Tonight while me and my dog were in the woods on the way to our huckleberry patch we were accosted by a ground nest of angry wasps. This diversion from our original intention grabbed my attention fully. I had become so accustomed to traveling the same path that it took a few minutes to get my bearings and decide how to go around the nest without being stung. While I was bushwhacking the thigh high ferns I considered the fact that change is inevitable and wondered how I would be affected by a slight detour in my route.
Every once in a while it's good to get things stirred up. All change, no matter good or bad has an impact on perspective (at least mine) and forever alters the way things are perceived. For instance every time I go to a museum my art work changes though that change might seem insignificant.
In February when I saw the Frida Kahlo show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art I was affected by her colors. This actually was surprising to me as I have seen many of her paintings before in published form. My expectation before the show was that I would be affected by her technique and/or subject matter and all though those things did make an impact it was a room full of her paintings that demonstrated her color palette most of which is easily lost in printed materials.
Likewise when I first began really looking at modern art and the skill of the masters who created them, I began to understand the brush strokes and choices of color. When I saw Matisse's Thousand and One Nights I was struck that his pencil marks were still visible. This was again a surprise that I enjoyed finding and I keep it in mind when I fight not to overwork my paintings and leave some of its original intention on the canvas.
