More Finger Painting!!

Another finger painting made from a painting by Guido Reni done around 1635 (at the Kunsthistorische Museum). This one took almost 3 hours to complete. While I was sitting there painting the painting at least a dozen people sat down to rest on the gallery couch next to me. Each one of them would grown a sigh of relaxation as they sat. It's hard work touring a museum!

An angel visits St. Jerome who has dedicated himself to translating the bible. The angel gives him inspiration, and probably encouragement. After all he is living in a cave, eating godknowswhat roots and berries. A very lovely angel, I'm sure St. Jerome was absolutely shocked and delighted by her presence.

I didn't do the whole painting, so the body to the right is poor old St. Jerome's. He's awful skinny, but the painter couldn't help but define his shape by painting the musculature. So Jerome is actually kind of fit for an old long bearded ascetic living in a cave. The red cape set against the blue sky, green hills and white angel, all in a dark green/grey cave makes a beautiful color composition. Those italians sure knew how to use color. Below is the video-drawing.

Spring on a Really Nice Table

I went to the Liechtenstein Museum in Wien today. It is Prince von Liechtenstein's old palace, which is now open to the public to show off his collection of paintings, sculpture and furniture. Actually the princely family lives on.... there was a black and white photo of the prince and his wife (looks like a 1980's photo) together on a sign rambling on about the palace and the collection and how the prince and his wife were so pleased to give their old palace over to the city of Wien as a museum. Very nice palace, very nice art collection - all old stuff, like Rubens, 18th century art mostly, lots of baroque.

I did a drawing on my iTouch (electronic finger painting) of a girl with flowers from a beautiful wood veneer inlaid table. I thought this girl would be the right thing for the season.

Below is a 'video' of the drawing being drawn.

Another iTouch drawing/video of a real Tulip, not found in any museum but instead at home.

SPRING SPRUNG SPRANG

Yahoooo! Spring is here. It was in the mid sixties today (~17C), and the sun was out. What a difference the warmth (relative) and sun make. I really like the milder weather.

Sabine went running on her lunch break yesterday. Her work is close to the Donau river far away from civilization in amoungst the woods, fields and wetlands. She saw whole fields covered entirely with sprouting little "Schneeglockchen". Today we bought one at the Naschmarkt. I drew the little bunch sitting on our kitchen window sill.

My work is going pretty good. They like my messed up deutsch, and whatever negative things the Europeans might say about Americans, they are pretty curious about me and more than willing to give me a fair chance. In fact, at work, they listen too me more here they ever did in America. I think they are waiting to learn something new from me. I might even be able to deliver on that.