I recently read somewhere that teens spend something like “almost all of their time” on the Internet. For all of the obvious reasons, this disturbs me. Which is not to say that I have figured out how to keep the Internet at a healthy distance myself. Far from it. I’m guilty of overexposing myself to … Continue reading White Noise
Why did my parents surround me with art as a kid? Why am I doing the same with my son? Some of my earliest memories involve art. I remember visits to Westminster Abbey, where I was amazed at the vaults soaring high overhead and was afraid of the effigies carved onto the tombs. I have … Continue reading What’s the Point, Really?
What is a work of art? Is it something physical that you can hold on to? Is it a story? Is it a piece of fine craftsmanship? Is it an idea? Many people have written about this, and I guess the answer is that it’s a combination of the above things. Honestly, though, I can’t … Continue reading A Modest, Beloved Work of Art
I’ve spent the last couple of months trying to balance a very busy working-parenting life with my inborn nesting instinct. Beginning around Thanksgiving, I feel an uncontrollable urge to hunker down—stock up on fire wood, cook caloric food, wear thick socks and snuggle under plush blankets—whether I’m in seventy degree New York, subzero Wisconsin, or … Continue reading Quietude
One summer several years ago, when my husband and I were under-employed graduate students with too much time on our hands, we bought a painting. Since we both love art and were bored, we got cracked on the idea that we should have more art in our house. Given our under-employed status, we weren’t in … Continue reading Craigslist, the Internet’s Garage Sale
After more than a month as an official Seattleite, life is finally starting to take on a rhythm and things are beginning to feel normal. Still, there are things that are taking some getting used to. There are wonderful things that I’m not sure I’ll ever take for granted, and less wonderful things that I’m … Continue reading Swapping Bruegel for Altdorfer
While the worlds of art and history keep rolling along, and while I learn about interesting arts-related topics that would be great to write about, my life is in a state of upheaval as I try to juggle work, caring for a toddler, and a cross-country move. As of next week, I will no longer … Continue reading Westward Ho!
Last week I was really sick. I had one of those illnesses (some sort of evil virus?) that made me weep when I tried to swallow and spiked my temperature. In the morning, I went upstairs to get dressed and inadvertently took a two-hour nap. One of those. Lucky for me, my husband was home … Continue reading The Joy of Seeing, The Joy of Creating
I have spent the last seventeen years—minus a brief stint in Minnesota—living in the East. Though my adult life has been spent among the rolling hills and forests and strip malls of the East, my heart is firmly entrenched in the open skies and yawning spaces of the Midwest. When I was a kid my … Continue reading Landscape, Memory, and Home
I am a bit hesitant to publicly admit my soft spot for Antiques Roadshow. But I have a blog now, so I guess it’s time to divulge some of my dirty secrets. When I was pregnant, my husband and I would look forward to Monday nights because Antiques Roadshow was on. He taught a writing … Continue reading Why Antiques Roadshow is the Best/Worst
Ellen A. Hurst 