My booth at an Outdoor Art Show

My booth at an Outdoor Art Show
The best part of an outdoor show is meeting you. If you read my blog, be sure to say Hi to me.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Andrew Wyeth Studio

I could not believe it.  The Brandywine River Museum is opening Andrew Wyeth's first home and studio for tours.  And in May, they organized a Wyeth immersion day with visits to N.C. Wyeth home and studio, viewing SNOW HILL the movie about Andrew Wyeth, tour the Wyeth art collection with a docent, tour the Andrew Wyeth studio and visit the Kuerner farm on Ring Road.
I had been to N.C's studio and the Kuerner farm, but to have an opportunity to see Wyeth's own studio was something I dreamed off.
After touring the third floor gallery and seeing a collection of paintings and studies Andrew did of his studio, we boarded the mini bus and went to the studio.  It was the home for Andrew and Betsy when they were first married.  Then later he used it as one of his studios until mid 2008.  One section includes Jamie's studio set up as if he just painted the portrait of President John Kennedy.
What a special honor for a watercolorist to see how the most well known watercolor artist of our day painted and his studio.

I think the several things that seemed to resonate with me after hearing about the Wyeth's and their paintings.  First, their desire for accuracy.  Second,  paint what you know and it will show in your paintings..  Hence painting only in two major areas of the country - Chadd's Ford and Maine.
But it was interesting to see how they painted differently.  N.C. generally painted with bright colors and mostly in oil.  Andrew only painted in oil in his father's studio but when he was on his own, he painted with watercolor and egg tempera.  He also painted in colors around Chadd's Ford in typical weed and dead grass colors like burnt umbra, yellow ochre, etc. so not the bright colors like his father's unless you have seen some of his paintings in Maine.
Let me recommend that you organize a trip to the Brandywine River Museum after June 1st and take the tour of Andrew Wyeth's studio as it will be a memory you will think of the rest of your life........especially if you are an artist.

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