Trip to the Museum
The Essex Art Center emailed. It was time to retrieve my watercolor painting, “Trip to the Museum.” The piece has been on exhibit there in Lawrence for a month along with dozens of other artists’ works. This is year two displaying my art at the Salon Show and hopefully not the last. The Essex folks are genuinely committed to promoting art by local artists regardless of age, background, training or subject, and I’m pleased to be a part. I’m so taken I may even find myself getting involved.
I took in both Salon Shows on opening day, mentally and spiritually absorbing the art. Some pieces, not mine, were for sale and at significant prices. I’ve been impressed by the skill and expertise of the artists. There are others, like me, who may not have the same level of mastery but are not afraid to share their work. However, I’ve noticed something both times I participated and elsewhere too. I’ve been aware of the same curiosity at Worcester State University’s on-campus gallery, where I’ve also exhibited twice. For whatever favorable words I can use to describe all these exhibits, one feeling is lacking: joy. I paint because I have much to be joyful about. As I’m new to retirement and grandfatherhood, and being happily married and in good health, I have much to be grateful for and celebrate. I’ve asked curators why there’s so little cheerful art on display. There seems to be too much unhappiness in what’s being shown. I hesitate to use the word “misery,” but it seems there’s an excess of that as well. Where’s Bob Ross with his “happy little trees” when we need him?
For me, painting my grandson, Bedros, is among the most pleasing things I can do. Doing so is good for my mental health. I’m calm yet absorbed when I paint, and I’ve been doing so for just about as long as the little guy’s been alive. Besides my selfish devotion to painting, my completed masterpieces (I brag) will serve as a historical journal for him as he grows up. In my art he’ll see his ancestors and will be witness to incidents, many humorous, in our family’s history and experiences. In addition, my paintings allow those outside our family to learn as Bedros is learning. I’m not holding back and am revealing myself to him and everyone else. Thank you, readers and Armenian Weekly.
My intent with “Trip to the Museum” is to show the bond Bedros and I share, consciously or otherwise. Hopefully someday my interest in museums will rub off on him. (I wrote my master’s thesis on the future of them.) We’ve taken in an aquarium together and I expect we’ll visit similar venues in the future. At the time I painted “Trip,” Bedros was into Sesame Street. Knowing he’d move beyond, I captured that transitory moment by including characters from the show, only changing context. In his short life so far he’s already passed through Miss Rachel, Trash Truck, Johnny the gorilla from Sing. (My son, Greg, paints apes in acrylic.) Of all the moments in time so far in Bedros’ life, I aimed to celebrate just one. At the same time, I want Bedros to know there is more to life than television. There’s an entire world of art he’ll experience and I’ve introduced him to the queen of art herself, Mona Lisa. I plan to expose Bedros to as much and as varied art as possible. In my painting I’ve also included reference to my own Dad’s artwork. His is the set of copper links I’ve painted in place of velvet rope. (Experts have been unable to tell me how Dad created the interconnected rings without any visible seams.)
So Bedros, I’m looking forward to introducing you to precious new things. Stick with me, kid, and I’ll show you all I can. Love you, buddy. Poppa.
