Blog # 21: Poughkeepsie, NY - Frank Church

                   Blog # 21: Poughkeepsie, NY:

                            Frank Church: Hudson River Artist

The Hudson Valley Is Well Known For Its Spectacular Views And Fall Colors

Thanks To John-Paul, Arlene's Art History Teacher (Who Introduced Us To The Hudson Valley And Its River School Artists), We Now Have A Greater Appreciation For The Valley's History And Beauty!

Fascinating Are The Early 1900's Era Homes

Many Homes Are "Nestled" In The Woods

We Saw Very Few Luxurious Cars In the Area - No Tesla's, Porsches, Lexus, Etc. Plenty Of American Flags Flew In Front Of Homes. Also, No Graffiti!

Typical Backyard Of Someone's Home

Home Of Frederick Church

Disciple of Thomas Cole - Founder Of Hudson River School Of Art

Prior To Showing Pictures Of Church's Home, We Thought It Would Be worthwhile To Start With Representative Paintings Of The Hudson River School. Most People May Not Be Familiar With The Artists, Frank Church And His Teacher, Thomas Cole. However, The Style And Content Might Be Recognizable

The American Art Movement Was Famous For Landscape Painting With A Focus On Nature, History (Our Country's Expansion) And Bringing A Sensitivity To One's Surroundings

"Attention To Detail" Was "The Style" Used To Depict A Scene. For Example, Individual Leaves On Trees Were Carefully Painted Rather Than Using A Swash Of Color

Spending Time: Looking/Absorbing All Aspects Of A Piece Was Required To Fully "See" What Had Been Painted.

Much Is Missed Unless A Viewer Takes A Closer look

A Closer, Detailed Look Reveals Heavy "Dabs" Of Paint Used To Show Movement As The Water Cascades Over The Falls

Church Had Opportunities To Travel Throughout The World And Sketch Places Which Would Eventually Be Painted When Returning Home. This Is Petra, A Nubian Creation In Jordan

Church's Home Was A Blend Of Morish, Victorian and Italian Styles

Church Designed This Bench

Church Planned The Entire Landscape; 

Which Included A Large Pond

He Planted 5000 Trees

Villeroy & Boch Tiles

A Long Hallway Stretched To An Addition -- An Already Large House.

Stained-glass Windows Brought In From France

Window Placement Designed To Provide Majestic Views

Plenty of Items Were Collected From The Extensive Traveling

Church Was Clever In Using "Light" To Guide The Viewer

"Detail" Comes Into Play When Viewing The Painting

The Window Was Coated To Continually Depict Sunshine

Beauty In All Directions

We Saw A Small Desk Appropriate For A Child. It Turned Out The Desk Was For Church's Wife Who Might Have Been Smaller Than Five Feet Tall

Plenty Of Paths To Walk, Places To Sit As Well As Opportunities To Enjoy The Hudson River And Valley Views

Ornate Persian Fireplace

Music Played A Role In The Household

Unlike Today's Homes, Most Of The Wall Space Is Typically Covered With Artwork

Church's Paints And Brushes

There Was A "Freshness" In The Air

We had Lunch in Hudson, New York Or...

 Otherwise Known As A Typical "Small Town USA"

There Were Few Cars Driving In The Streets. Homes Were Curbside And Could Be Entered Right Off The Sidewalk.

While Talking To Restaurant Staff, We Learned It's "All For One, One For All." Everyone Knows Each Other - Helps Each Other

The Young Folks Working At The Restaurant Laughed When We Asked What They Did When Not Working: "Hang Out, Get Together With Friends (Everyone Knows Each Other) - Perhaps Go To A Movie On Wednesday When It Only Costs $5.00!"

We Had A Great Lunch - A Croque Madame, Salad And Wine. 

It Was Perfect Way To Spend A Couple Of Hours

The Recent High School Graduation Class Had Eighty Students. 

Students From Different Schools Join Together To Form Sport Teams

  The Manhole Is More Interesting With The Fallen Leaves

Treelined Streets In Front of Homes Add Beauty To The Property

 

Blue Sky And Puffy White Clouds Made For A Gorgeous Day