Painting Part 2

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

~Edgar Degas

Dance Class- Degas

For part 2 of painting I’m going to talk about my second favorite period Impressionism.  I love impressionist paintings for the broad range of color and the different technique.  Moving away from the humanistic approach of the renaissance through baroque periods, impressionism was a fresh new approach involving beautiful landscapes and a different perspective. 

Impressionism seen as a realist period was at first condemned.  Started by a group of Paris artists who had a problem with the way art was being accepted in the city impressionism was born as a response to the harsh rules set in place by a intuition know as The Academy.  This academy was against the rising use of a realistic point of view in many of the paintings and refused to show the paintings in their shows.  Angry the group of artists held their own shows to showcase their controversial pieces.  While it was still made fun of having annual shows like this eventually won people over to the ways of impressionism.  Compared to the other paintings being sow around this time impressionism was a radical new change.  

Le Coucher Du Soleil La Seine- Monet

Characterize by its use of complementary colors, soft natural lights and less blending than previous; impressionism gained its popularity in the late 1800’s and had many well-known artists attributed to the movement.  There was an emphasis on natural light, not using the color black (although some still did), working in natural settings outside, and a need to capture the essence of a painting not the details.  Capturing the essence of what they were using as a model was the whole point of impressionist paintings.  They wanted to capture the feeling of landscape or the model, what they thought one should feel. 

Garden Argenteil- Monet

Waiting- Degas

I have two favorite painters in this movement and they would be Monet and Edgar Degas.  Monet was known for his colorful landscapes featuring many different places around France.  He was consider the essential impressionist painter who fully embodied what they wanted and stood for.  Edgar Degas is known for his many ballet paintings and sculptures showing different dancers in various forms even on stage.  Although he hated the term he is one of the most world-renowned impressionist painters.   Both artists were known for participating in the impressionist exhibits held once a year and actually had paintings in many years in a row.

Rehearsal on the Stage- Degas

I first discovered impressionism in my sophomore year art class.  After watching movies on the painters we were to create an oil pastel of anything we wanted and I, inspired by the impressionist paintings, choose to do a Monet painting I found on a postcard.  It was an interesting project and I liked it a lot so I did another one my senior year in my independent art class at first I wanted to a Degas but ended up going with another Monet.

Lilies - Monet

 Impressionism has always been a form of art I admired but I truly fell in love after that project.  The bright colors and use of brush stokes made every painting I came across very intriguing.  The landscapes used colors I originally had never thought of, the tones had a usually positive nature, and the way everything looked dotted makes it fun.  Impressionism implies that we can take away anything we want from the paintings in my opinion it means it makes a different impression on different people.  In my case it said give me a try and I decided that it was the form of art I could love and try and master. 

Ballet Rehearsal- Degas

Sunrise- Monet

What do you like about Impressionism??

Painting Part 1

“Known as the symbol of genius and insanity, He broke all rules risking his own life”

~ Alessio Boni

Supper at Emmaus

So this next one is going to be a two-part thing but both comparing and contrasting two styles of painting with the ones that occurred before them.  I promise it will make more sense once I start. 

The Entombment of Christ

And yes, I am finally going to talk about my favorite form of art and trust me I have a lot to say! Lets start off with the Baroque period.  Which happened to follow the Renaissance and mannerist periods.  This period is most related to the deep contrast of lighting and deep displays of emotions.  The dramatics of the lighting and content makes this my favorite period and contains my favorite artist Caravaggio.   

Judith Beheading Holofernes

Like the Renaissance the baroque period was full of amazing painters who mastered the art form making everything look very realistic and colorful.  But the baroque period developed into a time to show ones ability to master color, brightness, and shadow.  This was shown by all the beautiful paintings that came form this time period.  The Renaissance was a time period displaying the advances Europe had made intellectually, philosophically, and artistically.  It was the basis for all that followed including the Baroque time, which played on the basics of Renaissance paintings and then built upon it.  The paintings themselves still related to either religion or Greek antiquity but tells even more dramatic stories and the lighting just enhances that even more. 

Boy with a Basket of Fruit

Now the master of the this period to me is Caravaggio, whose personal life fell into the troubled artist stereotype but also made for some deeply emotional paintings showing the most expressive emotions.  Even with a troubled personal life involving many fights and a price on his head he still managed to create surprisingly realistic paintings with natural life like characters.  The dramatics of his life, which involved a warrant from the pope, helped to aid in the dramatics of his paintings showing the great emotion going on inside his head.  Influencing many different artists after his death he is considered a father of the baroque movement.  His paintings are distinct in the way that the shadows are drawn out and the subject is always in the light making the subject easy to find.  Another aspect is that there is always and opening, meaning that is several of his paintings it seems there is a place for the viewer in the painting.  Whether it be an open seat or at a table there is always an opening for the view to feel as if they are a part of the painting. 

The Calling of St. Matthew

I discovered Caravaggio rather late compared to my other favorite artists.  I discovered him in my high school art history class.  Where I completely fell in love with his use of light.  The shadows of the painting were almost black and the light showed off the subject.  They were almost always highly dramatic or theatrical and had a natural realistic take to them.  His use of lighting and dramatics influenced my love for the baroque and actually was the start of it.  He showed that it was ok for me to be dramatic my art sometimes and was a role model for how I should not live my life in the future even if it will give me an artistic edge. 

St. Jerome

How do you feel about the dramatics of the Baroque period? Is it something you find interesting like me?

It's Called Body Art for a Reason

When the designs are chosen with care, tattoos have a power and magic all their own.  They decorate the body but they also enhance the soul. 

                ~Michelle Delio

This time I’m going to change things up a bit.  I want to talk about something I believe is an art form and not about someone who mastered it just a slight history and my personal opinion. 

Tattoos! In my opinion one of the greatest forms of self-expression and individualism.  When done right they show ones creativity and even loves.  And I’m not talking about the tattoos you get to be spontaneous and daring but the ones that deep meaning for the one getting it.  The ones who spent years thinking about what they wanted so it would be perfect. Those who put a lot of time into the design and finding someone who could do it perfectly. 

Tattoos are not something usually seen as a form of art but when one is done well and has meaning then I believe it is a work of art just on a different medium, ones body instead of marble or canvass.

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years and play a role in history.  Usually done for religious or punishment even therapeutic reasons.  And not at all using the modern technology for putting it on that we have today.  This process was probably even more painful using an extremely sharp stick and ink to place the tattoo dot by dot. This practice is even still used today but in more remote places and still usually for religious practices. Henna for example is still used heavily today for religious ceremonies in India and is even used for recreational reasons in several places including the U.S.   It’s a pain free, nonpermanent alternative to use. 

More recently they have gained popularity and are something a growing majority of people are getting.  They are an easy way for one to express themselves the way one wants.  While they are most often times seen as a form of being anti conventional I believe they speak to the way one is.  But the downside is unfortunately they come with a particular stigma. They are often times looked down upon and have been stereotyped for many years.  That those with tattoos are the outcasts of society and are not professional, something I am told whenever I express my feelings on tattoos myself.  In my opinion tattoos are the way to express yourself as an individual even if you think you do not have artistic ability. Which is the one of the reasons to get one to me if the creativity of that tattoo describes ones creativity and the artistic ability of the artist. The tattoos on this page speak to the artists ability and structure but also to the person getting it.  They speak about who the person is and what they see themselves as. By the care that was put into them you know it is something highly important and show who the person is without even having to speak to them or see their face.  But the growing popularity of tattoos shows that I am not one of the only people to think this way and that a growing number are beginning to think the same thing.  Hopefully in the near future the stigma will have vanished and people will have the freedom to express their creativity in any way possible. 

 

Personally, I do not have any tattoos…yet! I do plan on having a couple but have to wait a little longer to get one.  My father and brother both have a couple and my sister and I are planning on having a couple ourselves.  The tattoos we want or have are ones that had meaning for ourselves and were personal choices something I believe all tattoos should be.  A personal choice to show ones imagination and creativity in a new and exciting medium.  Despite the level of talent someone thinks they contain. 

Do you have any tattoos? If so, what do they mean to you?