Category Archives: Art

The Night Was Starry

Recently daughter-in-law Terri sent me this photo with her comment, “Now I want to build this!” She could, she’s a puzzle master. They were at LEGO-palooza in Chapel Hill.

starry night lego

 

It brought to mind the first time I saw Van Gogh’s A Starry Night. I was an art student but truthfully a dedicatedly lackadaisical one. I sort of knew about the greats but having successfully skirted art history classes (that meant work) specific details were pretty hazy. Maybe this was a good thing. Read on.

I was on a day field trip to Washington DC from school, which was RPI in Richmond VA, with fellow art students and instructors with the sole purpose of seeing lots of art. And we did. We toured the big museums at record speed, had lunch and proceeded to our last stop, a gallery in Georgetown that was having a special exhibit.

It was crowded but not annoyingly so. I browsed through the several small rooms circling back to the main one which wasn’t much bigger. Suddenly something caught my eye. “What is that?” I wondered. I wandered closer. My breath was taken away. I had no idea what I was looking at but it was captivating. I read the title card.  It was A Starry Night. “THE Starry Night?” I wondered out loud. I did know of the piece but for something so revered, so commanding in the art field, I expected it to be bigger. “It’s so small.”

It really wasn’t that small but nevertheless sitting in quiet repose among other lesser known works it shone ever so much more brightly. I cherish that I experienced this amazing art in such a serendipitous way. It was absolutely magical.

moma starry night

And then for my 70th birthday this happened. Thanks to an all nighter by Lewis & Hilarey using tiny forks and infinite patience. Photo credit to good friend and professional photographer Jim Trotman. Photo session a birthday present from the kids.

birthday cake

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