Cake Stand-ing Ovation

I'm sitting here enjoying a box of Whole Food's caramel almond delights. Four delicious caramel and chocolate smothered almond clusters in a row! And It's all because of Wayne Thiebaud.

Have you heard of Wayne Theibaud? When I stumbled upon Wayne Theibaud's charming work last week, I couldn't wait to share it with you:

Wayne Thiebaud's work is fun, innocent, and like most pop art, direct and simple. His paintings remind me of summer, family parties, weddings, and lazy breakfasts at the diner; they remind me of my childhood, when I overlooked subtlety and found myself enraptured by birthday, a pretty dress, or the gumball machine at the supermarket. They are depictions of joy!

Here are a few interesting websites that I found while searching for images of his work:

1. Life imitates art (For the complete article, visit Martha Stewart Weddings.)
2. In the Style of Wayne Thiebaud: Children's Art

3. Learn to count with Wayne Thiebaud 

Are you craving sugar, frosting, or that delicious first spoonful of ice cream? Yes, you are!

 Do I see a trip to Ample Hills Creamery in your future? Yes. I do!

Poolside

Have you ever wanted to dive into David Hockney's "The Big Splash?"

Last Tuesday, Curbed posted this image of AirClad's inflatable pool house inspired by the painting:

What do you think? Can you see the resemblance? 

I love this painting, so when a traffic jam trapped me at the office this evening, I dove right in:

 paper dresses inspired by "The Big Splash"

Materials:
 yellow paper clips
turquoise sticky notes
a brown napkin
white cardstock

Meeting Marsden Hartley

Having visited Dogtown several times, most recently this spring, I understand the serenity of listening to the restful rhythm of my footfall, the surprise of discovering a series of commandments carved into imposing, solid stones, and the slightly sinister feeling of losing my way among the mysterious wooded paths. It's an odd place. 

 

After reading Elyssa East's Dogtown, I have a new appreciation for Gloucester's abandoned commons. East describes the history of Dogtown, recording how contemporaneous reactions to poverty, murder, and pirates evolved into the complex relationship locals have with the land, its  purpose, and its role within the community.

Marsden Hartley, like a number of artists, found Dogtown to be a refuge, a retreat filled with bold, mythical landscapes. Dogtown was my introduction to Marsden Hartley, who painted on Cape Ann for several summers. Here are several of his works from the early 1930's:

 

 In addition to his work in Massachusetts, Hartley painted landscapes in Maine, capturing its rocky coast and high, rolling hills. Out west, Hartley found inspiration in the sun-drenched sand and sculptural succulents:

Interested in seeing some of Hartley's works? Marsden Hartley: Soliloquy in Dogtown will be on exhibit at the Cape Ann Museum until October 14th.