I love art. The kind you hang up on the wall and look at and admire. Specifically paintings today. Photographs later.
There are times when I see a painting, and it stops me cold. My legs stop. My heart stops. I might even gasp and the pure beauty I see in front of me. Sometimes it's not necessarily beauty, but just power.
I decided to share you with you some paintings that stop me cold. Even now. Online. Looking at some small replica.
This is an Ed Mell flower. I know some people who don't like his flowers because of their edge, but that's what I like about them. I think they are beautiful. I love his landscapes as well. I think I'm attracted to strength. I love the inherent steel in his flowers. It just . . .wow!
I'll say this right now. This copy of Carl Bloch's painting does not do it justice. It hangs in the Brigham Young University Museum of Art. I remember the day I saw the original of this for the first time. I wandered into the MOA for I don't remember what. I rounded the corner of the main floor and saw this painting and literally stopped cold. My jaw dropped. It is truly one of the most beautiful works of art I have ever seen. The painting is huge. If it were laying on the floor, I could lay straight across it and not touch any edges. The detail is amazing and the lighting on it couldn't be better. I hope you can see it some day.
I love James Christensen. James Christensen seems to put on canvas all the things I'd love to put on a canvas if I had the ability. This picture is called "The Widow's Mite" and it's one of my all time favorites. I love the story in the Bible. I love the story that he so eloquently tells in this picture. To tell the truth, this picture is one of my guiding stars. I want to be this woman, giving all that I have to the Lord.
I'm not entirely sure there is a Bierstadt painting that exists that doesn't stop me in my tracks. I love the Hudson River School of painting in general. I love the color, the grandeur, all of it. It's so very amazing to me. I love nature and I love how Bierstadt captures nature. Occasionally, after viewing one of Bierstadts paintings, real life looks prosaic. I want to dive into that world. Then there are days when the world is so much more beautiful than any painting ever could be that I'm not sure I can handle it.
I don't feel like I'm expressing myself very well here. I'm not sure it's possible to adequately tell you how I feel about these paintings. I love these paintings. And, as a general rule, I love all the rest of the artist's works. I can't tell you how much it makes my heart grow to even look at these.
What works of art stop you cold?
There are times when I see a painting, and it stops me cold. My legs stop. My heart stops. I might even gasp and the pure beauty I see in front of me. Sometimes it's not necessarily beauty, but just power.
I decided to share you with you some paintings that stop me cold. Even now. Online. Looking at some small replica.
This is an Ed Mell flower. I know some people who don't like his flowers because of their edge, but that's what I like about them. I think they are beautiful. I love his landscapes as well. I think I'm attracted to strength. I love the inherent steel in his flowers. It just . . .wow!
I'll say this right now. This copy of Carl Bloch's painting does not do it justice. It hangs in the Brigham Young University Museum of Art. I remember the day I saw the original of this for the first time. I wandered into the MOA for I don't remember what. I rounded the corner of the main floor and saw this painting and literally stopped cold. My jaw dropped. It is truly one of the most beautiful works of art I have ever seen. The painting is huge. If it were laying on the floor, I could lay straight across it and not touch any edges. The detail is amazing and the lighting on it couldn't be better. I hope you can see it some day.
I love James Christensen. James Christensen seems to put on canvas all the things I'd love to put on a canvas if I had the ability. This picture is called "The Widow's Mite" and it's one of my all time favorites. I love the story in the Bible. I love the story that he so eloquently tells in this picture. To tell the truth, this picture is one of my guiding stars. I want to be this woman, giving all that I have to the Lord. 
I'm not entirely sure there is a Bierstadt painting that exists that doesn't stop me in my tracks. I love the Hudson River School of painting in general. I love the color, the grandeur, all of it. It's so very amazing to me. I love nature and I love how Bierstadt captures nature. Occasionally, after viewing one of Bierstadts paintings, real life looks prosaic. I want to dive into that world. Then there are days when the world is so much more beautiful than any painting ever could be that I'm not sure I can handle it. I don't feel like I'm expressing myself very well here. I'm not sure it's possible to adequately tell you how I feel about these paintings. I love these paintings. And, as a general rule, I love all the rest of the artist's works. I can't tell you how much it makes my heart grow to even look at these.
What works of art stop you cold?
I love anything by Rick Rietveld. He puts so much detail into his paintings that I could stare at them for hours.
I think you did an excellent job of expressing yourself! It was beautiful! I'm more of a written word person than a painting person but I do adore the Carl Bloch painting, as well. That scene is recreated in one of the movies about Christ that recently came out--I can't remember the whole title--the one with Lamb of God in it. Very well done--many paintings of Christ are recreated as moving scenes in that movie.
I am lame. How many years did I live in Provo. How many years was I always on BYU campus? And did I ever enjoy the MOA?!? Lame, I said.
I really like that widow's mite painting, too. My favorite painting of his is Shakespeare's Island.
As far as stopping me in my tracks...I remember being struck by a Matisse collection I saw in person. And a lot of people said the Mona Lisa is lame in person but I thought it was pretty cool. I actually kind of find sculpture fascinating, especially Rodin.
I regret to share that art does not have that affect on me. Maybe I haven't given it a chance...
i loved seeing what you love...and hearing why. your comments about the widow's mite, and it being your guiding star...i needed to hear and see that today. thanks for sharing dedee.
Carl Bloch.
Classic Beautiful, wonderful.
I love going to museums and seeing art, the originals, in their HUGE sizes. Stopping to be able to marvel at the little brush strokes always gets me.
And as silly as this may sound, Liz Lemon Swindle is one of my favorites. I love how she makes the prophet feel so down to earth, realistic to me.
I just got all shivery and sniffly. Such powerful impacts from all those pieces.
I think I avoid studying art because sometimes it's just so beautiful it hurts.
I agree with you that real life sometimes look not so cool after Bierstadt, but then I went to Yosemite. You MUST go there some day. I tell you that for once in your life you will be in a place where no picture or artwork can do it justice.
As for art, there is plenty that can stop me in my tracks. I can't find the names of my favorites though if you're ever in the Legion of Honor in SF you'll see a few. And there were a few in London as well, though I really can't remember the names of those paintings. :)
How cool to see this post go up when I just recently was telling my hubby how much I appreciated your wanting to look at my paintings and the time and care you took with each one. I could tell you're one of those wonderful people who has a deep response to visual art.
Most recent art that stopped me cold? A book of Andrew Wyeth's landscape watercolors. They took my breath away, and made me want to stretch and explore. Before that, the most life-changing experience was seeing the collection of JMW Turners at the Tate Gallery in London. And before that, the entire Fricke Collection in New York.
My children's paintings also stop me cold at times. Such reckless spontaneity!
Great post! I loved reading your thoughts here, seeing what moves you.
I totally get what you were saying. Art does the same thing to me...well anything truly beautiful, really. Probably why I love decorating so much. To create beauty is such a wonderful thing. I've often wished I could paint or draw. Now that I got a camera I strive to create that kind of beauty in photograph form. Beautiful post!!