Thursday, June 13, 2013

Winslow Homer House visit yesterday

My visit to Portland's Art Museum and the trip out to see Homer's Studio on Prout's Neck was very informative about how he ended up there and what his life was like.  He was no struggling artist, nor did he lack for the finer things in life, friends, family, or money.  His large family were all successful people, they bought a large area of that peninsula in the late 1800s before the housing explosion and sold house lots, were influential in developing that area of Maine.  One thing that was curious is that he painted his studio walls a shade of Naples Yellow and didn't have north light or that much light at all.  Today's name of that color is Toasted Sesame Seed.  It was a drizzly day and we were not allowed out on the marginal way to see the rocks that were a main attraction to Winslow as well as to me.  That was a disappointment.  There is no public parking on Prout's Neck so going out there again won't be easy.  BTW, public parking in Portland is rather expensive.