Becca’s World
Andrew Wyeth, 1948, “Christina’s World,” Tempera of panel, Museum of Modern Art NYC
On the creative front, I’ve been circling back again for inspiration from the Masters. This time, Andrew Wyeth’s “Christina’s World” took stage. The 1948 Wyeth painting depicts a woman crawling through grass in Maine.
Nineteen years later, I display the above painting on my iPhone to Becca and Eric at their wedding, explaining my intent. I shared them the above painting on my iPhone. They were hooked by the visuals. Iconic American art tends to do that, furthering my case.
I share FOUR TIPS on mimicking masters over at Seven by Five. There’s some golden nuggets and video post, too.
Gut Action
My gut drove me to commit to this idea. I explained my concept with enthusiastic hand gestures, explaining the parallels between the painting and the wedding day, beyond environmental similarities. Wyeth wanted the viewer to sense how the world may be limited physically, not spiritually, according the Moma. In the painting, Christina wasn’t a model hired from a 1940s craigslist ad. The woman wasn’t a model, nor a client, but a neighbor of Wyeth crippled by polio. She crawled her way to her goal, each day, with persistence and independence. I saw similar personality traits in my wedding clients, both persistent and dedicated. Personality, family interest, landscape, an artful couple, and their willingness to do something inspired me. I HAD to create something with these concepts dancing around in my right side of my brain.
Inspiration, found.
I copy painters, I admit. Especially the best. When Rembrandt assists you on a photo shoot, you take what you can steal. With a footnote, of course.
Circling back to inspiration from the Masters like Wyeth scratches my creative itch. Rewarding, invigorating, and contemplative rolled into one shutter click. The effort wasn’t possible without reaching into the golden memory banks for the jump start.
While you can’t buy those creative battery cables on the shelf, insights and fresh perspectives in the art world fires up my creative juices. Thank you, Becca & Eric!
Blog readers, what do you think about the painting and picture comparison?
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