Andrew Wyeth Art Pilgrimage in Maine

Maybe I should name my bike Christina.

We've been up here in Maine all week and the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual fireworks have been quite scary and dazzling at the same time. But I'll let the photos and video of a 45 mile round trip bike ride from Camden to Cushing, Maine tell the tale. I was moved to point the bike to Cushing because that's where one of the quintessentially American painters--Andrew Wyeth--painted many of his quintessentially American paintings including "Christina's World."

This painting and literally being in "Christina's World" moved me.

It's one thing to read about something--and Wyeth's biography titled "A Secret Life" is fascinating--but nothing compares to actually soaking in something by being there.

There's always the risk of disappointment when you go to a place (that effectively removes part of it from your imagination), but the trip to the Olson House in Cushing was utterly uplifting.

The house just breaths. Here's a second floor window that Wyeth painted (next photo).

I had a wonderful private tour with a nice grey haired lady, and the added bonus of learning that the girl who works the cash register there, didn't want to go into the house by herself. She told me being in there gave her the willies.

Am I the only one that thinks this is cool?

Love it. I didn't get the willies. I had goose bumps. Here's the second floor bedroom where Wyeth painted Christina's World.

Wyeth's simple room to paint.

It's been decades since Wyeth painted there, and since Christina and her brother Alvero lived there, but Al's small second floor bedroom where Wyeth painted still vibrates with creative mojo.

The front door.

Being there is the bomb.

The watercolor of the front door.

Here's just a bit more musing on art and perspective.

As you can see when you compare the images, here's the exact spot where Wyeth placed Christina. The trees have grown since.