Anything

[mum]

Mud: what a riot, when my students entered the room today I sang the song "Good Morning" to them (from singing in the rain). They all think I'm nuts, so it's ok. (I tell them it's in my contract to have a good time while I teach)

On a musical note: have you heard Jamie Collum's version of Singing in the Rain off his "Twentysomething" CD? Awesome!

"The Music Man" was my father's favorite musical ever....he starred in a community theater production once I think.  And ironically, my musician son would watch that over an over when he was 3 and march around the house in his "bander hat" (a drum major hat I got him) with a stick (his "bander stick").  My dad was a great proponant of PMA (not PMS) or using a Positive Mental Attitude for life, and maybe the "think system" hit home with him (or maybe that it's just a cool story with great everything in it). Too bad my son and my dad never met!
They re-did that show recently with Matthew Broderick (HBO, I think). My kids and I still like the original film best!

But bottom line: West Side Story is the best musical ever. Bernstein's music was and still is, groundbreaking.

[Bliz]

So much fun to hear others talk of loving the "Music Man",  My fav of all time. Last month my 13 year old niece played Amaryllis in the Middle School production and I was in heaven. SHe needed help with the piano parts.  

So many good songs in it and some nifty choreography. Such a beautifully simple story in a simpler time.  Glad to know I'm not the only throwback that likes the old musicals. Many said it was the best show the kids had put on in a while.  Even the men liked it and were waxing on about the production.

[Anonymous]

mum,

The thing I love about the Music Man, besides the great songs and Robert Preston, is it manages to poke fun at middle American silliness at the same time it has a real affection for it.

I drive my daughter crazy doing the "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" number from An American in Paris. She seems to prefer the original.

mum, I could have used a teach like you to replace some of the Miss Crabapples I had.  
How old are your inmates?

Good night all.

mudpuppy

[mum]

mud: these particular inmates were 5th graders but I teach art to the whole school.

[sleepyhead]

Welcome back GFN, your cabin sounds absolutely wonderful.... I think I need a holiday there! And Mudpuppy, I love almost all black and white films. When I was a kid I loved the old musicals, we had neither cable nor a VCR so I used to watch the old musicals on TV in the holidays. I am sure I'm a gay man trapped in a woman's body ! Apart from the musicals, anything with Lauren Bacall or Katherine Hepburn. And Hitchcock! I always loved Gaslights, alwyays identified with Ingrid Bergman... Wonder why... .

[mum]

Sleepyhead: "gay man trapped in a woman's body"....love it!!

[Brigid]

My vote for the best movie of all time would have to be "To Kill a Mockingbird", although I love most anything with Gregory Peck.  It was hard for me to get through the part with the rabid dog, but other than that it was perfection imo.  

I love the musicals, too.  My parents had the album from "My Fair Lady" when I was growing up and I used to dance and sing along with it.  Still know all the words by heart.  My son is a singer and had the role of Lieutenant Cable in "South Pacific" his senior year.  I would have to put "Singin in the Rain" at the top of the oldies, however.  In current times, "Phantom of the Opera" is my fav.

Thanks for the memories.

 Brigid

[Anonymous]

Hi mum and Sleepy,

mud: these particular inmates were 5th graders but I teach art to the whole school.

Sounds like fun, mum.
What branch of art do you prefer? I love to paint and carve wood, mostly wildlife and landscape stuff.

Sleepy wrote,

I am sure I'm a gay man trapped in a woman's body

Well I'm a fairly big, slightly rough around the edges kind of guy so its even trickier for me to tell anyone I like watching Gene Kelly prancing around in tight britches in Technicolor.
I haven't noticed my wife glancing at me strangely as we watch any musicals yet.       But I think maybe I'll go rent a couple of war flicks this weekend. Pork Chop Hill sounds good, lots of blood and guts. Its got Gregory Peck in it too, Brigid.

mudpup

[mum]

Hey, Mud.  I finally registered yesterday, and for some reason, things haven't been going through....we'll see.
In my classes, I teach everything...painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, etc, all entertwined with art history and criticism...but I am  
a "studio" based teacher (hands on....).  my personal favorites are printmaking (my major at art school) and drawing and clay (anything) but I get pretty psyched about whatever media we work with (if I didn't like it we would never do it....can't teach what you hate).
On my own, I prefer painting (water color and acrylic), drawing and clay sculpture.
Do you have any favorite artists?  I would guess you like: American or Hudson River School landscape paintings, and Charles Remington stuff....am I right? Check out Thomas Eakins.....bet you'd like him too.

[Anonymous]

Hi mum,
Good guess. I really like Thomas Moran, my favorite is probably George Innes. I like Eakins as well.
I'm not a huge western art afficiando, but I do enjoy Remington and Charles Russell.
My favorites among the old geezers are Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Tintoretto and Hieronymus(sp?) Bosch.
I really like a couple of modern sporting artists too; Ogden Pleissner and Robert Abbett.

This will probably make me sound like a luddite but modern art gives me a pain. Sorry, I've tried, nothing works. It still gives me a pain.

I have always preferred oils, partly because I love the smell of turpentine and partly because I can return again and again as my eye changes.
Watercolor is a challenge for me. I've done a couple I really like but usually I am not satisfied with them.
I really love wood; the smell and feel of it. I also enjoy making custom rifle and shotgun stocks.
I wish I could see some of your work. I hope its not all modern or I just stuck a big foot in my mouth, huh?.  

mudpup

[mum]

Hey< Mud!  As a teacher, I do it all, I appreciate it all.  Different strokes for different folks. My art is fairly accessible for most folks... even my more "modern stuff".  I have a friend who is one of the more well known abstract painters nowadays.  I love her stuff, although it is not representational at all.  Many people who don't like "modern" simply wish to have the work represent something real.  Nothing wrong with that.  Like I tell my students, the art police won't get you (there aren't any!)
I am not a fan of Western art at all, but I do like the fact that every person in a Remington sculpture is the same man.  That's pretty funny.

Are you a fan of Impressionism at all? I am curious, as so many people love Monet, but Mary Cassatt is my fav, for her compostition more than anything.  Sometimes I will like an artist's work, and then find out a lot about him/her and then hate the work, because I know what he/she did.
The one exception is Gauguin.  What a jerk he was (from most accounts) and yet, I still appreciate his work somehow.  His use of color, and composition.  I have a few favorite styles: later Cubism, Fauvism (early Mattisse and friends), Rene Magritte (surrealist...but not Dali, ugggh) and I love, just love Wassily Kandinsky (I don't think you would, from what you say).  I am surprised you like Bosch!  Yikes, his stuff creeps me out sometimes (like Dali's can).   I don't really like Jaques Lipshcitz, but you can't beat that name for cracking up a classroom!!!! I like Faith Ringold, too, for her story book like paintings...and my favorite illustrator is Chris Van Allsburg.  His drawings are masterful....and talk about arrangement on the page!!  Awesome.

Oh, boring, huh....got me talking about art!

[Anonymous]

mum,

Are you a fan of Impressionism at all?

Yes, but I pick and choose. Gaugin always gave me a pain even before I knew what a creep he was. I like Cassatt a lot and Pissarro too.

One guy I forgot to mention is Winslow Homer. One of my faves. What an original.

 

I am surprised you like Bosch! Yikes, his stuff creeps me out sometimes (like Dali's can).

Thats why I like it. I think it has something to with my Christianity. He really conveys the alieness of hell.

mud

[Anonymous]

Hi all:

Sorry for interupting Mud and Mum, but I have a really dumb question to ask Mud:

Mudpuppy, please what's the name of the thread where we were talking about apologizing and I went about pasting stuff from another thread and now can't seem to find it ...to see what you wrote back...if you did...which I imagine you did?????      Do you know the one I mean?

Thankyou so much.  I hate it when I post stuff and then promptly forget where the heck that was.  

Now, please go on with your discussion on art and artists...it is very interesting!!  

GFN

[mum]

Hey, GFN, it's the anything thread, remember?  Maybe we should call it the "what was I doing" or "what did I come in this room to get" or "where are my car keys" thread Just giving you a hard time.  I can't find or remember anything....I'm impressed you remember once there was a thread that......
I would say aging sucks, but I've always been an air head (too many other things to contemplate!!!!). Not that you are an airhead
Ok, I'll shut up now.

[Anonymous]

Hiya Mum:

No!  No!  Don't shut up!

I totally deserve it!

I only have one little tiny brain cell and it only functions part of the time (on a good day).

I swear....I'd forget my name if it wasn't embroidered on all my pillow cases!    Or is that my brief case??    I can't remember.

Guess I'll have to wait and see what Mudpuppy has to say.    

Deep breath.......brace myself..........alrighty then.........

GFN