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Posts Tagged ‘Boston’

Largest Art Heist in History

Posted in Little Known Facts, Travel, Trivia, tagged Boston, Boston Art Theft, Isabella Gardner Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Largest Art Theft, Largest Art Theft in History, Travel on March 18, 2013| 2 Comments »

Twenty-three years ago, early on the morning of March 18, 1990, two thieves dressed as police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum while everyone outside was preparing for the St. Patrick’s Day parade and committed the largest art robbery in history. Thirteen pieces were stolen including a Rembrandt, a Vermeer, five Degas drawings, a Manet and more. The estimated value is over $500 million! Read more about the art here.

And the theft is still a mystery. The art has not been recovered and there are really no leads bringing the FBI closer to recovering the art. When I was in Boston a few years ago I visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and saw her unusual collection. (Read about that visit here.) But the really weird part was to walk by a wonderful painting and then see an empty frame right next to it (see above) where the thieves cut the art right out of their frame. The Board of Directors chose to leave the frames exactly as they were since Gardner had left explicit directions that the art remain as she left it.

Isabella Stewart Gardner by John Singer Sargent

The museum is fascinating in that is a home that houses a wonderful collection. Asked in 1917 about building a museum and Gardner said,

“Years ago I decided that the greatest need in our Country was Art… We were a very young country and had very few opportunities of seeing beautiful things, works of art… So, I determined to make it my life’s work if I could.”

She was a fascinating woman. I hope you spend a little time reading more about her and her museum.

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Tip 1: Make an Hour; Look an Hour

Posted in Tips for Better Painting, tagged art lessons, Boston, Boston MFA, Calder, Calder Cow, daily painter, Museum of Fine Art Boston, Painting Tips, Virginia Artist, Warhol on January 6, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Art in Bloom at Boston Museum of Art – 2012

“Dog Bed” – Boston Museum of Fine Art

This new year I am going to introduce a few different concepts on my blog. The first is “Tips to Being a Better Painter”. This is the first one.

When I first became serious about painting I would read and study everything I could find about different styles of painting. I would go to as many galleries and museums as possible to see art. And then a good friend who is also a painter (and she studied painting in college) said that her professor used to tell her that for every hour you make art you should spend an hour looking or studying art. I have made that a habit.

The Souper Dress – Boston Museum of Fine Art

Here are some examples of art that I have studied. These photos are from my trip last year to the Boston Museum of Fine Art. I took many pictures and pull them up on my computer and look at them over and over. Many times the things I “study” are not necessarily paintings as I have shown you here. I love to see other types of creativity. I especially love the “Calder Cow”!

The Calder Cow – Boston Museum of Fine Art

For instance, the floral arrangement was a special show the garden clubs in the Boston area were doing on this particular day that I was at the MFA. They did arrangements that interpreted a painting or work of art. It was interesting to see because obviously they had to look closely at a work to pull out their interpretation.

So to be a better painter don’t just spend more time painting. Also spend more time looking and studying art of all types. You’ll see a difference in your work.

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Figure – Fabric – Fantasy

Posted in Travel, tagged Boston, Museum of Fine Art Boston on May 22, 2012| 1 Comment »

YSL-Refined Sportive (designs by Yves Saint Laurent) by Kenneth Paul Block, American 1925-2009

Figure * Fabric * Fantasy is another of the extraordinary shows that I saw recently in Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts. It featured drawings of ready-to-wear that appeared in fashion magazines. Photography gradually pushed out the sketches. But check out the skill of the artists who depicted the drape and texture of the fabric. They are certainly works of art.

Geometric Patterns mid-1970″s (design by Hurbert de Givenchy) by Kenneth Paul Block

The sketches in the show dated from the 1940’s – 1980’s and were intended for print publications.

Formal Ball Gown, late 1950’s by Jack Potter for Ayres Department Store, Indianapolis, IN

Bathing Beauties, autumn 1965 by Larry Salk, American 1936-2004

Joan Crawford in tailored sheath with matching coat, 1955, for Paramount Studios, by Grace Sprague; and Model in red plaid by Teed, 1946

The wonderful thing about fashion art is that it does more than illustrate the garments…it also show the social life of the time.

You’ve gotta love these!

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Art.in Many Forms

Posted in Travel, tagged Boston on May 1, 2012| Leave a Comment »

We visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston
yesterday. The building itself is art. She built it to house her amazing collection of art – sculptures, tapestries, paintings, books. So much to see. But this center garden was my favorite.

As we were leaving the museum we saw these dancers posing for photos. Never did find out exactly why but the poses and lines were lovely so I had to take a few photos to try to paint.