Book in Painting: Stanford University - Cantor Center

I think I am in denial about this September thing. August was so nice with lots of studio time and a number of little adventures and day trips and we actually had nice, warm sunny weather here in Santa Cruz where we often have cold and foggy days in August.

One of my day trips was to Stanford University. I usually visit Stanford University's Cantor Center for the Visual Arts

a few times a year but I guess I haven't visited their European Paintings rooms lately because ... look what I found: books in paintings!

 

Lizards and skulls, too!

If you're new to my Book in Painting series see these previous post about visits to the Getty, the Huntington, the Legion of Honor and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The series continues!

Although I am in denial about September it brings some great events and workshops.

I'll be participating in the Art Party in San Jose. Check out the link if you aren't familiar with it and consider attending if you are in the Bay Area - it is a spectacular event. My installation Phinnea's World will be included.

Workshops start up this coming weekend in Wishi Washi Studio with guest instructor Rhiannon Alpers teaching the Caterpillar Stitch Binding. I am very much looking forward to playing along in this workshop and will report back next week! 

Happy September!

Book in Painting: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

I recently spent a week in and around Boston, Massachusetts where I lived for 10 years a number of moons ago. I went to graduate school there and lived just down the street from the Museum of Fine Arts, or the MFA as locals call it. So, whenever I visit it is a necessary pilgrimage to go roam the halls of that beautiful building and visit my favorite rooms and works of art as well as whatever new they have on view.

Of course, I ran into some books in paintings! So, my series continues. (see this post and this post and this post for my past posts in this series). The MFA has expanded and gotten so large that it takes me two days to get through it. The first day I found only a few books in paintings in the European wings but the second day when I returned I hit the bounty in the Art of the Americas Wing - which is kind of a museum unto itself.

I believe this image is the first I have found in this series that is relatively modern:

Still Life: Past Revisited by Eldzier Cortor, 1973

The others I found in the Americas Wing dated from the 18th and 19th centuries:

And, the grand finale is by El Greco and located in one of my favorite rooms in the MFA: the Koch Gallery:

I love how the sitter is saving his place in the book!

Thanks MFA!

 

Book in Painting: Legion of Honor

I guess my break is over and it is back to work! My spring schedule for Wishi Washi Studio is up on my studio website and half of the classes are already full. Thanks to all who have signed up and for those interested...you better hurry!

So, what have I been up to in the last month? One thing that I did was go to San Francisco and see art...lots of art...at the De Young Museum and the Legion of Honor. While I didn't plan to continue my Book in Painting series (see Getty Center and Huntington posts from last summer) whilst at the Legion of Honor what did I see but books in paintings, and a couple of sculptures:

 

And, the grand finale: El Greco...

The Legion of Honor is a real gem in San Francisco and while I have been there many, many times I never noticed that there were so many books in paintings...and two sculptures. Clearly, I have a new hobby.

Book in Painting: The Huntington

 Last week I shared the photographs I took of books in paintings at the Getty Center (Book in Painting: Getty Center) and promised to share pictures from The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens this week.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens

The Huntington is more than a library and a museum. There are numerous buildings full of treasures to explore as well as an arboretum and garden after garden after garden full of plants from around the globe, ponds, bonsai,rock gardens, giant bamboo...it is truly incredible. If you plan to visit be sure to give yourself an entire day.

Having visited The Getty Center the day before and discovered the treasury of books in paintings I wondered if I would find the same here. Well, of course, I did!

Here is a selections of "book in painting" from The Huntington Collection:

 

And, my favorite because it has a book, scissors, thread, thimbles and nimble hands:

And, again, I apologize for not recording artists and titles but was just enjoying being in the moment and the presence and these treasures.

At the time of our visit the library was closed but they did have two spectacular book exhibits open. We'll see if I have the stamina to keep posting in this series and share what I saw there.

Book in Painting: Getty Center

I took a little road trip to Southern California last week and visited friends, family and two amazing museums: The Getty Center and The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

The Getty Center

 

 Both the Getty and the Huntington are like Disneyland for art-loving adults. The Getty even has a tram - kind of like the monorail! Both institutions also allow photography of items in their collections. While I wanted to take pictures of everything that delighted me there was just too much and I wondered how I was going to limit myself. Then I noticed a beautiful little book in a Medieval painting, and then another and another.  I had a theme for the day.

Equally delightful as the books in the paintings are the hands, clothes and textures surrounding them.  

 

Following are "book in painting" from The Getty Center. 

 

Enjoy:

 

I apologize for not recording the artist and title of each painting but that would have made my fun little project burdensome...and I was on vacation after all!

 

Next week I will post: Book in Painting: Huntington.