CREATIVE Lens-Artist #42 (LOVE at the ART MUSEUM and Sean McConnell’s Alien Song)

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The lens-artist theme is CREATIVE this week (here).  

For my take, I am bringing you to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

 I enjoyed this creative piece called Woven City (2017) by Diana Al-Hadid:

Love was in the air at the museum and this was a creative place to propose:

I was already filming and our small group walked around and opened the door to go down this hall –  and high then this couple stopped walking and he was just about to propose – I turned the camera off and got the heck out of there (this is a screen shot from the video that was already rolling).
Here is the proposal from across the hall. She said, “Yes.” Love was in the air! (and I like the layers in this photo.)

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There was a jazz band playing – people were dancing – this couple let me video them (“presence of others” effect… ha)  and we chatted afterwards for a few minutes. 

Love was in the air, I tell ya – for everyone to enjoy….

A couple danced to the Pete Anderson Sextet (with Chihuly Reeds outside) at VMFA.

CREATIVE SONG CALLED ALIEN

 It has been a LONG time since I enjoyed an entire album from any artist. 

I think I mentioned that when we went to hear Sean McConnell in March 2019 – I had zero expectations. Live music can be so hit or miss.  – However, Sean McConnell is now in my list of top favorite artists.

Previous Priorhouse Sean McConnell posts are here for Secondhand Smoke song and here for Devil’s Ball song.

The Secondhand smoke ALBUM is a musical treat (I plan to review the entire album soon) but right now I want to expound on ALIEN.

In this song, the masterful songwriter McConnell uses an outer space, alien metaphor to share about the joy of finally finding the right partner.  The one they found is so fresh and so diverse that they are from another world. Life is alive and it will never be the same – never the same again.

“So goodbye to everyone…. No more trips around the same ol’ sun….”

When I hear this CREATIVE jam, it reminds me that we can celebrate with authors and musicians as THEY share about their joy and allow us to just feel it with them.  Sometimes this song has me quickly reminisce about Fall of 1995 – when I finally found “my” man – and when I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face from such a quiet joy that swelled inside. But even if we don’t flashback to our time – the song is one of uplifting energy for all to receive. 

McConnell writes:

“I finally found my girl, she’s from another world.

She’s from another world.”

This song grew on me. At first I skipped it. The song initially felt like it would have been the B-side of a 45. But now it is my third favorite song from the album.

One of my favorite parts of the song is at the 1:30 mark:

We’re going away…

We’re going away…

She said,  “Momma can he come?  

Does it matter where he’s from?”

and she said,

“Baby…

Whatever makes you happy…”

That line, right there, tugs at my heart… the melody – and the way McConnell sang it and played it – but also the content. The momma says “baby, whatever makes you happy…”

 So often parents get all weird – and mean – when it comes to who their children pick for a spouse. When the bottom line is – at least in my culture – the children’s choice of a spouse – um – is NOT the parent’s decision.  There is something beautiful about the way the momma tells the daughter – with the term of endearment,“Baby” — that Yes, he CAN come: “whatever makes you happy.”

McConnell continues:

So goodbye to everyone – I’m going back to where my baby’s from.

When we get there, I’ll be the alien.  

I finally found my girl.

She’s from another world.”

Have a listen:

 

One more tidbit to share – when we were driving home from the museum – Sean McConnell’s song, Here We Go, was playing on the radio. This was a surprise because he is still an up and coming artist. He was featured on WNRN (88.5 out of Charlottesville) because he is playing at the Red Wing Roots Festival (here) in July 2019 (Just FYI) . 

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Back to art -quick slideshow with some newly hung pieces at the VMFA: 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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Lastly….just for fun

Saw this CREATIVE way to protect your car from hail:

Would you care to join in with the #lens-artists challenge?

Go here for general info

P  R  I  O  R  H  O  U  S  E 

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36 thoughts on “CREATIVE Lens-Artist #42 (LOVE at the ART MUSEUM and Sean McConnell’s Alien Song)”

  3. So much creativity here! Love the textures and the layers and depth of field in the museum – and the proposal! I had to laugh at the car protection – talk about creative solution!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi YC – I did go and watch our of the way – across the hall – if I would have stayed where i was – I would have been in the background of all their video footage (can you see all those folks filming) – do you know what I mean?
      thanks for checking out the song too

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Wow Yvette, you really went for this one !!! Tons of creativity and an important message along with it. And how fun to have witnessed a proposal too 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Very cool, Yvette! Thanks for the tour of these creative arts.
    CREATIVE way to protect your car from hail — way too funny! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  15. So glad I saved this one and finally got around to it! Woven City appeals to me, too.
    I love the music, of course, and appreciate multiple arts you feature in your posts.
    Great ideas for hail damage prevention. Seriously, I’m down with that.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – I am down with the air mattress one because you have extra beds and maybe the vehicle will
      Float (kidding)
      And thanks for coming back to read – That really made my day to read – 😉

      Liked by 1 person

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