Dominant Overlook

P1030358 crp luc
Originally uploaded by jhhymas

I spent a recent afternoon at an exhibit of Chinese painting by the four great artists who were born mid-Nineteenth century and lived well into the Twentieth. They are considered to be the outstanding painters of this period and this is the first time a survey of their masterpieces has been seen in the west.
The artists are Wu Changshuo (1844–1927), Qi Bashi (1864–1957), Huang Binhong (1865–1955) and Pan Tianshou (1897–1971.) Only Pan lived to be harassed during the Cultural Revolution.
The picture shows the picture that made the greatest impression on me in this visit; it is titled Dominant Overlook. It is an immense vertical scroll-mounted painting. Two vultures are perched atop a steep cliff above a waterfall. Their sinister expressions suggest that they could stand in for Communist overlords. And indeed this artist died of being beaten and denied medical attention during this upheaval. Faintly seen near the bottom is a chalked inventory mark from the painting's seizure and condemnation.

iPhone play

photo
Originally uploaded by jhhymas

I made this cheesy landscape with my very own iPhone. And I quite like it. It's not crooked; it's a hill. And the light was fantastic! Spring in CaliforniaLand. Good night.

Clivia

P1030379 no mod
Originally uploaded by jhhymas

When the sun shines, it is out to the back yard to catch some golden rays.

Lupine in bloom in bright afternoon sun

Lupine in bloom in bright afternoon sun
Originally uploaded by jhhymas

The bright sun makes the edges look like they were frosted. Today I went to a great exhibit on Chinese painting at Stanford. Three other people were taking pictures, so I snapped a couple and was told off, even though I wasn't using the flash. This is always embarassing. Some museums allow it, some do not. . .

Mist rising from Uvas Reservoir

From 1970 until 1983, I drove past this place most days I went to work. I took this way Tuesday on my way to Monterey Dunes. Already late-ish, I had to stop because of the light and the reflections! This is a blend of 11 vertical shots using Photomerge. I'm in love and have to go again!

Dune Paintbrush

The ocean light at midday in spring makes a person feel very alive!

A day in which I saw MANY things and did not take a single picture! Hard to believe . . .

This is my friend, donnalynn and her dog Tesha, right after she took over its care. Before that, the dog had a sort of vagabond life. Behind them you can see part of donnalynn's studio, which she had built behind her house as a space for her art-making, her art workshops and her women's circles. I took this picture last year. (See title of this post.)
Today, donnalynn and I spent the afternoon at two exhibits in the revitalized art district on South First Street in downtown San Jose. One was at the ICA, or Institute for Contemporary Art and their annual Monotype Marathon, which had an exhibit featuring one work by each of the many invited artists which was created over one weekend in the monotype print form. At the end of the exhibit, the works are sold in a silent auction which benefits the ICA.
We enjoyed the show very much and I have just found that photos of many of the prints are posted here on Flickr. Take a look. There was also an excellent exhibit of  
textile or thread work by  
We also toured their Print Room, which is the only publicly available print studio in the South Bay. Classes and workshops are held here and printmakers can use the facility for a moderate fee.
After that we went too the Museum of Quilts and Textiles, and, after tearing ourselves away from the splendid array of items in their gift shop (an exhibit in itself) we passed down a hallway hung with some of the most beautiful and finely woven Navajo rugs I have ever seen. These are the work of Ellen Begay who learned to weave from her mother who also taught her granddaughter, Lucy Begay. The exhibit is called Navajo Weaving in the Present Tense. These beautiful textiles were woven from handspun wool from the Churro sheep, dyed with vegetal, not aniline, dyes. The large rug at the end of the hall is a symphony in muted grays, off-yellows and tans. There is another room hung with these rugs, mostly from a private collection; it would be worth a museum visit just to see them.

Both of these institutions have new homes in repurposed older commercial buildings in this area, located close together along an attractive new stretch of faux slate sidewalk with tile mosaic inserts. I belong to both groups, but had not visited either in their new location.

to be continued