It’s the little things that make life worthwhile. The memory can easily recall major, significant or traumatic events that we have experienced. Unfortunately the little moments; when our senses are heightened, our emotions charged, we feel happy, surprised, enlightened, alive or free, tend to get lost forever.
Above: Easy to remember travel essentials when leaving for your holiday – but don’t forget the little things when you come back! Photo courtesy of
ameliadowd
Holidays and travel give us some of our most notable, life enriching experiences but it can be difficult to remember the sense of exhilaration when you arrived in Time Square, the smell of the Tuscan countryside, the French farmer that made you smile or the sound and energy of a tropical storm in Hawaii. We should never let these feelings be lost – these small moments will shape the people we ultimately become, they remind us why we’re alive and most importantly they make us happy.
Above: Collect memories through objects you pick up while travelling. Photo courtesy of
groume
Magic Mementos
That’s why our travel souvenirs and mementos, art, ornaments, or even junk that we collect are so powerful. These objects capture the very essence of a feeling, a sense or a particular moment in time. We treasure them because quite often they appeal to all our senses, textiles from a Turkish market may still have that certain smell, we listen to the sound of the sea inside a shell we picked up in Barbados, and a landscape of the French countryside may capture the mood of a particular day through colour. You cannot get this through a photograph; a 2D view through a camera lens will never have the same impact as an object or piece of art that conveys a feeling.
Sensory Overload
The senses never experience overload as much as when we visit a new place. Everything is different so therefore, we take much more notice of sights, sounds, smells and tastes. That’s why travel has inspired so many great artists, when we are more aware of all our senses, this can be channelled through art. An artist will feed on this sensory barrage and communicate their perception of it through a sketch, painting or sculpture.
Appreciating Art through Travel
It is only after travelling that many people begin to appreciate art, because their senses are so alive in a new environment, they can appreciate, understand and value what the artist is trying to achieve. Travelling helps you develop an art sense. Therefore, it is no surprise that when many first-time buyers purchase, they buy landscape art related to a place they’ve visited or have fond memories of. The ‘buy what you like rule’ always applies because that’s essentially what the purchaser is doing – buying into a time, place and feeling that they may like.
The Colours of Morocco
Gerry Dudgeon excels in this field. Gerry’s work is travel inspired, using colour and texture to explore feelings he had whilst travelling in Morocco. His use of vibrant reds, pinks, yellow and mauves conveys the heat of the desert. Abstract objects and artefacts represent Moroccan Culture.
In a recent interview, he explained that he found Morocco a place of tranquillity and “awesome emptiness.” When you look at his work it does convey the sense of isolation he felt in the vastness of the desert. He admits too that he struggled to judge distances; hence his work takes on the feeling of ‘being lost in a sea of warm shades.’
Your Journey
Here are some ways to help you appreciate art through travel, incorporate it into your life and seek out an art piece to remind you of your travels to treasure forever.
Above: Start a travel journal – collage can be a really fun way of recording the places you visit. Photo courtesy of
shimelle
- Start an Art Travel Journal
This is essentially a travel diary but instead of writing what you see, hear and feel, you express it in art by drawing, colouring or even a collage. This will help give you an idea of what kind of art you should look to buy to reflect that particular holiday or experience.
- Incorporate Travel into your Home Décor
Making your travel experiences a part of your home will help immortalise your memories. Plus, you’ll be surrounded by warm reminders that’ll nurture the soul after a long mundane day. Your home should say something about you, what better way to do this than with a thoughtfully chosen piece that reflects a happy meaningful time in your life?
- Revisit Past Experiences
Dig-out and revisit any old souvenirs, artefacts, ornaments and mementos you’ve accumulated over the years. Remember where you got each object and how it makes you feel. Perhaps you could re-organise them into a special box or make up a clever display to go on your wall.
- What places have inspired you?
Make a simple list of places that you feel have inspired you and why. How did you feel while you were there, what were the highlights of your trip?
- Visit Places that Others Found Inspirational
Take a trip to Giverny, France to see what inspired Monet, spend a week in Morocco to understand the work of Gerry Dudgeon (mentioned above) or how about Tahiti, following in the footsteps of Paul Gauguin? You can then see for yourself how they captured the essence of a place.
- Already Found your Special Place?
Try a quick internet search e.g. ‘paintings St Lucia’ and you’ll discover several artists who have devoted their lives to the very place you love. Have a browse until you find something you really connect with.
Taste the Rainbow
Ok, so it may be a marketing slogan from a candy manufacturer but the message captures a powerful idea about travelling. Travel is about tasting rainbows. When you travel – you encounter more rainbows. When you can harness and record the taste of that rainbow – you’ve created or can appreciate a piece of art.
The next time you visit a new place, become more aware of all the senses, relish these memories and your experience will be all the better for it. So you’ve not just been on a physical journey but a journey of the mind too.
