cont Blue Painting and trip to Cantor Arts Center

I got to the studio early Friday morning to get in enough painting time so that i could go to the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford. Three more shots of the progression of the blue painting 2 and an early stage of another painting ( 4feet X 2 feet) which i think will become gray. I am recording the progression of this one painting only, just to see for myself how things change.

And then it was off to Stanford's Cantor Arts Center http://museum.stanford.edu/ to see "The Art of Being Tuareg"

This is a great little musuem, has great exhibits and it is totally free! Parking is easy and to get here by public transport isn't too bad if you can get to Palo Alto by Caltrain and transfer to their free shuttle. It is the home of many Rodin sculptures like the monumental "Gates of Hell".












But the current special exhibit is worth a trip if only to see a different reality. The art was gorgeous and reading about the Tuareg was fascinating.



I was impressed with the rings, bracelets, necklaces all in silver, amulets, highly decorated leather bags, and the beautiful indigo dyed fabric used for head coverings. That fabric with a deep blue color, had an unusual shine to it. The Tuareg believe that the amulets must be beautiful to be most effective. Even their tent poles are highly decorated and beautiful!

And talk about a different reality to our Starbucks take out coffee, drinking on the run, The Tuareg take their tea making and drinking very seriously. Three glasses are consumed, a strong, middle strong and sweet tea, corresponding to youth, middle age and old age. Proper aeration is important and i think i forgot to mention, the Tuareg are a poetic people.

Tuareg poetry is seen as a chronicle or daily journal of prominent and everyday matters, kind of like blogging! They are said to be masters of epic and romantic poetry. They create verses either spoken or sung to an accompaniment of a one string violin like instrument played by women.