Artists and Musicians

I've always claimed to love art and music. I mean, who doesn't love pretty pictures and wavelengths of sound that make their ears tingle? But despite the enjoyment I get out of them, I've never taken time to really absorb these works into my being. I can't tell you names of artists or recognize a piece of work. I can't tell you names of musicians whose compositions blow me away and move me to my very core.

Yesterday, I was at a dinner party for Memorial Day, and I met an older gentleman who was...well, he was full of life and love of life. He loved food. He loved art. And he loved rock and roll. As I sat talking with him, he showed me pictures of food he's tasted, restaurants he's been to. We even talked about Jiro, the famous sushi chef in Japan! He also showed me a book of paintings from the Frick collection. And it was then, flipping through the pages of that book, that I made my first (and I truly mean FIRST) discovery of an artist whose work moved me enough that I made note of his name.

Johannes Vermeer. The painting: Girl Interrupted at Her Music



The description talked about young love, hinted at through the painting in the background of Cupid with his hand raised. But what really caught me about this painting was the girl's expression. It's like Vermeer captured the very moment when her eyes began to light up from seeing the one she loved, but her smile had not yet caught up yet. I loved it.

This morning, I watched a TED talk and discovered again. An American musician this time by the name of Phil Kline. If you get the chance, you should listen to this piece called "The Blue Room." Beautiful. Truly.

Ethel quartet performs "The Blue Room"

Kline's pieces are described as sculptures, and from this performance, I couldn't agree more.