Rockwell at the McNay

Paint plate from A Windy Welcome.  

A little over year ago in March, on the afternoon Steven proposed, he brought me to the McNay art museum.  I was visiting San Antonio and was anxious to see what the modern art museum had in store.  We saw Andy Warhol: Fame and Misfortune, a special exhibition of my favorite artist.  That was such an exceptional day, full of my favorite things (blueberry pancakes, Andy Warhol, developing film...) and my favorite person.  Returning to the museum as a married couple for the first time this week was a bit surreal, and amazing.

The McNay was the first modern art museum in Texas.  Marion Koogler left her collection and home with an endowment to create a museum.  Several additions over the years have expanded the space, and the art within it is just amazing!  Check out the museum's highlights here, which includes an impressive print collection.  

Currently, Behind the Camera, an exhibition of Norman Rockwell's sketches, photographic references and paintings, is on exhibit at the McNay.   Steven and I attended the member's preview on June 4th to get a sneak peak of the work on display.  We both really enjoyed seeing the process behind his iconic paintings, my favorite being The Tattoo Artist.  I had no idea how thoroughly he planned out his compositions.

On my blog, I write about artworks in progress, sketches and ideas for future projects.  In my studio, I draw from photographs and work out compositional problems by layering the sketches on tracing paper.  At the lecture on Rockwell that preceded the art opening, I learned that he did something similar.  However, rather than finding images and adjusting them, he had models photographed in the exact poses that he wished to capture in his art.  

The museum put on a fun Americana-themed reception, lining the sidewalks with pinwheels, seating with red white & blue tablecloths and classic American foods, including potato chips, popcorn and beer.  We felt like we were at a fourth of July party, and it was perfectly paired with the art.