Nov 15 2012
In Praise of the Master Artist
Fluffy went out to get the mail this week, and this is what he saw right outside our front door:
Autumn: The Sequel comes to Virginia. (These two photos are click-to-enlarge.)
The branches and the sky enhanced the beauty of sun-kissed leaves.
Yes, friends and neighbors, Autumn: The Sequel is now playing in foliage near you in Northern Virginia. I was afraid that Hurricane Sandy had deprived us of the best part of the year, but it only bisected the season. Now the trees that hadn’t started turning by the end of October are putting on a great show.
I tend to clap for the trees that outdo themselves as they perform for our viewing pleasure while we’re driving by. Fluffy doesn’t clap, because that would require removing his hands from the steering wheel, but he points out trees for me that deserve clappage, and I oblige. We figure that if God is going to go out of His way to make such a spectacular planet for us, the least we can do is appreciate it.
Fluffy and I appreciate art. We even have a favorite artist — Adolphe-William Bouguereau. Here is my favorite painting of his. We have a copy of it in our house, and I never get tired of looking at it.
Virgin of the Angels by Bouguereau
Before I met Fluffy, I happened upon an exhibit of paintings at Brigham University, which were by marine artist Frederick Waugh. One of them, Post Meridian, was so amazing that I sank to the floor and stared at it for a long, long time. I am unable to find a copy of Post Meridian on the internet, so here is a vastly inferior painting, Ante Meridian.
Ante Meridian isn't Waugh's best work, but you get the point.
As it turns out, my two favorite painters of all time studied together in Paris. It was fun to find out they knew each other. I want to thank both of them in the next life for all the joy they gave me in this one.
But as much as I love the works of Bouguereau and Waugh and many other artists, they have to work pretty hard to come up with things that are as beautiful as what we see every day. Today I am grateful for the gift of sight. If we only open our eyes to see, this world is full of miracles. Every leaf on every tree, every piece of bark, and every rock we find in the dirt is a glorious creation. Every animal and every human being, from their faces down to the cellular level, proclaims the glory of God.
I have to admit it–I’m jealous of your autumn colors. Here in N. California, we don’t get all the lovely colors that you do, and it lasts only about two weeks. I wish autumn would last longer!