Breaking Home Ties

I saw this painting for the first time a couple months ago in a news story. The original was found behind a fake wall in the home of a man who had died. It is called "Breaking Home Ties" by Norman Rockwell.
There are a few things that struck me about this painting when I first saw it. First, the detail in the painting is amazing. The contrast in the old, weathered face and hands of the father and the youthful excitement in the face of the boy headed off to college. The man seems like the type who has lived by the sweat of brow for a long time. He strikes me as the kind of man who will see his son off with a handshake instead of a hug. Notice that the boy is looking for the train and the old man is looking back toward home.
Looking at this picture today I noticed something I hadn't before; The old man is holding his hat in his hand but he is also holding the boy's hat. His last attempt to hold on to his son. Maybe he knows that he won't see him again for a long time. maybe he knows that his son will not follow in his footsteps.
I have at least 12 years until this scene becomes a reality for me but it hits home.

What do you see?

Girl With a Pearl Earring

I watched a movie last night called "Girl With a Pearl Earring". The story is about a girl who becomes a servant in the house of a Dutch painter in the mid 1600s. the movie, I felt, gave some insight into artists and how the creative process is fostered. If not for that fact, I probably could not have endured more than 20 minutes of it.

The interesting thing to me was that the story revolves around an actual painting. The painting inspired a novel and the novel was made into a movie. I thought that was the coolest thing. I would love to be able to see art inspire art more often. To write a song about a painting or a picture or paint a picture inspired by a short story. To see creativity cross-pollinate. That would be cool.