A Day Of Inspiration

I'm sure that all artists can relate to losing their motivation and inspiration occasionally. I've been in my own slump for a while and a fellow artist, and good friend, John Ursillo ( bearcubstudio.com ) has been a constant source of encouragement to me. He was recently visiting from out of town and we decided to visit the Norton Simon museum in Pasadena. Vermeer's "A Lady Writing" is on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and will be there until February 2. It is truly fascinating to see these works of art up close and in person. Photos do not do justice to the intricacy and application of color. They have quite an impressive Renaissance period collection, and I was overwhelmed by the size of the paintings and the techniques of these Masters.

They have quite an impressive collection of Peter Paul Ruben's paintings (one of my very favorites) This is "Saint Ignatius of Loyola" by Rubens, c.1620 - Oil on canvas, over 7 feet tall!!
There is so much exquisite detail in the brocade on the robe - just beautiful! I've decided my New Year's resolution is to visit a museum once a month from now on.