"Window to the World" Trip

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Eid al Adha holiday. During the holiday, I traveled to France and England, and had a great time. And what better time to enjoy art than while traveling!! Europe is full of interesting art museums and galleries, and I was able to visit a few of them. Besides viewing great art, traveling is also a great opportunity to make art yourself! Sketching what you see while traveling helps you to see it in greater detail, plus it is fun and develops drawing skills. It is also great to do other kinds of art while traveling, but that depends on what materials you have with you. This time I brought some art supplies with me. You might think about making a portable art kit to bring along with you and your child.

 

This week, I am sharing some photos of my trip with all of my classes. You can see some of my trip photos below. You can also see some of them on our art room Instagram mskristasartists.

Henri Matisse

Paul Klee

    

Wassily Kandinsky

 

 

The above paintings were in London, at the Tate Modern.

 

Looking at art in a museum is a completely different experience from looking at it on a screen or as a photo. This week, I showed my student artists the following two artworks.

 

In the first one, it is difficult to tell by the photo whether the artwork is flat or 3D, and it is especially difficult to tell what material(s) it is made out of. After discussing several possibilities, we watched a video I made of the artwork. The video included side views. Then, we discussed how it was more clear what the artwork consisted of when viewing it from all sides. In the same way, many artworks are best enjoyed and understood in person.

 

 

 

In the next one, we looked at a surprise I found when viewing a painting with a shiny surface. There is another boat which fades into the background, and the shiny paint amplifies that effect so much that it nearly dissappears! This fun little effect would not be appreciated if I hadn't been looking carefully at the artwork in person!

 

 

On my trip, I also looked for artwork which was in the world around me, not just artwork in museums. I found beautiful architecture. This week some of my classes compared the style of architecture in the pictures I shared. I also found some outdoor sculptures. Outdoor art is wonderful because it is easy for everyone to enjoy! Below are a few examples. Where have you seen beautiful architecture? Where have you seen outdoor art? You could try making a temporary outdoor sculpture with your child.

 

 

 Finally, when traveling it is a great time to make art! Or at least, to jot down some ideas to use later! I brought a sketchbook and did some drawing. I shared this with my student artists this week too. In class, they all have a sketchbook for practice and preparation. I recommend that they keep a sketchbook at home also.