Friday's art website - ARTCYCLOPEDIA MUSEUM LISTINGS

With summer travel plans being discussed, why not add an art museum to your list? Artcyclopedia has a directory of all the art museums in the United States. You can select a state to look at all the museums by cities within that state. The museums are also listed with their website links.

Friday's art website: Art Project, powered by Google

How would you like to view museums from around the world, explore artworks at very detailed levels, and create your own gallery of masterpieces? Welcome to the Art Project by Google, a compilation of over a dozen of the worlds' greatest museums and their art. Users can "tour" the museums just as if they were there in person. Viewers can also zoom in on a painting to get more information, or can view videos about the piece on You Tube. This website is truly interactive! It is more than just a place to see art, it is a place to experience art.

Friday's art themed article: 5 steps to art appreciation

I still remember when I was first invited to an art gallery by my friends and my instinctive reaction was a feeling of apprehension. It was a strange feeling as I have always loved art especially paintings, so why the anxiety. It dawned on me that I was not worried about experiencing the paintings but how to react to them, what to say and how to converse about them so as to not look like a complete moron to my friends.

This very unusual problem led me to explore and find a simple and down-to-earth approach to art appreciation. The idea is to demystify the process and make it easy to enjoy art. Here are some steps that I came up with to make it an easy learning experience

Tip No. 1 Make it a habit to observe and appreciate art

In order to understand your own specific interests and inclinations in art, develop a habit of observing seriously any art object that you come across be it a painting or a sculpture. We often overlook art objects sitting right in front of us. How many of us honestly take some of the free minutes in our office to look at the paintings on our office walls.

If we spend sometime in observing and appreciating art that we are exposed to in everyday life, we will learn a great deal about what things attract and appeal to us the most and also what are the things that you dislike. In a nutshell you will understand more clearly your likes and dislikes in art

Tip No. 2 Develop your own unique art sense

Once you have spent some time in examining your own preferences in art, you can move towards understanding the forms of visual art that connect with you most. For some it is the lifelike representations in sculpture and for others it is the ability of a painter to depict a memory in vivid colors. To many of us all art forms are a treat for the senses and a tribute to the efforts of the artist

As you organize your own reactions to different forms of art, you will learn to recognize small differences and minor variations of colors and shapes that make a painting likeable or not so appealing to you

Tip No. 3 Research the pieces that you like

Now that you have an understanding of the colors, shapes and styles that interest you the most you should research these further to see if they represent a specific art style or a particular form of art, for example in paintings it could be abstracts, figurative or a combination of colors and theme that represent a definite pattern and style of painting

As you progress further, this research will help you to find more and more distinctively the artists and the media that you like the most. Many a times the styles and colors that appeal to us have a special meaning for us and may originate from a specific region of the world or maybe an art form that we were exposed to early in life and has left a significant impression on us. Sometimes it is the art that you experienced on a great vacation that left great memories and gave you a strong liking for it for life, the reasons for liking some art form are endless some thought to it may give you some clues

Tip No. 4 Refine your art sense

You have already explored and created your own art personality and are equipped with the knowledge of the styles of art that appeal to you the most. Your research has provided you with enough information to feel confidant to give reactions to different styles and also decide what appeals to you in different paintings whether it is the artist's attempt to express his feelings or the emotions the painting evokes in you.

A very important tool that can help to refine your art sense is to keep an art journal. Before you get put off by this seemingly complex work let me quickly point out that it is the simplest form of keeping a dairy. It is a log of the art pieces that you see and your reactions to each piece, this log can be an important means in refining and enriching your unique art sense. Another important benefit of this art journal is that it can serve as a very effective way of relieving stress. No kidding...keeping an art journal is one of the key activities in art therapy which is a form of therapy that uses creativity and art in the healing process

Tip No. 5 Open up to new experiences in art

The last and most significant tip in the art appreciation process is to keep your mind open and receptive to new art experiences. One of the disadvantages of having developed a definite pattern of likes and dislikes in your art personality is to get trapped in this pattern. Do not cage yourself in this citadel of your own creation but remain open to new and totally different creations and art forms.

The whole purpose of art appreciation is to open your subconscious mind to be receptive to new experiences and creations. You will be amazed when you read your own art log as time passes to see your tastes change over time to different themes and styles. Always remember that the objective of art appreciation is to recognize and understand your own love of art and artistry.

For more info please email the author at anudarbha@paintandcraft.com

If you are an art lover please visit my art related websites http://www.artseden.com and http://www.paintandcraft.com for a unique art experience

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anu_Darbha

Friday's art themed website: THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

Can't make it to New York City any time soon? How about a virtual tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 "to be located in the City of New York, for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in said city a Museum and library of art, of encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts, and the application of arts to manufacture and practical life, of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects, and, to that end, of furnishing popular instruction." Today, the museum maintains a vast collection of two and three dimensional art and welcomes over 5 million visitors a year.

Friday's art themed website: ARTCYCLOPEDIA MUSEUM LISTINGS

*For those new to the Cow Art and More blog, every Friday, gallery jewelry artist and blog writer Kathy Swift shares an art themed website or article with readers.*

With summer travel plans being discussed, why not add an art museum to your list? Artcyclopedia has a directory of all the art museums in the United States. You can select a state to look at all the museums by cities within that state. The museums are also listed with their website links.

Friday's website of art interest: THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM

The Smithsonian American Art Museum, is today's art website of interest. It is the nation's first collection of American art, and is an unparalleled record of the American experience. The collection captures the aspirations, character and imagination of the American people throughout three centuries. The American Art Museum is the home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. Its artworks reveal key aspects of America's rich artistic and cultural history from the colonial period to today. More than 7,000 artists are represented in the collection.

In addition to a robust exhibition program in Washington, D.C., the Museum maintains a highly regarded traveling exhibition program. It has circulated hundreds of exhibitions since the program was established in 1951. From 2000 to 2005, museum staff have organized 14 exhibitions of more than 1,000 major artworks from American Art's permanent collection that traveled to 105 venues across the United States. More than 2.5 million visitors saw these exhibitions. The Museum had three major exhibitions touring the U.S. in 2009. The museum staff also produces a series of podcasts, also available through iTunes, which feature voices of artists, curators, and students.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: THE LOUVRE

*For those new to the Cow Art and More blog, every Friday, Kathy shares an art themed website or article with readers*

Can't make it to Paris to see the Mona Lisa? How about taking a tour from your chair! The Louvre museum has a beautiful website that allows people to take virtual tours of the art collections. The site discusses the exhibits, permanent collections and also gives the lecture schedules. Visitors can also view movies and purchase DVD's for home viewing. It's almost as exciting as seeing the Mona Lisa in person!