Art is the Language of the Soul

There are many great artists out there. Some love to express a feeling, an event, an observation, or themselves. Which ever way they find needs and ways to express themselves, artists dare to visually proclaim things that we sometimes dare not say out loud. Occasionally I will post pictures of artists works as I like them and find them. Today I wish to talk about Lawrence Alma-Tadema and my current favorite piece of his Spring.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) was a European painter during the Romanticism period of art, and you tell by his style. He has painted many pieces, and you call see them all here.
The reason I'm even talking about him is beceause I went the the Getty Museum a month ago and I found one of his most gorgeuous pieces ever! I went again last Friday because I was to choose a piece for my Art 300 class (art for children), and write about it in a week. I went with a couple of friends, and right away I went to see if the piece that I fell in love with was still there, AND IT WAS!!!
Spring (1894) Oil on Canvas, is a beautiful painting that depicts the festival of Cerealia in a Roman street. One of Tadema's most famous and popular works, it took him four years to complete. The models for many of the participants and spectators were Tadema's friends and members of his family. It's really hard for you to see all of the details in the one clip that I provided, but a lot is happening. There are people on the sorrouding buildings throwing flowers, and there are people on the streets, throwing more flowers all around. If you ever get a chance to see it for your self, it will look as thoug the flowers were glued on the painting. His painting style is just magnificent. He placed a lot of attention to detail that its just too realistic. When I look at it, the first thing that draws me in are the flowered rifes on the heads of the women in the street. I really admire him for his work. There are many more beautiful paintings of his, but this one just beats them all. The actually painting is 70.25 X 31.5 inches. It's really BIG!!! It's magnificantly crafted and it was made during the hight of Alma-Tadema's carrer.
I loved it sooo much that I bought a 11X17 print and 2 post cards of the same print while I was at the Getty (one of the post cards is going to be used for my report/critique). The 11X17 is taped next to my closet door, under my Tinker Bell calender. I hope to get a frame for it in the future.

People need a little bit of art in their lives. Take the time to go to a museum, a park with outsider art, or create a little bit art of your own. You never know, you might blossom a talent you didn't know you had. So I ask that you make a collage, draw, paint, smear, break, or mold something. It could be life changing, or it can help releive stress. It has for me in this looooong semester.