The Fake Art Major

I am an Art major.  However, I am not very artistic, I can't really draw or shade well, and I am below par in the 3-D arts.  I can do very nice borders and fonts, but that is about it.  Oh, and I can draw hearts.  So why am I graduating in April with a BA in Art?  Well, my friend I will tell you why...It is because the school I attend, BYU-Idaho is still in the process of becoming a legitimate 4-year school & transformations are going to be happening for the next decade or so.  That being the case, there is not an Art History major as of this moment.  If there was, I would be all over that major.  Instead, I am an Art major with an emphasis in Art History.  I adore Art History, but my impression of the major overall is rough, considering I have been forced to take more studio art classes than comfortable with.  My final studio class will be taken next semester, it is a water colors class, which shouldn't be too difficult.  I hope.

I love Monet.  Now, a lot of people love Monet, but I am serious, here.  The summer I graduated high school, there was a Monet exhibit at San Francisco's Palace of Legion of Honor.  My parents took me and my life was changed.  I have always taken a liking to Monet and French Impressionism in general, but to be able to stand mere inches away from a true Monet was breath-taking.  I was intoxicated by his brush strokes, his use of color and lighting.  It was one of the best experiences with art I have had, so far.

I settled on my major my third semester of college, when I took an art history class on a whim.  I loved it and decided that was my future, to study art.  What could be better?  Of course, I am constantly asked what I 'want to do' with my major, and considering I don't want or have the teaching gene that runs rampant in my family, I always tell people I will figure it out.  Maybe I'll be a curator...Who knows.  Working in a museum would be fun.

My point is...I love art.  This spring I went to Europe for three weeks on a tour my school offered.  It was mind-blowing.  I saw so much art that it was hard to take it all in.  One of the best parts about the trip was the preparation beforehand.  My professor had us research a number of paintings that we would see in the museums on the trip so that when we saw it in real life, it would be memorable.  I wished I had done a lot more research, but I still have plenty of wonderful experiences.  The one that easily comes to mind was when I was in the  Musée d'Orsay, in Paris.  I was on the hunt for two paintings done by Renior, The Country Dance and The City Dance.  They were near to life-sized and were supposed to be displayed next to each other.  The entire top floor of the museum was dedicated to Impressionism & Post-Impressionism, so I was in total heaven: Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Manet, etc., etc.  When I reached the Renoir section, I eagerly searched for my paintings.  A few of the paintings I was looking forward to seeing were on loan, and I was ready to be disappointed that these two would be gone as well.  Deflated, I walked down the stairs into another section with a few more Impressionism paintings.  I was still happy to be there, to be admiring the beautiful artworks.  But then, I turned the corner and there they were!  Displayed next to each other, were the two dance paintings by Renoir.  I was so moved, I started to tear up.  They were beautiful.  It was an amazing experience and I just stood there and admired them for awhile.

(Pictures taken by me [: )

I love that I get to study art for my major.  I know I should also be concerned about what my future and career will entail, but for the most part, I am just so jazzed about what I get to learn about.  I love art and I am happy with my educational choices.  I don't really know how to end this post, so I'll leave it at that.