MONDAY MADNESS -- COLOR & FORM!

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 It's Monday Madness! We used Google Arts & Cultures random painting / art system and came up with several treasures. Most of our group felt like Jacob van Hulsdonck’s Still Life with Lemons, Oranges, and a Pomegranate was a little too perfect! Some of the gang looked for blemishes and others felt the bowl looked separate from the fruit – almost making some of the pieces of fruit seem to float over the bowl. And Trish pointed out a see-through lemon!

We marveled at this wonderful woodcutting from Harper’s Magazine in 1867. We didn’t even comment on the fact that it was one of our collective landscape artist fave Winslow Homer! We discussed how intricate and how time consuming it must be to carve out this masterful woodblock with so many delicate lines. Beth mentioned that the periodical must have had several of these every issue; so imagine making several of these every month!

At first, John William Hill’s Fawn's Leap, Catskill Mountains (also 1867) didn’t strike several of us as anything special but the more we delved into the painting, the more we noticed the layers of watercolor – tones & hues – as well as the reflections in the water, what was left for white space (a technique in watercolor painting), and the unusual garb of the visitors to the Falls. Others immediately were attracted by the form and color so it became an almost Top of the Day!

Our actual Top of the Day is Egyptian artist, Seif Wanly’s Nocturne. There is no date on the painting, but Seif lived from 1906-1979. What rich color elucidate his cubist forms! We loved the mix of colors and shapes, saw more each time we zoomed in – Luba saw a grate in the ground where water flowed, Lynn saw a lighted city in the back & Bruno loved the sailboats in the back right. Lots of see here & we need to revisit his artwork asap!

Tomorrow we have a great roster of artists to celebrate Black History Month! Vera has been highlighting one a day & it’s been so lovely & enlightening. Can’t wait to see you all!!


  • Jacob van Hulsdonck, Still Life with Lemons, Oranges, and a Pomegranate, 1620-40 -- link --
  • Winslow Homer, Seesaw -- Gloucester, Massachusetts, 1874 -- link --
  • John William Hill, Fawn's Leap, Catskill Mountains,1867 -- link --
  • Seif Wanly, Nocturne, (no date) -- link --




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