Entry I: Mona Lisa’s Smile, Oct. 3, 2013

 

I am here to kick start my blog by challenging friends of all ages to enhance your ‘fit life’ by adding a little ‘art life’ and take a drive down inspiration alley~

 

We all know the importance of eating healthy & maintaining some form of exercise in the rituals of staying healthy. This mainstream agenda is just part of the bigger picture of health.  Aside from our family commitments and the work routines we all adhere too daily I challenge you to add the ‘Art Life’ component and do a little out of ‘network’ creative self care:

Out of network self care means to step outside of your day-to-day experience in the world. Motivate your soul by shipping your rear end off to an institution. The Museum!  These amazing institutions are a wonderful way to add color, education & appreciation to your inner self.   They often offer free art programs, membership, discount days, unique films & lectures along with contemporary & historical art.  Is this important? You bet your healthy Medulla Oblongata it is.

WHY?

 

• It gets you out of all that conversation you keep having with yourself about what you aren't getting done or doing enough of.

• It teaches you to appreciate the world outside of your own.

• You can learn about materials, applications, techniques and commitment. Some of the works take days, months and years. ("Mona Lisa" painted by Leonardo Da Vinci took aproximately 14 years to finish... Whew!

• It is a safe haven to allow oneself to go on a visual journey without too much exertion. A commitment which other wellness models require.

• You walk away with adding more to your expererience of life than you did when you walked in.

• It is an opportunity to learn about history through visual means.

 

You can learn a great deal about struggle & accomplishment in a body of work by an artist. Willem de Kooning, (Pictured Below:1904-1997) was critically known for his execution & handling to creat his masterful works. He is worthy of much more than a few sentences but it will do for this topic on expanding self care through the art of appreciation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

De Kooning is considered to be one of the great “action painters” of the mid 20th century and very well known for his “Women” Series.  He displayed incredible physical bursts of energy often painting a multitude of images in a layering technique. These moments interdispersed with the artist planted in his arm chair to scrutinize his study and scrutinize his work, periods of rest to allow paint to dry, and likely many moments of thoughtful rest to decide upon the next move to push himself further.

 

Physicality, execution and the trained eye = A beautiful "body" of work:

 

Think about it....the museum is a 'gym'  for the eager mind displaying a multitude of mind blowing 'workouts.' Willem De Kooning's series named “Woman,” paintings consisting of sets, reps, & rest. I’d like to think De Kooning elevated his endorphins & created a little sweat in the process of hashing out in visual harmony every art 'workout' he ever put himself through in his career.

 

The secret to inner peace & success will translate if you give the above suggestion to visit a museum a try.  It is nothing more than a recipe to find time to do a little appreciation with the following main ingredient: Finding inspiration. 

 

When shall I endeavor you ask? No matter your age, agenda or schedule this is a must that will round out your roundhouse kicks… help you visualize goals while tracking the miles on the trail, eating an apple a day or that last blistering rep that feels so damn good. 

In fitness it boils down to the sum of making every work out count. To an artist it means a killer body of work. Committing to make the time to visit a museum may be all you need to take your wellness to an inspiring and 'fresh' level.

 

~Art Life & Fit Life: Ultimate living & kicking it up a notch –Sherri Cobb