Beauty in Nature
Some of the world’s greatest paintings are of natural subjects. It’s hard to not get inspired by the world around us- and we can all learn to express our admiration in some way.
Some people make it their life’s work to create images of animals in art . Others are enchanted by the great open lands of this and other countries. Even still life paintings are representations of life- the fruit of trees.
Indigenous people everywhere have created art that honors their environment; many of them are representations of the animals and plants all around them. Some of the earliest art work we’ve discovered, paintings in caves and early body decorations are of animals, many of which are now extinct.
I think it’s fascinating that the early paintings are also quite modern looking. Stylistic bodies that seem to dance across the cave walls. I imagine when those early people lit fires in caves they really did appear to dance.
Sometimes I think how amazing it must have been for the first people who discovered this art after perhaps thousands of years. It seems like the color would still look fresh, untouched by the sun’s fading.
I sometimes wonder if early man had what we now call “bad art”. Everything I’ve seen from early indigenous people has been remarkably beautiful. Could it be that back then everyone was an artist, that you were encouraged to work your individual magic in representing your surroundings, no matter who you were? I rather like this theory. It would explain why there is so much art and craftwork from those early times.
The art of the indigenous aborigine of Australia is another example of great beauty created by supposedly ignorant people. I think their art and lives must have been full of magnificent beauty and great adventure. I watched a movie the other night called “Ten Canoes” which was based on the lives of these native Australians and starred villagers, people who were not professional actors. It was an amazing film.
I think it’s a shame that art is not a more important part of every child’s life. Think of the potential artists, musicians and craftspeople who might never discover their potential just because they weren’t exposed to great art or encouraged themselves to create. I will take it a step further and say that more honor paid to artists and less to politicians might make this planet more habitable.
If you have a child or a grandchild, one of the most important things you can do for him or her is to encourage creativity. Not only will that result in more artists, but it will have the additional benefit of encouraging a population to think for themselves. Maybe we can’t all be professional artists, but we can all learn to appreciate the mystery, beauty and importance of seeing the world through a more sensitive and aware viewpoint.