Personal Significance of Art
Art has always been one of the most beloved types of entertainment, both for those practicing and observing it. Up until recently, I used to be solely an observer. However, a few months ago, I started trying some simple forms of painting, such as watercolors, acrylic on glass, and string painting. Doing art allows people to relax, have a pleasant time, and find those who have interests common to theirs.
Inspiration Piece
Flaming June is an oil on canvas painting by Frederick Leighton, created in 1895. According to the artist, he wanted to represent “a personification of summer heat” (Leighton, 1895). In this piece, Leighton wanted to show the perfection of both the figure and her garments (Jacobus & Martin, 2018). The painting gives a sense of serenity and warmth, with the beautiful model sleeping peacefully on a hot summer day.
My Art Piece
Inspired by Leighton’s painting, I wanted to create something light and bright, with the same wave-like image pleasing the eye. I called my painting Dancing Flames as I used warm colors of a burning fire and made the image look like the flames were moving. I used the same palette as Leighton, but I did not elaborate as much on my work as he did. As I was creating the painting, the weather was the same as described in Leighton’s piece, so I felt a certain similarity in the environments.
The Connection between the Two Pieces
The main similarities between the two pieces are the general mood, the color palette, and the curved lines. The significant difference is that Leighton’s painting is much bigger and more elaborate. Leighton used oil on canvas, while I used acrylic paints, a piece of string, and paper. The medium of art creation has a special effect on the viewer, as it is essential to people whether the painting is similar to a real one or just flat and not so interesting.
The artist’s work uses various shades of many colors, whereas I only utilized three colors representing the primary hues of Leighton’s piece. Out of the formal design elements, I can assume that color, form, line, shape, and texture are similar, while value and space differ. Although my piece is much more simplistic than Leighton’s, it still brings about the feelings of lightness and harmony present in Leighton’s painting.
References
Jacobus, L., & Martin, F. D. (2018). The humanities through the arts (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Leighton, F. (1895). Flaming June [painting]. The Met Museum, NY, United States. Web.
Appendix A – Stages of Art Creation
