"always and nevermind..."

I'm currently intrigued by the work of Andrew Wyeth. I spotted his book/autobiography on a clearance shelf in Barnes and Noble the other day (which is kind of sad because i recently discoverd that he died on January 19th) and gained a new respect for his work. I say, "new" because I disliked his most famous work, "Christina's World." His use of color catches me off guard, sometimes. Like in my favorite piece below:




Titled "Garret Room," this picture voices an intimacy that really places the viewer close to the subject, but not so near that he or she is uncomfortable. What I mean is, here's an elderly man, alone, supposedly, in the middle of the day, napping completely exposed except for his clothes. I'm struck by the dazzling colors in the quilt and the splash of blue on the wall. Beautiful.

Another interesting thing I've noticed about Wyeth's work is that despite the seemingly realistic nature of his subjects, he often exaggerates. In a brief commentary on "Garret Room" he writes, "I guess the length of the figure is exaggerated, although he was tall." I like it.

Here are a few other favorites:

The first one, "Squalls" shows no acutal physical sign of his wife, but he's says her presence is there, nonetheless. And the second one, "Thin as Vanity" simply stands out to me for some reason.

Anyway, a lot happened this week. There were ups and downs and in-betweens, but most all God was there showing me grace in the midst of chaos.

I bought some old postcards and photographs today at an antique store. Maybe they'll serve as creative muses? Old things hide stories you know. The coolest part is that I came across a pack full of old negatives and I think they can probably be developed...I'm not for sure, but my scanner does make them look kind of cool (maybe a little creepy):

Songs I can't get out of my head as of late:

Fruit Bats--"When U Love Somebody"
Third Eye Blind--"Red Summer Sun"
Johnny Flynn--"Tickle Me Pink"
Rilo Kiley--"Close Call"
Rihanna--"Rehab" (terrible lyrics, wonderful beat)
Over the Rhine--"If Nothing Else"
Radiohead--"Videotape"

Books I'm reading:

Harry Potter IV: The Goblet of Fire
Water for Elephants
The Year of Magical Thinking