Recharging the Artistic Batteries

Cleveland, Ohio is home to a fantastic, world class art museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA). They have great pieces in their permanent collection and would host fabulous exhibitions. I visited it regularly. Unfortunately, it has been closed for renovations since early 2005.

This summer, some of the galleries reopened. I made my first visit today. It was like greeting an old friend. Looking upon the many master works by artists like David, Caravaggio and Rubens is simply inspiring. I was a little surprised to find how much my knowledge of artistic techniques had grown in the years since my last visit. Besides appreciating the art, I could see the principles used in creating many of the works. That made the experience even better.

On of the best moments was entering a gallery and seeing the portrait of Mrs. Ralph Curtis hanging on the wall. It was painted by John Singer Sargent, one of my favorite painters. It had been on loan to another museum a year or two before CMA's closing. Having it back was an unexpected treat.

I left the museum feeling inspired and excited to get back to my own work. Who knows, I may even pull out the brushes, set up the easel and slap some pigment on canvas.