"Line and Space"

Obviously, I didn't take this picture but found it fun and helpful in applying this weeks lessons and terms.

Leonardo da Vinci said, "The most praiseworthy form of painting is one that resembles itself." Week 5's lecture opened my eyes to how much lines really have to do with the way we feel or view an artistic creation. It all began when I was asked to look at a fun squiggly line and a jagged line. I was surprised to see how different I "felt" about each line without thinking twice or knowing why at the time. They truly did have moods of their own! As I marched on through my week, I payed close attention to how lines and space affected how I saw the world around me. I've been pretty sick over the last week and a half, so I haven't really had the chance to get out of the house, but I pictured visions full of linear perspective as possibly seen through the rear view mirror of my soccer mom van. As I've mentioned before, I take a lot of pictures and often play around with the different camera settings and have found that sometimes when I focus on a close up of an object or even one of my kiddos, the background appears to be a little blurry. Now, I can see how this might be a close relative if not indicative of atmospheric perspective. And next time we walk along the beach where the water meets the land, I can tell my husband we're following a contour line. He might think I'm a little loony, but it will be true! :) This class has really opened mhy eyes to a whole new world. The tree lines are no longer simple tree lines...I search for dynamic vertical thrusts as in Paul Cézanne, Chestnut Trees at the Jas de Bouffan, 1885-1886 I look in the distance beyond the trees for some kind of vanishing point. (And that's just one example!) This week has definitley opened my eyes to a new perspective, that's for sure!!