L'opéra de Cendrillon et Il était une fois...

The art of storytelling, is so vital to humans,

maybe more than ever 

during a time of confinement.

I can't travel to gather new stories & world experiences,

but my mind & heart can.

The fairy tale Cinderella came to me recently 

via the Metropolitan Opera website.

Cendrillon de Jules Messenet, written in1899.

I sketched while watching it on my computer screen.

I was brought back to magical fairy tales, characters, costumes & settings

that sustained me in childhood. 

I am brand new to opera. 

What a wonderful way to begin a journey

into a new art form:

An opera for children as well as adults.

 

As a former teacher I loved exploring the Met's 

lesson plan for Cendrillon which led to note taking

in my daily journal

Studying the French language continues 

to be a sort of enchantment for me.

Voilà, this opera is in French!! Double, triple enchantment!!

''

 Magnificent costumes, music, dance, comedy, tragedy...

And, of course, "Happily ever after." 

"Heureux pour toujours".

Goodness & kindness triumph over evil.

Balm for a troubled world! 

The story theme of Cinderella is almost 2,000 years old!!

In my own library I found a version of Cendrillon, 

based on Charles Perrault's interpretation. 

I copied text from it as a French language exercise.

 This book is interpreted by Marlene Jobert,

 illustrated by Matthieu Blanchin

 I saw an interactive exhibit at the Musée de la Civilisation 

in Québec in 2012 called Il était une fois, Once upon a time...

Children donned costumes & played fairy tale characters.

I was struck by the similarities of my Cendrillon sketches 

to those from my visit to that exhibit.

To visit my blog post of 8 years ago, called 

Children's Museum Exhibits & Language Learning, 

which featured "Il était une fois," 

Click Here.

(Thank you Leslie for sharing your love and knowledge

of opera!)

Farnsworth. Bell Ringers And A Crankie

Festive Holiday doings during the Farnsworth Art Museum's

seasonal Share the Wonder events.

First, a concert by the Penobscot Ringers,a handbell ensemble. 

It was music of the angels & had

a number of us in the audience crying for the beauty of it all!

Such beauty in the midst of some real ugliness in the world.

 After the concert, a lecture by Annie Bailey,

creator of a rotating storytelling mural for the Museum's 

front window. It tells about Maine heroine,

Abbie Burgess, a 16 year old who tended 

The Matinicus Rock Light & took care of her family

during a raging storm in 1856.

Her father, the lighthouse keeper, had gone to the mainland

for supplies, but could not get back for 4 weeks!

Bailey said she chose Abbie as a symbol

of focus of in a time of chaos.  

Something that is needed in these times too.     

(This photo of 1 scene doesn't show the mural's true size

& the window picked up reflections. But...)

The scroll's height is 4 ft. & one full rotation is 60 ft. 

The scroll, called a "Crankie", moves between 2 spools 

by way of a bicycle chain mechanism created by Andrew White. 

Bailey collaborated with a number of people 

to make this project work, & she has studied the Crankies 

of the 19th century.

There was, as with all original projects, 

trial & failure before final successes.

(I'm hoping the mural will stay up beyond its Jan. close date.) 

Indiana's Love Sculpture at the Farnsworth

I naturally chose the Farnsworth Art Museum when

The Sketch Group asked me to organize an excursion.

Pencil only allowed. We sat on stools lent by the museum.

I've always loved Robert Indiana's Love Sculpture.

But sitting down to draw it made it so much more interesting!

When Indiana got tired of the frenzy of the NY art scene,

he retreated to Maine, to an island near Rockland.

So the museum has a strong connection 

to Indiana & his art. 

It's a dream subject for drawing with a focus on 

 proportion, value & negative space, 

& the beauty of letters, words & type. 

The meaning seems simple, but for Indiana it

was an expression of more complex ideas.

Eventually the LOVE image became a burden to Indiana.

"A mix between graphic design & high art,"

 said graphic artist Milton Glaser. 

But it was criticized because of its commercial appeal. 

Indiana didn't obtain a copyright, 

hence, many people have plagerized & altered it. 

Unfortunate. 

But, his authentic versions are all over the world,

including Rockland, Philadelphia, Washington DC, &, Indiana. 

Black & White in the Have Sketchbook Will Travel

I've been carrying the 4 X 6 Have Sketchbook Will Travel

everywhere I go.

Enjoying very fast, good old fashioned 

black & white sketching.

The 3 below were made at The Farnsworth Art Museum.

Fast & unfinished, a sketch of a favorite painting

by NC Wyeth.

 

A visitor looking a a display of art books outside

the Museum Store.

 

 Two from the Grocery Store Line Series.

(see previous post.)

 Yesterday I was making some notes from 

books on cursive handwriting at my library.

I was glad that

my little book & pen were standing by.

A little still life at a friend's home where

we were listening to a violin concert.

I got myself a seat in the back row 

so that I could sketch without being noticed. 

Below: At the Friday Morning Farmer's Market. 

I go each week partly for the produce, yes.

But it is the music & the happy gathering of people 

that I absolutely love!

 This one should be in color as she was dressed all in 

red, white & blue plaids & had a bright

stars & stripes umbrella! 

 Très chic, leaning against the swingset 

while children were swinging.

 The Flower Guy sitting in the door of his truck

chatting with shoppers.

 One of the farm tents, Peacemeal Farm.

Love the outdoor music concerts

& love the Belfast Bay Fiddlers.

(there were actually 8 or 10 of them that day.)

Do you carry a little notebook or sketchbook with you?

Mine is the Pentallic with very white paper,

but there are so many mini's these days!

You never know when you might need it!

Artists' Panel Discussion

I went to an artists' panel discussion on the show called

Tidal Zone, currently at our local art center.

I took notes.

I had viewed the show previously & enjoyed it on an aesthetic level, 

but the artists describing their process, 

not just process with materials, 

but also their research, their thinking, their histories...

THAT was marvelous!

It seems to me that much of abstract art, 

& non-objective art,

is about concept & process, 

so artist explanations are important.

I became aware of how the actual works can be a record,

or result of rich & deep work.

They spoke about rules & also serendipity.

About how exciting it is to discover what will happen

as a sequence of works is formed. 

Rita Rita Fashion-ita

So a year ago I started seasonal work at the art museum. 

I did an inventory of my clothes closet! 

It was time to come out of fashion hibernation!

Rita Rita Fashion-ita, Hahahaha!

In my Daily Journal I periodically document what I wore 

on the previous day.The Fashion Report, Hahahaha.

 

The quick tiny drawings remind me 

of my 7th grade fashion drawings,

inspired by Simplicity Pattern envelope illustrations.

In 7th grade I decided I was going to be a fashion designer

when I grew up. Hahahaha.

I loved the whole mix & match thing & still do.

I'm having fun gathering 

a few of my "museum costume" sketches. 

Do we see a theme here?? 

Guess how many scarves I have in the

blue-turquoise-teal-aqua range?  

(Answer in next post.)

 

 If no scarf then one must at lease wear a turquoise shirt! 

In high school I decided that my interest in fashion 

was "shallow".  

It is true that my brain had other things to work on.

College days: Work boots & flannel shirts. 

More brain & social stuff to work on.

In this semi-retirement museum employee stage,

It's fun to "curate" my clothes collection. 

Maybe it's still shallow, but, shrug, it is pleasurable.

Our museum visitors, who are in a visually receptive

state of consciousness, appreciate my efforts. 

"Oooooh, your colors!" the women exclaim.