Art Lesson on Saturday With Monet

September 27, 2007

“You can’t sketch the Monét paintings,” the docent told me. She did not realize what a true statement she had spoken. Shocked for a moment, I replied, “No problem. I can’t even draw a straight line with a ruler.”

Pausing, I told her I only wanted to write the names of the paintings in the museum we would view that day. I remember we had a designated appointment time to tour the museum, however, there were so many other people there I don’t know how anyone could have known who was on time or not.

The only east coast exhibition of Monet’s art, a once in a lifetime opportunity and thanks to the generosity of a friend who purchased my ticket as a gift for my birthday, we both enjoyed our art lesson on Saturday.

Carrying my notebook close to my side, I quickly wrote the names of each painting because I wanted to remember a few highlights of the day at the museum.

After almost a year had passed since we visited the Monét exhibit, I decided to review my notes and count the actual number of paintings we had seen. Imagine my surprise when I realized the total number was fifty. When I see paintings now by Monét, I remember glimpses of those paintings we saw in the Raleigh, North Carolina Art Museum last year, which connect other thoughts of creativity, art and life.

Collecting books, quotes, comics, compact discs, and movies, I happened upon one of Audrey Hepburn’s quotes, “Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering – because you can’t take it all in at once.”

Audrey Hepburn is right. Immersed in the Monét exhibit, I felt I had visited and learned about other parts of the world through the eyes of this impressionist. However, the realization of what I experienced in the art museum over a year ago is stronger today than it was in November last year.

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