Monday - More Museum - Brandywine River Museum of Art

 Dad and I enjoyed our jaunt to the Brandywine River Museum of Art in Chadd's Ford, PA.
The Wyeths had homes and studios here and in Maine.  The special exhibit this visit was on N.C. Wyeth. He was known first for his illustrations - the artwork for Treasure Island and Kidnapped are gorgeous pieces of work. He did lots of covers for magazines like Outdoor, Saturday Evening Post, and more.  More than that he wanted to be taken seriously as an artist. The collection of over seventy pieces demonstrated his wide ranging skills as a landscape artist also.  Sadly he died too young - hit by a train less than a mile from his home.

 I am a big fan of Andrew Wyeth - NC's son.  He's famous for Christina's World.  Here's a postcard of one that stuck me - Spring Fed 1967.

 Here's a postcard of the Brandywine in winter.

And some cool detail on the building.

Nifty little museum tucked in the woods of PA.

Bucolic Brandywine

 On Tuesday, Dad and I took a drive to Chadd's Ford in the Brandywine River area. Talk about PA at its finest. Living in TX,  I forget how you can get lost in the greenery and forested scenery.

 This is outside the Brandywine River Museum - featuring the works of the Wyeths - N.C., Andrew, and Jamie.   Here's a statue of a pig featured in a famous Jamie Wyeth painting.

 The Brandywine River flows along and there were kayaks and rafters enjoying a summer day.

Lush.

More on Monday. Dad and I enjoyed a special art exhibit.

Until then, have a super weekend.  I need to catch up  - hang with Ray, do laundry, and maybe catch a movie too.

W: Wyeths, Wrigley, Whimsy, and Wasps

 #atozchallenge   W: Wyeths - I grew up near Brandywine, PA and the art of the Wyeths is in my soul.  The grandfather Nathaniel Wyeth illustrated tomes. Andrew Wyeth painted Christina's World, windows, fields, and barns. We always joke that my family loves bleak and gray. Yep, the Wyeth palette seeped into our blood.

 Jamie Wyeth continued in his father's path with landscapes, pigs, and he also did portraits such as Warhol. The Brandywine area is gorgeous. Visit the battlefield and also the Wyeth museum and grounds. The area reeks of history, nature, and art.

Wrigley Field is part of the Holy Grail for baseball fans. Ray and I visited Chicago and attended an afternoon game. Wow!!!! The ivy wall, the buzz of Cubs fans, and the intimate baseball field is awesome. This is baseball at its best.

Whimsy -  by Joanne Faries
The Bright Spot

Black shoes, blue jeans, gray sky
polka dots a conscious choice
pajama soft, the socks’
white and yellow spots
dance under cuff
touch of whimsy perk
this dreary afternoon


Wasps - Ray's allergic, so we always have Raid Wasp Killer at the ready. Wasps are incredibly lethal with their vicious stinger. Quite scary because reaction time is within an hour.