Other people's art

I am declaring this weekend to be "Appreciating Other People's Art Weekend". Truthfully, for me, every day is appreciating other people's art day - whether it be their painting or their shoe/sock combination. But, for this weekend I am more fully struck by all the good stuff that has been created.

This idea was kicked off yesterday when I was at Borders Books and I accidently came across The Paper Doll Primer by Emily Martin. Such a delight!

While in D.C. over Christmas, I had rewarding visits to the National Gallery and the Museum of the American Indian. I like Rothko's black paintings better than I thought I would, and if I could think of another good reason to go to Houston, I would love to go to the Rothko Chapel there. My picture above is a study of his painting "No. 2". And the functional art of American Indians - beaded clothing, woven blankets, shoes from a single piece of leather, carved instruments, painted pottery, arrowheads for specific animals, house posts, and spirit masks - always knock my socks off.

I used the proceeds from the selling of my two sheep paintings to buy myself some art...specifically a gorgeous painting of three feathers by Holly Ward Bimba.

A short movie has been made about the Sartorialist (see his January 6 posting). His photos make think that maybe I should start wearing clothes that fit. I like that he says he "feels very lucky to get to have part of my day leading a visual life." Lucky indeed.

And you can make fun of the 80s all you want, but that era gave us both Dire Straits' Making Movies and Paul Simon's Graceland. Two flawless albums that for more than 25 years (holy crap!) I've been happy to put right back on the turntable as soon as they are over.

Who or what have you been appreciating lately?