Upsidedown Bee: See 50 Great Works of Art: #1

Ok – so here’s the first item for the “50 Great Works of Art” from my (10)(10) list. Out of everything I saw as the Denver Art Museum Tuesday, I’ve chosen Theodore Waddell’s abstract “Monida Angus #15”. There is a whole exhibition room dedicated to his work at the museum, but this piece below stands out by far. You can see how big it is in comparison to the bench.

I like that it’s abstract but that there’s a shape and form to it. From a distance you definitely get the feel of cattle grazing on a mountainside.

But close up you see the depth and texture. Somewhat Van Gogh “ish” but different.

This is on the wall plate at the museum:

Theodore Waddell - Monida Angus #15
2012, Oil paint on canvas.

"This work took 18 gallons of titanium white paint, and about 18 gallons of turpentine. It is the largest work ever created by the artist and was made especially for this exhibition.”

What really made me settle on this painting was learning more about Mr. Waddell. He seems to be very down-to-earth kind of guy yet a dichotomy – a painter/professor who is also a cattle rancher. I found a series of four videos of an interview with him for another museum exhibit. He’s very charming, I think. Here’s the first video below. You can follow the links to the other three in Vimeo if you’re interested.