Music in the Park c. 1935 - 1943

Ann Nooney made this print, "Music in the Park," and it feels like a memory, washed in greens, browns, and muted pastels. I love to imagine Nooney, outside, perhaps, with a sketchbook, absorbing the park's atmosphere. It’s so evocative; the scene emerges like a half-remembered dream. The trees are like quick strokes. I wonder, was it an etching? You know, that careful, almost meditative process of incising lines, creating tones and textures. I imagine her working the plate, thinking about how light filters through leaves, trying to capture that fleeting moment of joy. I'm thinking of other artists who explored similar themes like Edward Hopper, but Nooney brings a different kind of tenderness. It’s about the everyday, the simple pleasure of music on a summer night. As a painter, I find it inspiring how Nooney distills a complex scene into essential forms. It reminds me that art is about connection, about sharing a slice of life with others. That’s what art is, right? A big conversation across time.