There are few things more vivid in memories of my childhood than that giddy rush of fear and exhilaration elicited by speeding down a snow-packed slope on a sled. So, it was a joy of remembrance that flooded my heart as the happy whoops of whole families rose above the snow in the early morning quiet of the Iowa winter. Visions of my father’s robust strides through drifts of snow as my brothers and I trudged with him to a preferred sledding site over fifty years ago came readily to mind. We would stay out sledding until dark or until our feet were just too cold to continue.

These memories were further stirred by the small gems of pastel drawings that Sharon Burns Knutson delivered to me just a couple of days ago. Musing that she loved them for the brilliance of the blue of the skies, Sharon pulled out one small drawing of snow-laden trees and countryside after another, and covetously, I looked to see which I would claim for my own before I would hang them in the gallery.

They’re just little pieces. You might miss them if you’re focused on just finishing your Christmas shopping list. So remember, part of this season, surely, must be about seeing the small items that evoke the magical power of memory in each of us.

“And I heard him exclaim ‘ere he drove out of sight, ‘Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!’ “

Recognizing the stylistic differences amongst the painters who since 1874 when they were first ridiculed by critics as “Impressionists”, was a daunting task to me as a young art major. All those pastel colored landscapes with women drifting through them in gauzy white dresses- honestly, my first response was, “Who cares?” But, I did come to care, and be excited about the aesthetic perseverance of those whom I regard as the “heavy-hitters” of this loosely associated group. I love a world that has in it Degas’ drawings, Mary Cassatt’s aqua-tints, Seurat’s drawings (NEO-impressionist that he was), and Monet’s water-lilies.

Water Lilies, Claude Monet

Created at Giverny, the home that he purchased with the proceeds from his first successful sale, the water lily paintings are the culmination of a lifetime’s work. Monet’s subject dissolves as the rhythm of color and light transcend the notion of a “picture of something”. Art historian, John Canaday, likens these late works of Monet to Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings. At first, I was struck by the cheekiness of this comparison of an Impressionist’s works to those of the mythic giant of Abstract Expressionism, but I think it’s simply brilliant- like Pollock’s drip paintings, the edges of the water-lily paintings seem arbitrary, as if image extends beyond them. Likewise, the drama of these pieces lies in their grand scale and the bravura of their execution.

Convergence, Jackson Pollock

As a place that inspired Monet’s tireless examination of light, color, form, and rhythm, Giverny has become a destination for tourists to see what he saw. Sharon Burns Knutson did just that. She also drew what she saw. Leafing through her oil pastels of this legendary site, I was entranced by her personal vision, sensitivity, and industry. Few artists I know go on vacation and get more work done than this mighty, little woman! It was also a pleasure to be reminded of the breath-taking scope of another artist’s creative power- especially when that artist’s work has seemed too easily pigeon-holed by passing time.

Oil crayon on black paper, Sharon Burns-Knutson

Hope you’ll stop by!

Sharon Burns Knutson went to the Smoky Mountains last fall and has done a suite of oil pastel drawings that evokes their colorful essence in all of its autumnal splendor.