Mother Nature, or should I say Climate Change, played a mean trick on the Maritimes today. Snow, ice pellets, snow, blowing snow and cold. Haven’t we had enough of it this year! After all, it is April.
My mother used to play the same trick on my father every year: put salt in the sugar bowl. She loved watching his reaction, spewing his mouthful of coffee over the breakfast table. It was funny, sort of, but I don’t know why she did it. What it makes me realize is that I didn’t know that side of her very much. But then, those were the times. But better than snowstorms in April.
So what do I do on a not very nice snowy day, housebound? This morning I was painting in my studio of course, this afternoon painting the stairwell down to my studio (one more wall to go!), and then later drawing the tulips a friend brought me last week. It is so relaxing to draw. No pressure, no fumes, like a quiet meditation.
When I was listening to the radio this morning (not sure if it was on the Current or Q, but I think it was The Current, where they have been featuring a series on Project Money), they were talking about how governments, banks, and such, are selling off their art collections to raise money for themselves, even if the art was donated. And most of it has never been seen by the public. One interviewee commented that this was a foolish policy, at a time when more people go to art museums (for entertainment) than to sports events. These institutions will never get the true value of the work because the wealthy collectors are looking for what is new and trendy, not for the classic artists, like Miro or Bellini. He also, astutely, said “the value of art is how it makes us feel and think, not in how much it costs.” Perfect!