Museum Visit of the Day: My Kitchen Counter

I was tidying up a bouquet in my kitchen yesterday, salvaging the blooms that were still holding on. When I went to clean up the counter, I did a literal double take. The vegetal detritus I had been about to wipe away was an explosion of colors and textures, curly greenery and wrinkly poppy petals. It was so joyful. It made me think of the giant shell in Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, of the swirly colours in a Kandinsky abstract painting, of the golden light pouring down on my son’s curly hair during our visit to the hillside flower farm that made the bouquet.

I took a moment to actually look at the spontaneous petal art and enjoy it. This is what visits to art museums have looked like for me during the pandemic. Giving my full attention to something beautiful in the course of my day. Sometimes intentionally looking for an experience, sometimes surprised by beauty.