Cars lined the driveway to the Butler Art Museum on Saturday
evening as well dressed people walked inside, where a suited
doorman took people's invitations. Inside, tables were
immaculately set with more silverware than many of us are
inclined to use at one meal. Individually boxed chocolates
sat beside ornate
plates. Waiters weaved between the tables carrying huge trays
of hors d'oeuvres that had everything from meats to skewered
fruits. In another room, a massively stocked bar stretched
out across the room.
I was glad I decided to dress in something a little more
formal than my usual ripped-up jeans and Led Zeppelin T-shirt.
The cause for the festivities: Painter Jane Seymour, of "Dr.
Quinn, Medicine Woman" fame, had chosen the Butler to
be the first museum in the United States to exhibit her paintings.
What's more, Seymour showed up for the event. Joe Lando
did not make an appearance. Sorry girls.
Colleen Ferguson was one of those in attendance for the event."This
dinner was my birthday present," Ferguson said. "Jane
Seymour is my favorite actress and I never thought that I'd
get to meet her in person."
Jeff Draime, one of the directors for the Butler Art Museum,
was also attending.
"This is a win-win situation," Draime said. "This
is Jane Seymore's first show so it creates both interest in
her artwork and in the Butler."
Her paintings seemed
idyllic and cheerful, bearing names like "Katie: A
Splash of Life" and "Country Cabin." Seymour's
paintings included self-portraits and scenes of her children
enjoying themselves. Seymour's work has been described
as "impressionist," meaning
she tries to capture the beauty of everyday life in a moment
of spontaneity. Impressionist artwork gets its punch from
the overall effect the painting has on the onlooker
rather than the details within it.
Standing close to her work was Seymour, hemm I managed
to sidetrack Seymour away from the endless parade of people
trying to get her attention to talk with her for a few
minutes inside the museum's gift shop where she was signing
stack after stack of her various children's books. I asked
my questions of Seymour
while the dinner attendees around me asked theirs. It was
a small press conference of sorts.
"When did you start painting?" I asked.
"Oh! What's this book about? It looks adorable," asked
a woman who stood inches
away from me.
Seymour answered both of the questions at once:
"I've
been painting my whole life, but I just started to seriously
do it about 13 years ago. That's a little children's book
I wrote to explain pregnancy to kids. It answers the questions
they ask like 'Why is mummy getting fat?'"
"How would you describe your artwork?" I asked.
"Ooh, this book looks cute!" said someone else.
"My artwork is joyful. I take my everyday experiences
like the places I go, the people I meet or my family and
I paint them. My artwork is very eclectic with what influences me," Seymour
said.
Seymour pointed out that the "cute book" in question
was intended to help children learn to read. Each page
of the small book had a single word with a picture that
illustrated it.
She addressed me again: "I've been described as an
American Impressionist, which is funny because I'm English.
Though, I should become a citizen here any day now."
"I heard that you were giving a dinner speech tonight.
Any idea on what you'll
talk about?" I asked.
Seymour stopped signing books for a moment. "Hmm," she
said. "No one told me
that I was going to have to speak tonight."
Crap. It was time to go.
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