What is Art?

"Luncheon of the Boating Party"

We've asked this question a few times in this blog. Last night while reading "Luncheon of the Boating Party" by Susan Vreeland I came across an interesting definition. "Art is love made visible." Based on what this book has to say about Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and the creation of his masterpiece portraying 14 Parisians enjoying a summer Sunday along the Seine, I'm thinking this is very true. I can't say that the book is exactly a page turner, more of a light and airy puzzle. I've enjoyed following the story of Renoir's trials and tribulations at a critical time in his career, to make this painting come about. Also, for me, I've been obsessed with identifying the models in the painting and have even written their names down on the cover of the book, which is adorned with the painting.

While "love" is a complex verb, I think art is sometimes more than love visualized. Other emotions can be seen clearly in other artists work such as anger, frustration, joy, oppression, freedom, etc. What do you think art is?

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Mischief at the Moma

We couldn't resist a little interaction with this sculpture exhibit recently at San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art. The sculpture work by Beijing artist, Yue Minjun, is part of the "Half Life of a Dream": Contemporary Chinese Art from the Logan Collection.

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Talent Comes in Many Forms

Just wanted to show you the many talents of our friend, comedian Alex Koll. He has just won the San Francisco regional Air Guitar competition. Some say he's really George Clooney underneath all that hair, er air.

Read more about Mr. Awesome himself at SFWeekly.

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Day 8 Grand Luxe Rail Journey - Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole

We say good-bye to the crew on the train and head for Jackson Lake Lodge for the last two nights. While the building is not impressive, a concrete structure that has unfortunately been painted "Park" brown, the view is stunning.

Next morning we are slated to do a float of the Snake River. Little did I know that I would get in so much trouble. Right off the bat, I get tangled up with Sam, our adorable young guide, for jumping into the raft without wiping my feet! He said to get in, I just didn't know there were more instructions. It isn't long however, before I am teasing him back as unmercifully as he has treated me. The ride wasn't a white water venture, just a nice relaxing float at six o'clock in the morning. It is going to take me a few weeks to recuperate from this vacation.

We see Eagles, Bison, and an American Avocet, which Sam tells us is very rare. We swap stories and it turns out this is his summer job. He works ski patrol in the winter. Some people just have it tough. After our excursion we head to Jackson, for some lunch and a little shopping. I bond with the owner of a fur store, but it is obvious even to her that someone from Arkansas just can't justify this kind of expenditure. Shucks.

Tomorrow we have to get up in the middle of the night to make our 7 a.m. flight. We have had

a great adventure, made lots of new friends and best of all we've gotten to see some great art, some incredible landscapes and we've done it all on a most beautiful train. More details to come in future posts.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2008 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Day 7 Grand Luxe Rail Journey - Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone was the highlight of our trip and we almost didn't get there! Unlike the Grand Canyon, we couldn't literally drive up to the park in a train. We had to take a bus. After another gourmet breakfast in the dining car, we set out for Yellowstone, while our luggage was being transferred to Lake Jackson Lodge at the base of the Grand Teton Mountains. As it happened, our bus acquired a bolt in the tire en route and a savvy driver was able to stop us at a roadside station where we could visit the restrooms and buy some pretty good local junk food. Across the road was trout stream cutting through an emerald field of grass, littered with large, brilliant yellow flowers. In the background stood some snow-capped peaks, and to tell you the truth, it looked a lot like Switzerland. Still the time passed slowly, as we all experienced our one day at Yellowstone painfully dissipating.

After an hour and a half a guy in a pick up shows up. Oh great we're thinking, this guy doesn't even have the quipment needed to fix our flat. Not to worry, we were off an running in about 20 minutes.

The first place we stopped was the Fountain Paint Pot area, and to our great joy, 5 geysers were going off. Our guide said we were very lucky, as he hadn't seen this happen in about five years. I stood there in elation as I basked in the steamy wonder of Fountain Geyser.

But the big show of course was Old Faithful and the exquisitely beautiful Old Faithful Inn. What seemed like thousands of people, were lined up waiting in anticipation as the Geyser teased us with about five mini flare ups before it really blasted off. It goes off every 90 minutes approximately but can vary from 40 to 126 minutes. This is a show of a lifetime!

Yellowstone Lodge was designed by architect Robert Reamer for the Northern Pacific Railroad, and was completed in 1903. As one of the finest and oldest park structures standing it features a six-story lobby with native lodgepole pine balconies. Reamer placed windows to mimic light filtering through a canopy of pine trees. The pitched roof, echoing the shape of surrounding mountains, is covered in yard-long redwood shingles Some of the original furniture provided by the Old Hickory Furniture Co. of Indiana is still in use today.

Day 6 Grand Luxe Rail Journey - Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City not so much. While our stay here was highlighted by a bountiful buffet at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and a tour of this historic and pristine city. My enjoyment of this unique city was clouded by, not just the practice of polygamy, which often goes quietly unarrested, but the history of handing over under aged girls to men who often were old enough to be their grandfathers. Brigham Young himself had over 50 wives. It's just too creepy for words.

One of our compatriots from Boston informed us that Salt Lake citizens use more than three times the national average for water consumption. We found this curious in the middle of a desert, but then a guide shed some light on this situation. Back when the area was being settled by the Mormons, getting water to the people was a priority, so much so, that in some streets you will still see some open gutters with running water in them. This water can be diverted to your yard on certain days of the week, to water your lawn. As it turns out, the fresh water, much of which comes from snow melt off, will only drain into the great Salk Lake, so taking advantage of the fresh water before it becomes useless only makes sense.

Some nice things about Salt Lake City include a free trolley system which runs throughout the city, a well preserved and vibrant historic downtown, and the world's largest genealogy library, which we visited, but weren't very successful at finding our ancestors. We also enjoyed visiting the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics.--Ruth Mitchell

Day 5 Grand Luxe Rail Journey - Bryce Canyon National Park

Talk about a beautiful landscape to paint. Bryce Canyon National Park, I hate to say, is perhaps even more beautiful than the Grand Canyon herself. We arrived there after a pretty lengthy bus ride from Cedar City, Utah. The distinctive canyon is adorned with what are known as hoodoos, which are formed from erosion along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.

The landscape is so large in the Western United States that you can't help but reflect on the very small part you play as an individual in the grand scheme of things. It was a long day, but once we arrived back at the train, we were treated to yet another fabulous 5-course meal for
dinner.--Ruth Mitchell