Mary Cassatt as printmaking inspiration (and more!)

San Francisco Legion of Honor hosted a wonderful retrospective of Mary Cassatt "Mary Cassatt at Work" and it was a fantastic experience. I wanted to see in-person works that I knew from books and they as usual elevated my relationship with the art piece because of the level of details that one can see in person and by the experience of looking at an artwork on the wall, in space and imagining the process of making it. I specifically enjoyed looking at the brushstrokes and colors on the edges - away from the well-defined features. 

I did not know what to expect from an announced section of prints but was excited to learn more about printmaking recently and had a companion who was willing to explain and discuss all the intricate nuances of what is innovative in her work, how she did this or that and what we can deduct from these prints and what is still a mystery. Legion of Honor put together a comprehensive article about it with lots of visuals: How-To with the Conservators: Mary Cassatt’s Color Prints by By Christina Taylor, paper conservator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

And a great video about the process:  Demonstrating Mary Cassatt's Color Printmaking Techniques

It would be unfair not to mention some wonderfully colorful and free pastels. And a lot of information about Mary Cassatt: a woman impressionist, the only american in their circle, human, artist, feminist. 

It was so good that we did two takes!

Here are some of my notes from the show.

Drawing with Friends

This year I already had several wonderful chances to draw with other people - exchanging news, ideas, new color loves, various techniques, impressions from different events. Or just drawing side by side or sharing a cup of tea and a quiet moment.

Two quotes from the conversations that happened while I was drawing these portraits:

"you know how you work on something for some time, and then you are done and it is ok - but you want your sketch back? that is where blue line enters". 

"Try this gold. I did not expect it but suddenly there are so many uses for it around me"

Gerald Durrell. And Durrell's Mum - Louisa.

Gerald Durrell is one of my favorite naturalists and authors and I read all his books front to back at some point. I searched through the blog and found out that I almost never mention him and rarely post from my ongoing project "Portraits of my heroes". I keep it on a slow burner but it is a long list of people whose portraits I draw through every year to honor and remember them - and I will share more of them. 

Gerald Durrell was a human whose passion for the animal world continued from a very young age till the end of his life. It brought him to important work of conservation and preservation of wildlife around the world, he traveled the world, met and made friends with thousands of people and animals, and inspired generations of naturalists. His work continues to illuminate our world through Jersey Zoo (note Dodo in the logo) and through the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. But even more so through his writing which ignites a passion in people of all ages and from all backgrounds and connects them to nature near and far. His ability to tell a story simultaneously funny and full of interesting facts and make me fall in love with an animal I never dreamt I would see in real life is what made me a Durrell fan as a kid. And it continues to this day. 

This past week, on January 7th, was Durrell's birthday and he would have turned 100. I drew these two portraits - of Gerald Durrell and his mother Louisa Durrell - with the super quick addition of some of the animals that first come to my mind when I think about these two people. The story of a pelican and Louisa is always on my mind when I think of what one might consider to be a result of good parenting.

If you never read Durrell's books I suggest starting with "My family and other animals". 

Forest Bathing - My Report on the Holiday Break

Forest Bathing aka Shinrin-yoku is a great way to describe how I spent most of my in-between-holidays time this year: in nature, with minimum connection to the world outside, attending to what I hold dear, in good company. 

I hiked a wide range of landscapes, drew some on location, took naps, tried lots of interesting teas, cooked with new and well-tested recipes both, napped, drew some, looked at the sky a lot. Here are some of the sketches from this break:

Holiday Decorations

This year I got a new holiday tree: it is smaller, made with cheerful tinsel, and gorgeously reflects all the lights it can catch at different times of the day. We put it up with some old decorations (whatever survived a decluttering of the last year) and added a few new experiments too. I tried to draw the silver-ness of the tree and all the ways the light jumped from one sparkly tuft to another. But feel like the tree needs to stay till spring for me to make real progress :) As this is not happening I will have to start again next holiday season!