American Stories, Paintings of Everyday Life at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Another one of the newer exhibits I viewed at The Met on Friday was called American Stories, Paintings of Everyday Life 1765-1915.   (Be sure to click on the link because they have a great online sample of the paintings and narrations of the show.)

This show is so well put together. It's a series of rooms, small collections that each make a point and lead us through American Art. It's not preachy, it's enjoyable. So many old favorites are there, but there were quite a few surprises for me. 

One of the first paintings made me laugh. It's called Sea Captains Carousing in Surinam, ca 1752-58. The scene looks right from one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The painter has poked fun of himself and painted himself vomiting in the hallway.

Another surprise, Why didn't I ever know about Lilly Martin Spencer (American, 1822–1902)? Her paintings are delightful. I am going to look into more about her. Painting from a women's point of view in the mid-nineteenth-century, with wit. We can't get enough of that.

Some of my favorite American painters had multiple works in the show - Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, William Merrit Chase and John Singer Sargent. But walking into one of the rooms, I was drawn to a huge yellow canvas. I was surprised it was Frederick Remington's Fight for the Water Hole.It looked so different outside of the Western themes that I'd expect it in. In this room it more than held it's own, it dominated the room. It looked to me like a brand new painting, because of the fresh perspective. 

It's a lovely exhibit. If you can't go to see it, the online exhibit is worth browsing through.

A visit to the Met

Yesterday I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I have a membership there this year and have been trying to take advantage of that. I wholly recommend anyone in the area to do this. The Met has so much to offer and there are new exhibits every month, so there is always something new to discover there.

 I went to see the special Vermeer exhibit called Vermeer's Materpiece The Milkmaid. The focal point, of course is the titled piece, on loan to the Met. They have also gathered all their own Vermeers together and some other works by Vermeer's contemporaries. 

The Milkmaid surprised me. I thought I knew Vermeer. I thought I knew what all the fuss was about him. The light, the composition, the servant girl, I've seen these before and admired them. I have always loved Young Woman with a Water Pticher. 

But the Milkmaid is not the same! It is crisp, crisp, crisp lines. It is so much more of a photographic portrayal. And the colors are just so right. It is beautiful. It is worth going to see if you have the opportunity. 

I loved that the exhibit had the other works nearby, because I went back and forth, looking at Water Pitcher and Milkmaid, observing the differences between them. Water Pitcher is more diffused, as through a veil. I still love Water Pitcher, but have even more love and respect for Vermeer after seeing The Milkmaid. 

It also pointed out to me yet again, how important it is to see works of art firsthand. A picture of the works can never fully give you the same experience.  In a book, pictures of these two works will look very similar. In the same room with both originals, you will be struck by their differences.

Stay tuned.. I'll review some of the other exhibits I saw in the next few days.

What's Going On?

In the past few days, I stirred up alot of changes. Actually, I've been working on all these changes for months, but now they are something you can see.

I have a brand new website called Mary Lu Wason Studio Art Jewelry.. 
Take a look at www.MaryLuWason.com


This site is a portfolio and a marketplace for my art jewelry. I found that I needed a place to showcase and maintain a focus on my collections. It's also a place to point to for show entries, galleries and wholesale accounts.

Every part of the pieces on this site are handmade by me. No purchased charms or earring hooks, clasps or other jewelry supply findings, i.e., no shortcuts.

The site is a little bare right now, but I am so happy to present it. It's a start on this new journey, just a step forward. I hope you enjoy browsing it. Most items there are also for sale, both retail and wholesale.


Amethyst Lobster - Unique Jewelry is undergoing a complete transformation.


Creating the new signature site for my art jewelry required me to re-evaluate the Amethyst Lobster site. I believe it was getting confusing for customers. So, it is now wiped out and I will be building it up again with a clearer and more cohesive style. It will focus mainly on the (obvious from the name) nautical and seaside inspired hand-crafted jewelry. 

Since I was making changes to Amethyst Lobster, I decided it was time to move it to it's own domain. I originally started it as a part of my Lobster Lu Postcards site.  It grew and grew and really should have had it's own domain years ago. So..now it does at www.AmethystLobster.com .

I hope this helps to clear up some confusion. Please feel free to send your comments or concerns. I'm still here and will soon have a few of the old favorites back on Amethyst Lobster, as well as many more new items on both sites.