Magic and Art

Over the weekend, my DH and I went to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. The place was filled with art from around the world in so many different styles, mediums, and sizes (one piece was at least 20 feet high). They had a couple of pieces by Wayne Thiebaud, who was not only from California, but also my alma mater (shout out Sac State!).

*Boston Creams* & *Street and Shadow* by Wayne Thiebaud.
Oh, and me.

My favorite gallery was the California Impressionists and early CA art. As we walked down the corridor holding the impressionist works, I found myself breathing deep and thinking, ah yes this is it! There were fields of poppies and golden hillsides, pounding surf, rivers, and tall oaks. Most of them had a glow and a feel to them, almost like you could “walk right through” 👀 and onto the beaches, mountains, and hillsides. My husband said that it was like we’d been to these places before, which we just possibly have been.

*A Spring Morning, Poppies and Bush Lupine* by John M. Gamble. Do I see some Royal Thyme there, too?

It was magical. ✨🖼️

Yes, there is a magic to art. I am a writer. Evoking passion, fear, thoughtfulness, rage, sorrow—I have words to tell my stories, but others can use the magic that is painting. Creating something from paints, clay, or other mediums to then see a place or a person, it amazes me. Whether it is a painting that looks real, or not so real, artists can make you feel something from inanimate objects. Just one scene of a snowy stand of pines and you feel cold, think of Christmas, even smell pine.

*Summer Idyl, A Dream of California* by Clark Hobart.
Now that’s what I’m talking about!

And what are the artists trying to tell us? Is there a message, or simply an awe that they wish others to experience like they did? Those are heavy questions, and I don’t have any answers! For myself, as we wandered around the museum, taking in all of the creations, it was like walking in a fairy tale of sorts. Stories and myths, tranquil scenes, and even the images of political turmoil, each had its place in the story of our world, and each was given a place to be seen and experienced there.