Back in April I posted pictures of the cottage we were going to rent in Maine this summer. Not long after I posted the photos I got an email from Sarah Faragher who told me that she had spent time in the house when her aunt rented it years ago. Sarah’s email delighted me not only because of the coincidence, but because she was a lurker on My Porch–one of the unknown millions (tongue-in-cheek) who read My Porch but don’t comment.

Then it turned out that Sarah, painter and former used bookstore owner, was going to be on Islesboro participating in a group art show at the same time that we were going to be on the island. And even better, she emailed me to tell me that she brought a couple of books for me and that she would leave them at the show for me to pick up. We may be an odd bunch, but book lovers sure do love to share book love–even with people we don’t know.

Well you can imagine that I didn’t just want to pick up free books, but I actually wanted to meet Sarah when I picked up the books, so I made a point of going at a time I knew she would be staffing the show. And then I had a thought. What if I hated her art? I have zero ability to lie effectively about such things. I would be the worst poker player in the world because everything I think can be read on my face. How could I meet this stranger and then coo about her work if I didn’t like it?

I walk into the old schoolhouse (or was it the town hall?) and not knowing what Sarah looks like, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. So I headed straight for the guest book (something I normally do not sign) when a woman to my right says “I know you…” at the same moment I notice to my left a group of very striking paintings that are right up my aisle. I silently hope that these are Sarah’s works, because I can also tell at a glance that there is some stuff there that just isn’t my cup of tea. After some chit chat it turns out that the paintings that drew my eye were indeed Sarah’s work.

Not only a big sigh of relief but genuine pleasure in being able to coo over her work. And though I didn’t think I was in an art buying mood, it took me about 30 seconds to realize that I was going to buy one. I was hemming and hawing over which one it would be but the one you see here was always the front runner. The decision might have been harder if another painting that I really liked hadn’t already been sold.

And I haven’t even mentioned the books that Sarah brought for me. I will save that for another day’s post. I have lots of book-related posts swirling in my head after two weeks of not blogging.

For now, you can enjoy one of Sarah’s views of Islesboro, Maine.

Falling Tide, Pirates Cove Sarah Faragher

    
Remember how I said I was going to have my own private readathon? I even inspired Simon S to do the same. Well, in my case the best laid reading plans always go awry. I forgot that I had to give a tour for my job on Saturday which took up half the day. Then we had some people stop by to see if they wanted to buy an old desk of ours. Then I had an urge to mow the lawn. And then I just didn’t feel like reading much.  I have been watching the early films of Mike Leigh instead. I am going to blog about these at some point because they are weirdly fascinating. I am getting some reading in–I am in the middle of The Sandcastle by Iris Murdoch–but definitely not the weekend of reading I had planned. With any luck I will be able to dedicate next weekend to my readathon.

Appropriately the subject of this week’s Sunday Painting doesn’t have time to read either (although my guess is that she works far harder than I have to).

Woman Ironing (begun c. 1876, completed c. 1887) Edgar Degas (1834-1917) National Gallery of Art, Washington

   
A few weeks ago I went to the National Gallery of Art here in Washington. It is truly spectacular in so many ways. In addition to the beautiful buildings and amazing collection, the NGA benefits from the fact that it is not as popular with visitors (I am guessing) as the Smithsonian is. And likewise it is far less congested than the Met in NYC or the Nat Gal in London. It makes for a wonderful experience.

Anyhoo, my office is a mere four minute walk from the the NGA but I hadn’t been there for some time. I took a look at the Canaletto exhibit but had more fun perusing the permanent collection. Sad for me and my Sunday Painting feature is the fact that the NGA, like so many other museums around the world, no longer has the acres and acres postcards that it used to. This is especially annoying for me as I tend to like works that aren’t necessarily the most popular. So the chances of finding postcards of the pieces that I like the most is getting slimmer and slimmer. I guess I need to combat this with the digital camera and paper and pencil for writing down names to look up later online.

One of the exhibits they currently have going on is highlights of The Chester Dale Collection, a collection of about 300 hundred works mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries.  There are many marquee paintings in this collection, but the one I was quite taken with was this portrait of the tycoon painted by Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Would you have guessed that this was a Rivera? I sure didn’t.

Chester Dale, 1945 Diego Rivera (1886-1957) National Gallery of Art, Washington

   
This seemed an appropriate entry for my Sunday Painting feature this week. An absolutely gigantic portrait of the Royal Family painted in 2000 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Elizabeth the Queen Mother. I don’t think I saw this in person, but I seemed to buy the postcard nevertheless. I am not sure if it shows in this image, but you can see lines on the postcard where the various canvases come together to make this 119 foot by 81 foot painting.

The Royal Family: A Centenary Portrait Prince William of Wales; HM The Queen; HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Prince Henry of Wales; HRH The Prince of Wales John Wonnacott (b. 1940) National Portrait Gallery (London)

There is a lot I could say about the wedding this past week and all of the endless prattle pro and con that was everywhere. But I will limit myself to just a few observations. When Charles and Diana got married in 1981, I was in the early stages of my Anglophilia. As much as it may still rankle the old guard, I became a huge fan of the Royal Family mainly due to Diana’s arrival on the scene. My enthusiasm knew no bounds. Thankfully Charles and Diana got married during the summer so I could get up at 3:00 am to watch the wedding and not have to worry about going to school.

So, flash forward to 2011. Although I am still fascinated by trappings of royalty, I am no longer the rabid fan I used to be. As a result I have paid very little attention to William and Kate over the years and I was still pretty ambivalent about them going into Friday’s ceremony. But when I saw the moment when Kate took her place next to to William in the Abbey and he so clearly told her that she looked beautiful, I got a little teary. Unlike the foreshadowing stiffness of C&D, William and Kate looked so comfortable and happy with each other. Let’s all cross our fingers.

Other thoughts:

• I loved the maple trees that lined the nave of the Abbey.
• Kate truly looked radiant and beautiful.
• I think Harry might be starting his very own bald spot.
• The Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie not only looked ridiculous, but they made the mistake of calling too much attention to themselves at someone else’s wedding.
• The music was a bit of a snooze. Too much Parry.
• Were those three Paris Hilton clones Earl Spencer’s daughters?
• Prince Albert’s fiancee was impeccably dressed.
• Lady Sarah Chatto looked fantastic and her outfit (by Jasper Conran I think) made her look so much like her late mother, Princess Margaret.

Whenever we watch Antiques Roadshow, or Cash in the Attic or other shows like that, John gets a little annoyed with me because I am always yelling “sell it!” at the TV. In most cases the cash value of the object being appraised is far more interesting to me the object itself. And in some cases the objects are just plain ugly. But once on an episode of the short-lived “Find!” the Keno brothers were at a woman’s house and she had a painting my Martin Johnson Heade in her attic (or basement).

Now that Martin Johnson Heade that they found (wasn’t this one) sold for $800,000 when they took it to auction. A decidedly huge amount for shows like these. And it was the one time that I was really torn. $800,000 could buy many, many things. But to acutally own a Martin Johnson Heade.

Marshfield Meadows, 1878 Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904) The Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, NH

I should have spaced all these postings out. But I couldn’t wait. Like a kid on Christmas morning. So here is my Sunday Painting feature, followed by:

1. A give away of four very English books.

2. My Borders Loot.

3. Some great book pairs.

4. Bliss.

And now here is a little Gene Davis to restore some order to my frenzied mind.

Untitled, 1969 Gene Davis, (1920-1985) The Kreeger Museum

By the way, The Kreeger Museum is a great art collection in a modernist mansion here in DC designed by Philip Johnson. Pictures of the museum if you follow the link in the caption.