Away From Home - Baltimore!

John, Mary, and Addie (the one posing)

Baltimore is the place Addie has chosen to live.  On Friday morning she graduated from college and on Saturday morning she moved in to her house in Charles Village.  After we hauled her stuff, she gave us a walking tour of her new neighborhood, a several block radius of early 20th century row houses, and funky shops and restaurants; facades and porches are painted brilliant, offbeat colors, especially vivid in the bright beautiful day.  We like Addie's new digs.  I can't imagine her anywhere else, for now.  

Addie and John

We continued a short distance to the Baltimore Museum of Art to see the Matisse collection - my idea, but they were happy to join me, John, Mary, and Addie.  We like museums.  I'm thinking how lucky I am that Mary, who lives in DC, and Addie are so conveniently close to world class art museums - for when I visit them, or . . . for when I need a place to stay while visiting the museums.  But anyway, Matisse was as dazzling as ever.  I was star-struck, in awe, and content.  

We talked all about Matisse, Charles Village, and what is Addie going to do now? over gluten-free Indian food and cupcakes (what?) at Sweet 27.  (We didn't miss the gluten.)  One day away from graduation, Addie is in the phase of, "Well, I'm going to make a plan to make a plan . . . "  So she's on her way.  Each of us offered our own kind of support and encouragement:  John is confident that, "whatever, she's going to be just fine."  Mary, her older sister, is honest and practical in her recent, similar experience, sure that, "well, reality will hit and . . . "  And I am hopeful, while confident that Addie is off-beat and brilliant like the colors of her neighborhood.

On leaving the restaurant I took this photo of the facade.  We strolled away while I reviewed the image and I was startled at the Matisse-like quality of the design and color.  I scanned through the other images of the row houses and saw that all the colors are Matisse colors, as if Charles Village was his canvas and his Fauvist, Impressionist, Abstract Expressionist palate highlighted roof peaks, turrets, columns, porch rails and steps.  It is all so whimsical.  

Sweet 27 Cupcakes and Cafe

I made some color comparisons.  I can't help but think the residents looked to Matisse for inspiration:    

Young Woman in a Blue Blouse, Portrait of L.N.  Delektorskaya

Matisse

1939

Charles Village row houses

Henri Matisse

Place des Lices, St. Tropez

1904

Charles Village row houses

Henri Matisse

Portrait of L. N. Delekorskaya

1947

 

Henri Matisse

Still Life With Lemons

1943

Henri Matisse

The Snail

1953