Landscapes

Art comes in many different forms, often accompanied by people, but there are some art forms that are not. Landscapes and still lifes are more complex, as when there are people in painting, its easier to see the story that the art trying to tell. Landscapes are made to be interpretative by the viewer, but understanding the artists point of view when the piece was created can also be helpful. It may allow for more emotions to be provoked, as well as just add another level of understanding.

"Panoramas are almost always idealized... or even entirely imaginary. It's all about what the author wants you to see" (Idema 3). Landscape painting are not simply that- they are expressions of creativity and imagination. The point of art has always been about how an artist can express themselves, and about how the people looking at them interpret the art. Being able to see how someone could come up with an entire piece of scenery is very important to understanding the purpose and meaning behind it.

The time period also has an effect on what a landscape can stand for. Johan Idema wrote about how landscapes developed, starting with precision, but moved closer to impressionism as time went on (3). Art is something that is constantly developing and changing, so the art style used can easily have an effect on your interpretation of the piece.

Trying to put myself in the artists place, and playing closer attention to details helped me understand the landscapes better. Learning about the time period that it was made, while also noticing those small, little additions made me also appreciate it more. I often felt nostalgic while looking at the art, which was surprising, as I never found myself to be drawn towards nature, but also felt natural. Using different point of views helped me understand it more as well.

What is your favorite landscape painting?

Idema, Johan. How to Visit an Art Museum: Tips for a Truly Rewarding Visit. BIS Publishers, 2014.

Landscape Photography

Hello friends, I decided to walk on my local trail and take some pictures of the landscape and nature. I was inspired by a comment on one of my previous posts talking about landscape and nature. In this post, I'm going to be talking about landscape.

So before I even got into the park and onto the trail, I saw a good opportunity to get a good landscape shot, as you can see here:

The entrance to Soos Creek Trail.

I felt like this shot was good but I'm unsure if its a great example of landscape. I do like the look of perspective though as you look down the trail. I think this next picture is a better example.

A river down the trail that goes under a bridge.

As I was walking down I saw a river that lead under a bridge and I felt this would be a good subject for landscape. I think this picture was better because you get a wide shot of the whole scene without as many obstructions like in the first picture. This one also has a good perspective on the river. 

After this little adventure, I was feeling a lot better, as I was a bit frustrated at all the homework I had to do. Not only that I also was able to complete all my blogs in one trip which is a pretty good bonus :D. I also realized that landscape and perspective really go hand-in-hand.

On that note, what kind of subjects do you like to take pictures of. This question is a bit similar to my last one, but I'm curious.