Degas at the Met

This past week I taught science camp at Roswell Park and Rec. We painted each day to learn about opaque and transparent light. We used matte medium with acrylic paint on 8.5 x 11" canvas boards to experiment. I instructed the children to paint fish, butterflies or flowers because we could experiment with color mixing on parts of the fish, butterfly or flower.

I did not allow the children to use black paint because I don't use black and also because the masters did not either. We talked about this. I mentioned Degas and did not have time to further discuss his art. But, having just visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, I have just the photograph to share.

Pictured here is Edgar Degas' oil on canvas, on the left, titled The Dance Class, 1874. And to the right, is The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, one of his models out of wax that he created later in life as his eyesight waned. There were many of Degas' ballet images in the Met, 149 total works including a variety of other subjects.

Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and the Mets

We had a wonderful day in NYC! We rode the 30 minute ferry into the city from Staton Island. A photographer's viewpoint for sure. We learned uptown and downtown quickly. We saw the numbered subways travel north to south and the alphabet travels east/west. We also learned that not all trains on the route stop at all the stops. Lots of success.

I loved the VanGogh, Monet and Degas works in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My youngest immediately recognized Monet's bridge because of a Monet art class he took at the Abernathy Arts Center two summers ago. The children wanted to visit the Museum because we listened to The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler another summer. E.L. Konigsburg received the Newbery Medal for this book. The story is about two children who camp out in the museum, explore its art and unravel a mystery. The Met has an issue of MuseumKids devoted to the Mixed-Up Files; ask for it and read the book if you attend.

We enjoyed the Mets game with all the tradition of the National Anthem and also the 7th inning stretch. The Mets played the Dodgers at Citifield, which was easily reached via the subway. Here is an image from the game, which happened to be Manny's first game in New York since being reinstated.