Inspiration and then some ... Such a wonderful collection of post impressionists

On what’s become an annual trip to London to visit my son Jonathan, I was delighted to spend a few hours almost every day at some of my most favorite museums in that fabulous city. Among these is Somerset House — I love that its Courtald Gallery has on permanent display a relatively small — and impressive — collection of late 19th century impressionist and post impressionist works. (Pictured above is Banks of the Seine at Carrieres-Sur-Seine by Maurice de Vlaminck.) It was so inspiring to stand next to these works — to really look at the iconic interpretations of form, color and light, so controversial in their time..

The Abstract Expressionism exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts took my breath away — the works I’d only studied in Arnason jumped off the walls. I hadn’t expected to be so affected by these room-filling pieces, but if I close my eyes, I can still see them. When I was in the room with them, I wanted to inhale their color and drama. I loved that one of the main displays in the museum gift shop was loaded with oil paint sets all ready for inspired visitors to take to their easels.