Martha Kelly Art blog - MARTHA KELLY ART

Published on: September 7, 2015

Musee D' Orsay

It took several days to get my internet going at home, and the seminary semester started, so I'm working with students and faculty there too, but I finally have some of the trip stuff scanned in.

I spent much of my last day in Paris in the Musee d'Orsay, since I'd had so much fun sketching in the Rijksmuseum. I got there early and had some pretty quiet time with the Van Goghs early before too many people arrived.

This next one is my favorite I did. I'm iffy on people, but it turned out well, and the painting itself was so graphic in nature that it lent itself nicely to copying. With the Van Goghs, I know I won't be able to capture the richness, but looking at a painting long enough and closely enough to copy it helps me learn from it, even if the sketch itself isn't a fair reflection of the original. And sometimes I just love a painting enough to want to spend that time with it, even though I know I can't do it justice.

I took a break from copying on the top floor and did a quick sketch of the view instead. I wish they let you out on the balcony.

I've fallen all over again for Odilon Redon. Dixon had an exhibition of his that I loved many years ago, but I hadn't thought about him too much before doing those copies in Amsterdam. Then at the Orsay they had these enormous panels that just gobsmacked me. The light was dim, so my copy is too vividly yellow, but I had fun doing it. I really love his mystical approach to his subjects. It suits my thinking just now, as I start doing more Biblical art for my year at the seminary. I'd like to bring this creativity and loose beauty to a text people are familiar with and see if I can make them think about it in a new way. I'm a very literal painter (I usually paint quite closely what I see in front of me), so the idea of this freedom is both challenging and beguiling.

I finished by sketching an early Monet that I had drawn just in pencil two years ago. The sycamores always grab me, and there's something about this that I just love. It was fun to try it in color. And revisit a painting that had struck me last time too.

Published on: September 2, 2015

Museum sketching

I think this is my favorite sketch I did in the Musee d'Orsay my last day in Paris. My phone died halfway through the trip, and I came home to no Internet, so I can't scan and post sketches yet. I'll get more loaded here as soon as my technical difficulties allow. Since I'm home, a scan would be much nicer than just a cell phone shot. I'm in the cable store now hoping for the best, but that's why I've been quiet lately...

Published on: August 24, 2015

Rodin Museum

I had the Rodin Museum garden all to myself for a bit one rainy morning. It suited the garden. The sculptures look just right in the rain. And I found a couple of sheltered places to sketch, though you can see a little bit of rain droppage on the pages.

I also got a cup of tea to warm up at the garden cafe and did one sketch snugly indoors.

Published on: August 23, 2015

Paris arrival

I enjoyed my fast train sketching on the way over here, and I'm going to try to stay in that mode for a bit and not get too labored.

So here are some early sketches from

Abbesses, the cool area just up the hill from me.

I met my friends Audra and Pascal for a sidewalk bakery visit. They're musicians who came to stay with me last year as they toured though the States. Audra even wrote a song that has Sun Studio and Mr. Darcy in it. I can't wait for the cd to come out, because it's lovely.

I sketched Pascal looking incredibly French, leaning against the bar with a coffee at his elbow. They both draw too, so they're nice enough to get it.

It's really lovely to get into town and have such a warm welcome waiting. I'm looking forward to hanging out with everyone and hearing them play. All my friends here seem to be musicians, which is marvelous.

Published on: August 16, 2015

Museum Sketching

So I came really planning to sketch outside and paint lots of bridges. And I've done a good bit of that. But what I am enjoying more than anything is doing tiny museum copies in my sketchbook. So I may just do that for my last couple of days. It is vacation, after all...

I've got my tiny watercolor tin and the waterbrush that works like a pen, so I can work standing up in front of a painting of there's not a handy bench. Above is a Dutch follower of the Barbizon school in France. Below is a Daubigby. I like him more with each painting I see. Both of these are from Saturday afternoon in the Rijksmusuem.

I did two more Daubigny studies in the Van Gogh museum this morning. I discovered that if you get there 15 minutes early, the line isn't bad, and most people stop to get in line for audio guides and start obediently at the bottom floor. I went straight to the top (having done it chronologically in April) and had a peaceful, blissful 45 minutes or so before the crowds got up there to see my favorites.

I'll post the other couple of sketches in a separate blog post. I can't minimize the files on my phone, and it gets to where there are too many pictures in a post for it to load well. To be continued....

Published on: August 14, 2015

Canal watercolors

I have been out painting canals, because, well, I'm in Amsterdam. That is, in large part, what you paint when you're here. All those little rounded bridges are just so enticing.

After these couple of very detailed, maybe too tight, full watercolors yesterday, I did this one from the park bench across from my hotel where I carried my dinner out to enjoy the evening.

Today I tried to be a little looser with the full watercolor.

While I was painting that last one, the older man who lives in the house just opposite my spot took a photo of me working from his upper story and was kind enough to print it and bring it out to give me. Very, very kind. And kind of fun to see the birds eye view of myself working.

Published on: August 13, 2015

A Trip to the Rijksmuseum

I've been dreaming about sketching here ever since my last trip, and I've got a pass to get in and out at will, which is lovely. That way I can go in, do a few rooms, and then do something else. I really have a great time sketching in museums too. My water brush and tiny watercolor kit are perfect for it. Very contained and easy to stand up with.

On the way home I halfway stalked a busker. He was walking slowly and looked so cool that I wandered behind him and sketched him for a block or so.

My final sketch of the day is a nifty old building (I love the "Comestibles") that is now an antique store.

Published on: August 7, 2015

Memphis Theological Seminary

I started as the Jeanne and Henry Varnell Artist-in-Residence at Memphis Theological Seminary this week. Whew, that's a mouthful. But I'm very excited.

My start date was offically over the weekend, and I celebrated (and took advantage of lower traffic, since I was sitting on a traffic island to do this) by painting Founder's Hall, the main seminary building. It's a lovely old mansion with marble and plaster and a ballroom on the second floor, which is now the chapel (carpeted, sadly, which the dancer in me hates, but with some lovely stained glass added). I can't wait to do some more sketching of the lovely plasterwork interiors.

This week we had a planning meeting to lay out the fall, and the chaplain (my excellent boss Tiffany McClung) accepted my idea of "creation" as a theme for the first month of worship. I'll be creating art for the bulletin each week as part of my residency, and to my delight, they print in color. Much of my

liturgical work has been in black and white to honor the budget constraints of the churches I work with. When I began, pen and ink was more comfortable for me anyway, but I've really been enjoying watercolor the last couple of years, so I'm excited to get to branch out a bit for MTS. Here is my Genesis painting for the first week of chapel. I'm looking forward to doing a series.

Published on: August 3, 2015

The Peabody

The Memphis Urban Sketchers met in the Peabody Hotel on Saturday. I had the realization driving down that calendar time is coming rapidly for me, at least given my upcoming travels, and I don't have enough new Memphis pieces to really flesh out a new calendar. So I found a table and chair in the mezzanine, overlooking the main lobby, and did a bit more detailed and finished watercolor than I've been tending to do in my normal art journal lately. It was fun, but I bit off a good bit with this one. It's a kind of overwhelming place. But it's good to challenge myself sometimes.

Published on: August 2, 2015

Country Workshops revisited

My lovely friends at the woodworking school Country Workshops invited me to come and stay with them for a few days. I'm in a busy patch of life, but they are dear people, and it was lovely to get away for a little bit and see my sister on the way as well as my friends who live there and around there.

They let me have my favorite work table in the window overlooking the mountains, and I did some sketching from there, played my banjo, and drank tea. And also just enjoyed hanging out with everyone.

The moonrise was stunning one night. I don't think it's one of my best efforts, but I still like to have pages in my journal to remind me of special moments, even when the drawings themselves weren't what I had hoped.