Montreal Museum of Fine Art

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After the Convention, I went to the Montreal Museum of Fine Art which was impressive. Back when I was an art student in NYC, I used to go to museums and stay so ling that I would be exhausted by the end of the day. I call that museum burn and I got to feel that luxury again in Montreal.

There was an amazing exhibit of the remaining sculptures of Camille Rosalie Claudel. She is known as being the mistress f of the famous sculptor, Rodin, but er sculptures are even more expressive and sensual than his. She was a true master in her own right, but she was thrust into the shadow of the famous sculptor.

Rodin mentored the young sculptor and she became an inspiration for him. She posed for him and he encouraged her to experiment in new mediums like plaster, bronze, marble, and onyx. A passionate love affair developed. Rodin could not bring himself to leave his 20 year marriage to Rose however.

Camille had to have an abortion and she ended the sexual aspect of her affair with Rodin. They continued to see one another for about 8 more years.

After the relationship ended, Camille could not get the funding needed to create large public works. Her work was considered to sexual while Rodin’s sensual sculptures were embraced.

After her father’s death, the family who inherited the wealth he had built, decided to let he live in poverty because they didn’t believe she should have become an artist. Camille is a true inspiration.

Poster Session

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I had joined several members of the Orange County Regional History Center at a conference abut oral histories. I have sat inn on perhaps hundreds of oral histories that History Center staff have conducted. I would sketch as the oral history would unfold. Every person has a story to tell and oral histories open a gateway to some amazing stories.

I always feel like I learn something about how I should be living my life, when listening to peoples stories. The struggles they faced and how they over came them are always inspiring. At time I feel like they are telling my story. It makes me want to take more chances.

The posters were maybe about 3 feet wide by 2 feet high. Each poster showcases imagery which highlighted each researchers area if interest. The History Center poster was bout the large series of interviews with Pulse Nightclub survivors and family after the tragic shooting that killed 49 people who were out having a wonderful time dancing.

I sketched from the upper balcony of the hotel. I always like this gods eye view of events. The space always feel so dimension when I get the sketch to work right. When I do a sketch like this of a crowded room of people, I inevitably end up sketching the same person several times. They move from one group to another and since I had fun sketching them the first time I often just sketch them again in the new position. The goal is to just keep adding figures to the page. At time I can catch several people in conversion at other times I just put two people together fro separate areas of the room.

 

Never Again

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I went to a conference with several embers of the staff of the Orange County History Center. Daniel Bradfield and Pamela Schwartz gave a presentation about the History Center’s collection efforts after the Pulse Nightclub massacre, where a gunman entered the nightclub with an AK47 and killed 49 people while injuring many others.

Spontaneous and large memorial popped up of flowers and  memorial items related to the victims. The collecting happened in the hottest months of the summer in Orlando. Flowers quickly wilted an died creating a tench that is quite memorable and perhaps unhealthy.

A few people were angered by the staff collecting at the memorial sites, thinking they were steeling items rather than preserving them for history. If the History Center had not collected items they would have all ended in the landfill.

There have been incredible exhibits each year honoring the victims of the mass shooting which happened on June 12, 2016. I sat in and sketched during the oral histories with survivors and family of the victims. Hearing all these life and death stories can be overwhelming and i helped to talk to staff to try and come to terms with the horrible situations that were presented. I can’t say I have fully come to terms with all that I learned about this and other mass shootings. Americas love affair with guns and mass murder is ard to digest.

I was just at a WWII American Military camp reconstruction in Clamercy, France and on a few occasion there were loud noises that must have been fireworks. Such noises can be triggering, making me think I should look for cover.

La Socièti

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This sketch was done at a magnificent restaurant in Montreal, Canada called La Socièti. I was eating alone that evening. I remember having a really good stuffed artichoke dish that was delicious.

I am noticing that many of my sketches in public places are of people sitting alone. Edward Hopper is renowned for painting that depict a distinct American isolation. I seem to depict the same thing but it isn’t an artistic choice. I just seem to go places during the quiet hours, especially when I travel.

Today, I had breakfast alone in my hotel but by late afternoon I was having a raucous WWII style dinner with re-enactors in an army tent.I only got one small sketch of the joyous chaos, but I have another chance to catch he scene tomorrow night since they invited me to return.

I could have used Google translate in Montreal but it didn’t have the voice recognition feature. I used the translator quite a bit today but the program isn’t entirely user friendly yet. I have trouble navigating back and forth to translate what I say into French and then in the next moment translate French into English. I am sure t can be done efficiently. I will look at a few You Tube videos tonight to see if I can figure it out.

I lost all battery power on my phone today because I like to listen in on all the conversations around me. Since I am so nosy when I sketch I let the phone die a slow and painful death. It was resurrected in a WWII tent since one f the re-enactors had an iPhone cable. I handed out every business card I had on me today. That had=s never happened before.

Ho

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A few days before taking off to Europe, I checked with my Orlando Doctor Angel Ho. Mostly I wanted to be sure I had a refill on prescriptions. I had another sonogram of my ankles and the loud creepy heartbeat proved that I am still alive. She did refill the prescriptions but only for a month. Since I will be in Europe for 3 to 4 months, I jokingly said I would just stop taking the medicine.  She advised against that and said that they sell drug in Europe, and I should be able to find a supplier. I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Just carrying my huge turtle backpack will be building my back and shoulder muscles. Running around the metro station must be helping my heart health. I discovered that hiking the Paris metro stations is a serious workout. Besides the backpack I also carry my art day bag that goes everywhere with me. That bag is heavy because to the large sketchbook I have decided to carry. Te shoulder strap pinches into neck and shoulder like Spokes Vulcan grip. Fr a while I tried hanging the bag off of both shoulders which evened out the weigh distribution.

I kind of regret taking along the laptop, which is the heaviest thing in the bag, but I am happily typing away on it right now. I have an assignment to illustrate a poster for the Florida Film Festival, that is in the works, so it will be good to have the laptop to refine the sketch I submitted.

I also brought along a trench coat which helped keep my legs warm in cold weather. After packing away all my belongings into a u-Haul storage facility, I realized that I had forgotten to put the trench coat in a box. Buy default that meant my subconscious mind was convinced that I would need it in my European travels. I have been wearing that thing every day, so my subconscious mind was right.

Wild Rivers Film Festival: The Flight Back

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I wish I could fall asleep in airports or in the airplane for tat matter. This airport had 19602 styped swivel seats that looked like they might be comfortable. They weren’t. I sat in one for a while and tried to relax, but my butt started hurting after 5 minutes.  I sat next to this fellow in these green semi reclining benches.

Those neck pillows never work for me either. I keep thinking an inflatable beach ball might be a good solution for falling asleep on a plane. First off blowing it up would exhaust me and ten I could lean forward and wrap myself around the ball.

I have just started a three month sketch tour, so I should develop some workable travel hacks by the end of this trip. My decision to take a laptop and an iPad in my backpack is deeply regretted right now. I walked for many miles yesterday with the backpack and discovered it is heavy as hell.

I also might have considered using smaller and thus lighter sketchbooks. My day art back is darn heavy as well. I am about to hike to a war memorial to sketch and I will see how I do. I suppose I just need to suck it up. I am committed to using what I have. An umbrella turned inside out the second I opened it yesterday and it went straight in the trash. If anything doesn’t work I have to be quick to rim the fat so I can travel lighter. Maybe a typical suitcase on wheels might have been a good idea. Traveling can be tough, but hopefully it builds character.

Wild Rivers Film Festival: Ambiance by the Sea

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On my last day in Brookings, Oregon, Kimberly invited me to sketch a driftwood workshop she was assisting with at Ambiance by the Sea (.530 Hemlock St., Brookings, Oregon). The shop has an eclectic mix of locally hand crafted Nautical home decor, gifts & souvenirs.

Card tables were set up in a parking area next to the shop to assemble the sculptural mobiles. There was driftwood, beads, wire and string to create the assemblages. On had a piece of driftwood with a large hole in the center of it and a single gem hung in that opening. Silver wire encircles the opening following the grooves in the wood.

The instructor was missing some drill bits and a friend offered to go to the hardware store to pick some up. He came back empty handed because the bits at the store only had hexagonal bases. That is exactly what was needed, so ha had to go back a second time.

Kimberly’s creation had a horizontal beam of driftwood with multiple strands of beads hanging down. It was fascinating how completely different every creation was.

From here I had a two hour drive back to the airport. Te road wound up through the mountains, past some magnificent redwoods. Road construction slowed down the drive several times. The views were magnificent. I wish I had given myself more time to stop and do some sketches along the drive, but I needed to get back east so I could drive up for my step sister’s funeral.

Juanita had did very unexpectedly.  She had visited my sister only last month and seemed in the best of health. She had been at a friends house and went for a swim in the pool. Afterwards she went upstairs to her room to change for dinner. When she didn’t come down the hostess finally went upstairs and found Juanita on the floor. She could not be revived. She had a heart attack. Live each day to the fullest. I am now in Le Havre, France and about to head out to sketch a WWII memorial. I hear seagulls outside my window. I need to explore.

Wild Rivers Film Festival: The Day After

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On the Wild Rivers Film Festival website they originally posted the date the festival would end a day beyond when the festival actually ended. Perhaps that was the previous year’s dates. That meant I had one more day in Brookings, Oregon to explore the town. Kimberly, who I had met a virtually every festival social event, suggested we meet for coffee at the Compass Rose Cafe.

The morning sun found its way into my motel room and woke me up early. I decided to get my day started  so I drove over to the Rose Cafe to get a sketch before ordering a coffee. Once again, my primary distraction was the constant roar of 18 wheeler trucks caring huge freshly cut thick tree trunks.

The low morning sun kept all the downtown building in shadow but at it rose, the peaks of the Compass Rose Cafe roof began to catch the light. I wondered if the lookout tower had seating. There had to be gorgeous views of the ocean from up there. The fog had burned off early.

I finished my sketch about the time that I was supposed to meet Kimberly. I hadn’t noticed anyone going in the Compass Rose Cafe entrance, so I  assumed ordering a coffee would be a breeze. When I got to the door, I found a sign that apologized that the Rose Cafe was closed. There were some outdoor tables and seating in front of the cafe, so I sat down to text Kimberly. A mom and her daughter looked over the railing at the sign on the door from their perch on the sidewalk. They walked away looking disappointed.

Kimberly suggested we meet at a coffee shop down by the harbor. I would not have time to sketch that place. My latte had a nice heart shaped swirl in the foam on top. I also ordered a blueberry muffin since this was breakfast. On a railing across from the Harbor coffee house there were a long line of paintings. They were all about the same size about 18 by 24 inches. I figure all the artists must have been given the same size canvas and encouraged to paint in acrylics. Several paintings were of whales, so I assume whales must pass by the Oregon coast on their migration. Either that, of the artists figured that whales sell.

The conversation was lively. I explained my WWII European travel plans and Kimberly said she might be in Prague at the same time I will be exploring Europe with my sketchbook.It could be nice to meet a friend while on my travels. There were even discussions of working on a boat in the Mediterranean. That fell through, but it is just as well since I get seasick if I sketch on the open seas. My father would have taken a 7 day ocean voyage to get to Europe at the start of his tour of duty. I figure it would be good to replicate that voyage but I hat cruises and yeah I don’t need to be nauseous to start my journey.

My plan isn’t to take ton of photos, but to only document the route of the 75th infantry C-Company with my sketches. My thought was to travel for as long at C-Company was in Europe which is 6 months. After defeating the Reich, C-Company were stationed with occupation duty in, Iserlohn Germany, for many months. I imagine I will do quite a few sketches in Iserlohn, which once had a POW camp and a Work Concentration Camp which C-Company helped liberate.  Iserlohn and the nearby Dortmund helped fuel the German war machine. There is probably little that is remaining  of those camps, So I will probably branch out to sketch other concentration camps. There were literally thousands. I also want to go to Arolson, Germany which is where my Thorspecken ancestor, Dr. Augustus Elias Julius Thorspecken came from. My father was so close to this town but didn’t know to look for it. I know of many other Thorspecken ancestral towns as well, so I might explore those as well once I feet the 75th Infantry series of sketches is complete.

Wild Rivers Film Festival: Natural Bridges

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I drove north out of Brookings, Oregon the home of the Wild Rivers Film Festival. I wanted to see some of the untamed coastline. The Natural Bridges are located in Curry County along the coastline in the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor.

There weer some cars parked on the side of 101, the scenic highway that runs along the Oregon coast. I puled in and hiked with my art bag to a scenic overlook at the bridges. That spot however had a wooden platform with a high wooden fence. I decided it wasn’t the spot to sketch.

Instead I hiked a five mile trail along the upper rim of the cliffs overlooking the rock formations below. At the end of that trail I found this serene scene and I set up to sketch. I liked the abstract eddies created by the sea foam. The sun was setting in the west and I used its angle to decide if I had enough time to hike back to the car before it got dark.

The hike back seemed longer than the hike in. I paused one more time at the wooden platform along with a crowd looking at the rock formations and taking pictures. The place gets more crowded around sunset time since that probably makes for some fine tourist photos.

Heading back to the car I saw two men coming out from another trail that hooked off in the opposite side from the parking spots. They said that trail looked far more precarious and they just wanted a photo at the overlook.

I later learned that this second trail leads down to the bast of the natural bridge formation and it is possible to hike up onto the bridge itself. This is a very difficult hike however and people have died trying to get the perfect selfie. I was satisfied with my one sketch, and headed back to Brookings to get myself a pizza at Wild Rivers Hand Crafted Food and Ale. the reason I went is I liked the look of their logo in the Film Festival programing. It is definitely a family themed restaurant with an arcade area for the kids. All the kids must have been hyped up on caffeine because they were running around like Banshees. This was a major change of pace from the scenic overlook I had just left. I ordered a small pizza but it was still too much to eat, so I got up to ask for a take out box. When I got back, my table was already being cleaned. I got back just in time before the slices were tossed in the trash. Those slices made a good breakfast the next morning.

Wild Rivers Film Festival: Driftwood

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I went to the Brookings, Oregon beach to see driftwood. Kimberly, who I met at the Wild Rivers Film Festival talked about using driftwood in some of her art pieces, so I wanted to see the driftwood covered beach for myself.

I was surprised to see that some locals had arranged some of the driftwood into teepees and a make shift wall.I should think that when the tide comes in, that all these makeshift structures must wash away, needing to be rebuilt. In some ways the scene reminded me of Omaha Beach on D-Day. All that was missing was the machine gun nest.

I set up my art stool and leaned back against a large driftwood log. The “beach” was covered with smooth grey stones.

The fog had not burned off yet so the distant horizon was barely visible. There were only two colors visible. The yellow ocher driftwood and the cool grey stones.

You had to walk down a metal ramp to get to the beach level from a cement walkway. A young couple ventured out to the water’s edge to stick their toes in, and then walked back up the beach to sit on a log and stare out over the surf. A dog snuffled around sticking his nose into every crevice.

A woman scoured the beach, I believe because she was searching for the perfect smooth stone. It was a perfect day to be on a quest for the perfect stone or the perfect sketch.