Impressions of Monet

Last year at this time I was in Paris enjoying the magnificent paintings Monet painted of the water lilies in his pond at Giverny. They are exhibited at the Musée de l'Orangerie and it was his idea to display these large paintings in an oval room – actually two oval rooms – one for the mostly pond and waterlily paintings and one for the paintings of the willow trees with their branches dipping down to the water. It is a meditative and beautiful experience to be in the room surrounded by this art. Even though there are many other people viewing these paintings with you they remain quiet and serene. The paintings up close have a different mood with dashes of colorful brush strokes that are abstract, gestural and confident.
I wish I were there now.
Photo by Mikel Covey