Patch #216 J Picasso
Grandson J, who just turned four, created this great portrait of our daughter …
which Don deemed to be “Picasso-esque,” although his mom was more inclined to attribute it to Edvard Munch. To me it was “just amazing,” but isn’t it interesting how we look for the familiar?
Obviously our grandson’s work is totally his own, but Don and I are keenly aware of how our making is influenced by others. For instance, during our visit to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas last spring, we saw a classic Rothko (pictured about 3/4 of the way through this post http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2016/04/take-to-highway-again.html).
When we returned home, we both started looking at more examples of Rothko’s work, which in turn strongly influenced the base painting for Don’s latest assemblage (I’m really kicking myself for not getting in-process pictures of how it changed over the course of several days).
Milk paint and burnishing paste were used to color some plain boards, a $5 junk store frame (that took eight hours to sand down), and a rusted tin can lid (found somewhere lost to memory).
And somehow, somewhere along the way, those things combined to create a new story.
Rising …
I'm Going to Texas (version 2.0) 
It IS amazing how expression can be so present with just so few marks….her smile and her loving gaze….and i like Very much this new Rising…gives reprieve to the day's heat
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I just love first drawings. I hope this one will be one of your squares. I sat in a Rothko room in D.C. last year, remembering the calm… Don's holds that & beauty.
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Oh yes, very Picassoesque. Do stitch it! Rising is wonderful too…Liz
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'Twas nigh on impossible to capture the subtlety of J's marks in stitch, but the patch is a good memory holderDon and I both appreciated your comment
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A patch of J's portrait has been duly rendered. As for the Rothko room, thank you for sharing your experience and generous response to Don's piece
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Thanks Liz … your comments were much my own thoughts
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My mom and step dad lived 2 miles from the Crystal Bridges museum and many a walk with my step dad as we watched it being built. I was able to take them both for a tour before they passed. And my favorite restaurant was in the Art hotel in Bentonville which was filled with art.
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Pam – C21 was a great experience, although the curated collection while we were there was a bit edgy (lots of guns, kinda gansta). So cool to know we \”crossed paths\” there.
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