Arboretum!

I had no idea that this thing called the Arboretum even existed before last week, and I didn't what to expect when told that we needed to meet there. It was really cold, I was lost, and I wasn't going to make it to class on time since I had just come from work, so I almost turned around and took an excused absence day. I'm glad I didn't, though. The Arboretum is a really beautiful place with so many different things to look at. It's quiet and it makes you just stop and think for a minute about what you're missing out when you live life on fast forward.

While there, I saw so many different types of flowers and plants that I've never seen before, or didn't expect to see up here at Penn State. For example, there was this huge tropical elephant ear type plant that you'd see in places with temperatures similar to Florida... I have no idea how they even grow here! I'd be interested to find out how they deal with those types of plants during the winter.

Although it's not too uncommon, I found the sunflower field really interesting to look at (even though a lot of them were wilted). There was one area of the sunflower field that was right next to a pathway, and in the distance there was absolutely nothing. Just field. It was really inviting and peaceful. It reminded me of a scene from an old movie like The Man On the Moon, or something like that.

They were also building a rose garden in the front end of the Arboretum; I'm anxious to see how that will turn out. With all the other beautiful things that they have there, I'm sure that it will be an amazing part of the whole place, and will add a nice touch; like the icing on the cake!

I definitely will have to go back to this place again; it was a really relaxing experience. I'm really glad that our English class took the field trip to see it! Even though it's only a five minute walk from my dorm, there's no way I would have heard about it otherwise. Next time I want to just get away from all the hustle and bustle of State College, I will keep the Arboretum in mind.

On Friday, September 7, our English class visited the Palmer Museum of Art. There were a lot of pieces in the Palmer that really drew me in, but the one I chose to write about is  The Brook in Winter by William Francis Taylor. This piece does not have a date, but the artist lived between 1883- 1970, so it was done during those years at some point.

This piece was painted from oil on the canvas. It is a serene and simple painting of a creek in the woods with show surrounding it on the ground. There are many trees on either side, along with some bushes. It is bright, as if it were taking place during the day. Although you can tell by just looking at it that the landscape is cold, the mood is warm. It seems inviting to look at; not a cold, depressing winter scene. That may be why I was drawn to it, he made a really beautiful piece of art out of something that would normally be considered bleak and uninviting. 

I don't believe this piece has any political ties. I think the artist simply saw a beautiful, serene area in the woods, and wanted to be able to share that moment with the people who viewed his art. Since there isn't a date, I can't say anything about the time it was created as far as the year. I can, however, say that it was done on a cold, winter day. The snow had already fallen when the piece was created, it was just lying on the ground, so it was probably incredibly quiet and calming, which is the exact mood that the artist conveyed. 

The emotional ties to this are peaceful, calming, serene, tranquil anything like that. When you look at it, you feel as if you're in the artist's place you see the same stillness that he felt while he was there. I am not a person who needs to be moving all the time to be happy; I enjoy sitting down every once in a while and just enjoying the view. This is probably why it connected to me the way it did. If I had the opportunity to go to that place and take the whole scene in, I definitely would. 

William Francis Taylor, the artist, was a professional artist known for is paintings of the Delaware River. He was credible and well- known for his landscape paintings. He paints to show the beauty of nature in all of his paintings, not to make any claims, though, including in this one. I don't think that this piece is trying to prove a point or make any claims at all. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the visit to the Palmer. I like looking at different types of art and seeing all the different styles and moods that the artists portray. I also liked the garden right outside of the museum; it's very relaxing! I definitely will be going back soon. 

Everything on this blog was chosen for a reason. I chose the background because of the course description, The Arts at Penn State. This background reminded me of a modern art piece, which I found highly appropriate for the course. I chose this font because it seemed informal, yet readable.

I picked this title because it is one of my favorite quotes. I think you should do whatever it is that makes you happy, and if that is art, then go for it. I thought that since I am an arts lover, a quote about happiness on my Arts Blog was also a good choice.

I did not include a link list, at least for now, just because I didn't think any were necessary at this point. I included a very vague "About Me" page because I think that if someone wants to really get to know me, they should not do so over the internet. I did, however, include a picture of myself and my dog, because my dog is a big part of my life, and I love animals!