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| Paul Whitener (1911-1959) The Sycamore Tree, late 1940's, Oil on canvas |
Welcome to Artistic Interpretations! I am often excited and and often anticipate for months a visit to well known museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but I recently visited The Hickory Museum of Art, a small town in North Carolina not far from where I live, and was reminded what a joy it is to include these gems on my calendar as well.
Hickory has a beautiful museum that fosters and preserves American art. The Hickory Museum of Art currently has approximately 1,500 art object in the collection. The day I visited we viewed Paul Whitener's landscape paintings, which feature scenes from my beloved mountains. He was the visionary for the museum and was the Museum Director since 1944 and held that position for fifteen years.
Small museums really are gems of local talent and creativity. My local poetry group was eager to see the poetry of our friend, Beverly, who participated in "The Art of Poetry". This ekphrastic walking tour was in honor of Woman's History Month and the main focus of the tour and poems was WOMAN MADE: Women Artists from the Hickory of Art Collection. The rules were simple: Go to the exhibit and write poems about the works on display. I have selected three of my favorite art works from this exhibit and you will find them beneath Paul Whitener's paintings.
Lastly, I have selected three intriguing art pieces from the local public schools end of year celebration of children's art work displayed at their museum. I have not included the student's names but I believe all are high school age.
The challenge today is simple. I hope you can find something in one (or more) of these images and be inspired to write a new poem. Link to Mr. Linky below and be sure to visit and enjoy all the participant's poetic endeavors. I look forward to your artistic interpretation.
Photography was permitted in the museum and these are my photos which I offer for your use. If you click on the image, it should enlarge. Please give the artist recognition if I have provided their names. Thank you.
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| Paul Whitener (1911-1959) Blue Ridge Mountains @1950, Watercolor |
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| Paul Whitener (1911-1959) Unfinished Landscape, @1950, Oil |
Paul's paintings were started with an underpainting of warm or cool oil paint thinned with turpentine. Paul used both rose and brown pigment for the underpainting in the canvas above. The contrasting greens in the landscape will be made more vibrant by these warm tones which will peep through the final applications of paint...
I find it intriguing in this unfinished state.
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| Paul Whitener (1911-1959) Big Bluff of Humpback Mountain, 1955, Oil |
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| Paul Whitener (1911-1959) Snow, 1951, Oil on Canvas |
THE ART OF POETRY:
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| Agnes Millen Richmond (1870-1964) Victoria Louise, 1955, Oil |
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| Peggy Vierra Link (1923-2004) Wash Day, 2009, Oil |
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| Jane Friedlicher (1924-2014) Landscape, 1984, Lithograph on Paper |
STUDENT'S ART WORK ON DISPLAY:
Front and Back of this impressive work of art...
14 comments:
Lovely prompt. One of the pictures called me to tell a true story.
Great prompt, Margaret, and a difficult choice. I contemplated all of the images until one whispered to me.
Excellent prompt Margaret and a great source of inspiration. Thank you!
Anna :o]
Lovely read.
Thanks for sharing
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Thank you for sharing this. I love the pictures you chose for the prompt.
Loved the prompt, Margaret ❤️ I chose to write about the sycamore tree. Happy Thursday everyone❤️
Hi Margaret! your effort is appreciated! You literally introduced me to a great artist. After reading your challenge, I went back to read about Paul Whitener and his twist in career from sports to art took me by surprise. Thanks a lot for this prompt.
I have made an attempt to write on his 1955 oil painting, also trying to make a li'l tribute :)
Hi for Artistic Interpretation ~~ These are nice finds, I like how you segued from Small Town. My dad, a widower for eight years, was on the board of directors for a small town But County (Nebraska) Museum. Not much art, let lone a separate art building. I used to tell him he was on the board because he was retired and had a pickup truck.
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I will come back with something later... always love to select a picture for inspiration...
These are all so gorgeous! I had a really hard time choosing.
Those birds! Wow!
Yes, wow to the birds. I am finding, in this new/old place, the weeks fly by so fast I am not accomplishing much online. I will try to be more present. Small places, like Hickory, and like Tofino, are very cool to live in. Our village is full of writers, poets, artists, carvers, sculptors............last week, the writers group went in a delegation to village council (we have the BEST young woman mayor ever!), and each read a poem about Tofino. Then we put forth the idea of Tofino having its own Poet Laureate. The idea was well received, so now we are meeting to put together a formal proposal. Very cool. I am uninspired at the moment, but am hanging in, waiting for the words to come with more ease.
What beautiful art Margaret. I chose the student's crow painting. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Experiencing internet problems.. unable to visit WordPress sites.. will be back later to read and comment❤️
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