Creating Forward // Jan 2023

A Personal Creative Project for 2023

Last year, I read “Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith”, and it changed me. I have always been able to enjoy the occasional trip to the art museum, but this book was revolutionary for me. I’ve been delighted to dive deeper into art, understanding the artists behind the masterpieces. I’ve prioritized visiting art museums more often, taking my time, and diving deeper into learning about works of art I am naturally drawn to.

I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art a couple times last year, and I finished off 2022 with a visit to the Met. I snapped photos of dozens of works of art that really inspired me. Naturally, I found myself drawn to works on motherhood and children. My face close to each painting - noticing all the thought and skill that went into lighting, perspective, and painting white balance (painting white balance! In the 1500s! What skill!). I loved seeing how motherhood and children were common themes of art throughout history, and I’d like to carry on the torch in my own small way. For 2023, I am selecting 1 work of art I love to use as inspiration to create a photo. It is not intended to be a direct recreation, but I’m drawing inspiration from elements of the image. Introducing “Creating Forward”, first edition.

The Calmady Children, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Lawrence’s portrait of Emily and Laura Anne Calmady embodies the admiration for the unrestrained exuberance of childhood that played a critical role in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century European culture. Lawrence once described the portrait, which was shown at the Royal Academy and engraved under the title ‘Nature’- as ‘my best picture . . . one of the few I should wish hereafter to be known by.’” - from the plaque at the museum

My girls were delighted to do this with me. What surprised me most is how invested they were in the concept. Amelia kept asking to see the painting again, and she held that pose for a while.

I adored the bright eyes, rosy cheeks, and innocent connection between the sisters in the painting. I think one of the reasons artists are drawn to capture these elements of children throughout history, and one of the reasons we find it so uniquely magical, is because it embodies hope. Children easily find delight, hope, and faith; what seems so ordinary to us becomes extraordinary in their eyes. May we also have eyes to see with delight.