Having always been interested in Fine and Decorative Arts, I wanted to learn more about Art History in 2016. I started studying out of pure interest to educate my frequent visits to museums.
Now I cannot stop, having embarked on a journey which teaches me as much about visual arts and History as it does about myself and the way I see life.
But aren’t we all terribly time-deprived?? How is it possible to fit in studies in the time we don’t have?
Well, the beauty of studying as an adult is that you carve out the time because you know what’s good for you. I can’t help but thinking it comes with age…or with having kids!
Sitting at my computer, diving into my Art History course, Art of all pasts colour my everyday life perceptions. I come out a calmer and better version of myself. I would not give that up…like I would not give up running (more on this later).
In the Gardens of the Getty Museum, I encountered an artistic vision of what studying means to me, courtesy of artist Robert Irwin and his stylized trees.
My life responsibilities are the guiding – slightly industrial- ribbed iron bars on which year-round blossoms of bougainvillea trees (my studies) grow their paper-thin petals into ravishing Japanese parasol terminations. As they age and rust, the iron bars take on the color of natural-looking tree trunks as Art unifies and reconciles my worlds…and the grid has never looked better!
Don’t be scared, try something new or something you’ve always wanted to explore! There is a whole world at your fingertips…Nobody ever regrets trying.
© 2017 Ingrid Westlake
so very true what you say about trying…
trying can be terrifying but if i don’t try i’ll never know.
i shall keep this in mind as i venture forward into 2017
I have a feeling 2017 is going to be an amazing year, if we all try 🙂 The biggest surprise for me is how empowering trying can be : I am really glad this resonated with you too 🙂
I am lucky knowing these japonese art trees we discovered with you…Fabulous
I agree Ingrid. Time management skills do improve as you grow older – perhaps we appreciate time more as we recognise the paucity of it? I loved what you wrote about art unifying and reconciling your worlds – that’s so true.
Thank you, dear Amita…and when you think that our world has only collided virtually, I think it’s even more wonderful what art can do to each and everyone of us.
[…] Find out about Robert Irwin’s Garden at the Getty in my introductory blog post. […]
[…] It was no accident that I chose Robert Irwin’ s caged bougainvillea trees at the Getty Museum as opening picture to my first blog post then. […]