Claude Monet

"I have painted the Seine throughout my life, at every hour, at every season. I have never tired of it: for me the Seine is always new." Claude Monet

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) has 50 paintings by Monet entitled "Monet and the Seine: Impressions of a River". And like Monet said above he never tired of it. To me Monet's paintings, usually of water lillies, were associated with places of pain. They were prolific on the walls in dentists and lawyers offices.

Before he became obsessed with water lillies he was enthalled with the river Seine and except for a brief period when he lived in London he lived the majority of his life on or close by this river. The exhibit at the MFAH emphasized his skill with light and weather. This I had never noticed in the 'places of pain'. So that's why I have changed my mind regarding his talent. He even goes back and forth between various styles. The most obvious are abstract to impression back to abstact.

Here is a similar style to one of Turner's paintings:

One of Monet early mentors, I forget who, tutored him on the skill of clould painting:

So here is mine:

Well, one can always change one's opinion and Monet's "Impression of a River" changed mine. I will keep this in mind the next time I see Monet's water lillies in 'places of pain".