Painting Sunlight on the Side of a House

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"What I wanted to do was to paint sunlight on the side of a house." Edward Hopper

Once again, up before the birds. Jetlag is so insidious. I tend to vacillate between being bone tired and then wide awake. Of course, I am wide awake while the rest of the world sleeps. It isn’t so bad. It gives me time to write my blog and write in my journal. Yes, I still keep a journal. I have done so for years and use it to record everything from the meetings I attend at work to where I go for meals. I also use it as a scrapbook - pasting in tickets and restaurant business cards and anything else I want to save or record. One of the things I love to do best is to read my journal for the year before on New Years Day. I am always amazed by how many things I have done over the course of one year.

But, I am sure that all of you are more interested in what Mom, Lynn and I did in Washington today. We had a relatively early start and decided to try out the Metro to get around today. It was my first time on the Washington subway system and I was impressed. Very easy to figure out and extremely clean.

We made our way over to the National Gallery of Art to see an exhibit on Edward Hopper. It was simply amazing. I had read an article in “Smithsonian” about him, but that was really all I knew. That and his painting called “Nighthawks” that everyone knows. This exhibit was a retrospective of his career, and I would guess that every single major work was included. It started with etchings he had done as a younger man. They were really interesting and one could see the beginnings of the themes he continued to use throughout his career. It then moved on to his paintings and watercolours. My admiration for the man just continued to grow. The painting I liked most was called “Automat”. In it, a young woman is sitting by herself drinking a cup of coffee and obviously lost in thought. It moved me in ways I cannot begin to describe.

The audio tour was also very well done. The show has been put together by people from three museums, each of whom had their own thoughts and opinions. It also included quotes from the man himself. My favourite? “The loneliness thing is overdone.” Fantastic! I love it when the artist gets a bit of his own back against the critics.

After our encounter with great art, we decided that lunch was in order. After some discussion, we decided on the Pavilion Café at the museum. It was such a nice day that we were able to sit outside and enjoy our sandwiches and salads surrounded by sculpture and beautiful gardens.

After lunch, the unanimous decision was the Spy Museum. What fun! It is a museum dedicated to the art of spying and it includes things like phones in shoes and one of the original Enigma machines. As one walks in, one takes on the identity of a spy and then, throughout the exhibits, you are asked questions to see if you can remember your cover story. Well, I knew I was in trouble when I forgot my last name almost immediately. By the end, I had been captured and executed. Miss Lynn and Mom, on the other hand, were asked to carry on with new assignments. Guess Mata Hari I am not.

After a brief rest, Colin joined us and we went back to Off the Record for the yummy martinis. We carried on to Zaytinya for dinner. Greek food that was among the best I have ever had. We created a bit of a meze and just grazed through our meal. Colin and Mom were a bit let down by the desserts, but as my sweet tooth was not doing anything, I was fine. Back to hotel for a nightcap - I couldn’t resist one more of those fabulous martinis.

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Photos

How One Knows One is in Washington
Mom and Lynn with the Capitol in the background.