Museum Day, More Plein Air and Watercolors

Taking a break, playing with color and pen...
SAM and BAM
That's Seattle Art Museum and Bellevue Art Museum, for non-locals reading this... my spouse and I have a museum date once a month. Last month it was SAM where we viewed the Nick Cave, "Meet Me at the Center of Earth" exhibit of "soundsuits". There were rooms full of stunning life-size manikins artfully and completely covered with a colorful array of everything that could be found in a thrift store. Some of them could and have been actually worn and that is the sketch above.

The BAM has an exhibit of ceramic sculptures by Wanxin Zhang which we saw this week. This is a fabulous exhibit of larger than life size figures inspired by the tradition of the buried terracotta warriors that were uncovered in China. However, they are somewhat modernized, mysterious and seem so lifelike. So if you want a treat, do go see this exhibit. BAM also has two other interesting exhibits showing which are worth a visit: unique South American jewelry which weaves in some cultural stories, and an exhibit on "Softness" featuring various fiber and stitching pieces.
Plein Air
I plan to get outdoors more often this summer as nature is so inspiring. Above is a quick sketch from our deck. Below is another watercolor painting from the recent day over by Lake Washington on a plein air date. Both were gorgeous sunny days and it felt good seeing the sun again after it's absence so many months here in our rainy cloud covered heaven.
Note to myself: Definitely get outdoors more often this summer, alone or with art buddies! Feel the sun, the cool breezes, smell the flowers, soak in the colors and the music of this season of the year.