The Tea Room

Virginia ~ Arriving

I arrived in Virginia late Sunday evening.  I've never visited this state and am so looking forward to my stay!

Credit: Image from Art.com.

Sunday's Silence

"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind."  ~Seneca

Credit:  "Well Traveled Luggage II" by Richard Vergine.  Image from Art.com

Virginia ~ Apple Blossoms

Apple blossoms bloom in late March in Virginia.  Below is a postcard of the apple blossoms time in Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  I will have missed them.  What a stunning site.

Credit: Image from Art.com

Swans ~ with Water Lilies

I'll have the opportunity to see swans gliding on ponds very, very soon.  I am so looking forward it!

Credits: "Swans and Waterfall" by T. Chiu.  Image from Art.com.

Swans ~ Elegance and Grace

Swans are beautiful creatures.  There is elegance and grace in their appearance and movement.  And there is tremendous calm at the sight of them gliding on the surface of a pond.  There are probably few summer gardens more inviting than one that has in it swans surrounded by water, trees and flowers in full blossom, and a comfortable porch upon which to sit and admire the view.  Simply stunning.

Credits: "Swans Near Gazebo" by T. Chiu.  Image from Art.com.

Summer Afternoon Teas

Hot weather leads one to wonder how tea was enjoyed during the summer months.  Below are paintings depicting summer tea parties.  Let's hope all figures were drinking their era's equivalent of iced tea!  What beautiful paintings.

Credits:  Paintings from top to bottom are "Summer Afternoon Tea" by Thomas Barrett, "Afternoon Tea II" by Consuelo Gamboa, and "Table for Tea" by Ghambaro.  All images from Art.com.   

Lovely, Lovely Parasols

It is very hot where I live in Northern California and temperatures will rise over the next few days. 

High temperatures as rendered in art put me in mind of one particular painting.  While this one could be taking place in the springtime with a breeze blowing through this woman's scarf, summer is the more likely season as parasols were used to ward off heat. 

Ah, the cool shade those lovely parasols provided!

Credit: "Woman with Parasol" by Claude Monet.  Image from Art.com

   

Virginia ~ Washington's Mansion

Another stunning historical landmark, Washington's Mansion in Mt. Vernon, Virginia.

Credit: Image from Art.com

Sunday's Silence

"One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more."

"The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money.”

"It is always better to have no ideas than false ones; to believe nothing, than to believe what is wrong.”

"I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another."

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”

~All quotes from Thomas Jefferson

Credit: Image from Art.com

Virginia ~ Monticello

Continuing our look at New England and the founding fathers of the United States of America, although Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence are associated with Independence Hall and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson actually lived in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  In fact, he was the governor of Virginia from 1779 - 1781.

In 1757, long before Jefferson became governor, he inherited from his father 5000 acres of land where he eventually designed and built his home, Monticello.  Jefferson died on Independence Day in 1826, and his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, inherited the Virginia property.  Monticello was owned by several more individuals and, in 1923, was purchased by a private non-profit organization:  The Thomas Jefferson Foundation.  The building was restored to its original archetectural design and now functions as a museum.  Below is an image of this beautiful and historic landmark. 

Credit: Image from Art.com

                                                                                               

Happy Independence Day!

Credit: Image from Art.com

                                                                                     

Philadelphia ~ The Declaration of Independence

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 

Thus are the now famous words included in the Declaration of Independence as penned by Thomas Jefferson.   

Here is an image of Thomas Jefferson reading his rough draft of the Declaration of Independence to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson drafted the document in June 1776 and it was printed on the afternoon of July 4, 1776.

Imagine what it would have been like to have Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin in the same room.  Just imagine the exchange of ideas and opinions as they formed their vision for the new Colonies!   

Credit: Image from Art.com 

                                                                                          

Philadelphia ~ Independence Hall

I don't recall a lot of details about my tour through Independence Hall when I visited Philadelphia in the mid-1980s.  As a native Californian, I recall being aware of the contrast in the age of the buildings.  Downtown San Francisco is so very much younger than historic Philadelphia!  I remember walking on highly polished floors inside the building and looking at painted portraits hung on the walls. 

To the right is a view of Independence Hall I do remember!  The red bricks, the white framed windows, and the archetecture that so certainly defines New England.  Oh the era that was begun here.  It is truly awe-inspiring. 

Credit: Image from Art.com

 

Philadelphia ~ Betsy Ross's House

Happy July!  Since I enjoyed focusing on a theme last month, I might focus on American patriotic history this month in celebration of July and Independence Day. 

I had the opportunity to take a business trip to Philadelphia a number of years ago.  It was an exciting time in my career, and I especially enjoyed the opportunity to visit Philadelphia.  The last day I spent in that historic city, I had the entire afternoon to tour the sites. 

It was quite the sensation to walk on cobblestone streets in high heels, and I was in awe of the Liberty bell, Independence Hall, and other stops along the historic route. 

One of the highlights was visiting Betsy Ross's home in downtown Philadelphia.  It is a modest home, I recall the building being small and the rooms were equally small.  The stairways were small, narrow, and windy, but nevertheless it was truly magic to be walking through the home of the woman who designed the American flag.

To take a virtual tour of this historic landmark, click here, and more information about Mrs. Ross, her house, and our flag is available at the Betsy Ross House website. 

Credit: Images from AllPosters.com

                                                                                                

Last Day of June

How is it that this year is passing so very quickly?  I cannot believe that today is the last day of June and that we are officially half way through the year.

I met my personal goal of blogging every day this month, and I've really enjoyed it!  It was helpful to be inspired by my trip to see the Women Impressionists exhibit in San Francisco as it renewed my appreciation for art history, and especially painting.  I've loved learning more about Claude Monet, and I've loved revisiting his masterful works of art.

Although summer is my least favorite season of the four because of high temperatures, I do relish nature's beauty in every season.  Flowers that blossom and fruits that ripen in the summer's warmth are equally as lovely as any other.  I'll gladly enjoy its gifts, too.

 

Sunday's Silence

"For true love is inexhaustible; the more you give, the more you have. And if you go to draw at the true fountainhead, the more water you draw, the more abundant is its flow."  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Waterlilies, Green Reflection, Left Part
1916-1923; Orangerie, Paris

Credit: Image from WebMuseum.com

Monet's "Women in the Garden"

Besides being one of the founding fathers of Impressionism, Monet is noted for wanting to paint while outside.  His 1867 painting entitled "Women in the Garden" was rendered on a canvas so large that a trench was dug in the ground so the canvas could be raised and lowered as Monet worked on the painting. 

Camille Doncieux, who was first his mistress and later his wife, was the inspiration for the women in this painting.  (Credit: Image from AllPosters.com)  

 

Monet's Words

Here are some thought-provoking quotations from Claude Monet, along with a variation of my favorite painting.  This one is entitled "The Japanese Bridge."

"People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it's simply necessary to love."

"For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life - the light and the air which vary continually.  For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value."

"No one is an artist unless he carries his picture in his head before painting it, and is sure of his method and composition."

"My life has been nothing but a failure."

"Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment."

"I would advise young artists. . . to paint as they can, as long as they can, without being afraid of painting badly. . . If their painting doesn't improve by itself, it means that nothing can be done - and I wouldn't do anything."

"The effect of sincerity is to give one's work the character of a protest.  The painter being concerned only with conveying his impression, simply seeks to be himself and no one else."

"I waited for the idea to consolidate, for the grouping and compostion of themes to settle themselves in my brain.  When I felt I held enough cards I determined to pass to action, and did so."

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."

 

Monet's Garden

When the current issue of Veranda arrived last week, I was struck by the beauty of the cover (pictured at right).  After looking at past issues of this magazine, I realized cover art includes only one photograph and the title "Veranda."  There are no tag lines for articles that appear inside.  The cover is always crisp and attractive. 

Before I opened this issue, I noticed the waterlilies and the foot bridge in the photograph.  Very reminiscent of Monet, thought I.  I soon learned that the cover is a photo of Monet's garden, and the feature story includes several photographs of gardens at his Giverny home. 

As I was writing about him here last night, it occurred to me that, although I share the same birthday as this Impressionist and I love his paintings more than any other known artist, I don't recall learning in college much about him as a human being. 

Van Gogh's life, on the other hand, is well documented.  When I was in my mid-20s, I lived in London for about 3 months.  While there, I read a book called Dear Theo, The Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh.  The book is a compilation of letters exchanged between Vincent and his brother, Theo.  I thoroughly enjoyed the read and am somewhat disappointed to think I don't know at least as much about Monet.  So, last night I made a mental note to find a biography or two on Monet to read this summer. 

The Veranda article provides a peek into Monet's life.  He created the gardens he painted, put all of his money into them, and was meticulous about planning the landscapes and maintaining the trees, flowers, and ponds.  While he had a gardening staff, his garden was his "muse" and he would not settle for anything less than perfect. 

I want to learn more about Claude Monet and have begun browsing online book stores to select the perfect biography to introduce me to the life and character of this Impressionist.

 

Sold! "Le Bassin aux Nympheas" by Claude Monet

A Monet painting entitled "Le bassin aux nympheas," or "Water Lily Pond," one of four in a series of water lilies, has sold at Christie's in London for a record $81 million.  Painted in 1919, it is "the most expensive piece of art sold at the auction house in Europe."  (The Sydney Morning Herald website, June 25, 2008.)  The winner of the auction is an anonymous collector.   

Emily Ristow of The Huffington Post included this paragraph in her article dated today: "Monet created his water garden in Giverny, France by rerouting a river. He selected different hybrids of water lilies in an effort to get as many different colored flowers as possible, deliberately creating the garden as a motif for his paintings."

No words can express how beautiful I find Monet's paintings.  It is pure coincidence and an honor that I share with him the same birthday, November 14.  The beauty of "Le bassin aux nympheas" speaks for itself.  Merci, Monsieur.

I've included below three photographs to contrast the same painting in different lighting.  (Credits:  The first photograph is by Lefteris Pitarakis, AP.  The second photograph is by Brendan McDermid, Reuters.  The third photograph is by Andy Rain, EPA.)