The year 1873 was when Claude Monet became enchanted by the beauty of the lake in Giverny. He began painting this particular subject, and the fascination became a full-time love of the natural world that would endure all of his life. The most well-known work of his can be described as “Water Lilies,” and it is a true inspiration to me.
While visiting Boston during the month of March I spent the majority of my spare time contemplating Claude Monet, after spending the majority of a Sunday in his exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts. The way woodwork near me Monet captured texture and light in every painting he painted fascinated me. For instance, in the Water Lilies painting, I observed that it appeared like flowers floating on the water’s surface, like mirrors reflecting not only their own reflections but also the surrounding.
As long as I’ve been able to remember I’ve learned the most by observation. Being able to observe someone at their best regardless of the topic is, has always been the best lesson I have learned. Although I was not in the museum to watch Monet’s brush strokes however, I was able observe his work from up close and even take photos to close in for an even closer view. Each time I looked at his work, it fascinated me. I even bought an unpublished book on Monet’s work to allow me to keep my eye on the work outside of the museum.
I came back from Boston just enough time to make it to the last plein-air course of the year (since then, the summer has begun). My first day returning to the landscape in front of me something was distinct. I usually jump into the process of creating when my feet are on the location I’ve chosen to paint that day. But this time, I was sitting… and then did the same. For almost an hour, all I could do was take everything in, the nature in all its shapes, the sounds in my vicinity, as well as my personal thoughts. I was thinking particularly about how Monet would have painted the foreground. depicting the various kinds of textures, and reflected how light was reflected on every tree, mountain, and rock. Everything I learned during the Monet exhibit affected the way that I would normally paint the landscape in front of me.
After a few minutes of sitting I worked at seven and half straight hours. Never before had I paid more concentration to the turned wood bowls fine details that was before me than I did when painting this scene. As the sun moved through during the daylight, my work was surrounded by an ethereal illumination that appeared as if it came from my own inner. It was like there were lamps burning within me that illuminating all around them and created a serene environment that felt alive. It’s very easy to lose yourself in your paint as your mind tends to wander freely, but taking time to relax helped keep me grounded and gave myself to let my creativity flow. emerged naturally, without any pressure or preconceived notions of what I wanted to portray on the canvas. It was simply merging with all the elements around me including sky, water and earth. I was having loads of having fun!
I left my day of long-winded painting with a greater appreciation and understanding of the artists before me, and especially the likes of Monet who fought through a lot of criticism in order to create the artwork that he adored. It’s not easy to createIt takes a lot of perseverance to push past the mind’s usual musings for the sake of creating. I don’t just put pen to paper and instead, my mind is in a constant loop of responding internally [to questions like “how”] and externally [mostly through creating what.
In all honesty, I am thrilled to not just keep learning about other artist’s work, but use it in my own work. I’ve never been more than I do now!