Margret E Short Fine Arts Blog

Juggling Apples

Because of the Rembrandt/Dutch exhibit there will be more apples to juggle except this time they are GOLDEN. The seeds of those apples were planted in the spring, so it must be time to begin the harvest.

I think ideas must begin growing like a seed. Initially, it appears as a little brown nugget without much purpose. But as soon as you add a little dirt, some water, then some light, and a little love, it morphs in little increments and gains a life of its own. Little did I know that this seed would grow into an idea which has become a project which next will be an event which will encompass nearly a year of work. Each day the juggling game gets more fun.

A Year of Magical Painting

A very successful artist/teacher once told me, "an artist is like a magician." If we place the right color in the right place at the right time, magically a splendid image will appear. Well, I would add one more component to the magician. That is the art of juggling. Magically we manage to paint our passion and juggle life's other callings. Callings like: responsibilities to an aging parent, selling a house, taking care of a grandson, caring for a spouse who just had surgery, making meals, and all the other apples that fly in the air over the easel. If we are lucky, these apples ripen, get consumed, and are replaced with a new harvest, magically.

What also is magic is my undying, ongoing, lifelong, and cherished passion for ANYTHING about painting. For 35 years I have been juggling to keep this passion alive, nurtured, and growing simply because I must.

In the coming months, three cities in the United States will have the grand pleasure of hosting an exhibit on loan from Amsterdam. We are fortunate the Rijksmuseum needs renovation. We are also fortunate the Dutch people like to share their treasures. Dayton Art Institute, Phoenix Art Museum and Portland Art Museum are the lucky recipients where these treasures will reside for three months each. Because of the exhibit, "Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art" we will all see the magic.