Eyesight….

 

Eyesight – something we sure take for granted…at least I do. Yesterday, my Mum had a cataract operation. It made me think about my eyes and how grateful I am to have my eyesight. As Degas says in a letter to Jeanne Fevre in 1906, “What a blessing eyesight is, my God!”

 

Continuing to delve into the life and work of Degas (see my previous blog), I was surprised to learn that by 39 years old, Degas was already losing his sight. I knew that Degas was pretty much blind in his later years, but in 1873 he writes to his friend James Tissot, “My eyes are fairly well but all the same I shall remain in the ranks of the infirm until I pass into the ranks of the blind. It really is bitter, is it not? Sometimes I feel a shiver of horror.” I can just imagine! And yet, he painted The Rehearsal and soooooo many more beautiful paintings.

 

 

Inspired by Degas and his drawings, today I tried my own quick charcoal. It was done from a photograph of Andrea, my friend and wonderful model who has posed many times for me and others.

 

 

I thought I’d picked an easy pose (no face for instance) but those hands and the deceptive simplicity of the back….not so easy after all. Degas makes it all look so effortless. Check out my inspiration below. Mind you, his drawing is about twice as large as mine. Such is my pathetic excuse. I guess I can’t blame it on my eyesight!

 

 

This won’t be the last time I mention Degas but I will let him go for now. Well…we’ll see.

 

Play Day 🙂

 

Yesterday also brought my friend Susan Brown to my studio. She’s working on a collaborative project with another weaver and wanted my help (?) with painting three pieces of watercolour paper that she will then cut into strips and weave into boxes. She needed to match thread to paint – maybe that’s where I came in. Here’s how our time went.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Promise me today you’ll celebrate your eyesight. Imagine your world without it and revel in the colour, the vibrancy, the subtlety, all around you. Read a book, enjoy a painting, take a walk without having to feel your way, go to the theatre or a ball game, look into the eyes of those you love.

 

“And now, this is the sweetest and most glorious day that ever my eyes did see.” Donald Cargill (1619-1681)

 

Claude Monet

 

As an added note on the topic of eyesight and artists (and because I can’t help myself), Monet was diagnosed with cataracts in 1912 at age 72 (he died in 1926). He continued to paint and produced his famous group of waterlily series, The Nympheas, between 1916 and 1918 the year he gifted the whole series to France. A few can be seen at the Musee de l’Orangerie in Paris.

 

 

And here’s a fascinating article on both Monet and Degas and their failing eyesight.

 

Okay, I’m done. I’d love to hear from you. Just click the title of the blog which will take you to my website where you can leave a comment. And I’m always delighted if you’d like to share this blog with your friends by clicking the Share button below.

 

Today, look with eyes wide open!

~ Gail