we decided to give ourselves a break today and go downtown and see Davies collection at our art museum. I could have stood all day in front of Renoir's La Parisienne. It was gorgeous and there was another Renoir called The Conversation, of a couple talking under a tree. It was in the warmer colors that he grew fond of in the last few years that he was able to paint. I can't imagine being able
to paint like this with arthritis so bad that brushes had to be strapped to his hands.

And the water lilies! The water literally shimmered in the sun and no matter how good print is, it could never reproduce that gorgeous explosion of light and color. I am so glad that I saw that particular Monet. We found it interesting that almost the same view of Venice was painted by Sickert and by Monet. The Sickert painting was in muddy greens and browns and the Monet was in the pastels that we expect of him.

There were two Manets but I was hoping to get to see the race track one but they were water views. There were a few Turners one Morisot, several Daumiers and some Cezanne and
Corots.

The Davies sisters bought a lot of art and it is normally in a museum in Wales. I thank them and think it was a lovely way to spend their money.

I guess that my favorite artists are Renoir, Monet, Morisot and Van Gogh. Somewhere in the mix, I would have to throw in Andrew and Jamie Wyeth. This exhibition was a real treat for us.

We went out to lunch afterward. I bought Rex a new purple collar and he looks handsome in it. He always misses us when we leave him. Happy Friday Jeri