*insert title here*
For the last post of this assignment, I wanted to talk about my favorite type of medium and share a poem of mine. I do not find myself discussing art too often because I do not know all the right words to use. I know poetry and writing are both types of art, but I am referring only to painting now. As I sit here drinking tea from my Vincent Van Gogh mug in my Van Gogh themed apartment, the only thing on my mind is oil paintings. So many artists dabble in oil paintings, and I love it. They are always my favorite stops to make in an art museum. While I lack the words to describe their complexity, I can explain why I LIKE their complexity. All types of art have a special thing about them; I cannot help but think of Vincent when I think of my poetic inspiration. Specifically, his work called, “Irises” comes to mind. I authored a poem about this one in my book:
whiff
Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s “Irises”
interesting
flora
some
gloriously
wonderfully
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strong
to the world
it may not be easy to
identify but fun to try
if you don’t know
you can enjoy
listening
I made my poem to resemble the shape of the painting that I will put in the space below. This portrait has been important to me ever since I went to the Van Gogh Museum when it traveled to Raleigh for a while. At this place, I learned why Vincent had a self-portrait with a bandaged ear. He was having such a rough time with his mental health and the creative pressure put on him at one point that he cut off his left ear and had to go to the hospital. This is about to sound crazy, but I found myself relating to him even more after reading that fact. I already adored him so much because of his creativity and inspiration, but to know that my biggest idol struggled with mental illness, too, is a feeling that I will never forget. I became obsessed with all things Van Gogh, and a lot of his work contains oil paint. Since knowing this, I have been drawn to all the oil paintings in every art museum I go to. As I mentioned, I do not deal with art a lot. I could not explain to you the reasons that artists choose oil paint over other kinds. I am also a fast walker if you will; I must always be on the move. However, certain oil paintings stop me in my track as times. So, at museums, I tend to have to concentrate on pacing myself and add a few more stops to read.
You think about it: oil painting is a bit like poetry. Maybe at first glance or when reading you do not see much. When you let yourself dive deeper into the trance, it is allowed to make you feel frustrated or sad…
