person.

Along with the gorgeous altarpieces, the exhibit features several of Bloch’s other lesser known but equally beautiful paintings.

Bloch’s artwork is recognized all throughout the world and it is so very exciting that it is HERE in my backyard!  If you are in Utah even for a minute, try and stop in to see the exhibit.  You need to get tickets ahead of time, but the tickets are free.  Go here to do that.

And now, a guide for the reluctant museum goer. My friend told me she gets so bored at museums and I know there are many out there who share her feelings.  Take this from a reluctant museum goer turned Bachelor of Art History diploma holder.  I know what I’m talking about.  And this is what you do.

1. Go on the website to familiarize yourself with the paintings and subject matter.  You don’t have to spend a ton of time researching.  Just look at the artwork and read a blurb or two so you know SOMETHING.  You will like your museum visit infinitely more if you have a tidge of knowledge when going in.

2. When at the museum, go into an exhibit room and look around.  Pay attention to what catches your eye and go see it.  Maybe it catches your eye because it is beautiful, ugly, weird looking or features your favorite color.  It doesn’t matter why it catches your eye.  Just let your eye be caught.

3. Look at the eye catching piece of art for 30 seconds.  Try and figure out what you like/hate about it.  Notice the figures and the objects in the painting.  Think if you can figure out the story being told.  After you’ve looked at it for a little bit, read the placard next to the painting (if you feel so inclined).  You may learn something interesting.  Or you may not.  Either way, it’s ok.

4. Now glance at the paintings near the one that caught your eye.  Do you care to see them?  If not, move on.  If so, repeat the above steps.  There is no rule that says you have to view every painting.  There is no rule that says you have to LIKE every painting.

5. Go into another room and do the same thing.  Challenge yourself to do this to at least ONE painting in each room.  If you find yourself enjoying your visit, start paying more attention to the way the exhibit is set up.  Did the curators haphazardly hang the paintings or did they hang them in a certain order or grouping?  Are they trying to teach something about the artist, subject matter or time period in their placards?  Do you agree with what they are teaching?

6. Before you leave, allow yourself to go back and look at any favorite paintings.  If you want.

7. Watch out.  You might find yourself having a good time!

Could you use something uplifting today?  Well then, I’ve got just the thing for you.

Meet Erin Nightingale, 14 year old Californian.  She is nearly 100 % blind.  She can see light, color and shadow, which only sometimes allows her to recognize people and objects.  She was born that way.  She also has limited use of her right hand.

And she is an amazing pianist.

When she was 10, she was staying at her grandmother’s house and was bored out of her mind.  She made her way to the piano and started making up melodies.  She soon found she can play by ear.  BY EAR, friends.  Do you know how desirable a talent that is?

But what about that right hand?  She can’t use her middle or her ring finger when she plays.  She describes the way she uses that hand as “karate chopping” the keys.  You would think that would sound awful.  But it doesn’t.  It’s amazing.  It sounds beautiful. 

She has written 8 original songs and is working on her 9th.  And remember?  She’s 14.  When she composes, she gets an idea in her head, then plays off of it for a while.  After a few months, she realizes she should pray for guidance.  When she does that, it all comes together in a couple of days.  Remember?  This girl is FOURTEEN!

She even attends a public school and gets around almost completely on her own. 

And when you talk to this amazing Erin…you just feel good.  She has a special something.  She is taking piano lessons from a friend of mine and the three of us are currently working on a song together.  I’m so excited to be working with this amazing girl and I can’t wait to meet her in person one day.  So far, we have only spoken over the phone.

Do you want to see how amazing she is?  Yes, of course you do.  Here she is.

We spent Saturday in Park City, an artsy community in the mountains.  Main Street is home to more than 20 quality art galleries, tons of restaurants, fun stores, and a few sweet shoppes (where we always stop for a yummy candy apple).

We made three happy discoveries while there.

1. Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery, which specializes in beautiful Russian Impressionist art still exists!  Several years back, on a visit with my mom and sisters, I happily stumbled into the gallery and found myself completely enchanted with the paintings on the walls.  Each subsequent trip propelled me straight to that gallery.  A few years later, I arrived at the gallery to find it closed and gone.  I despaired.  This weekend, we found it across the street!  They had simply changed location.  I was elated!

all images here

2. We discovered Michael Fatali, a landscape photographer at Sacred Earth Images gallery.  He uses an old-school camera and develops his pictures on special paper in a DARKROOM.  That’s right- none of his pictures are touched up or Photoshopped.

all images here

3. We stumbled upon the delightful work of mixed media artist, Denise Duong at Phoenix Gallery.  Her subjects are primarily herself and her husband.  Love it!

all images here

It was a visually stunning Valentine’s weekend.  I’m feeling very artjuvenated.  What great art have you seen lately?  How was your Valentine’s Day?

Have I ever told you about J. Kirk Richards?  If I haven’t, shame on me.  He is one of my very most favorite artists.  I love his colors and visible brushstrokes.  Many of his paintings even seem to glow.  How does he do that? 

Here are some of his latest works available for purchase.  One day, I will have enough money to buy an original!  Until then, I will just stare at his website a couple times a day to make me happy.

An Angel’s Whisper

Cantata (Wir eilen mit Schwachen)

Flower Garden

Holy Family

Children Singing

Woman with Holly

All pictures from here

This is the cover of this month’s Ensign, a publication of articles put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I was lucky enough to see this painting in person when it was on display at the 8th International Art Competition put on by the Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City.

It’s gorgeous on a magazine cover or on the internet, but even more so in person.  (Isn’t that always the case?)

Entitled Flight, it depicts the story of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus’ flight into Egypt.  I love it for the innocent face of the boy Jesus and for the determined and steady face of Joseph.  And, oh, those billowing robes!  Aren’t they stunning?

You can visit the blog of the artist, Rose Datoc Dall, here.  Take a minute to click on the images on the site’s sidebar.  She has links to her images of Mary, Joseph and Christ series, interior landscape series, Adam and Eve series and more.  I especially love the painting of Adam and Eve, which you can find in the link to her paintings and in the Adam and Eve series link.

I haven’t been in the world of art lately.  I’ve been in the busy world of mothering, teaching piano and learning the ropes of a new writing job.

Whenever I get too busy, finding time to appreciate art is one of the first things to go.  It’s unfortunate, but understandable (I think).  Everybody gives up something when they are busy.  What is the first thing you give up when life gets too hectic?

One thing I love about viewing paintings is that you can’t run by them if you want to appreciate them.  You won’t get the story or the emotions that way.  You have to stop, think and admire.

So, since I’ve been too busy to stop, think and admire, I am posting one painting that always makes me do just that.

This is Supper at Emmaus by Rembrandt.  It tells the story of Christ after his resurrection.  Before the scene in this painting takes place, Christ has walked with disciples who did not recognize him.  While having supper at Emmaus, the disciples’ eyes are opened and they recognize who they are with.

I’m a sucker for the deep colors of Dutch painting, so I would love this painting even if I didn’t know the story.  But when I saw it at the Louvre, I took the time to sit and stare.  I noticed how Rembrandt used those deep colors to convey the dramatic understanding of the disciples.

This photograph doesn’t do justice, but notice how the light is brightest around Christ’s head.  It seems to gradually reach the men whose faces, when touched by the light, show a sudden understanding.

That symbolism can be taken in so many ways, but I love the idea of light.  When we are in the darkness of grief, selfishness, ignorance, hatred etc., we don’t have a full understanding.  When we look to truth and love, the darkness escapes as we enter the light.  I know that not all my readers believe in the same things I do.  But I want to share that, just like in this painting, I believe Jesus Christ is the light.  The light that brings truth, love and joy.

Alright, I know you’ve been dying to know where this sign was posted.

If you are ever traveling through Nevada along I-80, your sight will be teased with this crazy structure.

You will speed by it at 75 mph (because you don’t go 85 anymore after that ticket in California), blink, rub your eyes, and look back, daring your brain to process the sight.  You may question: Was that a mirage?  We are in the desert, after all.   Could there really be something interesting to look at out here amidst the tumbleweeds and infinite dust?  And just WHAT IN THE WORLD IS IT?

And if you have been on that awful stretch of I-80 for long enough, you will just file that question away and keep going.  Because stopping in the desert only means you have to remain in the desert that much longer.

But if you have driven past that structure since you were 9 years old, you will finally say, “Enough is enough.  What IS this place?” And you will stop. 

A Native American named Rolling Mountain Thunder created this fascinating structure as a monument to Native Americans.  He built it (with some help from wanderers) during the 60’s and 70’s from items found within a radius of Imlay, Nevada. 

The only thing he paid for during the construction of the house/building/artwork/thing was concrete.  He wanted to make a statement that the “white man” is wasteful.  And the statement is loud and clear as you walk around the property, viewing hundreds of bottles creatively used for insulation in the walls,

police car windshields transformed into windows,

who-knows-what as part of a fence/wall

and old cars and machines as fences,

to name just a few.

We discovered that the “Enter at Your Own Risk” is a necessary sign as we tiptoed around and through broken glass and who knows what else.

The little dear got to walk for only a smidgen of a second before we realized she was about to eat glass.

So…if you ever find yourself in the middle of Nevada, bored out of your mind, do stop at this place.  You can’t miss it.  Plus, it is truly fascinating to see up close.  Just be sure to wear steel-toed boots.

I love our weekly Library Day.  I don’t know why.  As soon as we enter the building, my daughter yanks her hand from mine and runs around using her “outside voice” to share her excitement, paying absolutely no attention to the shelves and stacks of books surrounding her.  Not exactly enlightening- for her or for me.

But I still love it.  I love the smell of libraries- you know what I’m talking about, right?  The smell of books is absolutely intoxicating.  It can take me back to memories of my childhood faster than a bag of popples or Pound Puppies (if the word popples just made you smile with memories, you must be a product of the 80’s).

So, even though a library visit for me now resembIes the lucky winner of a 10 minute shopping spree (picture me running around like a crazy person, throwing random books into my bag while chasing and shushing my daughter), I still love the nostalgia and the comfort of a library.

And it’s double fun for me since I never really know what I’ve picked out in my mad dash until I arrive home and go through the stash with my eager toddler (who, of course, is completely calm once we enter our house)!

This week, when I arrived home, I began reading this story book to my daughter.  Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford.

I was enthralled.  My impatient daughter wanted me to turn the pages, but I wanted to crawl inside of each page to spend time searching and observing. The artwork is gorgeous!  Let me repeat that: Gorgeous!

The story is equally gorgeous- a boy in modern day Baghdad learns deep meanings about peace and war by practicing calligraphy- beautiful calligraphy which graces the pages as part of the beautiful artwork.

This is one I am going to have to buy.  And I don’t buy books very often.  (I’m a cheapskate- but that’s another post.)

My very talented friend just opened her own Etsy shop with gorgeous homemade notebooks and journals.  I’ve been telling her ever since I saw her work that she should sell it, so I wish I could say I’m the reason it’s there now for your buying pleasure.  But, alas, she quietly and sneakily opened the shop, and I’m sure I had absolutely nothing to do with it.  Let’s just pretend, though!

Go check out her shop, Icarusbook, here!

After reading Recovering Charles, I’ve been immersing myself in New Orleans music and art.  I’m obsessed with the city.  Today, I stumbled upon this Louisiana artist, Angel Turner Dyke.  I adore her bright colors and curvy, fluid brushstrokes.

She’s completely self taught!  Isn’t she marvelous? 

If you are interested in doing a weekly or monthly guest post about your favorite art, email me at thrilledbythethought {at} yahoo {dot} com.  Your guest post would have a link back to your site or store, of course!