Impressionist Nuggets

Once upon a time, I aspired to be an artist.

During my third year in secondary school, I bravely took Arts for the (then) SRP.

There were three of us and we managed a 100% A1 score, which was really a hoot.

I even managed to get one of my water color paintings hung inside the Teacher’s room – never mind that it was copied (make that inspired) by a picture in Reader’s Digest.

As it is wont for those with only a wee bit of talent, I fell on the wayside in pursuing my interest with full determination.

While the spark still resides within, it is far too late to jumpstart anything worthy at my current age.

In Jeffrey Archer’s "Chalk and Cheese", one of the main character said (not verbatim) that artists are only appreciated when they are dead and buried.

Mildly talented ones would say these.

The talented ones just go ahead - appreciation notwithstanding – as to them it is labor of love.

I am so out of the loop with regards the local scene, but news of the Impressionist era still perks me up like this one on a painting of Claude Monet (1840 – 1926).

"The Monet is a timely reminder that it is all too easy to pay too much for a painting that is adorned with a world-famous signature."

At BP11.24m, Monet’s “In the Meadow” fell short of its appraised figure of “in the region of BP15m” by the famous auction house of Christie’s in London.

Monet’s later paintings (circa 1867 to around 1890) is all sunshine, flowers, and varied hues of vibrant, brilliant colors.

In my eyes, they are beautiful pieces. But Van Gogh’s more emotional strokes are also beautiful to me.

When it comes to art, objectivity usually goes through the window where (cliché alert!) one man’s meat is another’s poison.

That said, there is still a clearly drawn line when it comes to things downright disgusting, and this week at least, Malaysian politics is it.

Ah… to afford a Monet.

Woman With A Parasol (1875)