Being still…

I saw Money’s Water Lilies this week.Every time I’m in a museum, I could just sit for hours and absorb the art around me. I’ve wanted to live in a museum, ever since I was eight and read, “From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs.Basil E. Frankweiler.”

Funny that this trip was to see some of the last works of an artist who spent his twilight years sitting and taking in the world and then stuggling to find a way to bring what he saw to life on canvas, so the rest of us wouldn’t miss it.

As a writer/artist, I always find Monet an inspiration. And as a human being, I find his journey to produce his Water Lilies a challenge–to have a point of view and to find a way to express it, no matter what others might think.

Monet’s Water Lilies were considered a failure at the time of his death in the 20s. No one understood them. It wasn’t until the 50s focus on “modern” art that these then 30-year-old canvases became wildly popular.

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Monet would sit for hours in his garden, silently looking at his pond, not moving at all while he puzzled through his motif for showing water mirroring the world.

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In his 80s at the time, he’d spend painstaking hrs/days/months attempting to make the complexity around him seem effortless.

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Money once said that the water lilies had become his obsession. They were, “…beyond the powers of an old man…”

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Is it really possibly he saw these creations as a failure himself?  Boggles the mind…

As a writer, it was amazing to see some parts of his paintings still a work in progress. Notice the unfinished borders.

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Monet would paint 10+ layers of color, then scrape away until he got the water affect he wanted. Amazing.

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Monet’s larger canvases were on rollers, so he could move back and forth between them. So he could free his mind and create without becoming frustrated with any one piece’s unfinished state.

These paintings are a master artist’s purest point of view. He only shows you the water and lilies–what he saw. But through his gift, we can see his garden’s bridge, the trees and the clouds reflected.

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How did he scrape away layers of paint to give us this? Clouds, water, sunlight, flowers. Amazing!

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These were Monet’s final works. He painted them for himself. For no one else. Water Lilies were personal masterpieces he’d worked his whole life to be able to accomplish.

I think they show us a lifetime search for clarity, reflecting forever. They challenge us to be still and consider the world around us. What point of view will we leave behind to inspire those who follow…

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6 Responses to “Being still…”

  1. catslady says:

    It is amazing. I can’t imagine the dedication or such passion. I’ve always loved the world of arts. Unfortunately I came from a family that didn’t consider it so I never pursued my dreams but I rejoice that my youngest daughter has a wondeful talent and she is now in college and although it may be a hard career choice, I know she will always love what she is doing :)

  2. Fannie Wiggins says:

    I like looking at great works of art. I am always awed by the talent of the greats. I have never wanted to be an artist, just an admirer. Plus the fact that I am not the least bit artistic could be a part of it. There are no art galleries near me so most of my looking is done online. Thanks for sharing these wonderful works with us. Have a great day and hugs to all.

  3. Elaine says:

    Hey Anna,

    Great post! This reminds me of a story I once heard about Picasso. Someone asked him, “What would you do if someone took away all your fancy paints, easels, canvases?”
    Picasso’s response? “I would use pens, pencils, crayons, whatever it took.”
    The man pressed him. “But what if someone took those things away? What if you were in prison with no tools at all?”
    Picasso’s incredible response? “I would spit on my finger and draw on the walls. I would never, ever let anyone or anything stop me.”

    Wow.

    Elaine

  4. Jane says:

    Fascinating post.

  5. Pat Cochran says:

    Such intensity! Such emotion! Such artistry!

    Pat Cochran

  6. Patricia Barraclough says:

    How lucky you were to be able to see Monet’s work. Whenever we go to art museums, it never ceases to amaze me how someone can take these different colors on a pallet and create such incredible works. The styles and techniques are very different, but the result is we can see something the way the artist did. As with writing, you want someone else to see and appreciate what you have done. It takes a truly great person to keep creating even when others don’t appreciate their work. Lucky for us they did.

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