Seeing Brian's Painting at the Anderson Arts Center!

Summer wanes like a moon over late harvest . . . sweetly, slowly.   In its languidness I have discovered there’s an inverse relationship between the amount of time I have and the time I take to write.  Here, in a summer packed with dinner conversations, long walks along area beaches, nights full of star-fire and camp songs, pockets full of discovered things . . . writing has taken a back seat to the pleasure of just being with my children and their friends through the long, but alas shortening days before us.

 

Brian with his watercolor
painting King Tortoise Speaks
to the Animal Kingdom

It is clearly a time for a gathering . . . hence, the delay of a week in this and several  newsworthy posts — hopefully the old maxim better late than never still rings true!

Last Sunday June 26^th, Brian and I headed to the Anderson Art Center in Racine to attend the Artist’s Reception marking the beginning of the Wisconsin Artists Biennial Exhibition.  One of Brian’s original paintings for the Kwaku book, titled King Tortoise Speaks to the Animals, was accepted into the juried exhibition in April.  It is one of 93 original works, within a variety of media, that will be on display at the beautiful lakeshore mansion between now and August 7^th.   

There was a large turnout
at the reception honoring
the artists.

At 8 x 10, the watercolor painting is a diminutive piece, which is all the more extraordinary for the level of detail that is woven into the depictions of each of the characters.  As we walked away from it, and into the various galleries filled with larger instillations, I was reminded of the Mona Lisa.  At 20 in. x 30 in., Da Vinci’s quixotic lady hung in her Louvre in much the same way. . . visually lost among the huge baroque masterpieces surrounding her.  That is, until she was at last given her own room in the museum six years ago. 

Perhaps it may seem I am being delusional by the comparison between King Tortoise and Mona Lisa, but there are countless comparisons to be made. 

The WVA Exhibition booklet.

For instance, it isn’t just the size of the two paintings relative to their contemporaries that sets it off.  Both projects —Leonardo’s and Brian’s — took nearly four years to complete! 

The comparison goes on . . . but now I’m undoubtedly embarrassing my fantastic brother in law, so I’ll cease and desist.  

If you have time this summer to make the trek to the beautiful Racine lakeshore from wherever you are, please check out the exhibition at the Anderson Arts Center, and let Brian know that you did!    

This is Brian’s first piece to be included in a public exhibition, and although I wish my sister and nephews could have made the long trek from northern Wisconsin to be with him for this event, I was thrilled beyond thrilled to see his painting, and to see others see his painting, in what will hopefully be a lifetime in which he is able to share his gift of visual storytelling with others.